Welcome to Fare Exchange as we wrap up January. Our first request today has a McMinnville, Tennessee, postmark. Susan McWhirter wrote, "I have a decadent pound cake recipe that my family loves. What I don't like about pound cake is the somewhat greasy, floury crust that develops on the edge of the cake in the pan from the flour/butter mixture. I like to liberally butter my Bundt pan (heavy, nonstick) and then sprinkle sugar on the butter before pouring in the batter. This makes a wonderful edge to the cake. However, part of the cake always sticks to the pan. Do I need to give up on the addition of sugar? Do I need to alter when I take the cake out of the pan?"
We trust the cake experts among you to provide that answer.
In our mailbox this morning were two passed-on requests from one person, who shall go nameless. Can you provide instructions for St. Louis ribs, or any other beef or pork ribs, prepared in a Big Green Egg? And how about a casserole that has dried beef on the bottom and bacon-rolled chicken breasts above, topped with a creamy sauce? "For that matter," our questioner asked, "can you even buy dried beef in a jar anymore?"
TWO FOR WARMTH
Linda Morris looked out her wintry Lookout Mountain window, then turned toward the kitchen. "These long, dark and dreary winter days find me rummaging deep into my recipe file and heading for my warm and cozy kitchen. I am sending along a couple of good recipes I want to share."
When you share recipes like this, esteemed readers, you warm up more kitchens than your own.
Sister Schubert Angel Biscuits
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup warm buttermilk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup shortening
Combine yeast and warm water in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Let stand 5 minutes, then add warm buttermilk, and stir well.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a large bowl; cut in shortening with a pastry blender.
Mix in yeast mixture until dry ingredients are moistened.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 10 to 15 times or until dough is smooth and no longer sticky.
Roll dough to 3/4-inch thickness; cut with a floured 2-inch round biscuit cutter.
Place biscuits on ungreased large baking sheet, and cover with a towel.
Let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 30-45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
Heat oven to 400 degrees, and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Brush with melted butter.
Yield: 1 dozen.
Tasty Collard Pie
1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
1 cup water
1 pound collard greens
6 eggs
2 cups milk
2 (4.3-ounce) packages crumbled bacon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Bring chicken broth and water to boil. Add collards, and cook 20 minutes. Drain well, reserving broth.
Beat eggs, and stir in milk, bacon, salt, nutmeg, cheese and cooked collards.
You may or may not need to add a little liquid to mixture. If you do, use some of the reserved broth.
Pour mixture into 2 greased pie pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Two pies make 12-16 servings.
TWO FOR Q
The next pair of recipes came from the home of Carol S. Both are vinegar-based barbecue sauces, "and both are excellent. Although they are not common locally, I've seen vinegar sauces at restaurants in parts of Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri. Eastern North Carolina is particularly famous for them. People use them while smoking and grilling meat and also as a table sauce when serving the 'Q'. Try drizzling some on your collards."
Vinegar Sauce
This is PBS host Steven Raichlen's recipe from his site BarbecueBible.com.
2 cups distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon hot sauce (like Crystal)
2 tablespoons brown sugar (or to taste)
4 teaspoons coarse salt (kosher or sea), or to taste
1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine the vinegar, water, hot sauce, brown sugar, salt, hot red pepper flakes and pepper in a bowl, and whisk until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Correct the seasoning, adding sugar or salt to taste. The sauce should be piquant but not too sour.
Eastern North Carolina Vinegar Sauce
From Rick Browne of PBS' "Barbecue America."
2 cups cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
Combine the above ingredients and store in an airtight jar.
Variation: To make a Western North Carolina Vinegar Sauce, simply add the following to the above ingredients:
1 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
GRITTY OPINION
Big Bad John, who also describes himself as A Faithful Reader, returned to the conversation with a gritty comment.
"Grits get a bad name because stores sell and restaurants serve bad grits. Stone-ground grits are the only way to go, and I believe Bob's Red Mill is hands-down the best. I call Bob's the 'Un-Gritty Grits' because they're naturally creamy, but if you have a specific recipe for creamy grits, try it out with Bob's. Invest just five minutes at the stove, and never eat a bowl of sawdust again."
He would like a little help on the shopping aisle. "Bob's Red Mill makes two kinds: Southern Style White Corn Grits and Polenta Corn Grits (yellow). Publix on North Market sells the yellow variety, but I've only found the white online. Perhaps another reader can help us find it locally." (Big Lots sells a lot of Bob's Red Mill products, for one.)
As usual, you have filled us up. Please come back again, with your hands or your outbox full of good things to share.
REQUESTS
* Pound cake advice
* St. Louis ribs in a Big Green Egg
* Beef/chicken casserole
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: chattfare@gmail.com