Served Warm, Recipe Comes From Oregon

Dear SOS: I am interested in obtaining a recipe for a chocolate chip walnut pie served warm with ice cream at the Gallery Restaurant in Sisters, Oregon. It was delicious.

--MRS. G.R.H.

Dear Mrs. G.R.H.: Thank you for the request. We loved it, too. Expect the walnut pie to form a paper-thin crust on top.

GALLERY CHOCOLATE CHIP WALNUT PIE

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

1 (6-ounce) package chocolate pieces

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell

Beat eggs until foamy in large bowl. Beat in flour, granulated and brown sugars until well blended. Blend in melted butter. Fold in chocolate pieces and walnuts. Spoon into unbaked pie shell and bake at 325 degrees 1 hour or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Do not over-bake. Serve warm. Makes 1 (9-inch) pie.

Dear SOS: Is there a possibility that you can provide the recipe for the crab enchiladas from the Acapulco Restaurant in Los Angeles? I have lost mine.

--JANET

Dear Janet: With pleasure.

ACAPULCO CRAB ENCHILADAS

6 corn tortillas

Oil or lard

1 1/2 cups crab meat

6 tablespoons minced onion

Salsa Con Tomatillos

Shredded Jack cheese

Sour Cream Sauce

Pitted black olives

Avocado slices

Sliced peeled tomatoes

Heat tortillas 1 at a time in oil until soft. Place 1/4 cup crab meat in center of each, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon onion. Spread a little Salsa Con Tomatillos on top. Roll enchiladas and place, seam side down, in shallow baking dish. Cover with remaining Salsa Con Tomatillos. Sprinkle generously with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees about 10 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted. Serve with dollop of Sour Cream Sauce and garnish with olives, avocado and tomato slices. Makes 6 enchiladas.

Salsa Con Tomatillos

2 dozen tomatillos

Water

Oil

2 jalapeno chiles, chopped

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon salt

2 corn tortillas

Remove papery husks from tomatillos, cover with water and boil until soft. Drain off half of liquid. Turn into blender and blend until smooth.

Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup oil in saucepan. Add chiles and onion and cook until soft but not browned. Add cilantro and garlic, which has been mashed with salt. Cook 5 minutes. Add tomatillos. Fry tortillas in oil and place in blender with a little water and blend until smooth. Add to sauce and cook 5 minutes.

Sour Cream Sauce

1/4 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Dash sugar

Mash garlic in salt. Combine sour cream, onion, cilantro and sugar. Stir gently.

Dear SOS: I am writing with hopes of obtaining a recipe for a cranberry molded salad that my grandmother made with marshmallows, nuts and fresh cranberries. She can’t find the recipe and can’t remember all of the ingredients. My mother said it was absolutely delicious. I hope you will have something available using those ingredients.

--BRIGITTE

Dear Brigitte: It sounds like one of the club meeting salads popular in the ‘40s and ‘50s. Shall we try this one?

MOLDED CRANBERRY SALAD

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1 cup cranberry juice cocktail

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup chopped cranberries

1/2 cup well-drained pineapple tidbits

Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cranberry juice. Let soak 5 minutes. Stir over low heat until gelatin dissolves. Add sugar, remaining cranberry juice and whipping cream. Blend well. Chill until syrupy. Fold in marshmallows, nuts, cranberries and pineapple tidbits. Pour into 1-quart mold. Chill until firm. Unmold onto serving plate. Makes 4 servings.

Dear SOS: I recently read that oat bran can reduce cholesterol, so I bought a two-pound bag of oat bran. Now I need a recipe to make Oat Bran Muffins.

--R.T.G.

Dear R.T.G.: You and several dozen readers made similar requests. Research does support the role of oat bran in helping to reduce cholesterol. In simple language, it seems that oat bran cereal helps to bind and excrete bile acids (part of cholesterol metabolism) without recycling it back into the body. But do practice moderation when consuming any food, including fiber.

OAT BRAN MUFFINS

2 1/4 cups oat bran

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup raisins

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup nonfat milk

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons oil

Combine oat bran, brown sugar, nuts, raisins, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add milk, eggs, honey and oil and mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fill paper-lined muffin cups almost full. Bake at 425 degrees 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 12 muffins.

Dear SOS: I would like to have the recipe for gazpacho from the Velvet Turtle, if they will share it.

--BILLIE

Dear Billie: They did so gladly some time back, and we have printed it numerous times. The recipe also appears in “The Los Angeles Times California Cookbook,” (Abrams: $25; New American Library paperback: $9.95) under the title Gazpacho de Los Angeles.

VELVET TURTLE GAZPACHO

1 (46-ounce) can tomato juice

1 medium green pepper, minced

1 small onion, minced

1 cucumber, peeled and minced

2 small canned green chiles, minced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon seasoning blend

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped chives

2 drops hot pepper sauce

Salt, white pepper

Lemon wedges

Combine tomato juice, green pepper, onion, cucumber, chiles, Worcestershire, seasoning blend, garlic, olive oil, chives and hot pepper sauce. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Chill thoroughly. Serve with lemon wedges. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Note: For a smooth gazpacho served with vegetable garnishes, blend tomato mixture in blender container until smooth. Serve with additional diced cucumber, green pepper and croutons on the side.

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.