BY ANN CIPERLY
Terri and Kevin Zackman moved to Opelika in July 2021 and are looking forward to becoming involved in the community. Terri, who enjoys entertaining and the home arts, is pictured with an assortment of her favorite baked goods and is sharing the recipes.
Flower boxes at the windows and a floral wreath on the door provide a warm welcome at the home of Terri and Kevin Zackman in Opelika’s Trillium subdivision. The Zackmans are newcomers to the area; they moved here in July 2021 from Bordentown, New Jersey. While they have an interest in being active in the community, they said they have found a church home, and Terri, who has a love of entertaining and home arts, is becoming known for her scrumptious homemade desserts, breads and other dishes.
When Terri and Kevin decided to retire and move to the South, they said they had no idea where they wanted to live. Terri began conducting searches with keywords, such as faith based community, small town and lakes, as Kevin enjoys fishing.
“When I put those words in, I felt like we were guided by the Lord,” she said.
The Springs at Mill Lakes in Opelika kept coming up in her searches. This led to exploring what the Opelika area provided, and they said they soon knew it was the perfect location for them. After they met Payton Hester at Mill Lakes, she found them a home and church, Trinity Presbyterian, where her family attends.
Terri was born in Connecticut and lived there for five years until her father accepted a position in Manhattan, New York. The family moved to Westwood in northern New Jersey. Terri attended Montclair State University where she received a degree in business, but she said she always had a passion for design.
Since Kevin’s father was in the Air Force, his family lived in many places, including Japan, where he was born. They lived in the South for a while, and Kevin said he enjoyed that time and was interested in returning at some point. He worked in financial technology and was a senior technology executive for years. Kevin retired from Amazon Web Services as senior advisory consultant for the global market.
After their two children were born, they said they decided Terri would stay home while the children were growing up. Terri was active in their school and helped anyway she could. She said she wanted to give back to others and help other mothers.
During that time, Terri began sewing and making pillows, window treatments and bedding for family and friends. She decided to return to college and received a certification in design. Her mother enjoyed decorating and was an inspiration, Terri said.
Terri later worked at Calico Corners where she excelled in additional skills in making custom bedding and window treatments. She began an Etsy business, East Coast Cottage Designs, making accessories for women, including tote bags, cosmetic bags and stunning Bible bags lined with verses sewn on the inside. When they moved, she closed the five-star business, but she is thinking about starting it again and is currently making pillows.
For Terri’s service work at Trinity Presbyterian Church, she redid the pastor’s office and renovated a nursery-bridal room.
The Zackmans’ two children are now grown. Shannon and her husband Jim reside in southern New Jersey. Shannon has a master’s degree in social work and enjoyed working with the elderly before their daughter, Addison, was born. The Zackmans’ son, Taylor, received a degree in history with a minor in criminal justice on a baseball scholarship. He is engaged and a deputy sheriff in Tampa, Florida.
When Terri and Kevin moved here, she said she missed cooking for her family. At church, friends, including Kay Harris, Mary Ann Godwin, Sara SmithT and Judy Beall, have taken them under their wings.
“It has been a lifesaver,” Terri said. “The people are wonderful, and we get together for fellowship.”
Terri’s mom had a love of entertaining and influenced her in enjoying cooking and offering hospitality. Terri would help her Mom bake and set the table for gatherings with family and friends.
“When Mom made Nanny’s homemade sauce and meatballs every Wednesday, I would sit and talk with her and help roll the meatballs for the sauce,” Terri said. “We would share stories of our days with one another as we prepared the meatballs for the sauce. These were some of my sweetest memories with Mom.
“She was always so supportive and loving. Mom taught me how to be of service to others with meal preparation. She always did this for others with such grace her whole life. Food in our family was an expression of our love for one another. Mom always made sure we spent Sunday dinners together as a family, a tradition I carried out with my family as well.”
Her parents were service oriented, and her mother would bake a crumb cake or a meal to take to someone who needed it. Her mother always had baked goods in the house. Terri is sharing the Morning Glory Cake recipe, which is similar to the crumb cakes her mother made, along with muffin and bread recipes.
Terri’s Nanny also influenced her love of cooking, she said. She lived during the Depression and knew how to stretch food.
“Nanny’s kitchen was her domain,” Terri said. “She only liked one cook at the stove. I would sit and watch her prepare wonderful meals. I was her taste tester; a position I humbly accepted. I learned so much from just watching her prepare food for the ones she loved.
“Her joy came from seeing us enjoy her delicious meals. Recipes and traditions are still carried forward in our family to our children and grandchildren. That is the blessing of food and family.”
The Cranberry Pork Tenderloin is served at their traditional Christmas dinner with cranberry sage stuffing and sweet potato soufflé. Terri created the pork recipe from a dish she and Kevin tried on their honeymoon in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.
Kevin’s mother, Shirley Zackman, gave her the recipe for the Chicken and Broccoli Tortellini. She taught Terri how to make quick meals for her young, busy family.
When entertaining, Terri will have the dinner almost completely prepared ahead in order to enjoy time with their guests instead of being in the kitchen. , she said. She is learning about southern seasonings, and a friend taught her how to make biscuits.
