Lily Wallace's Gingersnaps

This time of year, I find myself poking around old cookbooks, looking for Christmas in the smell of cinnamon and ginger, the feel of crust and dough and the taste of molasses.  I found it here in this fuss-free gingerbread recipe from my grandmother's 1946 Lily Wallace New American Cookbook.  If your ingredients are at room temperature so that the butter is soft, you could easily make this without a mixer, though it's nice to have one when working in the last of the flour. 

Tasty, Christmasy, old-fashioned tasting, and would probably roll and freeze well if you wanted to slice and bake a batch at a time.  A lovely tea cookie.

LILY WALLACE 1946 GINGERSNAP / GINGERBREAD COOKIES
(See my notes about making these crispy or soft, below.)

1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 cup unsalted butter (at room temp)
1 egg (at room temp)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger (or more, if you like a strong ginger taste)
2 teaspoons soda
1/2 tsp salt (optional, my addition)

1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

+/- 5 cups flour*
Sliced candied ginger (optional, for decoration)

Combine sugar, molasses, butter, egg, cinnamon, ginger and soda.  Mix well.  Add vinegar, vanilla, and flour one cup at a time, until you have a stiff, non-sticky dough. 

*The recipe just says "Flour to make stiff dough" without listing an amount, assuming that the experienced cook of the day would know what that meant and of course, have enough on hand.  I found 5 cups to be the right amount for a pliable and rollable non-sticky dough.  Use a little more for sprinkling when rolling. 

Roll very thin.  Cut with cookie cutter.  Bake in 325 degree oven, 10-12 minutes.  The yield for this recipe is about 72 1 1/2 inch cookies, or 48 larger cookies.

This makes a classic, gingerbread-tasting cookie that is easy to work with and would be a great recipe to do with kids.  Because I am a ginger fanatic, I would say that you could double the ginger in this recipe.  I also added 1/2 tsp salt. 

Experimenting with cooking times and resting times, I found that in my oven, 12 minutes bake time was perfect.  For crispy, gingersnap-type cookies, leave on baking sheet 2-5 minutes after removing from oven, then move to a cooling rack. 

For softer, gingerbread-type cookies, pull parchment off cookie sheet immediately and allow to cool on rack, or roll a thicker cookie to begin with.  Before baking, I decorated some with a piece of sliced candied ginger in the center of the cookie, some with a sprinkling of the ginger sugar at the bottom of the ginger jar, and some with a silver dragee in the center.  Did you know those things are made with real silver?  Weird. 

Easy, Cozy Braised Dishes for Chilly Nights

Here are a couple of recipes that are easy to prep ahead, throw in the oven and forget about, with lots of rut-busting flavor and cozy warm richness for cold nights.

The first is adapted from a classic from the old Silver Palate cookbook.  The original recipe serves 10, so I've cut it down for a more reasonable 4-5 portions, and used whole chicken legs instead of quartered chickens.  For two, you can make this recipe, bake half and put the other half in the freezer while marinating, or for a family, double it and freeze half. 

Big note:  you do want to start this at least the day before so that the flavors can sink into the chicken all day or overnight. 

CHICKEN "MARBELLA"

5 lbs of whole chicken legs (4-6 legs)
Marinade
1/2 head of garlic, minced or pureed, about 6 cloves
1/8 cup dried oregano
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper (approx 1/2 to 1 tsp salt plus 1/4 tsp pepper)
1/2 cup chopped pitted prunes
1/4 cup pitted Spanish, Italian or Greek green olives
1/4 capers with a bit of juice
3 bay leaves

Marinate for 8 hours or overnight
then add:

1/2 cup brown sugar, sprinkled over chicken
1/2 to 1 cup white wine

A few tablespoons of Italian parsley are nice to finish after baking.

1. Combine all marinade ingredients with chicken in a plastic bag, bowl or oven proof baking pan that will hold the legs in a single layer, turning now and again to make sure they are mixed and all sides of the chicken are coated.  

2. After 8 hours or overnight marinating, sprinkle the sugar and pour the wine.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting with pan juices (or not-- I didn't and it was delicious.) Chicken is done when juices run clear when the chicken is pricked with a knife or fork.  Don't be afraid to overcook. 

3. The original recipe asked you to remove the olives and prunes with a slotted spoon and serve the pan juice in a sauceboat, but I think you'll be perfectly fine just serving this out of the pan as we did.  Who needs one more dish to wash?  

The second make-ahead-and-braise recipe reminds me very much of a short-rib we used to serve at Tra Vigne restaurant, is pretty quick and easy to put together, and is made in one pan, in one day.  The Tra Vigne version was a 13 hour affair, brining, searing, smoking and braising, but I think you'll find this to be a deliciously easy substitute.

