On a trip to the not-so-far country this week, some queries floated through autumn air and returned to Chattanooga in my pocket.
Here they are: Can you supply a specific recipe for salmon baked in foil with lemons and vegetables; homemade gluten-free cookies like the break-and-bake varieties found in local stores; breakfast dishes with a Mexican theme; and finally, where to buy sourdough starter. (Or can it even be bought?)
And here's a shopping question from Mrs. Harrie D. Cook of Cleveland, Tennessee. Where might one find ham biscuits to serve at home?
Jane HenegarA FEHN'S CLASSIC
Thank you, Frances Kington of Hixson, for sharing what you delightfully identified as "my stash for Fehn's macaroon pie over lots of years." This is one version in that stash.
Fehn's Macaroon Pie
18 soda crackers
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
12 dates, chopped
1/2 to 1 cup pecans, chopped
1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
3 egg whites
Roll crackers until finely ground. Add sugar, baking powder, dates, pecans and extract.
Beat egg whites until stiff, and fold in. Put in well-greased pie plate and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in pie plate on a rack. Pie will sink a bit and be crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.
This pie freezes well.
CHOCOLATE MAYO CAKE
Melanie Edwards gave credit to "a special family friend, Barbara Whitmarsh, for this delicious, moist chocolate mayonnaise cake."
Having discovered how popular this cake is, I am wondering what magic the mayonnaise works in the batter and whether the mayonnaise brand matters and whether salad dressing is an acceptable substitute. If you can answer these questions, please do.
Barbara's Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
5 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
1 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla
Mix ingredients in order given. Bake in sheet pan at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
(Barbara uses a 9- by 12-inch Pyrex dish for her cake.) Frost with favorite chocolate frosting when cake is cool.
FALL ONE-POT
Rosemary Palmer has often contributed recipes to Fare Exchange, but on a larger scale she has shared recipes on her blog, Not Just Paper and Paint. She reported this week, "I rebranded recently, and it is now My Home and Travels. You can still access everything from the old name or at https://myhomeandtravels.com." She recommended for Fare Exchange readers a one-pot dish that looks great for fall.
One-Pot Turkey Alfredo With Spinach And Bacon
4-6 slices bacon
2 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 ounces baby spinach (4 cups packed)
Salt to taste
4 cups chopped or cubed turkey (cooked)
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups chicken broth or stock
3 cups whole milk
Black pepper to taste (optional)
1 pound (4 cups dry) penne pasta (for creamier dish, use 3 1/2 cups)
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Using a Dutch oven or other heavy pot, cook the bacon until almost crisp. Remove from pan, drain, cool and chop, not too fine. Keep about 2 to 3 tablespoons of bacon drippings in pan. Add the garlic into the pan, and sauté just a minute. Add the spinach and salt into the pan, and cook just until the spinach is wilted. Add the cooked turkey, bacon, butter, broth, milk and pepper if using) into the spinach mixture. Bring to slight simmer, just below a boil, and add pasta. Constantly stir this for about 10 to 15 minutes, until pasta is cooked. Add the Parmesan cheese and parsley, and stir until cheese is melted. Remove from heat. Cover for about 10 minutes to allow the sauce to continue to thicken.
Notes:
» Garlic can easily burn, so keep a careful eye on it.
» If you are using raw turkey or chicken, add to the bacon drippings and sauté until no pink remains. This is 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of your chopped pieces.
» If the dish isn't quite as creamy as desired, a little milk or broth can be added.
» Use a rotisserie chicken for another time saver.
» Turkey is good between a small cube and shred if you don't like big chunks.
» The 5 cups of liquid can be a combination of stock, broth, whole milk, half-and-half or even heavy whipping cream. The more stock used will produce a lighter version. The more heavy cream and half-and-half, the richer the dish will be. Bowtie pasta is also good to use.
EASY SNACK BARS
Jody Poindexter of Flintstone, Georgia, discovered snack bars that are not baked in a recent copy of Southern Living.
No-Bake Granola Bars
Need an after-school bite? These come together in under an hour.
1 cup crisp rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies)
3/4 cup uncooked old-fashioned regular rolled oats
1 cup creamy almond butter (8 ounces)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Toss together cereal and oats in a large bowl. Place almond butter, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt in a small saucepan; heat over medium. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth, about 30 minutes. Pour mixture over cereal and oats; gently mix together with a spatula until combined. Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan, pressing firmly to form a compact, even layer. Chill until fully set, about 30 minutes. Cut into 12 bars.
Variations:
» Cherry-Pistachio: Stir 1/2 cup chopped roasted salted pistachios and 1/2 cup chopped dried tart cherries into cereal-oat mixture.
» Apricot-Coconut-Cashew: Stir 1/3 cup chopped roasted salted cashews, 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots and 1/3 cup unsweetened flaked coconut into cereal-oat mixture.
» Chocolate Chip-Pecan-Sea Salt: Stir 1/3 cup chopped roasted pecans and 1/3 cup miniature milk chocolate chips into cereal-oat mixture. Before chilling, sprinkle top of granola mixture evenly with 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt.
It's the season of pumpkin flavors, shapes and colors. What are your pumpkin practices? Please share with the rest of us, and all of you, do return next Wednesday. You will be most welcome.
Requests:
» Foil-baked salmon
» Gluten-free cookies
» Mexican breakfast dishes
» Store-bought starter
» Ham biscuits
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.
Mailing address: Jane Henegar, 913 Mount Olive Road, Lookout Mountain, GA 30750
E-mail: chattfare@gmail.com