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Recipes

Southern Belle Supper Club RFTRemember these great dishes from some of our favorite restaurants owned --  or often frequented and staffed by the LGBT community? Pictured: Southern Belle Supper Club, Jan 10, 2001 (Riverfront Times)

WARM FRUIT COMPOTE

Southern Belle Supper Club

Yield: 6 cups.

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 cups orange sections (about 3 large navel oranges)

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries

1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

4 kiwi, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple

1 mango, chopped (about 1 cup)

In a large saucepan, bring orange juice and honey to a boil. Let boil 30 seconds. Remove from heat; stir in orange sections, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, pineapple and mango. Keep warm until serving. Per 1 Cup Serving: 188 calories; 1g fat (5 percent calories from fat); no cholesterol; 2g protein; 48g carbohydrate; 6.5g fiber; 2mg sodium; 58mg calcium.

FRENCH TOAST

Southern Belle Supper Club

Yield: 3 servings

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1 pinch ground cinnamon

6 pieces day-old raisin bread, sliced about 1/2 inch thick

Nonstick cooking spray

Powdered sugar

Warm Fruit Compote (see recipe above)

Beat eggs with milk and cinnamon. Dip bread in egg mixture, but do not allow to soak. Spray a griddle with nonstick spray; grill bread until golden brown on both sides. To serve, cut bread on the diagonal to form triangles, dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately with Warm Fruit Compote.

Per Serving: 272 calories; 9g fat (30 percent calories from fat); 222mg cholesterol; 13g protein; 37g carbohydrate; 2g fiber; 293mg sodium; 171mg calcium.

SMOKED PORK CHOPS WITH SAUCE BEAUTIFUL

Richard Perry's Jefferson Avenue Boarding House

(source: Kitcheninferno Blog Oct. 2006)

Yield: 12 servings

12 smoked pork chops

2 cups of peach preserves

1 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Combine all of the ingredients except the pork chops and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce until slightly thickened. Briefly grill or saute the chops to brown them, add to the sauce and heat through. This dish holds nicely in a chafing dish.

CHOCOLATE PUDDING

Richard Perry's Jefferson Avenue Boarding House

(Source: justcured.com, Nov. 26, 2008)

Yield: 6 servings

3 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

7 cups milk

1 cup cornstarch

2 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

In a large pot, whisk together the sugar, cocoa and salt. Add 7 cups milk and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and remaining milk. Add 1 cup of the hot liquid and thoroughly mix to temper. Add the cornstarch mixture back to the pot. Return to a boil stirring constantly; let boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and blend. Transfer pudding to a container. Cover surface of pudding with waxed paper to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold. Serve with a large dollop of freshly whipped cream.

SMOKED TROUT PANCAKES

Cafe Balaban's

(Source: St. Louis Post Dispatch, Sept. 25, 2012)

Yield: 16 large pancakes

For smoked trout:

2 pounds smoked trout

2 cups mayonnaise

2/3 cup sour cream

4 tablespoons horseradish

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 – 3 healthy dashes Tabasco

1 dash Worcestershire

Salt to taste

White pepper to taste

For pancakes:

2½ cups fresh corn cut off the cob

1 cup half-and-half, divided

3 large eggs

1 cup semolina (see note)

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted

2 tablespoons finely diced red onion

2 tablespoons chopped chives

1 1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1½ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon white pepper

Butter, for frying, 1 tablespoon per pancake

Chopped chives, for garnish

Mix smoked trout. Break (do not mash) trout into small chunks. Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, lemon juice, Tabasco, Worcestershire, salt and white pepper in a large bowl. Stir in smoked trout. Cover and refrigerate. Mix pancake batter. In a blender or food processor, puree half the corn with one-half the half-and-half until smooth. Strain through a chinois, preferably, or a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding the solids. In a large bowl, beat eggs well. Stir in strained corn mixture, remaining corn kernels and remaining half-and-half. Stir in semolina, butter, red onion, chives, baking powder, salt and white pepper just until combined. Pancake mixture may be mixed ahead of time and refrigerated for up to a week.

