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Texas Tornado Cake Leaves A Fan Salivating

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By JEFF HOUCK | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 17, 2009

Updated: 02/17/2009 12:58 pm

Margie Morris of Sebring wants a recipe for her favorite cake from Homer's Cafeteria in Sebring.

"Their Texas Tornado Cake is luscious!" Morris wrote. "A friend tells me it's a brown sugar cake, but I've found nothing like it, especially with the sauce that is incorporated in it."

EAT LIKE A MARDI ANIMAL

Mardi Gras celebrations reach their peak on Tuesday – yes, Fat Tuesday.

For your last chance to celebrate, I wanted to suggest a Crawfish Curry dish I enjoyed during the Taste of the NFL event at Tropicana Field during Super Bowl Week. Chef Susan Spicer prepared the curry, telling me that it was a dish she grew up eating. Spicer won a James Beard award for Best Chef, Southeast Region, in 1993 and was one of Food and Wine's 10 Best New Chefs in 1989.

I found the recipe over at www.GumboPages.com.

START YOUR FISHES

Fat Tuesday means that observance of Lent begins on Wednesday.

Through April 11, millions of Catholics, Anglicans and observers of other faiths will be abstaining from eating meat on Fridays.

Just in time, SeaPak Shrimp Co. has added a new line of Tilapia Tenders — whole, hand-cut and lightly battered tilapia fillets — to its lineup of frozen seafood products. Their recipe for Tilapia Salad is more about assembly than cooking, but it looks like a quick, easy and fresh Friday meal.

THE SEARCH CONTINUES

In January, I ran a request from Carole McDaniel of Parrish for a cheese pie with fruit topping that formerly was served at Zudar's Deli on Davis Islands.

Marc Zudar, son of the founders, is on the case. He's been at it for several weeks.

An e-mail from him this week read, "I haven't forgotten … Still looking. Marc."

LEFTOVER REQUESTS

Catherine Honschar wants a recipe for chocolate kok, a Greek chocolate sponge cake with chocolate mousse covered in a chocolate cream and chocolate sprinkles.

B. Dyer of Pasco County wants the cornbread made by Remington's Steakhouse.

Looking for a recipe? Write to Jeff Houck, The Tampa Tribune, P.O. Box 191, Tampa, FL 33601 or e-mail jhouck@tampatrib.com.

Keyword: Recipes, for more recipes and to check out our archive.

CRAWFISH CURRY WITH MANGO CHUTNEY

3 tablespoons peanut oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped

2 zucchini, 1/4-inch dice

1 green apple, peeled, cored and diced

3 tablespoons flour

1 quart of shrimp stock or crawfish stock

6 ounces pineapple juice

2 tablespoons curry paste

1 pound crawfish tails, or substitute raw shrimp if crawfish are not available

For the mango chutney:

1 teaspoon peanut or canola oil

1/2 red onion, diced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced

1 mango, peeled, seeded and diced

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup raisins

The mango chutney: Sauté onion and ginger in the oil, then add the diced apple and let it pick up some color. Add the mango, sugar, vinegar and raisins, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to10 minutes. Let cool.

The curry: In a 2 to 3 quart saucepot, sauté the onion, peppers and garlic in peanut oil over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with the flour, then stir and cook for 2 more minutes. Whisk in the stock, pineapple juice and curry paste. Bring to a boil, whisking all the while, then turn down the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, longer if it needs further thickening.

Shortly before serving, sauté the crawfish or shrimp with the apple in a large sauté pan with a little bit of peanut oil. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the curry base and simmer for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and red pepper, or you may add a bit more curry paste if you like. Serve hot over long grain or jasmine rice, and your choice of the suggested condiments.

Makes 4 to 2 portions, depending on how much of an oinker y'all wanna be.

SUNSHINE TILAPIA SALAD WITH DIJON DILL DRESSING

1 package (14 oz) SeaPak Tilapia Tenders

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons water

1 bag of bagged salad

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1 avocado, cubed

2 carrots, shredded

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the frozen tilapia tenders on a baking sheet and bake according to the package instructions.

Add mayonnaise, dill, Dijon, lemon juice and water together in a small bowl. Stir well to incorporate. Place bowl in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Assemble salads in three bowls – lettuce, diced tomatoes, avocado cubes and shredded carrots.

Cut fully cooked tilapia tenders into bite-size pieces and place over salads.

Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of Dijon dill dressing and serve immediately.

Makes 3 servings.

Looking for a recipe? Write to Jeff Houck, The Tampa Tribune, P.O. Box 191, Tampa, FL 33601 or e-mail jhouck@tampatrib.com.

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