Reader mail

Happy Friday.

Hope you have fun food plans this weekend. I recently had dinner at Fork, a cozy bistro in Philadelphia. Had a great winter cocktail - hot apple cider with apple jack brandy - and a comfort foods meal of roasted beet salad and roasted free range chicken. Good stuff. My pal, however, wasn't so pleased with the lamb shank. We were expecting a long, slow, fall off the bones braised piece of meat, but the one that came to the table was kind of fatty and tough. Not so good.

Wow - parking in Philly's Old City neighborhood is out of sight. We couldn't find street parking so, running late for our reservation, we bit the bullet and opted for the valet. Yowsa, $17 to park! (Turned out to be more like $20 after the tip and all.) Don't knock dining out in Delaware - at least you (rarely) have to pay for parking.

Check out today's story on Black Labs Bread. We checked back on owner Barry Ciarrocchi since he took over the old DiFonzo's Bakery in Wilmington's Little Italy. I really admire his dedication to putting out the best products he can.

Now, onto to the mailbag. Readers want to know what restaurants do with their their old wine glasses and the recipe for Better Cheddar is once again requested.

Keep the queries coming. You ask. We answer. Every Friday.

Hi Patricia,

Asking you this might be a long shot, but I'm wondering what Chez La Mer might be doing with their beautiful engraved wineglasses once they become the Porcini House? I'm wondering what other restaurants that close do with that sort of personalized/branded thing as well. A friend and I dined there at least once per year and I'd love to be able to present her with one or more of the glasses as a gift. I tried to find info on their website, but it's now under construction for the new name, so had no luck. Any info you could provide or a direction you could point me in would be appreciated.
Cheers! Jacquelyn

Hey Jacquelyn, that's a really interesting question. I just talked with Jay Caputo, chef/owner of Espuma restaurant in Rehoboth Beach. Jay bought Chez La Mer last summer and is currently renovating the Rehoboth restaurant. He plans to reopen it April 1 as The Porcini House. Jay said to give him a call at Espuma, 227-4199, and he can help you out.

I may be wrong but I thought I remember seeing the recipe for Better Cheddar as made at the Back Burner in The News-Journal years ago. Would you check your files and let me know if you have it? I’m guessing it has bacon bits and green onions along with white cheddar cheese but there must be something else-mustard perhaps? Thanks so much! Maria

Hi, Maria. The Better Cheddar request came up recently - click on the reader mail label at the bottom and see the Jan. 4 entry and also the comments on the Dec. 28 post. News Journal columnist Nancy Coale Zippe also ran a few recipes recently. Here they are again.

Ellen London e-mailed The News Journal, wondering if we had the Better Cheddar recipe from the Back Burner To Go in Hockessin. Sue Franck of Hockessin had sent one that comes close.

CHEDDAR WALNUT SPREAD
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/3 cup finely chopped scallions, white portion
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 teaspoon caraway seeds, optional
1/2 cup softened butter or margarine
Combine the cheese, nuts, scallions, wine and caraway seeds (if using) and mix well. Stir in the butter to make a spreadable mixture. Chill, covered, and bring to room temperature before serving. Nice served on rye rounds. Makes about 3 cups.

JACKIE'S BETTER CHEDDAR

Joanne Wright says her sister Jackie has worked on replicating Better Cheddar for a long time and this recipe is "delicious!" Wright notes that while Jackie "isn't one for using exact measurements, this is close" to the Back Burner to Go version.

1 (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened
1 block (10 ounce, perhaps) extra sharp vermont cheddar, shredded
Chopped green onions (white and green parts)
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon of liquid smoke
Dash of McCormick's Season-All seasoned salt and/or garlic powder
Mix well and let sit for a few hours before serving.