88-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 18, 2003
If you are looking for a recipe but can’t find it, send
your recipe request to Lou Ann Good, Cook’s Question
Corner, in care of Lancaster Farming, P.O. Box 609,
Ephrata, PA 17522. There's no need to send a self-ad
dressed stamped envelope. If we receive an answer to
your question, we will publish it as soon as possible.
Check your recipe to make sure you copy the right
amounts and complete instructions for making the reci
pe. Sometimes we receive numerous answers to the
same request, but cannot print each one.
Answers to recipe requests should be sent to the same
address. You may also e-mail questions and answers to
LGOOD.EPH@LNPNEWS.COM
QUESTION Ralph Kieffer, Halifax, wants a
recipe for Aunt Flossie’s tomato soup, which he
heard is printed in a Lancaster County cook
book.
QUESTION Sandra Smith is looking for a
recipe for potato skin soup.
QUESTION A steady reader wants to know
how to make natural vinegar, which is a vinegar
that gets a “mother” in it. Is there a place to
buy such vinegar?
QUESTION Jane Freed, Mertztown, wants
a recipe for making homemade sauerkraut to
can. She wants two methods: the one that fer
ments in a crock and the one packed in quart
jars.
QUESTION A reader wants low-fat recipes
and diabetic recipes that other readers have
tried and liked.
QUESTION A Narvon reader writes that
she accidentally discarded two recipes, which
she had clipped from this column, that her fam
ily really liked. One recipe was for waffles, and
the lady who had submitted it wrote that she
sold them at a stand when she was young. The
other recipe was for biscuits that used cold
butter cut into the flour. Anyone know to which
recipes she is referring? Please send in to be
reprinted.
QUESTION - June Martin, Oxford, N.J.,
wants a recipe to make venison hot dogs.
QUESTION - Nina Biddle, Tyrone, has iden
tical recipes for sugar cookies, one using Pil-
Isbury flour and the other Gold Medal. Why do
they taste differently if the identical ingredients
are used? If we do not recieve an answer to
this request within two weeks, we will drop it.
ANSWER Frank Bonk, Perth Amboy, N.J.,
wanted to know where to find fresh killed
geese and goose livers. Thanks to Richard Lan
ghman, Chambersburg, for writing that fresh
dressed geese can be purchased at Peachy’s
Butcher Shop and Market, Belleville (Mifflin Co.)
Phone (800) 222-3341.
ANSWER Pat Eliigson, Millers, Md., want
ed a recipe for good, moist oid-fashioned fruit
cake that is thick with fruit and nuts. Unfortu
nately we did not receive any recipes in time
for holiday baking. But this week, three were
submitted. I guess people have time since the
holiday season is over. So please clip these
recipes to use for next ye'ar’s Christmas sea
son. Thanks to Shirley Orfanella, Quarryville, for
sending a recipe for a fruit cake “that they will
really eat.”
Dark Fruitcake
3Vz cups mixed diced fruits and peels
I V* cups dark seedless raisins
1 % cups light seedless raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped pecans
3 cups enriched flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
Vz teaspoon nutmeg
Vz teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup shortening
2 cups brown sugar
4 large eggs
3 A cup grape juice
Mix fruits, peels, raisins, and nuts. Sift to
gether flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.
Sprinkle 'A cup over fruit mix and blend well.
Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, mix
well. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture
adding grape juice. Pour batter over fruits and
mix well.
Line two 8 1 /2x4 1 /2-inch loaf pans with waxed
paper, allowing 1 /s inch to extend above all
sides. Fill 3 /« full. Do not flatten. Bake in very
slow oven (275 degrees) for 3-3V2 hours or until
done. Put pan of water on bottom oven rack.
Makes about 6 pounds.
Thanks to Stephanie Luckenbaugh, Abbotts
town, for sending a recipe she’s had since the
19505. She writes that although it is not the
traditional fruitcake recipe, it is very delicious
and simple to prepare.
Brazil Nut Cake
3 cups Brazil nuts OR 3 cups walnuts,
halved, OR combination of both
16 ounces dates OR raisins, chopped, pitted
or combination of both
1 cup red maraschino cherries, drained
1 cup green maraschino cherries, drained
3 A cup sugar
3 A cup flour
Vz teaspoon baking powder
Vi teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix together nuts, fruits, and cherries in a
bowl. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder,
and salt. Add to the fruit and nut mixture and
stir well. Next, combine the 3 beaten eggs and
vanilla and add to the fruit, nut, and flour mix
ture. Mix well until everything is moist. Pour
into a loaf pan and press down hard all over the
top. Bake at 300 degrees for 105 minutes. Cool
completely. Do not try to remove cake from loaf
pan until cake is completely cool.
Thanks to a steady reader from Manheim for
sending this recipe, which she writes should be
made at least three weeks in advance of eating.
This recipe was handed down through the fami
ly from the reader’s great grandmother. How
ever the reader writes that she hasn’t made it
for about five years because she is the only one
in her family who likes fruit cake.
Old-Fashioned Fruit Cake
Sift together and set aside:
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 Vi teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
V* teaspoon nutmeg
% teaspoon mace
V 2 teaspoon salt
Cream together:
1 cup shortening (half Crisco, half margarine)
1 Vi cups light brown sugar
3 large eggs, add one at a time
Fruit and nuts in separate bowl:
1 cup light raisins
1 cup dark raisins
1 cup chopped figs
2 cups chopped nuts (pecans and English
walnuts)
1 cup candied cherries
% cup candied orange peel
% cup candied lemon peel
V* cup candied citron
V* cup candied pineapple
Take about Vfe cup of the dry ingredients and
mix into fruit and nuts to give a dusted coating,
set aside.
