fall
comfort food for
As winter approaches and summer fades, I find myself in my own kitchen. My own hands smell of onions from the meal before, and as the minutes tick by, I keep remembering. Raisin-filled cookies and raspberry jam interchange and run through each memory, but the image of my grandmother, it stays. She will always be there, along with the overwhelming feeling that binds me to her...love. From my kitchen to yours….may you find a way to pass along what is most important. It can always be served with a side of homemade bread.
chocolate zucchini cake with chocolatecinnamon glaze & streusel topping for the cake: Etched into my heart there is an image. Sometimes it is black and white, other times it is shaded in the colors of caramel and burnt orange. There is an open window. A light breeze makes yellowed lace curtains tickle an old window sill. A slightly bent figure leans against a table. As I walk closer, curled gray hair, a soft apron, and a faded plastic bowl turn to me. A wooden spoon circles crumbling oatmeal and dark chocolate chips into buttery masses. Over thick glasses, eyes twinkle. Worn hands leave the spoon to rest and pull me in. There’s nothing but warmth. A pot of soup bubbles nearby. A cookie jar, with chipped lid, waits patiently to be filled. 26
*2 ½ c unbleached, all-purpose flour *½ c dry cocoa *¼ c hot chocolate mix *1 ½ tsp. baking soda *1 tsp. baking powder *½ tsp. salt *1 ½ c granulated sugar *1 c canola oil *3 eggs *2 T vanilla *½ c cold water *2 c shredded zucchini In a medium bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients except the sugar. In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla together. Add the dry mixture to the wet, and beat until smooth. Batter will be similar to brownies, so add ½ cup cold water. Beat until smooth. Stir in zucchini. Drop into a greased bundt pan and bake