WhoVMw In The Kitchen
wirs. Swtimons LJtes lo “Break Away And Try New Things” In The Kitchen
the oven, so she could sample one...
or two.
Camilla has been cooking since
she was a teenager in Gaffney, SC.
As the second oldest daughter of a
working mother - the oldest was' in
college at the time - she used to do a
lot of the cooking tor the family at
three boys and three girls. “I en
• joyed it very much,” she recalled.
"Mom is a very good cook,” she
added, "especially her potato salad.
But I like to experiment on dif
ferent recipes. My mom did what
her mom did, but I broke away and
tried new things.”
A scaled-down Thanksgiving for the working cook features (clockwise
from top) turkey with no-cook Cranberry, Walnut and Apple Cider
Stuffing and Steamed Green Beans Almondlne with Herbed Cranberry
Pureo. For dessert, serve a spectacular festive Chestnut Bavarian Mold
with your favorite chocolate sauce.
are A “Sensible”
Dinner
f ^Let^be. ynsibic^ about cooking
and only have Wednesday evening
and Thursday morning to shop and
icook, there’s no way you alone can
prepsors the multi-course, multi
dessert food prgies of x bygone
Thanksgivings.
~ A scaled-down Thanksgiving din
ner that won’t overwhelm you or
your guests is in order.
Plan to do the bulk of your food
shopping on the weekend so that you
leave Wednesday evening free for
the one involved cooking chore.
- That*s- a spectacular festtrfr-ejjpst
nut Bavarian Mold for dessert,
Thursday you'll stuff the turkey
with a no-cook Cranberry, Walnut &
Apple Cider Stuffing.
Then you can make a choice
between serving plain green beans
or our dressed up version with
herbed cranberry sauce. If you
choose plain steamed beans, you
might want to make a chocolate
sauce to serve with the dessert.
CRANBERRY, WALNUT *
APPLE CIDER
TURKEY 8TUFFING
(Makes about 8 cups)
6 c. stale bread crumbs
1/3 c. chopped onion
^4 tap. poultry seasoning
% c. Ocean Spray Fresh
or Frozen Cranberries,
chopped
% c. raisins
<4 c. chopped walnuts
1 c. peeled apples,
coarsely chopped
1/3 c. chopped celery
1'4 tap. salt
'4 tsp. pepper
■4 c. butter, melted
% c. apple cider
In large bowl, combine all of the
above ingredients; mix well. Use
to stuff turkey.
i:
CHESTNUT BAVARIAN
CREAM MOLD
(Make* 16 serving*)
2 envelopes unflavored
gelatin
■4 c. cold water
114 c. milk
6 egg yolks
sugar
1 can (15'4 oz.) un
sweetened chestnut puree
V!i c. dark rum
1*4 tap. vanilla
1 square semisweet cho
colate, melted
1 pt. heavy cream
In a small saucepan, sprinkle
gelatin over cold water. Let stand
10 minutes to soften. In a large
saucepan heat milk, Just until
bubbles appear around the edge
(do not boil). Remove from heat;
stir in softened gelatin until
dissolved. In a large bowl, beat
egg yolks and sugar With elec
tric mixer until very light and
fluffy, about 5 minutes. Slowly
add to milk mixture, stirring
constantly until smooth. Code,
over low heat, stirring constant
ly, until custard thickens slight
ly and coats a metal spoon, about
5 minutes. In a large bowl, beat
chestnut puree, until smooth.
Beat in hot custard. Stir in rum,
vanilla and chocolate. Cool. Chill
over ice water, stirring often
until mixture mounds when
spooned In a medium bowl, beat
heavy cream until stiff. Fold into
chestnut custard. Into a 10-cup
decorative mold pour mixture
Chill at toast • hours or until set.
To servo; With the Up of a small
knife loosen cream around edge.
Dip mold quickly in warm water.
Onto chilled serving plate invert
mold. Garnish with chocolate
covered whole chestnuts, choco
late pieces, candied cherriea and
whipped cream.
Chocolate Trtaagtes
Melt six (i ox.) squares semi
sweet chocolate over hot, not
refrigerator until firm. Cut Into
trlar^toe, piece around bean of
Chestnut Bavarian Mold
When the family gets together
for Thanksgiving at the Gaffney
homestead, each of the grown
children contributes to the meal by
bringing covered dishea. Camilla
enjoys special cooking for the holi
days. “I've already started pulling
out recipe books to experiment with
new recipes,” she remarked. Among
her old standbys is the broccoli
casserole which follows.
For Camilla, Fixing special foods
for the holidays is a tradition.
"Holiday baking gets you in the
frame of mind for the holidays,” she
offered. “It’s part of sharing a
festive time with family, and thank
ing God for being able to get to
gether one more time.”
Holiday season or not, baking is
Camilla’s favorite form of the cu
linary arts. She guessed that’s
because “once it’s put together, you
put it in the oven and forget about it.
