On Cooking Southern: Angel Food, Potatoes and Pound Cake Perfect Platforms for Summertime Feasts

SOUTHERNISM OF THE WEEK
So hot the devil’s looking for shade and so dry the dust bunnies want a drink: July and August in Mississippi… that time to hit the beach or the mountains, or make up another pitcher of sweet tea, throw a block of ice in the pool, water the flowers, draw the drapes and hunker down till the sun sets.

TIME TO RUSTLE UP SOME SUMMERTIME FOOD

Where did June go? Like clockwork, the weather turned hotter’n you-know-what this week — just in time for the upcoming Independence Day holiday.

This time of year, when we can fry eggs on the sidewalk (I swear we can, my brothers and I have done it) and the pool temperature rivals that of a hot bath, we experienced Southerners change our habits. We become night owls and siesta-seeking morning larks to avoid the blistering sun. We condense our energy-expenditures to avoid working up too much sweat (or glow for the more delicate among us). And we hydrate, hydrate, hydrate with liquids that, more than usual, are non-alcoholic.

Those of us who can’t head for the hills or the beach have learned to conduct our running-around errands before 11 or after 5. We map out the minimal mileage needed to complete those errands. We wear hats, SPF 50, sunglasses, and loose-fitting cotton clothes (as few as codes of decency will allow, except maybe at the Walmart). On the hottest days we shade ourselves with umbrellas. And we carry water at all times.

As to dining, well, some protocols are suspended due to heat. It’s too hot to prepare or eat elaborate hot meals. That’s why we plug in the slow cookers at dawn, and fire up the outdoor grills around 8 pm. It’s that time of year for enjoying simple meals concocted from the abundance of locally grown fresh fruits and veggies.

Be sure to tune in during the next few weeks as we share slow cooker and grill-food recipes featuring seasonal bounty. This week, we are launching the series by indulging in everyone’s favorite (but often restricted) parts of a meal — the desserts and the starchy sides.

In honor of the tradition, this week’s recipes include a simple angel food cake and classic whipping-cream pound cake to be sliced for supporting fresh berries and peaches. I recommend baking the cakes at night. Angel food cake is made from egg whites, which are plentiful in my household now that we have begun making our own custard-based (egg yolks) ice cream during the Blue Bell hiatus. There are a few tricks to creating a successful angel food cake, but the effort is well worth it because store-bought cannot compare to homemade.

We also have several potato salad recipes that work beautifully with grilled meats and veggies. The classic Southern Potato Salad can be tweaked to suit individual tastes. The Dilled Potato Salad recipe is a variation of several popular versions. Try pairing it with grilled salmon, fried catfish or lamb. Oh yum!

WHIPPING CREAM POUND CAKE
This is the classic old-fashioned pound cake that my grandmother made. The recipe may be baked in a 10-inch tube pan and finished off with a confectioners sugar glaze. Whether tube or loaf, the cake freezes beautifully.

Whipping Cream Pound Cake

3 sticks (1-1/2 c) salted butter, room temperature

3 c white granulated sugar

6 large eggs

3 c sifted cake flour

1 c heavy whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Prepare two 9-1/4-by-5-1/4-by-2-3/4-inch loaf pans, by buttering bottoms and about 1 inch up the sides; lightly dust the buttered pans with cake flour or Wondra, shaking out excess.

Sift the cake flour and spoon out 3 level cups into a bowl. Set aside. NOTE: I resift the measured flour as I place it into the bowl.

Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl, beating on high speed until creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time on medium speed after each addition. Use spatula to fold the mixture down from the sides and from the bowl bottom.

Beat in the flour and whipping cream in three parts, alternating each addition. When completely blended, beat in the vanilla extract.

Spoon batter into the two loaf pans; alternating between pans to ensure even distribution of the batter. Smooth the tops and place the two pans on the middle rack, with about 2 inches of space between them.

Bake approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, until tops are evenly browned and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Remove the pans to a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Use a sharp knife to loosen edges, if needed; give each pan a couple of shakes and turn out onto the rack, topside up. Cool completely before slicing. Serve slices topped with sliced and sugared peaches, strawberries, or mixed berries.

EASY ANGEL FOOD CAKE

My title says “easy” but the cook needs to follow some rules for this cake. Angel food cakes primarily contain egg whites, cake flour and sugar, combined as a fluffy meringue. The weather can adversely affect one’s angel food baking efforts: Much like when making meringues, pralines or divinity, too much humidity (or rain) will interfere with the molecular chemistry! The results can be disastrous. Overbeating and overheating also will end in failure.

