Dinners

Sesame Noodles with Chicken

Ingredients

• 2½ cups chicken broth
• 4 chicken breasts, with ribs
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 9 scallions, minced
• 9 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ tablespoons ginger root
• ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3½ tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 lb linguine
• 1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced thin

Instructions

1. Bring chicken stock to a boil. Add chicken, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 7–8 minutes. Let stand and shred when cool.
2. Measure 1½ cups stock. Toast sesame seeds.
3. In a skillet, heat oil and add scallion whites, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Sauté 2–3 minutes.
4. Add the measured stock, sugar, vinegar, soy, and tahini. Bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes, stirring.
5. Cook pasta and pour the sauce over it. Add chicken and sesame seeds on top.
6. Sprinkle with scallion greens. Arrange cucumber slices around the edge.

Instructions and ingredient list came from two separate notes; the finishing touch of "~1 tsp sesame oil at end" from the ingredient note isn't explicitly placed in these steps but likely goes in with the sauce or as a final drizzle.

Champagne Chicken

Ingredients

• Boneless chicken, cut into quarters (exact weight unclear on the card)
• Flour, for dredging
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Oil (more oil than butter)
• 1 to 1½ lb mushrooms, sliced
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

1. Cut chicken into quarters. Dredge in flour; sauté in butter and oil (more oil than butter), browning a little.
2. Put chicken in a baking dish.
3. Slice mushrooms, then sauté (adding a little more butter).
4. Add white wine.
5. Add the heavy whipping cream.
6. Bake 25 minutes.

Despite the name, the card calls for white wine rather than champagne specifically — likely used interchangeably, or champagne was the wine on hand when this was written. Chicken quantity and oven temperature are unclear/cut off on the original card.

Sally's Salmon

Bread Crumb Mix (mix in Cuisinart or blender)

• ¼ cup parsley
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 1 cup toasted bread crumbs
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons thyme

Sauce

• ½ cup mayonnaise (Best Foods preferred)
• ⅓ cup finely chopped parsley
• ¼ cup finely chopped green onions
• ⅓ cup finely chopped cilantro
• 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 clove finely chopped garlic
• ¼ teaspoon oregano
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne

Instructions

1. Cover salmon filet with the bread crumb mix.
2. Bake for about 20 minutes at 400°F.
3. Serve with the sauce.

A clean, clearly written card with checkmarks next to several ingredients, likely marking what was on hand when last made.

Mamaliga — Traditional Method

Ingredients

• 2 quarts salted water
• Yellow corn meal, enough to form a pyramid shape when poured in

Instructions

1. Put a deep, heavy soup pot with 2 quarts of salted water on the fire.
2. When boiling fast, pour in enough yellow corn meal at once to form the shape of a pyramid.
3. After the corn meal has been boiling about 30 to 40 minutes, make a hole from the top through the center with a wooden mash stick (called a facalet in Romania — a sort of thin rolling pin, traditionally hand-carved by the menfolk).
4. While the mamaliga boils, prepare the cheese, stew (tocana), or other side dish. Keep enough water in the pot throughout.
5. After cooking 3 hours, pour out one large or two small cups of the liquid. Wrap the pot in plenty of towels, hold it between your knees, and begin stirring slowly with the facalet. Continue until the mush is thick and smooth — the longer you stir, the smoother it becomes. Slowly return the liquid you set aside as you stir.
6. If using the mamaliga as bread: stir until very thick, cover, return to the fire, and heat 5–6 minutes. Remove from the fire and let stand 10 minutes.
7. Turn out onto a board — leave in the shape of the pot, or form into any desired shape. To ease turning it out, loosen the sides of the pot with a large flat knife dipped in cold water.

Family note, from Joy: "I found this in an old cook book from Romania. I have the copper pot but not the 'facalet,' but I do remember my dad making it just this way." Her grandparents credited this cheap, staple dish with helping them survive.