Secret Recipes
FRIED CHICKEN, LIKE FRANKENMUTH BY GLORIA PITZER As seen in… Gloria Pitzer’s Cookbook – The Best of the Recipe Detective (Balboa Press; Jan. 2018, p. 94)… [A revised reprint of Gloria Pitzer’s Better Cookery Cookbook (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; May 1983, 3rd Edition).]* The German community of Frankenmuth, Michigan, which for decades has celebrated […]
GRIDDLECAKES AND SYRUP, LIKE PANCAKE HOUSE – BY GLORIA PITZER As seen in… The Original 200 Plus Secret Recipes (Secret Recipes, St. Clair, MI; June 1977, p. 32). INGREDIENTS: 2 eggs 2½ cups buttermilk 3 TB oil ½ tsp salt ½ tsp vanilla ½ tsp baking soda 3 TB pancake syrup (*see homemade version below) […]
Happy Monday and happy February Eve! Personally, I always look forward to Mondays because they are my 52 Chances each year, in which I get to share Memories of My Mom with you! #TheRecipeDetective #NationalMentoringMonth It’s the last day of January. The final day for observing (among other things)… National Mentoring Month! Thankfully, mentoring can […]
TEXAS FRUITCAKE BY GLORIA PITZER As seen in… Gloria Pitzer’s Cookbook – The Best of the Recipe Detective (Balboa Press; Jan. 2018, p. 279)… [A rewrite of her famous, self-published cookbook, Gloria Pitzer’s Better Cookery Cookbook (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; May 1983, 3rd Edition).]* Legend has it that Puddin’ Hill has the best-darn fruitcake […]
SATURDAY BREAD DOUGH & WEST VIRGINIA BREAD Both, by Gloria Pitzer [*As seen in… Eating Out At Home Cookbook (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; Sep. 1981, 12th Printing, p. 24).] Grandma and the five girls were up at 4 AM to begin the baking each Saturday. Here is her bread recipe in her own words […]
MY MOTHER’S PERFECT PIE CRUST By Gloria Pitzer *As seen in her self-published book… The Copycat Cookbook (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; Oct. 1996, 12th printing; p. 73) INGREDIENTS: 2 cups flour 2 tsp sugar ½ tsp salt ¼-lb chilled butter, broken into bits 5 TB Crisco About 5 TB cold tap water (added as […]
STRAWBERRY FREEZER JAM By Gloria Pitzer Please, don’t ask me to use pectin if I don’t have to! Give me the simple life – even in the kitchen. I found that there is enough natural pectin in rhubarb that you really don’t have to use the powdered or liquid pectin to equal a very dignified […]
STRAWBERRY PIE, LIKE BIG BOY’S By Gloria Pitzer INGREDIENTS: 1 small box strawberry Jell-O [mix] 1 cup boiling water ½ cup strawberry jam ½ cup cold water 4 TB cornstarch 1-qt whole strawberries 9-inch baked pie shell [Whipped cream and additional whole strawberries for garnish] INSTRUCTIONS: Dissolve Jell-O powder in the boiling water. Over low […]
KENTUCKY BISCUITS By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in… Gloria Pitzer’s Secret Recipes Newsletter (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; May-June 1988, p. 2). INGREDIENTS: 1 – 1½ cup(s) Bisquick 1 rounded tablespoon sour cream ¼ cup club soda ½ tsp sugar INSTRUCTIONS: Mix [everything] together, until a smooth dough forms. Dip your hand into just enough […]
BETSY ROSS’ CUSTARDY CORNBREAD (from the bi-centennial days) By Gloria Pitzer (1976) INGREDIENTS: ¾ cup white cornmeal ¼ cup flour 2 TB sugar ½ tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 1 2/3 cups milk 1 egg, beaten 2 TB butter INSTRUCTIONS: [Pre-heat oven to 400°F.] Sift the first five ingredients, as listed, together [and set […]