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Uncle Phaedrus: Consulting Detective and Finder of Lost Recipes

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Today's Case:

New Castle Coney Sauce

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Kim 
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com 
Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2010 7:54 AM
Subject: New Castle Coney Sauce

My name is Kim and I live in Ohio. As a child we would road trip to 
New Castle PA where was and still is a New Castle Coney Island 
restaurant with a Coney Sauce that is hot and quite a thin sauce.  
I have tried to find this recipe for 20 years. 
I have been unsuccessful in duplicating the original recipe.  
Thank you for any help you might lend.

Thank You,

Kim

Hi Kim,

The original is not, of course, available. The three recipes below all claim to be close. Try them and let me know how close they are.

Phaed

New Castle Chili

One pound of ground beef
4 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon red pepper
one large onion chopped fine
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoon vinegar

Cook beef and drain off the fat real good. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover with 
water completely and simmer 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Keep adding water to keep it from drying out. 
Then add 4 tablespoons corn meal with water to it slowly. Cook some more for 10 - 15 minutes, 
stirring occasionally, being careful that it doesn't dry out. Cook on low heat.

----------------------------
Coney Island Hot Dog Chili

1 1/2 lbs of hamburger (lean)
1 onion (medium) chopped
Brown Hamburg and onion in large pan.
Then add 4 cups of water and one small can of tomato paste

Add:
3 tablespoons of black pepper
3 tablespoons of Chili powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of red crushed pepper
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne red pepper
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

Cook until a little thick you don't want it too soupy also you can adjust the chili
 powder down if you want a milder chili sauce.

For More Spicier Taste Add :
3 tablespoons of spicy brown mustard
3 or 4 tablespoons of Vinegar

Then hang on.
Thank you Judith and enjoy.

This recipe is over 40 years old and a copy of my mothers original. We lived in 
New Castle, Pa. the hotdog capital of the world.
-----------------------------------
Coney Island Hot Dog Chili

brown in pot

1 1/2 lean ground meat
2 T ch onion 
drain fat if necessary 
Add: 

1 T salt
1 T cayenne or more to taste 
1 T black pepper
4 T chili powder
1 sm can tomato paste
2 qts water

Simmer till thick breaking up meat with potato masher-takes a while to cook, 
but it's worth it. Freezes well

A reader sent this recipe:

Hi Unc!!

I grew up in New Castle - the Coney Sauce, found in the hot dog shops there, is 
of Greek origin.  There are no tomato products, vinegar or mustard, it's just meat 
and spices and of course the secret ingredient.  I was fortunate enough to get the 
recipe from one of the cooks there many years ago.  I converted it down from industrial 
quantities for home use.  It's a bit spicy with a pleasant heat - it's also what made 
New Castle the Hot Dog Capitol of the world ;)  I'm happy to pass the recipe along for 
Kim in Ohio.  Enjoy!
 
1 1/4  pounds    ground hamburger (not chuck, you want the fat in this one)
3/4     cup         cracker meal (plain, not seasoned)
4 1/2  tsp          spanish hot chili powder 
4 1/2  tsp          ground red cayenne pepper
1 1/2  tsp          ground oregano
1 1/2  tsp          ground thyme
1 1/2  tsp          ground cumin
1       clove        garlic
1       small       onion, minced fine
1 1/2  tsp          salt
1        Tbs         ground black pepper
4 1/2  cups       water
 
Brown the meat, onion, and garlic in a large pot until meat is cooked (do not drain)
Add the salt and black pepper and cook until fully integrated
 
In a small bowl combine the cracker meal and the rest of the spices.
Add to the meat mixture and cook until the cracker meal is browned.
 
Add 4/12 cups of water - simmer for 1 - 1/12 hours stirring often.
More water can be added as needed. 
 
Lastly use an immersion blender to thoroughly emulsify your coney sauce.  
(try a food processor or blender if you don't have an immersion blender)
 
Store in the refrigerator, it also freezes well. 
 
original coney: bun, hot dog, yellow mustard, coney sauce, chopped onion
options: ketchup, shredded cheese, sliced pickle spears

Easter Egg Sandwiches

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Ginny 
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com 
Sent: Saturday, March 27, 2010 12:42 PM
Subject: Lost Recipe Request

Hello Uncle Phaedrus!!!
i love your site and you have found a few wonderful lost recipes for me in 
the past. I thank you!!  Here is a new lost recipe I would like your help with:

Before I moved several years ago, I had a recipe for Easter egg hot sandwiches. 
I have searched recipes files on the net and am unable to locate the recipe.  
I remember it used left over hard boiled eggs,  onions, cheese, I think mayo, 
and more. It was on a short sandwich bun, like you would use for a porboy. 
Each individually wrapped in alum foil and baked. 

