Gourmand: The Cook Book

I have been working on this dang thing for five years.... writing, cooking, researching, digging through old boxes, getting recipes out of family members, and waiting for other family members to kick the bucket so I could have their recipes. I think I am finally getting somewhere with this thing. I have managed to write dozens of my own recipes and have had several years to perfect them. I have finally typed all of my Aunt June's cake and pie recipes, and I have gotten the time to compile the rest of the family recipes. I am excited to get this project wrapped up. I have been promising copies to family members, community members, and friends for the past half decade. The book will be more of a family scrap book than simply a book of recipes. I hope to fill it full of family stories, parts of my column from the Times News, chandlerclark style tips, pictures, and other helpful tidbits on what makes my philosophy on life so important. Good Food, Good Friends, Good Family, and Good Conversation will be the driving point of the book. I haven't picked a name yet... so I am asking for help. Please give me advice on that. I hope to have it all together before school starts. I'll be adding a few of the recipes to the blog. If you'd like a copy please let me know.

This recipe is my Aunt June's iconic Italian Creme Cake. She was known for it, and made it often. From my columns I am sure you have gathered how important she was in my raisin' I will be the first to say she has been the most influential person in my life. She is the one who start my love for food and cooking. I was raised in her kitchen, standing on the tan stool mixing chocolate chip cookies and eating the dough. I was raised on her sweet tea in heavy cut glass glasses. I was raised around her clawfoot table. I lived for her kraft Mac and Cheese and I spent hours playing with pudding and jello boxes in her kitchen floor. The recipe book that I treasure the most is handwritten by her and is filled with the recipes of the Ashby family... all of which will be in my cookbook.

Italian Cream Cake

Ingredients:

· 1 stick butter

· ½ cup oil

· 1 cup coconut

· 2 cups flour

· 2 cups sugar

· 5 egg yolks

· 5 egg whites (stiffly beaten)

· 1 cup buttermilk

· 1 cup chopped pecan

· 1 t vanilla

Cream butter and oil with sugar add egg yolks one at a time – add ½ t soda to buttermilk – after with flour- fold in egg whites and vanilla- add 2/3 of floured nuts and coconut. Pour batter in 3- 9” pans (floured and greased). Bake 30-40 min.

Italian Cream Icing

Ingredients:

· 1 stick of butter

· 1 pound powdered sugar

· 1 t vanilla

· 8 oz cream cheese

Cream butter and soften cheese, add sugar and vanilla. Add remaining nuts and coconut.

*Allow 24 hours before serving.