WELCOME TO HER 'TABLE' MAYA ANGELOU FINDS POETRY IN FOOD.Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor Poet and author Maya Angelou  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled until (UTC) due to vandalism. has blended her two loves - food and writing - into a charming new cookbook, ``Hallelujah Hallelujah (hăl'əl `yə) or Alleluia (ăl–) [Heb.,=praise the Lord], joyful expression used in Hebrew worship; cf. Pss. ! The Welcome Table: A Lifetime of Memories With Recipes'' (Random House; $29.95). Urged to write it by her good friend Oprah Winfrey “Oprah” redirects here. For the show, see The Oprah Winfrey Show. Oprah Gail Winfrey (born January 29, 1954) is the American multiple-Emmy Award winning host of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the highest-rated talk show in television history. , Angelou says it wasn't easy. She had to bring in a chef to measure ingredients as she cooked the dishes from memory. ``Some of my fondest memories are of sitting in Maya's kitchen watching her create some of the dishes that you would think, well, if this is my last meal, that'll be OK,'' said Winfrey on her show last Thursday. ``So I finally convinced her to put all of her priceless recipes in a cookbook. I kept saying, 'People really need to know this. It's filled with wonderful stories and some of the best food you'll ever make.' '' ``I had a chance to look at when I reached certain crossroads in life and how food helped to choose the road,'' says Angelou, who considers herself ``a smashing cook.'' The book weaves together a collection of memorable events in Angelou's life in a feast of vivid, funny and emotional food-connected stories. ``Food is used by human beings all over the world for reasons other than fueling themselves. It is larger than the sum of its parts. It's used to seek a job, to get a raise, to flirt, to prepare the temperature for reconciliation between the cook and someone else (warring parties in a dispute),'' says the 6-foot-tall Angelou during a recent stopover in Northridge. In the book, Angelou introduces us to people who touched her life: her paternal grandmother, Annie Henderson (known as Momma); her mother, Vivian Baxter; her adored bother, Bailey; her son, Guy Johnson For the English cellist, see . Guy Johnson (c.1740 – 5 March 1788) was an Irish-born military officer and diplomat for the Crown during the American Revolutionary War. He was the son of either John or Warren Johnson of Smithstown, Dunshaughlin, Co. ; and friends including celebrated food writer M.F.K. Fisher. Born Marguerite Johnson, Angelou spent her childhood years from ages 3 to 13 in Stamps, Ark., with Momma, a great cook. She tells about the time Momma baked a wonderful caramel cake to lift her spirits after she was slapped in the face by one of her school teachers. She recalls her introduction to ethnic foods after she and her brother returned to live with their mother in San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden . ``My mother took us to restaurants every two to three weeks - ethnic restaurants: Asian, Russian, French, Mexican and more. When we liked something, my mother asked how it was cooked and then cooked it for us the next week.'' At 17, Angelou and her 2-month-old son, Guy, left home. She went to work as a cook in a Creole kitchen for $75 a week turning out short ribs short ribs pl.n. The rib ends of beef between the rib roast and the plate. Noun 1. short ribs - cut of beef containing rib ends near the sternum cut of beef - cut of meat from beef cattle , meat loaf and smothered smoth·er v. smoth·ered, smoth·er·ing, smoth·ers v.tr. 1. a. To suffocate (another). b. To deprive (a fire) of the oxygen necessary for combustion. 2. chicken. Never mind that she didn't know what Creole cooking was when she accepted the job. She told the San Francisco cafe owner she did. One of the funniest memories, titled ``From Pizza to Claiborne and Back'' centers around Bebe, a member of a New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of writers group (members considered themselves gourmet cooks) who lived on pizza and salad and couldn't cook (or so the group thought). When the group was invited to her home for dinner, the members were expecting pizza, but she turned out a fabulous meal of gazpacho, beef Wellington beef Wellington n. A fillet of beef covered with pâté de foie gras, encased in pastry, and baked. [Probably from