Holmes finds satisfaction in kitchen

Florine Holmes said she finds a lot of satisfaction in seeing people enjoy her food and loves seeing the reactions on peoples’ faces when they try her dishes. 

“I love seeing people eat and love my food,” Holmes said. “I always try to have more than enough food prepared so people can take it home if they want to.”

Holmes was born in Illinois and moved to Philadelphia in July 1997. She is married to Wendell Holmes and they have three sons, Jeremy, Justin, and Wendell Jr. They also have eight grandchildren. 

Holmes said she retired from the Bank of Philadelphia in 2019 and spends her free time traveling all around the world. 

She began learning how to cook when she was six years old and recalled always being in her mother’s way in the kitchen. 

“My mother would always tell me to move out of the way, and eventually after I didn’t move, she started teaching me how to cook,” Holmes said. “The first dish I learned to make was cornbread, and then I moved on to peas, butterbeans, fried and baked chicken, fried corn, and pound cake.” 

Holmes said she can cook anything she can think of, but things like cornbread dressing, browned steak with rice, meatloaf, and peach cobbler are just a few things she enjoys cooking most. 

“Other desserts I like to make are red velvet cakes, lemon supreme pound cake, carrot cake, pecan tarts, and more,” she said. “My grandchildren always thank me for the food and thank my husband for buying the food. I always try to have more than enough food made for people in case they want to take some home.” 

SWEET AND SOUR MEATBALLS 

2 lbs. ground beef 

1 tsp salt

½ teaspoon pepper 

1 onion, diced 

1 green bell pepper, diced 

1 stick margarine 

1 tbsp Worchester Sauce 

1 can pineapple chunks with juice 

1 jar sweet and sour sauce 

2 cups of one-minute rice 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season ground beef with salt and pepper. Roll into balls. Place beef balls on a cookie sheet or baking pan. 

Melt margarine in a skillet. Add Worchester Sauce, onions, and bell peppers. Saute. 

Pour sauteed vegetables into a boiler. Add pineapple juice and sweet and sour sauce. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add meatballs and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over rice. 

RED VELVET CAKE 

1 ½ cups sugar 

2 ½ cups cake flour 

1 tsp baking soda 

2 eggs 

2 bottles red food coloring 

1 cup buttermilk 

1 ½ cups Wesson Oil 

2 tsp. Hershey’s Cocoa 

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp vinegar 

1 tsp vanilla flavor 

Sift cake flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda together and set aside. Pour Wesson Oil and sugar into a mixing bowl and cream for about 15 minutes. Add one egg at a time to the oil and sugar and blend in well. 

Add vinegar to the mixture and food coloring, and blend in the vanilla. Then alternate the flour mixture and buttermilk and blend in until all is mixed well. 

Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans. Pour batter evenly into each pan. Place in a preheated oven on 350 degrees and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow each cake layer to cool for around five minutes. 

Turn out on wax paper to cool completely, before icing. 

For the cream cheese frosting: 

1 (8 oz) package of Philadelphia cream cheese 

1 box powdered sugar 

1 cup chopped pecans 

1 stick butter or margarine 

1 tsp vanilla flavor 

Allow cream cheese and butter or margarine to become room temperature. Cut cream cheese and butter or margarine into small pieces. Place in a mixing bowl and cream together. Gradually add sugar, mixing well, and add vanilla. Add pecans and stir. Place icing on each layer and around the sides of the cake. 

BEEF BRISKET 

1 beef brisket, rinsed well with cool water 

2 tbsps paprika 

2 tbsps chili powder 

2 tbsps minced garlic 

2 tbsps dry mustard 

2 tbsps onion flakes 

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper 

1 (10 ½ oz) can of Campell’s Beef Broth 

Place brisket in baking dish. Mix the dry ingredients well. Rub dry ingredients all over the brisket, and pour beef broth over the brisket as well. 

Cover with a lid or foil, and place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 4 hours. Remove from the oven and allow the brisket to cook for about an hour. 

Place brisket on a cutting board and slice across the grain with an electric knife. Return to the baking dish and pour the reserved broth over the sliced brisket to keep it moist.