Tom Harte's first brush with culinary fame

Tom Harte has been writing a food column for the Southeast Missourian almost 25 years, his first offering in April 1997 being a recipe for Chocolate Plus Cheesecake. But that wasn't his first brush with culinary fame in the pages of this newspaper.

In January 1972 food editor Mary Blue and an unidentified Missourian photographer visited Tom at his home on North Fountain Street, where he demonstrated his skills by baking a Queen of Sheba -- Chocolate Almond -- Cake. Mary's article and a single photo of Tom were published Jan. 19, 1972.

Tom has featured his Queen of Sheba Cake several times in his column, but here it is in its original form.

Almonds not only garnish but enhance the flavor of a French one-layer rich chocolate almond cake, known as Queen of Sheba. Gourmet cook, Thomas Harte, 510 N. Fountain St., who specializes in desserts, decorates the perfectly baked cake. Sometimes he varies the flavor of this cake by substituting toffee candy bars for the chocolate required in the recipe. (Southeast Missourian archive)

CAKES, BAKED ALASKA, A SWEET WAY TO EAT

An elegant chocolate French dessert! What could be more alluring to a cook whose specialty is after-the-meal sweets?

When Tom Harte, 510 N. Fountain St., watched Julia Child demonstrating the making of Queen of Sheba cake on television, it fascinated him and he decided that he, too, could make this delightful concoction.

This was not Mr. Harte's introduction to cooking, or the making of desserts, for this has been his specialty for quite some time. "Actually, eating is my hobby," he said, "and I like to cook because I like to eat."

The dessert sections of the newspaper, magazines or cookbooks are his favorites and he reads them all. His main interest in cooking sweets started a few years ago when he made Christmas cookies. This project grew and he made them for family and friends until this year when he turned out 13 different varieties.

Dessert is the high point of a meal, Mr. Harte, a member of the speech department of State College and assistant debate coach, feels. He believes it is a chance to prepare something a bit daring and to even go a bit dramatic. Cooking is very relaxing as a hobby, he has found, but if he did it three times a day for regular meals, it may not have the same appeal, he noted.

Occasionally he prepares a whole meal for his family or guests, but generally it is dessert, such as Cherries Jubilee, Baked Alaska, or an exotic cake, that he specializes in. He regards his wife, the former Miss Jane Feldmeier, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Feldmeier, 1744 Cecelia, as an excellent creative cook. Often they cook together.

This rich, chocolaty colored cake, moist with a fudgy flavor, is from Julia child's cookbook. A typically French cake, it is made in one layer. Chocolate chips are melted in coffee or rum over boiling water. Its flavor is a blend of chocolate, coffee, butter and almonds. Note there is no leavening agent, other than a bit of cream of tartar in making this solid fudge-type single-layer cake. The chocolate butter flavor is repeated in the icing.

There are several tips Mr. Harte passes on for the success of this dessert. First, egg whites should be beaten until they form peaks, but should not be dry. When the batter is poured into the greased and floured pan, he tilts the batter so it will run up to the rim of the pan. This method prevents the batter from humping in the center of the pan, a common complaint of many who bake.

The toothpick method is used to test the cake for doneness. When it comes out perfectly clean when plunged into the outer circumference, it is done even though the center is still moist.

A variation he has found works equally as well is to substitute toffee candy bars for the chocolate chips. He experimented by running the candy bars through the blender and preparing the cake in the same manner. The icing, also, is made with the same toffee type bars.

Whether this cake is made with chocolate or toffee, it freezes well, he pointed out. First, he places it in the freezer for a quick freeze, then removes it and wraps it for freezer storage.

Another of his favorite cakes is a Banana Cake, a recipe he also shares. Although it is a standard banana cake, the Cream Cheese Frosting makes it outstanding. His Quick Cream Pie is made simply with whipped topping mix as directed on the package, powdered sugar and softened cream cheese. This poured into a graham cracker crust, then topped with a prepared pie filling for a colorful dessert.

Coming into the speech department in 1966, he was not a stranger to the campus for he attended college here. A native of St. Louis, he also taught a year in Hazelwood. His master's degree was completed at the University of Illinois where he is doing work toward a (doctorate).

Other interests besides cooking are taking movies of their 4-year-old daughter, Jill, and he says he is a hi-fi buff. Mrs. Harte's interests tend more toward the arts, such as sewing, crafts and painting.

The following are his excellent dessert specialties.

QUEEN OF SHEBA
(Chocolate Almond Cake)
2/3 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon instant coffee dissolved in 2 tablespoons boiling water (or use 2 tablespoons rum instead of coffee)
1 stick softened butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup ground almonds
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup cake flour

Melt chocolate chips in coffee (or rum) over boiling water. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks.

Beat egg whites with salt, cream of tartar and 2 tablespoons sugar until they form peaks but are not dry.

Stir the chocolate into the butter, sugar and egg yolk mixture. Stir in the almonds, the almond extract and the flour. Stir in one-fourth of egg whites to soften batter.

Then quickly but carefully fold in remaining egg whites. Pour batter into greased and floured 8-inch cake pan. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cake is done when a toothpick plunged into outer circumference comes out clean. Center should still be moist. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Chocolate Butter Icing
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 tablespoons strong coffee (or rum)
6 tablespoons butter

Melt chocolate in butter. Beat in butter a tablespoon at a time until smooth. Beat over cold water until of spreading consistency. Ice cake and decorate with almonds.

Variation: Substitute six nickel-size toffee chocolate bars (Heath) for chocolate and hot water for coffee or rum.

Run candy bars through blender and prepare cake in same manner as above. For icing melt six ground up Heath cars into two tablespoons water and prepare as usual.

One or two teaspoons instant coffee may be added to icing if desired.

Substitute pecans for almonds, if desired.

BANANA CAKE
2 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Grease and flour bottoms of two 8-inche layer pans.

Sift flour with sugar, baking powder, soda and salt into large mixing bowl. Add shortening, eggs and bananas.

Blend well at low speed of mixer. Beat at low speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Add buttermilk and vanilla extract.

Continue beating at low speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in nuts.

Pour batter into pans and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

(If baking in 13-x-9-inch oblong pan, add five minutes baking time.)

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cube butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 pound powered sugar

Cream together cream cheese and butter. Add vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until of spreading consistency.

QUICK CREAM PIE
2 envelopes whipped topping mix
1/2 pound powdered sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, softened

Prepare whipped topping mix as directed, add powdered sugar and cream cheese, and pour into prepared graham cracker crust.

Top with prepared pie filling of choice.