How It All Started

Bob Phillips

The title of this blog was inspired by one of my Spanish professor's at Miami University of Ohio, Dr. Robert Phillips, who died in the e...

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Yellow Squash Fritters

At the last Farmer's Market of the season James and I bought some yellow squash. Usually I make a yellow squash casserole with them, but I hadn't tried any new recipes in a long time so I went to the trusty New York Times Cooking Page and adapted the recipe for Summer Squash Fritters with Garlic Dipping Sauce. I actually followed the recipe pretty closely; I just didn't make the dipping sauce, and didn't use zucchini - only the yellow squash I bought. The recipe calls for beer in the batter, which really did enhance the taste. We topped them with sour cream in lieu of the dipping sauce. We liked these and will make them again.

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Depression Era Spice Cake (fail!)

Although tomatoes are among my favorite foods now, I famously did not like them as a child. Nor did I like tomato soup, so I was surprised once when my mother suggested that we make a spice cake that had condensed tomato soup as one of the ingredients. I remember that the cake turned out moist and tasty which is why I attempted it again for this year's Thanksgiving dessert contribution. Used the recipe I found on this page - the one labeled Tomato Soup Cake (One Bowl Method). It really seemed simple enough, and I do believe I followed the recipe as written, but I ended up with two very thin layers, so thin that when placed one on top of the other and frosted they were barely the same height as one typical layer. I've decided to blame it on old baking powder. I did indeed serve the cake along with the other desserts that folks made. Mine was not a favorite. I ended up throwing most of it away.