Remembering Jake Adam York

(This entry was originally posted on a temporary blog site in December.)

We here at Southern Illinois University Press had the pleasure of working with Jake Adam York on two of his books: A Mumuration of Starlings and Persons Unknown. An exceedingly talented, kind, and funny man, we consider ourselves lucky to have had the opportunity to know him, and regret that our time was cut short. On December 16, Jake Adam York passed away at age 40 after suffering a stroke. We'd like to share with you some video we took when he visited the SIU campus in 2011 for the Little Grassy Literary Festival.











We will miss him.

You look hungry

(A version of this entry was originally posted on a temporary blog site in November.)

Here's a recipe from Cooking Plain, Illinois Country Style by Helen Walker Linsenmeyer. Before sharing it here, we decided to test it ourselves. (It's a tough job, but we do it. We do it for you.) Below is a picture of a poppy seed cake, courtesy of our systems administrator. He chose a powdered sugar topping, rather than the suggested custard topping. Want to make it yourself?

Poppy Seed Cake

You won't find poppy seed cake around very much anymore, and few cookbooks include it, which is too bad. Possibly poppy seeds fell into disfavor after the trauma of the drug scene in the 1960s. This cake looks interesting, and the custardy topping makes it a complete dessert.

2/3 cup poppy seeds
1 cup milk
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
5 egg yolks
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Grated rind of 1 lemon
2-1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 egg whites, beaten

Soak the poppy seeds in 1 cup milk for an hour before starting to mix cake. Cream butter until lemon colored and fluffy, add sugar 1/4 cup at a time, and beat until mixture resembles whipped cream. Beat In egg yolks, one at a time. Sift flour with baking powder and salt and add to batter in thirds, alternating with ½ cup milk. Stir in poppy seeds, lemon rind, and vanilla and blend thoroughly. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold into batter. Turn into 10-by-4-inch loaf pan or 10-inch round-form pan which has been lightly greased and dusted with flour. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes, or until cake springs back when touched lightly with fingertip. Turn out on wire rack to cool. Serve with cooked custard topping.

Custard topping

2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
4 egg yolks, beaten
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in top of double boiler, add eggs yolks and beat until smooth. Add milk gradually and continue mixing until all lumps are removed. Set over boiling water and cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly. Stir in vanilla. Cool and pour over slices of poppy seed cake as served.  

Makes a 10-inch loaf cake.