Twenty-five may be too young for a face lift, unless you're a cookbook that's already sold more than 100,000 copies.
"Lion House Classics" is an updated version of the first "Lion House Recipes," which sparked spin-offs such as "Lion House Weddings," "Lion House Desserts," "Lion House Christmas," "Lion House Lites" and "Lion House International."
This National Historic Register landmark has a reputation for homey, hearty dishes, melt-in-your-mouth rolls and memorable desserts. For the 25th anniversary edition, the staff added, subtracted and updated recipes to fit with today's culinary trends.
It may not seem that long ago, but when "Lion House Recipes" came out in 1979, microwave ovens were still a novelty rather than standard kitchen equipment. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pre-cut carrots and bagged salads weren't everyday staples, and few people had heard of Roma tomatoes or portobello mushrooms. Lard was commonly used in pie crusts and pastries; this was changed to vegetable shortening in the new book, said banquet manager Julie Ulrich, who headed up the project.
The Chilled Cucumber Soup, Sweet Fruit Soup and Lemon Gelatin Shrimp and Grapefruit Salad were omitted.
"They're just not popular items these days," Ulrich said.
The first book was compiled by Helen Thackeray, a retired Utah State University Extension home economist who had also managed the test kitchens of General Foods Corp. She spent three years on the project, watching the chefs cook and adjusting and testing their banquet-size recipes for family use.
An October 1980 Deseret News review of the book adds, "If there are recipes included in the book that Lion House devotees have not tasted, it is probably because favorites of Lion House board members were used to fill and balance out the collection."
Some of those extra recipes have been taken out for the new edition, said Ulrich, "because we wanted to have the recipes that are actually served at the Lion House. We took out the Tuna Chow Mein Casserole; it just wasn't what we would serve here. We added recipes that we actually use, like the Tomato Bisque Soup, which is made with Roma tomatoes."
Stuffed Mushrooms and Parmesan Ranch Chicken were added to perennial favorites, such as Chicken Alabam and Chicken Cordon Bleu.
The Picnic Brownies in the new book were developed by pastry chef Brenda Hopkin for the Pantry shops in some of the Deseret Book stores. Baked in two 9-inch round pans and cut in wedges for serving, they got their name because they stack and travel well, according to the book's notes.
In keeping with today's streamlined approach, "We tried to make the recipes so they were more simple," Ulrich said. "The Chicken and Broccoli Bake is a few steps shorter and much easier. "
The Chocolate Cream Cake uses a box mix rather than being made from scratch.
Ulrich, Hopkin and other staffers, such as Ann Sudweeks and Alba Maroquin, culled through the recipes, testing them and making improvements.
"The new recipes are those cooked at the Lion House on a regular basis," said Neil Wilkinson, marketing director of Temple Square Hospitality and a former general manager of the Pantry. "Some of the older recipes were resurrected. Since the Lion House has a different menu every day, they can take all these different recipes and use them from time to time. And when the chefs started going through the old cookbook, it got them interested in reusing them."
The Lion House's history carries a certain cachet for both locals and tourists. It was built in 1856 on South Temple as the home of Brigham Young, territorial governor and second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and up to 12 of his wives who lived there with their children. The name comes from the stone statue of a reclining lion on the portico above the front entrance.
Still owned by the LDS Church, the upper levels are used for wedding receptions, business meetings, family dinners, children's birthday parties and other special occasions. The Lion House averages more than 125 weddings per year.
The ground level is now the Pantry, where hot meals are served cafeteria-style to the public. The bakery produces 3,000-4,000 rolls and 80-90 pies on a regular day; nearer to Thanksgiving, it cranks out more than 20,000 rolls and 600 pies daily.
Kids know of the Lion House as a place for memorable birthday parties, where they can dress in bonnets and coonskin caps, hear pioneer stories and play old-fashioned games. A highlight of the party is the taffy pull, where each child receives a piece of warm taffy to pull and stretch.
Last year, the Lion House was in the national spotlight when Bobby Flay of the TV Food Network's "FoodNation" did a segment there. Flay and the Pantry's general manager, David Bench, cooked sourdough scones, chicken 'n' dumplings and lamb.
"On nearly every tour bus that comes through, I'll ask if anyone has seen that episode, and a couple of hands will go up," Wilkinson said.
The building's history is a selling point with tourists, who, he added, "like to be able to say they ate at Brigham Young's home, as opposed to a McDonald's across the street."
