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| Still Life: Mrs. Jonathan Hurlinger with martini glass |
Date I made these recipes:
September 3, 2012 (Labor Day)
Lemonade for the
Lawnboy – The Executives’ Wives’ Cookbook Committee by David W. Cook and
Janet Letnes Martin
Published by: Martin
House Publications
ISBN:
978-1-886627-14-7
Recipe: Mrs. Jonathan Hurlinger’s Thirst-Quenching
Recipe for the Lawnboy –p. 5
CORN – Meals & More by Tastemaker-Award Winning Author Olwen Woodier
Published by: A
Garden Way Publishing Book Published by Storey Communications, Inc.
ISBN: 0-88266-456-5
Recipe: Chicken Enchiladas – p. 78-79
The Picnic Gourmet
by Joan Hemingway and Connie Maricich
Published by: Vintage
Books
© 1975, 1977; First Vintage Books Edition , June 1978
Recipe: Peaches
Stuffed with Sweet Almond Cream Cheese - 279
I don’t care if Labor Day typically signals the end of
summer as we know it - when it’s time to make “Mrs. Jonathan Hurlinger’s
Thirst-Quenching Recipe for the Lawnboy,” it’s time to make Mrs. Jonathan
Hurlinger’s Thist-Quenching Recipe for the Lawnboy!
My friend, Lolo, gave me this hilarious cookbook, Lemonade for the Lawnboy – The Executives’
Wives’ Cookbook Committee, a while ago and I truly meant to make the
lemonade recipe this summer but things got away from me. So what if the temperature dipped down a bit
by the time I made it? When you’re
thirsty, you’re thirsty and nobody appreciated it more than my own “lawnboy,”
Andy.
This book is a total send-up of the classic society cookbook
and by “society” I am referring to the Junior League cookbooks that have dotted
the cookbook landscape for years now. From
Mrs. Biff Johnson to the fake Mrs. Jonathan Hurlinger, these ladies have
submitted enough recipes to paper many a beach-front condo in Boca and then
some while raising money for a good cause.
Good causes are a good thing.
Out of all the society ladies featured in this book, none
drew my attention more than Mrs. J.H. who was, appropriately, pictured with her
martini glass. Aside from the fact that
her green outfit would not look good against my skin tone, Mrs. J. H. and I
could be twins as I do so love my martini.
I also think that the look on Mrs. J.H.’s face is quite similar to the
look I wear when I am not amused, and lately people, I have not been
amused. (And this is why gin typically
fixes everything.) Lucky for me, Mrs. J.H’s lemonade saved the
day. It was simple, yet elegant and
quite refreshing - quite.
By the way, here is my favorite description of Mrs. J.H –and
funny how it describes me to a “t!” (This is from page 5 of Lemonade for the
Lawnboy – The Executives’ Wives’ Cookbook Committee by David W. Cook II and
Janet Letnes Martin.)
“…If that was not
enough, the same week she threw a grand and most elegant birthday party for her
dear friend, Mrs. Charles Chatterton.
Her devotion to details was unsurpassed, down to party favors of French
crystal martini glasses etched with Mrs. Charles Chatterton’s favorite martini
recipe. Her brilliance and creativity is
quite amazing. It is no wonder she was
chosen President of The Executives’ Wives’ Cookbook Committee.”
This lemonade paired quite well with my main course, Chicken
Enchiladas. Now people, I don’t know
about you, but I expected this recipe to contain some corn seeing as how it
came from a corn cookbook, but alas,
no. I re-read the recipe several times
and even contemplated using frozen corn in the enchilada mixture but decided
against it and instead opted for corn tortillas. The book said I could make my own cornmeal
pancakes but I had enough going on without having to pull another recipe
together.
While most of us are probably used to the “goopy”
cheese-laden enchiladas served in most Mexican restaurants these days, this
recipe didn’t call for cheese at all and that’s why I liked it, corn or no
corn. But the inclusion of this recipe
in the (corn) cookbok, even if it was
under “Ethnic Specialties,” still boggles the mind.
Last, but not least, was a (fresh) peaches dessert recipe
taken from The Picnic Gourmet
written by Joan Hemingway and Connie Maricich.
