From the Farm: Pandemic encouraged cooking, including farm cookbook fan recipes - Chicago Tribune

Welcome to May and memories of how different life was just three years ago in May 2020, when six weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear society’s “pivot” and shutdown wasn’t going to be just two weeks, or two months, but more likely, two years.

During my shelter-in time at the farm, I read plenty, caught up re-watching favorite old movies with my parents, and I binge-watched a DVD set of all of the episodes of “The Muppet Show,” a favorite kids show of my youth which also happened to feature a who’s who of incredible celebrities as weekly guest stars.

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I was recently reminded of all of the ways we distracted ourselves during such a strange and solitude time, with many hours devoted to kitchen creativity, according to readers who shared with me their own memories of this life-altering stretch in our recent history.

Matthew Byerly of Valparaiso ranked as my favorite reader during the pandemic, because he kept me informed of his latest recipe celebrations via tagging me on social media.

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For example, a post from Matthew on April 16, 2020:

“What does one do when home on quarantine? I decided it was time to try some different recipes from the many cookbooks I have around the house. I noticed the other day, when perusing, that I had the makings for Borscht following the recipe in one of Philip Potempa’s cookbooks. I also had hard-boiled eggs (it is right after Easter), and the Borscht did not use the juice from the pickled beets, so I made Red Beet Eggs, as my family has for years, but tried it using the recipe in a book about restaurants along the Lincoln Highway. Results to be discovered in a few days, though I’m pretty sure they will be delicious. I know the borscht was!”

And sometimes, Matthew folded his menus and recipe testing into a special event, such as this Aug. 15, 2020 post:

“This week’s Virtual Dinner Date stars Pizza and a Movie. Who doesn’t love the flavors and fun of pizza? It is an iconic food, and everyone has their favorite version. One of my guilty indulgences as a foodie is to peruse cookbooks in general. For dessert, I pulled a recipe from an old “From the Farm” food column I had saved from my local newspaper clipping written by Philip Potempa in January 2015. In it, he presented another quick and easy prep recipe, one using Tang, of all things, to make a no-bake pie. Phil has taken a number of his recipe columns and published a series of four different cookbooks. I love the stories that are connected to recipes, and that is the special focus of Phil’s columns, as homespun tales of farm, history, community, fun, and occasional celebrity peppered in among the suggestions for the kitchen. This particular column told a bit of the story of his own memories of Tang, its connections to the space program, and about its creation by chemist William A. Mitchell. Fun stuff to read about and I think the recipe rounds out the virtual pizza party well, because it is also a quick prep dessert that would not be out-of-place. I was a bit surprised to learn that (date) Annika had never had Tang before, at least that she could remember. But we both enjoyed the pie, and agreed that it tasted a bit like a Creamsicle!”

By the fall of Pandemic 2020, Matthew was even virtually celebrating special holidays and occasions with his recipe adventures, as described in his Oct. 11, 2020 post:

“This week it’s a virtual Oktoberfest at Home. Oktoberfest is a two-week festival held each year in Munich, Germany during late September and early October. It is attended by six million people each year and has inspired numerous similar events using the name Oktoberfest in Germany and around the world, many of which were founded by German immigrants or their descendants. Though originally a celebration of a royal engagement, the over 200-year-old Oktoberfest festival has grown to become a more generalized fall carnival. German Americans are the largest self-reported ancestral group in the United States. My family has roots in many European cultures — including German. Certainly, with my Mother’s parents both growing up in the shadow of the Pennsylvania Dutch. Though no beer was involved, and the celebration took place a few weeks later than would its international counterpart, I thought it fun to plan a German influenced menu and have our own Oktoberfest at home. Sausage and fall harvested vegetables abound in Oktoberfest menus — as do pretzels. I was not crazy enough to attempt home-baked pretzel, but I did throw in a mustard dip for the Bavarian pretzels purchased at the store. Interesting side story — the Honey Mustard recipe dipping sauce came from comedian Phyllis Diller by way of food columnist Philip Potempa’s cookbook. What better way to celebrate than with some food AND comedy, right?”

A comedy icon who helped break the barriers for women to do stand-up comedy, Diller died at age 95 in 2012, but her name and memories live on, including as a friend and collaborator, as well as an accomplished kitchen wiz in real life, who contributed her recipes in all four of my “From the Farm” cookbooks.

On the subject of German recipes, while it’s common kitchen knowledge that German potato salad is served warm, only offbeat and outrageous Phyllis would dream up a delicious warm variation counterpart of a cabbage slaw recipe, which as she explained, “is especially divine served as a side with a menu that includes baked barbecue chicken or glazed baked ham.”

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Columnist Philip Potempa has published four cookbooks and is the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. He can be reached at pmpotempa@comhs.org or mail your questions: From the Farm, PO Box 68, San Pierre, Ind. 46374.

Serves 6

1 medium size head of cabbage, grated

1/2 cup boiling salted water

1 raw egg

1/3 cup white vinegar

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Scant 3 tablespoons white sugar

Directions:

1. Cook shredded cabbage in the boiling salted water in a large saucepot, about 2 minutes or until just barely tender. Drain and leave cabbage in pot.

2. In a small bowl, mix together egg, vinegar and sugar and pour over cabbage in pot, stirring over low heat.

3. Cook cabbage with egg mixture only until egg begins to congeal.

4. Remove pot from heat and season to taste, adding more salt if necessary. Serve immediately.

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2023-05-05 23:50:12Z
CBMifWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoaWNhZ290cmlidW5lLmNvbS9zdWJ1cmJzL3Bvc3QtdHJpYnVuZS9jdC1wdGItcG90ZW1wYS1jb2wtc3QtMDUwNy0yMDIzMDUwNS1uZTNxZTJmYnpuY2twaGp3M3JodG5obm5mZS1zdG9yeS5odG1s0gEA

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