Good morning, friends old and new. Frances Newton of Tyner wrote, "In years past I enjoyed so much pink and white grapefruit. I never liked red grapefruit. I have not found pink or white for years. I asked a person in produce about this, and he told me only red grapefruit is grown now. Please say it is not true. Some will say red and pink are the same. Not so. Please help."
And, from Yeast of the Ridge, this: "One of my favorite childhood dishes was chili rice, chili on a bed of white rice with an interesting mix of cheeses. The best I ever tasted was at Shanghai Jimmy's Chili Rice in Dallas, Texas. Is there any chance someone could find the recipe for chili rice?"
Jeana Reidl would like to know "where to buy fresh basil plants. I want a winter inside garden so I can make tomato basil soup."
Thank you Anne Braly for passing on the request of an out-of-town friend. "He's looking for Mount Vernon's recipe for their squash casserole and their coconut pie."
FAMILY COOKBOOKS
Next we have three responses about family cookbooks, and if you hurry, you just might get one ready for Christmas or New Years or Valentine's Day. Any day would be a good day for a family cookbook.
Donna Coffey gained her expertise in her Red Bank kitchen. She began, "I read today's column with interest about how others are creating special family cookbooks by putting recipes in three-ring binders.
"I did this several years ago and put the paper recipes inside clear plastic sleeves. That way, I could remove the recipe from the binder, lay it on the counter for reference and didn't worry if food or other items got on the plastic sleeve. The sleeves were easy to wipe off and kept the recipe in good shape.
"I recently had the misfortune of a house fire and I kept my most-used recipes in a kitchen cabinet. Being Thanksgiving, I wanted to make pecan pies using my mother's prized recipe. I found it in the cabinet. The plastic sleeve was black from the smoke, did not melt and I pulled the sheet from the sleeve and was able to read the entire recipe.
"I highly recommend using the sleeves because we know how messy things can get on kitchen counters. I also use a large 3-inch binder that holds lots of recipes and use tabs to separate by categories."
Glenna Johnson's home is obviously one where good-natured laughter predominates. "When my eldest son was a teenager he asked me to make him a cookbook of all his favorite recipes before I 'kicked off.' The result was the 'Before I Croak Cookbook.' In its humble beginning years ago it was a plain, handmade, book typed on a typewriter. My son had it updated professionally a few years ago." And she shared with us a treasured mushroom specialty from that collection.
Fried Mushrooms
Fresh mushrooms
Plain flour
Buttermilk
Panko breadcrumbs
Oil
Wipe fresh mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Do not immerse mushrooms in water. Cut off any damaged part of the stems. If the mushrooms are very large, they can be cut into halves or fourths.
Dredge mushrooms in plain flour, coating well. Quickly dip mushrooms one at a time in a buttermilk bath long enough to completely coat, then place in breadcrumbs (not toasted). I use panko crumbs. Crumbs may be placed in a plastic bag, then dip a few mushrooms at a time, close and shake bag until mushrooms are thoroughly coated.
Deep-fry mushrooms in oil until golden brown. I use a Fry Baby so I am unsure what the temperature of the oil should be. Serve hot with Mushroom Dip (recipe follows).
Note: It doesn't matter how many of these I prepare at one time; it is never enough.
Mushroom Dip
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning mix
1 dinner teaspoon Dijon mustard, heaping rounded
1 dinner teaspoon horseradish sauce, heaping rounded
Mix well, and chill until served.
Linda Morris' Myers Family Cookbook, about which you read last week, included these two favorites.
Heavenly Hash
2 packages orange Jell-O
2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups grated cheese
1 large can crushed pineapple, undrained
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 pint whipping cream
1 small package miniature marshmallows
Dissolve together the Jell-O and boiling water; cool. Add grated cheese, pineapple and juice. Add chopped pecans. Whip cream until peaks form, and add to mixture. Add marshmallows, and pour into buttered 8- by 8-inch dish. Chill several hours.
Raspberry Ribbon Salad
2 (3-ounce) packages raspberry Jell-O
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen raspberries in syrup
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1/12 cups chopped pecans
2 cups sour cream
Lettuce leaves
Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Stir in raspberries, pineapple and pecans. Blend well. Spoon 1 1/2 cups gelatin mixture into lightly oiled 8-cup mold; chill until set. Spread 1 cup sour cream over first raspberry layer; spoon half of remaining mixture over sour cream layer. Chill until set. Repeat last step. Chill again, and unmold onto lettuce leaves. Makes 14 servings.
VEGGIE SALADS
Enter Barbara Mann with two answers to the request for salads that keep and don't wilt like lettuce salads.
Cauliflower Salad
1 medium cauliflower
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 to 4 tablespoons sugar, depending on your taste
1 cup mayonnaise
1 pound bacon, fried and diced
Break cauliflower into florets. (You may chop up the stem and include as well.) Mix together Parmesan, sugar and mayonnaise. Mix well with cauliflower and bacon. Chill.
Fresh Broccoli Salad
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard
1 tablespoon sugar
1 small bunch broccoli, chopped
3/4 cup sliced green olives with pimiento
1 cup sliced black olives
1 tablespoons dried onions
Mix together dressing ingredients (oil, mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard and sugar), then mix with other ingredients. Chill. This tastes best when chilled awhile to allow the green olive flavor to mingle.
Today was colorful and full of variety. Today was the typical day, with all of you writing this column. Thanks and don't stop now.
REQUESTS
* Sources for pink and white grapefruit
* Chili rice recipe
* Fresh basil plants
* Mount Vernon's squash casserole and coconut pie
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.
* Email: chattfare@gmail.com
* Fax: 423-668-5092
Jane Henegar