WE ARE THE WORLD
Let’s take Time Out to praise our food supply chains, paying homage to those who grow, harvest, haul to market, manufacture and sell the stuff that keeps our bellies full.
Leading that charge right now is the renown Chef José Andrés. He founded World Central Kitchen in 2010 to meet Haiti’s food emergency following its devastating earthquake. He quickly emerged as a worldwide leader in disaster relief efforts but it was in the wake of Puerto Rico’s 2017 Hurricane Maria that he turned miracle worker. In the first month following that hurricane, WCK cooked 2 million meals for our hungry fellow Americans. Last year he dished out food during 13 worldwide disasters. This year, with the Pandemic, it seems he and WCK, an NGO, are feeding the world.
The global hunger crisis is real, 821 million people, 1 in 9, are undernourished. Yesterday morning I saw that an Arizona friend had posted her e-mail address on her Facebook page and written that ‘if someone isn’t working and needs food, please email me. Confidential. No need to be embarrassed. I will never say a thing. Just tell me and I’ll drop off groceries to you.’
There are no words but a surprising recognition that generosity knows no bounds. We’ll follow her story here in my next post.
CHAIN E-MAILS
I received an e-mail and another and another and another all with the same message: “Going back to old times with a recipe exchange. Please send a recipe, quick, easy and without rare ingredients, to the person whose name is in position #1.”
I groaned, four times. No recipes popped into my mind.
My last invitation was from my friend Francine. I replied that I couldn’t accept her #QuarantineCooking recipe exchange invitation because I already had received three others. “I know what you mean,” she said, kindly. “I already received four myself but I thought it was nice to be asked.”
Now I felt guilty. I was turning down “nice,” wasn’t I?
“Okay,” I decided. “Game on.”
I chose two simple but nostalgic favorites, Iowa’s famous Maid-Rites, a divine loose meat sandwich that no Hawkeye believes wasn’t heaven-sent. And a Decadent Lemon Bundt Cake that doesn’t, ahem, taste like it’s from a boxed cake mix. As you may recall, I bought 6 boxed mixes just before sheltering-in-place. I don’t do mixes but this lemon-colored beauty reminds me I should. The recipes are both below. Make them. Let me know.
MAID-RITES, adapted from a number of Iowans
Servings 4 -6
(In 1926 a Muscatine, Iowa restauranteur named Fred Angell created Maid-Rites. Although its popularity blossomed into many Maid-Rite franchises which have now disappeared, the sandwich remains a local cult favorite.)
INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion minced or 1 small
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup beef broth
4 Tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1/2-1 teaspoon teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add minced yellow onion and cook until tender and translucent, 3-5 minutes.
- Add lean ground beef and break up into small pieces/crumbles while it cooks. Drain any oil remaining..Stir in beef broth. Add mustard, Worcestershire, Soy Sauce, salt and pepper.
- Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until liquid is mostly gone.
- Spoon onto (warmed) bun. ALWAYS stick in one or two hamburger pickles. Serve.
- Pass ketchup if desired.
DECADENT LEMON BUNDT CAKE from Liz Berg, That Skinny Chick Can Bake
(My food blogging colleague and friend Liz Berg who embellished this boxed cake mix, blogs at That Skinny Chick Can Bake. Liz was born and raised in Ames, Iowa. So in sticking with the Iowa theme for my chain e-mail recipes, enjoy.
Serves: 12
INGREDIENTS:
CAKE:
1 box yellow or butter cake mix (15.25 ounce)
1 small box instant lemon pudding mix (3.4 ounces)
OR
1 box of Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Lemon Supreme Cake Mix
1 small box instant lemon or vanilla instant pudding mix
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs (room temperature)
GLAZE:
1 cup powdered sugar, SIFTED
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, DEFROSTED
- Preheat oven to 350º. Butter and flour a standard 10-cup Bundt pan (or spray with Baker’s Joy). Set aside.
- Combine all cake ingredients in a bowl and beat until thick and smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Pour into the prepared pan. Bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- When cake is almost finished baking, whisk together glaze ingredients until smooth.
- When cake is removed from the oven, let cool for about 10 minutes. Then poke some holes over the bottom surface of the cake with a long pronged fork. Drizzle part of the glaze over the cake. Invert cake onto a cake plate. Poke the top surface of the cake with the fork and drizzle the rest of the glaze over the cake.
- Let cool completely before serving. Lightly sprinkle confectionary sugar if desired.
TIPS: ¼ cup of rum can be substituted for ¼ cup of the water if you’d like a lemon rum cake.
