ACHIOTE SPICE NOT SOLD IN AREA

I really opened up a can of worms this time. Last week I shared the recipe with you for Yucatan pork so many of you wanted. In the recipe it listed the ingredient achiote. After many telephone calls from readers who had been searching for it at the stores, I know now it is not available in the Cape Girardeau area. But the good news is, you can substitute 1 teaspoon paprika and 1 teaspoon turmeric for the achiote, and it will be just fine.

On late Wednesday afternoon I went into one of our large stores in Cape and one of the employees came right up to me and said there were several people in looking for the spice. Sorry everyone. Use the substitute I have given you. You will really enjoy the pork.

Along with the pork you might like to try serving sweet pickled onions.

Sweet Pickled Onions

2 large onions, sliced

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons cilantro

1/4 of 1 habanero pepper, optional

Cover onions with water in skillet. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 5 minutes; drain. Mix onions with remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours.

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Last week there was a request for deep fried lobster. And after only one week we have a reply from a Cape Girardeau reader. It sounds very good.

Batter-Fried Lobster

For tempura-style batter:

1/3 cup flour, or more if necessary

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, separated

1/2 cup cold water

For lobster tails:

2 lobster tails

Old Bay Seasoning Salt

Ground black pepper

1/3 cup flour

1 egg, beaten

Vegetable oil, for deep frying

To prepare batter: Stir together flour, cornstarch and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, beat egg yolk and water until very light and frothy. Gradually beat flour mixture into egg yolk mixture. Beat egg white until medium peaks form; fold into batter. If batter is not thick enough to cling to lobster beat in more flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To prepare lobster tails: Remove and discard shells from lobster tails; rinse tails and pat dry. Butterfly tail by cutting into but not through the back. Season lightly with Old Bay Seasoning, salt and pepper. Dredge tails in flour; dip in beaten egg, then in tempura batter. Deep-fry at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, until golden brown.

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In supermarket produce sections, there are so many vegetables available all year. I especially noticed some beautiful spinach when at the store. You might like to try this recipe. It was sent in from a Jackson, Mo., cook.

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

6 slices bacon, about 4 ounces

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 can (11 ounces) mandarin-orange segments, drained

1 package (10 ounces) carved cooked chicken breast

1 bag (6 to 7 ounces) baby spinach

In 10-inch skillet, cook bacon over medium heat 8 minutes or until browned, turning once. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Discard all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat from skillet. Into fat in skillet, stir vinegar, sugar, oil, mustard, and pepper until blended. Heat dressing over medium-low heat 1 minute.

In large bowl, toss orange segments, chicken and spinach with warm dressing until salad is evenly coated. Crumble bacon over salad. Serve with warm dressing immediately.

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Recently there was a request for recipes using cherries, not cherry pie filling. A Cape Girardeau cook shares her recipe for cherry pie. The recipe makes one 9-inch pie.

Cherry Pie

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup cold water or liquid from canned cherries

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 1/2 cups pitted fresh or canned cherries

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

Pastry to line 1 9-inch pan, plus either a pie top or lattice strips of pie dough to cover top

In a 1 1/2-quart saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch, gradually adding the water or cherry juice to make a smooth paste. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, cinnamon, and cherries. Pour into the unbaked pie shell and dot with butter. Add top crust or lattice strips. Bake in preheated 400-degree oven for 10 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes until juice begins to bubble through the crust. Best if served slightly warm or at room temperature.

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Mrs. Melvin Fiedler of Altenburg, Mo., shares her recipes for chicken salad and cheese meat loaf.

Chicken Salad

2 cups cooked cold chopped chicken

1/2 cup chopped nuts, pecans or walnuts

1/2 cup chopped pineapple

1/2 cup chopped celery

2/3 cup chopped apples

2/3 cup raisins

Combine all ingredients and moisten with mayonnaise, to taste. Serve well chilled.

Cheese Meat Loaf

2 slices bread

1/3 cup milk

2 eggs

1 pound ground beef

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 cup cheese, Velveeta or American, shredded

Soak bread in milk, add chopped onion. Beat in eggs and mix well with beef, salt and cheese. Shape into a loaf and put in baking pan. Bake 350 degrees until done.

There are no requests this week, but you can still share your favorites with other readers. Have a wonderful week and happy cooking.