Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
While the vast majority of Alley Kats are in Arkansas, we occasionally hear from readers as far away as Buffalo, N.Y., Haines, Alaska, and even Belgium.
Tim Mitchell writes from Many, La., which is about an hour and half south of Shreveport. If you're reading from outside The Natural State, we'd love to hear from you. Send a note or email, along with a favorite local recipe if you like, to the address below.
Mitchell shares this black-eyed pea dip recipe that features cheese and plenty of hot pepper.
Black-Eyed Pea Dip
4 cups black-eyed peas, cooked and drained
5 jalapeno peppers
1 tablespoon jalapeno juice
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (4-ounce) can green chiles
1 clove garlic
2 small jars Old English sharp cheese (Kraft)
1/4 pound butter
Corn chips or tortilla chips, for serving
Mix all ingredients except cheese and butter in food processor.
Heat cheese and butter in microwave or double boiler.
Mix all together.
Serve warm with corn chips or tortillas.
Jenny Ann Boyer, who shared a popular recipe for pecan cobbler last fall, sent in this pecan pie recipe.
"This pecan pie recipe is right up there with the pecan cobbler. I've tried different recipes, but this is the ONE!"
Boyer notes the original recipe is from Front Porch, a publication of the Arkansas Farm Bureau, but she put her spin on it.
Pecan Pie
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust (Boyer uses Pillsbury)
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup butter-flavor pancake syrup (Boyer uses Wal-Mart store brand)
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a glass pie plate with pie crust.
Beat the eggs with an electric mixer.
In a separate bowl, stir together the sugar, butter, salt, vanilla and syrups. Gently fold into eggs, then fold in the pecans. Pour filling into the pie crust. Bake 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees, then reduce oven to 325 degrees and bake 10 to 25 minutes more, or until pie is no longer wobbly in the center. Start checking for doneness after the pie has baked for a total of 30 minutes.
Makes 1 pie.
Next week: Chili.
REQUESTS
• Orange slice cookies with coconut and pecans but no oatmeal for Faye Carroll.
• Veal piccata like that served at the Villa Italian Restaurant for Susan McCauley.
• Cheese soup like Cross Creek Sandwich Shop in Conway for Tim Benton.
Send recipe contributions, requests and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email:
Please include a daytime phone number.
Food on 01/25/2017