Softening Brown Sugar

Since it's that time of year when you might be baking lots of cookies, I thought I'd pass along a great tip.
Don't throw away that hard-as-a-rock brown sugar you have in your pantry! Here's how to soften it up and make it like brand new:

Place the brown sugar in a microwave safe casserole dish. Core and quarter an apple (any kind, any size--I used an apple that had bad spots on it and not really edible) and place the apple pieces in the dish with the brown sugar. Cover the dish tightly with a lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 20 seconds at a time until your brown sugar is soft and as good as new.

Hot Artichoke-Spinach Dip

Husband-Tested Recipe from Alice's Kitchen
Serves 4

This is the same delectable dip you'll find occasionally at Lost River Market & Deli. It's great to take to parties with some of the tasty crackers that the store has to offer. This can be made a day in advance. Just pop it in the microwave to warm it up before serving to your guests. Take any left over (if there is any) to lunch the next day along with carrots to scoop it up with. Yum! Another tasty dip to have in your recipe file is Hot Cheesy Almond Dip (recipe on this blog.)

1 box of frozen chopped spinach
1 cup of chopped artichoke hearts (canned--not marinated)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛teaspoon garlic powder
Dash of freshly ground pepper

Cook spinach according to package directions. Squeeze out all of the water. Mix all ingredients together well. Spread into a pie plate or other heatproof serving dish. Cover with plastic wrap. Just before serving, heat in the microwave until hot, about 3-4 minutes. Serve with crackers.

Hot Cheesy Almond Spread

Recipe from All New Simple & Elegant Recipes by Philadelphia Cream Cheese and Husband Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 2 ⅓ cups

If you’re looking for a make-ahead hot dip to serve or take to a party, this and Hot Artichoke-Spinach Dip (recipe on this blog) are good ones to have in your repertoire. You might want to double the recipe because it’ll disappear fast!

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1 ½ cups shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese
⅓ cup mayo
¼ cup sliced green onions (scallions)
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted

Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat all ingredients except the almonds in a small mixing bowl at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Stir in almonds. Spread into a 9 inch pie plate or other oven proof dish. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring after 8 minutes. Garnish with additional toasted almonds. Serve with assorted crackers.

Noodles with Green Parsley and Garlic Butter

Recipe from Macaroni and Cheese by Marlena Spieler and Husband Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Mother and Daddy gave me the Macaroni and Cheese cookbook this year for my birthday. I’m a big fan of real macaroni and cheese—never from a box!! The photos from this book of the different variations are enough to give a person major cravings! Today was one of those perfect cold, but sunny autumn days. Jim was out cutting and spitting wood. I knew he’d be mighty hungry when he came in, so I made this for a nice mid-day meal to go along with New Orleans Flank Steak which I grilled and Steamed Broccoli with Sesame-Lime. (Recipes are on this blog.) We both gave this whole dinner a thumbs-up. All of the ingredients can be found at Lost River Market & Deli.

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
3 to 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
¼ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
12 oz. egg or spinach noodles
4 oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded
3 oz. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Prepare the noodles according to package directions.
Meanwhile, combine the butter with the parsley and garlic in a large bowl, mixing well. Season the butter mixture with salt and pepper. Add the lemon juice.
When the pasta is al dente, drain off the pasta water. Toss the pasta with the parsley butter. Sprinkle with the cheeses and toss well to mix.

New Orleans Flank Steak

Recipe from Quick Fix Meals by Robin Miller and Husband Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I made this on the grill on a lovely fall day when it wasn’t too cold to be outside for a bit. I served this with Steamed Broccoli with Sesame-Lime and Noodles with Green Parsley and Garlic Butter. (Recipes are on this blog.) It was a great combination!
All of the ingredients, including beautiful lean and locally raised beef flank steaks, can be found at Lost River Market & Deli.

