A dozen 2008 recipes to remember (2024)

FOOD DETECTIVE:
Getting recipes from area restaurants for your favorite dishes

For those reviewing their portfolios, 2008 most likely looks dour.

Yet, as the Dow and dollar dropped, our cakes and biscuits rose.

Solace, somehow, reigned in countless kitchens. It's there that many found comfort, whether in something as simple as mashed potatoes or as memorable as a cake made from a mother's recipe.

As generous as ever, restaurateurs continued sharing their secrets and revealing their recipes for everything from sweet potatoes to chocolate cake, from spaghetti sauce to white sauce, from shrimp to slaw.

The Food Detective has managed to unearth a number of recipes, several of which are recalled here:

Special

LULU'S AT HOMEPORT MARINA,
200 East 25th Ave., Gulf Shores, 251-967-5858.

LULU'S L.A. CAVIAR
(Serves 20 to 25)

DRESSING3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

PEAS4 15-ounce cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped red onion
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar; cover tightly and shake vigorously to dissolve sugar. Set aside.

Place peas in a large glass or stainless-steel bowl.

Add all bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and parsley. Pour dressing over top and toss well. Transfer to a plastic container, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Serve with tortilla chips or saltine crackers.

LULU'S:

Lucy Buffett, owner of Lulu's in Gulf Shores, shared the recipe for one of her eatery's signature items. The recipe has evolved from one that Lucy (sister to Jimmy Buffett, who crooned "Margaritaville" onto the charts) discovered when a friend arrived at a party with black-eyed pea dip. Lucy gave the recipe a few twists and named it L.A. Caviar, a reference to her years in Los Angeles and her roots in Lower Alabama.

CHICK, CHICK, CHICKY: George Sarris, owner of Sarris Cafe in Pelham, shared his recipe for chicken croquettes, which began with a recipe he discovered in a cookbook and later tweaked.

FAMILY SECRET: At Mr. P's Butcher Shop & Deli in Bluff Park, owner Charles Pilleteri let readers know how to make his Italian-sausage sandwich. Its secret is Pilleteri's homemade Italian sausage that is sold in his market.

FAVORED BITES: Mike Kassis, owner of Famous Fred's in Hoover Commons, shared his secret for grilled chicken bites, one of his restaurant's biggest sellers. The recipe had been requested by a reader who confessed, "I used to love the fried chicken bites at Famous Fred's, but then I tried the grilled chicken bites and really fell in love with those."

FLOUNDERING AROUND: Roussos Seafood Restaurant in Daphne revealed its formula for baked, stuffed flounder which a reader had described as "absolutely delicious." The reader was not the first to discover the dish which the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel has named among the "100 dishes to eat in Alabama before you die."

RUNNING FOR ROSES: Just in time for the Kentucky Derby, the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa in Point Clear shared their recipe for mint juleps which for decades were prepared by the late Aura "Bucky" Miller. Bucky's gone, but his tasty mint juleps live on - and never more popular than on Derby Day.

GRITTY MATTER: John's City Diner revealed its secret for grits, made from a recipe that has evolved from one created some 15 years ago for a restaurant in Louisiana. According to owner Shannon Gober, John's uses white, slow-cook grits that can be found at most Bruno's and Target stores.

LONG JOURNEY: Veranda on Highland divulged its recipe for Blackout Cake. Brought from Commander's Palace in New Orleans where Veranda's Executive Chef Tom Robey worked for18 years, the formula "is just a great recipe; one that I've always liked," Robey said of the cake that he described as "very versatile, like a cake bread pudding."

FISH TALE: When a reader wrote to report that she had discovered at King Neptune's in Gulf Shoes "the most wonderful dish of coconut shrimp," Al Sawyer, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Diane, revealed the recipe and its origins, linked to his days as a bartender and as a seafood salesman.

MY, PIE: Dreamland Bar-B-Que, which built its reputation on pork spare ribs, was gracious enough to share its recipe for pecan pie that was introduced eight years ago at the Dreamland in Roswell, Ga. Almost one-third of Dreamland's online orders include a request for a pecan pie that is sold online and at Dreamland locations in Mobile and Georgia.

CAKE WALK: Bob Sykes Bar-B-Que revealed its recipe for red velvet cake. "We sell all that we make," owner Van Sykes said of the cakes that are prepared by Sharon Mayes. (Earlier in the year, Sykes also shared the restaurant's recipe for chocolate cake.)

FRIDAY SPECIAL: Keith Richards, owner of Taziki's Greek Fare, let readers in on the secret for his popular penne pasta with grilled chicken. Best known as the "Friday Special," the dish typically is available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

So, here we go, headlong into a new year with high hopes for an improved economy -- and more recipes. This year, consider doubling a few recipes and sharing with a friend, neighbor or co-worker. We all could use some good cheer and unexpected surprises.

Is there some special dish that you've tasted in a Birmingham-area restaurant that you'd like to try to duplicate? Send your request to: Food Detective, The Birmingham News, P.O. Box 2553, Birmingham, AL 35202; fax Food Detective, 325-2494 or e-mail LGFullman@aol.com.