Community Cookbook: Celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday with this ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ and Sweet Beelze-Nut’ cookie recipes

Theodor S. Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, on March 2, 1904. He graduated from Dartmouth College and attended Oxford but left before graduating. He is widely known for his prolific work as a children’s book author and illustrator. Most of us know him by his pen name, Dr. Seuss.

During his long career, he wrote over 60 books and received numerous awards, including seven honorary doctorates. Dr. Seuss’ books have been instrumental in helping children learn to read with enthusiasm for generations. Theodor Geisel died at the age of 87 on Sept. 24, 1991. He never had children of his own. His imagination and creativity live on in our beloved Dr. Seuss. This column is a tribute to Theodor Geisel’s many contributions to our lives and those of our children. Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss.

Green Eggs and Ham

Dr. Seuss’ books are part of childhood memories for many of us. Who doesn’t remember the pestery Sam-I-Am and his persistent sales pitch for green eggs and ham?

“Green Eggs and Ham” isn’t so much an eggs and ham recipe as it is a recipe for recreating the dish and food colors portrayed in Dr. Seuss’ beloved story. In it, he cautions that if we don’t try new things just because they seem different or unfamiliar or because of preconceived beliefs, we may miss out on many experiences that would be enjoyable or beneficial and help us to grow.

Every Dr. Seuss fan – young child and grown-up child alike – should try green eggs and ham at least once and should always keep the story’s moral in their heart. If preparing this recipe for young children, consider reading the story to them or watching an animated version just before preparing the dish: “I do so like green eggs and ham! Thank you! Thank you, Sam-I-Am.”

Ingredients

Sliced ham liquid

Green food coloring

4 large whole eggs

Salt

Black pepper

Directions

Cook or warm the ham according to your preferred method. For fried eggs, separate the whole yolks into a small measuring cup and the whites into four small bowls or custard cups. Add two drops of food coloring to each egg white and beat with a fork until well-blended. Carefully return a yolk to each white without breaking the yolk. Fry according to your preferred method (sunny-side up looks the most impressive) and season with salt and black pepper to taste. To scramble the eggs, thoroughly combine the eggs and six to eight drops of food coloring. Season and cook according to your preferred method. Serve warm on hot dinner plates.

Note: Complement the color theme further by including green-colored applesauce, salsa, jalapeño jelly, or mint jelly, if preferred. A microwave oven does an excellent job of cooking scrambled eggs.

Yield: 2 servings

Sweet Beezle-Nut Cookies

In his cherished children’s book, “Horton Hears a Who,” Dr. Seuss introduces us to the teeny tiny, whimsical Whos in their teeny tiny town of Whoville. While not explicitly mentioned in the book, the Whos harvest beezle-nuts and beezle-nut blossoms from the teeny tiny beezle-nut trees growing in Whoville, just like the large beezle-nut trees harvested in the surrounding Jungle of Nool. It’s easy to imagine sweet beezle-nut cookies being part of the festive feasts set out by the Whos for their Whoville Christmas celebrations described in Dr. Seuss’ later story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Substitute pistachios until beezle-nuts are available in grocery stores outside Whoville and the Jungle of Nool. Sweet beezle-nut cookies aren’t for Christmas only. Oh no. Just ask Cindy-Lou Who.

Ingredients

1 package sugar cookie mix or recipe

Shelled whole pistachios (be of choice generous with the ‘stachios!)

Liquid or gel food coloring (Whos are partial to pastel colors)

Candy sprinkles or icing (optional)

Directions

Prepare the dough according to package or recipe directions. Stir in the pistachios, then divide the dough into the number of colors planned in small bowls. Gently combine enough food coloring with the divided dough to achieve the desired colors (the dough should be uniform in color). Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate for 30 minutes. During this time, preheat the oven as directed. Form dough into 12 ping pong ball-sized rounds and place them about 2 inches apart on two unoiled 13-by-9-inch shallow baking pans (six per pan). Pressing a pistachio or two into the top of each cookie is a nice touch. Cover and refrigerate the remaining dough until ready to use. Bake according to package or recipe directions. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with candy sprinkles, if used. Cool in the pans for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. When completely cooled, dab the cookies with icing, if used. Store at room temperature, tightly covered, for several days, or freeze, tightly wrapped, for up to two months.

Note: Substitute halved filberts or quartered pecan halves for pistachios, if preferred. Candy sprinkles and generous dabs of icing on the cookies are Who-approved.

Yield: Quantity will vary

Dick Sellers is a freelance writer published in psychology, journalism, religion, and cooking. Email address: dickskitchencorner@outlook.com