The story of a mother

and a recipe for an orange polenta pudding cake my mother would have loved

My mother was famous for starting projects.

A talented seamstress, her sewing machine was often littered with pieces of cut fabric, the paper pattern carefully pinned on, the pieces ready to assemble. I love the photos of her with my two older sisters, wearing beautiful matching dresses, a testament to her skill.

My sisters with my parents and a wee Elizabeth

As life and time went on, the pieces more often than not remained cut but not sewn together, good intentions gleaming with every shiny pin. Projects were replaced with activities of another kind. Three children and modest means meant that working was essential. But that was nothing new for her.

A project fragment, captured in time

There is much about my mother’s childhood that is shrouded in history and mystery. What we do know is that her deep-seated work ethic was born early. Orphaned by the age of six, she lived with a much older half-brother and his family, earning her keep by working on the farm. Eventually she moved away to become an au pair in the town of Conegliano. It was there she met my father, fell in love and came to Canada, a new bride who had already learned more than once how to uproot herself and begin again in unfamiliar territory.

And so began this new life. While my dad clocked in at General Motors, my mother went to work too, often holding down two or three jobs at a time. Babysitters weren’t an option. With my sisters and I all born four years apart, there was enough of an age gap between us that the oldest could act as babysitter while our parents worked.

There was never a time when she wasn’t busy doing something. New projects and pastimes replaced the old ones. Canning tomatoes well past midnight, making preserves, picking apples to store through the winter. Summer road trips, picnics and ham sandwiches marking the miles. Volunteering. Tending her backyard-sized vegetable garden with my dad. A social life centred around a vibrant Italian community: playing bocce on a league, banquets and religious festivals. Above all, devotion to her family, nowhere more evident than in the incredible joy she experienced through her beloved grandchildren.

With granddaughter Marla, who’s now a mother of three herself

It’s hard to believe that this year marks the 30th Mother’s Day that my mother is no longer here. My sisters and I each share in her legacy in different ways. Midnight projects. A love of gardening and sewing. A work ethic honed early through the part time jobs our mother expected us to take while we were in high school. And, while we are years and distance apart, a love of family and being together are the ties that sweetly bind.

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Orange polenta pudding cake

from Style at Home magazine

serves 8-10

There were very few things that my mother made that I wouldn’t eat; I share her love trying just about everything. But somehow, I could never get behind polenta, no matter how hard she tried. Thankfully sense and wisdom prevailed, and I now love polenta as much as both my parents did.

In my mother’s world, polenta was simple and straightforward, a base for rich meaty sauce. She would not have thought about using it in something like this polenta pudding cake, strewn with sweet and juicy citrus and she would have marvelled at the deliciousness of it all. I wish we could share a piece together.

Ingredients

2-3 small oranges, a variety if you can find them (blood oranges, Cara Cara)

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened

1¼ cups granulated sugar, divided

3 eggs

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, divided

¼ cup Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest

1 cup instant polenta

1 cup almond meal

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10" round springform pan with butter.

2. Using a sharp knife, cut the peel from the oranges and slice the flesh crosswise into thin rounds; set aside.

3. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time; continue beating, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl.

4. Turn the mixer to low speed and add ½ cup of the orange juice, the yogurt and zest; beat until thoroughly combined.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the instant polenta, almond meal, baking powder and salt.

6. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until fully incorporated.

7. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing to even the surface. Arrange the orange slices on top of the cake batter.

8. Bake until the edges of the cake are golden brown and the centre is lightly puffed but still dense and pudding-like to the touch, about 30 to 40 minutes.

9. While the cake is baking, in a small saucepan, bring the orange liqueur, remaining ¼ cup sugar and remaining ½ cup orange juice to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

10. Spoon the syrup over the warm cake before removing the cake from the pan. Let cool slightly before serving.