Come Into My Kitchen
by

In the days when most of us got married, it was taken for granted that both husband and wife would take on one another's baggage -- that is, adopt the anecdotes, tales of bizarre behavior, rumors (true and false), trivia and gossip about anyone even remotely related to the other's side of the family. The character under discussion might be famous or obscure, average or extraordinary, but more often just eccentric.

In the family I inherited from my husband's side, there were occasional references to a distant cousin named Sarah Zemurray of Hammond, Louisiana. It seems she was the wife of the owner of United Fruit Lines and had traveled all over the world. She had written a little cookbook, a sort of culinary travelogue. The collection was published under the title "One Hundred Unusual Recipes" -- or something like that.

Someone in my husband's extended family, in a burst of pride and generosity, had sent it to me as a gift. The reason I may be hazy about the title is that I owned the book only a short while. A good friend borrowed it and never returned it. That's the story of my life; I'll never learn.

The only recipe of Sarah's that intrigued me was one for "Unknown Pea Soup" and the reason for my interest was that I'd never heard of a pea called "Unknown." I didn't know whether the term "Unknown" in the title applied to the recipe itself or to some unfamiliar vegetable Cousin Sarah had come across in her years of eating her way all over the globe. Off and on during the ensuing years, I made the soup using crowder peas and found it so good I decided it should be re-titled and named something more impressive like, "Well Known Pea Soup" or perhaps "Spectacular Pea Soup."

The recipe called for "a sprig of thyme." In those days, thyme was a strange ingredient to show up in any recipe. We neither knew how to pronounce it correctly nor how to use it properly. My first experience using thyme resulted in such an unsavory dish that no one ever tasted it besidesme.

Another recipe in Sarah's little book was the source of much amusement since its obvious purpose was to salvage a loaf of stale white bread. You sliced the bread (if it didn't already come that way) and cut the slices into sticks, then rolled them in a mixture of melted butter, confectioner's sugar and pineapple juice. If by then you hadn't lost all interest in the project, you rolled the sticks in grated coconut and presto, a delectable dessert! All that song and dance just to use up a nickel loaf of stale bread. Talk about trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear! Just for fun, I totalled up the cost of that dessert and concluded that it came to about .$3.00, a respectable sum 50 years ago.

Cousin Sarah has been gone for many years-and so has her little cookbook. But whenever I prepare Unknown Pea Soup, I think of her with gratitude and respect. Maybe that's immortality.

Soak 2 cups crowder peas overnight in 2 quarts cold water. In the morning, remove all the peas that float, drain off water, put peas in pot and add 2 quarts cold water.
 
Add a hambone, cover and allow to come to a boil gradually. Cook slowly for about 2 hours.

Add the following: 2 tablespoons melted butter in which has been sauteed one minced onion, one sprig each of parsley and thyme, a bay leaf and salt and pepper. When peas are tender, remove hambone, put soup through blender. Return to pot and add 2 cups of milk and 2 cups cream; reheat. (Note: When I make it, I use 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp. dried thyme and 2 cups whole milk (no cream). The meat from the hambone may be diced and used as a garnish for the soup.)
 

1 cup rice, brown or white
1 can chicken broth
2 cans water
2 tsp. minced garlic
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
Grated fresh or dried orange peel (optional)

In saucepan bring broth and water to boil. Add rice with seasonings and return to boil. Turn into a casserole, cover with foil and a lid. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. (Butter may be added to boiling broth.)
 

1 lb. slice of round steak
1 can (10-1/2 oz) cream of chicken soup

Trim all fat from meat and cut into cubes or strips. Place in buttered casserole. Pour soup over and mix well. Cover tightly and place in 250degree oven for five hours. Forget it until time to serve. (Note: If you feel the need to fancy it up, stir in 3/4 cup dry red wine and 1 tsp. mixed herbs). Be sure to serve with mashed potatoes or rice to take advantage of the delicious gravy.
 

1 small head cauliflower
2/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs (stuffing mix may be used)
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Trim leaves from cauliflower; break head into flowerets. Cook, covered, in lightly salted boiling water 8 to 10 minutes or until crisply tender; drain. Place in 6-cup shallow baking dish. In small bowl, combine cheeses and bread crumbs; drizzle melted butter over; toss to mix; Sprinkle over cauliflower. Bake at 425 degrees 10 minutes or until topping is golden. (This method may also used for leftover cauliflower.)
 

Into large bowl, put about 2 or 3 pounds of shredded cabbage. Add 1 medium carrot, a stalk of celery and 1 medium onion, all of which have been minced finely; Pour over this 1/3 cup salad oil and toss thoroughly until all cabbage is well coated.

Now add the following:
1/2 cup minced sweet pickles  with juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
white pepper to taste
1/3 tsp. mustard seed
1 tablespoon vinegar
Mix thoroughly. Stir in 2 generous tablespoons salad dressing (not  mayonnaise). Chill until ready to serve.