Some recipes are worth highlighting. Our Sunday night small group consists of nine women and six men. Try as we might to include our respective male counterparts during the dinner portion of our community group, the ladies tend to stick together and largely occupy the long glass dining room table in our host’s home. In all fairness to the guys, we do tend to share more sensitive topics as we catch up on each other’s lives. One evening in particular, the conversation turned to the mentors we had during our formative years. Typically we “popcorn” back and forth, offering our comments as they come to us, but this conversation was different. We each took a moment to quietly reflect before sharing who had made an impact on our lives. One-by-one we revealed our stories. We soon realized we were all in the stage of life where, looking back, we truly appreciated the investments these women made in our lives was.
That night, after the gathering, I found myself lingering on the topic. On the drive home I kept thinking about all the women who came alongside my mother to richly bless me as a child and into my young adulthood. I had been introduced to these women as “dear friends” of my mother, grandmothers, and cousins. I’m filled with memories of being lifted up through their wisdom and made richer by their invaluable lessons.
Each of these women has a special place in my heart. But one of them shines above the rest — my father’s sister, Dolores, fondly known to me as Oui. What I came to love about Oui was her innate gift of gathering people together in her home. She was a wonderful host, entertainer, and cook and had a gift with young children too, making each of them feel important. My beloved Oui passed away far too soon, but not before leaving an indelible example I’ve tried to emulate ever since.
When I find myself missing her, I reach for the cookbook she gave me as a birthday present when I was a young mother learning how to cook and host. The cookbook, Gourmet Gallery, was purchased from a swanky boutique on Beach Drive in St. Petersburg. I still recall thinking, Now this is high-end! Oui highlighted her favorite recipes in yellow marker. That personal touch was her way of offering me reassurance and a leg up in the area of confidence.
This week I flipped through those highlighted and worn pages once again and decided to prepare a few of the recipes she would serve us on Sunday afternoons after church, which has led me to sharing the yellow-marker recipes along with two questions: Who do you know that needs your time and attention? How can you highlight their path?
Chocolate Pound Cake
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
1 c. butter
1/2 c. shortening
3 c. sugar
5 eggs
1/2 tsp. baking powder
5 Tbsp. cocoa powder
3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
3 tsp. vanilla
Directions
Preheat oven to 325°. Prepare the tube pan by spreading shortening along bottom and sides. Then sprinkle flour in the pan and tap to spread around evenly until all areas of shortening are covered. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and shortening until combined and light yellow. Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, cocoa, and salt three times, then add it to the butter mixture along with milk and vanilla. Mix well, then pour into a greased and floured tube pan. Set a tube pan on a cookie sheet and place in the oven. Bake for one hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake or the cake will be dry. Let cool in the pan until the sides shrink from the pan a bit. Flip the cake onto a cake plate to serve.
Louis Pappas’ Famous Garbanzo Soup
Makes 10-12 servings
Ingredients
1/2 c. olive oil
1 large onion (diced)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 large green pepper (diced)
2 stalks celery (sliced)
2 large carrots (sliced)
1 large potato (diced)
1 sprig parsley (chopped)
5 c. stock (chicken, vegetable, or beef)
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 15.5 oz. cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
Directions
In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, add oil, onions, and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes. Give a stir and add diced green pepper, celery, carrots, and potatoes, and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the parsley, broth, paste, sauce, seasonings, and beans, and simmer for another 30 minutes covered.
Zucchini Bread
Makes 2 loaves
Ingredients
3 eggs
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. zucchini (unpeeled and grated)
2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. walnuts (chopped)
1/2 c. raisins
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat eggs until fluffy. Add sugars, oil and vanilla. Blend well. Stir in zucchini. Sift dry ingredients, then combine with cream mixture. Fold in nuts and raisins. Divide batter between two greased, floured loaf pans and bake for 60-90 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
These recipes are from the March 2025 issue of HomeLife Magazine. For more delicious recipes for spring, check out these recipes for a spring brunch with a punch.
