Recipes bring back memories

Susan Spicer

When I get ready to write a Mother’s Day column, I always go through my mom’s old recipe box for inspiration. Each one of those recipe cards brings back memories. I’ve run quite a few of her recipes in my column over the years.
Mom was a really good cook, and she was always trying new dishes on Dad and me.  She was one of the first mothers to make homemade pizza back in the 50s when I was in elementary school. She made great pies, especially her favorite, pecan pie. She experimented with cheesecake recipes, and I got to eat the experiments.  Her fried chicken was great; I have never come close. She was a chocoholic and would make brownies at the drop of a hat.  
She wanted me to eat different things. For instance, when I was little I said I didn’t like mushrooms (even though I’d never tasted them.) Mom didn’t fuss at me, she just made her stuffed mushrooms for a grown-up party, and told me I couldn’t have any. She said mushrooms were too expensive to waste them on me when I said I didn’t like them anyway. When she took them out of the oven, they smelled so good. She left the room, and of course since she said I couldn’t have one, I really wanted one, and I snuck one off the plate. It was great, and then I ate so many Mom had to get out the other two trays she had really made for the guests. It took me awhile to figure out this tactic of hers.
Another of her recipes I don’t believe I’ve shared in my column before is her Asparagus-Peanut Casserole, which is a little different. She and I both loved asparagus, and would go all over town picking it in the spring. We knew where all the wild patches were. You can use canned asparagus for this recipe, but fresh is so much better.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers and mothers-to-be out there from Susan’s Kitchen!

Mom’ s Stuffed Mushrooms
1 dozen large mushrooms, stems removed and chopped
2 T. butter
1 small onion, minced
1/4 c. bread crumbs
2 T. Parmesan cheese (plus more for top)
1 egg white, beaten

Saute’ chopped mushroom stems and onion in butter till tender.  Mix with crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  Cool.  Beat egg white till stiff and add to mixture.  Spoon filling into mushrooms, mounding high.  Put on cookie sheet; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Serves four as an appetizer.

Asparagus-Peanut Casserole
20 (approximately) asparagus spears
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. peanuts, crushed
1 c. grated cheese
Salt, pepper to taste
4 T. butter

Blanch asparagus in boiling water 4 minutes; drain.  In greased shallow casserole, make layers of asparagus, soup, peanuts and cheese.  Season each layer with salt and pepper.  Dot with butter and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Serves 4-6.