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

2 teaspoons Creole or Cajun Seasoning

2 teaspoons reduced sodium teriyaki sauce or soy sauce

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly black pepper

1 ¼ lb. flank steak

Mix marinade ingredients and pour over steak. Refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze (in the marinade) for 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator & grill. Preheat the grill and then grill the steak 5-7 minutes per side for medium rare or to your desired doneness. Remove from the grill and cover the steak with foil. Let stand for 10 minutes. Slice crosswise into ½ inch thick slices.

Broccoli with Sesame-Lime

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine and Husband Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Here’s a quick, but delicious and healthy way to round out your dinner. All of the ingredients can be found at Lost River Market & Deli.

1 1/4 pounds (1 large bunch) broccoli
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Coarse salt

Prepare broccoli: Cut off and discard tough ends of stalks, leaving about 2 inches attached to the florets. Using a paring knife, cut broccoli lengthwise into pieces. With a sturdy vegetable peeler (or sharp knife), peel away the tough outer layer from the stalks. In a large pot fitted with a steamer basket, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. Add broccoli pieces in a single layer. Cover, and steam until tender, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together lime juice and sesame oil; season with salt.
Add broccoli to dressing; toss lightly to coat. Serve immediately.

Floating Island Dessert or Ile Flottante (loosely pronounced Eel Flow-tawnt’)

Recipe from Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten/Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I didn’t know how to pronounce this dessert, but the photo in my cookbook inspired me to make it. I called my good buddy, Linda, who speaks French, to hear how it should be pronounced so that when company came for dinner, I could present this dessert with flare! Ile flottante is French for “floating island.” Bob and Jim asked for seconds and then Bob asked if he could lick his plate when his wife wouldn’t let him have thirds. It’s that good and definitely passes the Husband Test! I made all of the components, except the meringues, the day before our dinner party so I can say that this was a great recipe for entertaining. I served this on ruby red glass dessert plates to show off the pale yellow sauce with the snowy white meringues floating on the top. The original recipe for the meringues called for 8 extra large egg whites. It made twice as much as what was needed, so, I’ve halved the original number of egg whites. You’ll need a good thermometer to make the caramel. Local eggs can be found at Lost River Market & Deli. The vanilla beans (optional) can be found in the bulk spice section.

2 ½ cups sugar, divided

1 cup water, divided

1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided

1 ½ cups (5 ounces) sliced almonds (slivered almonds will work too)
4 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Creme Anglaise*, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the caramel, heat 1 1/2 cups of the sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Cook over medium heat until the syrup turns a warm caramel color. Don't stir, just swirl it in the pan. Off the heat, add 1/2 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla; be careful, the syrup will bubble violently. Stir and cook over high heat until the caramel reaches 230 degrees F (thread stage) on a candy thermometer. Set aside. (Cover after it has cooled and leave at room temperature until you are ready to serve the dessert. Then, heat it until it becomes liquid enough to drizzle.)


For the praline, combine the almonds with 1/4 cup of the caramel and spread them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the almonds are lightly browned. Allow to cool at room temperature and then break up in pieces. (Place in a bowl and cover until ready to use. You’ll have plenty to use for this dessert and even enough left over to sprinkle on ice cream later.)


Right before you plan to serve your dessert, make the meringues. Lower the oven to 250 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. For the meringues, beat the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until frothy. Turn the mixer on high speed and add the remaining 1 cup of sugar. Beat until the egg whites are very stiff and glossy. Whisk in the remaining teaspoon of vanilla. With dessert spoons place 12 mounds of meringue on the parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. (The meringues should be soft, not crispy like meringue cookies. That’s why they can’t be made too far in advance.)


For serving, pour creme anglaise on the bottom of individual plates. Place a meringue on top of each serving, drizzle with caramel sauce, sprinkle with praline, and serve. To make a day or two ahead, leave the caramel and praline at room temperature and refrigerate the creme anglaise. Bake the meringues just before guests arrive and assemble the desserts right before serving.


