No Ordinary Love

My mother-in-law, Edna Hong -- her kitchen was her castle

Right out of the box, fresh off the interwebs, my column. But first, I would like to share an experience I had writing the column.

My friends and family know I can be a little weird. Case in point, I’m one of those odd individuals you’ll find venturing up and down the bookstore occasionally grabbing a book, opening the cover and smelling (yes, I said smelling) the pages. It thrills both my tactile and sensory experiences, and for the life of me, I can’t explain exactly why I do it, but it makes me, me.

So, what’s my point? Today’s column has a reference to smelling a cookbook — true story, and I think of it as my direct line to Edna (read the story and you’ll get it). The individual responsible for laying out the print story, however, said, and I quote, “…I found it a little odd.”

So what did she do? She simply deleted it. I was simply miffed.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve been in the editor’s seat, but number one, she wasn’t the editor, and number two, as miniscule as she may have perceived that one little sentence to be, to me, it’s the whole essence of the story — it’s weird, but it’s who I am.

Needless to say, you will find the story — in its entirety — in the link below.

Oh, and one more thing — I HATE, HATE, HATE my photo on the website. Blech. I look like a surprised corpse made up by a mortician with a very heavy hand.

Thanks for reading and if you have any questions about the story or recipe (but not to punk me about my photo), shoot me an email — nothing makes me happier than talking about good food and the accompanying memories.

http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2011/02/09/1763864/theresa-hong-no-ordinary-love.html

Edna’s Famous Spice Cake

This cake was always a favorite in the Hong household. A simple, airy cake, it can be dressed up with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and seasonal fruit, or served casual with your morning cup of coffee. The beauty of this cake is also its simplicity – if you want more spice, add more spice. If your taste buds crave nutmeg, then by all means, add nutmeg! In fact, Dan’s grandfather, Joe Hong, was known to use this cake as a base for his ham sandwiches – the subtleness of the cinnamon complimenting the salty ham perfectly.

10 eggs separated

1 cup sifted flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups sugar

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat egg whites until soft mounds form and add 1 cup of sugar, continue beating until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine egg yolks, remaining 1 cup sugar and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until incorporated. Slowly add sifted flour in three batches until fully incorporated. Stir in chopped walnuts.

Gently fold batter into egg whites with a rubber spatula. Mix thoroughly, but remember to fold and love – not beat – together.

Pour into a lightly greased bundt pan and bake 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool completely before turning the cake out.

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