There’s just something about Mom’s cooking, it seems, so on Mother’s Day, we like to give a shout out to our moms to thank them for nurturing our culinary curiosities, encouraging us to try new foods and master old recipes, and of course, for a lifetime of her secret ingredient, that intangible spice she put into every dish she served. Thanks, Mom.
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When my mom taught me to bake scones in high school, I remember my amazement that just flour, sugar, heavy cream, and baking powder could be transformed into a light, towering wedge of goodness. No eggs or other fat needed? These scones seemed to defy the baking rules I thought I knew.
Although I’ve tinkered with Mom’s cream scone recipe over the years, adding crystallized ginger, dried fruits, and other flavorings, the magic of this formula is its simplicity. A lesson I remind myself repeatedly when cooking up a project in the kitchen.
—Lisa Waddle, managing editor
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| Mom's scone recipe couldn't be simpler—or more perfect. | The hard part: letting the scones cool. |
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I had to laugh a couple of months back when we decided to feature electric skillets in one of our “Test Drive” columns (Feb/Mar 2010). These handy appliances are back in a big way, and we wanted to help readers shop for the best choices. I’m still debating whether or not I want one, a. because cupboard space is tight, and b. because my mom was the master of the electric skillet. She could make everything from spaghetti to pot roast to pancakes in her ever-handy electric skillet; I will surely never be as adept or successful as she was. Except for pancakes: She made amazing little pancakes, thin and crisp around the edges, swimming in butter, never maple syrup. She may not know this, but I think my pancakes may rival hers, and I’m a master at making them in shapes, Disney characters included. But Mom, I’ll never make a plate of spaghetti as good as yours.
—Laurie Buckle, editor
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I have my mother’s little recipe-filled wooden box that she created for a high school home economics class in the 30s. She got an A. I never make any of those recipes, but I like having them. I have other recipes of hers, too, that I do use from time to time. But what I really learned from Mother, and it was by osmosis more than anything, is that you cook for your family every day. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it should taste good, look appealing, and be good for you. I tried to stick to that philosophy while my children were growing up, and now I see my daughter carrying it on for another generation. It’s the best kind of tradition.
—Enid Johnson, senior copy/production editor
