Mary Twedt

  • Mary Twedt

Of all the people who promote Arkansas food, I think Mary Twedt might be my favorite. For over a decade, Mary has brought her unique voice to local radio with her show Arkansas Cooks, a show that I’ve had the pleasure to work with both as a guest and as a sometime contributor. She’s burned up a lot of miles covering food in the state, microphone in hand, and the result is an excellent show that puts people who make the food we eat into the spotlight.

Since Mary is always getting people to share their cooking experiences on her show, I thought it would be fun to turn the tables and have her share some of her own recipes with all of you. I’ve got a copy of her Twedt Family Cookbook, and it’s full of great recipes that remind me of the home-cooked meals I grew up eating. The recipes she’s shared with us today include some easy (but decadent) homemade fudgesicles, a delightful fruit salad, and two meat dishes that are beyond delicious — so I know you’re going to love them.

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Arkansas Cooks airs Saturdays at noon on KUAR 89.1, and you can join me down there under the jump for the good stuff.

Fudgesicles

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*1-3.4 oz. package of cooked chocolate pudding — (not instant)
*⅓ Cup sugar
*3 cups of milk

Cook according to package instructions. After this has boiled set it off to the side and let it cool. Once it has come to room temp. Add:

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*1 cup – heavy cream or ½ & ½

Mix together well and freeze in small popsicles containers or small cups with wooden sticks. Yummy! You can use another type of pudding for a different flavor. I got this recipe from my mom, who got it from a radio cooking show in Iowa called the Martha Bolton Radio Show. She would send out mimeograph ‘purple’ pages to listeners who wrote in and my mom, Bev Twedt, used this recipe all through my childhood. I still make these today and everyone loves them!

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Black Fruit Salad

Start with:
*3-4 cups of your favorite dark fruit, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, plums, and you mix them together in a bowl.

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Then Add:
*½ cup of brown sugar (gently toss with fruit)

Next add:
*½ cup sour cream
*1tsp of vanilla

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Mix together gently and eat in a bowl or spooned over pound cake. This is really good stuff.

Rosemary Pork Tenderloin – serves 8

*½ cup of Currant Jelly
*1 cup brown sugar
*2 t spicy (Dijon) mustard (any kind except for yellow)
*1-3 t of dried rosemary or a bunch of fresh rosemary
*2 lb Pork Tenderloin

Mix the first 4 ingredients together and ‘frost’ a pork tenderloin. (1 package has 2 strips) Bake at 375º for 25 min a pound or when temp reaches 160º

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This usually ends up being about 40 min.

293 Calories, 24 g protein, 4 g fat (1 is saturated), 40 g carbohydrate, 67 mg cholesterol, 85 mg sodium.
(Nutrition analysis done by Lisa Cooper, Little Rock Athletic Club)


Northwest Steak House Steak!
*1 stick of butter (1 cup)
*2 Tbs Greek seasoning
*2 tsp garlic powder
*2 tsp season salt
*1 chicken bouillon cube — crushed

Place all the ingredients in a heavy pan (cast iron works great) and melt in a 375˚ oven. After it is melted, stir together and add:

*4 – 5 filet steaks (or any kind of beef steak, whatever fits in the pan)

Bake 7-15 min each side depending on doneness:
7-9 min — Rare
10-13 — Medium
14-15— Well done

This is a great alternative to grilling. This can also be used for pork chops, chicken and hamburgers.

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