Jeanne Lesem really wanted to do a home sewing column. But her prospective boss wanted food. So Lesem, always adaptable, became the first food editor and full-time food reporter at United Press International.
Lesem now is promoting her cookbook, "Preserving Today" (Alfred A. Knopf, $23).As a young woman, she worked in Denver for Associated Press on the night shift. When the company refused to transfer her to a daytime job, she took her savings and headed for New York.
"It was just after the war and jobs for women were opening up. I said, `I'll give it six months,' but I got a job in three weeks."
In addition to supplying feature material for United Press and doing research for a new magazine called Holiday, she landed a job as ghost writer for Kate Smith and her daytime radio show.
"She'd read news features. It was my job to look for items she might find interesting. It wasn't known she had ghost writers. Kate Smith made us put out a news report saying she didn't use ghost writers when the story came out that she did."
Although she had no formal training in food, Lesem says she was a good cook and knew the right questions to ask.
Her new cookbook is her second on preserving. Her version of preserving does not involve canning; rather, it's preparing food in small batches for the refrigerator or freezer.
"Home canning as it used to be is on the decline. This is for people who like the homemade taste and luxuries, things that would cost a lot at a fancy food shop. And it's for people who are concerned about sugar, salt and additives."
Wherever possible, Lesem uses a microwave oven to preserve the color of the food and save time.
"I'll buy a pound or two of sour cherries and zap it in the microwave and put it in the freezer and add lemon juice and sugar and in five to 20 minutes, I can have an 8-ounce jar."
Her favorite recipes involve quince.
"'I like anything with quince in it. Quince was so popular in the early days of this country. It was a popular fruit in Martha Washington's day, and it's making a comeback. You can't eat them raw, but they cook up and have a natural spiciness and turn a beautiful amber color."
Although she didn't bring us any of her quince jelly, she did bring us a delicious pineapple-apricot spread.
PINEAPPLE-APRICOT MARMALADE
1 6-ounce package dried apricots
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
1/4 cup frozen unsweetened pineapple juice concentrate, undiluted
6 tablespoons sugar, or more to taste
Cut apricots into 1/4-inch strips. Set an open 8-ounce canning jar upside down in the center of a 2-quart microwaveable glass measure or casserole. Distribute the prepared apricots around it. Strain the syrup from the crushed pineapple over the apricots, reserving the pineapple; add the juice concentrate, cover (vent if using plastic wrap), and microwave on high for five minutes. Uncover, remove jar with jar lifter and set aside.
Stir the mixture and let stand, covered, for 20 minutes to allow apricots to soften and plump. Stir in reserved pineapple and sugar, and microwave uncovered on high five to seven minutes, or until marmalade holds its shape when stirred. It will thicken more as it cools.
Ladle into hot, sterilized jars, seal and cool. Label and refrigerate. Use within a month. Do not store on kitchen shelf.
Makes about 11/2 cups.