Readers, I hope that you, your family, loved ones and friends are safe and sheltering-in-place as able. And, to all those “essentials,” including my son-in-law, who are out on the front lines keeping our country going, be extra careful, thank you and bless your hearts. Mary
Printed out your lemon bundt cake recipe, which looks fabulous. I love the smell of lemons, which lift the mood!
Hi Mary,
I don’t know that you know that I am also an Iowa girl! And, I LOVE Maid-Rites! There is still one at the Amana exciton I-80!! When I was first married, I told my husband he had ti try a Maid-Rite–I went on and on. He wasn’t impressed. No wonder he is no longer my husband!!! And, I love the bird pictures–reminds me that spring has to be here somewhere. On this dark and cold morning, I just want to make nachos:)
Anne, I didn’t know you were from Iowa but that must be why we became such good book club buddies. (Just finished The Yellow House and moving on to American Dirt.) I grew up in Manchester which is not far from the Amanas. Spring is here – I took those bird photos last week at the North Star Preserve and behind ACES (where the Osprey are living.) I hope your kids in Italy continue to be safe. Mary
Thanks for a few minutes of distraction as I read your post. Don’t have the ingredients for your “off the top of your head” recipes, but they sound good. All safe and sound here at the moment. Take good care of yourself. xo
I am happy, happy, happy to hear from you, Betsy. So glad you and Howard are safe and secure. Still nursing disappointment that we won’t see each other this summer but it is what it is. Melissa is not coming to Aspen either for her summer visit. Just like everyone, all of us staying safe is our family priority right now. I am hunkering down for as long as it takes. (Or, until Emma and Clara tell me it’s safe to emerge! They are keeping me on my toes if I get too frisky like grocery shopping twice a week instead of once!) Sending love to you both.
Both of these recipes bring up fond memories and made my stomach growl for a taste!
The bundt cake is amazing — and the ice cream. Since it will be 100 degrees here tomorrow, I am salivating. Yum. Thanks, Mary.
Can you believe I’ve never made nor eaten Maid Rites??? In fact, I didn’t know they originated in Iowa until I’d moved to Indiana! But they look super easy….and would be husband approved!! P.S. Thanks for the shout out. That recipe came from Annette Homer. Her youngest was a year older than Maddy and Missy and they lived around the corner. I know you’re taking every precaution, but I’m praying you stay well! xoxo
Chef Andres is awesome. I love your bundt cake mold. I may try your meat sandwiches, Jacob love beef. Stay safe.
From another Iowa Mary: OMG. Loved this!
Maid-Rites were childhood favorites in our small town. Still make them for a Midwest 4th of July picnic. When I was 10, my mom was very ill, miles away & a long time in the Mayo Clinic hospital so we could not go home for lunch during the school day. Walked my little sister, age 7, to the Maid-Rite shop every noon for Maid-Rites only 4 blocks from school. Dad could only manage dinner out.
I applaud the World Central Kitchen effort by Chef Andrés. His restaurants in DC are some of my favorite places. Actually, I saw him there once with his family. He makes this a better world for us all. The lemon bundt cake looks moist and mouth watering. Hope everyone in your family is safe and well.
Hi Mary!!! Both recipes look delish. The cake will have to wait as I don’t have ingredients. The sandwich? Maybe, as I think I have some ground beef.
Have you been watching the @chefjoseandres videos on Instagram? He and his daughters cooking recipes to Hamilton (among others)!! So delightful. I’m a fan. And of course his work is amazing.
All of the pictures are lovely. Here we’ve flipped the switch and things are heating up. Happy that you and yours are doing well!!!
Now I fill guilty , I got several of share a recipe requests and didn’t do it. I never had a Maid Rite , are they similar to sloppy joes ? Thanks for this gorgeous post. I love all the bird photos. I think you and I got out of France the same time.
The sloppy joe is not like the Maid-Rite and Iowans don’t claim that they are even related. The sloppy joe has ketchup which the Maid-Rite does not. It’s just a loose meat sandwich. Of course many people eat it with ketchup!
Wow – two fabulous new recipes to try. THANK YOU. I’ve never even heard of the maid rites so love the history as well. Well planned with the cake mix too – good thinking ! Nana and I are enjoying cooking (and eating) together. The chicken was not a huge hit but that’s because we really weren’t in the mood for it but had the ingredients. In hindsight, not an ideal game plan lol but these are not normal times. Stay well and thanks for keeping in touch. Hugs —