Brown Sugar

Adam Eagan, managing partner at the Empire Brewing Co. in Syracuse, N.Y., knows a thing or two about good food and beer. It is, after all, what he does for a living. At least four or five times during the football season he packs up his car and makes the 51/2-hour trek from upstate New York to Baltimore, where he lived for 28 years, to join some of his buddies for a "killer" tailgate in Lot H1 at M&T Bank Stadium. He was introduced to this group of foodie fans some years ago by his best friend from high school, Mark Maloney, and was impressed with what they were putting together for food and beverage at their tailgate.

Janet Whitman of Randallstown was looking for a recipe for breakfast rice that she lost. She said the recipe came from a booklet put out by the manufacturer of Minute Rice in the 1960s. She said her children enjoyed it when they were young, and she would like to be able to make it again. Marie Grove from Manchester sent in a recipe that she said came from a booklet called "Timeless Recipes with Minute Rice," published by General Foods in 1965. With all the choices these days for quick or instant breakfast we don't often think of rice as an option, particularly in this country, but as this older recipe illustrates, rice can be a wholesome and healthful choice.

Anita Charles of Greensboro, N.C., was looking for a marinade recipe for flank steak that contained orange juice, garlic and possibly soy sauce. Donald Van Ostrand from Sykesville sent in a recipe that he first used on tuna but that he says works equally well for grilled flank steak, pork tenderloin or chicken. Now that grilling season has arrived, this seemed like a recipe worth trying. I tested his marinade on a 2-pound piece of flank steak, since that was what Anita Charles was looking for, and it gave the meat a wonderful flavor.

Adam Eagan, managing partner at the Empire Brewing Co. in Syracuse, N.Y., knows a thing or two about good food and beer. It is, after all, what he does for a living. At least four or five times during the football season he packs up his car and makes the 51/2-hour trek from upstate New York to Baltimore, where he lived for 28 years, to join some of his buddies for a "killer" tailgate in Lot H1 at M&T Bank Stadium. He was introduced to this group of foodie fans some years ago by his best friend from high school, Mark Maloney, and was impressed with what they were putting together for food and beverage at their tailgate.

Janet Whitman of Randallstown was looking for a recipe for breakfast rice that she lost. She said the recipe came from a booklet put out by the manufacturer of Minute Rice in the 1960s. She said her children enjoyed it when they were young, and she would like to be able to make it again. Marie Grove from Manchester sent in a recipe that she said came from a booklet called "Timeless Recipes with Minute Rice," published by General Foods in 1965. With all the choices these days for quick or instant breakfast we don't often think of rice as an option, particularly in this country, but as this older recipe illustrates, rice can be a wholesome and healthful choice.

Nancy Hannah from Baltimore was looking for a recipe for a quick and simple single-layer cake with a caramel icing. She thought the cake might have been called Caramel Frosted Picnic cake and was made with the one-bowl method. She said the cake was ideal for taking to picnics because it held up well and was easy to transport. Gladys Wilt from Lothian sent in a recipe from her copy of "The Joy of Cooking," 1953 edition, for Hurry-Up Caramel Cake that she thought might be close to what Hannah was looking for. The name of this cake speaks for itself.

Mildred Kriwko of Lake Zurich, Ill., wrote that she has had no success in finding a recipe for pork chops using brown sugar and Coca-Cola. Her response came from Nedra Shelly of Silver Spring, who noted: "This recipe comes from the Aunt Bee's Mayberry Cookbook. I have made it many times. It's easy and it's always a big hit. I also like to include onion rings. You can also make this in a crockpot." Recipe requests Albert W. Norman of Gore Springs, Miss., is seeking a cornmeal-dumpling recipe.

Anne Loy from Knoxville, Tenn., was looking for a recipe for making a baked tomato dish that used brown sugar to make it somewhat sweet. Now that the summer crop of tomatoes is here in all its glory, this seemed like an ideal time to explore some recipes for this classic Southern-style side dish. Phyllis Taylor from Middle River sent in four different versions of sweet baked tomatoes, which she said came from a cookbook her family self-published several years ago for a family reunion.

Saundra Byrd from Brooklyn, Md., was looking for a recipe for peanut-butter fudge. She said the fudge was served in Baltimore County school cafeterias in the 1960s and '70s. Barbara Whitman of Glyndon sent in a recipe for peanut-butter fudge that she obtained when she was a teacher at Franklin Junior High School in the early 1970s. I'm fairly confident that fudge as luscious and rich as this, even with peanut butter as a main ingredient, would not be found in a school cafeteria these days.

