Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove Cookbook Read online

  DEBBIE MACOMBER’S

  CEDAR COVE COOKBOOK

  Photographs by

  ANDY RYAN

  Illustrations by

  DEBORAH CHABRIAN

  OTHER CEDAR COVE BOOKS BY DEBBIE MACOMBER

  92 Pacific Boulevard • 8 Sandpiper Way • 74 Seaside Avenue

  6 Rainier Drive • 50 Harbor Street • 44 Cranberry Point • 311 Pelican Court

  204 Rosewood Lane • 16 Lighthouse Road

  Contents

  Introduction

  Breakfast

  at 16 Lighthouse Road with Olivia Griffin

  Good Morning Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

  Best Banana Bread

  Hearty Bran Apple Muffins

  Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Cheddar

  Cowboy Eggs with Smoky Black Beans and Lime-Avocado Salsa

  Buttermilk Hotcakes with Blueberries

  Honey Nut Granola

  Ham and Cheese Stuffed Omelet

  Sunday Sour Cream Coffee Cake

  Corn Muffins with Raspberries

  Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

  Lunch

  at 204 Rosewood Lane with Grace Sherman Harding

  Spicy Hot Sauce Chicken Noodles

  Anytime Tomato Soup with Fresh Basil and Swiss Cheese Pita Croutons

  Windy Weather Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

  Summer Minestrone with Pesto Puree

  Italian Deli Panini

  Panini Marguerita

  Creamy Tarragon Chicken Salad

  Turkey, Provolone and Garden Vegetable Wrap

  Broccoli and Cheese Soup in a Bread Bowl

  August Corn Chowder

  Homemade (with Help) Chicken Noodle Soup

  Wonton Soup with Pork and Bok Choy

  Tea

  at 6 Rainier Drive and the Victorian Tea Room with Justine Gunderson

  Confetti Crab Salad

  DD’s on the Cove Crab-Melt Sandwich

  White-Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

  Chef’s Salad

  Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal and Coconut Cookies

  Giant Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

  Pumpkin Tea Cake with Honey Cream

  Sugar-Dusted Molasses Crinkles

  Broccoli Quiche with Ham and Gruyère

  Asian Peanut Noodle Salad with Chicken and Red Grapes

  Honey-Walnut and Butter Scones

  Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

  Super Fudge Brownies

  Best Blueberry Muffins

  Crumb Bun Muffins

  Appetizers

  at 311 Pelican Court with Zach and Rosie Cox

  Eggplant Caponata with Toasted Pita Crisps

  Shrimp and Cream Cheese Canapés

  Parmesan Cheese Twists with Fresh Herb Dip

  Ginger Chicken Skewers with Peanut Dipping Sauce

  Roasted Red Pepper, Goat Cheese and Tarragon Pinwheels

  Mini-Hamburgers with the Works

  Caramelized Onion Tart with Black Olives

  Smoked Salmon Canapés with Horseradish Cream

  Celery Cups with Blue Cheese Mousse and Bacon

  Dinner

  at 44 Cranberry Point with Bob and Peggy Beldon

  Lasagna Bolognese for a Crowd

  Seared Scallops with Mushroom Ragout

  Bowtie Pasta with White Beans, Roasted Peppers and Garlic Spinach

  Casual Chicken Cordon Blue

  Chicken Pot Pie

  Fresh Herb Crab Cakes with Homemade Tartar Sauce

  Beef Stew with Red Wine

  Thick Pork Chops with Apple-Walnut Stuffing and Cider Gravy

  Roasted Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce

  Ginger Flank Steak and Oyster Sauce Stir-Fry

  Fettuccine Alfredo with Garlic Shrimp and Scallops

  Chili Pie with Cheddar Hash Brown Topping

  Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables and Cider Gravy

  Broccoli Casserole with Parmesan Bread Topping

  Stuffed Sweet Peppers

  Spaghetti with Fresh Clam Sauce

  Anytime Spaghetti with Clams

  Southwestern Taco Salad with Charred Corn

  Broccoli Lasagna

  Garlic Bread

  Teri’s Macaroni and Cheese

  Shrimp Enchilada Bake with Ricotta and Monterey Jack

  Fried Chicken

  Caesar Salad with Lemon Shrimp and Homemade Garlic Croutons

  Creamy Risotto with Spring Vegetables

  Cauliflower, Potato and Cheese Soup

  Penne with Caramelized Butternut Squash and Parmesan

  Italian Braised Chicken with Peppers, Onions and Sweet Sausage

  Braised Halibut in Roman-Style Sauce

  Roasted Garlic White Pizza

  Rosemary-Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin on Sautéed Spinach

