| Twenty-three chefs who cooked for world | | | | Kennedy in 1977, and which Edith's |
| royalty and heads of state (The Club des | | | | family had been enjoying long before |
| Chefs des Chefs) were, during their 1987 | | | | that? Her daughter, Lorenelle Doll, who |
| visit to the U.S., wined and dined with | | | | gave me the recipe, says that it was a |
| the best our finest chefs had to offer. | | | | favorite of my father and Lorenelle's |
| What impressed them most? Lunch at an | | | | husband Arnie. (So far as I know, Edith |
| Amish farm in Pennsylvania, where they | | | | didn't actually feed any to a French |
| ate homegrown new potatoes, string beans | | | | chef.) |
| with cream sauce and corn, | | | | I like to think Edith's version is |
| charcoal-grilled chicken, and baked ham, | | | | better than Betty Groff's, because that |
| washed down with homemade root beer and | | | | recipe says to "frost with vanilla or |
| peppermint tea, served by the family in | | | | chocolate frosting if desired." Whereas |
| a barn lined with handmade quilts. | | | | Edith's gives a recipe for chocolate |
| They were stunned. Happily so, it seems. | | | | frosting MADE WITH BUTTER. And in my |
| The chef for the president of France | | | | view the humblest frosting made with |
| said, "Cooking has evolved so much. | | | | butter is better than the fanciest |
| Nobody presents the true product as it | | | | frosting made without. I'm not implying |
| is, and all of a sudden we were | | | | that Edith's frosting is humble. It |
| presented that." | | | | isn't. It's purely wonderful, as is her |
| But the desserts impressed them most. | | | | cake. |
| Especially one they couldn't name. One | | | | Edith Kennedy Glidewell went to be with |
| they described as a light "pain | | | | her Lord in March 2002, but before that |
| d'epices" (spice cake) with a layer of | | | | she gladdened many hearts in many ways, |
| chocolate filling. Gilles Brunner, chef | | | | this applesauce cake not the least of |
| to Prince Rainier of Monaco, was so | | | | them. |
| taken with the cake, which he described | | | | EDITH'S APPLESAUCE CAKE |
| as a chocolate gingerbread, that he | | | | Cream together 1/2 cup room temperature |
| tried to get the recipe. His request was | | | | butter or shortening and 1 cup sugar. |
| refused. | | | | Add 1 egg and beat together. Mix in 1-1 |
| The Amish family did not want their | | | | 2 cups applesauce. |
| identity revealed, which refusal greatly | | | | Sift together 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. |
| hampered efforts to identify the cake as | | | | baking powder, 1 tsp. soda, 1 tsp. salt, |
| well. Research by Phyllis Richman, then | | | | 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. allspice, 1/2 |
| food editor of the Washington Post, | | | | tsp. nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp. cloves. Add to |
| seemed to show that the mystery dessert | | | | applesauce mixture, along with 1 cup |
| was Amish applesauce cake with chocolate | | | | raisins and 3/4 cup chopped walnuts. |
| frosting, and the Post printed a version | | | | Lightly oil a 9" x 12" pan and dust with |
| of it contributed by Betty Groff, a | | | | flour. Add the cake mixture and bake at |
| cookbook author from the Pennsylvania | | | | 350 degrees 50 to 60 minutes, until the |
| Dutch country. | | | | top of the cake's center springs back |
| Which applesauce cake turned out to be | | | | when touched. Frost with chocolate |
| pretty much what our family had been | | | | frosting when cool. |
| enjoying since my father married Edith | | | | |