Suggestions for making several savory sandwiches

Welcome to February’s final Exchange and, now that you are here, consider yourself challenged. Today’s requests are three: Shrimp Dip featured in a novel, stuffed baconwrapped jalapenos and similar recipes — different peppers, different cheeses, but always bacon to wrap it up. Finally, readers’ opinions about The Instant Pot electric pressure cooker.

DIP’ING INTO A BOOK

Judy Wells bought a book at a used bookstore, the kind of light reading one loves for the beach, and lost it and a recipe inside. “The book had a woman on the cover with cucumber slices over her eyes, and the recipe within was for Shrimp Dip. I know it’s a stretch but would any readers have that book?”

Failing that, how about sharing your favorite shrimp dip, novel or no novel?

UNDER PRESSURE

The New York Times food writers again enter our conversation, thanks to Ms. Wells, who purchased an Instant Pot, “the kitchen gadget of the moment.” The article continued, “The Instant Pot combines an electric pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker and yogurt maker in one handy unit, and is one of the fastest growing kitchen appliance sectors on the market.” Although you will need the cooker to use the recipes she recommended, if you have one please let us know what you think and what you cook.

PICK A PEPPER

Betty Domal lives in the far reaches of Fare Exchange, “about halfway between Lynchburg and Tullahoma. You mentioned cream-cheese stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon. Sounds yummy. How about printing the recipe?”

How about finding it, readers? We can testify that the peppers we sampled were very tasty, but the cream cheese was pretty runny and the jalapeno, of course, was mighty hot. My fellow sampler wondered if a harder cheese and a milder pepper might also work. Again, it’s up to you to tell us.

We have begun a discussion of favorite sandwiches, beginning with a hearty meal-size version. Today’s offerings are from a small cookbook titled “Helpful Hints and Recipes for Sandwiches and Desserts,” and each one provides a tasty twist to the sandwich theme. It was printed in the longago ’90s by First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga and shared with us by a nameless reader.

Delicious Rye Sandwiches

2 cups grated cheese 1 can pitted black olives,

chopped

1 tablespoon onion,

chopped

1 cup mayonnaise Party rye bread

Real bacon bits

Mix cheese, olives, onion and mayonnaise and spread on party rye bread. Top with real bacon bits. Bake in a 325-degree oven for 20 minutes, open faced.

Gigi Gross, who contributed this recipe, described it as “a great appetizer or an extra-good treat at a luncheon.”

Ham and Poppy Seed Rolls

3 tablespoons poppy

seeds

1 stick margarine or butter ¼ pound Swiss cheese, or 2 ounces Swiss and 2 ounces hot-pepper cheese

¼ pound shaved ham 3 tablespoons mustard 1 small onion, chopped 3 packages small dinner

rolls Mix poppy seeds, butter, cheese, ham, mustard and onion by hand. Split rolls and spread mixture evenly. Replace tops. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Variation: Use 2 packages of rolls and spread mixture thicker. Even hamburger buns may be used, or cooked chopped turkey substituted for the ham.

This recipe came from Barbara Blake.

Roquefort Sandwiches

¼ pound fresh Roquefort

cheese

½ teaspoon

Worcestershire sauce 3 or 4 spoonfuls of

mayonnaise

Few drops of Tabasco

sauce

Cream mixture thoroughly and spread on thin slices of buttered bread.

Optional: If mixture is too strong, add some plain cream cheese.

Chicken-Broccoli Sandwiches

Mary Ruth Venable got the credit for this one. 1 fryer boiled, boned and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 head broccoli, blanched

and diced

1 apple (or more) peeled

and diced Several carrots, diced fine Mayonnaise, preferably

homemade

Mix all ingredients, using enough mayonnaise to make mixture spreadable. Spread on thin-sliced 7-grain bread.

The sandwich discussion is surely not exhausted, so please add your favorite for next week. The best sandwich I had this week was simply almond butter and raspberry fruit spread, no sugar added. A slightly upscale version of the lunchbox favorite, PB&J.

MORE ON MUFFINS

We’ve heard from A.E. about a very Southern muffin that was once sold at Foster’s Market in Durham, N.C. “I remembered these muffins that I clipped from the paper long ago, very much like morning glory muffins.”

Country Muffins with Carrots, Coconut and Pecans

This very moist, chewy muffin is similar to carrot cake in texture and flavor. You can mix the batter the night before, refrigerate it overnight, then bake the muffins in the morning. 2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking

powder

1 teaspoon baking soda 1⁄2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon ground

cinnamon

1 1⁄3 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 1⁄4 cups canola or

safflower oil 1 tablespoon pure vanilla

extract

3 large carrots, peeled and

grated

1 Granny Smith or other tart apple, peeled, cored and diced

1⁄3 cup raisins

1⁄3 cup sweetened flaked

coconut

1⁄3 cup chopped pecans

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Line 12 large muffin cups with paper liners and spray the top part of the pan with vegetable oil spray.

Combine or sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.

Whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla in a separate bowl.

Add the carrots, apple, raisins, coconut and pecans to the egg mixture and mix well to combine.Add the flour mixture to the egg-carrot mixture and stir just until the dry ingredients are moist and blended. Do not overmix. The batter should be thick enough to mound slightly above the muffin pan line.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan with a large ice cream scoop or 1⁄3 cup measure.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops spring back when pressed lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Turn the muffins out of the pan and serve immediately. Makes 12 muffins.

HOME REMEDY

This winter seems to have been filled with pesky health miseries, lingering in families for weeks. So why not try this recipe from the Clay Pot’s “Recipes of the Week Cookbook,” given its curative name?

Cures Everything Cake

1 package devil’s food

pudding cake 16 ounces cream cheese 1 (12-ounce) package

chocolate morsels ¼ cup oil

½ cup Kahlua liqueur 2 eggs

Combine all ingredients and pour into greased and floured Bundt pan.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 50 minutes.

Next week? Ah, yes.