-----Original Message-----
From: suzan
Sent: Saturday, June 27, 2015 12:07 PM
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
Subject: Spanish Sherry Cake
Hello! Thx for helping us find lost recipes that remind us of good times!
In the 1980s, I made a wonderfully rich, decadent Spanish Sherry Cake. The
recipe was from a magazine (BH&G, Hanover House?) that also published
cookbooks. The recipe called for a cubed pound cake that was first soaked in
a Madeira and/or Marsala. Next, a filling consisting of mostly egg yolks,
minced pecans, and sugar was cooked on the stove to a desired consistency.
As the soaked cake cubes were layered in a bundt pan, the pecan mixture was
drizzled on and around the cubes. Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream was
served with the cake to cut (?) the sweetness. This recipe is straight
forward and results in a beautiful, memorable dessert.
I hope you can find the recipe! I've searched for years!
Thanks!
Suzan
Hello Suzan,
I can find only one mention of a "Spanish Sherry Cake" recipe. It sounds a
lot like your description, but it's not exactly from a magazine. It was
published in a newspaper, "The Southend Reporter from Chicago, Illinois" on
January 13, 1977. The problem is that the recipe is on a newspaper archive
site that is subscription only, and which charges a fee for subscribing. I
am not a member. If you aren't a member they give a brief synopsis of the
text, but it has scrambled text and is not usable. It's just enough so that
you can tell that it's the recipe. If you want to get the correct text of
the recipe, you have to subscribe.
The site is: Newspapers.com
January 13, 1977
Southend Reporter from Chicago, Illinois · Page 25
"This Spanish Sherry cake will look and taste inviting enough for your best
dinner party. 1% cups sugar % cup water % cup Duff Gordon Santa Maria Cream
Sherry 1!£ quarts pound cake cubes (one 12 oz cake) % cup pecan halves 4
egg yolks 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional) !4 teaspoon salt . Combine
sugar and water in saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer,
uncovered for 10 minutes. Cool. Combine half the syrup with Sherry and cake
cubes, tossing lightly just to mix. Grind pecans in electric blender or nut
grinder. Add pecans, egg yolks, almond extract and salt to remaining half of
syrup. Heat, stirring often over medium heat just until begins to bubble,
about 5 minutes To assemble cake, layer M c '·- cube mixture in bottom of
buttered '1-quart fancy mo. ip with % pecan mixture. Repeat layering twice,
fc =u 350 degrees for I hour or until top is golden and t y. Cool % hour
then loosen sides with knife and invert i \e onto plate. Cover with cake
dome or transparent wra; Sea ton for several hours or overnight (cake
develops fi.vur as it ages; it may even be held for two or three dajs before
serving). Serve with puffs of whipped cream, decorating top with additional
pecans and some chocolate curls if desired. "
Phaed
> -----Original Message-----
> From: suzan
> Sent: Sunday, June 28, 2015 3:29 PM
> To: Phaedrus
> Subject: Re: Spanish Sherry Cake
>
> Wow! This looks like the recipe! I remember it had headers and footers on two facing pages.
Hmmmm... I am not a subscriber, but will check with our local library. (We live in a rural
area and they subscribe to all types of "different" databases.) The info you provided is a
tremendous jump start -- will let you know the outcome. Thx!
On Sun, Jun 28, 2015 at 1:30 PM, Phaedrus wrote:
Hi Gwen,
Can you get this recipe? It appears to have been in the January 13, 1977 edition of the Chicago, Illinois
“Southend Reporter” newspaper. Below is the scrambled version that non-subscribers get from www.newspapers.com:
Phaed
Hi Phaed,
Lovely to hear from you! I hope all is well. I did not find that recipe in that newspaper,
but I did in another from the same year. See the attached pdf file. Additionally, I found
the following news article, which as you can see is only slightly, slightly different.