STUFFED MUSHROOMS
50 medium-size fresh mushrooms
1/2 pound country-style sausage
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Wash and remove stems from mushrooms. Combine uncooked sausage, cream cheese, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Roll stuffing into small balls and fill mushroom caps. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. Drain drippings and serve hot.
CHOCOLATE CREAM CAKE
1 package devil's food cake mix
Chocolate frosting (see recipe below)
Stabilized Whipping Cream (see recipe below)
Following package directions, prepare and bake cake mix in 2 9-inch round layers. Cool and split layers horizontally. (Only 3 of the 4 layers are used in this recipe. Freeze extra layer for later use.) While cake is baking, prepare Chocolate Frosting and Stabilized Whipping Cream.
To assemble cake: Place one layer of cake on serving plate. Spread evenly with half the Stabilized Whipping Cream, to within half an inch of edge of cake. Place another cake layer on top of cream, then another layer of cream. Alternate cake and cream for a total of five layers, ending with cake layer. Gently press down on top layer to set layers together. Frost entire cake with Chocolate Frosting. Garnish with a few chopped walnuts.
CHOCOLATE FROSTING
4 tablespoons cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
In mixing bowl, mix cocoa and powdered sugar. Add softened butter, milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
STABILIZED WHIPPING CREAM
1 envelope (1 tablespoon) unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
3 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
In small saucepan, combine gelatin with water; let stand until thick. Stir constantly over low heat until just dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, but do not allow to thicken. In a large mixing bowl, whip cream, sugar and vanilla until slightly thick. On low speed, gradually add gelatin, then beat on high until cream is thick.
Note: Stabilized Whipping Cream will hold up for 4-5 days without separating. It may also be used to garnish cheesecakes or in any recipe calling for whipped cream or non-dairy whipped topping.
LION HOUSE TAFFY
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup white corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons glycerine (available at drugstores)
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix sugar, water, corn syrup, salt and glycerine in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until temperature is 258 degrees. Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla, stirring until the butter is melted. Pour candy onto a buttered cookie sheet. Cool until lukewarm and taffy can be handled comfortably. Wash and dry hands thoroughly. Take a small piece of taffy and stretch and fold repeatedly until the taffy turns white. Form taffy into desired shape. Place on a piece of waxed paper. Makes enough taffy for 10-14 people to share.
LION HOUSE TOMATO BISQUE
12-15 Roma tomatoes
4 cans (10 1/2 ounces each) tomato soup
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup beef stock or canned beef consomme
1 bunch fresh basil or 2 tablespoons dry basil
1 cup sugar
2 to 3 cups cream
Salt and pepper
Roast tomatoes in oven at 350 degrees until tops begin to blacken. In a large pot, combine tomato soup, chicken stock and beef stock. Place roasted tomatoes and basil in blender and puree until smooth. (Cover blender with the lid and a towel to avoid splashing when hot tomatoes puree.)
Add puree to pot and let simmer. Add sugar until mixture is slightly sweet (don't skimp on the sugar — it may take more or less, depending on the tomatoes), then add cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Note: The soup should not taste like marinara sauce but should have a slightly sweet creamy flavor.
GLAZED BROCCOLI WITH ALMONDS
2 pounds broccoli or 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen broccoli
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 chicken bouillon cube
3/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup flour
1 cup light cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup slivered almonds
Separate broccoli; trim stems and wash thoroughly. Add salt to a pot of boiling water and cook broccoli 6 minutes or until barely tender. Drain and arrange in 9-by-9-inch baking pan. While broccoli is cooking, prepare sauce. Dissolve bouillon cube in hot water. Melt butter or margarine in saucepan and blend in flour. Gradually stir in cream and dissolved bouillon cube; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. Pour sauce over broccoli. Sprinkle with cheese and almonds. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
PARMESAN RANCH CHICKEN
1/2 cup cornflake crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 ounces dry ranch dressing mix
6 boneless chicken breasts
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
26 ounces marinara or spaghetti sauce
Cooked pasta
In shallow bowl, combine cornflake crumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and ranch mix. Coat both sides of chicken with mix. Place in 9-by-13-inch pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Spray tops of chicken with cooking spray to keep moist. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Just prior to serving, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Heat marinara sauce and serve over pasta and chicken.
E-mail: vphillips@desnews.com