Fare Exchange: Tableside guacamole from an Arizona source

Jane Henegar

It's October, and you know what that means: wonderful foods of a new season.

Dixie Strawberry sent a recipe today, in exchange for this request: How do you cook brown rice that is as tasty as white rice? I can't get my family to eat brown rice, and I know it is better for you. I am sending one recipe that might be worth trying."

And here's a reminder too that we would still like a runny homemade buttermilk dressing like the one served at Jason's Deli, and also some advice on the safety of food preserved in aluminum cans.

Lil Yarosh's letter below mentions the importance of water to a healthy lifestyle; tell us, please, what kind of water you think is best.

CUSTOM GUACAMOLE

Joan Bickerstaff responded to the request for inventive ways with avocados. She first sampled this one at a restaurant in Old Town in Scottsdale, Ariz.

"I watched them make it tableside, and asked what was in it, but the portions are your own to decide by taste. It's fun to make when you get to the party if you cut up the ingredients before you go."

She gets her ingredients at the Mexican grocery store at the corner of Main and Broad Streets.

Arizona Tableside Guacamole

4 or 5 avocados, lightly chopped

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

2 or 3 cloves crushed garlic

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

Cilantro

Lime juice

Sea salt

2 or 3 tablespoons chipotle puree

Cotija cheese

Roasted pepitas

Mix avocados with red onion. Add garlic, tomatoes and chopped fresh cilantro.

Season to taste with lime juice, salt and chipotle puree.

Sprinkle crumbled cotija cheese on top and then some roasted pepitas.

PLANT-BASED DIET ADVICE

Lil Yarosh has been teaching vegetarian cooking classes for over 25 years. Her response to the discussion of a plant-based diet included some good advice.

What about breakfast? "My breakfast this morning consisted of a bowl full of cold cereal - I have eight boxes on the pantry shelf - plus a spoonful or sprinkling of chia, flax and hemp seeds.

"On top of that went a sliced peach, amazingly juicy, from California; a few fresh raspberries and a few sliced strawberries. Over this plump full bowl I poured organic soy milk. And lastly I added a honeybell orange from Peru, which our produce stand happened to have at this early market arrival time."

What about ripening with age as a person, as a cook, as a healthy person? Mrs. Yarosh had more to teach us. "Since I reached senior status, I've adopted a two-meal-a-day routine, eating a late breakfast and an early supper."

How complicated is it to switch to a plant-based diet? "Switching requires some adaptation for sure, but along with exercise, adequate water and a few other healthy lifestyle principles, the increase in energy and wellness makes it worth it." And what kind of water do you insist on, Mrs. Y?

BREAD BASICS, PART 2

Today we give a continuation of the expert commentary about bread from Mr. and Mrs. Sunday; hopefully you saw Installment 1 last Wednesday.

The Sundays discussed the fermentation process of no-knead bread as popularized by New York baker Jim Lahey. Time is the magic ingredient here, but what if time is short?

The Sundays advised, "If you don't have the time for long fermentation, the easiest thing to do is go to a bakery that long-ferments its bread. Bread & Butter on Dayton Boulevard in Red Bank is one of the few in Chattanooga that does. We recommend it (http://butterthebread.com). We aren't allowed much bread these days, so rather than bake we go there. Fiamma, Community Pie and Lookout Winery long-ferment their pizza dough, which is why we go there for pizza.

"When we were still baking and eating lots of bread, we loved making the long-fermented breads, but sometimes you don't have the time. Remember the organic acid fermentation products? If you add 1 teaspoon of vinegar per pound of flour to your bread, you get close to the flavor of long-fermented bread. Not sour like sourdough but dang tasty. We once had a visitor from Austria, a baker's daughter, who didn't pick up on our cheat despite being served a three-hour (start-to-finish) rustic bread. We usually use apple cider or malt vinegar in our cheats."

"Another story: When we lived in rural Georgia, one of our neighbors loved to greet new folks with a loaf or two of her Amish Friendship Bread, a sweet, yeast-raised bread that involved a 10-day, long-fermentation process. It was one of her signature dishes, but after many years it became a trial to produce. One day she asked us if we could help so we recast her recipe using the vinegar trick. She used it until she went on to Glory with nobody the wiser. It took an hour and a half from start to finish.

"Oh, just a dash: Add vinegar as above to your beer bread recipe for a shot of added flavor."

BAKED RICE

Ms. Strawberry offered one brown rice recipe - this one baked - in exchange for your answers to her request today, answers we are sure will come. She found this one on slowroasteditalian.com.

Spicy Baked Brown Rice

1 1/2 cups brown rice (I prefer Mahatma Brown Rice)

2 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or water if you prefer)

1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash Southwest chipotle seasoning

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place the rice into an 8-inch square glass baking dish.

Bring the chicken broth, butter, seasoning and salt to a boil in a covered pot on the stovetop. Once your water boils, pour it over the rice, stir to combine and cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, remove cover. You will see the top speckled with your spices. Fluff the rice with a fork. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes for garnish. Serve immediately or allow to cool and refrigerate.

To reheat rice, drizzle 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of water over a serving of rice and microwave for 30 to 60 seconds.

Such good ideas today. Such good ideas every week, all these long short years. You are all good friends, no matter that you are out of sight.