Community Cookbook: Cook up something sure to impress your mom

Mother’s Day, always falling on the second Sunday of May, is this Sunday. It’s been that way since becoming a national holiday in 1914. Greeting cards and flowers are a big part of the modern holiday celebrating mothers and motherhood. Special dinners, at home and out, are high on the list of popular Mother’s Day activities. Today’s recipes may be helpful to those contemplating a Mother’s Day dinner at home for their moms.

In later years, Mom enjoyed Marie Callander’s chicken pot pies. Personal chicken pot pies are similar and provide a generous amount of delicious eating. Mom and Dad loved fried oysters. They were Mom’s favorite seafood and are a special treat for many seafood fans. She ate my pan-fried oysters several times and liked them, so they must be pretty good. I don’t recall Mom making fruit hand pies or turnovers, but her apple pies and peach cobblers are legendary. I know she would have loved these apple hand pies.

Think of your mom this Sunday and celebrate the holiday with her, if possible. If at a distance, give her a call. Chances are she’ll enjoy hearing from you. It’s her day.

Personal Chicken Pot Pies

Chicken pot pie has been a quintessential American comfort food since colonial times. This recipe produces individual pot pies, furnishing plenty of hearty nutrition and flavor. They make an impressive presentation.

1½ cup ½-inch cubed potatoes, peeled or unpeeled (1½-2 medium)

1½ teaspoon cooking oil

1½ teaspoon butter or margarine

1 cup chopped onion

2 cups milk

1½ cup water

½ cup plus 5 teaspoons flour

5 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon black pepper

8 ounces (1½ cup) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained

2 cups cooked chopped chicken

Prepared pie dough for four 16-ounce bowls

Cook the potatoes in salted, boiling water until just tender (add them while the water is still cold). Drain. Heat the oil and butter or margarine in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally. Add the next nine ingredients (through black pepper) to a large saucepan and mix thoroughly with a whisk. Heat over medium-high heat until bubbles just start to break on the surface, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for five minutes, whisking constantly. Combine all ingredients, except the pie dough, in a large bowl. Spoon an equal amount of filling into each bowl, up to a half inch from the rim. Roll the pie dough out on a floured surface to about ⅛-inch thick. Cut out four rounds slightly larger than the bowls. Place one on top of each bowl, draping over the rims. The overlapping dough can be rolled under the rims and fluted with a fork. Brush each crust with egg wash, melted butter, or margarine. Cut two or three slits in each crust for venting. Place the bowls on a shallow baking pan with space between each. Bake on the middle-low rack of an oven preheated to 350 degrees until the crusts are golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Notes: Puff pastry or phyllo dough can substitute for pie dough. Turkey can substitute for chicken.

Yield: Four main-dish servings

Pan-Fried Oysters

Mom and Dad loved fried oysters. Every trip they made to Westport, they would bring back several pints of frozen, shucked oysters. Most of their kids liked them as well. Oysters do contain the fresh taste of the ocean. I know. I’ve swallowed a lot of ocean while sailing and scuba diving. Fortunately, never while sinking or abandoning ship.

1 cup egg substitute or egg whites

⅓ cup flour

⅓ cup medium grind cornmeal

¼-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 (10-ounce) jar small shucked oysters

Salt and black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Lemon wedges (optional)

Pour the egg substitute or whites into a small bowl. Combine the flour, cornmeal, and cayenne pepper in another small bowl. Rinse and drain the oysters, removing any shell bits and debris. Dry them with paper towels. Handling one oyster at a time, lightly salt and pepper both sides. Dip into the egg, coating all surfaces and allowing the excess to drip off. Dredge in the dry mix, being sure to coat all surfaces. Shake off the excess and place the oyster on a plate. Repeat with the remaining oysters, laying them on the plate in a single layer. Cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. Let the oysters rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. When ready to cook, heat the vegetable or peanut oil and butter or margarine in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Place the oysters in the skillet in a single layer (don’t crowd the pan; cook in two batches, if needed). Cook until golden brown on both sides and somewhat firm, about 1½ to two minutes per side. Transfer to a baking pan lined with paper towels or a cooling rack to drain. Serve warm with lemon wedges, if preferred.

Notes: Any quantity and size of oysters will work. Adjust the ingredients and cooking times accordingly.

Yield: Two main-dish servings

Apple Hand Pies

Fruit hand pies make delicious grab-and-go snacks and desserts; they’re portable and self-contained. Use homemade or boxed pie dough or even most types of biscuit dough. I like pie dough mix. Homemade fruit pie filling can put these flaky bundles of fruity deliciousness over the top.

Prepared dough for two 9-inch pie crusts

1½ cup canned or homemade apple pie filling

¼ plus ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Egg whites, for brushing

Granulated sugar, sugar-cinnamon, glaze or icing (optional), for sprinkling

Prepare store-bought dough according to package directions. If making homemade dough, tightly wrap the prepared dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. Combine the pie filling, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl and cut each apple slice in half with a butter knife. Divide the dough in half. Refrigerate half and roll the remainder out on a floured work surface to ⅛-inch thick. Using a 4½-inch biscuit cutter, lid, or bowl, cut out four rounds. Spoon about 21/2 tablespoons of filling onto half of each round, leaving a half inch clear around the edge. Fold the uncovered halves over the filling to match the edges, creating half-round shapes. Carefully seal the edges with a fork. Place on a 15-by-10-inch shallow baking pan lined with parchment paper. Roll the remaining dough and dough scraps out to make six additional rounds. Fill and seal each as before and place on the rack, leaving space between. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Brush the tops with egg white and sprinkle with sugar or cinnamon-sugar, if used. Cut three small slits across the tops to allow venting. Bake on the middle-low rack of an oven preheated to 375 degrees until the tops are golden brown and the dough cooked through, about 30-40 minutes. Let cool before eating.

Notes: Glaze or icing can be applied when the pies have cooled to room temperature. Reheat in a regular or toaster oven to re-crisp the crust. Store in an airtight container for up to three to four days.

Yield: 10 servings

Dick Sellers is a freelance writer. Contact him at dickskitchencorner@outlook.com