Recipes are requested, new and used
Column Summary
Everyone loves to eat, but not everyone loves to cook. Good recipes sent in from readers, that are tried and true, will help anyone to like cooking.
Dear Country Cupboard Readers,
I am thrilled when my mailbox and my in-box deliver your recipes to me, I especially enjoy the kind notes and letters I receive with those recipes. I get many kid favorite recipes from children, many with impressive penmanship. And I get recipes from senior citizens proud to include their age with their recipe submission. It is with these recipes memories are shared. They are sweet stories, indeed, and I thank you.
Sending your recipes for column consideration is encouraged for anyone. It is easy to do, and its easy to be accepted for publication if a few simple rules are followed. I would like to share some helpful suggestions when submitting your recipes to the Country Cupboard column for inclusion in the Bargain Hunter newspapers.
All kinds of recipes are welcome to be sent for consideration for print, but timeliness should be considered. For instance, a recipe for peanut brittle is considered a holiday recipe, and a recipe for outdoor grilling is better submitted during a warmer weather month. Recipes using fresh garden produce are best prepared during the early gardening or harvest months. Homemade ice cream recipes thats an easy one, wait until winter is over.
Ideally, recipes are best submitted if they are hand printed or typed. Recipes written in cursive or script can be hard to read as we all have our own unique style of slants and loops. Please do not direct photocopy recipes from published books, magazines, newspapers, or printed from on-line sites. These recipes are welcome if they are rewritten and then handwritten or typed.
I assume if you are submitting a recipe to Country Cupboard that you or someone in your family reads the column. This will help you when considering recipes to send in. Popular recipes that have already been printed will not appear again, such as Strawberry Pretzel Salad, Corn Casserole, or Green Bean Casserole. They may be your family favorites but readers are looking for new recipes, or re-dos of old-time recipes, or original recipes.
If your recipes also include exact ingredient measurements and complete preparation directions, then theres a pretty good chance you will see your recipes in the Country Cupboard column. I know there are many great cooks and bakers out there that have great recipes in their heads; I ask that you please include all recipe details with your recipe. And kids you are welcome to send in your favorite recipes as well just have an adult or older sibling proof-read your recipe.
Send in as many recipes in one envelope as you like just be sure to add enough postage to your envelope. Recipe questions and requests will be answered if a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) is included with your note. Of course, email submissions are always acceptable and your questions will be answered sooner than later.
Now, are you ready to share some of those secret family recipes? Send them to Country Cupboard, 5973 Blachleyville Rd., Wooster, Oh, 44691. Emails are always welcome; thewritecook@sssnet.com
Fried Dill Pickle Spears
Peanut oil
1 quart whole dill pickles
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon salt
Place enough peanut oil in a 4 quart heavy pot to halfway up the side of the pot. Place over medium-high heat and bring to 390 to 400 degrees.
Remove pickles from juice and cut lengthwise into quarter spears. Pat spears dry with paper towels. Pour buttermilk into a shallow dish. Mix together cornmeal and salt in a separate dish. Dip each pickle, 1 at a time, into buttermilk, then cornmeal, repeat. Place each spear into the hot oil; cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. You can fry 3 to 4 pickles at a time. Set fried pickles on a cooling rack on a sheet pan. Cool for 5 minutes.
Deep Fried Pickle Slices
Vegetable oil
1 cup flour
Salt and pepper
4 large beaten eggs
1 cup cornmeal
1 (16-ounce) jar bread and butter pickles, sliced
Honey Mustard Sauce:
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey
In a large pot, heat 2-inches of oil. Put flour and a dash of salt and pepper into a small bowl, put the beaten eggs in another bowl, and then the cornmeal with a dash of salt and pepper into a third bowl. Dredge the pickles in flour, then through the egg, and then dip into cornmeal. In batches, carefully lower the pickles into the oil and fry for 3 minutes. Using a large drain spoon remove from hot oil and set on paper towels to drain.
Serve with Honey Mustard Sauce. Honey Mustard Sauce: Stir together sauce ingredients until smooth.
Sweeties Sweet Potato Fries
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Half the sweet potatoes lengthwise and cut each half into 3 long wedges. Place on a sheet pan; toss with the oil. Spread potatoes in one layer. Combine the brown sugar, salt, and pepper; sprinkle on the potatoes. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes and then turn. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Sprinkle lightly with salt; serve hot.
Deep Fried Sweet Potato Fries
6 cups peanut oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup lemon lime soda
2 pounds sweet potatoes cut into fries
In a heavy Dutch oven cooker or deep fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Mix the salt, garlic powder, paprika and sugar in a bowl; set aside. Whisk cornstarch and club soda in a mixing bowl. In batches, dip the potatoes in batter, allow excess to drip off and hold on a wire rack. Repeat with rest of the potatoes. Fry half the potatoes, stirring occasionally until golden brown and crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with the seasoning; hold in the oven on paper towel-lined baking sheet.
Fried Moz
1 pound mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon oregano
Slice the mozzarella into 3/4-inch slices. In a large frying pan, heat oil over high heat until hot. Add garlic cloves and fry, push cloves through the oil enhance garlic flavor. As soon as the garlic begins to color, remove from the pan. Smash cheese slices into bread crumbs. Lower heat to medium-high, and place cheese slices into the pan in 1 layer. Leave room so cheese slices can be flipped. Fry both sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove; drain on serving plate lined with paper towels. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano.
Pretzel Crust Fried Cheese
1 (8 ounce) package provolone cheese, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 (4 ounce) package Cheddar cheese, cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups plus 2 teaspoons flour
1 (8 ounce) bag pretzel sticks
Pepper
4 large eggs
5 tablespoons spicy mustard
Peanut oil
Process provolone and parmesan in a food processor until cheese balls up; move to a bowl, set aside. Process Cheddar and 2 teaspoons flour until smooth. Form spoonfuls of cheddar mixture into 12 small balls; roll with hands until smooth balls form. Freeze on plate until firm, approximately 15 minutes. Clean processor; add pretzels and process until ground but with a few small pieces. Move to a shallow dish. Mix remaining 1 1/2 cups flour and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in another dish. Whisk eggs and mustard in a third dish. Roll tablespoonfuls of the provolone mixture into 12 balls; flatten into disks. Put 1 yellow cheddar ball on each disk; shape the provolone around it, enclosing the cheddar. Roll into an egg shape. Dip cheese balls in egg mixture, dredge in the flour, then return to the egg mixture; roll in pretzel crumbs, turn to coat. Refrigerate 20 minutes and up to 3 hours to set coating. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1/2 inch peanut oil in a saucepan. Fry cheese balls in batches, turning, until golden, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove with a drain spoon; transfer to a wire rack set into a baking tray. Bake at 350 degrees until heated through about 6 minutes.
