Recipe Finder: Lemon pie and banana bread

Jennifer Biggs | The Commercial Appeal

I wish I had someone’s old Rolodex, one with contacts for folks at Bill and Jim’s, Café Samavor, and all the old bakeries. But I have archives and I have you—I’m relying on you to search your old recipe boxes, too—so we’ll get on as best we can.

Laura Sanford wants a lemon chess pie that isn’t gritty, and I was able to find one sans cornmeal in our files. Judy Lee said her mother made the best banana bread, using a recipe from our files called Best Banana Bread. I found Best Ever Banana Bread and offer it; I bet it’s the same.

I wish—here I go again, wishing—that I had the real recipes Harvey Middleton requested, but I don’t. He wanted Crabmeat Clemenceau and Shrimp Toulouse from the long-closed Vieux Chalet. I have Shrimp Toulouse from the Court of Two Sisters in New Orleans instead. Please let me know how these work.

On to requests:

Ruth Griffin wants the chicken croquettes from Bill & Jim’s (also long gone). I didn’t find it, but did find an old story about a reunion of employees and hope that someone who worked there will email or call me with more information about the recipe. The story mentioned that when a customer ordered the cone-shaped chicken croquettes, the server called out for “Dolly Parton.” (My mother has also requested this recipe and says the croquettes were covered in a cream sauce.)

Gene Mangiante first requested the recipe for knot bread from Zavelli’s Bakery on Summer in 2009; still no luck.

Bill Fox would like the lobster bisque from Café Samovar, and he asked for the seafood bisque back in 2008 but we weren’t able to help.

Can anyone help? Dig deep, folks. Send your recipes and requests to me at biggs@commercialappeal.com or call 901-529-5223.

Blanche's Chess Pie



1 stick ( 1/2 cup) butter or margarine, room temperature



1 1/2 cups sugar



1 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar



2 teaspoons vanilla extract



Pinch of salt



3 eggs, slightly beaten



Unbaked pie shell



Cream butter and sugar in saucepan over low heat until it bubbles. Add vinegar, vanilla, salt and eggs and mix well. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Put into 425-degree oven. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Pie is done before it gets real firm. Serves 8. Lemon Chess Pie : Preparing filing as directed above; omitting the vinegar. Stir in 1/3 cup lemon juice and 2 teaspoons lemon rind before pouring into pie crust. Bake as directed above.

Source: Files of The Commercial Appeal

Best Ever Banana Bread



1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour



1 1/2 cups sugar



1 teaspoon baking soda



1/2 teaspoon salt



2 eggs



1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 2 medium fruits)



1/2 cup vegetable oil



1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk



1 teaspoon vanilla extract



1 cup chopped walnuts



In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine eggs, bananas, oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Add to flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in nuts.



Pour into greased 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until bread tests done. Cool on wire rack.



Note: This recipe doesn't double well. To make two loaves, start recipe again.

Source: Files of The Commercial Appeal

Shrimp Toulouse

1 pound butter, softened

1 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup green bell pepper, small diced

1/2 cup red bell pepper, small diced

1/2 cup green onions, sliced

2 pounds 36-40 count shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

1/4 cup white wine

Prepared white rice, for serving.

Heat 2 ounces of butter in a large sauté pan. Add mushrooms, green, and red bell peppers and sauté until soft. Add green onions, shrimp, and Toulouse seasoning and sauté until shrimp start to turn pink. Add white wine and reduce liquid by half.

When liquid is reduced, swirl butter, about 3 ounces at a time, over low heat. When all butter is incorporated, remove from heat and serve over white rice. (Editor’s note: I’d take shrimp out 1-2 minutes after they turn pink, reduce sauce and add butter, then add shrimp back in to warm through and continue to cook for the last 2-3 minutes.)

Source: creolecajunchef.com