*Creme Anglaise: (pronounced crehm ahn-glays’)

4 extra-large egg yolks

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 3/4 cups scalded milk (heat milk just until you see bubbles around the edge—do not allow to boil)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 ½ teaspoons Cognac

Seeds of ½ vanilla bean, optional


Beat the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, or until very thick. Reduce to low speed, and add the cornstarch. With the mixer still on low, slowly pour the hot milk into the eggs. Pour the custard mixture into a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thickened. The custard will coat the spoon like heavy cream. Don't cook it above 180 degrees F or the eggs will scramble! Pour the sauce through a fine strainer, add the vanilla extract, Cognac, and vanilla seeds, if using, and chill. (The sauce will be like thin custard. Thin enough to pour.)


Yield: 2 cups

Ma Ma’s Chocolate Chess Pie

Recipe from Florence Cooksey (1888-1987) Alice’s Great Grandmother 
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
(This pie was a winning entry at the 2017 Pie Celebration held at Lost River Market & Deli.)

Ma Ma (pronounced Maw Maw) was my maternal grandfather’s mother. We used to visit her farm in Kentucky. Of course, as with all southern families, when company came, you were treated to a wonderful big meal with very sweet iced tea with which to wash it all down. We often had this pie for dessert. It is just the simplest pie to make with ingredients that are always in the pantry. Don’t let the simplicity of this pie fool you though. It tastes divine. It is richly chocolate with a very thin sugary crust on the top that develops as the pie bakes. In winter, serve this pie with a little whipped cream or a raspberry sauce. In spring, serve this pie with strawberries!

3 Tablespoons cocoa
1 ½ cups sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup butter, melted
1 small can evaporated milk
Unbaked pie shell (Recipe for Perfect Pie Dough is on this blog.)

Preheat oven to 325º F. Mix all ingredients, except the pie dough, of course, well in a medium bowl. Pour (batter will be a bit thin) into an 8 or 9 inch unbaked pie shell. (Do not use a frozen pie shell.) Bake for 45 minutes. (The chocolate filling will puff a bit as it bakes and fall a bit and set as it cools.) Allow to cool to room temperature before serving. Be sure to serve this with slightly sweetened whipped cream and a cup of hot coffee.

Me Me’s Thanksgiving Dressing

From the Kitchen of Alice's Grandmother, Hazel Long Lackey Cooksey (Me Me) 1906-1991

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Every year, our family spends 364 days looking forward to eating this dressing. We have oyster fans in our family too, so when we make this for Thanksgiving, we divide the breadcrumb mixture in half and make one half with oysters and we leave the other half "plain." (The oyster variation is at the bottom of this recipe.) To save time, Mother uses her food processor to chop the celery and onions. This recipe makes enough for big room full of thankful family and friends. The bread and cornbread crumbs can be prepared at least a day in advance, so on the big day, all that's needed to do is to shoo the men out of the kitchen, put the dressing together, bake in the oven.

3 batches cornbread, crumbled


2 batches biscuits or bread slices, crumbled


(This should make approximately 20 cups of crumbs. Leave crumbs in a very large bowl on the counter, cover with a towel and allow crumbs to dry.)



After the crumbs are dry, preheat oven to 350° F and add: 


5 large eggs


1 ¼ cups celery, diced


½ cup onion, diced


2 sticks unsalted butter, cut up


1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt


1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper


2 Tablespoons fresh sage, minced or 1 teaspoon dried sage

Mix well.

Add stock from turkey (leave enough stock for gravy) and add hot water to moisten the dressing. Me Me used to say, “Make it sloppy.”



Bake for 45 minutes until dressing is slightly brown and is bubbling around the edges.

*Variation: Omit sage and add 1 container (approx. 1 cup) oysters, chopped, along with the oyster liquid to one half of the dressing.

