My mom did not teach me to cook. She’s great at fixing and flipping properties
– cooking not so much. Even if my mom had
been an excellent cook and possessed the patience to teach me to cook, growing up I
was far more interested in writing stories, taking pictures, participating in
extracurricular activities, and earning extra money helping my dad with our
apartment buildings than I was learning to cook. My Grandpa Hildebrecht, a fine
cook and a gentle soul, taught me how to make a few family favorites before he died.
In November, my Boulder church published a cookbook
entitled From Our Tables To Yours. Proceeds from the sale of the cookbook
benefit Senior Adult Ministries at First Pres. The book contains a nice mix of family
recipes passed down from generation to generation and recipes church members gathered while studying and living in various parts of the nation and world.
Not long after I got my copy of the book, I decided to make my
friend Jeannette’s Milk Fudge
recipe. How hard could a recipe
containing only milk, butter, sugar and chopped nuts really be? Then again, I had not made candy since middle
school.
Because I had no clue what the soft ball stage was, I
consulted How to Cook Everything. When I do not understand recipe-related
terminology, I generally consult How to
Cook Everything, How to Cook Everything – The Basics (which contains far
fewer recipes than How to Cook Everything
but has wonderful instructional photographs) or Chef Google.
Mark Bittman, the author of How to Cook Everything, suggests that 21st century candy
makers consult a thermometer rather than drop a hot, sugary mass into a glass
of ice water. Like my father who worked
in construction for many years – I love tools and gadgets.
Having lived within walking distance of McGuckin Hardware for a number of years, I was the proud owner of a
candy thermometer that had never been opened.
Too bad I forgot about the altitude . . . The first time I
made Milk Fudge, it tasted great but
the texture was dry and crumbly. Per Chef Google, “As with most cooking at
high altitudes, there are modifications that need to be made to candy recipes.” I was afraid of that. Littleton’s altitude is roughly 5389 so
softball stage occurs 10 or 11 degrees lower than the designation on my
thermometer.
The second time I made the fudge, it was great. Don’t become alarmed when the sugar mixture
bubbles like liquid coming from a cauldron in a Disney movie, just don’t spill it. So far, I’ve also made the Tangy Beef Brisket and the Very Best Cheese Grits and both dishes were well received.
