Atlanta Weather

Cloudy

46° F

Pollen 1

Air quality 37

| Traffic

[ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: 6/06/02 ]

IN THE KITCHEN WITH...
CATHERINE CASWELL, 80, Cartersville
Southern-style favorites delight kith and kin

Related:
• More on food, including recipes and columnists

Nominated by Jason Caswell:

"It has become very clear to me over the years that my [grandmother] 'Mema,' Catherine Caswell, is an exceptional cook, but it's amazing how she has used her talents in such a positive way to reach out to so many people.

" 'Mema' has had quite a year. In the past 12 months she has recovered from breast cancer, a mastectomy, a mild stroke and even turning 80 years old. She has conquered these obstacles with her usual style and grace. She is feeling better than ever and still continues to amaze me with her love for cooking. Her energy level has increased dramatically, and she is able to get back to the stove.

"Matter of fact, next Sunday she's cooking my wife and I a beef tenderloin, crowder peas, collards greens, homemade biscuits and a coconut cake. Of course everything will be delicious, but also to be savored is the determined and loving spirit she puts into everything she cooks. As her grandson, I know I am very fortunate, but she has deeply touched not only my life but the lives of many, many others through her kind heart and her wonderful cooking."

It would be easy to assume that anyone who has been cooking steadily for more than 70 years might well be a bit weary of the kitchen. That's not the case for 80-year-old Catherine Caswell of Cartersville.

In good times and troubled times, cooking has served Mrs. Caswell well for much of her life. It has also enabled her to fulfill a pledge she made in church years ago to give of herself and her talents. Through her cooking, she has cemented her family, connected with scores of people in her community and found strength and joy in herself.

  • Family/background: "I had three sons. I had a husband that loved to eat and three sons that loved to eat. I grew up in the Panhandle area of Florida in a little town called Defuniak Springs. My mother was a good country cook who raised her own vegetables."

  • Career: "My husband was from Panama City, and after World War II we moved to West Point, Ga., where he worked as the recreation director. Then we moved to Cartersville. I had three little boys in 28 months. I told my husband, 'If I knew marriage was going to be like this! . . . ' So you can see why I cooked."

  • Hobbies, interests: "I never really had too much time for hobbies. I worked for the city of Cartersville, at the recreation department. I taught arts and crafts. They had a big ceramics department. I always enjoyed that. After my husband died, there was a young man in the catering business that got me to help him some, but I didn't do that very long. That is a job! It's hard work."

  • Who taught you to cook? "My mother taught me. I just watched and did whatever she did. I really always enjoyed cooking. My mother-in-law was also a good cook. I also have every 'Southern Living' cookbook ever published. I love those books. They have wonderful ideas."

  • How did you love of cooking develop? "When I was a teenager, I was the oldest girl and I was the one that liked to cook. My mother got pregnant at age 42, when I was 15. That's when I really got into cooking."

  • Culinary roots: "Definitely Southern."

  • Early food memory: "Making biscuits. I had to stand on a chair. I remember being very young and wanting to make biscuits. My mother said, 'You can't do that -- you'll get it all over everything,' but I pestered her so much she finally let me do it."

  • For whom do you cook? "I cook for my children. When they have a birthday, I cook them dinner -- whatever they want to eat. I make a lot of cheese straws and all kinds of candies and cookies for birthdays and holidays. I give them to my children and grandchildren. I used to give them gift certificates but this is something they can't buy."

  • What is the most enjoyable aspect of cooking? "Seeing my family enjoy it."

  • Specialties: "Fried chicken, and I cook a lot of Southern-style vegetables. This week I made fried chicken, okra, corn and crowder peas. I do a wicked beef tenderloin (see recipe) that I've had for years from one of my old 'Southern Living' cookbooks."

  • What is your favorite thing to cook? "I think it's fried chicken. I cut it up in pieces and cook just the white meat. I soak it in buttermilk with salt and pepper and bread it with self-rising flour (it has to be self-rising because otherwise it won't brown real pretty) and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. Then I get my oil good and hot. Everybody I know in Cartersville wants a box of my fried chicken."

  • Do you have a tip for today's cooks? "Try to put joy in your cooking. Even if you have to do it every day."

    MAIN DISH

    Beef Tenderloin Deluxe

    Makes 10 servings Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes

    "I've been using this recipe for quite a long time. I got it from a 1985 'Southern Living' cookbook," Catherine Caswell says. "It always turns out good for me and is a fine dish to serve for a special occasion. I usually serve it with baked potatoes and a good salad."

    1 (3- to 4-pound) beef tenderloin, trimmed of excess fat and tied

    1 1/2 tablespoons butter

    1/2 cup finely chopped onion

    1 cup dry sherry (or preferred wine)

    1 tablespoon soy sauce

    2 teaspoons dry mustard

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1/8 teaspoon pepper

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the tenderloin in a large, shallow baking pan. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a skillet, melt butter. SautŽ onions until tender. Add sherry, soy sauce, mustard, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Pour over tenderloin; reduce heat to 325 degrees. Bake about 35 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 120 degrees (for rare) to 140 degrees (for medium), basting often with drippings. Let rest for 5 minutes. Slice tenderloin and serve with remaining drippings.

    Per serving: 306 calories (percent of calories from fat, 45), 38 grams protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, no fiber, 15 grams fat, 117 milligrams cholesterol, 311 milligrams sodium.

    • Do Good Locally » Find nonprofit causes near you

    Find more causes » List your nonprofit

    Kudzu Services » Find the right people for the job