“I am so grateful to be in Opelika,” Terri said. “Our hope is that the Lord can use us as a vessel to be sure we are giving back to the community and people. To me, that is most important in life. I believe that God put us here. He has given us special gifts with people I feel I have known my entire life that have made us feel like we are part of their family.
“We want to be a part of the community as much as we can, whether it is through our church or our food and gatherings, as it is important to us.”
Easy Goat Cheese Appetizer
10 ½ oz. pkg. goat cheese
½ cup fig jam
¼ cup chopped pecans
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Crostini or crackers for serving
In a shallow bowl spread out all of the goat cheese and drizzle with olive oil.
In a small pot warm honey, fig jam and balsamic vinegar over a medium heat, whisking to combine. Heat for about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
Drizzle the goat cheese with the fig jam mixture.
Top with fresh thyme and pecan pieces. Add a pinch of sea salt and then serve with crackers or crostini.
Hummus with Roasted Tomatoes
Roasted Tomatoes:
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. dried Italian herbs
Sea salt and pepper
Hummus:
17 oz. canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp. tahini paste
1 large lemon, juice squeezed
2 Tbsp. Greek yogurt
1-2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. toasted almonds, chopped
1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For tomatoes, mix together cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and Italian herbs in a small bow and season really well. Lay out on a lined baking tray and roast in oven for approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until roasted. Remove and set aside.
For Hummus:
In a food processor, add chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, Greek yogurt, sea salt and pepper; process until smooth. With motor still running, drizzle in olive oil.
To Assemble:
Spoon hummus into a shallow bowl and use the back of a spoon to smooth it out.
Spread roasted tomatoes over top so that they are evenly dispersed. Top with toasted almonds, chopped parsley and drizzle some olive oil around the edges in a circular motion.
Morning Glory Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Crumb Topping
Cake:
Baking spray with flour
3 cups White Lily all-purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 cups sour cream
1 cup dried sweet cherries
Topping:
¾ cup chopped pecans
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup powdered sugar
5 Tbsp. heavy cream
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease a 10 inch tube pan or Bundt pan with baking spray.
Prepare cake:
Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a small bowl. Beat together sugar and butter on medium-high speed with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add vanilla and eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and sour cream alternately to butter mixture. Fold in dried cherries. Pour batter into tube pan.
Prepare topping:
Stir together pecans, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in butter. Sprinkle over batter.
Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 65 to 70 minutes.
Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Remove from pan.
Whisk together powdered sugar and cream until smooth. Drizzle over cake.
Chicken and Broccoli with Cheese Tortellini
Shirley Zackman, Kevin’s mother’s recipe
1 head fresh broccoli
1 cup cooked chopped chicken
1 lb. fresh or dried cheese tortellini pasta
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup chicken stock
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Bring your pasta water to a boil, drop in pasta and cook as directed.
At the same time, start a skillet pan warming with about ¼ cup olive oil. Sauté the garlic in the pan just until lightly browned. Add the broccoli florets and Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes.
Cook over medium heat and then add the chicken stock to the pan. Simmer on low.
Once pasta is done, drain and add to the broccoli mixture on the stove.
Slowly incorporate chopped chicken.
Serve in bowls and top each portion with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serves 4.
Chicken with Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Sauce
8 oz. penne pasta uncooked
2 Tbsp. olive oil or the sundried tomato oil from the jar of tomatoes.
Chicken and seasoning:
1.5 lbs. chicken tenderloins cubed into bite size pieces
¼ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. Italian seasoning
Sauce:
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 ½ cups chicken broth
½ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. pepper
7 oz. jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil (Cut up tomatoes)
1 shallot and 3 Tbsp. butter to sauté
3 whole garlic cloves minced
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
¼ tsp. red chili flakes
Cook pasta according to instructions on box. Drain when ready to add to sauce.
In a small bowl season chicken with mixture of seasonings listed with the chicken.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat reserved sundried tomato oil (about 2 Tbsp.).
Cook chicken in oil until chicken is done. This will take about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan.
Add 3 Tbsp. of butter to pan and sauté shallot.
Add tomatoes and garlic to shallots and cook for a couple of minutes until tender. Add heavy cream, broth, cheese, salt, black pepper and pepper flakes to skillet.
Mix and simmer the sauce on low heat for a few minutes until sauce thickens up. Stir in drained pasta and fresh chopped basil.
Cover and cook for a few more minutes on low heat until pasta absorbs some of sauce. Top with more chopped fresh basil and shaved Parmesan as you are serving your guests.
Serve immediately. Serves 6
Spring Salad with Berries and Bacon
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. finely chopped shallots
1 ½ tsp. honey
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
3 cups sliced strawberries, divided
¾ tsp. kosher salt, divided
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 cups baby spring mix or two 5 oz. packages
4 oz. feta cheese block, crumbled
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
8 bacon slices, cooked and coarsely chopped
Add kalamata Greek olives if you prefer
Place red wine vinegar, finely chopped shallot, honey, Dijon mustard, 1 cup of the strawberries and ¼ tsp. of the salt in a blender. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds. With blender running, gradually drizzle in oil, processing until vinaigrette is smooth and combined, about 30 seconds.
