Yoshi and his parents were eager to sample some famed Iowa beef, and Ben had selected a large rib roast. He tended the beef while I set the table and helped with the side dishes. Mom and I had decided that Yorkshire pudding would contribute that certain flair to the meal. I'd made it a few times before and felt reasonably sure of success. Everything came together at precisely the right moment, and Mom was able to preside over the kind of dinner she would have prepared easily herself, had she been a few years younger.
Yorkshire Pudding (Gourmet Magazine)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups rich milk (or 1 cup low-fat milk and 1 cup half and half)
4 eggs
About 8 tablespoons fat from roast
Sift flour and salt together in a mixing bowl. Slowly stir in the milk, beating vigorously until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well (with rotary beater or electric mixer) after each addition, for a creamy batter. Cover bowl with cloth or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.
While the roast is resting, transfer eight tablespoons of fat from the roasting pan to a nine- by twelve-inch baking pan. Put the pan in a 400 degree oven until fat is sizzling hot, then remove from oven just long enough to pour in the batter. Return pan to oven and bake for fifteen minutes at 400 degrees, then another fifteen minutes at 350 degrees. Pudding is done when risen, browned, and crisp around the edges. Serves eight generously.
Popovers could be called the offspring of Yorkshire pudding. An American creation of the nineteenth century, the batter is baked in muffin tins or custard cups instead of a large pan. Either sweet or savory ingredients may be added to serve for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. My mother liked being able to prepare the batter ahead of time and baking the popovers just before her guests were due to arrive. She also enjoyed the touch of whimsy in this recipe's name.
Pushover Popovers (Sunset Magazine)
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
4 eggs
pinch of salt
Using a fork, stir ingredients until just blended. Cover and refrigerate for as long as four hours.
Fill eight well-greased six-ounce custard cups or muffin tins half full of batter. Place in cold oven, set temperature at 450 degrees, and bake for thirty minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional eight minutes, or until risen and golden brown.
As with the Hoosier cabinet, Mom continued using the cooking utensils that had been in the kitchen when she inherited it from her mother-in-law. Dad made sure that she had the most up-to-date electrical appliances and whatever other new gadget he thought she might like.
Among his purchases was a set of copper-bottomed Revere Ware to replace the kitchen's old assortment of pots and pans. Mom happened to be away when he came home with his new acquisition, so he decided to surprise her. He and my brothers carted the old cookware, including a skillet whose wooden handle had been burnt off, to the basement storage room. The Revere Ware shined brightly in the cupboard by the time Mom returned home. She was surprised, but more with dismay than pleasure, and wanted her reliable pots and pans back. So Dad and the boys had to bring everything back up from the basement, including the stub-handled skillet that she knew popped perfect popcorn!
Mom treasured her cast iron pans for baking corn sticks. She liked corn in any form, and corn bread was one of the staples on our family menu. The batter bakes in the delightful shape of small corn cobs.
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