Hall - Cooking With Oma A Link With the Past, a Bridge to the Future

A Link with the Past,

a Bridge to the Future

Edie Oma Hall

COOKING WITH OMA

A LINK WITH THE PAST, A BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE

Copyright 2015 Edie Oma Hall.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-4917-2639-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-2640-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-2641-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014904098

iUniverse rev. date: 04/30/2015

Contents

In the Beginning
Appetizers, Dips, Spreads, Soups

Cheers!
BeveragesAlcoholic and Nonalcoholic

Good Morning!
Egg and Cheese Dishes, Crpes, Quiches

The Salad Bar
Salads and Salad Dressings

A Sandwich by Any Other Name
Panini, Crostini, Tea Sandwiches, Wraps

By Land and by Sea
Meat, Seafood, Chicken

Sensational Sides
Vegetables, Rice, Pasta

Whats Sauce for the Goose
Savory and Dessert Sauces, Salsas, Condiments

Vegetarian and Vegan
No Meat, No Fish, No Chicken

The Bread Basket
Bread, Rolls, Muffins, Coffee Cakes, Butters

Just Desserts
Desserts, Pies, Cookies, Cakes

Lagniappe
Spice Mixes, Snacks, Kitchen Gifts, Party Ideas

First Aid for All Occasions
Kitchen Emergencies, Hints, Helps

Conversion Tables and Measurements
Spoons to Cups to Ounces

Warmest thanks to my family and friends whose persuasive powers and insistence were the motivation for writing another cookbook and whose support, encouragement, and love were a constant stimulant along the way. This book, like its predecessor In the Kitchen with Oma , is based on personal experiences, but no cookbook can ever be written without input and assistance from many different sources.

My mother and Oma, the two most influential contributors to my cooking, laid the groundwork for what became a passion for exploring culinary horizons. Although both are long gone, I want to pay homage to them in hopes they look down approvingly. Much appreciation goes to dear friends Carol and Denny Oswald for patiently rescuing me from numerous computer dilemmas.

A special thank-you to my culinary students whose enthusiasm and challenging questions not only made me a better teacher, but also made me aware of how much interest exists for old, traditional recipes.

My most heartfelt thanks to the following family members, friends, and great chefs around the world who have so graciously shared treasured recipes and also gave many helpful tips. Sadly, several of them have passed away in recent years, but they are remembered here, their name marked with a small*.

Captain Ren Aubry, French Liaison Officer, Chaumont, France

Victor Bergeron (Trader Vic), Honolulu, Hawaii

Hotel Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Janie Bozeman, Sacramento, California

Ann Brock,* Bossier City, Louisiana

Margaret Coolidge, Chattanooga, Tennessee

Helen Corbit,* Dallas, Texas

Lloyd Cox, Columbus, Ohio

Miriam Boudreaux Cousins, New Orleans, Louisiana

Peggy Edman, Waco, Texas

Chef Francois, Chaumont, France

Gerda Farmer, Bossier City, Louisiana

Grand Hotel National, Lucerne, Switzerland

Darla Hetzel, Richmond, Virginia

Hans Hillel,* Berlin, Germany

Chef Jerry Jones, Kensington Place, Columbus, Ohio

Suzanne Kessler, Gahanna, Ohio

Linda Kurtz, Columbus, Ohio

Chef Kevin McGinnis, Grand Hotel, Mackinaw Island, Michigan

Shirley Massey, Cuero, Texas

Mary Moore,* Bexley, Ohio

Colonel Frank OBrien, Cheyenne, Wyoming

Peggy OBrien, Honolulu, Hawaii

Maureen Pelletieris Mom, Waco, Texas

Earline Rau,* San Antonio, Texas

Restaurant Du Capucin Gourmand, Nancy, France

Leah Richter,* Columbus, Ohio

The Shreveport Club, Shreveport, Louisiana

Norma Stallings,* San Antonio, Texas

Mim Stuhr,* Columbus, Ohio

Hotel Wentworth by the Sea, New Hampshire

Julie Williams, Gulf Shores, Alabama

Marie Wissman,* Bossier City, Louisiana

My first cookbook was written at the urging of friends and family. In the Kitchen with Oma features authentic recipes that have found their way into my kitchen through the generosity of friends, chefs, and restaurants around the world. The book also includes favorite dishes of my family, meals shared with good friends, and treasured old recipes I learned from my mother and she learned from her mother, my Oma. (Oma is the German endearment form for grandmother.)

In the Kitchen with Oma turned out to be more than just a collection of recipes. It became a reflection of my lifestyle, family traditions, fond memories of people, and things I love. Going through my huge collection of recipes and selecting favorites was a lengthy and tedious process. But it was also a task I enjoyed because the handwritten recipes, many so faded they were barely legible and others no more than hastily scribbled notes on paper yellowed with age, brought back to life memorable moments, places, and mental pictures of friends and family members, many who are no longer with us.

Now, at the age of eighty-six, I have once more given in to the pressure of my family, friends, and students who wanted another book filled with new and vintage recipes and, as they put it, more of my nostalgic ramblings. So once again I rummaged through my files of recipes and notes and ransacked the innermost recesses of my brain to resuscitate recipes, traditions, and stories from the past that I hope will serve as a connection with future generations.

A few of the old, classic recipes may look vaguely familiar, but as I rescued them from obscurity, they were updated to accommodate the demands of todays busy lifestyle. I am constantly experimenting to find new ways of saving time and labor without sacrificing taste and to incorporate products that have recently come on the market. I also make it a point to put a lot of emphasis on appearance and presentation, and so have included a number of suggestions and ideas that add eye appeal to the food you serve.

While searching through my recipes, I could not help looking back and reflecting on the experiences and events that helped shape my life. I grew up in an interesting, chaotic milieu, with times spent at the doorsteps of hell as well as times of happiness and peaceful contentment, which is where I find myself nowa vantage point from where I look backward and view my life with awe.

Born in Berlin, Germany, my early childhood years were spent there and in Hamburg. Though my life was as happy as most childrens, my parents could not completely shield me from exposure to the long breadlines (called soup-lines in Germany) where starving men, women, and children were shivering in the cold to get a cup of soup and a piece of bread.