All recipes

The English Bakewell slice baked in a 9 inch square pan: a blind-baked shortcrust base, a thin layer of raspberry jam, a soft almond sponge flavored with almond extract, flaked almonds on top and a thin white icing drizzle. Cups and grams, oven temperatures and times.

The darkest, moistest chocolate sheet cake: cocoa, buttermilk and oil, with a cup of hot strong coffee poured into the batter last so it goes thin as soup. Baked at 350 degrees in a 9 by 13 pan with a fudgy cocoa frosting. Nobody tastes the coffee.

A moist three-layer carrot cake with the secret ingredient: a can of crushed pineapple, drained but not squeezed dry. Finely grated carrots, pecans, cinnamon, oil, baked at 350 degrees, with a thick cream cheese frosting. Exact amounts, pans and times.

Old-fashioned chocolate sauerkraut cake: rinsed, squeezed, finely chopped sauerkraut folded into a dark chocolate sheet cake, baked in a 9 by 13 pan at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, with a quick cooked cocoa frosting. Nobody tastes it; everybody guesses coconut.

A tall, dense, creamy baked cheesecake on a graham cracker crust, made the old way with no water bath: beaten on low speed only, baked at 325 degrees for 60 to 70 minutes, cooled for an hour in the turned-off oven with the door propped open. Cups and grams.

Old-fashioned pecan pie: 3 eggs, 1 cup light corn syrup, 2/3 cup brown sugar, butter, vanilla and 1 1/2 cups whole pecan halves in a 9 inch deep dish crust, baked at 350 degrees for 55 to 65 minutes. The wobble test, the cooling time, and why pecan pie runs.

Creamed chipped beef on toast the way an old Army cook made it every Saturday: dried beef rinsed and torn, crisped in butter, a quick peppery white sauce made with whole milk, poured over hot buttered toast. No salt. Exact amounts and timings.

The old potluck dump cake: crushed pineapple, cherry pie filling and cinnamon in a 9 by 13 pan, a box of yellow cake mix sprinkled dry on top, a cup of butter in thin slices, pecans and brown sugar, baked at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes without stirring.

The old-fashioned Southern fresh apple cake: three cups of chopped apples and a cup of pecans in a thick oil batter stirred by hand, baked in a 9x13 pan at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, with a boiled brown sugar glaze poured over the hot cake.

Old-fashioned frog eye salad: acini di pepe pasta soaked overnight in a cooked pineapple custard, then folded with pineapple, mandarin oranges, mini marshmallows and whipped topping. The family reunion classic, with cups and grams and the overnight step.

The grilled cheese my mother made: mayonnaise spread thin on the outside instead of butter, sharp cheddar plus a slice of American cheese inside, a cold skillet, medium low heat and a lid for 3 to 4 minutes, then 2 to 3 minutes on the second side.