Uncle Phaedrus, Finder of Lost Recipes (2024)

Orzo and Wild Rice

----- Original Message -----From: CljonesrunTo: phaedrusSent: Sunday, March 09, 2003 10:49 PMSubject: I am looking for J alexander's wild rice with orzo recipe. Can youhelp?>>

Hello Jones,

Yes, I can. See below.

Phaed

Orzo And Wild Rice Salad (J. Alexander's) - SaladsServes 4Ingredients: 2 cups cooked orzo1 cup cooked wild rice1/4 cup diced red onions1/4 cup currants1/8 cup fresh corn niblets1/4 cup toasted almonds1 tablespoon chopped parsley3 tablespoond diced red peppers3 tablespoons diced yellow peppers1/2 cup sliced green onions1/2 cup dressing (recipe follows)Salt and pepper to taste1 teaspoon granulated garlic1/8 cup cut fresh basilDressing: (Makes 1 cup)4 1/2 tablespoons balsamic white vinegar1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice1/2 teaspoon minced garlic1/2 tablespoon French's dijon mustard1/2 tablespoon sugar3/8 cup ( 1/4 cup plus 1/8 cup) canola oil3/8 cup extra virgin olive oil1/2 tablespoon fresh basilSalt and pepper to tasteInstructions: For dressing: Dissolve vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and sugar with a hand whip (three minute stirring). Fold in the mustard, basil, salt and pepper. Slowly add oils, while whisking vigorously. Refrigerate. Place all other ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Serve ice cold, 38-40F. Shelf life mixed is two hours.

Caraway Rye Bread

 ----- Original Message ----- From: Joanne To: phaedrus Sent: Monday, March 10, 2003 3:48 PM Subject: Caraway rye bread First of all I love your site. I am looking for a simple caraway rye bread receipe. I have tried 2 now and ended up throwing it all away. HELP? Thanks...... Joanne

Hello Joanne,

Have you tried the one below?

Phaed

Let's not get confused, now. The dessert that we call "Boston Cream Pie" wasnot invented by the Frisbie Pie Company. The pie or rather cake, had beenaround since colonial days, when it was called a "pudding cake". The Frisbiecompany didn't even name it "Boston Cream Pie." The name "Boston Cream Pie"first appeared in print in the New York Herald in 1855. William RussellFrisbie didn't start the Frisbie Pie Company until 1871. I could not locateFrisbie's recipe, but the one below has as good a claim to being a duplicateof the "original" as any recipe for Boston Cream Pie does.

Phaed

Boston Cream Pie (Cake)Sponge Cake Recipe3 tablespoons (37 grams) clarified butter1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract4 large eggs1/2 cup (l00 grams) granulated white sugar1/2 cup (50 grams) sifted cake flour1/2 cup minus 1 tablespoon (50 grams) cornstarch(To make clarified butter take 4 tablespoons unsalted butter and put into aheavy saucepan. Melt the butter over medium heat, partially covering toprevent splattering. When the butter looks clear, cook uncovered, watchingcarefully until the solids drop and begin to brown. Pour immediatelythrough a fine strainer or a strainer lined with cheesecloth.)Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Grease and line bottom ofa 9 inch (23 cm) cake or springform pan with parchment paper, and thengrease and flour again (or spray with Baker's Joy).Warm the clarified butter until almost hot (110 degrees F). Add vanillaextract and keep warm.Meanwhile in a small bowl sift together the flour and cornstarch. Setaside.In a large mixing bowl set over a pan of simmering water heat the eggs andsugar until just lukewarm, stirring constantly to prevent curdling. Transfermixture to bowl of electric mixer and, using the whisk attachment, beat themixture on high speed for five minutes or until tripled in volume.Whisk about one cup of the egg mixture into the clarified butter to lightenit.Sift 1/2 the flour mixture over the remaining egg mixture and fold it ingently with a rubber spatula until the flour is fully incorporated. Siftthe remaining flour mixture over the batter and gently fold in untilincorporated. Fold in the butter mixture until just incorporated.Pour into the prepared pan (it will be about 2/3 full) and bake 25 to 35minutes or until the cake is golden brown and starts to shrink from thesides of the pan. Do not open the oven door before the minimum time or thecake could collapse. Remove from oven and place on wire rack.Loosen the sides of the cake with a small spatula and unmold at once onto alightly greased rack. Reinvert to cool. Trim the bottom and top crust andsprinkle the syrup evenly on both sides.Store the cake (without syrup) two days at room temperature or two monthsfrozen. After adding the syrup the flavors ripen and the moisture is moreevenly distributed one day later. The completed cake can be refrigerated upto five days and frozen up to two months. Syrup can be refrigerated for onemonth in an airtight container.-----------------------Vanilla Custard Filling:1 1/3 cups (320 ml) milk, divided1/3 cup (66 grams) granulated white sugar2 tablespoons cornstarch1 tablespoon (14 grams) all purpose flour1 large egg1 large egg yolk1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extractIn a medium saucepan over low heat, combine l cup (240 ml) milk and thesugar and bring it to a slow boil. Set aside.In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and flour. Gradually stir in theremaining 1/3 cup (80 ml) milk, whisking until very smooth. Then whisk inthe whole egg and egg yolk. Add to the hot sugar/milk mixture. Bring thisto a boil on low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thick andsmooth. Cook 30 to 45 seconds after the mixture reaches a boil, stirringgently with a wooden spoon to prevent scorching.Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Press a piece ofbuttered waxed paper onto the filling to prevent a skin from forming.Refrigerate until filling is chilled.------------------Chocolate Icing:1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped1 ounce semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped1 1/4 (143 grams) cups sifted confectioners' sugar3 tablespoons boiling water, plus a few extra drops for thinning glaze1 tablespoon light corn syrup1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extractChocolate Icing Insctructions:Place the chocolate in a medium stainless steel mixing bowl placed over asaucepan with simmering water. Melt slowly. Remove bowl and add sugaralternately with hot water, four parts sugar to three parts water, beatingwell after each addition.Beat in corn syrup and vanilla. Icing should be pourable, the consistencyof chocolate syrup. If too thick, add a few drops of boiling water untilthe desired consistency is reached. The frosting will thicken as it cools.If you are making it ahead of time, place the bowl over a saucepan ofsimmering water to keep warm.-----------------To Assemble the Boston Cream Pie:1. Divide sponge cake horizontally into two layers. Set the bottom layercut side up on a serving plate. Cut 4 strips of waxed (parchment) paper,each 4 inches wide, and slide under edge of the cake to keep plate cleanwhile you frost.2. Cover cake with 1/2 inch layer of custard. Then put second layer ofsponge, cut side down. Then, holding the bowl with chocolate icing about 10inches over center of cake, pour on the icing. Using a 10 inch metalspatula, quickly ease frosting to edges of cake. Allow it to drip randomlydown the sides; frosting will set almost immediately.3. If not using chocolate glaze then simply dust with confectioners' sugar.Store uncovered in refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes to set. If you wish,the cake can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 8 hours before serving.Remove 1/2 hour before serving. Leftover cake should be stored in therefrigerator, loosely covered with tin foil. The cake will keep up to threedays.