Arrange spring mix on a large platter. Top with feta, sliced shallot, tomatoes, bacon and remaining strawberries and olives if you prefer.
Add ½ tsp. salt. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and serve immediately. Serves 6.
Chicken Parmesan
2 lbs. chicken, approximately 12 chicken tenderloins
1 large jar Rao’s Tomato Basil sauce.
1 lb. finely grated mozzarella cheese, preferably whole milk.
1 cup Progresso Italian breadcrumbs for breading chicken
2 beaten eggs
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. pasta or linguini
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Use a 9 x 13 glass baking dish and put 2 Tbsp. oil in the bottom.
Open tomato sauce jar and warm sauce on stove which will go over the chicken and pasta.
Get pasta water started on stove, and place pasta in once water boils. Cook pasta and keep warm.
Place breadcrumbs into a bowl and 2 beaten eggs in another bowl.
Dip chicken into egg and then dredge into the breadcrumbs to coat.
Place chicken pieces into baking dish and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes, turning once after about 10 minutes.
After the 25 minutes you will add warmed sauce over chicken to coat and entire bag of mozzarella over sauce. The cheese will lightly brown in about 10 minutes. Take dish out of oven.
Place pasta on plates and add cooked chicken and sauce on top of pasta.
Cranberry Pork Tenderloin
2 lbs. pork tenderloin
Glaze:
1 can whole cranberry sauce
½ cup raspberry jam
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup orange marmalade
¼ cup sweet blend wine, or port
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Place pork tenderloins into shallow baking dish. Combine glaze ingredients.
While pork is cooking, I will glaze it with sauce mixture. Usually after it has been cooking for about half an hour, I will start glazing, and slowly add more glaze until it is all on the meat while still in the oven.
Bake for about 25 minutes per pound. It usually takes about 1 hour, but you can check internal temperature while cooking. It is done at 145 degrees.
After meat is done, let it rest for 10 minutes and serve with sauce and drippings from pork tenderloin. Serves 6.
Nanny’s Meatballs and Sauce
Nanny Luizzo
Sauce:
8 oz. can Contadina or Hunt’s Tomato Paste with basil
28 oz. can Progresso whole plum tomatoes with basil
4-5 whole garlic cloves (leave cloves whole)
1 medium onion, chopped
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
2-3 fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup olive oil
Meatballs:
1 lb. ground meat 80/20 mix and one Italian sausage mild taken out of casing.
2 small pieces of garlic, minced
½ onion, chopped up very fine
Season with salt and pepper
½ cup plain breadcrumbs
¾ cup Italian grated cheese, Pecorino Romano, (Locatelli Brand) if possible.
½ cup chopped Italian parsley
1 egg mixed with 2 Tbsp. ice water
Sauce:
Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until lightly
brown. Add tomato paste with 2 cans cold water.
Put tomatoes in a bowl and cut up into small pieces and add to paste. Cook for ten minutes.
Meatballs:
Mix ingredients all together with meat. Roll into meatballs, then dip meatballs in the breadcrumbs and brown lightly in oil in frying pan with olive oil.
Then drop into sauce while cooking and simmer for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. Cook on a low medium flame.
Last 15 minutes of cooking, remove garlic pieces from sauce and smash, then add them back into the sauce. Serves 8.
Blueberry-Lemon Muffins
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar, divided
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
1 to 2 tsp. lemon zest
1 egg, beaten
¾ cup milk
1/3 cup cooking oil
1 cup blueberries
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
Preheat oven 400 degrees.
Place paper liners in twelve 2 ½ inch muffin cups.
In medium bowl, stir together flour, ¼ cup of sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in grated lemon peel.
In a large bowl, beat egg with milk and oil. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, stirring just to combine ingredients. Be careful not to beat the batter too much; it should still have a few lumps.
Toss blueberries with 2 Tbsp. of sugar. Fold blueberries into batter. Spoon batter into prepared cusps, filling them only 2/3 full.
Bake muffins in oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. While muffins are warm, dip tops in melted butter, then in remaining sugar. Makes 12 muffins.
Carrot Raisin Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ginger
½ cup shredded carrots
½ cup Dole raisins
½ cup walnuts
8 oz. can dole crushed pineapple
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
½ cup melted butter
Set oven at 375 degrees.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger.
Stir in carrots, raisins and nuts.
In a separate bowl, combine undrained pineapple, eggs, vanilla and melted butter.
Stir into dry ingredients.
Spoon into greased muffin tins. Bake until wooden toothpick comes out clean. Makes 12 to 14 muffins.
Chocolate Banana Bread
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup mashed, very ripe bananas (2 to 3)
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until
combined.
Add eggs, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add sour cream and vanilla extract and bananas.
Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, slowly incorporating.
Add chocolate chips and walnuts.
Pour mixture into prepared loaf pan and bake 55 to 65 minutes, or a bit longer, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Store at room temperature, wrapped for up to four days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.