DOWN-HOME & DELICIOUS

Sunday supper. It always seemed a bit more special than weekday meals. Oh, not special in the way of fancy restaurant food, but memorable because there was more time to prepare things just right, to make a real meal with all the trimmings. Grandma’s velvety milk gravy to be poured over crispy fried chicken and to be ladled lavishly into the crater of a mountain of mashed potatoes. Mom’s homemade biscuits that tasted so good that you almost didn’t need butter or jam (but you’d use them both just the same). Colorful succotash with bits of bacon, and creamy, crunchy coleslaw that was far superior to anything your average deli could dream up. And dessert. With any luck, there would be more than one from which to choose--and if you’d been on your best behavior, you could sample them all. Baked apples, fragrant with cinnamon and sherry, the whipped cream melting as soon as it touched the tops. Dark, fudgey devil’s-food cake and floating-on-air angel-food cake. Classic American foods that will never go out of style. Thank goodness.

FOOD STYLIST: JANET MILLER

MISSOURI FRIED CHICKEN 1 2 1/2- to 3-pound chicken, cut up 1 cup flour Salt, pepper 2 cups shortening Milk Gravy

Rinse chicken parts and pat dry with paper towels. Combine flour, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in paper bag. Add chicken parts, a few at a time, and shake to coat thoroughly. Place chicken parts on paper towels and allow to dry 20 minutes. Melt shortening in heavy skillet over high heat. Heat until drop of water splatters when dropped in hot fat. Coat chicken parts again with seasoned flour. Reserve remaining seasoned flour for gravy. Place chicken in hot shortening, skin side down, and fry about 20 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Reduce heat to low, cover skillet and cook 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until chicken is tender. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper and turn heat to high. Cook, uncovered, about 10 minutes longer or until chicken has become crisp again. Drain on paper towels. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Milk Gravy 2 tablespoons fried chicken drippings 2 tablespoons reserved seasoned flour 1 cup whole milk or half and half Salt, pepper

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat left in skillet after removing fried chicken pieces. Scrape up any brown bits in bottom of pan. Stir reserved flour into drippings in skillet and cook, stirring, over high heat until flour becomes pasty, but not brown, about 1 minute. Add milk all at once while continuing to stir. Bring mixture to boil, reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring, until gravy thickens slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If gravy becomes too thick, thin slightly with additional milk. Makes about 1 cup gravy. DOWN-HOME MASHED POTATOES 4 medium russet potatoes 2 to 3 tablespoons butter or margarine cup warm milk Salt, pepper

Scrub potatoes, but do not peel. Place in saucepan, cover with water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook potatoes at a low boil until they can be easily pierced with fork. Remove from heat, drain and peel. Mash with potato masher or run through ricer. With whisk, beat in butter and enough milk to attain desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm in top of double boiler over simmering water until ready to serve. Makes 4 to 6 servings. SUCCOTASH 6 ears frozen or fresh corn 1 9-ounce package frozen cut green beans 1 10-ounce package frozen baby lima beans 6 slices bacon, diced 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 1/2 cup chopped onion Salt, pepper 1/2 cup milk or half and half

Cut kernels from cobs, making about 3 cups of kernels. Cook green beans and lima beans as directed. Drain and set aside. Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon drippings. Add butter to drippings and melt. Add onion and cook until tender. Add corn and cook 5 minutes. Stir in green beans and lima beans; season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until hot. Stir in milk and heat gently. Sprinkle with bacon. Serves 8. COUNTRY COLESLAW 6 cups finely sliced cabbage 3/4 cup finely sliced carrots cup finely sliced green onions with tops 1 cup whipping cream 1/2 cup sour cream cup lemon juice 3 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds Salt, pepper

Combine cabbage, carrots and green onions in large bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Combine whipping cream, sour cream, lemon juice, sugar, mustard and caraway seeds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Beat until almost stiff. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, combine dressing with salad and toss gently. Makes 8 cups. KNOTT’S BERRY FARM BUTTERMILK BISCUITS 2 cups flour 2 tablespoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon shortening 1/8 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk 1/2 cup oil