BRAISED SHORT RIBS
Serves 6

Olive oil
4 lbs beef short ribs
1/2 - 1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 - 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups finely chopped onion
1/4 cup minced garlic
2 cups low-salt beef broth
1 cup dry red wine
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 cups chopped plum tomato or stewed tomato

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Swirl olive oil to coat.  Sprinkle the ribs with the salt and pepper and brown as many as will fit easily in the pan at a time-- don't crowd.  If necessary, brown in two batches.    When browned, remove all ribs to a plate.

Add onions and saute until lightly browned.  Add the garlic and saute for one minute.  Return the ribs to the pan.  Add the broth, wine, vinegar, sugar and tomato and bring to a simmer. 

Cover and bake for 1.5 hours or until tender.   If making ahead, cool slightly then refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.  If you have time to do this, the ribs reheat perfectly and are even more tasty. 

Skim the fat from the surface of the sauce mixture and discard.  Check seasoning and adjust salt and pepper as necessary. Serve the sauce over the ribs, or if reheating, reheat together and serve both on warm polenta or risotto, or with crusty bread and an easy winter salad.  

Voila! 

On Sunday, I prepped both of these dishes and made the ribs Sunday night and the chicken Monday night.  On Wednesday, I reheated the last rib with the sauce for lunch, and I do think it had more flavor (or maybe I was just hungry!) so I'd recommend doing both ahead if you think of it.  Since I already had the special ingredients, olives, prunes, capers, plenty of garlic, I have a second batch of chicken waiting for the next time I don't feel like cooking.

Enjoy! 

Don't Knock Yourself If You're Not Feeling the Christmas Spirit

Don’t knock yourself if you’re not feeling the Christmas spirit this year, or if you think that everyone else feels warm and fuzzy and hot-chocolatey already.  A lot of people aren’t there yet either. It’s not because the world is coming to an end (unless it is) or because no one cares anymore, or because the season is just about commercialism or because politics is messing everything up.

It doesn’t always knock you down like a friendly golden retriever. More often, it’s like a campfire in the dark: you have to protect it and blow on it, give it little bits of dry moss and tinder. It’s not about having a lot of matches or a flamethrower, it’s about a spark or two and a little bit of air at the right time.

Mike and I were at Whole Foods yesterday, and noticed as we arrived at the checkout stand that a line was forming about 20 feet away. It turned out to be a line of kids waiting for Whole Foods’ Santa. The cashier, a young woman with neatly described black Cleopatra wings at the corners of her eyes, and a surfeit of earrings, said jokingly, “Oh boy, crying babies for the next 8 hours!” We laughed and groused along with her about how kids who are afraid of fake Santas have every right to be. Then Santa arrived, and everyone sort of shut up about the whole creepiness thing, like we'd been caught talking behind his back. He looked like a naturally fluffy guy underneath, with a big, curling, gorgeous silver-white fake beard that rolled in tendrils down his belly, in a nice red velour outfit that wasn’t too cheap.

All the grownups turned to look and everyone smiled. The very first little girl, 3 or 4, was old enough not to be scared, and young enough to truly believe. She looked charmed—star-struck even, tucking her chin into her shoulder just a little bit to stave off the shyness she felt at being so overwhelmed by his wonderfulness. To her, he was really and truly magical. She appeared to be starting right in on her list, chattering away, tilting her head a little to look up at him out of the corner of her eye. The three of us at the checkout couldn’t stop sneaking peeks at her and smiling. Just now, writing that, the preciousness of that perfect, hopeful, believing little girl made the tears just stream down my cheeks.

That there is the currency of joy, my friends. That is what we are sharing.

I don’t know what touches your heart this time of year, but when it does, protect it, blow on it a little... and let it.

Col. Lowell H. Landre, (Ret.), 1926 - 2011

My beloved grandfather's obituary posts tomorrow in the newspapers of the towns of his friends and relatives.  Modesto, Reno, Tahoe.

This is what it will say:

  Retired U.S. Army Colonel Lowell Henry Landre, 85, died in comfort at his home in South Lake Tahoe, California on the morning of November 22, 2011.  He was born in 1926 in Yakima, Washington, to Ralph Weston Landre, Sr. and Mary Josephine (Keesee) Landre.

  The Landre family moved from Washington state during the depression, seeking work in the fields and orchards of California.  From humble beginnings as migrant workers, the family later owned a beautiful home on Depot Hill in Capitola, California, and a restaurant on that town’s beachside esplanade. 

  Lowell graduated from Santa Cruz High School, Santa Cruz, California, in 1943, thereafter furthering his education at the Municipal University of Omaha in Nebraska, the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the Air War College. He also attended UCLA, North Texas Agricultural College, the University of Texas, and numerous other civilian and military educational institutions.

