Dining at Dayton’s Department store’s Oak Grill or Sky Room or picking up salads and dishes at the Marketplace in Minneapolis or St. Paul or the surrounding Twin City suburbs was a joy. And the local newspapers, the Minneapolis Star Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press were inundated for recipes. the following posts are from some of the Dayton’s recipes from treasured newspaper clippings.
Wild rice was all the rage in Minneapolis in the 1980s. Dayton’s was no exception.
Serves 6.
To toast almonds, place nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, and cook, stirring (or shaking the pan frequently) until they just begin to release their fragrance, about 2 to 3 min. From “The Marshall Field’s Cookbook.”
• 6 T. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 c. diced yellow onion
• 1 small leek, halved lengthwise, rinsed well, and thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 c. sliced button mushrooms
• 3/4 c. diced carrots
• 1/2 c. flour
• 6 c. chicken broth
• 1 1/2 c. cooked wild rice
• 1/2 roasted chicken, skin and bones removed and meat chopped (1 to 1 1/2 c.)
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 5 T. dry sherry
• 2 t. salt
• 1 1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 T. freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 t. freshly chopped thyme leaves
• 2 T. slivered almonds, toasted, for garnish
Directions
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 min. Add leek, mushrooms and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 min.
Add flour and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 min. Whisk in chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then decrease heat to low and simmer for 20 min. Add wild rice, chicken, cream, sherry, salt, pepper, parsley and thyme and cook until warmed through, about 5 min.
Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Ladle into bowls, garnish with almonds and serve hot.
My hubby’s wonderful mom would make this salad every Christmas, and it was my father-in-law’s favorite. One year, Christmas was at my house, and this cranberry salad had to travel. Unfortunately, the glass bowl holding the salad broke in transit. My father-in-law could not bear to see it thrown away and ate it anyway … it is that good!
Serves 6.
Note: This recipe must be prepared in advance. Adapted from the Nov. 4, 1987, Minneapolis Star Tribune issue of Taste.
• 1 lb. fresh cranberries, chopped
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 c. heavy cream
• 5 oz. miniature marshmallows
Directions
In a large bowl, stir together cranberries and sugar and let stand for 30 minutes.ADVERTISEMENT
In a bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip cream to peaks. Fold marshmallows into cranberry mixture, then fold whipped cream into cranberries. Transfer salad to a serving bowl and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
Serves 8-10.
From the Oct. 20, 1993, Minneapolis Star Tribune issue of Taste.
For meatloaf:
• 1 c. breadcrumbs
• 1 c. beef stock
• 1 c. diced yellow onion
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 3 eggs, beaten lightly
• 2 lb. ground beef
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. freshly ground black pepper
• 3 T. pesto sauce
• 3 T. pine nuts, toasted (see note)
• 1 1/2 c. chopped spinach, stems removed
• 2 t. Worcestershire sauce
For sauce:
• 1/2 c. diced red bell pepper
• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 c. beef broth
• 2 T. cornstarch
• 1/4 c. water
Directions
To prepare meatloaf: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the breadcrumbs and beef stock; set aside. Sauté onions in oil until tender. Remove from heat and cool.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, ground beef, salt, pepper, pesto, pine nuts, onions, spinach, Worcestershire sauce and breadcrumb mixture, and mix until blended.
Spray a loaf pan with vegetable spray. Place meat mixture into pan. Bake until juices run clear, about 1 1/2 hrs. Remove pan from oven and let stand for 10 min.
To prepare sauce: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm olive oil. Add peppers and sauté until tender. Add beef broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water and add to the broth mixture. Simmer and stir until thickened. Serve over slices of meatloaf.
Serves 4.
Note: This recipe must be prepared in advance. From the May 16, 1990, Minneapolis Star Tribune issue of Taste. Because mandarin oranges crush easily, refrigerate them for at least 1 hr before using.
• 1/4 c. low-fat mayonnaise
• 1/4-c. low-fat plain yogurt
• 1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 t. curry powder
• 3/4 lb. cooked turkey breast, torn into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 c. chopped celery
• 1/4 honeydew melon, peeled, seeded and diced into 1/2-in. pieces
• 1 1/2 c. mandarin oranges (see Note), drained
• 2 T. chopped walnuts, for garnish
Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice and curry powder. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hr.
In a large bowl, combine turkey, celery, melon and oranges. Gently fold dressing into salad. Garnish with walnuts and serve.
For shrimp salad:
1 lb. chopped shrimp pieces
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. soy sauce or garlic
Juice of half a lemon
1 cup finely chopped celery
⅛ tsp. white pepper
½ cup Miracle Whip®
For avocado boat:
Lettuce leaves
6 ripe avocados
4 types of fruit such as strawberries, grapes, pineapple, or melon chunks
6 lemon wedges
Combine shrimp salad ingredients and refrigerate.
