The Mailbox: Teri Watson
HOW TO CONTACT THE MAILBOX
If you have recipes in reply to Mailbox reader requests, or questions or comments, write to: Mailbox, c/o Taste, The Sacramento Bee, P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento, CA 95852. You also can e-mail twatson@sacbee.com or fax (916-556-5625). Please include your full name, your city and phone number.
Missing Ettore’s grilled polenta
I moved from Sacramento to Honolulu about five years ago, but I never miss an issue of Food & Wine. I’m dying to make an entree that Ettore’s European Bakery & Restaurant made often when I lived there. It was a grilled polenta topped with a wonderful tomato ragu. It was delicious. I’ve tried making it at home, but it’s not the same. Does anyone have this recipe or one similar? Thanks.
Your faithful reader,
– Lennie Nickels-Carlson, Honolulu
In search of sherry wine cake
I am looking for a recipe called Madeira wine or sherry wine cake. It calls for a box of yellow cake mix, extra eggs, oil and nutmeg. It was popular in the early 1970s and was baked in a Bundt pan. It comes out like a pound cake. It was excellent. Thank you.
– Rosalie Rashid, Sacramento
William Glen’s salad
I lived in Rocklin and worked in the Sacramento area for approximately 20 years. I moved back to my home state of Washington in 2002. While living in the Sacramento area, I frequently had lunch at the William Glen deli. I ordered their delicious celery root salad whenever it was available. I have tried to duplicate it and have even tried the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe on the Food Network, but it didn’t come close. Does anyone have this recipe or one close?
– Candice Mestrovich, Tacoma, Wash.
Also requesting the same recipe:
The Bee recently ran a story on the uses of celery root. My first experience with celery root was a pleasant surprise in the form of a cold celery root salad served at the café in William Glen in Town & Country Village. I’d love the recipe or one similar. Thanks.
– Renee Hussar, Natomas Park
Banana cake
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves 12
Lucy Banfield of Grass Valley lost the recipe box that included a family favorite for banana cake; it came from the Fresno Bee years ago. It had yogurt and bananas, among other ingredients.
Jane Blue of Sacramento shares this recipe, which sounds like a match for Banfield. Lynette DeYoung of Oakdale tops her banana cake with chocolate frosting.
INGREDIENTS
2¼ cups cake flour
½ teaspoon double-acting baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter
1½ cups sifted sugar
2 eggs
1 cup lightly mashed bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup yogurt or buttermilk
2 sliced ripe bananas
White frosting or powdered sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
Have all ingredients about 70 degrees. Sift cake flour before measuring it. Resift with the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Gradually add the sifted sugar and cream until light. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
In another bowl, mix the mashed bananas and add the vanilla and yogurt or buttermilk.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the banana mixture. Stir the batter after each additional until smooth.
Bake in two greased cake pans for about 1/2 hour. Remove cake layers and cool on wire racks. When cool, place 2 sliced ripe bananas between the layers. Spread the cake with a white frosting.
If served at once, you can serve without frosting and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Per serving: 264 cal.; 3 g pro.; 44 g carb.; 9 g fat (5 sat., 3 monounsat., 1 polyunsat.); 56 mg chol.; 201 mg sod.; 1 g fiber; 28 g sugar; 30 percent calories from fat.
Vallejo Joe’s Spanish rice
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Serves 6
Margie Allen of Sacramento was looking for a Spanish rice recipe that was in The Bee some time ago.
Sue Schoen of Granite Bay and Bonnie Winther of Plymouth share this recipe, which was in The Bee four or five years ago. Schoen says she uses this recipe all the time because it’s quick, requires minimal ingredients and tastes great. Just before serving, she adds some chopped fresh cilantro and a few green peas for color.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons lard (or olive oil or canola oil)
1 cup white rice, uncooked
1/3 cup finely diced onions (you can use dehydrated or frozen diced onions)
½ teaspoon minced garlic
¼ cup tomato sauce
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2½ cups water
½ cup chopped cilantro, optional
½ cup peas, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
In a frying pan, heat lard or oil over medium heat and add the uncooked rice. Stir the rice continuously until it is golden brown. Add the onions and garlic and stir for another 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce, bouillon cubes, salt and water.
Stir all ingredients, cover and cook on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
Just before serving, add chopped cilantro and peas, if desired.
Per serving without cilantro or peas: 164 cal.; 3 g pro.; 27 g carb.; 5 g fat (1 sat., 1 monounsat., 3 polyunsat.); 0 mg chol.; 793 mg sod.; 28 percent calories from fat.