  Chicken and Wild Rice Soup with Leeks

  Dessert

  at Harbor Street with Roy and Corrie McAfee

  Lattice-Top Cherry Pie

  New York Cheesecake

  Quick Lemonade Cake

  Celebrations Coconut Layer Cake

  Chocolate Zucchini Cake

  Coconut Cream Pie

  Apple Pie with Cinnamon Streusel Topping

  Deep Chocolate Layer Cake with Ganache Frosting

  Oatmeal Date Bars

  Golden Toffee Blondies

  Apple-Date Torte

  Milky Way Tart

  Russian Tea Cakes

  Orange Bundt Cake

  Three-Minute Chocolate Sauce

  Double Ginger Cake with Lemon Drizzle

  Easter

  at Eagle Crest Avenue with Ben and Charlotte Rhodes

  Devilled Eggs for Angels

  Cheddar Biscuits

  Asparagus Frittata

  Baby Spinach Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette and Toasted Walnuts

  Creamy Potato Salad

  Colorful Fruit Salad with Vanilla-Lime Yogurt

  Sweet and Spicy Baked Ham

  Fancy Lemon Pound Cake with Glaze

  Easter Bunny Cake

  Fourth of July

  at Pacific Boulevard and The Waterfront Park with Troy and Faith Davis

  Fresh Summer Salsa with Homemade Tortilla Chips

  Creamy Bean Dip

  Grilled Baguette and Tomato Salad

  Cured Grilled Salmon with Lime-Jalapeño Butter

  Hearty Skillet Cornbread with Bacon

  BBQ Chicken

  Herb Garden Pesto Rigatoni

  Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

  Peach and Raspberry Crumble

  Thanksgiving

  at Seaside Avenue with Bobby and Teri Polgar

  Rice, Sausage and Pecan Stuffing

  Cranberry-Orange Relish

  Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

  Sweet Potato Purée

  Mashed Potato Casserole

  Holiday Cranberry Bread

  Green Salad with Roasted Pear, Roquefort Cheese and Raspberry Vinaigrette

  Golden Roast Turkey with Maple Glaze

  Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

  Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Crust and Spiced Whipped Cream

  Christmas

  at Sandpiper Way with Dave and Emily Flemming

  Artichoke and Caramelized Onion Phyllo Pie

  Baked Potato Casserole

  Baby Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese, Pecans and Pomegranate Seeds

  Homemade Dinner Rolls

  Sautéed Green Beans and Almonds

  Christmas Beef Wellington

  Jack Griffin’s Christmas Cookies

  Holiday Sugar Cookies

  Gingerbread Men

  Acknowledgments

  Conversion Chart

  Introduction
r />   As I’ve often said, I’m a frequent eater—but I’m a frequent cook, too! In fact, I spend more time in the kitchen than I do in the dining room. I remember, when I was only four, begging my mother to let me help her make dinner. She was a gifted cook who never let a recipe get in the way of being creative; not surprisingly, working in the kitchen (and enjoying it!) is part of my family heritage.

  I think it’s fair to say that, thanks to my mother, I became proficient at cooking over the years. Good thing, too—in high school, the cooking part of Home Economics was all that got me a passing grade. I’m a terrible seamstress, so my ability to cook saved me from a certain F. (Who knew there were so many incorrect ways to sew in a zipper?)

  In the days before the many cookbooks now available—cookbooks for every conceivable type of cuisine and diet and specialty—recipes were often preserved on index cards. My mom had several small green boxes stuffed with them. And after her death I found a notebook in which my grandmother had written down recipes and cooking hints she felt her daughter (my mom) should have when she left home. I savored every word and learned cooking hints I still use. For instance, I discovered how to gauge when bean soup has simmered long enough to reach its maximum flavor. According to my grandma, Helen Zimmerman, you can tell by the aroma. As a thrifty and inventive cook, she also had lots of suggestions for substitutes and alternative ingredients, and different spices to try in particular recipes.

  Like my mother, I’ve collected recipes all my life—and yes, I have the same small green recipe boxes crammed with carefully handwritten notes that date back to my grade-school days.

  Years ago, I chose some of those recipes and created my own envelope-size recipe booklets as a thank-you gift to my loyal readers at Christmas. In return, readers sent me their own favorite recipes. This was my first venture into cookbook publishing—but not my last!

  You may have noticed that meals play an important role in all my stories. This is certainly true of earlier series like “Midnight Sons” and “Heart of Texas,” as well as the Blossom Street books. But cooking and preparing meals, and sharing them with family and friends, is perhaps most significant in my Cedar Cove series.

  If you’ve read any of these stories, you’ll recognize Charlotte Jefferson Rhodes. She’s known and loved by just about everyone in town. Not only that, her reputation as a superlative cook is well-deserved.

