LET'S COOK! ‘American Gothic’ and corn flakes can change your whole life

By CHARLES REPNOW, Freelance Writer, rep.now@hotmail.com

Clusters of pink lilies greeted me on our familiar family Melmac dinnerware as I sat down at the Rep-now breakfast table. My dad had been eating corn flakes for breakfast long before Mozart composed "The Marriage of Figaro." As a child, toast with lots of jelly was my favorite for breakfast until one day, my dad suggested I try the corn flakes. As he slid the box toward me I noticed the sober family couple on the front of the box, an image that would immeasurably impact my life.

Many of you may recall that for years on the Post Corn Flakes box was the image entitled, "American Gothic," painted by Grant Wood in 1930. It portrayed a somber farmer in bib overalls holding a pitchfork, alongside a straight-faced lady. She has rick-rack on her patterned dark blue apron, her hair is swept back and up. A conservative white collar with a round pin in the center completes her outfit. The white carpenter farmhouse in the background features a Gothic window, complete with a lace panel. Woods tells the story of Midwestern life and popular culture through the use of these traditional symbols. The models for the painting were locals his sister, Nan Wood Graham and Byron McKeeby, a local dentist.

This early morning introduction to Grant Wood, an American artist, has been a lifelong interest and love of mine. "American Gothic" is Wood's best-known work and is also one of the most famous paintings in American art. It is also one of the few images to reach the status of a cultural icon, along with Leonardo da Vinci's, "Mona Lisa" and Van Gogh's "Sunflowers."

Grant Wood was born on Feb. 13, 1891 on his parents' farm in Anamosa, Iowa. His family left the farm at an early age. However, this early impact has been demonstrated in many of his paintings. He believed artists should paint from personal experiences based on their local heritage. Much of Wood's paintings portrayed the people and landscapes of Iowa. Wood became one of the leading exponents of Midwestern regionalism, a movement which dominated the American art scene in the 1930s.

The precise details in Wood's paintings show the influence of 15th and 16th century German and Flemish painters. His rounded trees are a favorite of mine, which are well featured in his painting "Young Corn." He painted until his death on Feb. 12, 1941.

I have had the privilege of seeing "American Gothic," as well as other of his great works, at The Art Institute of Chicago. This weekend Wood will once again be honored at the 36th annual Grant Wood Art festival which will be held June 14 in Anamosa, Iowa. I look forward to the day when I can attend this festival.

With this in mind, I share with you two recipes that use corn flakes.

Corn Flake Chicken Bake or Chicken Strips or Chicken Nuggets

By Charles Repnow

Miss Lydia loves chicken strips, and in our home, this recipe is considered delicious. If I have the time, I prefer to soak the chicken breasts in buttermilk for a few hours before coating and baking. If you elect to do this, do not rinse off buttermilk as you proceed with the recipe. You will find this chicken to be moist and it certainly can be tailored to your taste in spices.

This is also a fun dish to involve your mini chef, who is usually right beside you. What a delight to see their little wrists coating the chicken. Now if your little one wants chicken nuggets or chicken strips at home, simply cut your chicken accordingly. Your little one will be enthusiastic as the chicken emerges from the oven, golden brown and full of flavor. All of a sudden I hear, "Daddy -- you are the best chicken baker ever!" Such pure honesty will keep me blossoming in our cozy kitchen for years.

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons pepper

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 cup Hellman's mayonnaise

4 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 egg well beaten

4 cups finely crushed corn flakes

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 pounds of boneless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic salt on chicken breasts. Mix mayonnaise, yellow mustard, 1 beaten egg and parmesan cheese together in a bowl. Coat chicken with this mixture. Gently roll chicken in crushed corn flakes and flour mixture. Place chicken breasts in a lightly greased baking dish. I usually bake 35 to 40 minutes. This will depend upon the thickness of your chicken, so I recommend checking for doneness.

Stop Light Cookies

By Charles Repnow

This is a recent original recipe of mine, and the naming comes from Lydia. When she noticed the green, red and yellow, she exclaimed, "They look just like stop lights in Minot!" They are crunchy on the outside and speckled on the inside with color and flavor. The cherished pecans add much to this recipe. You may, however, omit the pecans and just use corn flakes if desired. This is another wonderful recipe to have little hands help create.

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1-1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 egg beaten

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons of lime zest

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon of almond flavoring

2 to 3 teaspoons lemon zest

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cake flour

4 tablespoons of chopped maraschino cherries

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups corn flakes, lightly crushed

1 cup of chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat together the softened butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Add beaten egg, lime juice, lemon juice, almond flavoring, lime and lemon zests and 4 tablespoons of chopped maraschino cherries. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt.

Place crushed corn flakes and chopped pecans in a bowl and drop cookie dough by teaspoons into this mixture to coat. Bake these on an ungreased cookie sheet for 15 minutes.