Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
When an unidentified reader requested a recipe for salad dressing like that served years ago at Anderson's in Beebe, but was unable to provide any details about the dressing, I wasn't optimistic.
Restaurant recipes -- as I've said again and again -- are notoriously difficult to obtain. And a recipe from a restaurant that has been closed for decades is pretty much a lost cause.
I underestimated the collective knowledge and memory of Alley Kats.
Kathy Grinder and Jean Dabbs sent the following recipe.
A little research revealed the recipe ran in this column Sept. 17, 2008 -- a few months before I took over after Irene Wassell retired.
Anderson's Roquefort Dressing
6 ounces Roquefort cheese
2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup ground onion
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Place all ingredients in small bowl of an electric mixer and beat at high speed for 3 minutes. Refrigerate.
Makes 1 pint.
A third reader, Linda Odum Bell, remembers Anderson's dressing as a Thousand Island-type dressing.
Thousand Island like Anderson's
1 quart Miracle Whip
1 cup Heinz chili sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup sweet pickle juice
4 hard cooked eggs, chopped
Mix all by hand and refrigerate to blend the flavors.
That September 2008 column included this custard pie recipe, also like Anderson's.
Egg Custard Pie
1/4 pound butter OR margarine, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
Pinch salt
5 eggs
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
Ground nutmeg
In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar and salt. Beat in eggs. Add milk and vanilla. Pour into pie shell and sprinkle nutmeg over top. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until filling is firm. (A knife inserted in center of filling should come out clean.)
And while we're on the topic of pie, it's fitting to include this one, also published in 2008 and in 1991.
Anderson's Restaurant Chocolate Pie
Crust:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided use
Filling:
3 eggs, divided use
1 cup PLUS 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided use
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 to 3 tablespoons melted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
To make the crust:
Melt shortening in pan over low heat. Remove from heat. Add salt and water. Stir in 1 cup of the flour, then knead in the remaining 1/2 cup flour. Roll out pastry and fit loosely into a 10-inch pie pan. Bake at 400 degrees 10-12 minutes or until brown. Cool before filling.
To make the filling:
Separate eggs, reserving whites for meringue. Beat egg yolks well. Add 6 tablespoons of the sugar, the cocoa, salt, milk and butter. Heat in pan until sugar dissolves. Mix flour with 10 tablespoons of the sugar. Blend into cooked cocoa mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thick. Pour into baked, cooled crust. Cover with meringue made from 3 egg whites whipped with the remaining 6 tablespoons granulated sugar. Brown in oven at 350 to 375 degrees.
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 02/28/2018