Fare Exchange: A variety of favorites are on the recipe board

Two envelopes arrived this week, both handwritten, both from Chattanooga, both anonymous, and both seeking cakes. The first read, “Please see if anyone has a delicious recipe for cinnamon crumb cake.”

The second reminisced. “Duff’s Restaurant on Lee Highway many years ago had a cake that was maybe spice or applesauce. It was light brown with a gooey topping. Anyone know this recipe?”

FISH WITH CAPERS

Nancy Ruby wrote helpfully about a favorite dish, a well-used ingredient and a dish she has never tried. One of her favorite recipes is the fish recipe that follows, and it also happens to be a good dish for using capers.

“When I make my own tartar sauce, I use capers. Veal or Chicken Piccata is another good use. Hollandaise Sauce with capers for Eggs Benedict is always good.”

Pan-Roasted Halibut with Prosciutto, Lemon, White Wine and Capers

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 (6-ounce) halibut fillets

Extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

2 slices prosciutto, cut into strips

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 teaspoons capers

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley plus whole sprigs for garnish

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Put the flour in a deep plate or in a shallow bowl, and season well with salt and pepper.

Dredge the fish in the flour. Put a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and the butter, and get the skillet hot. Add the fillets and cook until browned on 1 side, 2 to 3 minutes. At the same time, add the prosciutto and cook, stirring, to brown. Then flip the fish, put the skillet in the oven and roast until the fish is just cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Remove the fish to 2 serving plates. Dump the prosciutto out onto paper towels to drain. Put the skillet back over medium heat. Add another tablespoon olive oil, the white wine, lemon juice, capers, the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the parsley, and bring to a boil; boil until reduced and thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the fish, top with the prosciutto and serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings.

– From Tyler Florence, Food Network

FAVORITE CHILI

Suzanne Rice of Ringgold, Ga., made this chili when her house was full, and now that everybody is grown, she makes it for their return and reunions.

“It took me years to perfect this recipe for my family too. I have only given the recipe to one person outside of the family, and that was when my son was in [physical therapy] school in Chattanooga State. I made this chili two years in a row when they made and sold food to raise money for their class. So now I am going to share it with the public.”

Her recipe’s title is simple and all you need to know.

Chili

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

Oil for cooking

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

2 habanero peppers (make a few slits in each one)

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chilies

2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, undrained

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

Salt to taste

1 cup water

Brown ground beef until no longer pink. Drain off any fat. Put ground beef in a crock-pot. In about 1 tablespoon oil, cook chopped garlic, onion and bell pepper until soft. Salt to taste. Add to crock-pot.

Next add remaining ingredients to the pot. Cook on high for 2 hours and at least 2 hours on low. This is best if cooked longer, as the habaneros add more flavor the longer they cook. If you like spicy chili, use 2 jalapenos, chopped, instead of the whole habaneros.

PICKLED EGGS

And now to the topic of pickled eggs. Nancy Ruby has “never eaten a pickled egg and perhaps never will.” But she knows some things about them.

“My neighbor, Chantelle Guthrie, frequently makes them using the juice from canned beets. Just as I don’t care for pickled eggs, she doesn’t like beets and had been tossing them and just using the juice. Now I am the recipient of the beets and she keeps the juice. Her recipe calls for six to eight boiled and peeled eggs placed in a quart jar. She uses the beet juice from a can of regular (not pickled) beets, 1 cup of apple cider vinegar and 1/2 cup of sugar. She just shakes this mixture to dissolve the sugar and pours it over the eggs. The eggs are then refrigerated for a couple of days and then are ready to eat.”

From her online research, Ms. Ruby also learned, “Some suggest boiling the juice, sugar and vinegar mixture. Some also suggest pickling the beets in with the eggs and also adding sliced onion.”

REMEDY TEA

Clifford Burdette offered a remedy of a recipe. He wrote, “I have arthritis in my right hand, and I drink 8 ounces of this daily for ease of movement and to ease the pain. It works.”

Homemade Ginger Tea

4 to 6 tablespoons fresh-grated ginger

4 cups water

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Pinch of cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup lime juice

1/2 cup raw honey (or use maple syrup or sugar)

Peel the ginger root with a peeler or with the back of a spoon.

Grate the ginger with a grater/zester.

If you slice it, slice it thin and use more.

Place the water in a saucepan; add the ginger, cinnamon, turmeric and cayenne.

Bring to a boil, and turn off heat.

Put the lid on it and let it steep for 10-20 minutes.

Strain to remove the ginger.

Add fresh lemon/lime juice and honey.

Stir and enjoy. If you want a cold tea, let your tea cool down, store it in the fridge and add ice cubes before serving.

And here are Mr. Burdette’s reasons for drinking ginger tea. “Due to its strong anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, ginger is considered to be one of the most powerful foods of the 21st century. Ginger is rich in vitamin C, magnesium and other minerals. This makes it extremely beneficial for your overall health. It is well-known by its long history of use for improving digestion and immunity, relieving pain and fighting cardiovascular diseases, asthma and many other health issues.

“A cup of hot ginger tea beats cold in winter more efficiently than any other beverage.

“Ginger tea offers a great number of health benefits, among which are the following:

“Ginger can fight infections and enhance the immune system since it is rich in antioxidants. It is efficient remedy against virus that causes influenza, colds and cold sores.

“Due to its warming properties, ginger can improve circulation, as well as oxygen, vitamins and minerals delivery. Ginger can relieve pain, treat sore muscles, cold, flu and headache. Ginger tea has the ability to reduce the risk of stroke.”

I’m convinced, Mr. B.

This reminds me of the distance between two ways of looking at healthful living: Take plenty of vitamins, or on the other hand, get all your nutrients from healthy unprocessed foods. Which have you chosen, and why? Ginger tea is clearly in the latter camp.

On this and all other topics of food, health and the hospitable table, I am eager to hear from you. How about it?