Good morning, good company. Please note first of all that we are still hot on the trail of the best dish you have prepared in this Year of the Pause ... the best menu ... the best idea about food ... the best food gift you received ... and the best meal you had from another's generous kitchen.
Dan Huth of Jasper, Tennessee, "recently bit the bullet and got an Omaha Steaks package. It included four boneless pork loins. A while back you included a recipe for pork loins that looked so good I printed it out, and then promptly lost it. I'd love to see your readers' ideas. Maybe one of them saved the one I clipped and lost."
Were you that one? If so, please send it back to share.
FRICASSEED CHANTERELLES
The Sewanee, Tennessee, backyard of Upshur Puckette recently yielded two recipes' worth of chanterelles - "among the most popular of wild edible mushrooms." Here is the recipe her daughter Emily found, one enjoyed by the Benson and Puckette families.
Fricassee of Chanterelles
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 pound chanterelles, cleaned, halved if large
1/2 cup heavy cream
Freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, plus more for garnish
Fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup farfalle, cooked al dente
Melt 3 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden (4 or 5 minutes). Add garlic, and cook 1 minute. Add wine. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons butter, remaining 1 tablespoon oil and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add cream and nutmeg, and cook until slightly thickened (about 2 minutes). Stir in oregano. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Toss in a skillet with cooked pasta. Garnish with more oregano.
GO-TO CHEESECAKE
Sandra Oliver wrote, "A couple of weeks ago someone requested a no-bake cheesecake recipe. While this may not be the specific recipe requested, it is a delicious one. It was my mother-in-law's go-to recipe for family gatherings and company."
No-Bake Cheese Cake
Crust:
28 graham crackers (2 cups)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 stick margarine, melted
Combine and spread in a 9- by 13-inch glass dish. You may bake slightly or let set in refrigerator.
Cheese Cake:
1 (3-ounce) box lemon Jell-O
1 cup sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1 large can Carnation evaporated milk, chilled
Mix Jell-O with 1 cup hot water and let cool. Cream together sugar and cream cheese.
Whip the canned Carnation milk until thick.
Combine whipped milk, Jell-O and cream cheese mixture.
Pour over graham cracker crust and chill. You may sprinkle a few graham cracker crumbs over the top.
Serve plain, with fruit, canned pie filling, whipped cream or Cool Whip.
FOCACCIA BREAD
This is a recipe shared by A.T.N., "my first meal prepared in my first home after college graduation."
Easy Focaccia Bread Dough
This rosemary focaccia bread recipe (pronounced "foh-KAH-chya," by the way) is delicious.
1 (0.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 1/3 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
2 teaspoons sugar or honey
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 teaspoons flaky sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Proof the yeast in a bowl with the warm water and sugar or honey. (I highly recommend using a thermometer to measure the temperature of the water, so that it is not too hot or too cold.)
Knead the dough (see note): Gradually add in the flour, olive oil and salt. Then knead for 5 minutes using the dough attachment of a stand mixer, or knead the dough by hand.
First dough rise: Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a greased mixing bowl and cover with a damp towel. Let the dough rest in a warm location for 45 to 60 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.
Second dough rise: Shape the dough into a large circle or rectangle until the dough is about 1/2-inch thick. Cover, and let the dough continue to rise for another 20 minutes.
Prepare the dough. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Transfer the dough to a large parchment-covered baking sheet (or press it into a 9- by 13-inch baking dish). Use your fingers to poke deep dents - like seriously, poke all the way down until you touch the baking sheet - all over the surface of the dough. Then drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil evenly all over the top of the dough, and sprinkle evenly with the fresh rosemary needles and sea salt.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until the dough is slightly golden and cooked through.
Remove from the oven, and drizzle with a little more olive oil if desired. Slice and serve warm.
* Note: If you do not have a stand mixer, no problem. Just complete the kneading step in a large mixing bowl. Gradually stir in the flour, olive oil and salt until a shaggy dough begins to form. Then turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for 5 minutes until smooth, adding extra flour if the dough feels too sticky, and continue on with the recipe as directed.
Variations:
Want to customize this recipe? Feel free to:
* Add garlic. Finely mince and mix a large clove of fresh garlic into the dough to give it some extra garlicky flavor.
* Add Parmesan. This focaccia would also be delicious with some Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
* Use different fresh herbs. In place of (or in addition to) the fresh rosemary, feel free to use fresh tarragon or sage.
* Use dried herbs. If you don't have fresh herbs on hand, use dried herbs instead (such as dried rosemary or Italian seasoning). If you use dried herbs, I recommend kneading them into the dough itself rather than sprinkling them on top so that they do not burn in the oven.
Once again, I leave your printed presence with one intent: to head to my own kitchen to try your ideas. Keep it up, please.
REQUESTS
Quarantine's best:
* Dish you've prepared
* Menu you've created
* Food idea you've had
* Food gift you've received
* Meal you've been served
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
Jane Henegar