Whoopie Pie Origin

 ----- Original Message ----- From: Judy To: phaedrus Sent: Monday, March 10, 2003 9:46 AM Subject: Origin of Amish Whoopie Pies Dear Sir: I have been trying to find the origin of the Amish Whoopie Pie without success. I need this information just as soon as possible. If you can help, I will really appreciate it. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Judy

Hello Judy,

I'll be happy to share what little information about it that I have with you.

First, it's a Pennsylvania Dutch confection, not strictly an Amish one. All Pennsylvania Dutch are not Amish.

From "The Dictionary of American Food and Drink" by John F. Mariani:

"According to cookbook author and Pennsylvania restaurateur Betty Groff, whoopie pies may have originated with mothers who used leftover batter from more traditional cakes to make little cakes for their children. The origin of the name is obscure, perhaps simply related to the whoop of joy uttered by children on receiving such an unexpected sweet."

That's all I have, Judy.

Phaed

Natural Antibiotics

----- Original Message -----From: phaedrus(?)To: phaedrusSent: Sunday, March 09, 2003 10:00 PMSubject: Drug resistant bacteria> Can pathogens become resistant to the antibiotic effects of > botanicals like garlic, essential oils, etc., like they get >resistant to drugs?>>

Hello P.,

I can't say anything about "essential oils" because I know nothing aboutwhich ones you mean or what their manner of action, if any, might be as an antibacterial. However, I can comment on garlic.

The antibacterial agent in garlic is allicin. Studies have shown thatallicin works by blocking certain groups of enzymes. In the garlic plant,allicin, which is created when garlic cloves are crushed, protects the plantfrom soil parasites and fungi and is also responsible for garlic's pungentsmell. Research shows that allicin's antibiotic effect works by blocking twogroups of enzymes, cysteine proteinases and alcohol dehydrogenases.

Cysteine proteinase enzymes are among the main culprits in infection,providing infectious organisms with the means to damage and invade tissues.Alcohol dehydrogenase enzymes play a major role in these harmful organisms'metabolism and survival. Because these groups of enzymes are found in a widevariety of infectious organisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses, thisresearch provides a scientific basis for the notion that allicin is abroad-spectrum antimicrobial, capable of warding off different types ofinfections.

One study said:
"The role of allicin in warding off infection may be particularly valuablein light of the growing bacterial resistance to antibiotics. It is unlikelythat bacteria would develop resistance to allicin because this would requiremodifying the very enzymes that make their activity possible."

That said, there are a couple of things to keep in mind here:

1) Since not all microbes use those two enzymes, allicin is not effectiveagainst all disease-causing microorganisms. While an individual microbestrain might not develop resistance to allicin, that would not stop anotherone that does not use the two enzymes from becoming a major disease. It alsodoes not stop new microbes from evolving which do not use the enzymes andare therefore not susceptible to allicin.

2) Relative strength: One penicillin tablet twice a day is a common dosagefor penicillin. Garlic is a much weaker antibiotic by weight. You might not be able to ingest as much garlic as it would take to replace two penicillin tablets. The study cited above merely shows that it works as anantibacterial; it does not show relative effectiveness as compared toantibiotics like penicillin. If garlic were effective in small doses, then it would have been in widespread use long before now, and there would have been no need to develop penicillin and all the rest.

Phaed