Perusing the local paper, the Monitor found this little tidbit in the Syracuse Post-Standard recipe contest and cookie exchange. Requesting recipes with family and cultural interest, they printed thirteen they felt exemplified the spirit of the holiday and the cultural diversity present in central New York.
The Monitor would like to applaud the Post-Standard's choice of Cookie Recipe Winner in their December 10th issue, recognizing them for: going against the tide of thinking that awards the froth of mere innovation and technique, for acknowledging the long ignored fact of the common man's basic lack of any sort of useful knowledge regarding general baking utensils or history, and for boldly leading the next generation into the blissful acceptance of mediocrity and inexactitude.
When congratulated for her winning recipe, Nanette Szczesny credited her credentials; "I have a degree in Home Ec from SUNY and am fully accredited in Boiling Water (201) and Choosing Which Wooden Spoon to Use, as well as a double major in Advanced Napkin Folding. I spent an intense two years studying under the tutelage of noted authority Daniel Davis, the butler on 'The Nanny'" (ed. note: Mr. Davis is not actually a butler but plays one on TV.)
Ms. Szczezny did express some regrets regarding her submission; "My choice of an all-white cake was a safe one, I know. I thought long and hard about the more controversial statement I would be making using my first choice of a yellow cake with a white frosting. I wanted to say- hey, it's all about the adventure, and after all, it's a new world, Barack Obama is our new president- I mean, it's all just so coming together now, that I thought, maybe, just maybe, that even my little voice in my little kitchen could be a part of all that." She wiped away a tear, shook off her emotion and went on.
Color choices notwithstanding, her unorthodox preparation methods ended up being what set her recipe apart. Eschewing the traditional method of frosting the entire cake first and then cutting it- she chose to cut the cake into 40 minuscule pieces and frost and jelly them individually.
"My feelings on this are that, like, making a dessert is more than just throwing some mundane ingredients into a bowl and calling it baking; it's like a zen thing, you know. Cutting each piece, then dotting each tiny piece with precision, taking excruciating time and effort and patience to prepare all the tiny little pieces, instead of slavishly doing them all at once- this focuses my mind on the actual art and craft of baking, and makes me, like, you know, a better person. Better than, say, that other guy."
When asked what she thought of the winning recipe, Mrs. Hall replied she was speechless.