Fare Exchange: Here are plenty of recipes for your holiday table

Jane Henegar

Good morning, readers. It is good to have you on the other side of the computer screen and, of course, you have culinary work to do.

We begin with a repeat request from last week. For breakfast at its best, what is your menu and what are your recipes? A new challenge is Marcia Kling's query about freezing pancakes. She had an especially good batch recently and there was batter left over. Is it possible to freeze the batter and/or the finished pancakes and, if so, how?

Finally, Mary Bibbs seeks a recipe for starter and rolls and hopes you can provide it before the holidays. The missing recipe was one she also could use to make cinnamon rolls.

PUMPKIN RISOTTO

Rose Secrest is a mindful vegan cook who has produced one cookbook and has a rough draft for another. Her recipes omit salt as an ingredient because those who can't have salt won't, and those who can manage salt can add to taste. Her recipes this week came in a meticulous handprinted sheaf of paper that reminds me how beautiful actual penmanship can be. Calligraphy, after all, only means "beautiful handwriting."

Ms. Secrest spoke first of salt, the pink Himalayan variety. "In Brevard, N.C., at the Spice It to a Tea Shop, I found a mortar and pestle made of this salt. I haven't used it yet, but pounding spices will be more interesting."

The sought-after pumpkin risotto is straight from her cookbook, and she combined ideas from three cookbooks to produce this original version.

Pumpkin Risotto

1 cup Arborio rice

2 cups water

1 small pumpkin, cubed and microwaved

1 leek, sliced

2 ribs celery, sliced

2 tablespoons celery leaves, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, minced

1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced

1/2 cup chestnuts, chopped (optional)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine ingredients and cook rice under cover until rice is tender.

BROCCOLI SALAD

This broccoli salad is featured in Ms. Secrest's upcoming cookbook.

Raw Broccoli Salad

1 head or bag broccoli florets

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 red onion, diced

1/2 cup walnuts

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup parsley, minced

1/8 cup basil, minced

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon thyme

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine ingredients, chill and serve.

CHICKEN SALAD

Here is another chicken recipe from Linda Leake's collection, one of several attributed to her mother.

Mother's Party Chicken Salad

2 cups cooked chicken, coarsely diced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sliced celery

1 cup seedless white grapes

2 hard-cooked eggs, chilled and chopped

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup halved or slivered almonds, toasted

Salt to taste

Sprinkle chicken with lemon juice and salt and chill several hours. Add celery, grapes, chopped eggs, mayonnaise and almonds. Toss lightly. Season salad with salt to taste. Serve in a lettuce-lined bowl.

Makes 4 to 5 servings.

SUGAR-FREE DESSERT

As to the way to successfully substitute sugar-free products in a dessert, Marcia Kling reports from the field.

"In response to the inquiry about how successful the chocolate dessert would be if made with sugar-free products, I made the layered dessert in September for my church circle and, with the exception of the confectioners sugar called for in the second step, I did use sugar-free products. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, even after I told them about the missing sugar.

"I used Cool Whip Free. I'm not sure how it compares to the Cool Whip mentioned in your column."

And here, full of sugar, is the chocolate dessert special enough for a special chocoholic friend's birthday.

Triple Fudge Brownies

1 (3.9-ounce) package instant chocolate pudding

1 package chocolate cake mix

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Confectioners sugar and ice cream (optional)

Prepare pudding mix according to package directions. Stir in cake mix. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 15-by-10-inch baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched. When cool, sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

You also may cut into slightly larger pieces and serve with a scoop of ice cream.

HERB-GARLIC BUTTER

Someone asked for herb garlic butter, and Yeast of the Ridge found this one and thought it sounded good. The original recipe said, "Stuff this under the skin of a chicken with extra garlic, use it for garlic bread, put a small disc in the center of a hamburger or use as a condiment for fish and seafood. This is adapted from 'How To Grill' by Steve Raichlen."

Herb-Garlic Butter

4 tablespoons butter at room temperature

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

1 teaspoon parsley

1 1/2 tablespoons basil

1 tablespoon oregano

Beat all ingredients together with a fork until light and fluffy. Place on plastic wrap and roll into a log. Twist ends of plastic wrap to seal butter. Stir in freezer and cut off discs of butter as needed.

You may store this in the refrigerator, but beware. It will not last as long if you use fresh ingredients. Try adding chives, rosemary or tarragon as well.

MUSHROOM SOUP

In plenty of time for soup weather, read on to discover one more recipe from the "Northside Neighborhood House" cookbook.

Minor Street Mushroom Soup

1/2 stick butter

1 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped

1 or 2 onions, chopped

2 tablespoons flour

1 (10-1/2-ounce) cans beef bouillon or consommé

1/2 cup sherry

2 cans water

3/4 cup half-and-half

Salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce, to taste

Melt butter. Sauté mushrooms and onions for a few minutes. Stir in flour, then bouillon and water and cook 5 more minutes. Purée in a blender. Add cream, seasonings and sherry. Reheat but do not boil.

Makes 6 servings.

As always, you've given the rest of us plenty to think about and plenty to cook up.

So let's get busy.