Edith's Letter to Grace

Torey found this letter while she was going through things with Grace. Edith Klotz (Grammy to me, Great-Grammy to Torey) is my father's stepmother. "Dad" is Carl Fritz Klotz, my Grampy. His lack of appetite places this letter in the last year of his life (he died January 23, 1968). I've added recipe titles to help you find them. Also, following the letter I've added a friend's strawberry pie filling, similar to Frustration Pudding.

• Italian Broiled Shrimp
• Drawn Butter Sauce
• Shrimp Casserole
• Frustration Pudding (Strawberry Tapioca Cream)
• 1-2-3 Strawberry Pie

Dear Grace —

Here is the recipe you asked for. I can't really remember how many it served—but I did save notes on how I adapted the original as a casserole (who says I'm not organized? I was surprised myself to find this!)

Italian Broiled Shrimp

• 2 pounds jumbo shrimp
• 1/4 cup olive oil (Get the good imported oil; it's worth it in flavor.)
• 1/4 pound butter
• 1 cup drawn butter sauce
• 1/4 clove garlic minced
• 2 tablespoon minced parsley
• 1/4 cup flour

Wash and shell shrimp. Remove veins. Wash again in cold water. Dry. Dust with flour. Put olive oil and butter in flat baking dish and heat under low broiler until butter is melted. Place shrimp in baking dish, broil under low heat for 8 minutes. Add garlic and parsley to drawn butter sauce. Pour over shrimp and stir until all shrimp are coated. Return and broil under high heat for 2–3 minutes. Serve with rice.

Drawn Butter Sauce

Melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add 2 tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 cup hot water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook for 5 minutes. Add another 2 tablespoons butter and stir until melted.

What I did to use as a casserole dish:

I used 2 packages raw, cleaned frozen shrimp (Carnation brand, I think) and cut them up before broiling. Broil and make sauce as above, and then combine with 1 cup rice, cooked, but measured before cooking, which means about 2 1/2 cups cooked rice (I use Uncle Ben’s converted rice) and then the whole thing reheated at serving time.

The original, made with fresh shrimp is really a gem of a recipe (I got it from Life magazine about 15 or 20 years ago). It is important to follow directions, especially broiling time, precisely. But it's worth it! However, my casserole version is good, too, and much simpler when you have company, because you don't have so much to concentrate on in the last few minutes before serving. Now that I think of it, I believe it is supposed to serve 4 (the original, not the casserole) but Dad and I used eat most of it ourselves! Make it and enjoy it—I’d dearly love to go through the trouble of cleaning raw shrimp every day if Dad could only eat something with the old enjoyment and zest he used to have.

By the way, would you like the recipe for my famous (or infamous) Frustration Pudding? Surely you remember it.

Strawberry Tapioca Cream [Frustration Pudding]

• 2 egg yolks
• 4 cups milk
• 6 tablespoons tapioca
• 1 cup sugar [divided]
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups crushed strawberries
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy whipped cream

Combine the beaten yolk and milk in top of a double boiler. Add tapioca, 12 tablespoons sugar, and salt, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and chill. Add vanilla and crushed berries and stir well.

Beat egg whites stiff but not dry. Gradually beat in remaining 4 tablespoons sugar, then fold in tapioca mixture with whipped cream.

If what you achieve is a soupy mess, do not be frustrated! Soak a package of Knox gelatine in 1/4 cup cold water, then add a little hot water and mix into the glop and let it chill until firm.

Happy Cooking —
Love, Mom

(I could have typed this, but it's much warmer here in the living room than it is in the store!)

1-2-3 Strawberry Pie

Grace says this is from "some friend, I'm sure." From the last comment, this pie has the same problem as Frustration Pudding. What is it about strawberries?

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 10-ounce package frozen, sliced strawberries
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup heavy cream

In saucepan, stir sugar with gelatin. Stir in water; then cook over low heat, stirring, until just below boiling point. Remove from heat.

Add unthawed strawberries, lemon juice, and extract. Stir, breaking up berries with fork until berries thaw, and mixture thickens. Then fold in whipped cream.

Pour filling into baked shell. Refrigerate until set. Pie will be ready to serve in about one half hour.

Garnish with more whipped cream and berries if desired.

"As you know, I froze it and then thawed it just enough to cut it."