You don’t have to stand over it and
fuss.”
Her family-Loni and husband
Kermit--enjoy desserts. Her pound
cake is one of their favorites. “I’m
partial to that, too,” she confessed.
Both wife and husband attended
Barber-Scotia College before finding
jobs in Charlotte and settling here
nine years ago. Camilla majored in
sociology and psychology and
worked for the YWCA before her
child was born. After her maternity
leave was over, the “Y” didn’t have
a suitable opening. Fortunately, she
said, she had also attended a busi
ness college, “so luckily I was able
to fall back on that.”
Besides cooking, she enjoys cross
stitch and reading. The last story
she read was a love story. The day of
our visit together, she had stopped at
the library and picked up, “Master
of the Game,” by Sidney Sheldon, as
well as books for her daughter. “I
take Loni by the library all the time
to get books for her,” she remarked.
Loni attends kindergarten at Ascen
sion Lutheran School.
Camilla is a member of Delta
Sigma Theta Sorority, although she
admitted she hasn’t been active.
She also attends University
Park Baptist Church, where she is a
member of the Sanctuary Choir. "I
have loved to sing since junior
high," she remarked. “I’m a first
soprano and I remember audition
ing for Junior choir and being
amazed myself at my range. My
=
>' ■ 1 ^ _I
Camilla Simmons takes some fresh-baked cookies out of the oven. The
cookies are one of her holiday traditions. (Photo by Audrey Lodato)
minister asked where I’d been all
those years.” ^
With Thanksgiving right around
the corner, Camilla expressed
thanks for being in good health,
’’having a terrific family, a healthy
and strong marriage, and a healthy
and strong child.”
But for this woman, who grew up
with a strong religious background,
giving thanks isn’t confined to one
day a year. Rather, it is something
she does throughout the course of
her life. “I’m trying to instill that in
my child," she observed.
Here are a few of Camilla
Simmons’ holiday recipes.
ANGEL COOKIES »»»<
'4 lb. butter
* 1 c. plain flour
► pinch of salt
> 1 c. finely chopped
pecans
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Melt butter, add other ingre
dients. Mix thoroughly, then form
into cookies. Bake at 325 degrees
for 20 minutes; When cooled, roll
in powdered sugar.
»-»BAKED SQUASH ■»» »»» < » 0 » »
(( 3 lb. yellow squash Wash and cut up squash. Boil
'4 c. chopped onions until tender, drain thoroughly,
° '4 c. crackers or then mash. Add all ingredients
< > bread crumbs except >4 stick of butter to
<» 2 e6gs squash. Pour mixture into baking
<, 1 butter dish. Melt remaining butter, then
1 Tbsp. sugar spread over top and sprinkle with
(' 1 tsp. salt crackers or bread crumbs. Bake
1 > '4 tsp. black pepper in 375 F. oven for approximately
< > ^ . (season to taste)^.lhour or until brown on top.
X*“<CORNBREAD DRESSING ►“*!
' ' i »
' ' 6 c. crumbled cornbread 1 *
' ' 4 c. loaf bread < >
< > 1 c. chopped celery < ,
< , a4 c. finely chopped onion
1 c. water 1 '
° 'i c. butter or chicken <*
' ' stock < >
< » 1 Tbsp. salt ,,
< . '» tsp pepper
>4 tsp. sage
* * 4 eggs, beaten < *
° 2 c. broth < >
*
►
( Prepare bread for dressing. Cook
celery and onion in 1 c. water ’ *
1 until tender. Drain and add to the < 1
> crumbs and seasoning. Stir in < >
> beaten eggs and enough broth to , (
> make a moist dressing Pour into
greased pan and bake at 400 * ’
* degrees for about 30 minutes. < »
♦-♦•CHRISTMAS COOKIES
> < .
* 3Tbsp. melted butter < >
> 1 can Eagle Brand ( (
y Condensed Milk
1 c. candied red i'
cherries 1 >
’ 2 slices candied green < >
> pineapple (or substitute ( ,
y fruit cake mix for
cherries & pineapple)
' 1 can angel flake <»
) coconut <,
) 2 c. chopped pecans (,
, Dash of salt
1*2 c. graham cracker
crumbs 1 •
*
> Mix and drop by teaspoons on <,
(-greased cookie sheet. Bake at
| degrees about 12-15 minutes,
not overcook.
> o
BROCCOLI CASSEROLE’
( < >
, 1 pkg. frozen chopped
( broccoli ''
l can cream of mush- ' *
’ room soup < >
> '2 c. mayonnaise <,
y 1 c. sharp Cheddar cheese
t 1 small onion, chopped
Ritz crackers <*
^ < ►
y Cook broccoli just to thaw out.
Mix all ingredients. Top w-ith Ritz ' ’
' * crackers Bake at 325 for 35 1»
<) minutes. , ,
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