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into mixing bowl. Add shortening and blend well. Add soda to buttermilk, then add to flour mixture. Blend thoroughly. Place dough on generously floured surface and sprinkle with additional flour. Do not overwork dough. Roll out 1/2-inch thick and cut with 2-inch biscuit cutter. Dip biscuits in oil to cover all sides and place immediately on oiled baking sheet with all biscuits touching. (Oil will cling to dough.) Bake at 500 degrees 8 to 10 minutes or until nicely browned. Makes 20 biscuits. 12-EGG-WHITE ANGEL FOOD CAKE 1 cups sifted cake flour 1 3/4 cups sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar 12 egg whites, at room temperature 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, optional Daffodil Icing

Sift together flour, 3/4 cup sugar and salt. Resift three times. Set aside. Add cream of tartar to egg whites. Beat at high speed until soft peaks form. Beat in remaining 1 cup sugar, a small amount at a time. Fold in vanilla and almond extract. Add flour mixture in small amounts, folding mixture in gently but firmly with rubber spatula.

Gently spoon batter into ungreased 10-inch angel cake tube pan. Cut through center of batter two or three times with spatula to remove large air bubbles. Bake at 350 degrees 40 to 45 minutes or until cake tester inserted near center comes out clean. Invert pan over bottle or inverted funnel and let stand until thoroughly cooled. When cool, loosen sides and center with knife and turn out onto platter. Frost with Daffodil Icing and decorate. Serves 12 to 16. Daffodil Icing 2 egg yolks Orange juice 1 pound powdered sugar 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 teaspoons grated orange peel 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine egg yolks in measuring cup with enough orange juice to measure cup. Pour into mixing bowl and add sugar, butter, lemon juice, orange and lemon peels and vanilla. Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. HOT BAKED APPLES 8 medium red apples cup sugar cup finely chopped almonds cup raisins Dash ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon rum 1/2 cup cream Sherry or Marsala wine 2 tablespoons butter or margarine Whipped cream, optional

Soak unglazed clay pot in water 10 to 15 minutes. Core but do not peel apples. Combine sugar, almonds, raisins, cinnamon and rum and fill apple centers with mixture. Place apples in bottom of pot and pour wine over them. Dot apples with butter. Cover and place pot in cold oven. Set temperature at 450 degrees and cook about 30 minutes or until apples are tender. (Cooking time will depend on type of apples used.) Serve with whipped cream. Makes 8 servings. DEVIL’S-FOOD CAKE 2 1/2 cups sifted flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 3 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate 1 cup butter or margarine, softened 2 cups sugar 5 eggs, at room temperature 1 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla Really Fudge Frosting

Sift together flour, salt and soda. Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over hot, but not boiling water. Cream butter until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue beating until creamy and smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating vigorously after each addition. Add chocolate and mix well. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in vanilla. Turn into 3 greased and floured 9-inch layer cake pans (or line bottoms of pans with wax paper). Bake at 375 degrees 20 to 25 minutes, until tops spring back when lightly touched. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes in pans, then turn layers out carefully onto wire racks. Cool layers thoroughly, then fill and frost with Really Fudge Frosting. Serves 10 to 12. Really Fudge Frosting 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup milk or half and half 1 tablespoon light corn syrup 1 tablespoon butter or margarine 2 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate, coarsely grated 1 teaspoon vanilla

Place sugar, milk, corn syrup, butter and chocolate in heavy saucepan with candy thermometer. Set over moderate heat and stir once or twice as chocolate melts. Boil without stirring until thermometer reaches 234 degrees or until a small amount of the mixture dropped into cold water forms soft ball. Remove from heat at once and cool without stirring to 120 degrees (lukewarm). Stir in vanilla and beat until thick and of spreading consistency. If frosting is too thick, add small amount of milk or half and half. If too thin, beat in a small amount of sifted powdered sugar.