Kasey Wilson: Winnipeg parties still inspire interesting recipes

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I was introduced to the rich culture of Jewish cooking years ago when my then-future husband was a dentistry student in Winnipeg.

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The food at college parties was not the usual ripple chips and onion soup dip; the stars of the show were glossy water bagels, crusty rye breads, house-cured pastrami and corned beef, smoked salmon, vinegary coleslaw and, for dessert, coffee cake or pound cake made with cream cheese.

I still seek out recipes like Marlene Sorosky’s Red, White and Blueberry Pound Cake. I attended a cooking class of hers in Seattle years ago, and she remains one of my favourite cookbook authors. Her flavourful recipes are guaranteed to work every time.

Rounding out today’s menu are two other recipes inspired by those long-ago Winnipeg parties.

Smoked Salmon Mini-Bagels with Lemon and Dill Cream Cheese

These simple bagel sandwiches elevate a classic with lemon juice and fresh dill. (Adapted from The Dirty Apron Cookbook by David Robertson)

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8 oz (250 g) whipped Winnipeg cream cheese (about 1 cup)

1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped fresh dill

2 tbsp (25 mL) prepared horseradish, or to taste

1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice

Freshly ground pepper

6 sesame mini-bagels, sliced in half

8 oz (250 g) sliced smoked salmon

½ bunch watercress, leaves only

Mixing with a fork, combine cream cheese, dill, horseradish, lemon juice and pepper in a small bowl. Taste and add more horseradish and/or lemon juice if needed.

Spread the cream cheese mixture onto the cut sides of each bagel, top with 4 to 5 pieces of smoked salmon and garnish with watercress.

Makes 6 servings

Make-Ahead Deli Coleslaw

The Dutch may or may not have invented coleslaw, but they did name it. The word is derived from “cut sly,” which means chopped salad. Whether you serve this with a piled-high pastrami on rye or on a bagel, it’s a slaw worth making again and again.

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1 small head green cabbage, shredded (about 5 cups)

1 medium onion, peeled and shredded

1 carrot, peeled and shredded

½ cup (125 mL) sugar

½ tsp (2 mL) celery seed

½ tsp (2 mL) salt

½ cup (125 mL) vegetable oil

½ cup (125 mL) white vinegar

½ tsp (5 mL) dry mustard

In a large bowl, toss cabbage, onion, carrot, sugar, celery seed and salt.

In a small saucepan over high heat, combine oil, vinegar, and dry mustard. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour hot dressing over cabbage mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Keeps well in fridge for up to 5 days.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Red, White and Blueberry Pound Cake

Salute summer holidays with this rich cream cheese pound cake with its glittering berry topping. It keeps well, tightly covered, at room temperature for up to two days. (Adapted from Easy Entertaining with Marlene Sorosky)

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¼ lb (125 g) butter, at room temperature

½ lb (250 g) margarine, at room temperature

8 oz (250 g) cream cheese at room temperature

3 cups (750 mL) sugar

6 eggs

3 cups (750 mL) all-purpose flour

1 tbsp (15 mL) vanilla

Berry Topping

3 cups (750 mL) fresh blueberries

1 tbsp (15 mL) cornstarch

9 tbsp (135 g) sugar

2 tbsp (30 mL) plus 1 tsp water

1 cup (250 mL) fresh raspberries

1 cup (250 mL) fresh strawberries, stemmed and halved

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Butter and flour a 12-cup tube pan. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter, margarine and cream cheese until blended. Mix in sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Mix in 2 eggs, half the flour, remaining eggs, then remaining flour, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix well. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Smooth the top. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour and 25 to 35 minutes or until the top is cracked and golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in pan. Go around edges and bottom with a knife; remove sides of pan and lift cake off tube.

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The cake may be stored, tightly covered, at room temperature for two days or frozen.

Up to 8 hours before serving, make Berry Topping by stirring blueberries, cornstarch, sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally. Cook, stirring until the mixture thickens and some berries pop, about 2 minutes. Place cake on platter and spoon blueberries over. Heap raspberries and strawberries on top. Refrigerate, uncovered. Bring to room temperature about 30 minutes before serving.

Serves 12 to 14

Kitchen Hack: Protecting Cherished Recipes

Protect recipe cards and printouts from splatters by slipping them inside a plastic food-storage bag. A clean, dry glass pot lid can also do the job. Place the lid over the sheet of paper or even over an open cookbook or magazine, The weight of the lid will keep it open.