Jane HenegarSometimes I think of all of us – you, me, the rest – as neighbors from a quieter, simpler day, peering over the back fence into each other’s yards. Maybe you are hanging clothes on the line, or weeding the garden, or repairing the fence. We call out to each other across that fence – things like, “Did anybody ever find the recipe for 212 Market’s pork chops with grilled peaches? If not, I think I am going to experiment tonight “
A new request from Jeana Reidl is for “how to make sweetened dried citrus slices like the orange slices we love to buy at Trader Joe’s.” (And shall we continue our chorus of pleading for Trader Joe’s to open a store here? Of course.)
And as you will see below another good corn recipe, don’t forget we are still hot on the trail of a casserole made with frozen logs of corn.
Today we begin a lively conversation about the Best of the Best in our kitchens, in any categories. We will give you the first four of those, with more to come next week, and surely there are more to be sent. So keep thinking as you putter around that kitchen this week, and let us know.
Best of the Best in My Kitchen
» Anne Hendrix of Soddy-Daisy chose her InSinkErator instant hot water dispenser. She continued, “We put it in when we remodeled our kitchen 13 years ago. I had really enjoyed the one in my sister’s kitchen when I stayed with her many years ago and made it one of my must-haves. It’s great for a quick cup of hot tea, instant oatmeal or grits, or just for cooking. It is used several times a day here.”
» Lucy Boyd recommended keeping an inexpensive electric griddle out on the counter. “You can use it in place of a skillet for almost anything. It can also replace the outdoor grill. Use it to heat tortillas and toast bread and buns. Scrambled and fried eggs, hamburgers, mushrooms, peppers, hoecakes, chicken, pork and more all taste better on the griddle. Grill solo or use a little butter or oil. I’ve found all the nonstick ones to be about the same. Avoid the ceramic, however. So many people have a griddle, but they keep it packed away and it’s too much trouble to unpack. The inexpensive electric ones, like Presto, all seem to last two to three years, whether you buy an expensive one or the most basic, and provide the same results.
» Betty Domal of Moore County chose her KitchenAid stand mixer. “Many years ago – approximately 35 years – my husband and I bought one, and one for my mother at the same time. I am still using mine, and my sister-in-law still uses the one we gave my mother. I have a paddle attachment, a whipping cream attachment and a dough hook that all came with it.”
» Pat Schock of Rossville said her kitchen best is a GE Café dual-fuel range. “While I can’t live without my KitchenAid stand mixer, our range is the best. The gas cooktop has a large center burner great for large pots, with an optional grill top for that burner. It has a full-size top oven and the lower warming drawer will also bake up to 400 degrees. We have owned more expensive stoves but never had a better one. It’s a joy to use.”
CORN PIE
And now, back to recipes. Peggy J. Long wrote, “Not sure if this is the corn recipe you are looking for but think you will enjoy. This has been a family favorite for over 50 years.
“This recipe is easier to make when you make each part and set aside until called for. My grandmother would enlist my sister and me to help her cut the fresh corn off the cob for freezing. Some people freeze the whole cob; our family preferred the cut corn. The recipe can be used with either fresh or frozen corn. If you do not have your own, you can use frozen corn from the store.”
Corn Pie
Crust
1 1/4 cups club crackers rolled out into crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
Mix crackers and butter well and press into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie dish.
Reserve some to sprinkle on top before baking pie.
Pie Filling
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 to 3 cups fresh or frozen corn, cut off the cob
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup milk
In a small bowl beat eggs well, and set aside for later.
In a heavy pan over medium heat, mix 1 cup milk, butter, corn and salt. Stir occasionally so it does not scorch, and turn down the heat if it begins to scorch.
While above mixture is heating, in a small bowl mix cornstarch and 1/4 cup milk together until smooth. Add this to the warm corn mixture, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. When this mixture is thickened, add the well-beaten eggs, stirring constantly to avoid lumps and make a smooth mixture. Heat mixture until it bubbles.
Pour into the piecrust and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
You can adjust the temperature and time if cooking other items at the same time; 350 degrees for an hour, for example.) Watch closely so cracker crumbs do not burn.
SOUR CREAM GRAVY
As promised last week, and as provided by Mr. and Mrs. Sunday, here is a downsized version of the Sour Cream Gravy served on Serenbe’s Halsa Restaurant Swedish Meatballs.
At first glance, this looks easy until you see “Reduce demi glace.”
Demi glace is made by boiling down an equal mixture of brown stock (beef and/or veal broth from roasted bones) and brown sauce (a roux-thickened combination of brown stock, tomato and mirepoix). It’s not hard, but it is hot. Don’t think that you can use boxed or canned beef broth; most of them taste artificial and that odd taste gets stronger as you reduce them. They also typically are salted, and the salt intensifies as well. The same goes for bouillon cubes and most soup bases.”
Here’s the good news: “You can buy good-quality demi glace in super-condensed form. More Than Gourmet makes a 4X reduction, and it’s available on Amazon for $3.82 for a 1.5-ounce puck (makes 7.5 ounces of demi glace). Locally Whole Foods carries it and probably Fresh Market.
“If we were to try making the gravy, we’d add 1 ounce of hot water to the 1.5-ounce puck, heat and stir until smooth, then add 2.5 ounces sour cream, 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 teaspoon chopped parsley. Adjust thickness and seasoning. This should yield 5 ounces of gravy, enough to see if it’s to your taste or close to the original. If you like it, the concentrated demi glace is available in 1-pound tubs on Amazon; you could also scale up by using multiple 1.5-ounce pucks.”
Thanks to each of you for reading, writing, cooking and sharing. All parts are needful.
REQUESTS
* Dried citrus slices
* Casserole made with frozen corn
* Best kitchen features
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
Email: chattfare@gmail.com