I know you're thinking, "Who is Cleo and why is there a blog about her kitchen?" That's an honest question, and here's an honest answer.
Cleo, who is now 80 years old and suffering from Alzheimer's, is living with her husband of 61 years in an assisted living center. She is our mother (and grandmother) and was a darn good cook. She spent all of her adult life working full time until her retirement, and although she was a good cook before retiring, she was a
really good cook afterward. Our dad, Cecil, was a school teacher, and he frequently got dinner started because he arrived home from work earlier than she did, but quite often she would finish what he started, adding her own flair to the fare.
My sisters, Cynthia and Colette, and I (Cristi) learned not only to cook, but how to really
enjoy food. We were exposed to many different tastes, and we have very fond memories of eating out at numerous restaurants. We'd pretty much try everything placed before us, and we had a reputation of being "good eaters" anywhere we went. We really have Cleo to thank for this. She taught us well.
Cleo's three "buns in the oven" produced 9 granddaughters (not that grandsons don't count! There are 5 of them, but they don't seem so interested in the cooking thing). Each of them likely have a memory of at least one special dish that they learned how to prepare with Grandma (and we hope those will be shared here, too.) Cleo not only taught us all well, she fed us all well, too. Food has a way of not only pleasing our palates, but pleasing our souls and sticking to the ribs of our memories.
We want to honor Cleo and her good food legacy by sharing her love of cooking and food appreciation through her recipes and through our own enjoyment in the kitchen. Even though she can no longer prepare meals, we will still remember her as we slice and sear, boil and blanch, and mix it all up in the kitchen.
And now to the really good stuff - a recipe from where else but . . . Cleo's Kitchen!
I think my earliest memory of making something with Mom in the kitchen is of slicing and twisting the Sour Cream Twists
that we would make around the holidays. And oh how those flaky, sugary layers melt in your mouth! Make a batch today and let them melt in your
mouth.
Sour Cream Twists
The dough must be refrigerated for at least 2 hours before use, so plan well ahead when making these.
3 1/2 c.sifted flour
1 t. salt
1 c. shortening or butter
1 pkg. yeast
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, beaten
1 t. vanilla
1 c. sour cream
1 c.sugar
Sift together flour and salt. Cut in shortening. Mix in yeast, eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Cover with a damp cloth and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Divide dough in half (store the half you aren't using in the fridge) and sprinkle a bit of sugar on a board. Roll dough out on board to about 8" x 16". Fold short ends to the center, slightly overlapping. Roll again to the same dimension, fold in and repeat. You should roll and fold 3 times, sugaring the board each time. This is how the flaky layers are created.
Cut in strips and twist. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 15 min.
Repeat with other half of the dough.
Note: Sometimes when we made these for the holidays, we would shape them into wreaths or candy canes and use colored sugar on them. That was especially fun and they looked great!
