Volume 8, Issue 115 - June 17, 2005

Hello Recipe Club,

I'd like to thank Patricia Rain for her recipes this week and take this opportunity to wish her the best for the holidays.   If you enjoyed Patricia's recipes drop her a note or sign up for her monthly newsletters at Vanilla.com

As you have seen this week, vanilla's use as a flavor is delicious in far more than cookies and ice cream, though it certainly belongs in these favorite desserts as well. Tahitian vanilla, a different species from Mexican and Bourbon vanilla, is uniquely sweet with a cherry and anise-like flavor. It is especially good in seafoods, fruit dishes and creamy desserts such as Crème Brûlée. Mexican matches well with chocolate and chilies and Bourbon vanilla, (a name it got from the Indian Ocean island of Reunion, which was once called Ile de Bourbon and not the alcoholic beverage) is a good all-around flavor for baking. The goal of The Vanilla Queen is to get vanilla out of the cupboard and onto the table where it rightfully belongs. By purchasing pure vanilla products we are also helping tropical farmers to continue to grow our beloved flavor instead of leaving their countries of origin in search of work in industrialized countries.

Patricia Rain, The Vanilla Queen

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Jerked Ribs with Mango-Pineapple-Jicama Salsa

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

3 pounds ribs, preferably meaty baby back ribs (pork, lamb or beef)
2 tablespoons dark rum (spiced if you have it)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (preferably Mexican)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 to 2 fresh jalapeño chiles, seeded and chopped
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

Salsa:

1 large mango, peeled, pitted and diced
1 cup fresh pineapple, peeled, and cut in cubes
1/2 cup jicama, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons red onion, diced

Preparation:

Combine the ribs with all the marinade ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days (longer is better flavorwise).

When ready to barbecue, light the fire and make the salsa. Combine all salsa ingredients together and chill until ready to use.

Cook the ribs over medium-low heat, starting first in the hotter areas, then slow cooking them (40 minutes for cut ribs, 2 hours for slabs).

Serve ribs with the salsa on the side.

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Honey Vanilla Peach Tea Sparkler

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups strongly brewed tea, chilled
1 vanilla bean
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 cups chilled peach nectar or juice
1 1/2 cups chilled sparkling water

Preparation:

In a 2-quart saucepan, combine tea, vanilla bean, and honey. Heat to a boil, then allow to steep until cool. Chill in refrigerator up to 2 days.

Remove vanilla bean and reserve for another use. Combine infused tea with peach nectar and sparkling water. Serve over ice.

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Vanilla Polenta Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup polenta (not instant)
3 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Tahitian vanilla extract
12 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs

Preparation:

Mix together buttermilk and polenta; let soak for 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8 inch tube cake pans.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.

Fold soaked polenta and dry ingredients alternately into creamed mixture, in 3 additions.

Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

Let cakes cool 5 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool.

Sift vanilla powdered sugar over cakes as soon as you remove them from pans. When cakes are completely cool, sprinkle vanilla powdered sugar over them again.

The cakes may now be wrapped and stored for at least four days. They can be frozen for as long as a month. If you freeze them, dust with powdered sugar again before serving.