Barbara McClellan

Thank you very much for your comments about last week’s column on “funeral food.” Obviously, I enjoy our weekly visits or I would not have continued them for approximately 2,860 weeks, give or take a few weeks for family emergencies, births, deaths, school, church events or moves from Longview to McAllen then back to Longview again.

What a ride “From My Kitchen” has had. As I have mentioned before, the last thing I imagined when I took the first column to the Longview News-Journal in February 1970 — as a 30ish-year-old who liked to cook and share recipes but had only written letters and term papers — was that we would still be prattling on 55 years later.

Continuing “funeral food” but with a different slant: I have said many times that the best way for me to remember a friend who is no longer here is through his or her recipes. Each time I look through my recipes and see a friend’s name at the top of the recipe, whether I make it or not at that time, they are immediately in my mind and heart.

The first recipe today is one that I make often. It was given to me in the mid-70s by someone whose presence remains strong in my life though she has been gone from us more than 30 years. Kenny Stuber and I met while singing in the First Baptist Church Choir. I am positive that Harlan Hall’s beautiful silver hair would still be dark if he had not had to deal with Kenny’s and my antics in the alto section as he was trying to direct us.

Kenny was much beloved as the nurse at Longview High School. He was a “quick and easy cook,” as I like to be.

Try this delicious fruit salad.

Kenny’s Quick Fruit Salad

1 can peach pie filling

1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained

2 or more large bananas, sliced

1/2 pound fresh grapes (I am using green seedless today)

Maraschino cherries, about 1/3 cup, if desired for color

Gently mix the fruit with the pie filling. Chill and serve. Makes 7-8 servings.

The next recipe comes from my dear friend Donna Park, whom we lost earlier this month.

She was a vital part of a group of us who had worked together for many years, and it just seems impossible that I will not get another call from this former nurse who had a huge caring spirit.

Donna would call and say, “I just thought I needed to check on you.” One day, she appeared at the door with a pot of fresh peas and this cornbread. After eating Donna’s recipe, my family and friends never asked me to bring cornbread again to gatherings.

We all miss her so much but took joy in seeing how her three boys and their families came to be with her, and to help their father, Bill, through this tragic time in their lives. Rest in deepest peace, dear Donna. Your memory will always be a blessing to us.

Donna’s Jalapeno Cornbread

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil or bacon drippings

2 cups cream-style corn

1/2 pound grated mild cheddar cheese

3-4 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

Mix first 7 ingredients and pour half into a well-greased and heated 10-inch iron skillet or 9-inch square pan. Sprinkle cheese and peppers on batter, and cover with remaining batter. Bake for 40 minutes. Makes about 8 servings.