In celebration of the return of Full House in a 13-episode spinoff, Fuller House, scheduled to premiere next year, ATG is sharing some recipes for a delicious, family meal to enjoy together “Around the Table”, along with some fun “Just For Kids” recipes. See also our reflection on children’s poetry.
As a young mother in the beginning stages of learning how to cook, I often turned to The Fannie Farmer Cookbook (1896), which became a trusted source of some of the best, most basic and easy-to-follow recipes I have ever used.
Many of the recipes, including these delicious buttermilk pancakes (and two more below), have become some of our “family favorites”, made time and again at the request of both family and friends alike.
Reflecting on the importance of passing on recipes and cooking skills from generation to generation and “mother to daughter”, Fannie Merritt Farmer (1857-1915) writes in the introduction to her book:
“Today, I am convinced that instinctive feeling for baking is no longer passed on from mother to daughter…[t]here seems to be a lost generation – or two – who weren’t given the experience of learning at mothers’ elbows, and they seem, as a result, so timid when it comes to baking that they take uneasy refuge in packaged dough mixtures or prebaked pie shells…”
She continues:
“Still, I sense there’s an increasing yearning, among young cooks especially, to be more in touch with the wonderful and various grains the earth produced…[m]ost of us want to be able to FULL THE HOUSE with tempting, homey smells of baking; to give children just in from school the real homemade cookie instead of something from a package.”
Below is a recommended family meal (inspired by our travels through Pineapple Country), along with some recipes “Just For Kids”, that we are “passing on” to you in the hope that you will share, eat and enjoy with your very own family.
Waldorf Salad with Mango Dressing (inspired by the Hanalei Gourmet Cafe, Hanalei, Kauai) (pictured above)
Ingredients for the salad:
1 head of Romaine lettuce, or lettuce of your choice
1 Granny Smith or crisp apple of your choice (we used Pink Lady)
1/2-1 cup caramelized walnuts (see below)*
1/2 cup or more, if desired, gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup or so fresh pineapple
Ingredients for the salad dressing:
1 cup of fresh or frozen thawed mango
1/4 cup orange juice
1-2 tsp. good quality honey
1/8 cup rice vinegar
Generous squeeze of fresh lime juice
Pinch of salt and sprinkle of pepper
Instructions:
Puree the above ingredients in blender and refrigerate. When ready to serve salad arrange salad ingredients in a serving bowl or individual plates and use desired amount of dressing. Toss and serve.
*For caramelized walnuts:
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter
Place all in large skillet and on medium heat melt butter and stir until all ingredients are thoroughly combined and the walnuts are evenly coated. Stir gently until the sugar begins to caramelize. When the sauce thickens and turns brown stir one last time to make sure all of the walnuts are thoroughly coated with the carmel sauce. Turn out onto wax paper and quickly separate the walnut pieces before they clump together. Let cool before using.
Barbeque Chicken Pizza
This Barbeque Chicken Pizza is an adapted version of a homemade pizza we used to make for “TGI-Fridays” while watching some of our favorite family-friendly shows, including Full House.
Ingredients:
1 homemade pizza dough (see below) or your favorite store-bought ready made pizza dough
2 bone-in chicken breasts
1 medium onion
1/2 cup or desired amount fresh pineapple
Approximately 2-3 cups barbecue sauce (we used Sweet Baby Rays Original)
Approximately 3 cups fresh mozzarella (it is easier to slice and then chop rather than shred)
Olive Oil
Butter
Salt and Pepper
Ingredients for Homemade Pizza Dough (taken from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook)
1 package dry yeast
4 cups flour
2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
Instructions for pizza:
Dissolve yeast in 1/3 cup of very warm water. After about 10 min. or when bubbles appear add flour, 2 tablespoons oil, the salt and 1 cup of very warm water. Mix thoroughly and turn out onto floured surface and knead for about 10 min. or until nice and smooth. Put into oiled bowl to rise covering with plastic wrap and placing in a warm spot. When the dough has doubled in bulk, about 2 hours, remove from bowl and divide in two. Roll 1/2 of dough out on either pizza pan or cookie sheet and do the same with the other half. Place trays near oven and let rest and rise a little more (about 20 min. or so). Use a fork to lightly poke the dough to keep bubbles from appearing.
