Cooking Up Family Fun

The Davis brothers make great food and a lifetime of memories in their grandparents' kitchen.

The hottest Friday night action in Bryan, Texas, may be the Davis family's boys'-night-out gathering. It's a once-a-month happening dreamed up by Elizabeth and Cletus Davis. "My aliases are Bets and Bebe," Elizabeth jokes. Her husband earned his nickname, "Cowboy," back in the day, when he was one.

The couple hit on this idea to teach their grandsons a lifetime skill-cooking-as a novel and practical way to spend time together. The boys come over a week ahead to pick recipes, plan the menu, and make a shopping list. They rotate the chief chef position; this child gets to invite a buddy to come as guest chef. "When a grandson learns to read, he joins the group," Bets explains, "and when he marries, he leaves it."

Goof-off time is a-ok here. "When we built our house, we included a lure to coax the boys over," Bets says with a wink. "We have a room outfitted with computers, games, a Ty and three sets of bunk beds, so all of them can sleep over." Spend a mere hour with this family, and you'll realize it's not the bunk room that brings them to Bets and Cowboy's house time after time. It's love.

CREAM PUFFS WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

MAKES 14 CREAM PUFFS

PREP: 10 MlN., COOK: 5 MIN., BAKE: 20 MIN.

You'll be amazed at how easy it is to make your own cream puffs (also known as choux [shoo] pastry). Tips: Once the water-and-butter mixture comes to a full rolling boil, it's time to pull it off the heat. Drop dough onto a baking sheet using a coffee scoop-most measure Va cup. You can also fill the puffs with pudding. This recipe was adapted from Children's Quick & Easy Cookbookty Angela Wilkes (DK Publishing, Inc., www.dk.com, $16.99).

1 teaspoon butter

½ teaspoon water

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar

¾ cup water

1/3 cup butter, cut into pieces

3 large eggs, beaten

¾ cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Chocolate Sauce

GREASE a large baking sheet with 1 teaspoon butter; sprinkle evenly with ½ teaspoon water. Set aside.

STIR together flour and sugar.

BRING ¾ cup water and 1/3 cup butter to a boil, stirring constantly, in a saucepan over medium-high heat; remove from heat, and quickly stir in flour mixture. Beat mixture with a wooden spoon until mixture is smooth and leaves the sides of pan, forming a ball of dough. Gradually add beaten eggs to dough, beating well until mixture is smooth and glossy. Drop dough by rounded 1/8-cupfuls (about 14 mounds) evenly onto the prepared baking sheet.

BAKE at 400° for 20 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Pierce 1 side of each cream puff with a knife to allow steam to escape; let cool on baking sheet on a wire rack.

BEAT whipping cream at medium speed with an electric mixer until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Cut each cream puff in half horizontally. Fill bottom halves evenly with whipped cream mixture; top with top halves. Drizzle with Chocolate Sauce, and serve immediately.

Chocolate Sauce:

MAKES 1 CUP

PREP: 5 MIN., COOK: 3 MIN.

1 cup (4 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels

¼ cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons butter

STIR together all ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until chocolate and butter are melted and sauce is warm.

LEMONY BAKED FISH STICKS

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

PREP: 20 MIN., BAKE: 20 MIN.

The Davises often use Hey Kids! You're Cooking Now! by Dianne Pratt (Harvest Hill Press, 1-888-288-8900, $19.95) when selecting recipes for their cooking sessions. We adapted this recipe and Quick-and-Easy Tartar Sauce from this book.

Vegetable cooking spray

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 pounds cod, flounder, or other white fish fillets

½ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

2 egg whites

½ cup 2% reduced-fat milk

Lemony Breading Mix

COAT a jelly-roll pan with cooking spray. Coat bottom of pan evenly with canola oil. Set aside.

RINSE fish fillets in running water; pat dry on paper towels. Sprinkle salt evenly on each side of fillets. Cut fish into 1 - x 2-inch strips; set aside.

BEAT eggs, egg whites, and milk in a pieplate or shallow dish with a fork until well blended.

PLACE Lemony Breading Mix in a large zip-top plastic bag. Dip fish strips into egg mixture; add a few at a time to breading mix in bag. Shake to coat. Place breaded fish in prepared jelly-roll pan; repeat with remaining fish strips.

BAKE at 400° for 15 to 20 minutes or until breaded fillets are golden brown. Serve immediately.

Lemony Breading Mix:

MAKES 3 ½ CUPS

PREP: 10 MIN.

8 bread slices

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

½ teaspoon pepper

PLACE bread in food processor, and pulse to form fine crumbs.

COMBINE breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, grated lemon rind, and ½ teaspoon pepper.

QUICK-AND-EASY TARTAR SAUCE

MAKES ABOUT 1 ¼ CUPS

PREP: 5 MIN.

Have the kids grate a lemon for zest for the Lemony Breading Mix; then cut it in half, and squeeze to get the juice for this recipe.

1 cup light mayonnaise