I am always excited to lay claim to a new cookbook and was delighted to receive a relatively new regional recipe collection for my recent birthday. My sister, Gail, shares my love for all things “kitcheney” and gifted me with the Pyatte Community Cookbook, which was published to help raise funds for the playground renovation at the Pyatte Community Center in Avery County. This book contains recipes from some of the area’s best cooks and honors the memory of others who have passed on before us.
Seeing the names of those special women – and men — who have contributed greatly to the quaint neighborhood through the years brought back a lot of memories for me. I was raised a few miles away, but have enjoyed time spent in Pyatte through the years, where family members and friends and have called home and several continue to reside there today. So to honor this very special community and its people, I have randomly selected a few recipes from their cookbook to help keep the heritage alive in Pyatte, NC.
Fruit Dip
Submitted by Tabitha Benfield
1 (8 oz.) Cool Whip
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 (7 oz.) jar jet-puffed marshmallow crème
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Use electric mixer on low speed. Mix until smooth. Add a few drops of food coloring if you want color.
Cheese Ball
Submitted by Deanna Calloway in memory of Martha Benfield
3 pkg. cream cheese
4 pkg. pressed ham, shredded
1 small onion, finely chopped.
2 Tbsp. Accent
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Mix all ingredients and form into a ball. Chill.
Chicken Crunch
Submitted by Natalie Stamey
½ cup chicken broth
2 cups undiluted mushroom soup
3 cups diced cooked chicken
¼ cup minced onion
1 cup chopped celery
½ tsp. celery seed
1 (5 oz.) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 (3 oz.) can Chinese noodles
½ cup toasted almonds
1 can cream of celery soup (topping)
Mix all ingredients and put in a greased 3-quartt casserole dish. Top with undiluted cream of celery soup. (Cream of chicken may be substituted). Bake for 40 minutes at 325 degrees.
Pepper Steak
Submitted by Jacki Singleton
1 ½ lb. steak
2 Tbsp. butter
Garlic salt to taste
1 (10 ½ oz.) can beef broth
1 large onion
1 large bell pepper
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
¼ cup water
¼ cup soy sauce
Cut steak into ¼-inch strips. Brown in butter; add garlic salt and broth. Cover, simmer for 30 minutes. Cut onion and pepper into strips. Add to meat and simmer 5 minutes. Mix cornstarch, water, soy sauce and add to meat mixture. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly. Serve over rice.
Apple Pie
Submitted by Patsy Carpenter
6 large cooking apples
¾ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. four
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. margarine
Pie crust (enough for top and bottom)
Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry. Peel, core and slice apples. Place sliced apples in your pastry-lined pie plate. Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Sprinkle over apples. Place the top crust over the apples. Cut slits for escape of steam; seal edges. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is brown.
Chocolate Delight Cake
Submitted by Eileen Stamey
Cake:
1 cup plain flour
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 stick butter, soft
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt
1 (16 oz.) can chocolate syrup
Combine ingredients and mix well for 2 minutes. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cool about 30 minutes and ice.
Icing:
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk
½ cup chocolate chips
Combine first 3 ingredients in a sauce pan; let come to a boil. Boil 3 minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips. Beat well. Cool about 2 minutes, then pour over cake.
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