Make pancakes. In a nonstick or well-seasoned skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter until it sizzles. Measure ¼ cup batter and let spread naturally (pancake will be quite thick). Let pancake cook until golden and edges are crisp on one side, flip and cook until golden and crisp on the other. Repeat with remaining pancakes. To serve Balaban’s-style, place a pancake on a serving plate, top with 1/3 cup smoked trout. Sprinkle with chopped chives

SWEET POTATO GRATIN

Cafe Balaban's

Yield: 12 servings

4 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin, divided

12 oz. crumbled blue cheese, divided

12 oz. grated Parmesan cheese, divided

3 cups heavy cream, divided

1 Tbs. salt, divided

2 Tbs. ground black pepper divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In 9 x 13 pan, layer in the order listed: 1/3 sweet potatoes, 4 oz. blue cheese, 4 oz. Parmesan, 1 cup cream, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Repeat twice. Cover pan w/ aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour. Remove foil, bake 15-20 minutes longer, until top has browned and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving.

ARTICHOKE TOCO

City Cousin

16 oz real mayonaise

8 oz grated Parmesan cheese

2 8 oz cream cheese

2 cans artichoke heart quarters (in water)

Let the cream cheese soften. Roughly chop artichokes. Thoroughly mix all ingredients in round deep baking dish. Bake at 350 until bubbly (around 45 minutes).

CARROT CAKE

Sunshine Inn

(Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 23, 2010)

Yield: 16 to 20 servings

For cake:

1 1/4 cups unrefined corn oil

1/2 cup honey

4 large eggs

2/3 cup molasses

1 cup stone-ground whole-wheat flour

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tablespoon baking soda

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2/3 cup chopped walnuts

2/3 cup raisins (unsulphured)

3 cups grated carrots, tightly packed

For frosting:

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups honey

2 tablespoons vanilla

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup ground walnuts, for garnish

To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch pan.  Combine oil, honey, eggs and molasses in a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth and well combined.  Sift together flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves into a bowl. Stir in walnuts. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Stir in raisins and carrots. Pour into pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Turn cake out onto a serving tray or baking racks; let cool completely.

To prepare frosting: Beat butter, cream cheese and honey until smooth. Add vanilla and lemon juice; stir until mixture reaches a proper consistency. Frost the cooled cake. Sprinkle with ground walnuts. Per serving (based on 20): 648 calories; 44g fat (61 percent calories from fat); 19g saturated fat; 116mg cholesterol; 7g protein; 56g carbohydrate; 38g sugar; 2g fiber; 314mg sodium; 99mg calcium; 393mg potassium.

GOLDEN LION PATTIES

Sunshine Inn

(Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 11, 2010)

Yield: 6 to 8 patties

Salt

1 cup dried soybeans, cooked and drained

2/3 cup dry millet, cooked (do not cook with soybeans)

2/3 cup rolled oats, roasted (see note)

1/3 cup cornmeal, roasted

1/3 cup wheat germ, roasted

3 tablespoons tamari sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground red (cayenne) pepper

1 pinch ground black pepper

2/3 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for cooking

1 small rib celery, minced (see note)

1 onion, minced (see note)

2/3 cup finely grated carrots

Salt cooked soybeans to taste; pulverize in a food processor. Transfer to a large bowl; mix in millet, oats, cornmeal, wheat germ, tamari, cayenne, black pepper, garlic powder, 3 tablespoons oil, celery, onion and carrots. Form into patties. (The mixture will be sticky.) Heat a small amount of oil in a large skillet. Fry patties until crispy on the outside and warm inside.Serve on buns with choice of toppings (lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, sliced mozzarella cheese, mustard, ketchup). Leftover patties freeze well. Note: To roast the millet, oats and cornmeal, put a small amount of oil in a heavy ovenproof skillet. Heat the broiler. Roast each type of grain, one at a time, stirring occasionally. If desired, sauté onion and celery before adding to other ingredients.

Per patty (based on 8): 320 calories; 9.5g fat; 1.5g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 12g protein; 47g carbohydrate; 3g sugar; 6g fiber; 390mg sodium; 40mg calcium.

TAHINI-TAMARI CREAMY SESAME DRESSING

Sunshine Inn

(Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 30, 2007)

Yield: 2 cups

3/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup tahini (see note)

1/4 cup tamari (see note)

3/4 cup canola or light olive oil

Combine orange juice, tahini and tamari in a food processor or blender; process until mixed. With the motor running, add oil in a slow, steady stream, processing until emulsified. Use immediately, or refrigerate and use within several days. Per tablespoon: 73 calories; 7g fat (86 percent calories from fat); 0.5g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 1g protein; 1.5g carbohydrate; no sugar; no fiber; 127mg sodium; 6mg calcium; 33mg potassium. Notes: Tahini is a paste made by grinding sesame seeds. Many markets sell it with the Middle Eastern foods, and it is readily available at ethnic markets. Tamari is a type of Japanese soy sauce.

Copyright Steven Louis Brawley, 2007-Present. All Rights Reserved.