the name Wellington.] Noun 1. , creamed onions, haricots verts in vinaigrette and twice-baked potatoes with the help of Craig Claiborne from The New York Times. When the group was leaving that evening, Bebe told them ```I did this to prove to you unbearable egotists that cooking is no big thing.' '' Cooking and writing have similarities, according to Angelou. For cooking, the best ingredients are necessary; for writing, the ingredients are beautiful, descriptive words. ``You need to know how to arrange the ingredients and which ingredients encourage and like each other.'' Along with Angelou's stories, you'll have an opportunity to cook and sample some of her 100 favorite dishes that have left a lasting impression - among them Caramel Cake, Lemon Meringue Pie, Chocolate Eclairs, Red Rice, Bailey's Smothered Pork Chops, Cold Potato Salad, Beef Wellington and Bread Pudding. If you can try only one recipe in the book, Angelou recommends smothered chicken, a dish she served with rice to Winfrey when she came to visit. Winfrey's all-time favorite dessert of Angelou's is Hurt Me Banana Pudding. Natalie Haughton, (818) 713-3692 natalie.haughton(at)dailynews.com COCONUT CAKE (On the cover) 2/3 cup soft butter 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/3 cup milk 4 large egg whites 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar cream of tartar, white crystalline powder. Chemically it is potassium hydrogen tartrate, KC4H5O6, the acidic potassium salt of tartaric acid. It is used as the leavening agent in baking powders. 4 large egg yolks 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon coconut flavoring Coconut Frosting frosting the slight graying of the haircoat around the face, particularly muzzle, in dogs with aging and as a regular feature of some breeds such as the Belgian shepherd dog. 1 cup shredded sweet coconut Line 2 (9-inch) layer cake pans with greased wax paper. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar, beating until light and fluffy. In medium mixing bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Add to cream mixture, alternating with milk. In a separate medium mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy foam·y adj. foam·i·er, foam·i·est 1. Of, consisting of, or resembling foam. 2. Covered with foam. foam . Beat again 2 minutes. Fold in salt and cream of tartar. Set aside. In another medium mixing bowl, beat egg yolks. Add yolks to cake batter, then fold in whites, vanilla and coconut flavoring. Pour batter into 2 prepared cakes pans, dividing evenly. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 30 to 35 minutes or until cakes spring back when center is pressed gently with forefinger forefinger /fore·fin·ger/ (-fing-ger) index finger; the second finger, counting the thumb as first. fore·fin·ger n. See index finger. . Cool in pans 10 minutes; then turn out onto rack and remove wax paper. Let cakes cool to room temperature. To assemble, place one cake layer on a cake plate and spread with some of Coconut Frosting. Sprinkle frosting with some of coconut. Top with remaining cake layer. Use remaining Coconut Frosting to cover entire cake including sides. Sprinkle remaining coconut on top and sides of cake. Refrigerate re·frig·er·ate tr.v. re·frig·er·at·ed, re·frig·er·at·ing, re·frig·er·ates 1. To cool or chill (a substance). 2. To preserve (food) by chilling. ; serve cold. Makes 1 (2-layer) cake. COCONUT FROSTING: In medium mixing bowl, whip 1 pint (2 cups) whipping cream until frothy froth·y adj. froth·i·er, froth·i·est 1. Made of, covered with, or resembling froth; foamy. 2. Playfully frivolous in character or content: a frothy French farce. . Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon coconut flavoring; whip until cream holds stiff peak. NOTE: To make a 3-layer cake as pictured in photograph, make 1 1/2 cake recipes and divide batter evenly among 3 (9-inch) layer cake pans. Bake as directed. Stack cakes with frosting and coconut (you'll need 1 1/2 Coconut Frosting recipes and 1 1/2 to 2 cups coconut). CRACKLING CORN BREAD 2 cups white cornmeal corn·meal also corn meal n. Meal made from corn, used in a wide variety of foods. Also called Indian meal. Noun 1. 1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons milk 2 large eggs, beaten well 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted 1/2 pound crisp cracklings cracklings proteinaceous residues after fat is melted and run off during offal processing. Called also greaves. , broken into 1/2-inch pieces (see Note) Mix dry ingredients; stir in milk and eggs. Pour in butter and add cracklings; mix. Pour mixture into a greased 8x8x2-inch pan. