Fare Exchange: Food travel from the Southwest to Italy to Georgia

Jane Henegar

Happy mid-March to you all. Before you sit down to this repast in print, see what you can do about some missing ingredients.

We have a repeat query about all things sous vide, the precise cooking method that involves long slow cooking and last-second finishing. Our correspondent sampled the Sous Vide Bites at Starbucks and would love to know how to prepare them and also wants an experienced sous-vider to say whether the time and investment are worth it.

We have, waiting in the inbox, some correspondence from beekeepers about honey; watch for them next week. As we asked them, so we ask you to send your favorite recipe using honey.

And finally, Lucie Poire is seeking a recipe for "crispy granola, not too sweet, with some chunks in the mix. I don't want dried fruit in it, but nuts are great and so is coconut."

BUTTERMILK DRESSING

Thank you to Suzanne Rice of Ringgold for sharing your version of a homemade buttermilk dressing. This makes a large batch of dry mix and a pretty substantial portion of the buttermilk dressing itself.

Best Ranch Dressing

Dry mix:

1/4 cup black pepper

1 1/2 cups parsley flakes

1/2 cup garlic salt

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1/4 cup granulated garlic

3/4 cup granulated onion

2 tablespoons dill weed

Combine pepper, parsley, garlic salt, kosher salt, garlic and onion and dill weed. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 3 1/2 cups of dry mix.

Dressing:

2 tablespoons dry mix

2 cups mayonnaise

2 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Whisk together 2 tablespoons of mix with mayonnaise, buttermilk, sour cream and lemon juice. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Makes 1 3/4 quarts of dressing.

SOUTHWESTERN CASSEROLE

Here's an authentic New Mexican dish, delivered by Barbara Cole. She wrote, "When we moved to New Mexico in 2005, I realized I had zero recipes for New Mexican dishes. After a potluck, I asked our pastor's wife, Michele McMillan, for her recipe for this dish. She fixes it without chicken or onion." So there's a vegetarian variation for you.

Michele's Enchilada Casserole

2 cans diced green chilies

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 soup can milk

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup chopped onion, or more to taste

1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 to 4 cups shredded chicken

11 or more corn tortillas, cut into quarters

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese for topping

Mix together first six ingredients. Add chicken.

In a 9- by 13-inch baking dish, spread a small amount of sauce to cover the bottom. Add a layer of tortillas, then another layer of sauce. Use three layers of tortillas, topping with sauce. Cover with 2 cups of shredded cheese.

Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

The flavor is improved if made early and refrigerated so flavors can blend.

Variation: This recipe may be made without the onion and the chicken.

Serve with Mexican Coleslaw, recipe below.

Mexican Coleslaw

1 bag slaw mix

1/4 cup canola oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground pepper

Put slaw mix in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour over the slaw mix one hour before serving.

POPPER TIP

Thanks to you, Barbara Chandler of Ringgold, for letting us know that Jalapeno Poppers (printed March 1) may be made with mild banana peppers in place of the fiery jalapenos. She also wrote that, "I am anxious to try A.E.'s recipe mixing the cooked bacon into the filling instead of wrapping it around the pepper. It will save quite a large cleanup in the oven."

CAPER IDEAS

Leda Roberts has 54 years of experience cooking for her husband - and that is an impressive marital record.

"We live in McMinnville. Back in November we learned that we could get local delivery of the Times Free Press. I wish we had known that years ago. It is THE BEST NEWSPAPER we have ever read."

It was the request for recipes using capers that got her attention.

"When I saw the request for capers recipes, it brought some fond memories. My mother taught me to make biscuits and pie crust and many of the basics when I was 8 years old. So by the time I got married in 1963, I was ready to really spread my wings. However, I couldn't afford to fly very high. Hubby was on active duty as a second lieutenant in the Army, making $220 a month. Frugality was necessary, but creativity was fun.

"In 1967 I watched a cooking show on TV called 'The Frugal Gourmet.' The chef promoted pork cutlets as 'poor man's veal.' When I saw a recipe in the March 1968 issue of Better Homes and Gardens for Veal Scallopini, I was excited. I had to do some digging to find out what capers were. (We didn't have Google back then.) This has been a favorite in our family ever since. Now I use pork cutlets that have been cubed like what we used to call minute steaks. They come out so tender you don't need a knife.

"Capers are somewhat like garlic - a little bit goes a long way. I sometimes use them in stuffed eggs, mixing 1 teaspoon capers, crumbled cooked bacon and mayonnaise in with the yolks. Also they are good in potato salad instead of sweet relish."

"Veal" Scallopini

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

6 veal cutlets or cubed pork steaks

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 (16-ounce) can stewed tomatoes

1 (4-ounce) can mushrooms

1 tablespoon snipped parsley

1 tablespoon capers, drained

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon crushed leaf oregano

1 package wide egg noodles

Combine flour, salt and pepper. Dust meat lightly with flour mixture. Over medium heat in skillet, brown meat slowly in hot oil. Remove meat from skillet. Add onion to same skillet; cook till tender but not brown. Add meat, tomatoes, undrained mushrooms, parsley, capers, garlic salt, and oregano. Cover; simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until meat is tender, stirring occasionally. Arrange meat on hot buttered noodles and top with the tomato/vegetable sauce.

Cook egg noodles according to package directions. Drain. Return noodles to pan. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional). Stir to melt butter and coat noodles. Serve immediately.

That's the best way to end this foodie column. I just discovered a package of spaetzle in the back of our cupboard and am thinking spaetzle and scallopini would be a good combination. What's cooking in your kitchen? As always, the rest of us want to know.