Good morning, readers. You now are entering the Long-Lost and Not-Found Department, where we need your help with hot and sour soup, Heath Bar dessert, recipes using fresh ginger and an Indian red lentil dish.
Diane Hall is looking for "a recipe for good hot and sour soup such as was served at Mandarin Garden in Hixson before they closed."
Liz Kennedy has misplaced her recipe for a Heath Bar-type dessert "that was a lot like Chocolate Lush."
The third request came from a reader who was trying her hand at Indian cooking and wanted some ideas for using fresh ginger and also a red lentil dish with garlic.
Last week we ran one recipe for lemonade pie; today Marianne Smotherman sent her four-ingredient recipe, and, in the sending, was reminded that this would be a great dish to prepare with her 5- and 7-year old grandsons' visit. Thanks also go to Aimee Brooks for sharing a similar recipe.
Lemonade Pie
1 (6-ounce) can frozen lemonade
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 small carton frozen whipped topping (Cool Whip)
1 graham cracker crust
Stir together lemonade, condensed milk and Cool Whip. Spread in the graham cracker crust and chill until firm.
Sandra Oliver solved the potato flake starter question and provided the bread recipe as well.
Potato Flake Sourdough Starter
1 cup lukewarm water
1 packet instant yeast
3 tablespoons instant potato flakes
3/4 cup sugar
Dissolve in the lukewarm water the packet of yeast. In a bowl, mix yeast mixture with potato flakes and sugar. Let this sit out on the counter all day, then refrigerate until you are ready to start making bread (3 days to a week). You may go ahead and make bread with the starter, but you won't have any leftover starter to keep.
To feed: Remove starter from the refrigerator and add 3 tablespoons instant potato flakes, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 cup lukewarm water. Let this sit out on your counter all day and shake it up or stir it a couple of times through the day. After 5 to 10 hours on the counter, it should have a white foam on the top and is ready to make bread.
Sourdough Bread
Sourdough starter
6 cups bread flour
11/2 cups lukewarm water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 teaspoons salt
Take out a cup of starter and add to this cup all remaining ingredients. If you have a lot of starter, you can use two cups of starter and double all the other ingredients. Mix all of this together, and pour into a large glass mixing bowl that has been greased with Crisco. Let it sit out on the counter for 5 to 12 hours till it rises to twice its size.
Turn out onto counter and knead it lightly, adding a little flour so it won't stick to your hands while kneading (not much flour and not much kneading, just enough to get the large air bubbles out.) Grease your pans with cooking oil and the flour, and divide the dough (each recipe should make 3 medium loaves). Fill pans 2/3 full. Rub the tops of the loaves lightly with cooking oil. Cover lightly with a thin cheesecloth or plastic wrap; do not cover tightly.
When bread has risen, bake in the middle of a 350 F oven for 30 minutes for regular-sized loaves. Brush tops of the loaves with butter.
Aundrea Evans hopes one of the following recipes from Helen Exum's 1982 cookbook will be the one Elsie Keith was seeking.
Tostados
2 packages McCormick Taco Seasoning
Flat tostado shells
Refried beans
2 pounds ground beef, browned
Monterey Jack cheese
Stuffed olives
Ripe olives
Tomatoes
Chopped onions
Prepare taco seasoning with water as directed on the package. Spread flat tostado shells with canned refried beans. Then add the ground beef mixture. Top with shredded lettuce, then any or all of the condiments.
Variations: Chop some green onions along with the white onions. Top with either guacamole or sour cream taco topping (recipe follows).
Sour Cream Taco Topping
6 tablespoons mild El Paso taco sauce
8 ounces sour cream
Mix taco sauce and sour cream and use as a topping for tacos or for a salad dressing.
Open-Faced Tacos
1 pound ground beef
1 package (11/4 ounces) taco seasoning mix
1 cup water
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1 can round flat 21/2-inch tortilla chips
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
In a skillet, cook beef, crumbled, until brown. Drain and discard drippings. Stir in taco seasoning mix and water. Bring to a boil, and simmer about 15 minutes.
Arrange a single layer of tortilla chips on an ungreased baking sheet. Heat broiler. Put the oven rack about 6 inches from heating element.
Spoon about 2 teaspoons meat mixture on each chip. Sprinkle cheese evenly over chips. Place under broiler until bubbly. Top each chip with 2 pieces of tomato and 1 small slice avocado.
Top with a dab of sour cream.
What would we do without Mexican food and Tex-Mex? Send us your favorite in those two genres, would you? And until then, receive my heartiest thanks on behalf of all who read here.
To Reach Us
Fare Exchange is a longtime meeting place for people who love to cook and love to eat. We welcome both your recipes and your requests. Be sure to include precise instructions for every recipe you send.
Mailing address: Jane Henegar, 913 Mount Olive Road, Lookout Mountain, GA 30750.
E-mail: janehenegar@gmail.com.
Fax: 423-668-5092.