Weather Channel’s Allen dishes on Southern sweets

When this column was launched in 2002, it quickly became apparent that readers around the country just love it when we feature the hosts seen on The Weather Channel. We get more e-mails about them than we do when we interview Academy Award winners! Natalie Allen is the anchor and reporter for “Forecast Earth” on The Weather Channel. You can see her every Saturday and Sunday at 5 p.m., 7 p.m., 1 a.m. and 3 a.m.

Allen is a Memphis, Tenn., native and received her bachelor’s degree in radio, TV and film from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. She has been an award-winning broadcast journalist for more than 20 years, and she is in the Southern Miss Alumni Hall of Fame. Allen also contributes to the “Forecast Earth” blog at www.weather.com/forecastearth. For additional info: www.weather.com.

You grew up in the Deep South and went to college in Mississippi. Which Southern foods and treats do you still crave?

“Topps BBQ in Memphis. And please, the coleslaw goes ON the sandwich. The catfish and hushpuppies at Mack’s Fish Camp in Hattiesburg. I’ll take fried green tomatoes anytime. And you can serve me any vegetable that’s been cooked for hours in fatback.”

Let’s say you have to spend a few months in Antarctica researching a story. Choose three snacks you’d surely take along:

“I almost went to Antarctica last spring on a story, and definitely would have taken a box or two of Goobers — the giant box like you get at the movie theatre — Rice Krispie Treats and Chunky Monkey ice cream. I have a bit of a sweet tooth, but I figure that with the giant parka I’ll be wearing, no one will notice the weight gain!”

Behind the scenes at The Weather Channel, do your co-workers often bring in homemade food items?

“We mainly bump into to each other at the ice-cream machine located in The Front Cafe. But, I recently brought in oatmeal/zucchini cookies, and they went really fast. See the recipe in ‘Animal, Vegetable, Miracle’ by Barbara Kingsolver. I did a story on the book for ‘Forecast Earth.’”

Kids often like to catch snowflakes in their mouth. Which flavor do you wish snow could taste like?

“Butterscotch.”

Hurricanes are named after people. If you could name them using food/beverage names, give us a few ides.

“Big Gulp is a Category 1 storm. The Macchiato — double shot — is a Category 2. And for a Category 3, it would have to be the Grand Slam.”

Blueberry Cake with Walnut Topping

1/4 cup canola oil

2/3 cup rice syrup (or 1/2 cup other sweetener)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup soy milk

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 pint washed blueberries

1 tablespoon canola oil

2/3 cup chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons rice syrup (or same amount of honey or maple syrup)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly oil an 8-by-8-inch baking dish. Blend liquid ingredients together in one bowl and dry ingredients (except blueberries) together in another bowl. Combine liquid with dry and stir until just mixed. Fold in blueberries and pour into lightly oiled baking dish.

For topping: In a small saucepan, combine oil, walnuts and rice syrup; heat on low and stir until rice syrup is very liquid and all ingredients are well-blended. Spoon walnut topping over cake batter as evenly as possible. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool before serving.

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