The fourth Favorite was done for Blake Van Roekel and her Grandmother, Mary Alice. This was a different experience for me as this was the first meal I had to do with the Favorite being present. Blake took me over to meet her Grammy (as Mary Alice is so endearingly known in the family) an afternoon about a month before I did the meal. Her house cannot be described as anything but a gingerbread-wonderland-of-grandmother-loveliness. Walking into her house was like walking into a hug. No joke. Imagine, lavender (her favorite color) permeates the house through cushions, curtains, stained glass windows, and art; there are skylights and large open windows creating a light yet cozy feeling; she has an annex upstairs for the sole purpose of her sewing room where she creates hand-made bags, aprons, and baby clothes; her kitchen is organized just as a kitchen should be, it was like I already knew where everything was because it just made sense. Flowers, candy, nice hand lotion, and the permeating smell of cleanliness and roses filled the house.
Grammy had asked if she could set the table for the experience. I was excited that she asked, what a better and more authentic way to evoke a Favorite then having them directly participate. With this design constraint in mind, I set out to come up with a proper menu based on Blake’s memories of her Grandmother’s cooking and philosophy. Mary Alice is of the generation where fast, easy, and convenient foods ruled the kitchen. The 1950s were full of new products, gadgets, and types of food to make life easier at home. It was only natural to find recipes from the 50’s, with their tall claims of being fast and convenient. Deviled eggs, chicken salad sandwiches, a raspberry Jell-o ring with pineapple chunks, a cheese ball, and maraschino-vanilla-pudding-vanilla-wafer pie were all in order.
This meal was one of the hardest I’ve had to make. I stayed true to the recipes, calling for a box mix of this, or a can of that, not making anything directly from scratch as I like to do. The irony of not being able to make a real (or what I perceive as real) homemade meal was difficult! But for Grammy, it was perfect. She loved what was being served and even told us that she “doesn’t do organic from the stores because it is so expensive,” explaining that she’s “made it this long and is living healthily and happily, why change now?”
I decided that I needed to infiltrate Mary Alice’s table setting in a way that was not intrusive but rather additive to the entire experience. So I served the meal on a bed of wheat grass, still growing from it’s dirt, plopped right onto the plate, with the sandwich and deviled egg then nested right on top. It was a beautiful addition to an already gorgeous table. The grass also evoked another theme I was threading throughout the meal: spring and newness. Something about Mary Alice’s house and demeanor all reminded me of freshness, youth, and spring.
The meal itself was full of warm conversation and funny stories (told by Mary Alice about her travels through Germany and youth in Wisconsin). While a young girl, she told us stories of not being able to get margarine, especially the yellow margarine, in Wisconsin because it was illegal. Wisconsin as the capital dairy state, outlawed margarine, so they would drive across the boarder to Illinois, pick up margarine and with it a little yellow capsule of dye to mix in! It was all the rage apparently (both as a food-fashion and as a health food), so whenever they knew of a friend or neighbor who was making a trip across state boundaries, they would ask for some margarine to be picked up.
Through this meal, I understand why Blake chose her Grammy as her favorite. Blake is also an artist and a foodie and she says she owes a lot of her interest in food to Mary Alice. Since Blake was a little girl, Mary Alice has hosted the family holiday’s, birthday’s, and Sunday dinners always with an emphasis on setting a proper table. She is famous in her family for an ornate table setting, which Blake connects with through her memories and her heart. I was so lucky to be able to be witness to their lovely relationship, take part in Mary Alice’s table setting, and create a meal and memory for them to share.
Thank you Abby for taking these photos! Her soft, romantic aesthetic was perfect for the occasion. You can see more of her beautiful work here.
Maraschino Cherry Vanilla Pie
1 purchased shortbread pie crust
1 large package of vanilla pudding mix
2 bananas
1 small jar of maraschino cherries
6 Vanilla wafers
Cut the bananas in slices and place in the bottom of the pie crust.
Mix the pudding mix as directed on the box for pie.
Crumble up or place whole the Vanilla wafers on top of the pie.
Place the cherries around the outside edge of the pie.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Serve cold.
Deviled Eggs (from here)
6 eggs, hard cooked and peeled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
3/4 teaspoon white wine vinegar
pinch of salt (optional)
fresh ground black pepper (optional)
Cut eggs in half. Arrange egg whites cut side up on a serving plate and put the yolks in a small mixing bowl. Mash yolks with fork then stir in mayonnaise, mustard, and vinegar. Mash and stir all ingredients together well. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired. Spoon a little bit of the mixture into each egg white half, dividing mixture as evenly as possible between the eggs. Sprinkle eggs with smoked paprika if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Chicken Salad (recipe adpoted loosely from here)
Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
5 teaspoons honey
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Salad
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted
2 cups red seedless grapes
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
Method
In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to dress the salad. This can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the chicken breasts in one layer in a baking dish with 1/2 cup water. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes until completely cooked through. Remove cooked chicken breasts from pan, cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate.
When the chicken is cold, dice into bite-size pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in pecans, grapes, celery and dressing.
Cheese Ball (recipe adapted from here)
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 (1 ounce) package Ranch-style dressing mix
2 cups chopped pecans
4 pecan halves
In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, and dressing mix. Form into one large ball or two smaller balls. Roll in chopped pecans to coat surface. Decorate the top with pecan halves. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