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 1 hour or until brown and firm. Makes 8 servings. NOTE: Cracklings are called chicharrones in Spanish and can be found in Latino grocery stores. BAILEY'S SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS 6 thick slices bacon 1 large Spanish onion, sliced 6 end loin loin (loin) the part of the back between the thorax and pelvis. loin n. The part of the body on either side of the spinal column between the ribs and the pelvis. pork chops Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, if needed 1 cup hot water 1 cup milk Fry bacon in a large skillet on medium heat, and remove to paper towels to drain. Saute onion in same skillet with bacon fat and remove to paper towels to drain. Season pork chops with salt and pepper
Put remaining flour in skillet (add oil if necessary). Brown flour lightly. Add hot water immediately, then milk. Stir vigorously. Season as desired with more salt and pepper. Put pork chops, bacon and onion into gravy and reduce heat to simmer. Cover skillet and simmer 20 minutes. Check gravy for seasoning. Adjust as needed as needed prn. See prn order. while food is still hot. Makes 6 servings. RED RICE 1/2 pound thick sliced bacon 1 cup chopped onions 1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers 2 cups canned tomatoes 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste Dash freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 cups cooked white rice 2 cups water Fry bacon in a large skillet on medium heat until brown, stirring with a fork. Add onions and peppers. Cover and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Remove lid and add remaining ingredients; mix well. Bring to a boil, about 3 minutes. Stir vigorously, cover again, and cook over very low heat about 15 minutes until rice and liquid are totally mixed. Makes 8 servings. SPOTLIGHT ON ... MAYA ANGELOU Age: 76. Hometown: St. Louis, Mo. Profession: Poet, writer, performer, teacher, civil-rights activist, producer and director. Cooking philosophy: ``A good cook's best tools are her hands and her nose and then her eyes.'' Most popular dishes she makes: Spaghetti Bolognese and lemon meringue pie (recipe is in her cookbook). Three favorite foods: Rice, greens (mustard and turnip turnip, garden vegetable of the same genus of the family Cruciferae (mustard family) as the cabbage; native to Europe, where it has been long cultivated. The two principal kinds are the white (Brassica rapa) and the yellow (B. greens, cabbage), chicken. Favorite junk food junk food n. Any of various prepackaged snack foods high in calories but low in nutritional value. junk food : Hebrew National hot dogs. Favorite thing to cook and eat: Braised braise tr.v. braised, brais·ing, brais·es To cook (meat or vegetables) by browning in fat, then simmering in a small quantity of liquid in a covered container. duck with white rice. Favorite kitchen gadget: Good German knives. Pet peeve: Rudeness. If she couldn't be a poet and writer, what would she be?: A chef. What is she doing for Thanksgiving this year?: What she usually does - having 150 people to her house for dinner. She cooks and has part of the meal catered. Her son (Guy Johnson), daughter-in-law, grandson and his family will all be there. Favorite restaurants: Sugar Bar and Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, both in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. . Most memorable meal: A dinner at the Renoir restaurant in the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago. ``I can't remember ever tasting any better food.'' If she could dine with anyone (current or in history) who would it be?: Her son and daughter-in-law because they both cook. CAPTION(S): 4 photos, box Photo: (1 -- color) BAILEY'S SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS (2 -- color) CRACKLING CORN BREAD From ``Hallelujah! The Welcome Table: A Lifetime of Memories with Recipes,'' Random House (3 -- color) COCONUT CAKE (4 -- cover -- color) Oh Maya! Angelou's new cookbook shares the poetry of her food memories John McCoy/Staff Photographer Box: SPOTLIGHT ON ... MAYA ANGELOU (see text) |
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