When ready to serve, peel avocados, remove the seed and cut in half. Then fill the cavity of each avocado half with shrimp salad. Place two halves on a leaf of lettuce and garnish with fresh fruit and a lemon wedge.
Serves 6
Serves 6.
Note: From the Dec. 11, 1985, Minneapolis Star Trbune issue of Taste.
• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 lb. cooked turkey breast, torn into pieces
• 1/2 c. chopped celery
• 1 c. toasted slivered almonds (see Note)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and lemon juice.
In a large bowl, combine turkey, celery and toasted almonds. Fold dressing into turkey mixture. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Ingredients:
1 lb. Spaghetti or other pasta
2 cl garlic, crushed
3/4 c. olive oil
1/2 c. parsley, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cut julienne
1 red bell pepper, cut julienne
1-1 1/2 t. basil
1 T. oregano
2t. salt
1T. fresh gr. black pepper
2/3 lb. Jarlsberg Cheese, cut julienne
1/2 c. pecans, crushed
1/2 c. half & half
3/4 c. or 1/2 lb.freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Cook pasta al dente, drain and toss with 2 T. olive oil, set aside.
Mix garlic and the rest of the olive oil, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Whisk half & half into the mix and toss into pasta. Add pepper, Jarlsberg cheese and pecans and top with Parmesan. Serve at room temperature, serves 4.
Serves 2.
Note: From the July 31, 1996, Star Tribune issue of Taste.
• 3/4 c. heavy cream
• 2 T. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 c. breadcrumbs
• 1 T. finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 T. finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 t. finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 t. dried oregano (or 1/2 tbsp. chopped fresh)
• 2 t. garlic powder
• 1 t. kosher salt
• 1 t. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 T. olive oil
• 4 (3-oz.) boneless center-cut pork chops
Directions
To prepare sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine cream and mustard and simmer, reducing liquid by one-third. Remove from heat and reserve.
To prepare breadcrumbs: Place breadcrumbs in a food processor and pulse to a fine blend. Add rosemary, parsley, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper to breadcrumbs, and pulse for 30 sec. Reserve.
To prepare pork: In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Bread each pork chop in the herb breading and place into the hot sauté pan. Sauté pork until golden brown, 3 to 4 min., then turn and continue cooking for 2 to 3 min., until they reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees. Place 2 medallions each on 2 warm plates, ribbon the sauce over them and serve.
Serves 6.
• 2 c. diced cooked turkey or chicken
• 2 c. diced celery
• 1/2 c. slivered almonds, toasted
• 1 T. diced onion
• 2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 c. grated Cheddar cheese
• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 c. crushed potato chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine turkey (or chicken), celery, almonds, onion, lemon juice, cheese, mayonnaise and salt. Transfer mixture to a baking dish or casserole (or 6 individual ramekins) and top with crushed potato chips. Bake until bubbly, about 15 to 20 min. Remove from oven and serve hot.
12 servings.
Adapted from the Jan. 31, 1963, edition of the Minneapolis Tribune. This Sky Room classic was a reader favorite and was frequently published in recipe request columns.
For cake:
• 1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature, plus extra for pan
• 1 c. brown sugar, packed, plus 1 tbsp.
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 c. sifted flour
• 1 1/3 c. water
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/3 c. molasses
For topping:
• 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 c. half-and-half
Directions
To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and butter bottom and sides of a 9- by 13-inch baking pan.
In a bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add brown sugar and salt, and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add flour slowly and mix until crumbly.
In a medium bowl, combine water and baking soda. Stir in molasses.
Divide crumb mixture in half. Evenly pat half of crumb mixture in the bottom of prepared pan.
In a bowl of an electric mixer on low speed, combine molasses mixture with remaining crumb mixture and mix until most of the white pieces are out of the mixture. Pour mixture over the crumbs in the pan. Bake 25 to 35 min., until a cake tester inserted in middle of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer pan to a wire rack to cool.
To prepare topping: In a bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until creamy, about 2 min. Reduce speed to low, add half-and-half and mix until thoroughly combined.
To serve: Cut warm cake into squares. Top with 1 T. of cream cheese topping, and serve with pitcher of Hot Lemon Sauce (see recipe).
Hot Lemon Sauce
Makes about 2 c.
Note: From the Jan. 31, 1963, edition of the Minneapolis Tribune.
• 1 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/4 t. salt
• Scant 1/4 c. cornstarch
• 1/2 c. plus 1 T. water
• 1/4 c. plus 1/2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 1/2 T. butter
• 1 T. freshly grated lemon zest
Directions
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, salt, cornstarch, water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks. Pour a little of the hot mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly. Return saucepan to heat. Pour yolk mixture back into the pan and cook, whisking constantly, until sauce is thickened and smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter and lemon zest. Transfer sauce to a pitcher and serve warm.
trumpeter hill 