Fare Exchange: Riffing on puddings, from breadcrumb to banana

Good morning and welcome to March. This column gets written a week before it is printed, so the words that follow came on a soon-to-snow afternoon, a day when almost all of us stocked our larders in anticipation.

When the man of the house comes and dinner is not far behind, it's easy to whip something up, but I'm thinking of the mood that is set when the door opens to smells of dinner in the simmering. It might be meat or vegetable stew or soup or a pot roast. There might be a hint of curry or the promise of onions and garlic. But aromas from the kitchen simply and deliciously say: "Welcome. We've been waiting for you."

Today we remind you of three repeat requests: recipes using kale, guidance for different kinds of sea salt and other salt and how to use them, and recipes for homemade vinegars.

Sue Moore asked about a recent recipe, Cherry Coca-Cola Salad, calling for sour cherries and juice. She could only find a can of red tart cherries, whole pitted cherries in water, at Wal-Mart. Should she be satisfied with what she's got for the Jell-O recipe? Are variations not only possible but recommended? If you know, please tell us.

REUSING BREAD

Mignon Ballard of Calhoun, Ga., sent her mother's recipe for breadcrumb pudding, "a good way to use leftover bread and you can use a combination of biscuits and sliced bread or whatever you have on hand."

Breadcrumb Pudding

2 cups bread, torn into pieces

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten (reserve whites for meringue)

3 egg whites

1 cup milk

2/3 cup sugar, plus 4 tablespoons

3 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup raisins (or more if you like)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon orange extract

Combine these ingredients - except for the egg whites and 4 tablespoons of sugar - and pour into greased, ovenproof pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool a little and spread with a tart jelly (blackberry or crabapple is good, or use whatever suits).

Or, if you want to make a meringue topping, beat the 3 egg whites until they're stiff, then fold in 4 tablespoons of sugar.

Top the pudding with the meringue and put it back in the oven at 300 degrees for about 15 or 20 minutes until meringue is brown.

This should serve 6 ordinary people or 4 of my relatives.

RIFF ON PUDDING

Indeed there is a different take - or, to use a newly popular word, riff - on banana pudding. You asked and Barbara produced it. The secret is Pepperidge Farm chessman cookies. The recipe came from Paula Deen and is described as "no-bake and easy." The title will tempt you to investigate as well. My guess is that any shortbread cookie would work well here.

Not Yo Mama's Banana Pudding

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies

6 to 8 bananas, sliced

2 cups milk

1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

Line the bottom of a 13-by-9-by 2 dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.

In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

SALAD SELECTIONS

There is a gracious and tasty plenty of Jell-O salads in the inbox; they are frosted with nostalgia and full of variety. Ann Weller of Signal Mountain prefaces her favorite with these words: "When I was working, we gave many luncheons for brides-to-be and baby showers. This was good with chicken salad served in a tart shell, with marinated cold asparagus and homemade rolls."

Sawdust Salad

1 small box orange Jell-O

1 small box lemon Jell-O

2 cups boiling water

1 cups cold water

3 diced bananas

1 package miniature marshmallows

1 large can crushed pineapple, well-drained, with juice reserved

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup pineapple juice

1 beaten egg

1 large container whipped topping

4 ounces softened cream cheese

1 cup or more grated cheddar cheese

Bring water to boil and remove from heat. Add orange and lemon Jell-O and dissolve. Then add cold water; chill slightly.

Add bananas and pineapple to the Jell-O mixture.

Pour mixture into 13-by-9 Pyrex dish and pour marshmallows on top. Do not stir. Refrigerate until firm.

Make a pudding by mixing sugar, flour, pineapple juice and egg in a saucepan. Cook until thick, beating well as you go. Pour over Jell-O and marshmallows. Marshmallows will melt, but do not stir.

Mix together whipped topping and softened cream cheese and spread over pudding mix. Top salad with grated cheese.

It's good to have a man's voice in this conversation. A man who signs himself St. Elmo Paul wrote, "Since you requested recipes for Jell-O salad and not congealed salad (disgusting term), here's one that is a favorite of our children and now grandchildren, especially at holiday time."

Real Red Raspberry Salad

1 (6-ounce) package raspberry Jell-O

2 cups boiling water

1 (10-ounce) package frozen raspberries

1 can (14 ounces) jellied cranberry sauce

2 tablespoons lemon juice

In a large bowl dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Add frozen raspberries and cranberry sauce. Beat with eggbeater or wire whisk until mixed. Stir in lemon juice. Pour into mold or serving bowl. Refrigerate until set.

Shopping hint: I haven't seen 10-ounce packages of frozen fruit in recent years; the exact amount is not crucial.

SHRIMP SOUP

Here's another favorite of Marcia Steele of Signal Mountain.

Shrimp Chowder

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

3 potatoes, diced

1 stick butter

1/2 cup flour

2 cans (12 ounces each) evaporated milk

2 cans water

2 pounds shrimp

1 (7- to 10-ounce) can white corn

4 tablespoons oil

1 clove garlic (or garlic powder)

1 bay leaf

Sauté onion, add tomatoes and potatoes and cook until potatoes are done. Make cream sauce with butter, flour and milk. Add shrimp other ingredients. Put in crock-pot and cook on high 25 minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve.

Thank you for reading, and do come back.