Ginny 
PA 

Hi Ginny,

Sorry, I cannot find a recipe that fits this description. I'll post the request - maybe a reader can help.

Phaed


Hawaiian Lei Cookies

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Eileen
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2010 12:23 PM
Subject: Hawaiian Lei Cookies..

 My name is Eileen.....years ago (I'm talking the 1960's), there was a 
department store in Hammond, Indiana named Goldblatts. There was 
a bakery department in the basement. IF we were good (and we always were) 
my mom would buy us a Hawaiian Lei Cookie.  It had a "cookie" base, 
some type of "fruit filling" on top - - I'm thinking orange marmalade..
only not as "tart", coconut sprinkled on top of the fruit filling and 
ribbons of chocolate on top of the coconut.  I've Googled "Hawaiian 
Lei Cookies" (there were no macadamia nuts in them)...I've Googled 
Goldblatts...No luck...Up to a challenge?
Thank you!
Eileen 
Georgia

Hi Eileen,

Sorry, no success at all. I do, of course, like challenges, but sometimes they turn out to be more like fishing in an empty pond. I searched everywhere and every way that I can think of. Not everything is on the Internet (yet).

Phaed


Bon Appetit Mushroom Soup

----- Original Message ----- 
From: gloria 
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com 
Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 10:38 AM
Subject: RE: lost soup recipe from bon appetit magazine

ok. It was a mushroom soup recipe printed a decade ago ina Bon Appetit magazine.

The ingredients definitely contained dried mustard and dried savory. Neither are 
common ingredients in mushroom soup. It also had diced ham in it.

It was a quick recipe so it may have have called for canned broth. I think it was 
sent in to one of those columns that readers contribute recipes to . it served 4 to 6.
I remember it being at the beginning of the magazine.

If you need it to be more specific, please tell me what that would be.

Thanks again
Gloria 

Hi Gloria,

Sorry, no success. I cannot find a mushroom soup recipe with those ingredients at all.

Phaed


Now That's a Chili

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Leigh  
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com 
Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 10:56 AM
Subject: "Now That's A Chili" Recipe from Southern Living Annual Cookbook (95?)

Hi,

I am looking for a recipe for chili that I found in a Southern Living Annual 
Cookbook from, I think, 1995.  I made it once this summer from my Grandma's 
cookbook but she has since moved to a smaller place and the book is packed 
away somewhere.  Plus she lives in NC and I live in NYC.  I don't really want to 
spend $40-50 on the cookbook for only one recipe, so any help you can provide 
would be great. Here is what I remember about the recipe:

It was at the beginning of the cookbook, probably January, as it is organized 
in ascending order by month.  There is a section within the month devoted to 
chili recipes and the recipe I want is toward the end of the section.  It's 
called "Now That's A Chili" because it has Italian inspired elements in it. 
This is what I remember:
Ground Beef
Italian Sausage
Onion, Mushroom
Beer
Wine
Dijon Mustard
Oregano
Basil
Kidney Beans
2 or 3 kinds of canned tomato

I'm dying to make this chili again.  It was so good.  Thank you for your help!

Kindly,

Leigh

Hello Leigh,

Sorry, that recipe does not appear to be on the Internet. I had no success searching. I found six other requests for the same recipe posted on various message boards, and none of them had been answered with a recipe.

Phaed

Courtenay, one of my readers, found the below recipe.

now, thats a chili

Measure      Ingredient 

2 pounds Lean ground beef 
1 pounds Italian hot link sausage, Casings removed 
1 large Onion, chopped 
1/2 cup Sliced fresh mushrooms 
1-1/2 tablespoon Minced fresh garlic 
1/4 cup Chili powder 
2  To 3 Tbl Ground cumin 
2 cans Italian-style chopped Tomatoes (16-ounce cans) 
1 can Kidney beans (16 ounces), Drained 
1 can Tomato paste (6 ounces) 
? cup Beer 
1/4 cup Chopped fresh parsley 
1/4 cup Burgundy (or other dry red Wine) 
1/4 cup Dijon mustard 
1 tablespoon Dried oregano 
1 tablespoon Dried basil 
1 teaspoon Salt 
1 teaspoon Ground pepper 
2 tablespoons Lemon juice 
  Grated cheese 
  Chopped green onions 
  Commercial salsa 
  Sour cream 

Cook the ground beef and the sausage meat in a large Dutch oven until the 
beef crumbles and browns. Drain the meat, then return it to the Dutch oven. 
Add the mushrooms and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Stir 
in the chili powder, cumin, tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, beer, parsley, 
Burgundy, mustard, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Bring the 
mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 
for 1 to 2 hours. Serve the chili with your choice of condiments. 
Makes 11 cups. 
Southern Living; January 1995