Today's requests are for Ol' South house-made 1,000 Island dressing and for chocolate-covered espresso coffee beans, potato salad made with red potatoes and recipes using maple syrup.
A Sewanee reader wrote saying that the food was great when the family gathered at Ol' South, a favorite Broad Street eatery many years ago. "The food was wonderful, especially the KC-cut steaks and ribs," the reader wrote, adding that the family also enjoyed the 1,000 Island dressing. If you have it, please pass it on.
The remaining requests are from frequent contributor "Yeast of the Ridge."
Vicky McCoy provided the requested recipe for roasted beets and a Christmas-colored addendum, roasted broccoli.
Roasted Beet Wedges
~ 1 pound medium fresh beets, peeled
~ 4 teaspoons olive oil
~ 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
~ 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
Cut each beet into 6 wedges; place in a large resealable plastic bag. Add olive oil and salt; seal and shake to coat.
Place a piece of heavy-duty foil about 12 inches long in a 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan. Arrange beets on foil and top with rosemary. Fold foil around beet mixture and seal tightly. Bake at 400 F for 11/4 to 11/2 hours or until beets are tender. Discard rosemary sprigs.
Test kitchen tip: For a milder herb flavor, try using fresh thyme instead of rosemary. Beets may be made a day ahead, then sliced and served cold, in a salad.
Roasted Broccoli
The florets get a little crunch and the stalks a bit of caramelization from the sugar. This method came from Cook's Illustrated.
~ 1 large head broccoli (about 13/4 pounds)
~ 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
~ 1/2 teaspoon salt
~ 1/2 teaspoon sugar
~ Pepper
~ Lemon wedges for serving
Trim away the outer peel from the broccoli stalk, otherwise it will turn tough when cooked. Optional: For roasted broccoli with garlic, stir 1 tablespoon minced garlic into the olive oil before drizzling it over the broccoli. Adjust oven rack to the lowest position. Place a large, rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 500 F. Cut the broccoli at the juncture of the florets and stems. Cut the stalk into 2- to 3-inch lengths and each length into 1/2-inch pieces. Cut the crowns into 4 wedges if 3 to 4 inches in diameter, or 6 wedges if 4 to 5 inches in diameter.
Place the broccoli in a large bowl; drizzle with the oil and toss well until evenly coated. Sprinkle with the salt, sugar and pepper to taste, and toss to combine. Sprinkle half the mixture at a time, tossing after each coating.
Working quickly, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Carefully transfer the broccoli to the baking sheet and spread it in an even layer, placing it flat-side down. Return the baking sheet to the oven, and roast until the stalks are well browned and tender and the florets are lightly browned, 9 to 11 minutes.
Here's a special-occasion cheesecake from Caroline Armstrong.
Turtle Cheesecake
~ 4 packages cream cheese
~ 1 cup sugar
~ 2 eggs
~ 2 tablespoons vanilla
~ 1 cup sour cream
~ 2 tablespoons cornstarch
~ Graham cracker crust
~ Caramel sauce (prepared sauce or melted Kraft caramels)
~ Chopped pecans
~ Mini chocolate chips
Whip cream cheese first; do not overmix. Add sugar to cream cheese and then eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla, sour cream and cornstarch. Pour into graham cracker crust. Bake at 300 F for 1 hour. Open oven door and let cool; remove tin. Let cool completely and then put in refrigerator. Top with drizzled caramel sauce, mini chocolate chips and chopped pecans. May be made ahead and frozen.
Tip: For added flavor, drizzle caramel sauce on crust.
Finally, here is one of those fascinating recipes with strange ingredients that produce what seems to be a most delicious result.
Tomato Soup Spice Cake With Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting
~ Solid vegetable shortening for greasing the pans
~ Flour for dusting the pans
~ 1 (18.25-ounce) box plain spice cake mix
~ 1 can (10.25 ounces) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
~ 3 large eggs
~ 1/3 cup vegetable oil, such as canola, corn, safflower, soybean or sunflower
~ 1/4 cup water
~ 1/2 cup raisins
~ 1/2 cup chopped pecans
~ Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting (recipe follows)
Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 F. Generously grease two (9-inch) round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pans aside.
Place the cake mix, undiluted tomato soup, eggs, oil and water in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 or 3 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look well combined and thickened. Fold in the raisins and pecans, making sure they are evenly distributed throughout the batter. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side.
Bake the cakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger and just start to pull away from the sides of the pan, 28 to 31 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven, and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert them again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Allow them to cool completely 30 minutes more.
Meanwhile, prepare the cinnamon buttercream frosting. Time the frosting preparation so that the cake has cooled and is ready to frost.
Place one cake layer, right side up, on a serving platter. Spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer, right side up, on top of the first layer and frost the top and sides of the cake with clean, smooth strokes.
Place this cake, uncovered, in the refrigerator until the frosting sets, 20 minutes. Store this cake in a plastic cake saver or covered in wax paper in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Cake may be frozen, wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw cake overnight or on the counter before serving.
Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting
~ 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
~ 33/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
~ 3 to 4 tablespoons milk
~ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
~ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Place butter in a large bowl. Beat on low 30 seconds. Add sugar about a cup at a time, beating on low between each addition. Add 3 tablespoons milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Beat on medium speed 1 minute. Blend in up to 1 tablespoon milk if frosting is too thick.
With such a grand finale, we'll stop for now, wishing you the best of holiday blessings.