Mizithra Pasta a la Hollywood

Dear SOS: I understand that the incomparable Spaghetti Mizithra served at Hollywood’s Spaghetti Factory is made of ricotta and Romano cheeses, but how on earth do they go together?

--D.M.

Dear D.M.: This way: SPAGHETTI FACTORY SPAGHETTI MIZITHRA

1 pound spaghetti

1 cup butter or margarine

1/2 pound dry ricotta cheese, kasari or caciocavallo, grated

1/4 pound Romano cheese, grated

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Cook spaghetti until tender but firm to bite. Drain. Melt butter in large skillet until butter turns brown in color. Meanwhile, combine cheeses. Place spaghetti on platter. Sprinkle with mixed cheeses, then drizzle with browned butter. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 6 servings.

Dear SOS: Quite some time ago you published a recipe for Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies, but I have misplaced my recipe.

--KATHRYN

Dear Kathryn: No, we did not. We printed a recipe that Amos, then a guest on a talk show, gave verbally on the air. We could not verify its association to the original Famous Amos cookies sold commercially, so we entitled the cookie Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies, giving the background of the recipe.

Amos’ company has subsequently denied any resemblance to the recipe used commercially and forbade us to associate it with Amos’ cookies, which we were happy to honor. It’s still a good chocolate chip cookie, if you like the hard type. HARD CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1/2 pound butter

2 eggs

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/4 cups flour

2 cups semisweet chocolate pieces

1 cup raisins

Cream together butter, eggs and sugars until light and fluffy. Sift together baking powder, baking soda and flour. Stir into creamed mixture until well blended. Fold in chocolate and raisins. Drop by teaspoons onto greased baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees 7 minutes. Makes about 8 dozen.

Dear SOS: You recently printed in your column a recipe for mock turtle soup in response to Albert’s request for a soup similar to that he had while growing up in Cincinnati. I, too, grew up in Cincinnati, and our Mock Turtle soup is entirely different from the Queensway Hilton’s you gave.

--CLIFFORD

Dear Clifford: We gave our file recipe for mock turtle soup, hoping that a reader from Cincinnati would come up with the real thing. Thanks ever so much for responding to the call of the turtle. CINCINNATI MOCK TURTLE SOUP

3 1/2 pounds ground veal

6 large carrots

6 large potatoes

3 medium onions

1 stalk celery

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Few peppercorns

3 bay leaves

1 1/2 (46-ounce) cans tomato juice

1 (14-ounce) bottle catsup

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Grated peel of 1 lemon

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup butter or margarine

Salt, pepper

Sherry, optional

Cook veal, carrots, potatoes, onions and celery in water to cover until vegetables are tender. Put through food processor until pureed. Return to pot. Add parsley, peppercorns, bay leaves, tomato juice, catsup, lemon juice and peel. Bring to boil. Reduce heat.

In large skillet, brown flour, stirring constantly in dry pan until very dark brown. Add butter, stirring until paste is formed. Add some of soup stock to flour mixture, stirring until smooth. Add all at once to soup, stirring to blend well. Add salt, pepper and Sherry to taste. Add water, if too thick. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Dear SOS: My daughters gave me your address and asked me to write to you, saying you might help. I wonder if you could supply me with a recipe for a strawberry pie made with gelatin and a ready-baked crust?

--MARGARITA

Dear Margarita: Certainly. Here is one of many. GLAZED STRAWBERRY GELATIN PIE

1 (3 3/4-ounce) package vanilla pudding and pie filling mix

1 baked (9- or 10-inch) pie shell

1 (3-ounce) package strawberry gelatin

1 cup boiling water

3/4 cup cold water

2 cups sweetened sliced fresh strawberries

Prepare pie filling mix as directed on package for pie. Pour into cooled pie shell. Chill 1 hour. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add cold water. Chill until slightly thickened. Add strawberries and spoon carefully over pie filling. Chill until firm, at least 3 hours. Makes 1 (9- or 10-inch) pie.