From One Mom to Her Own Mom

By TRACY CROWE McGONIGLE

May 9, 1996 12 AM PT

My sons are too young for me to enjoy the pleasures of letting them make a mess in the kitchen just to impress me. But I still remember my own early cooking adventures--or disasters. Especially the Boston cream pie incident.

I was about 10. No one was supposed to know what I was making, so I kept the door shut. And of course I couldn’t use the electric mixer, with its telltale noise. Even so, my two unwhipped layers of cake, together with cream filling and chocolate syrup frosting, reached the surprising height of 1 1/2 inches.

Never mind that it should have been at least 4 inches taller--or that the cake should have been as easy as, well, pie, because it came from a box mix. My mom did what any nice mom would do: She ate that flat dessert with a smile on her face, thinking only of my efforts.

If you’re like me this year, a mom cooking for your own mom on Mother’s Day, this menu will impress your kids and your mom without killing you. I may not get the kid-cooked meal and Mother’s Day cards yet, but I often think of a card my mom wrote to me: “You’re more than a special daughter, you’re a special person and a most special friend.” Likewise, Mom.

Steak and Vegetable Salad

Jalapen~o Blue Corn Madeleines

Grand Orange Sorbet

STAPLES

Garlic

Olive oil

Black pepper

Salt

Balsamic vinegar

Dijon mustard

Sugar

Baking powder

Flour

Egg

Butter

SHOPPING LIST

1 (2-pound) flank steak

1 small bunch fresh rosemary

1 small bunch fresh thyme

1/4 pound goat cheese

1 eggplant

2 zucchini

2 yellow squash

1 red bell pepper

1/2 pound baby greens

1 bunch fresh parsley

Blue cornmeal

Whipping cream

1 jalapen~o

3 cups fresh squeezed orange juice

Grand Marnier

6 chocolate biscotti, optional

GAME PLAN

Night before: Prepare sorbet.

Two hours before: Rub marinade on steak and let stand.

One hour before: Make marinade for vegetables. Make dressing for salad.

30 minutes before: Prepare vegetables. Mix blue corn madeleines. Broil steak.

15 minutes before: Bake madeleines. Grill vegetables.

Just before: Assemble salads.

Just after meal: Serve sorbet.

STEAK AND VEGETABLE SALAD

STEAK AND GOAT CHEESE TOPPING

1 (2-pound) flank steak

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 pound goat cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1/4 cup whipping cream

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Rub each side of steak with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let stand 1 to 2 hours in refrigerator.

Mix goat cheese, garlic, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, whipping cream and vinegar in small mixing bowl. Set aside.

Preheat broiler on high. Place meat on broiler rack 4 inches from heat and broil 3 minutes. Turn steak and broil 1 minute. Spread goat cheese topping on steak and broil until topping is bubbly, about 2 minutes.

Remove from oven and place on carving board. When cool, about 20 minutes, slice diagonally.

VEGETABLES

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary

1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme

Salt, pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 eggplant

2 zucchini

2 yellow squash

20 spears asparagus

Combine olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste in bowl; set aside.

Roast red pepper over open flame until charred on all sides. Place pepper in paper bag. When cool, rinse off blackened skin and discard seeds. Drain on paper towel and cut lengthwise into slices 1/4 inch wide.

Slice eggplant into slices 1/4 inch thick. Slice zucchini and yellow squash lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Trim ends from asparagus and cut spears to even length. Generously brush eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and asparagus with oil marinade and grill in batches, turning occasionally, until done, 10 to 15 minutes per batch. When cool, dice all vegetables except asparagus.

ASSEMBLY

1/2 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

Salt, pepper

1/2 pound mixed baby greens

1 large tomato, chopped

Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic and salt and pepper to taste in small bowl.

Wash baby greens and dry. Toss greens in large bowl with dressing to coat evenly.

Divide greens among 4 plates. On each plate, arrange 5 asparagus spears on greens, ends toward rim of plate and heads converging in center. Place 5 steak slices between each asparagus spear. Scatter remaining cooked vegetables on top of greens and top center with chopped tomatoes.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

785 calories; 783 mg sodium; 119 mg cholesterol; 59 grams fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 47 grams protein;

JALAPEN~O BLUE CORN MADELEINES

1 cup blue cornmeal

3/4 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream

1 fresh jalapen~o chile, roasted, seeded and finely chopped

Stir together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl. In separate bowl, whisk egg and cream together and stir into cornmeal mixture. Add jalapen~o and mix until batter is just combined.

Spoon batter into greased madeleine molds, being careful not to overflow. Bake at 425 degrees until golden, 15 minutes. Invert on rack.

Makes about 24 madeleines.

Each madeleine contains about:

82 calories; 141 mg sodium; 26 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.06 gram fiber.

GRAND ORANGE SORBET

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups strained fresh orange juice

1/4 cup Grand Marnier

4 to 6 orange peel twists, optional

Chocolate biscotti, optional

Cook sugar and water in saucepan over low heat until sugar is completely dissolved, about 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.