Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
The response to last week's column has been encouraging. Keep the recipes, questions and requests coming.
Technology is supposed to make our lives easier, make us more efficient. At least in theory. But I find some days it just complicates matters.
Last week I hinted that today's column would include a recipe for Cabbage Burger Bake. When I wrote that, the recipe was in my virtual possession, as in it was in a file on my computer. In the time that passed between then and now, said file and my computer have developed -- let's say -- incompatibility issues.
Fortunately, telephones still exist and I was able to call Susan Jack and get the recipe the old-fashioned way, by hand. Although taking recipes from dictation is usually a no-no, I decided in this case it was better to keep my promise than follow my self-imposed rules.
Jack says this recipe has been in her family for more than 50 years. Her mother prepared it for their family of six.
"This was an old family favorite."
Cabbage Burger Bake
Butter, for coating dish
1 small head of cabbage, shredded or finely chopped (Jack prefers finely chopped)
6 slices bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup uncooked rice
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (24-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce (Jack prefers Prego With Mushrooms)
2 to 3 cups water
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter.
Spread half of the cabbage in the bottom of the baking dish.
In a large skillet, cook bacon, rending fat. Remove bacon from fat and crumble. Set bacon aside. To the bacon drippings, add the onion and rice. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is tender. Spoon rice-onion mixture over cabbage. In the same skillet, brown the meats. Spoon meat over rice. Season with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining cabbage, then add the spaghetti sauce and 2 to 3 cups water. Top with crumbled bacon. Cover with foil and bake 50 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more.
Anita Rowe shares two recipe frequent bakers will enjoy.
"I received this recipe when I took a cake decorating class 40+ years ago. This cake pan coating mix replaces the need to grease and flour pans," Rowe writes.
Rowe emphasizes it is important to use Crisco brand for the success of this recipe.
Cake Pan Coating Mixture
1 cup Crisco shortening
1 cup Crisco oil
1 cup flour
Mix all ingredients well. Store in an air tight container and use this mixture to coat your cake pans. You will not need to flour the pans. If you do not bake much, you can make half a batch by dividing all ingredients by two. Store in the refrigerator.
"This pound cake has been a favorite of mine for the past 25 years. It's good by itself, or with some strawberries and whipped cream on top," Rowe writes.
Pound Cake
1 cup butter
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
5 eggs, beaten
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole or canned milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Grease and flour a tube pan or 2 (9-inch) loaf pans.
Cream butter and shortening; add beaten eggs.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add flour, alternating with milk and vanilla. Mix well.
Transfer batter to the prepared pan(s). Place pan(s) in oven and heat oven to 300 degrees. After the batter begins to rise, increase oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue baking until cake is golden brown and a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 75 minutes total.
[Editor's note: Similar recipes call for baking the cakes at 300 degrees for about 40 minutes before increasing the temperature.]
Send recipe contributions, requests and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email:
kbrant@arkansasonline.com
Please include a daytime phone number.
Food on 08/09/2017