Post #3 – Women’s Memoirs, ScrapMoirs – Matilda Butler and Kendra Bonnett
By Gale Henshel
Three recipe books, the Children’s Almanac Magazine, and a children’s book of prayers. A quick glance at the bookshelf and I take it all in. In reflection, I’m amazed at this collection of my authored books. After all, that’s not how it began.
“Mrs. Jeffers,” said Miss Loften, “thanks for coming in this afternoon. I want to talk with you about Gale.”
“I hope she hasn’t gotten into trouble. At times, she’s an overly creative child.”
“Oh, no, nothing like that.” continued Miss Loften. “Gale is such a smart, bright girl that I would like to recommend she skip first grade. I know she’ll do quite well when she enters second grade in the fall.”
My parents were so proud of me. They couldn’t have known this was a big mistake. Starting the second grade and realizing that I couldn’t read like the others was demoralizing. In those days, there was no help for dyslexia. The schools didn’t recognize this as a learning disorder. Teachers were not trained to provide a correct diagnosis and parents were certainly clueless.
My second-grade teacher probably didn’t know what else to do with me. She put me into the group with the slow readers. There I was with all the dumb boys. That’s when I first developed my flirting skills.
My elementary school, in Portland, Oregon, was unusual. It had a large group of disabled students. Some were in wheelchairs, the result of polio and cerebral palsy. Many were unable to eat by themselves. Every Friday, we played with these children and helped feed them. It was such fun because it gave me a nice feeling to be helpful. Looking back, I now see that at a young age I learned that not all of us are going to experience life in the same way.
My dyslexia meant I’d experience life in a different way, utilizing different skills and talents than many of my friends. Specifically, one skill (acquired fairly early in life) and one talent (a gift at birth) became invaluable to me. Having dyslexia caused me to develop my people skills. I had to get my clues from sources other than the written page. Often, I just couldn’t put letters together in a way that made sense. My talent was an artistic ability. I was able to lean on the combination of these two assets and basically talked people into letting me draw my way through school.
There was a positive side to my undiagnosed dyslexia. Because my problems in school came with no clue as to what was wrong, my feeling has been that whatever disability you have, you can overcome it. This attitude has worked well, at least for me.
When my two sons were young, a friend and I decided to write and publish a newspaper for children. We called it The Children’s Almanac. The publication had to be perfect and was a heck of a lot of work, but I knew I could work hard and get it right.
A number of local newspapers wrote about The Children’s Almanac and praised our efforts to create a special paper for young children. The San Francisco correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor saw our ad in a newspaper and did an article about us.
My friend and I published the paper monthly for two years and had 150 subscribers from many states. It was important to me to be able to show that I could overcome my early trouble with reading and writing.
Picture this, it’s early evening. Eight-year-old Steven and Eric, three years older, my sons, are settling down at the kitchen table to start their homework. I’m standing by the oven with hot pads in hand. The air is filled with an unusual, hard to place, scent. If you didn’t know better, you’d think I was baking rye bread. “Mom,” calls Eric, “are we having those cookies again?” Steven challenges his older brother: “Well, I like them.”
Out of the oven, I pull another batch of Jumbles [see recipe below], supposedly a favorite of George Washington, the topic of this month’s Children’s Almanac. My partner and I have been adapting and testing an heirloom recipe that just might be similar to what Martha would have prepared. The distinctive aroma is the result of caraway seeds. Within a few minutes, warm cookies on the table, I join my sons. My homework is the reading and writing for our next edition.
That probably seems like the end of the story. But there is more. Not much later, I was introduced to a local publisher. She had learned of my first cookbook, Cookies and Crumbs for Little Ones, and was eager to meet me. She said the words that every writer longs to hear. “What would you really like to write?”
My sentences came tumbling out, filled with bottled up emotion. “I want to create a romantic cookbook. You know, recipes for two. I can just see elegant, gourmet dinners served on the best china, the soft light of candles warming the room, and the couple making toasts of love with crystal wine glasses.”
At this point, I have to say that your assumption about my life at that moment in time is probably wrong. I was in the midst of a divorce and longed to have romance back in my life. The publisher loved the idea and enabled me to create an old-fashioned romantic cookbook called The Poetic Gourmet—Romantic Cooking for Two. A locally famous wine shop helped choose the perfect selection for each dish. One of my favorite recipes from that cookbook is Champagne Poached Trout. I’ve included the ingredients and instructions below.
And today? Art continues to bring joy to my life. I no longer want to write cookbooks. But I can offer you my personal life recipe:
LIFE RECIPE
2 c determination
1/2 c don’t-let-it-get-you-down
1 c people skills
1 c of your personal talent
Mix these ingredients together. Keep stirring the pot for positive energy. Always serve fresh!
Other recipes mentioned above:
Jumbles, a George Washington favorite cookie
1 1/2 c sugar
2.3 c butter
3 eggs
1 c sour milk or cream
3 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t caraway seeds
1 t vanilla extract
………………
Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs. Make milk sour by putting 1 1/2 T white vinegar in a measuring cup and filling with milk (or cream). Let stand a few minutes and add, alternately with the flour and baking soda, mixing well. Stir in caraway seeds and vanilla. Using two teaspoons, drop batter by spoonfuls two inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet. Bak in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Remove with spatula immediately and let cool on a rack. Enjoy!
Champagne Poached Trout, perfect for a romantic dinner for two.
2 whole trout
2 small onions
2 splits champagne
1 bay leaf
2 T butter
2 T flour
2 t basil
………………
Ahead of time: Salt trout inside and out and place in shallow baking dish. Add onion, champagne, and bay leaf to pan. Cover and refrigerate. Swirl the butter, flour, and basil into a paste. Cover and chill.
Serving Day: Keeping the trout covered, poach them in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Pour off 1/2 cup of the champagne liquid into a saucepan. Add the butter-flour-basil paste and cook over low heat, stirring until the sauce bubbles and thickens, 3 minutes or so. Place one trout on each plate. Spoon sauce over each and garnish with parsley.
Serving suggestions: A cold salad of watercress and sliced raw mushrooms adds elegance to our already element trout. Garnish the salad with finely chopped parsley and halved green grapes.
Wines: These are the wines suggested by Beltramo’s in Menlo Park, California for my cookbook version of this recipe — Italian Soave, California Chenin Blanc, Riesling. I think you might also consider a glass of champagne.
