Brine is the opening topic of Fare Exchange.
Debbie Pataky wrote, "I just read in the paper about the old Shapiro's Deli. I LOVED those half-done pickles ... if anyone knows how they are made I would love to make some ... or better yet where to buy them."
Those of us who have purchased half-done pickles can testify that not all entries in this category are excellent, so once again, we are hoping Shapiro's archives contain the Real Thing and that someone will open them and share.
The second request that is soaked in brine came from R.K.G., and it has to do with the high price of beef.
"Beef is expensive these days, so I was glad to see sirloin on sale recently for $5.99 a pound. However, I am used to buying rib-eyes and T-bone steaks, and to me the sirloin calls for tenderizing. I did a dry brine for sirloin with salt, which seemed to have done well. Do any readers have a brine that works well with something like sirloin?"
Finally, Poppy Lyn added a vegetarian request. "Please, a tested recipe for Buffalo cauliflower bites, cooked in an air fryer."
HEALTHFUL SOUP
Ms. Lyn added to your collection of healthful soups with this recipe "found in Southern Living. The creaminess that comes with just 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream makes it a different dish. I don't know what lacinato kale is, so I will use spinach, unless one of your readers tells me that it won't work."
Creamy Chicken Sausage and Kale Soup
This is a new spin on a childhood classic, from Paige Grandjean.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped (about 1½ cups)
3 medium-size garlic cloves, chopped (2 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
12 ounces smoked chicken sausage, sliced diagonally into ½-inch pieces
1 small bunch lacinato kale, stemmed and roughly chopped (about 3 cups)
1 cup loosely packed matchstick carrots
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for topping
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Shredded Swiss cheese
Hot sauce (such as Cholula)
Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour; cook, stirring constantly, until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Add potatoes to broth mixture; bring to a simmer over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in sausage, kale, carrots, salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until kale, carrots and potatoes are tender and soup is heated through, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in heavy cream. Top bowls of soup with Swiss cheese, hot sauce and black pepper.
PEARL ONIONS
About those pearl onions: Barbara Mann reported, "Publix carries frozen pearl onions. I have some in my freezer."
BENCHMARK DESSERT
The recipe you are about to read is a creative variation on Thanksgiving dinner conventions. It appeared in Cook With Bob, Bob Bires' account on Instagram, with the follow introduction.
"When daughter and friend were craving a chocolate cheesecake, had to deliver. This King Arthur Baking recipe is especially delicious, using Oreos for the crust. I made the recipe as written except for two changes: gluten-free Oreos and no flour added to the batter for the same reason. This recipe is a delicious benchmark, keeps for days and a little goes a long way."
Here's a side note. If you have heard that Oreos are vegan, and you are vegan or cook for a vegan, you might want to investigate. Sure enough, if you do, you will discover that the answer is "yes and no."
Chocolate Cheesecake from King Arthur Flour
Crust:
24 chocolate sandwich cookies such as Oreos
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan.
To make the crust: Crush, grind, or otherwise pulverize the cookies together with the sugar; a food processor works well here. If desired, set aside about a tablespoon of the crumbs to garnish the finished cake. Add the melted butter, processing briefly or stirring until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Press the moist crumbs into the bottom and partway up the sides of the prepared pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet, to catch any potential drips of butter. Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove it from the oven, and set it aside as you make the filling. Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees.
Filling:
1/2 cup milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional, for enhanced flavor
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
To make the filling: Combine the milk and chocolate chips in a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl or large cup. Heat, stirring frequently, until the chips melt and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat, stir in the espresso powder and set the mixture aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar at low speed, until thoroughly combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and beat briefly just until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to combine after each one. Stir in the vanilla, then the flour. Add the chocolate/milk mixture, beating slowly until thoroughly combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl; beat briefly, just until smooth.
Pour the batter atop the crust in the pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet; this will make it easier to get the cake in and out of the oven safely. Bake the cake (remember, the oven temperature should be 350 degrees) for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake, 1 inch from the outside edge, comes out clean. A digital thermometer, inserted at the same point, should read 175 degrees. The center may not look set; that's OK.
Turn off the oven, crack the door open several inches and allow the cake to cool in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the cake from the oven, and set it on a rack to finish cooling. When it's completely cool, cover the cake and refrigerate it until ready to serve. Garnish the cake with the reserved crumbs. Serve it in small slices, with whipped cream and berries.
TO FINISH
We have ended with a special dessert, always a welcome finale. What about your special-occasion meals? Is dessert a mere "touch of something sweet," or does it have some splash, some great delight? And after you have answered that, why not give us where-to-purchase or how-to-cook the happy endings at your house.
REQUESTS
-- Shapiro's-style pickles
-- Dry brine for beef
-- Air-fried Buffalo cauliflower bites
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
• Email: chattfare@gmail.com