Me Me’s Thanksgiving Cranberry Salad

From the Kitchen of Alice's Grandmother, Hazel Long Lackey Cooksey (Me Me) 1906-1991
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This sweet tart cranberry salad is perfect for Thanksgiving because it can be made a couple of days in advance, it looks beautiful in a cut glass bowl and it tastes wonderful with turkey or roast chicken. You might have leftovers for your lunch box too. Me Me didn't have a food processor in her day, but she used a hand crank meat grinder to process the fruit. With a food processor, this salad is a cinch to make. All of the ingredients can be found at Lost River Market & Deli.

1 12 oz. package of fresh cranberries
3 fresh oranges
1 large can crushed pineapple, undrained
6 oz. cherry Jello
1 ½ cups sugar
2 cups boiling water

Zest 2 of the oranges using a kitchen rasp or a fine grater. Peel and section the oranges, reserving juice. Using the food processor, chop cranberries. Add the orange sections, the reserved juice and the orange zest. Pulse the cranberry/orange mixture until chopped fine. In a large heat proof bowl, add sugar, Jello and boiling water. Stir until sugar and Jello are completely dissolved. Add cranberry/orange mixture. Add crushed pineapple. Mix well. When mixture comes to room temperature, place in pretty glass bowls and put in the refrigerator. Chill until set.

Apple, Grape and Pecan Salad

Recipe adapted from Great Food Fast  
Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen
Serves 6

We had our good friends, Bob, Debbie, Vance and Myra, over for dinner last night. I served this salad as a first course. All three husbands, including mine, loved this and asked for seconds. The original recipe called for endive (pronounced ahn-deeve) but none was available, so I used a spring mix of lettuces (or spinach ) which is always in the produce section. The original recipe also called for Fuji apples, but I really love the Honey Crisp apples that Lost River Market & Deli has right now, so I used one of those instead. I had some buttermilk left over from making Me Me's Hoe Cakes (recipe on this blog) and I usually have sour cream in the fridge. I served this with Chicken Pot Pie. This salad is not only delicious, but also very quick and easy to make. Be sure to use crisp sweet apples (or pears.)  The sweetness of the apples and grapes goes nicely with the sour-tartness of the dressing. The toasted pecans add a great crunch. This recipe is a keeper and will be a regular at our table! Make the dressing and halve the grapes in advance. Try this for Meatless Monday!

Dressing:
¼ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
¼ cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Salad:
2 Fuji apples or 1 Honey Crisp apple or 2 pears, cored and thinly sliced
Package of Spring mix or baby lettuce mix (baby spinach would make a good substitute in a pinch)
2 cups seedless grapes (green or red) halved
1/2 cup toasted pecans, broken or cut into pieces (I toast pecans in a dry skillet)

Place dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid. Shake vigorously until well blended. Keep chilled until ready to serve the salad.
Place salad ingredients in a large bowl. (Cut the apple(s) at the last minute so they don’t darken.) Pour salad dressing over and toss the salad well.

Salmon Patties (or Croquettes)

Recipe from the kitchen of Hazel Cooksey (Alice’s grandmother)

This recipe makes about a dozen patties.

I just love salmon patties. They taste great hot or cold. We just returned from a little trip to the Nantahala National Forest. We took a train trip through the gorge. I made a picnic lunch of these salmon patties along with a batch of Broccoli Salad (recipe on this blog) and Honey Crisp Apples, available in the produce section at Lost River Market & Deli. I think the other passengers were pea green with envy.

3 (7 ½ oz.) cans of salmon, drained and flaked (Be sure to mash the bones and cartilage and keep them in the mix. You won’t taste them and they provide a good source of calcium.)

2/3 cup or more Saltine cracker crumbs (I used one “sleeve” of crackers)

2 slightly beaten large eggs

¼ cup finely chopped onion

4 Tablespoons milk

2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Unsalted butter for sautéing

Combine all ingredients except butter. Blend well. Add milk or cracker crumbs for the consistency you need to form patties. Shape into patties or croquets and dredge through more cracker crumbs if desired. Heat butter in skillet. Sauté patties on both sides until they are golden brown and heated through. Add more butter to skillet as needed.  Serve with lemon wedges.