Requests
-- Thanksgiving successes
-- Pasta dishes for amateurs
As December rushes in, we continue to look for your favorite holiday recipes. What recipes and menus were a smashing success at Thanksgiving? The rest of us need to know.
Odell Waddell of East Brainerd is a man who, through the years, has provided many challenging questions for Fare Exchange researchers. He did it again today.
"This cook is looking for some easy Italian dishes that an amateur can prepare. Yes, I can make spaghetti with meat sauce, and lasagna, but I am looking for some other rather simple pasta dishes.
"I recently had a meal at ZZ & Simone's in Athens, Georgia, where my wife had Butternut Squash Ravioli and I had Spaghetti al Limone. Both were delicious. Some of your readers might have recipes for these dishes as well as other Italian treats."
And finally, "I would also like a recipe for manicotti."
ALL-SEASONS PIE
Margaret McNeil, the creator of margaretsmorsels.com, "saw your request for December celebration recipes and wanted to share one that's been a tradition for over a decade. It's also the recipe I launched my blog with in 2010.
"Son No. 2 has a December birthday. He's not a fan of birthday cake, so he always asked me to make a Peanut Butter Chip Pie. The pie doesn't require any baking and is wonderful served in the summertime. However, I made it for his birthday even when snow and ice were on the ground. I use a graham cracker crust, but you can substitute a chocolate one or even make one out of Nutter Butter cookies. When he was young, he liked the top covered with Magic Shell topping. Nowadays, he prefers whipped cream. My son works in Louisiana, so I won't be making the pie for his birthday this year. It might just make an appearance at Christmas, though.
"If you'd like to read more about the recipe, this link will take you directly to the page: https://margaretsmorsels.com/blogs_source/pie-for-4th-of-july-and-introduction/pie-for-4th-of-july-and-introduction.html"
If you are, however, ready to skip to the recipe, let's skip there together.
Easy Peanut Butter Chip Pie
1 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 (10-ounce) package peanut butter chips, divided
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup cold whipping cream, divided
1 graham cracker pie crust
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Beat cream cheese and lemon juice in medium bowl until fluffy, about 2 minutes; set aside. Place 1 cup peanut butter chips and sweetened condensed milk in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 45 seconds; stir. If necessary, microwave on high an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chips are melted and the mixture is smooth when stirred. Add warm peanut butter mixture to cream cheese mixture. Beat on medium speed of mixer until blended, about 1 minute. Beat 1/2 cup whipping cream in another small bowl until stiff; fold into peanut butter mixture. Pour into pie crust; cover. Refrigerate overnight until firm. If desired, just before serving, combine remaining 1/2 cup whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in small bowl. Beat until stiff; spread over filling. Garnish with remaining 2/3 cup peanut butter chips. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
ROOT VEGETABLES
Another contribution from Barbara Smith is this wintry combination of root vegetables.
Roasted Root Vegetable Medley
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 garlic clove, minced
4 large beets, peeled and quartered
2 gold potatoes
2 carrots, peeled and cut diagonally
2 parsnips, diced
1 large sweet potato, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 rutabaga, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 large onions, quartered lengthwise
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup green onions, chopped
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In small mixing bowl, combine oil, maple syrup and garlic. Place all vegetables on a heavy large rimmed baking sheet. Pout oil mixture over vegetables, and toss to coat. Spread vegetables out into a single layer, and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast until tender and golden brown, about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. Transfer vegetables to platter, and drizzle with butter. Sprinkle with chopped green onions, and serve immediately.
POSH POTATOES
Party Potatoes -- the authentic Chattanooga version -- eluded us ... until Marilyn Dammann wrote from Hixson.
"I am sending my recipe for party potatoes. The recipe came from 'The Book of Favorite Recipes' created by the United Methodist Women of North Wood United Methodist Church, Florence, Alabama, 1976."
The original requester, from First Presbyterian Church, thinks this just may be the Real Thing.
Party Potatoes
8 to 10 medium potatoes
1 stick real butter, room temperature, plus more for topping casserole
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese room temperature
1/2 pint sour cream
1/3 carton frozen chopped chives
Salt and pepper, to taste
Paprika, for topping
Boil potatoes until tender. Put through a ricer. Beat together butter, cream cheese and sour cream, then gradually add potatoes, chives and salt and pepper. Place in a well-greased casserole. Dot with butter, and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes.
LEMON VINAIGRETTE
"Didn't someone ask for lemon vinaigrette several months ago?" asked B.S., who provided the answer in a recipe by Linda Wright in "Fabulous Feasts From Grainger County" from the Rutledge (Tennessee) Baptist Church.
(READ MORE: Homemade salad dressings: Say goodbye to the bottle)
My favorite thing about this recipe is the colorful instruction to "whack" the finished product.
Fresh Lemon Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1 large garlic clove, pressed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
7 tablespoons olive oil
Whisk together first 6 ingredients. Add olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until blended.
Serve immediately, or store in refrigerator up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature, and whack until blended before serving.
TO FINISH
As I read the request for Italian recipes that began this column, I thought of the Alchemy Spice Co. jars in our kitchen cabinet, including their excellent Italian blend. A neighbor gave us a trio of these artisan spices, made locally, and it's a fine gift for any occasion, any stocking. It's worth a trip to their website (though they are also sold elsewhere) for the variety of offerings. A gift crafted locally is a fine gift, especially if it's consumable.
Let's keep ramping up the spice of life for all who cook and all who dine, in our lovely corner of the world.
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, and know we cannot test the recipes printed here.
• Mailing address: Jane Henegar, 913 Mount Olive Road, Lookout Mountain, GA 30750
• E-mail: chattfare@gmail.com