  It was while attending UCLA that he met the love of his life, best friend, and wife of 64 years, the feisty and petite Rose Waszkiewicz, a proud girl of Polish descent, who had come to California from her hometown of Detroit, Michigan to work as a rivet-driller in the manufacture of airplanes for WWII. Rose Mary Waszkiewicz and Lowell Henry Landre were married by a Justice of the Peace in Wayne County, Michigan in June of 1945. They would spend the next seven decades traveling the world and raising their three boys, Lowell Dean, Lance Henry and Lee Raymond, together and apart, as the world’s battles shaped their lives.   

  Lowell served in such diverse locations as Indochina (before and during the Viet Nam war), Greenland, Puerto Rico, Panama, Japan, Europe, the Canadian Arctic Islands and numerous other classified locations.  He also served with the armed forces of other nations and had multiple tours in the former Fort Ord complex (Forts Ord and Hunter Liggett and the Presidio of Monterey), Fort Bragg, NC and Fort Benning, GA.  Among his awards and decorations, he particularly prized the Combat Infantryman badge and the Master Parachutist badge. 

  He also served as a senior military advisor to the Vietnamese city of Hué, nearly losing his life the night of January 31, 1968, when North Vietnamese troops broke a two-day holiday cease fire agreement and attacked the city during what is now known as the Tet Offensive.  The loss of many of his fellow soldiers, and the shocking civilian massacre in the city, affected him for the rest of his life.  Forever respectful of those who served our country and others, no matter their rank, he was a role model and mentor to his fellow soldiers throughout his military career and his life.  He will be greatly missed by the local veterans’ community.

  Between combat assignments, he specialized in military research and combat development. His duties in the military intelligence field and also in other classified postings required multiple linguistic capabilities.   Learning languages was a life-long passion for Lowell.  In addition to the English language, he spoke Russian, Vietnamese, Korean and Polish, and dabbled in many others.  He delighted in surprising people he’d meet with a short conversation in their native tongue, whether it was Spanish, Hungarian, Mandarin or Hindi. One of his great joys was relating these stories to his family.

  He retired from the U.S. Army in 1977 as a Colonel after 32 years of active duty in the U.S. Navy (WWII) and the U.S. Army.  He was a parachute and glider infantry soldier, leader and commander.  He received many U.S. and foreign decorations and awards and was wounded in combat multiple times.  Among numerous decorations and presidential citations, he was the recipient of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for Valor.

  After leaving the military, Lowell assisted other military veterans with various governmental agencies.  He also researched and developed a comprehensive family genealogy spanning more than 400 years.  He was both an author and an artist.  He was a sports parachutist and pilot and a founding member of the Parachute Club of America.  A prolific and talented oil painter, he filled his home with beautiful images of the forests of the Sierra Nevadas, Bavaria, where he first learned to paint in a class offered for officer’s wives, and Alaska, where he and Rose lived for a decade while stationed at Fort Richardson. 

  Lowell had a soft spot for dogs of any shape or size and was never without a treat for them in his pocket.  He loved to laugh, and treated everyone he encountered with respect. He loved learning and was relentless in his constant pursuit of self-improvement.  He was a true gentleman and a consummate soldier.  Lowell was loved profoundly by his family, and was a beacon of strength and support.  Strengths and faults, successes and failures, there will never be anyone quite like him.  Dad, Grandpa, Great-Grandpa and Great-Great Grandpa, we love you more than words can convey. We will see your smiling face in every flower, every star, every sunset, and every wagging tail.

  Colonel Landre joins his loving wife Rose Waszkiewicz, who preceded him in death in 2009, somewhere in the stars overlooking us all.  He is survived by his two sons, Lowell D. Landre of Tennessee and Lance H. Landre of California; four grandchildren, Tamara Landre, Nicolle Landre, Laura Clendenning and Michael Landre; six great-grandchildren, Kayleigh, Jessica, Justus, Dylan, Conor and Casey, and one great-great-grandchild, Milo. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Shirley (Foote) Landre, widow of his brother Ralph Weston Landre, Jr., and their sons, Tim, Jon and Jeff, and their families. He was preceded in death by his wife, his youngest son, Lee Raymond Landre, his oldest grandson, Christopher Shawn Landre, and his canine buddy Murphy.

  Per his wishes, his ashes will be scattered at sea with those of the loved ones who preceded him.

Those wishing to honor Colonel Landre should reach out a hand to the next veteran they meet and thank him for his service, treat others with respect and kindness, and never, ever stop learning.

If it isn't clear to anyone who is reading this, I loved my Grandpa.  I was lucky beyond imagining that he was not only my Grandpa, but my friend.  We were so fortunate to have recognized that our time together would soon end, and we made the most of it.  There were times that he was my best friend, my only ally, and I his.  I hope that I have done justice to the great love I had for him, and the unshakeable faith he had in me, in this tribute.