Idea Alley

Barbecue sauce almost tomato-free

Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

"Laura Adams asked for a barbecue sauce that was not tomato based. I have no idea if this is similar to Herb's or not, but my daddy came up with this when his doctor told him to avoid anything tomato," Metta Plegge writes.

"[This] is good on beef, chicken and pork cooked inside or on the grill. I have threatened to try it on fish, but haven't ... yet," Plegge writes.

The sauce is ready to use right after the ingredients are mixed, no simmering or cooking required.

Editor's note: This is not a tomato-free sauce as Heinz 57 contains tomato paste.

Daddy Hass' Sauce

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chile powder

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

2 tablespoons Kitchen Bouquet

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Heinz 57

Combine dry ingredients and mix well. Add the vinegar, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then add the Kitchen Bouquet, soy sauce, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce and Heinz 57 and mix until thoroughly combined. Transfer mixture to a jar and refrigerate until ready to use. Mixture will keep for 2 or 3 months.

Makes about 3/4 cup.

Jean Brown shares this Cherry Jumble recipe, which has been her favorite since 1953.

We think it would be great to serve Sunday for Valentine's Day or, if you're feeling patriotic, Monday to celebrate Washington's Birthday.

Cherry Jumble

1 (No. 2 or 20-ounce) can sour red cherries

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup of the juice.

Combine cherries, the 1/2 cup juice and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, add butter. Remove from heat.

In a mixing bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Add water and mix well. Pour into a well-greased 9-inch square pan. Top with hot cherry mixture. Bake 40 minutes.

REQUESTS

• Eggplant Pancakes for Kappi Whitmore. "[My grandmother] cooked the eggplant, mashed it (?), made a batter and cooked it on the griddle as she did regular pancakes -- yummy with butter on top," Whitmore writes.

• Chicken 1620 like that served at the recently closed 1620 Savoy for Karen Branton.

Send recipe contributions, requests and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email:

[email protected]

Please include a daytime phone number.

Food on 02/10/2016

Upcoming Events