Published Sept. 13, 2000|Updated Sept. 27, 2005
Does the idea of making turkey stuffing with White Castle hamburgers sound way out there? Maybe so, but it is not so far-fetched. St. Petersburg Times restaurant critic Chris Sherman's column written in November 1997 includes the history of the stuffing and the resulting taste test in his kitchen.
The stuffing was dreamed up at White Castle's headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, in 1987 and has been a success ever since. White Castle has a cult following and even has a Web site (http://www.whitecastle.com) and a cooking contest.
Sherman wrote that it was one of the fastest dressings that he had made and was good enough to eat right then, but he felt duty bound to stuff the turkey for the ultimate test.
"Moist, aromatic and perfect with gravy and cranberry relish" are the words Sherman used to describe the stuffing. It is not a particularly economical dish, but it certainly would be an interesting conversation piece, and a tasty one, too.
Corn relish made with Green Giant Mexicorn is quickly prepared and attractive to serve. A colorful and piquant condiment is a welcome addition to any table, and this recipe makes just the right amount.
Recipes including Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk are popular and often asked for. Magic mayonnaise is one of those, and it dates back to the 1940s.
We hesitate to recommend it since it does contain an uncooked egg yolk. In addition, two readers have shared their recipes for cooked salad dressing. This recipe is made with sweetened condensed milk also, but is a cooked version.
For: Marilyn Cantrell of Clearwater.
From: Mary Batters of St. Petersburg, and Patricia Greco and Sue Harriman of Spring Hill.
Recipe: White Castle turkey dressing from the White Castle kitchens.
White Castle turkey dressing
10 White Castle hamburgers (see note)
1{ cups celery, diced
1\ teaspoons ground thyme
1{ teaspoons ground sage
} teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
\ cup chicken broth
In a large mixing bowl, tear the White Castle hamburgers into pieces and add diced celery and seasonings.
Toss and add chicken broth. Toss well. Stuff cavity of turkey just before roasting.
Makes about 9 cups (enough for a 10- to 12-pound turkey). Allow 1 White Castle hamburger for each pound of turkey, which will be the equivalent of } cup of stuffing per pound.
Note: If hamburgers are bought in a White Castle restaurant, remove pickles. Mary Batters likes to saute the celery before combining it with the rest of the ingredients.
For: Marilyn Cantrell of Clearwater.
From: Jacky Randol of Holiday.
Recipe: Easy corn relish.
Easy corn relish
1 tablespoon cornstarch
\ cup water
1 12-ounce can Green Giant Mexicorn, undrained
cup sugar
cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon instant minced onion
{ teaspoon celery seed
Blend cornstarch and water in saucepan; add remaining ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens. Chill. Makes 2 cups.
For: Lorie Long of New Port Richey.
From: Virgie Rogers of Tierra Verde, Betty Coleman of Hudson, Sandy McNicol of Holiday, Marian Warne of Port Richey, Linda Jones of New Port Richey, Lois Minear and Dorothy Cloherty of Clearwater and Charlotte Davis and Virginia Rawl of St. Petersburg.
Recipe: Magic mayonnaise from an Eagle Brand recipe booklet published in the 1940s.
Magic mayonnaise
cup ({ can) Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
\ cup vinegar or lemon juice
\ cup salad oil or melted butter
1 egg yolk
Dash cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Place ingredients in a pint jar, cover tightly, and shake vigorously 2 minutes.
If desired, ingredients may be placed in a mixing bowl and beaten with rotary beater until mixture thickens.
If thicker consistency is desired, chill for about one hour before serving.
Makes 1\ cups.
Note: This is the recipe that was requested, but it does contain an uncooked egg yolk.
From: Lois Minear of Clearwater and Marian Warne of Port Richey.
Recipe: Cooked salad dressing from a 1946 Eagle Brand booklet.
Cooked salad dressing
1{ tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Dash cayenne pepper
cup ({ can) Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
cup water
2 tablespoons salad oil or melted butter
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
\ cup vinegar
Mix flour, salt, mustard and cayenne pepper in top of double boiler. Add Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk, water and oil or butter; blend well.
Cook over boiling water until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Slowly add milk mixture to egg yolks, stirring constantly; return to double boiler. Cook over hot, not boiling, water 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Cool. Add vinegar and blend well.
Makes 1{ cups.
Recipe requests
+ Lazy daisy cake is the recipe Mary Salvato of New Port Richey would like to have.
Pat Cestaro of Spring Hill is looking for a recipe for spinach pie made with ricotta cheese. Pat thinks that the recipe that has been lost came from the label on a container of Polly-O ricotta.
+ Phyllis Kirchner of Largo writes that she and her family are very fond of bread pudding served with vanilla sauce. She took a favorite recipe with her on vacation and lost it. If you have a special one in your files, please send it for Phyllis.
+ Do you have a recipe for banana upside down cake? That is the recipe Vera Butler of St. Petersburg hopes you will share.
You Asked for It is a reader mail column. If you have a cooking question or the answer to someone else's question, write to: You Asked for It, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. Be sure to include your full name, city and phone number with your letter. Letters without this information will be discarded. Requests cannot be answered by phone or mail.