Joan Hemmingway is celebrated author Earnest Hemingway’s
granddaughter. (On my list of books to
read is A Moveable Feast, written by
“Papa” Hemingway in 1961 that recounts his days in Paris in the 1920’s and
includes names and addresses of all his watering holes. (Somehow, this was one
of the few Hemmingway books this English major did not read in high school or
college.)
This book is divided into two parts. Part one lists picnics by theme and contains
menus for a Sunday Ski Picnic, a Boating Picnic (Oh darn, I forgot my
boat-bummer) and an Italian Beach Picnic just to name a few. The second half of the book contains recipe
by category – soups, salads, fruit, etc.
As the title Picnic Gourmet
suggests, this book does not contain your average Labor Day cook-out recipes of
beans and weenies although many people would consider that “high end” picnic
food if the beans were a mix of heirloom beans and the weenies were fancy
stuffed sausages. But although the
recipes sound high end, many of them are pretty easy, like the recipe for
Peaches Stuffed with Sweet Almond Cream Cheese.
Whew.
All in all, this was a great meal to make on Labor Day and
that’s a good thing as neither Mrs. Jonathan Hurlinger nor I like fuss or muss
when it comes to holiday entertaining.
Mrs. Jonathan
Hurlinger’s Thirst-Quenching Recipe for the Lawnboy – serving size not listed
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
5 ounces of reconstituted lemon juice
1 ¾ cups ice water
Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a
boil. Stir constantly until the sugar is
completely dissolved. Chill for 3 to 4
hours. Pour the mixture and the ice
water into a tall pitcher and add the lemon juice. Cut the lemon into thin wedges and put them
in a pitcher. Stir the mixture and pour
it into chilled glasses. Add ice to each
glass.
Chicken Enchiladas – yield: 4 servings
1 pound boneless chicken breasts
¼ cup chicken stock, tomato juice, or water
6 tablespoons cream cheese
2 tablespoons chunky Mexican sauce (salsa) (mild or hot)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (3 cups)
1 3 ½ -ounce can green chili peppers, chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ vegetable oil
8 6-inch tortillas
1 ½ cups sour cream (optional)
¼ cup chopped chives or scallion greens (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Put the chicken breasts in a skillet, pour in the stock, cover and
simmer for 10 minutes. Reserve 1/3 cup
of the liquid. Thinly slice the chicken
breast. Blend the cream cheese, reserved
liquid, and Mexican sauce together. Stir
in the chicken strips.
While the chicken is poaching, heat the 1 tablespoon oil in
a large skillet and sauté the onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chili pepper, and
coriander. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Heat the ¼ cup oil in a skillet and drop each tortilla into
the hot fat for about 10 seconds. This
is not to cook them but to make them pliable.
(Note: this did not work well at
all for the corn tortillas as they were too soft. My guess is that this method would work well
for flour tortillas.)
Remove immediately to a baking dish measuring approximately
12” x 9” x 2” and spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture along the center
of each tortilla. Roll up and place
seam-side down in the dish. Repeat until
all tortillas and the filling have been used up.
Spoon the tomato sauce over the top and bake for 15 minutes.
Mix the sour cream and chives and spoon over each cooked
tortilla.
Peaches Stuffed with
Sweet Almond Cream Cheese – serves 6
3 large peaches
½ pound cream cheese
3 good macaroons, crumbled in a blender (or three biscotti
or other “hard” cookie)
1 teaspoon ground almonds (grind in blender)
Peach pulp from seed cavities
Fresh mint leaves (optional)
Choose large ripe peaches, and scrub the outside skin. Cut each peach in half, take out the seed,
and enlarge the seed cavity with a spoon.
Reserve the peach pulp taken out.
Mix the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl. [If going on a picnic] Pack the peaches and
filling separately. To serve, place a
teaspoonful of filling on each peach center.
Garnish and decorate the plate of filled peach halves with fresh mint
leaves.
Ann’s Note: this last
line just makes me hoot: [mint leaves]
“These can usually be picked on the trail or at the picnic site.” Hahahahaha……Hardly.
**Both Corn and The Picnic Gourmet were purchased at the
Bloomington Crime Prevention Association Sale held in June.
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