Celebrating mothers

Mother's Best by Lisa Schroeder celebrates mothers in many ways. Schroeder owns and operates Mother's Bistro and Bar in Portland, Oregon and as I was lucky enough to find out recently it is a wonderful restaurant (and I am so glad we had reservations, even for lunch for two). We had a terrific lunch -- red snapper sandwich for me and a crab sandwich for my companion. And we had dessert because you just have to have dessert at Mother's -- a cherry crisp for me and a lemon tart for my companion. Heavenly, even if it was way too much food. We couldn't even think about trying the lovely little cookies that came with the bill.

The cookbook presents many of those heavenly dishes. Schroeder also presents her story, how she, as a mother, started cooking and came to open a restaurant. She honors mothers both in her cookbook and at her restaurant. Each month at the restaurant she has a M.O.M or Mother of the Month -- a mother who is featured in the menu with special items and with her story. It is a lovely touch and is clearly important to Schroeder. Many M.O.M.'s are also featured in the cookbook.

The food, although generally home-style, is rich, warm and welcoming. The books has many beautiful photographs and is nicely laid out. What I don't like is that most recipes stretch out over numerous pages. Often the ingredients are listed on one page, which you have to turn to start the instructions. This, for me at least, means, lost of flipping back and forth. She has little "love notes" at the end of many recipes which give you a few more directions or perhaps an indication of where to find a certain ingredient. Another nice touch.

I made a number of recipes: Chicken and Dumplings, for which I even made the chicken stock, following Schroeder's recipe. Overall, the chicken and dumplings were luscious and rich. My dumplings were utter failures but that I attribute to my own poor dumpling making skills (this is something I seem to have inherited from my parents, although my Grandmother made wonderful dumplings) and that I used the food processor. Schroeder indicates that you can use the food processor but take care if you do -- it is far too easy to over process and make heavy leaden dumplings. The chicken part of the dish was delicious.

It began with the stock, I did not have a big enough pot in which to put two chickens so I divided it between one large pot and the slow cooker and it cooked nicely and made a terrific stock. The stock was enriched with butter, flour and milk and then had vegetables and chicken added to it. Terrific. For the dumplings, follow Schroeder's instructions and leave the food processor alone and you'll likely do fine.

My husband loves peanut butter and many years for his birthday I have made a chocolate-peanut butter pie. This year I used Schroeder's recipe, Mother's Black Bottom Peanut Butter Pie, and it will probably be the one I'll make in the future. The differences from others are one that she makes a peanut butter shortbread crust and then that it is a chocolate bottomed pie rather than chocolate topped (although you do put a bit of chocolate fudge on top too). The shortbread crust was divine but her instructions on using it in the pie gave me a far too-thick crust that left little room for a chocolate-bottom or peanut butter filling. The shortbread also makes wonderful cookies, and that recipe is at the end of the post. It is a very decadent dessert but really terrific and if you make your crust about 1/4 inch thick it should be fine. My household will be enjoying iterations of this pie for years to come.

Meanwhile I love poppyseeds, and Schroeder has a wonderful recipe for Almond Poppyseed pancakes. They are thick and filling but also have a light taste full of crunchy almonds and poppyseeds. Two pancakes were plenty for breakfast. We had them on Saturday morning with enough leftovers for two more breakfasts. Again, they are special occasion pancakes with lots of almond flavor. We'll definitely have them again as well.

Overall this is a cookbook filled with love and lovely recipes and photos that will make occasions special. It is a book that is interesting to read with the little stories about Schroeder and various mothers she has featured at her restaurant. It may not be a book to use everyday but it is one to use when you want to show your love.

Peanut Butter Shortbread (from Mother's Black Bottom Peanut Butter Pie)

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably Jif

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until fluffy and pale in color, about 2 minutes.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour, mixing just until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the peanut butter and vanilla and continue mixing until incorporated.

Form the dough into a log (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter), wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour for freeze for later use.

Preheat oven to 350 and line baking sheets with parchment. Slice the log into 1/4-inch thick rounds and bake for 10-12 minutes. Should make dozens of 2-inch cookies.