A good September morning to you. Our requests today are two.
-- A summertime visitor bought several bags of Chattabrew Nuts, a tasty combination of "peanuts, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts and pecans with beer and flavorings both sweet and spicy.
"This is understandably a pricey mix, and I would like a recipe to make my own or to make something similar. In particular, I wonder how beer is used, and why the recipe needs sweetness as well as spice."
We'll wait for details or, at the very least, hints from the Chattanooga creators of this delight.
-- Like most seasoned cooks, Jane Guthrie has a collection of cookbooks and in the discussion of Celia Marks' "Come Into My Kitchen" cookbook, Ms. Guthrie had an idea. "It brought to mind the other books I have. Is there such a thing as a pass-it-on cookbook association?"
And if not, why not?
CORRECTION BY DEGREES
If you missed the oven temperature in the tempting carrot cake last week, bake at 350 degrees. Check to see if cake is done after 30 minutes; you may need 35 to 40 minutes total, as the cake is dense.
UNSOUPY TOMATO PIES
Linda Green Johnson answered the concern of a reader about soupiness in tomato pies.
After reading several tomato pie recipes on Aug. 24, she wrote, "I made a tomato pie, and lo and behold it did not turn out soupy. Here are my tweaks."
You may apply any of these to your version of tomato pie as well.
To Avoid Soupiness in Tomato Pies
1. Slice the firm, ripe tomatoes thick (not quite ½-inch but almost). Lay them on a rack that has been sprayed with oil. Put the rack in a half sheet pan, and roast on the convection setting at 200 degrees for about an hour, turning them over once.
2. Cover the bottom of the prebaked pie crust with panko breadcrumbs.
3. Make two layers of the tomatoes, basil and onions. Between the layers, use cheese slices.
4. Use about half the amount of mayo called for in the recipe. The mixture does not need to be thick enough to spread; just place dollops of it on top of the pie.
(READ MORE: For a great tomato pie, get the crust right)
SAUCY CAULIFLOWER
Tim Threadgill makes low-carb sound tempting by sending a recipe he has tested and adapted.
"This is a great low-carb recipe. The leftovers make a good tapenade-type spread as well.
The original recipe, with Mr. Threadgill's adaptations included below, came from Gregory Gourdet.
Cauliflower Puttanesca
I have always loved puttanesca, the promiscuously salty team of flavors that sauced one of my favorite pasta dishes before I went gluten-free. In this quick vegan take on the recipe, I channel that same bold flavor, warming olives, capers, chilies and jarred roasted tomatoes (or sun-dried, in a pinch) and spooning them all over simply roasted cauliflower.
1 large head cauliflower (about 3 pounds, the largest head you can find), leaves removed, cut into bite-size florets
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus a pinch
8-10 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup drained oil-packed roasted or sun-dried tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup pitted mixed olives, large ones halved
1/4 cup drained capers
1 1/2 teaspoons red chile flakes
Large handful basil leaves, torn
Small handful small parsley sprigs
1 juicy lemon
Heat the oven to 450 degrees. On a sheet pan, combine the cauliflower, 1/4 cup of the oil and 2 teaspoons of the salt, then give it all a toss to coat. Spread the cauliflower in a single layer, and roast, without stirring, until deep golden and tender but with a soft crunch to the stems. The original recipe says 10 to 15 minutes, but it may take 20 minutes to brown sufficiently.
In the meantime, heat the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmery. Add the garlic and the remaining pinch of salt, and cook until the garlic is golden, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, olives, capers, and chile flakes, and cook, stirring occasionally, just until it's all warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes.
When everything is ready, put the cauliflower in a big bowl, and pour in the contents of the skillet, including the flavorful oil. Add the basil and parsley. Use a microplane to grate in the lemon zest, then halve the lemon and squeeze in the juice. Stir well, and transfer to a platter to serve. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
TWO OF MANY
Roseann Strazinsky's latest letter was jam-packed; here is your first course.
Frosted Pumpkin-Walnut Cookies
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup chopped walnuts
Maple Frosting (recipe follows)
Cream butter; gradually add brown sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in pumpkin and flavorings.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice; stir well. Gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Stir in walnuts.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets or use parchment paper, 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Cool cookies on wire racks. Frost with Maple Frosting.
Makes about 7 1/2 dozen cookies.
Maple Frosting
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar, divided
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 teaspoon maple extract
Cream butter; gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar, beating well with electric mixer. Add remaining sugar alternately with milk, beating until smooth enough to spread. Add maple extract, and beat well.
Broccoli Delight Salad
4 to 5 cups broccoli pieces, cut up
1 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup red onions, diced
8 slices of bacon strips, fried and crumbled
1 cup sunflower seeds
Place all ingredients into a bowl, blending well together. Mix the three dressing ingredients (recipe follows) and pour over the broccoli, making sure all the broccoli pieces are coated well with the dressing.
You may also substitute cauliflower or use both vegetables.
Dressing
3 to 4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white vinegar
There you have it -- for this week, at least. Please join us in the next.
REQUESTS
-- Sweet and spicy nut mix
-- Cookbook exchange
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