A HARTE APPETITE: REMEMBER MOMS WHEN IT COMES TO GOOD TASTE IN FOOD

An old Jewish proverb has it that since God could not be everywhere, he made mothers. And on the second Sunday in May, which is rapidly approaching, we pay tribute to our moms by celebrating Mother's Day, a tradition which, though it can be traced back to the ancient Greeks, is less than a century old in this country.

Probably most of us could identify with the sentiment of Abraham Lincoln when he said, "All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." And, surely, that applies to our tastes in food as well. Isn't most every young man really looking for a girl who can cook like his mother, even if, as is so often the case today, he knows how to do it himself?

I know my food preferences were profoundly influenced by my mother whose chili (which, in keeping with tradition in the Harte household, she has made every Saturday over fifty-five years of married life) is the standard by which I judge others. It is she who taught me to love good food lovingly prepared. If only I could make pie crust like she does.

So in salute to my mom and mothers everywhere, here are three matriarchal recipes worth making on Mother's Day or any special occasion.

Ethel Harte's Strawberry Cream Pie

This is the best cream pie I've ever tasted. Though it's something of a sacrilege, you can use a store-bought pie shell if you want. Pillsbury "ready crusts" are actually quite good, but, of course, there's nothing quite like mom's.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups milk, scalded

2 slightly beaten eggs

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 9-inch baked pie shell

1 pint strawberries, sliced

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Directions:

Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually add milk and cook in double boiler until thick. Add small amount of hot mixture to eggs; stir into remaining hot mixture. Cook until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla.

Cool, then pour into baked pie shell. Cover with strawberries. Chill. Spread with sweetened whipped cream just before serving. Garnish with halved berries.

Millie Limbaugh's Honey Steak Sauce

Mrs. Limbaugh, one of Cape Girardeau's most famous moms, got this recipe years ago from a neighbor when she lived on Sunset Street. She says her boys really liked it when they were growing up. This sauce is great on chicken and pork as well as beef and it keeps well in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

3/4 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 cup honey

1 cup ketchup

1 cup wine vinegar

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon thyme

Directions:

Mix together ingredients in sauce pan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until onions are tender. Brush on grilled meat a few minutes before finished cooking.

Queen Mother's Cake

Approaching her 97th birthday and still going strong, Her Majesty The Queen Mother of England, one of the great moms of this century, inspired her nation and the whole world with her courage during World War II. Her favorite (or should that be favourite?) food is coconut cake, but this sinfully rich single layer chocolate cake adapted from Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts seems a more fitting tribute. It would make an elegant treat for any mom on Mother's Day.

Ingredients:

14 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided

6 ounces butter

3/4 cup sugar

6 eggs separated

1 1/4 cups finely ground almonds

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons instant coffee

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line with wax paper. Butter the paper and dust with fine, dry bread crumbs. Melt 6 ounces chocolate and cool slightly. Cream butter and sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, then add egg yolks one at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in chocolate and almonds.

Beat egg whites with salt until stiff but not dry. Stir large spoonful of whites into chocolate mixture, then fold in remaining whites one third at a time. Pour batter into pan, level, and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. Reduce oven to 350 degrees and bake an additional 50 minutes. Do not overbake. Cake should remain soft and moist in center. Cool cake 20 minutes, remove sides of pan, invert cake, and remove pan bottom and wax paper. Let cake cool. Melt together cream, instant coffee, and remaining 8 ounces chocolate. Cool for 15 minutes and pour over cake, letting icing run down sides.

Got a recipe you'd like to share with our readers? Are you looking for a recipe for something in particular? Send your recipes and requests to The Harte Appetite, c/o Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO., 63702-0699.