Desserts: the professionals tell all - He's ocean-going chef
San Diego Union-Tribune, The (CA) (Published as Evening Tribune (San Diego, CA)) - November 7, 1984
Byline: Linda Susan Dudley
Edition: 1,2,3
Section: FOOD
Page: FOOD-1
In San Diego Food circles mention chef Ben Patterson and then say the word "desserts." Almost always, someone will answer,
"sherry cake," a tempting mosaic of golden and brown. Patterson devised the rich, dense concoction while he was the chef
at the Perfect Pan in Mission Hills in 1977 and 1978. It was then, during the cook shop's infancy, when Patterson prepared
the food for intimate luncheons for 12 -- so popular were they that there was often a three-month waiting list. The sherry
cake, Patterson said in an interview, was his most requested recipe. It is published here for what is believed to be the
first time. Patterson believes a dessert is an integral part of a meal and suggests the sherry cake as an excellent addition
to a festive holiday feast. "I also serve dessert at a dinner party. I don't feel the host has a responsibility to count
the guests' calories, yet I'm not offended if a guest chooses not to eat it, and I also don't mind serving seconds,"
Patterson said. Dessert is just one of the categories where Patterson, 52, is allowed to shine in his current position,
one he calls "my dream job." He is the chef on a 65-foot Stephens yacht that is home-ported here when it isn't sailing
off to the Mexican Riviera or up to British Columbia for about six months of the year. Lest one picture Patterson trying
to make do in a cramped shipboard cooking area, he says the galley has "better equipment than my home kitchen." And
Patterson uses it all. Even if he is just cooking for the woman who is the ship's owner and the crew, he prepares a
gourmet dinner every night. For example, while off the Canadian coast he might have a freshly caught salmon, which he
would wrap in dill crepes and then in brioche to form a loaf. It was only a decade ago that Patterson changed his life
dramatically with a mid-life career change from theater arts management (he was in on the ground floor at both UCSD and
UC Berkeley) to cooking professionally. "I had always been a dedicated amateur chef; always cooking and entertaining,"
said Patterson, a whisper of his South Carolina upbringing still in his deep voice. It was a change for the better,
straightening out some problems and boosting his health. And it brought him to his dream job. "I love my boss, and I
love my work; I get to prepare all the dishes which would be too expensive for me to make at home," Patterson said.
But if you can catch him ashore in his Mission Hills cottage, he'll probably have a sherry cake in the freezer to fill
the many requests for his popular sweet. Patterson stressed that all of the alcohol in the sherry cooks out of the cake,
leaving only the vivid flavor.
Sherry Cake
1 1/2 pounds leftover pound cake (or 2 10 3/4 -ounce frozen pound cakes or large homemade loaf pound cake)
3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups cream sherry
1 1/2 cups shelled pecans
8 egg yolks
1 tablespoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut pound cake into one-inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Combine sugar and water in
a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Combine one cup of syrup with sherry and sprinkle on cake cubes. Grind pecans until powdery in a food processor or blender.
Add to remaining syrup along with egg yolks, almond extract and salt. Mix well and stir over medium heat until mixture
bubbles. Spray a 1 1/2 -quart ring baking mold (a Kugelhopf is a decorative choice) with no-stick cooking spray. Layer
one-third of pecan mixture, then a third of the cake mixture. Repeat twice. Bake one hour at 350 degrees or until top
is golden brown and crusty. Cool 30 to 40 minutes. Loosen sides with knife and invert cake onto serving plate. Cover with
plastic wrap and allow to season overnight at room temperature. Serve in small wedges. Freezes well or can be stored at
room temperature for up to a week. Serve with scoop of French vanilla ice cream. Makes 12 to 18 pieces.
Best,
Gwen
From: Carol
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2015 8:34 PM
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
Subject: Recipe From Good Housekeeping Magazine
Dear Uncle Phaedrus,
I am trying to locate a recipe I lost years ago. It was from a Good Housekeeping Magazine circa 1983?
It was a sauce for pork chops on the grill. It contained a small can of pears in heavy syrup, horseradish
sauce, mustard and that is all I remember. All the ingredients were blended together and then basted on
the pork chops as they grilled. It was rather thick. Like applesauce. I do not remember any of the portions,
I have tried the internet years ago and have never had any luck.
Thanks,
Carol
Hi Carol,
Sorry, I had no success finding this recipe. I’ll post this on the site for reader input.
Phaed
From: "Lisa"
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
Subject: 7-31-15 Edition Pear Sauce
Date: Thursday, July 30, 2015 9:35 AM
Good Morning,
I don't know if this came from Good Housekeeping or not, but it sounds like
what she was looking for.
Regards,
Lisa
Pear Grilling Sauce
1 can (16 ounce size) pear halves, drained
3 tablespoons pear syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon horseradish
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
directions
In blender container, puree all ingredients.
Brush onto meat on grill during last 5 minutes of cooking time.
Use as a last-minute glaze for pork chops.
From: Cathy
Sent: Monday, June 29, 2015 11:35 AM
To: Phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
Subject: ZCMI hot dog relish
Hello Phaedrus,
Way back in the 70's and 80's, the old ZCMI department store in Salt Lake City Utah had a little lunch counter
down in the basement which served hot dogs with a wonderful red relish on them. I would just love to find a
recipe for that relish - any ideas?
Thanx!
Hungry in Texas,
Cathy
Hi Cathy,
I had no success with a ZCMI recipe. The only mention of it that I could find was that it was a tomato relish.
There’s a non-ZCMI ripe tomato hot dog relish recipe below.
Phaed
Ripe Tomato Relish (Hot Dog)
4 qts. ripe tomatoes, chopped coarsely
3 onions, chopped fine
1 c. celery, cut up
2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. salt
1 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 green peppers, chopped fine
1 pt. vinegar
1/2 c. white sugar
2 tbsp. mustard seed
Mix all together. Put in pan and cook on low heat until thick. Then put in pint jars and seal. Makes about 7 pints.
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