Talking turkey and smelly shrimp

I have a food problem. Rather, my van has a food problem.

Traveling back from Edisto last weekend with fresh shrimp in a cooler, I suddenly braked. The cooler toppled over, spilling some shrimpy ice water onto the carpet.

Don't ask me why I didn't deal with it immediately when I got home. The next day, of course, was a scorcher — 98 degrees in the shade. The van sat in the parking lot all day, albeit with the windows cracked.

I got my first baked-all-day whiff from 15 yards away. My nose thought my body was stuck in a dumpster at the fishing dock.

Well, the first cleaning lasted about as long as a squirt of cologne. So I turned to the Internet for answers.

There were quite a few suggestions — including replacing the carpet (no can afford), and the use of unused coffee grounds, various odor-fighting pet products and even a certain feminine hygiene product.

Then I thought: Why not ask the good shrimp-loving people of the Lowcountry? I know for sure I don't walk alone here. Let me know how you cope with such odors. All my contact information is at the end of this column.

Talking turkey

The Charleston reader's request for ground turkey recipes made me wonder, how does the nutrition profile of ground turkey compare to ground beef and other beef substitutes?

According to "The Encyclopedia of Foods: A Guide to Healthy Nutrition," the numbers stack up like this:

--For 3 ounces of ready-to-eat ground turkey (meat and skin), there are 200 calories, 11g fat, 3g saturated fat and 87mg cholesterol.

--For 3 ounces of ground turkey (breast only), there are 120 calories, 1g fat, a trace of saturated fat and 70mg cholesterol.

--For hamburger, it's 245 calories, 20g fat, 7g saturated fat and 75mg cholesterol.

--For extra-lean ground beef, 215 calories, 15g fat, 5g saturated fat and 70mg cholesterol.

--For textured soy protein, 95 calories, a trace each of fat and saturated fat, and 0g cholesterol.

All that tells me that a quest for good ground turkey recipes is worthwhile.

Deborah Bryant says this recipe, adapted from the Food Network, is delicious, particularly with organic turkey.

Mom's Turkey Meatloaf

Serves 8 (1-inch) slices

3/4 cup quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup skim milk

1 medium onion, peeled

2 pounds ground turkey breast, organic preferred

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stir together the oats and milk. Thinly slice 1/4 of the onion and set aside. Finely chop the remaining onion. In a large bowl combine the turkey, oat mixture, chopped onion, bell pepper, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix just until well combined.

Transfer the mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish and shape into a loaf about 5 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches high. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the sliced onions.

Bake for about 1 hour (instant-read thermometer should read 160 degrees). Remove from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Christine Randall, assistant Features editor of The Post and Courier, shared this freeze-and-heat recipe that she recently made for her mother. It's adapted from "Betty Crocker's Do-Ahead Cookbook" (MacMillan, 1994).

Turkey-Pasta Pie

6 servings

1/2 pound ground turkey

1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)

1 can (8 ounces) stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

6 ounces uncooked fettuccine

1 egg

1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)

1 cup small curd creamed cottage cheese

1 egg

1 cup chopped fresh broccoli or frozen (thawed) chopped broccoli

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook ground turkey and onion in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook fettuccine as directed on package; drain. Beat 1 egg and the margarine in medium bowl. Stir in fettuccine and mozzarella cheese. Spoon mixture into ungreased pie plate, 10x1 1/2 inches; press evenly on bottom and up side. Mix cottage cheese and 1 egg; spread over fettuccine mixture on bottom of pie plate. Sprinkle with broccoli. Spoon turkey mixture evenly over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

To serve immediately: heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until hot in center. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

To freeze: Wrap unbaked pie tightly and label. Freeze no longer than 1 month. When ready to cook, about 2 1/2 hours before serving, heat oven to 400 degrees. Unwrap and cover with aluminum foil. Bake about 2 hours or until hot in center. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

This Southwest-inspired recipe is adapted from "Eating Well for a Healthy Heart Cookbook" by Dr. Philip A. Ades and the editors of Eating Well magazine (The Countryman Press, $24.95).

Spicy Turkey Burgers With Pickled Onions

4 servings

For pickled onions:

1 cup red-wine vinegar

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 small red onion, halved and very thinly sliced

For burgers:

1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon canola oil

4 whole-wheat buns, split

8 teaspoons reduced-fat mayonnaise

For onions: Whisk vinegar, brown sugar, salt and allspice in a medium glass bowl. Cover and microwave on high until the mixture boils, 2-3 minutes. Alternatively, bring the mixture to a boil in a small saucepan on the stove. Add onions and toss to coat.

For burgers: Preheat grill to high. Place turkey in a medium bowl and gently mix in cilantro, cumin, ground chipotle, salt and allspice until distributed throughout the meat. For the mixture into 4 patties. Brush with oil.

Grill the burgers until cooked through and no longer pink in the center, 3-4 minutes per side. Drain the onions, discarding the marinade. Spread 2 teaspoons mayonnaise on each bun; top with a burger and picked onions.

Per serving: 308 calories, 12g fat, 3g saturated fat, 65mg cholesterol, 30g carbohydrates, 26g protein, 4g fiber, 738mg sodium.

Bowl eligibility

Eloise Gatch of Walterboro asked for a recipe for a sourdough bread bowl dip that doesn't use spinach.

Jane Fairchild of Pinopolis had this dip at a clam bake while she was visiting family in New York this summer. The bread is rye, not sourdough, but Jane says it's real good.

Rye Boat Dip

9 ounces dried chipped beef (in jar)

4 ounces mayonnaise

1 pint container sour cream

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 teaspoon Beau Monde Seasoning (optional; see cook's note)

Rye bread round

Cook's note: Beau Monde is a Spice Islands seasoning blend of celery, onion and salt. "Beau monde" is French for "beautiful world."

Mix ingredients and chill.

Slice off an inch or two off the top of the bread. Then hollow out the inside of the bread, removing most of the bread inside and being careful not to cut through the sides or the bottom.

Cut removed bread into pieces and serve alongside for dipping. Fill bread bowl with dip and serve.

Who's got the recipe

--Judi Lawrence of Charleston writes, "I wonder if anyone has the recipe for the oval, scalloped hors d'oeuvres crackers served at Woodlands in Summerville (on New Year's Eve 2005 — yes, 2 1/2 years ago!). They were thin, about 1x2 inches, and sprinkled with sesame and poppy seeds. Obviously, a cookie cutter is used for this shape."

--Anne Dobson of Mount Pleasant is looking for a cake recipe she wants to make for her father's 88th birthday. He remembers the cake from his boyhood, when his grandmother and aunt had a catering business in Summerville. She thinks it's called Sunshine Angel Cake or something like that, and that it was two-toned and perhaps had an orange flavor. However, she doesn't believe it was a layer cake. At least, she says, "That's the impression I'm getting." Ring any bells out there?

--Hazel Williams of Charleston called in search of a blackberry dumpling recipe for her sister, Gloria Williams, who just moved here from Maryland.

If you have a recipe request or one to share, reach Food Editor Teresa Taylor at 937-4886, food@postandcourier.com or write The Post and Courier, 134 Columbus St., Charleston, SC 29403.