Cathy Donoughe of Hannastown, Pa., was anxious to know if anyone had a recipe for Sugar Pie, which her aunt made when she was a child. "Do you think someone might be able to help me find the recipe?" she wrote. Her response came from Stefanie A. Cockream of Fort Bragg, N.C.Rebecca McCarney of White Oak, Pa., was looking for a cheese filling "which may be used in pastries." Her answer came from Frank C. Alfonso of Baltimore.SUGAR PIE , Makes 1 (9-inch) pie1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar1/4 cup flour2 cups cream1 teaspoon vanilla extractpinch nutmeg1 stick ( 1/2 cup)

Fall - finally! I, for one, am in desperate need of a crisp, warm, comforting cocktail to ring in the cooler weather. Think spicy, rich flavors, lush, dark cognacs, seasonal apple and pumpkin accents, a touch of mystery. If you're craving a good autumn drink as much as I am, step into the strange and whimsically macabre world of Annabel Lee Tavern in Highlandtown. Proprietor Kurt Bragunier has been serving up delicious, dark drinks at his Edgar Allan Poe-themed restaurant for four years and admits his favorite drink, back on menu this season after a two-year hiatus, is a bit of an enigma to patrons.

Nancy Hannah from Baltimore was looking for a recipe for a quick and simple single-layer cake with a caramel icing. She thought the cake might have been called Caramel Frosted Picnic cake and was made with the one-bowl method. She said the cake was ideal for taking to picnics because it held up well and was easy to transport. Gladys Wilt from Lothian sent in a recipe from her copy of "The Joy of Cooking," 1953 edition, for Hurry-Up Caramel Cake that she thought might be close to what Hannah was looking for. The name of this cake speaks for itself.

Larney Birkenbach from Parkville was looking for a recipe for making chocolate toffee apples. He said that back in the 1950s there was a street vendor in downtown Baltimore who made them and sold them on sticks. Nowadays, these goodies are available this time of year in many grocery stores and farmers' markets, but they can be a bit expensive, and it's easy to make them at home. Dorothy Griffith from Sparks sent in a recipe she clipped some years ago from the Recipe Finder column.

Anne Loy from Knoxville, Tenn., was looking for a recipe for making a baked tomato dish that used brown sugar to make it somewhat sweet. Now that the summer crop of tomatoes is here in all its glory, this seemed like an ideal time to explore some recipes for this classic Southern-style side dish. Phyllis Taylor from Middle River sent in four different versions of sweet baked tomatoes, which she said came from a cookbook her family self-published several years ago for a family reunion.

Anita Charles of Greensboro, N.C., was looking for a marinade recipe for flank steak that contained orange juice, garlic and possibly soy sauce. Donald Van Ostrand from Sykesville sent in a recipe that he first used on tuna but that he says works equally well for grilled flank steak, pork tenderloin or chicken. Now that grilling season has arrived, this seemed like a recipe worth trying. I tested his marinade on a 2-pound piece of flank steak, since that was what Anita Charles was looking for, and it gave the meat a wonderful flavor.

Saundra Byrd from Brooklyn, Md., was looking for a recipe for peanut-butter fudge. She said the fudge was served in Baltimore County school cafeterias in the 1960s and '70s. Barbara Whitman of Glyndon sent in a recipe for peanut-butter fudge that she obtained when she was a teacher at Franklin Junior High School in the early 1970s. I'm fairly confident that fudge as luscious and rich as this, even with peanut butter as a main ingredient, would not be found in a school cafeteria these days.

Larney Birkenbach from Parkville was looking for a recipe for making chocolate toffee apples. He said that back in the 1950s there was a street vendor in downtown Baltimore who made them and sold them on sticks. Nowadays, these goodies are available this time of year in many grocery stores and farmers' markets, but they can be a bit expensive, and it's easy to make them at home. Dorothy Griffith from Sparks sent in a recipe she clipped some years ago from the Recipe Finder column.

Spices were the most precious commodity of the ancient world, treasured during the millenniums before refrigeration and modern food-preservation techniques for their therapeutic and culinary value. Fundamental to everything from ketchup to wedding cake, spices are still the most widely used seasoning after salt. Harvested in a variety of forms -- as flower buds (clove), berries (allspice), seed kernels (nutmeg) or bark (cinnamon) -- dried whole spices can up be kept up to two years if stored away from kitchen heat, light and moisture.

My brown sugar has turned rock-hard. What can I do to soften it without melting it? There are a number of popular tricks for softening brown sugar, and that's a good thing. Because brown sugar is much moister than granulated sugar, it dries out easily. If you have a couple of days, try placing a slice of apple and the hardened sugar in an airtight container. Check it after a day or so and see if the sugar is crumbly again. If you're in a hurry, put the brown sugar in a dish covered by two damp paper towels and a lid. Microwave it on high (100 percent)

I just bought a cookbook that has various recipes calling for brown sugar. One recipe wants light brown, another, dark brown. Then, I also need white. I just can't see myself buying three types of sugar. You can make do with two: dark brown and white. Brown sugar is a funny product, and to appreciate the joke you need to know how sugar is made: After sugar cane is crushed, the impurities in the "juice" are filtered, boiled and skimmed off before the clear liquid is crystallized into white sugar.