Superb Gelatin Mold Is From Southland Department Store Restaurant

Dear SOS: Could you obtain the recipe for orange souffle from the Neiman-Marcus restaurant in Newport Beach? It is delicious.

--BEATRICE

Dear Beatrice: The souffle is really a gelatin mold served with their chicken salad. The restaurant manager, Geoffry Ianniello, kindly sent us both recipes, which, of course, you may use separately or together.

NEIMAN-MARCUS ORANGE SOUFFLE RING WITH CHICKEN SALAD

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

2 cups sugar

Dash salt

4 egg yolks

2 1/2 cups orange juice (about 10 medium oranges)

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup orange sections, cut in halves

2 cups whipping cream, whipped

Chicken Salad

Toasted sliced almonds

Combine gelatin, sugar and salt in saucepan. Set aside. Beat egg yolks with 1 cup orange juice. Stir into gelatin mixture. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, just until mixture comes to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining orange juice, orange and lemon peels. Chill, stirring occasionally, until mixture mounds when dropped from a spoon.

Stir in orange sections. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into 2-quart ring mold. Chill until set. Unmold onto serving plate. Fill center of mold with Chicken Salad. Garnish with sliced almonds.

Chicken Salad

1 cup mayonnaise

Dash wine vinegar

1/2 cup whipping cream

3 cups diced cooked chicken

1/2 cup diced celery

Salt, pepper

Mix together mayonnaise, vinegar and whipping cream. Add chicken, celery and season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 4 cups.

Dear SOS: I was served a Caviar Mousse at a restaurant and would love to have a recipe.

--MARY

Dear Mary: It’s easy to impress party guests with this simple recipe. Surround the mousse with crackers or toast.

CAVIAR MOUSSE

1/2 pound unsalted butter

2 (7-ounce) cans tuna in water, drained

2 (3-ounce) cans herring tidbits in wine, drained

1 teaspoon chopped green onion or chives

1 (4-ounce) jar black caviar

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 (4-ounce) jar red caviar

Parsley

Toast rounds

Melt butter and pour into blender. Add tuna in 3 stages, blending until consistency of paste. Scrape down sides often. Add herring tidbits, onion, 1 heaping teaspoon black caviar, garlic powder and sugar. Blend well.

Line 2-cup mold or small loaf pan with wax paper. Pour paste into mold and refrigerate until firm. Drain red caviar 5 minutes. Turn mold out onto board or platter on which it will be served. Spread sides with remaining black caviar. Spread red caviar on top and decorate with parsley, if desired. Serve with toast rounds. Makes 12 servings.

Dear SOS: A long time ago, you published a Pan De Elote, which is great on a buffet table. I desperately need the recipe.

--J.A.

Dear J.A.: You’ve got it.

PAN DE ELOTE

(Corn Bread)

1 (1-pound) can cream-style corn

1 cup buttermilk baking mix

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

2 tablespoons sugar, optional

1/2 cup milk

1 (4-ounce) can green chiles, sliced

1/2 pound Jack cheese, thinly sliced

Combine corn, baking mix, egg, butter, sugar and milk. Mix well. Turn half of batter into well-greased 8-inch-square glass baking dish. Cover with chiles, then cheese slices. Spread remaining batter over cheese. Bake at 400 degrees 35 minutes or until browned. Serve hot. Makes 6 to 9 servings.

Dear SOS: I’ve lost my recipe for Little Vienna Sauerbraten printed many years ago. Please help.

--PETE

Dear Pete: There it was, waiting patiently in the wings for a comeback.

LITTLE VIENNA SAUERBRATEN

2 cups red wine vinegar

2 cups water

1 tablespoon pickling spice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 lemon, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 pounds sirloin, brisket or chuck

1 cup honey

6 gingersnaps

Combine vinegar, water, pickling spice, salt, pepper, lemon, carrot, onion and celery in large bowl. Add meat and turn to coat well. If meat is not completely immersed in liquid, add more water. Marinate at least 24 hours in refrigerator.

Remove beef to roasting pan and cover with marinade. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until meat is fork tender. Remove meat to platter and slice. Strain marinade to remove spices, then add honey and crushed gingersnaps to liquid. Heat through. Makes 6 servings.

Dear SOS: I have inherited an aebleskiver pan but haven’t the slightest idea what to do with it. Do you have a recipe for aebleskiver?

--READER

Dear Reader: Lucky you. The Danish aebleskiver pan, for those who are not familiar with it, is a skillet with several indented compartments. Each compartment is filled with oil, and the biscuit doughnut batter is poured into them. The batter is turned constantly to bake rounded on all sides, until it is a complete well-browned sphere. The pans are available at many gourmet cookware stores.

AEBLESKIVER

2 cups sifted flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups buttermilk

3 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

Oil

Strawberry preserves or syrup

Sift together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder into bowl. Add buttermilk, egg yolks and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into batter. Add melted butter and mix gently.

Heat aebleskiver pan over high heat. Fill each indentation about half-full with oil and heat oil. Pour about 1 tablespoon of batter into each indentation. Lower heat to medium. Turn aebleskiver often, using pointed skewer. Cook until aebleskiver are deep brown and skewer comes out clean when inserted in center. Serve hot with strawberry preserves or syrup. Batter can be refrigerated, but do not keep longer than 2 days. Makes 28 aebleskiver.

Dear SOS: I attended a luncheon at the Bistro in Beverly Hills recently. As I’m sure you know, the chocolate souffle is marvelous. They said I might get the recipe from you. Please.

--CAROL

Dear Carol: They are correct. We do have the recipe. In fact, the recipe was included in our “The Los Angeles Times California Cookbook,” (Abrams: $25; New American Library paperback: $9.95).

BISTRO’S CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE

5 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

4 drops vanilla

1 cup flour

2 cups milk

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted

8 egg whites

Powdered sugar

Sweetened whipped cream

Beat egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour until paste is formed. Meanwhile, bring milk to boil. Add egg mixture all at once to milk and bring again to boil. With heavy wire whisk, quickly and vigorously beat until paste is well incorporated into milk and is smooth. Continue to stir with wooden spoon until mixture is thick as light choux paste or pastry cream. Add melted chocolate and stir until blended. Cool.

Beat 3 egg whites with 1/3 of remaining sugar until light and frothy. Add 3 more egg whites and half of remaining sugar. Continue beating until sugar is incorporated. Add remaining 2 egg whites and remaining sugar and beat until whites are stiff and shiny but not dry. Egg whites should not slide if bowl is tipped. Fold egg whites into souffle batter. Pipe or spoon into 12 greased and sugared 2-inch souffle dishes or custard cups, or 2 (5-inch) souffle dishes.

Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes for individual souffles, or 1 hour or longer for large souffles. Dust with powdered sugar and serve topped with sweetened whipped cream. Makes 12 servings.

Only recipes of general interest will be printed. We are unable to answer all requests. Please include restaurant address when requesting recipes from restaurants. Send your letter with self-addressed, stamped envelope to Culinary SOS, Food Section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.