Mark Twain defined a classic as a book that everyone knows, but nobody reads. Over the holidays, my smaller relatives schooled me in their classics. Movies like “Home Alone” and “Back to the Future.” (Kids rarely see movies in crowded theaters; they stream.) Games, like Frisbee (modern versions light up), and the board game Clue (electronic). Also “elderly” rockers like Bono and Nirvana. (They’d never heard of Mick Jagger.)
In the food world, steakhouses keep classics going — New York strips, prime rib and porterhouse cuts. Baked stuffed haddock. Caesar or Wedge salads (always capitalized). Business booms in these establishments despite high price tags.
At home, grandmother’s countertop index card box provides nostalgic eating. Dusty attic trunks might yield a midcentury Betty Crocker cookbook or a food-splattered notebook from the days when “home economics” was part of the school curriculum. Leaf through the handwritten pages for ants-on-a-log, Swiss steak, or “meatloaf for a crowd.” Explore throwback desserts like thumbprint cookies with Hershey’s kisses in the indent, shortcake biscuits and coconut bar cookies.
Frosted homemade layer cakes, for advanced cooks, made a more frequent appearance with the advent of boxed cake mixes. (No more sifting and measuring.) A host of single layer cakes also found a place in that pantheon.
One was the dreamy pineapple upside-down cake from sometime in the 1920s when canning companies shipped perfectly preserved fruit to the country’s colder corners. “Home ec” teachers challenged students to master “the flip” exposing the maraschino-studded pineapple rings. Today’s cooks might opt for fresh fruit available in most supermarket produce sections, although canned is still acceptable. This old timey cake whips up easier and better tasting than ever.
That crucial step, the heart-stopping “flip” from baking pan to serving platter, still requires timing and a steady hand. To do this, place a serving platter, top side down over the cake pan, and, in a quick, smooth motion, turn the whole thing over, locating the pineapple on top. If it gets a little sloppy, just put it back together. If I lose my nerve, I cut wedges right from the pan with a pie server, then turn over each individual serving and dollop with whipped cream or vanilla yogurt.
I save the maraschino cherries for last instead of baking them into the cake. The color and flavor is brighter.
PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
Makes 1 round cake, 6 to 8 slices.
Topping:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
1 can pineapple, cut into ½-inch slices, or fresh pineapple slices
½ cup coarsely chopped pecans
*First melt the butter in a large skillet, on medium heat. One ingredient at a time, add brown sugar, lemon juice and salt, stirring with a wooden spoon for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sugar melts. In an additional minute, the mixture will darken slightly and form a lumpy mixture.
*Add the pineapple slices to the skillet, gently turning each one to coat. Take the skillet off the heat and cool slightly. Arrange this in a single layer in the bottom of a heavy round cake pan.
*Now go on to the batter.
Cake:
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 large eggs, rm temp
½ cup plain whole milk yogurt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
*First, heat oven to 350 degrees.
*In a large bowl whisk together the melted butter, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, then the yogurt, until the mixture is smooth.
*In a small bowl, whisk together baking powder, baking soda and salt. Fold this and the flour into the egg mixture to form (another!) lumpy batter.
*Pour this batter, evenly, smoothing it over the pineapple mixture in the bottom of the cake pan.
*Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. At the 20-minute point, open the oven and turn the pan around so the cake cooks evenly. When the top is lightly browned and the fruit bubbles at the edges, run a knife between the cake and the pan to set it free. Let the cake sit on a rack to cool until the topping sets, about 20 minutes.
*Now, carefully invert the cake onto a serving platter. (This might be the most difficult part of the recipe.) Get out the maraschino cherries and decorate it so the cracks don’t show.
For a more forward-looking recipe, try fresh pineapple in a main course salad. This one combines the fruity sweetness with salty peanuts. Jalapenos, fresh mint, avocado and Asian fish sauce, which our grandmothers never saw, are easily accessible in most large supermarkets.
Fat, jumbo shrimp make it a feast.
PINEAPPLE, PEANUT & SHRIMP SALAD
Makes 4 servings.
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
5 scallions, sliced crosswise, white and green parts
1 small jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced (optional)
½ red bell pepper, seeded, de-ribbed, and diced
A handful (about 12) fresh mint leaves, torn
1-1/2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, coarsely chopped
12 jumbo cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons chopped peanuts
*Whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, oil and sugar in a bowl. Stir in scallions, jalapeno, red pepper and mint.
*Toss pineapple and avocado with the dressing. Divide evenly onto four plates. Top each with 3 shrimp and a sprinkling of peanuts.
Linda Bassett, a Marblehead resident, has worked as a cook, trained upcoming chefs, studied food history and led food tours. Her book,“From Apple Pie to Pad Thai,” is about local cooks and cooking.