Beat the egg whites to medium peaks consistency (they hold shape but the peaks droop). Overbeating the egg whites will result in a flat cake. Likewise, overbeating when adding the flour and sugar will deflate the aeration. And do not drop the filled pan against the counter to remove bubbles.

Angel Food Cake

1-1/4 c white granulated sugar

1 c confectioners sugar

1-3/4 c cake flour

1/4 tsp kosher salt or table salt with no iodine

1-1/2 c egg whites (approximately 10-11 large eggs)

1 tsp cream of tartar

1 T vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Sift the sugars and flour together three times.

In a very clean, cool large bowl, add salt to the whites and beat until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue to beat only until stiff enough to fold (just barely medium peak stage). Do not overbeat.

Fold in the flour mixture gradually. Add the vanilla and fold until blended but not overbeaten. Pour batter using a soft-sided spatula into the ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Bake on middle rack about 50 minutes until top springs back without a dent when gently pressed with a finger.

Remove from oven and invert pan immediately over a rack or an empty soft drink (glass) bottle until cake is cold, about 1 hour. Use sharp knife to separate any cake still clinging to pan, and use spatula to loosen the sides of the cake and remove the cake from the pan. Be patient and be gentle. Cut the cake with two forks or a cake breaker; a knife will crush it.

MOM’S SOUTHERN POTATO SALAD

Potato salads work best with potatoes that do not get soft and mushy. Our traditional cold potato salad is a French kind, requiring mayonnaise. Need I point out that the quality of mayo makes a difference? Feel free to add or delete ingredients to suit your family’s tastes. Some variations include crumbled bacon, tarragon or dill; I prefer to use those in the other salad we’re sharing this week.

Southern Potato Salad

8 large white or yellow potatoes, boiled in skins, drained and peeled

1-1/2 c fine-chopped celery

1/2 c sweet onion (such as Vidalias), chopped fine

1/4 to 1/2 c fine-chopped bell or sweet mini peppers

4-oz jar of chopped pimentos, drained well

1 c sweet pickle relish

2 to 3 hardboiled eggs, chopped

Salt and black pepper to taste

Dash of cayenne to taste

1 to 2 c mayonnaise

up to 1/4 c yellow prepared mustard (to taste)

Paprika sprinkled for garnish

Chop the peeled potatoes into cubes and place in large mixing bowl. Add remaining chopped ingredients and toss to mix. Add the mayo and mustard, tossing to blend completely. Repeat when adding the cayenne, salt and pepper to taste. Carefully add the chopped egg. Cover tightly and chill until ready to serve. Turn the mixture out into the serving bowl and sprinkle paprika over the top for added color.

DILLED POTATO SALAD

I prefer small white or yellow potatoes for this salad, but feel free to use red potatoes. Not all potatoes absorb dressing equally, so feel free to adjust the amounts of dressing, bacon and onions as needed.

Dilled Potato Salad

3 lb potatoes

1 c mayonnaise

1/3 c whole buttermilk

Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 T)

2 T Dijon mustard

2 scant T Creole whole-grain mustard

1-1/2 T dried or 1/2 c chopped fresh dill

1/8 to 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, to taste

1-1/2 tsp honey, to taste

1/4 c chopped parsley

1/4 c chopped crisp-cooked bacon, to taste

1 large bunch chopped green onions, to taste

1/2 c celery, chopped fine, optional

Place the potatoes with skins in a large pot and cover with water to about an inch above them. Boil until fork tender but not mushy. Drain in a colander and peel. Cut into cubes in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayo, buttermilk, both mustards, lemon juice, honey and dill. Add pepper to taste. If the mixture tastes too mustardy, add a bit more mayo and honey.

Pour the dressing over the potatoes and toss to coat completely. Add the bacon, onions and optional celery and toss to blend. Chill until ready to serve.

Laurie Triplette is a writer, historian and accredited appraiser of fine arts, dedicated to preserving Southern culture and foodways. Author of the award-winning community family cookbook GIMME SOME SUGAR, DARLIN’, and editor of ZEBRA TALES (Tailgating Recipes from the Ladies of the NFLRA), Triplette is a member of the Association of Food Journalists, Southern Foodways Alliance and the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. Check out the GIMME SOME SUGAR, DARLIN’ website and follow Laurie’s food adventures on Facebook and Twitter.