LEWISTON – Tina Bailey enjoys reaching out to family members and to people in her community. And she does it best with homemade food. As an outreach worker for Empower Lewiston, she organizes a potluck supper at the B Street Community Center once a month for downtown residents. She is well-known – and appreciated – for the apple pie she often brings to these gatherings.
Bailey has been cooking since she was a young girl. “My mom always had us (her and her two sisters) help in the kitchen, especially around the holidays. I can remember making cookies,” recalled Bailey.
When Bailey sees her two sisters today, they often reminisce about the coffeecake she made as a teenager. “I remember using a recipe from the back of the Bisquick box. It was the first thing that I made on my own following a recipe,” she said.
Bailey has passed her love of cooking along to her children. Kimberly, 16, the youngest of three, took a class called Parents Plus, taught by Gretchen Rosen, at age 4 with her mom. “I remember Gretchen had us make puddle cake. We (the parents) sat at the table with our little kids making this cake,” said Bailey. “It’s a really cool recipe to make with kids.” Her daughter is so fond of this recipe, in fact, that when she recently needed a recipe to bring to her healthy gourmet class at Lewiston High School, Bailey had to search for 45 minutes through her recipes until she found it for her.
During the holidays, Bailey’s oldest son will come over for the day to make apple pies for many of his friends as Christmas presents. “I tell him that I will have all of the ingredients, but he has to help me make them,” she said.
There aren’t many cookbooks in the Bailey house – just a few cookie cookbooks, she said, because they get most of their recipes from family and friends. “The pie crust recipe that I use came from Kimberly’s Head Start teacher many years ago,” Bailey noted.
Like many people who enjoy cooking, Bailey also gardens in her spare time.
Puddle cake
Ingredients:
1½ cups flour
3 tablespoons baking coca
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 cup oil
Method:
Grease and flour an 8- by 10-inch baking pan. Sift all dry ingredients into pan. Form a well in the center of ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix well. ???>>>> Bake in 350-degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean.
Note: This is a great cake to make with children, you can talk about puddles and how they are made.
Rhubarb-strawberry sauce
Ingredients:
4 cups rhubarb, cut into 1-inch chunks
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup water
2½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
3 cups strawberries sliced
1 teaspoon vanilla
Method:
Combine first three ingredients in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes or until rhubarb is tender. Combine 1 tablespoon water and cornstarch, stir well and add to rhubarb mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in strawberries and vanilla.
Strawberry rhubarb pie
Ingredients:
1½ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons tapioca ????>>>>
1 cup strawberries sliced
3 cups rhubarb, cut into 1-inch cubes
Method:
Mix dry ingredients together and coat fruit. Let stand in bowl for 20 minutes. This will allow you time to make crust.
100-year-old pie crust
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon salt
2½ cups flour
1/8 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
½ cup milk
Method:
Sift salt, flour and sugar in bowl. Cut in shortening and milk. Divide dough in half and roll out on floured surface. Place in pie pan and add fruit. Roll other half of dough and place on top of pie. Make sure to cut vent holes in top crust so steam can escape from the pie. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Basic smoothie
Ingredients:
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 cup fruit, your choice
½ to 1 cup milk or orange juice
Sweeten to taste with sugar
Method:
Blend all ingredients together in a blender. This can be served as a drink or put in popsicle trays and make into pops.
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