Instructions for the chicken:
Place the chicken breast in glass baking dish and pour 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil on top coating both breast. Sprinkle kosher salt and pepper over chicken. Pour about 1/2 – 3/4 cup of barbecue sauce mixed with a teaspoon of water over the chicken breasts and place 1 tablespoon of butter on top of each breast. Place approximately 3/4 cup of fresh chopped pineapple in baking dish around chicken and bake in 375 oven covered with aluminum foil for the first hour. Be sure to keep the chicken moist by spooning the liquid in the pan over the chicken at least once during the first hour. Remove aluminum and bake for another hour or less or more depending on the size of the breasts, again spooning liquid over chicken. When the chicken is a deep golden brown, use fork or sharp knife to test for readiness. When done remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes or so. Remove chicken from bones and cut into bite sized pieces, place in bowl and set aside.
Instructions for the onions:
Slice onions in thin slices and sauté in a little butter until still slightly crisp, place in bowl and set aside.
To assemble the pizza:
Mix barbecue sauce with a tiny bit of water to make it easier to spread on dough (we used approx. 1 cup of sauce for each pizza; you can use as much or as little as you desire). Evenly distribute bite-sized chicken pieces on pizza, add onions next, pineapple if desired and then the mozzarella. Bake in 400 degree oven for approximately 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.
And for dessert…
Pineapple Upside Down Cake (taken from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook)
“Pineapple upside-down cake became famous as the result of a 1925 cooking contest conducted by the Dole Company, which developed canned pineapple in 1903.”
Ingredients:
4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter, for melting
3/4 cup dark-brown sugar (We didn’t have dark and so used light)
7 pineapple rings or 1 & 1/2 – 2 cups of fresh pineapple cut into 1″ pieces
5 & 1/3 tbsp. (1/3 cup) butter, room temp.
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temp.
1 & 2/3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup milk, room temp.
Instructions:
Melt butter and brown sugar in saucepan, stirring constantly until the sugar melts and is thick and bubbly. Pour sugar mixture into 9-inch bake pan, spread evenly and arrange pineapple pieces on top until covered and set aside.
For the cake batter, cream the butter and sugar until smooth and then add eggs and vanilla and continue to mix until thoroughly combined. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir until the batter is smooth. Spread evenly over the pineapple and bake in 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick test comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes or so and then carefully turn out onto platter fruit side up. Serve with whipped cream and enjoy!
“Just For Kids” Recipes
Heavenly Dirt (a “great party attraction” taken from the Three Rivers Cookbook: Volume III)
Ingredients:
2 8-oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 3/12-oz. boxes vanilla instant pudding
3 cups cold milk
16 oz. cool whip topping, softened in refrigerator
2 tsp. vanilla
1 20-oz. pkg. Oreo cookies
8’’ flower pot
Silk flowers
Gummy worms
Instructions:
Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until creamy and set aside. Mix pudding and milk until thick. Combine with cheese mixture, using a wire whisk. Add cool whip topping and vanilla to pudding-cheese mixture. Crush Oreo cookies, including filling. Using an 8’’ flower pot, put a layer of cookie crumbs, then a layer of cream mixture. Continue layering, ending with a layer of crumbs (to look like dirt)! Add silk flowers and decorate with gummy worms.
Hint: Use half recipe of cream and less than a 16 oz. package of Oreos when using a 6’’ flower pot.
Fruit Juice Shapes (taken from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook)
Ingredients:
4 cups pure grape juice, pure white grape juice, cranberry juice cocktail, or other clear juice
4 envelopes unflavored gelatin
Instructions:
In a large bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1 cup of the juice and allow to stand for a few minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 3 cups of juice until just boiling and pour it over the juice and gelatin mixture. Stir until the gelatin is dissolved.
Pour into a 9×9-inch pan and chill until firm, about 3 hours or overnight. Dip the pan briefly into hot water to loosen, cut into square or shapes, and serve.