  In this book, Charlotte’s going to take you on a tour of the kitchens and dining rooms of Cedar Cove. She’ll share her best recipes, including those she was given by members of her family and her many friends. She’s also going to fill you in on what’s been happening with the people in town—her daughter, Olivia Griffin, her granddaughter, Justine Gunderson, Zach and Rosie Cox and Grace Harding, to name a few.

  Like Charlotte, I believe that food is central to the important relationships in our lives. Serving a meal is probably the ultimate expression of hospitality and friendship, and a good dinner sustains us in more than just the obvious ways. For me, for Charlotte—and, in fact, for most of us—the preparation of food is associated with enjoyment, comfort, love.

  While sharing food is a social activity, sharing recipes can bind us with others, too—with friends and perhaps especially with our families. It’s about forming and nurturing traditions, which help us create a sense of continuity from one generation to the next.

  Quite a few of the recipes I use today came from my mother and grandmother—recipes I’ve passed on to my own children. Just as some of Charlotte’s recipes come from her mother and were passed down to her daughter, Olivia, and now her granddaughter, Justine….

  Justine, who’s opened a tea room in town, has asked Charlotte for recipes and menu ideas, hoping to make her restaurant as wonderful as a visit to the fragrant kitchen she remembers from her grandmother’s home. Happy to comply, Charlotte has collected her favorite recipes in this book. You might recognize some of them from scenes in the Cedar Cove stories.

  Ultimately, the genesis of this cookbook is my readers’ requests for these very recipes, the ones I’ve mentioned in the novels. My goal is always to give you a satisfying reading experience—with something extra. I like to describe myself as a “value-added” author, and this cookbook is one way of offering you that extra value. So are Charlotte’s introductions, in which she reveals her insights about the people of Cedar Cove, and her personal comments on various recipes.

  Please join Charlotte and everyone in town for lots of delightful adventures in cooking and dozens of memorable meals. I hope these recipes will be as treasured in your family as they are in Charlotte’s (and in mine).

  It’s a privilege to share my own “kitchen heritage” with you—a heritage of good food and good times.

  Happy reading…and happy eating!

  Breakfast

  at 16 LIGHTHOUSE ROADwith

  Olivia Griffin

  I should begin by introducing myself in case we haven’t met before. I’m Charlotte Jefferson Rhodes and I’ve lived in Cedar Cove for much of my life. My beloved first husband, Clyde Jefferson (may he rest in peace), has been gone about twenty years now. We had two children—Will, our oldest, and Olivia Griffin (formerly Lockhart). Olivia lives in Cedar Cove and Will, now retired and divorced, recently moved back here. I remarried a few years ago, and Ben and I are very happy. There you have it—my personal history in one short paragraph.

  I’m going to take you around Cedar Cove and share recipes I’ve accumulated over a lifetime—recipes I’ve discovered or created and many that have been passed to me by family and friends.

  My daughter, Olivia, a big believer in the value of a nutritious breakfast, so I think it’s appropriate to start our journey of food and cooking at her house.

  I’ve noticed, and I’m sure you have, too, that children develop their own personalities very early in life. Even at the age of two, Olivia was an organized little girl. One day I found her in my closet straightening my shoes. At two! That same year at Christmas, she took charge of clearing away the wrapping paper.

  From the time she was three or four, Olivia decided she wanted to help me in the kitchen. I let her, although she couldn’t bear to crack an egg—for fear of dirtying her hands. She never licked a beater or a spoon, either. Several of the recipes I’ve included here are favorites of hers from childhood. Dishes she made herself from a young age. By the age of five, when Olivia started school, she could already read and do simple math. Clyde was convinced she’d grow up to become an engineer. Back then, there were few women in such professions and as her mother I dreamed lofty dreams for my daughter. But I never would’ve guessed she’d become a family court judge!

  In high school Olivia and her best friend, Grace, used to hang out at the Pancake Palace (established, as the sign proudly says, in 1950). In fact, the girls still meet there at least once a week. I replicated the Palace’s pancake recipe for Olivia because she liked it so much, and I included it here.

  Shortly after they graduated from high school, Grace married Dan Sherman, while Olivia went on to college, where she met Stanley Lockhart. I will say one thing, and only one thing, about my daughter’s ex-husband. Stan turned out to be a bitter disappointment—to Olivia, to the kids and to me. Enough said. I may not have a high opinion of Stan but he is, after all, the father of my grandchildren. The Sour Cream Coffee Cake you’ll find in these pages was one of his favorites, and it makes a nice addition to Sunday brunch.

  Soon after her marriage, my daughter had twins, Jordan and Justine, followed by younger brother James. Olivia had set her sights on obtaining a law degree and with her usual sense of purpose she pursued this, all the while juggling family responsibilities and numerous other commitments. Thinking back on those early years I stand in awe of her.

  I can hardly believe how much she accomplished—and how effortless she made it look.