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Thursday, April 26, 2001 By Arlene Burnett, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
Add a touch of elegance to any routine meal -- start it off with Lobster Bisque. Bisque is a thick, rich soup usually made with a roux. Roux (roo) is added to thicken the soup and to give it flavor (we used a butter and flour roux).
Today's recipe calls for two lobster tails. The tails are cooked in boiling water until done. Once the lobsters are cooked, the meat is removed from the shell. The shells are crushed (we used a mallet to crack the shells in large pieces) and placed in 21/2 cups of water or clam juice. To give this soup added flavor, we decided to use two 8-ounce bottles of clam juice mixed with enough water to make 21/2 cups liquid. We placed the shells in this mixture, added the vegetables and continued on with the recipe. This soup turned out lusciously rich, thick and flavorful. It's a perfect start to any meal, but it's so tasty it could easily be served as the main course with a salad and bread or rolls. Although this soup wasn't difficult, it did take some time to cook the lobster, crack the shells, etc. So, to cut some time we decided to try the recipe again using four 6-ounce cans of crab meat -- and we were happy with the results.
We decided to pair our lobster bisque with hush puppies. Hush puppies are generally served with broiled or fried fish (we figured Lobster Bisque was close enough).
If you've ever wondered why these deep-fried nuggets are called hush puppies, read on:
According to "America's Bread Book," by Mary Gubser, the story has to do with men sitting around a campfire cooking the evening's meal of fish. When the scent of fish cooking reached the puppies they would whine. The men would then roll up bits of wet cornmeal, fry them, then toss them to the pups yelling, "Hush, puppies."
Here's another version from "Around the Southern Table," by Sarah Belk: During a fish fry, hungry, yelping dogs were thrown mounds of fried cornmeal batter along with the command "Hush, puppies!"
Variations of hush puppies include adding shredded Cheddar cheese, red pepper or Tabasco sauce.
Barb Balestreire of Glenshaw requested a recipe for Lobster Bisque. Here's a version from Elizabeth Fedash of Martins Ferry, Ohio. She received this recipe from Dr. Edward S. Phillips of Wheeling, W.Va.
Diced, cooked meat of 2 lobsters, see note
Simmer the vegetables, seasonings and lobster shells in the broth until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
Strain the broth, discarding vegetables and shells, and set broth aside.
Prepare the roux: In a medium saucepan, melt butter, stir in flour, then add milk slowly, stirring constantly until roux is thick and smooth. Add roux to stock. Add lobster meat -- cover and simmer 5 minutes.
In a small saucepan, scald the cream. Remove soup from heat and stir in cream. Serve in heated bowls. Garnish with paprika.
Note: If you're in a hurry, replace the lobster with four 6-ounce cans of crab meat.
Doris Englert of Baldwin Borough sent in this easy recipe for hush puppies. This recipe was requested by Alice Majeski of Mt. Lebanon.
2 cups cornmeal
Mix dry ingredients. Add onion, milk and beaten egg. Drop by spoonfuls in hot fat. Fry until golden brown. The hush puppies will float to the top when done.
Note: Use enough shortening to completely cover the hush puppies. We used a deep fryer. Also, don't crowd the hush puppies. Fry only a few at a time.
Where's Caputo's Rum Cake?
Buzz Pusateri of Shadyside wrote Kitchen Mailbox hoping someone might have the recipe for Caputo Bakery's rum cake.
It seems that Buzz isn't the only reader wishing for a Caputo rum cake or the recipe. Read on:
Kathy Sullenberger, East Liverpool, Ohio: "I too, remember these rum cakes and they were fabulous. I have never tasted a rum cake since that could match the taste of Caputo's. It is my understanding (and this was told to me by my dad) that Mr. Caputo refused to reveal the recipe and so it was never passed on to anyone. They stopped selling the cakes. It would be great if someone could duplicate that recipe. I am a faithful reader of the Post-Gazette food section and really enjoy the recipes and articles. I'll be interested to see if anyone has a recipe that may be similar to Caputo's. We can only hope!"
Sorry, we can't supply a recipe but several readers responded to inform us that a similar rum cake was to be found at Graham's Bakery in the Virginia Manor Shopping Center
Jane Cerminara of Beechview, also a fan of Caputo's Bakery, writes that Graham's rum cake is "closest to the original." She says it "oozes with rum."
Gloria Nanz of Mt. Lebanon tells us that Graham's has them "every day -- I know because I work there." According to Gloria, this is the original Caputo's rum cake.
Graham's Bakery has two locations: Virginia Manor Shopping Center, Cochran Road (412-341-6911) and Lebanon Shops, Mt. Lebanon Boulevard (412-561-8600). But it's the Virginia Manor Shopping Center bakery that sells the cakes. The 8-inch cakes sell for $16.95. Because they're frozen it's a good idea to buy the cake a day before serving. Allow the cake to thaw in the refrigerator.
Request
Does anyone know where to find a marzipan cake? Sally Thomas of Squirrel Hill needs a cake for a bridal shower -- specifically a marzipan cake. Sally writes: "I can't seem to find a bakery in the city or suburbs that makes one of these cakes."
-- By Arlene Burnett
If you want to answer a recipe request from a reader or are looking for a recipe yourself, please write to Kitchen Mailbox, c/o Arlene Burnett, 34 Blvd. of the Allies, Pittsburgh 15222, or e-mail to aburnett@post-gazette.com. Please include a name, neighborhood and a daytime phone number on all correspondence.
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