This post is a tribute to Grandmama Rose (my mother) and all the exceptional cooks we have in our family. A person doesn't realize the infuence they have on their kids and successive generations as they go about their daily duties. My mother, born Barbara Jean Viola, whom we affectionately call Grandmama Rose, is a wonderful cook. She was raised in an Italian family and community in Scranton, PA and worked in her father's bar & grill called The Mayflower. My parents had six children and my mom was always in the kitchen cooking up something good when I was a kid. It was my self-assigned job to "stir the pot" which I still love to do. Rose now has 11 grandchildren and 4 greats. She's produced many good cooks! Honorable mention goes to my three sisters: Pati, who has always enjoyed "creating" something good out of her imagination; Liz, who has a knack for spotting a great recipe and producing something tasty; and Mary Catherine who can literally do anything she sets her mind to and grows and raises much of what she cooks. When the four of us cook a meal, there's not much talking around the table but a whole lot of shoveling!
In the next generation, honorable mention goes to my son Josh who learned to delight the girls in college with his culinary skills; my niece Emily who works in a bakery decorating cakes; my nephew Kyle who bakes his own bread and pizza; and my niece April who has just recently discovered her own talent at the stove. Maybe someone from this generation will open a Mayflower, hmm?
My husband bought me this KitchenAid for Christmas (no doubt to nudge me back into baking) so we are now enjoying a variety of sweets and breads. Here's a recipe that Rose used to make years ago - a fond childhood memory and one of the best chocolate cakes you'll ever bake!Sour Cream Chocolate Pound Cake
- 1 C. butter
- 2 C. sugar
- 2 eggs
- 4 TBS cocoa
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 C. sour cream
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 1/2 C. flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1C. boiling water
Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in cocoa & vanilla. Mix sour cream & soda; add to mixture. Sift together flour and salt; add to mixture. Add boiling water. Pour into a bundt pan that has been greased and dusted with cocoa. Bake 1 hour 30 min. at 325 degrees.
Icing
- 2 TBS butter
- 3 TBS cocoa
- 2 C. powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- milk as needed
Melt butter and cocoa in a saucepan on the stove. Add vanilla. Add powdered sugar. Add enough milk to make the right consistency. Drizzle over the cake.
