Old School Cooking

            Have you ever tasted a spoonful of soup and wondered how it tasted so delicious? Many people who have tried Mary Phillip's cooking have wondered that. Cooking food that tastes good can be tricky for some people. Others may just want some tips to enhance the taste of some of their favorite dishes. That's where Mary steps in. A few women in her church asked Mary for a cooking lesson since she's been cooking for events at the church for years and one lesson turned into many more. Mary feels comfortable and confident in the kitchen, so she agreed to teach these women some tips and tricks.

            Mary has been a member of the Trout Run United Methodist Church for over seven decades and volunteers to cook for church gatherings and events. Mary learned to cook at the young age of 12 and has now been cooking for almost 80 years. As a young girl, Mary's mother taught her how to cook. Mary recalls her mother's patience in the kitchen as Mary's hands mixed some homemade biscuit dough. These homemade biscuits lay atop of one another in a basket on the counter top in the church, ready to be eaten with the Chicken Corn Soup that Mary plans to teach the group to make today. Mary's snow white hair shows her experience in the kitchen and in life. She wears light washed blue jeans, white sneakers, and a white zip up sweatshirt embroidered with little bluebirds. However, no apron adorns Mary's waist. In a soft spoken voice, Mary mutters, "I've never worn an apron to cook, so why start now?"

The Trout Run United Methodist Church
(Figure 1)

            The Trout Run United Methodist Church stands out due to the bright red door that leads to the kitchen and basement. Inside the doors, the creamy white walls make the room feel very open and the white linoleum floors of the kitchen make cleaning up messes easy. White cabinets line the walls of the kitchen, along with two white and black electric ovens and a white refrigerator. A sign hangs on the refrigerator that reads, "Please wash your hands before preparing food!" The two ovens sit, already preheating and ready to be used. Cutting boards, onions, celery, and knives rest on the white counter tops and pots and pans sit on the stove as women begin to enter the kitchen.

            Mary's cooking class occurs every other Wednesday night at five o'clock. Mary teaches between five to eight different women per month. The small kitchen space in the church allows for only four people to be taught at one time. Mary greets the four women with a sweet smile. Two of the women engage in conversation with Mary and already seem prepared to cook with their hair up and out of their faces. The two friends, Lisa and Heather, have known Mary for years while the other two women simply want to get involved in the community. All four women chatter with excitement as they stand around the counters, waiting to begin.

            Mary begins by instructing the women to dice the onions and celery on the white plastic cutting boards and then throw their diced vegetables into a pot of boiling water with three pounds of chicken legs and thighs, and chicken stock. Once the chicken cooks completely, Mary directs the women to turn off the stoves, remove the meat from the liquid to let it cool, and then remove the meat from the bones and place it back in the pot. Once completed, the women turn the stoves back on and let the soup begin to boil once again. After pouring in two drained cans of bright yellow corn, they let the soup simmer in the red and orange pots. Mary begins getting the ingredients out to make rivels, a type of noodle, to add to the soup. Mary warns that this may be the trickiest part for a new cook. 

            "You'll need to add three eggs in the bowl with three teaspoons of salt. Add three cups of flour and mix it together gently with your hands," Mary said as her eyes watched each cook's technique.

            "Is it supposed to look like this?" A concerned Lisa asked and Mary smiled.

Chicken Corn Soup (Figure 2)

            "Yes, the dough will be flaky as you drop it in the pot. Be careful not to splash the soup and burn yourself," Mary cautioned. 

         
            "I've made soup like this before, but it was really bland. Why would that be?" Heather asked.

            "Well, the only chicken stock to use is Knorr if you want it to taste good. And if it still doesn't have much flavor, reboil the chicken bones and add that broth to your soup."

            Mary loves teaching cooking lessons because she meets new people and helps others with skills they need. Mary's students love the lessons because Mary's kindness shines through as she teaches. The lessons encourage community members to get involved in a fun and laid back way that provides insightful information to use in everyday life by someone who has used it all her life.