Tales From the Kitchen
Submitted by Donna, Army Wife, 12/26/98
My embarassing kitchen tale (there have been so many!) is when I was an 18 year old newlywed and my husband brought an Army friend home for dinner. This friend was extrememly hungry and was happy to have a home cooked meal. At that time I didn't eat much meat so I wasn't the best cook. I decided on a chicken dish. Well, upon serving the chicken my husband's friend apologized and said "I'm so sorry, I just can't eat this." I look over to see that the darn chicken isn't fully cooked and bloody juices were on the plate! I nearly died. My husband chuckled some and we ended up getting a pizza.....
Submitted by Amy, Webmaster, 12/28/98
My Great-Grandmother Cearley died when I was a very small child. I don't remember what she looked like. In fact, I don't remember her at all. I've been told that she loved me a great deal and took a lot of joy in being around me. So, it's weird to me that I don't remember the woman at all. I've seen pictures of her holding me as a baby, but I remember nothing of her...except for her fudge. Her fudge is legendary. The recipe for this fudge, which is a closely-guarded family secret, is over a page long. For example, the way you know that the fudge mixture has boiled long enough in the pan involves monitering the speed at which a drop of the mixture floats to the bottom of a cup of ice-water (apparently, Great-Grandmother Cearley didn't use a candy thermometer). The only person in our family who can come close to replicating this recipe is my Great-Aunt Mabel Lee. Now, you have to understand that my family is Southern. Every woman in my family can cook; most of us cook exceptionally well. However, nobody can reproduce Great-Grandmother Cearley's fudge. And yet, I remember having eaten it. I have to confess that Aunt Lee's version of it is really good, but she's the first to admit that hers isn't as good as the original. So, you see...everyone is remembered for something. I'll just bet that my Great-Grandmother Cearley never thought that her something would be that fudge.
