Martha Briggs began learning how to cook when she was 10 years old. “My mother was a very good cook and she taught me,” she said, recalling her first creation: apple pie.
Food, family and friends are, and always have been, high priorities for Briggs. While her children were growing up, the family always ate dinner together. They rarely went out to eat because Briggs’ husband preferred her food to that of any restaurant.
“I’m not artistic normally, but I consider cooking an art form. I love to create new recipes,” Briggs said. In fact, coming up with new dishes is something she shares with her daughter, Nancy. Together, they recently came up with the portabella mushrooms recipe she shares as Cook of the Week.
Today, Briggs spends much time with her grandchildren. She enjoys watching their baseball games and volunteering at Kingfield Elementary School, where she is affectionately known as “Oma,” the German word for Grandma. Briggs received what she considered the greatest compliment when a student said to her, “Oma, you’re just a kid dressed up like an old lady.”
Besides volunteering and watching ballgames, Briggs likes to garden and to celebrate birthdays, holidays and other special occasions with her family.
Her favorite foods are “anything with cheese, different types of salads and vegetables.” She is especially interested in seafood recipes and would also like to learn to cook some dishes her daughter makes, like vegetables roasted with olive oil in the oven and homemade bread.
Her favorite cookbook is “The Joy of Cooking,” by Irma S. Rombauer. “I got it as a wedding present 53 years ago and still have that copy,” Briggs said. “That’s the one I always go to when I need to know how to cook something I’ve never made.”
Stuffed seafood portabella mushrooms
Ingredients:
6 extra large portabella mushroom caps
1 pound scallops
8 ounces fresh crabmeat
½ cup finely chopped red and green peppers (combined)
¼ cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush mushroom caps to remove any dirt. Do not wash. Remove stems and discard. Scrape out the “meat” of the mushrooms into a medium-size bowl with a teaspoon. Add the remaining ingredients, except the Parmesan cheese. Spoon the mixture into the caps. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes or until mushrooms are tender, not mushy. Serve whole as an entrée or cut into slices for a hors d’oeuvres. Serves 6
Oma’s souffle
Ingredients:
8 slices whole wheat or white bread, regular slices
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups shredded Swiss or cheddar cheese
6 eggs, beaten
3 cups whole milk
½ teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Method:
Lightly butter bread and break into cubes. In an ungreased 9- by 13-inch glass casserole, alternate layers of bread and cheese. Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over bread. Do not mix. Cover and refrigerate up to two days. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for one hour. (It’s done when an inserted sharp knife comes out clean.)
Note: You can add cubed ham, or bacon chopped onions and/or green peppers. The souffle is good for breakfast, brunch or lunch. Serves 10.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Pie crust
Ingredients:
4 cups unsifted flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1¾ cups Crisco shortening
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 egg, beaten
½ cup ice water
Note: This recipe makes five crusts. Martha uses two for this recipe and freezes the other three.
Method:
Put first four ingredients into a bowl and mix with fork. In small bowl, mix water, egg and vinegar, again with a fork. Combine the two mixtures and stir until moistened. Do not overmix. Divide into five portions and shape into balls and then flatten (It’s easier to stack them in the freezer this way). Wrap in plastic and chill at least one-half hour. Freeze extra crust up to two months.
Filling
Ingredients:
2 cups unpeeled rhubarb
2 cups sliced strawberries
6 tablespoons flour
1½ to 2 cups sugar
2 tablespoon butter
Method:
Stir first four ingredients together and let stand for 15 minutes. Pour into prepared crust. Dot with butter and top with crust (lattice looks nice). Be sure to vent if you make a solid crust. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 40 minutes more.
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