To dry ingredients, mix alternately with
creamed mixture, adding Vi cup peach or grape
juice and 1 cup grape jelly. Mix well. Add the
fruit and nuts and stir well.
Line two tube pans or three loaf pans with
waxed paper, greased and floured pan and
paper. Place walnut halves and candied cher
ries on top.
Bake at 275 degrees for 1 hour, increase
temperature to 300 degrees and bake an addi
tional IVi-2 hours.
If cake browns too soon, cover with brown
paper.
When cakes are cooled, soak a white cloth in
grape wine or grape juice and wrap cake in it.
Place in tight container. Check every week to
be sure cloth is damp. If not, unwrap, dampen
cloth again and replace in container.
ANSWER A reader wanted a recipe to
make raisin bran muffins in which the mix can
be refrigerated up to 30 days and used when
needed. Thanks to Jean Sarver, Millerstown,
and others for sending recipes. Elaine Brown,
Tunkhannock, sent a similar recipe. She writes
if all the batter is baked at once, it makes 4
dozen regular-sized muffins, which freeze well
after baking. For Elaine and others who inquire:
We do not have a test kitchen. We rely upon our
readers to send correct recipes that they have
tried. Yes, we have had many requests for pub
lishing an annual cookbook but are not pursu
ing it at this time. Thanks for your idea for type
style changes, which we may incorporate in the
future.
Six-Week Bran Muffins
5 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
15-ounces bran flakes with raisins
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 quart buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla ’
In large bowl, mix first five ingredients. Add
bran flakes and sugar. Mix well. In mixing bowl,
beat eggs, add oil, buttermilk, and vanilla. Pour
over flour mixture and stir well. Transfer to
plastic container with tight fitting lid and store
in refrigerator until ready to use. Keeps up to
six weeks. When ready to bake, don’t stir when
dipping out to fill muffin pans. Drop Vz cup into
paper-lined tins. Bake 20 minutes at 375 de
grees.
ANSWER For the reader who requested
recipes for a steak sauce to use as a marinade
and to make steaks like those served at steak
houses, Carroll Boyer, Stewartstown, sent in
the following comprehensive instructions on
how to cook a steak:
• Steak you must find a local butcher who
will hand cut your steak to IV4-2-inches thick,
and tell him not to trim it. Steak houses do not
buy steaks from the supermarket. You must
purchase your steak at least the day before you
plan to use it.
• Marinade you must marinate at least 12
hours. You can use either a dry or liquid rub.
Carroll uses a dry rub from McCormick. Rub
each steak on both sides using a liberal amount
on each side until it disappears. Place steaks in
a plastic bag in refrigerator.
• To cook the steak you must have a very
hot cooking surface. The steak must sizzle
when you start them. Use tongs not forks.
Lay your steaks on the grill. Brush the top of
steak with oil (any cooking oil will do), turn the
steaks, using the tongs lift each steak for 10
seconds to let it breathe. Walk away for 5 min
utes. Now coat the top side with oil, turn, lift
each steak again for 10 seconds and walk away
for 5 more minutes. Now your steaks are done.
“If your crowd wants well-done steak, send
them to a leather shop,” Carroll writes.
Plastics And The Microwave
LEBANON (Lebanon Co.) Stories about the dangers
of chemicals leaching from plastic into microwaved food
have circulated for years. As a result, the Food and Drug
Administration continues to receive inquiries from con
cerning consumers.
Consumers can be confident as they heat meals or left
overs in the microwave that the FDA carefully reviews
the substances used to make plastics designed for food
use. These include microwave-safe plastic coverings that
keep food from splattering and microwave-safe con
tainers that hold frozen dinners. Even microwavable pop
corn bags, which look like paper, actually contain a met
alized plastic film that allows them to reach high
temperatures so the corn can fully pop.
Under the food additive provisions of the Federal
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, new substances used to
make plastics for food use are classified as “food contact
substances.’’ They must be found safe for their intended
use before they can be marketed.
Consumers should be sure to use any plastics for their
intended purpose and in accordance with directions. If
you don’t find instructions for microwave use, you should
use a different plate or container that you know is micro
wave-safe. Such containers are made to withstand high
temperatures.
For example, carryout containers from restaurants and
margarine tubs should not be used in the microwave,
according to the American Plastics Council. Inappropri
ate containers may melt or warp, which can increase the
likelihood of spills and burns. Also, discard containers
that hold prepared microwavable meals after you use
them because they are meant for one-time use.
Microwave-safe plastic wrap should be placed loosely
over food so that steam can escape, and should not di
rectly touch your food. Some plastic wraps have labels in
dicating that there should be a one-inch or greater space
between the plastic and the food during microwave heat
ing.
Always read directions, but generally, microwave-safe
plastic wraps, wax paper, cooking bags, parchment
paper, and white microwave-safe paper towels are safe to
use. Covering food helps protect against contamination,
keeps moisture in, and allows food to cook evenly. Never
use plastic storage bags, grocery bags, newspapers, or alu
minum foil in the microwave.