Tartar sauce recipe travels from Texas

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Good morning, good readers. Our requests are three today: Waldorf salad as served at the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club-or a reasonable facsimile of that salad; tasty, less expensive gluten-free recipes, and catfish any way but fried.

Tricia Anderson asked "for the recipe for Waldorf salad from the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club that they used to serve a while back."

A reader whose initials are G.G. wrote hoping for gluten-free recipes that are not costly and are tasty. The gluten-free products that now abound on local shelves carry a high price, so this is an important request for many who suffer from wheat allergies.

And finally-this just in-how can I make catfish that is as good as fried catfish, but prepared in a different way? Seafood is another expensive grocery item, and anytime you have ways to make the most of it, please do pass that on.

We always begin with requests and then finish with answers. A proper and welcome transition between comes from those of you who write to comment on a particular recipe found here. Connie Covington "tried the potato soup last night, the one with frozen hash browns. My husband said it was better than the one that I had made for years, peeling potatoes and all. You have made my life easier with this one."

And now, the recipes. Brenda Locklear wrote: "When we lived in Wichita Falls, Texas, we lived 18 miles from the Oklahoma border, and local friends took us to a small catfish house where we ate the best catfish with the best tartar sauce. I bought a bottle and took it home." This recipe, she said, "came really close" to the original and "may be enjoyed with fish, shrimp and even on a fish-stick sandwich."

Wichita Falls Tartar Sauce

1 onion, chopped fine

Several green olives, cut up

1 large or 2 smaller sweet pickles cut up (relish may be substituted)

2 to 3 big spoonfuls of Kraft real mayonnaise

Mix all together and thin if necessary with more mayonnaise and/or pickle juice. You don't want soupy, but thick enough to cling to the spoon.

Variation: I ran out of sweet pickles once and used dill pickles. It was good and I liked it; it was just a different taste. Try each to see which you like best.

Carolyn Childs is leading us to a possible source with enthusiasm. "The absolute best tartar sauce I have ever eaten is from Wally's in East Ridge. If you have never eaten it with their catfish on Friday nights, you have missed a treat. If they would share their recipe, I am sure no one would be disappointed in the taste of this one."

Up next is Linda Morris of Lookout Mountain, addressing the subject of crepes. "I buy them at Bi-Lo under the label Frieda's French-style crepes. They come 10 to a 4.5-ounce package and are in the refrigerated dairy case. I freeze them after I have used those I need at the time. They are good but not quite as thin and tender as the ones I make from scratch, but they are a huge time-saver since you have to make the filling and the sauce."

Chocolate-Almond Mousse Crepes with Strawberries

1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals

1 tablespoon very hot water

4 serving-size packages chocolate fudge instant pudding mix

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

11/2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup sliced almonds

1 package Frieda's crepes, at room temperature

1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced

Chocolate sauce for garnish (optional)

Stir coffee crystals into hot water until dissolved; stir into pudding mix with milk and almond extract until smooth and well-blended. With an electric mixer on high, beat cream to stiff peaks. Reserve 1 cup whipped cream for garnish. Stir remaining cream into pudding mixture with half the almonds. (If desired, cover and chill mousse mixture up to several hours ahead.)

To assemble each crepe, place a crepe flat on a serving plate. Spoon 1/2 cup chocolate mousse onto center of crepe, sprinkle with a few almonds and roll up. Garnish top with sliced berries, a dollop of reserved whipped cream and additional almonds. Drizzle with chocolate sauce, if desired. Makes 6 servings of 1 crepe each.

Peggy Walkup sent this chocolate version for the French Madeleine, described thus: "Rich Genoise batter is swirled with melted bittersweet chocolate to make indulgent little sponge cakes. The trick in getting notoriously stubborn madeleines out of the pan without cracking them is to very generously grease the pan. Butter works best for this recipe, and it gives the added benefit of helping the madeleines achieve their trademark golden color."

Chocolate Madeleines

1/2 cup butter, melted

2/3 cup granulated sugar

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons confectioners sugar

Cream the butter and granulated sugar on high until it is light and fluffy. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla extract to the butter. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.

Beat the mixture on medium-high for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture has lightened in color a bit and is very fluffy. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder. Very gently fold the flour and baking powder into the egg mixture. Once the batter is smooth, cover it and transfer it to the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Heat the oven to 375 F. Generously grease 2 standard madeleine pans and spoon the cold batter into the molds. Bake them for 10 to 13 minutes, until they are puffed and very lightly browned. Invert the pans onto wire racks and give them a hard tap to remove the cookies from the molds. Serve them warm dusted with a bit of confectioners sugar for the best flavor.

To Reach Us

Fare Exchange is a longtime meeting place for people who love to cook and love to eat. We welcome both your recipes and your requests. Be sure to include precise instructions for every recipe you send.

• Mailing address: Jane Henegar, 913 Mount Olive Road, Lookout Mountain, GA 30750.

• E-mail: janehenegar @gmail.com

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