magna traditions

When we speak of traditions, food is included in the dialog. I was in a cab at dawn on Christmas morning listening to the radio as the driver headed for the train station. The commentator was interviewing people about holiday family recipes passed down from one generation to the next and culturally indicative food traditions. Immediately, I thought about the dish I would make once I arrived at my sister's house. Stewed corn is a labor-of-love family (and friends) favorite that my grandmother used to cook not just for holidays but quite often throughout the year. A recipe from the heart, only the ingredients -- fresh sweet corn sheared from the cob simmered in a buttery cream heavily laced with garlic and just enough salt and pepper -- sans measurements are written in the inherited cookbook. It's one of those dishes you had to have tasted from the hands of the originator in order to be able to combine the perfect amount of each thing to yield a pot of lip smacking, lick the bowl goodness!

Thankfully, I learned it well from one who guided me on my culinary path, preparing the dish now almost exactly as she did when I was by her side at the stove, which also means I must cook it in a Magnalite covered skillet.

Cooking in Magnalite pots and pans is a discipline I also follow whenever I fry chicken, something I don’t do very often though it truly is one of my top five favorite foods. I have used other pans when mine aren’t at hand; my best chicken to date is chicken fried in Crisco, preferably the white solid kind (sorry, some things

are best left unchanged as long as we consume in moderation) in a Magnalite pan. That said, I offered to cook the chicken for Christmas dinner. I didn’t realize that I was already using the largest Magnalite for the corn and yes, there were other large pans available; I opted to fry in a much smaller skillet that carried the brand name I trust. My chicken was crispy brown perfection!

Traditional family and cultural recipes prepared well bring a comfort that touches all of our senses. Done right, we can close our eyes and imagine the first time we smelled and tasted that deliciousness that becomes part of our being. Add to good food preparing it in the company of family and friends; my last minute decision to run up the east coast to spend the day at my sisters turned into the best gift I received this year. Being there and in the kitchen brought me some peace of mind right on time that would have escaped me had I stayed in DC.

Hope you too had a merry, merry Christmas and as we begin the countdown to 2014…

keep your peepers open!®

ps…much to my delight, Magnalite Classic cookware is still being made; they come with a 50 year warranty and I’m pleased to say that they hold up since mine have been in the family for over 50 years and are still going strong; truly well made, not flimsy and heats evenly; highly recommended…shop around for the best price.