My father grew up in St Louis. When I was a girl, we made the 3 hour drive there to visit my grandparents several times a year. We'd go at least a couple of times during the summer to see the Cardinals play. The sound of Cardinals baseball on the radio was a defining feature of my childhood.
Some years we'd make a trip during Christmastime, the highlight being a visit to the North Pole at the Famous-Barr department store. It was unbelievably enchanting with it's trees and snow and twinkly lights - even waiting in line was a treat! Santa would give us a little slip of paper that we traded in for a real present after we'd divulged our secret desires and had our picture made with him.
There was a grocery store in St Louis called Schnuck's which was also a wonderland in the eyes of a young girl from a small town. We'd go along with Grandma to Schnuck's and bring home a cheesecake-like pastry from their bakery. It was round, with a bread-ish crust, and was strewn with raisins. We ate it for breakfast. I've spent years trying to re-create that taste. Then out of the blue comes Baked Yogurt Tart. It didn't have a bread-y crust, and it didn't have raisins, but it was the closest thing I've come to the taste of that breakfast at Grandma's in almost 40 years.
Next time, I'll add a bit of cinnamon and scatter a few raisins on the top. And maybe I'll even take down the little drinking glass with my name on it and fill it up with milk. All the cousins had one. The glasses lived on a shelf in Grandma's kitchen closet above the shelf that held her blue and brown Russell Wright dishes. How I would love to have those dishes today. I think I'll head over to eBay now...
The recipe for Baked Yogurt Tart can be found here - I used a Foolproof Vodka Piecrust instead of the flaky one. Note to self: go ahead and use the tart pan with the removable bottom next time. The other Tuesdays With Dorie bloggers are found here. I think we might be close to halfway through the Baking With Julia cookbook now.
Here's a shoe I saw this week. Didn't have time to stop for the picture when I first saw it, but came back a couple of days later and it was still there!
Loved your post! What great memories! Thanks for sharing. And your tart looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteNice post. Grandma memories are the best, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteI loved your memories of St. Louis! I grew up there! My husband and I will never agree on the best baseball team ever (the Cardinals)! And I grew up shopping with my mom at Schnucks! Thanks for the walk down memory lane!
ReplyDeleteWe adored your own reminiscences involving E. Louis! I was raised presently there! We won't agree with the very best hockey staff actually And that i was raised buying using my mother from Schnucks!Billig WOW Gold Kaufen
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