Special Thousand Island Dressing Recipe Could Create a Salad Lover

Dear SOS: This is truly an SOS--if I can get the recipe for the Tam O’Shanter Inn Thousand Island Dressing, I can convert to salads.

--GLENDA

Dear Glenda: You have the blessings of Lawry’s Restaurants Inc., which owns the Tam O’Shanter Inn in Los Angeles and sent us the recipe.

TAM O’SHANTER INN

THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING

1/2 hard-cooked egg, chopped

1/4 cup canned chopped beets

3 tablespoons minced green

pepper

1 teaspoon black olives

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

4 teaspoons chili sauce

1 tablespoon catsup

1/4 cup tomato juice

Seasoned salt

Combine chopped egg, beets, green pepper and olives in bowl. Add mayonnaise, Worcestershire, chili sauce, catsup, tomato juice and salt. Mix well. Makes 2 cups dressing.

Dear SOS: I would appreciate a recipe for Green Tomato Pie.

--GLORIA

Dear Gloria: What a wonderful way to use green tomatoes that are popping out on vines in home gardens now.

GREEN TOMATO PIE

Pastry for double-crust pie

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

4 cups sliced green tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

2 tablespoons butter or

margarine

Roll out half of pastry and fit into 9-inch pie plate. Set aside. Mix flour and sugar. Sprinkle 1/4 of mixture into pie shell. Cover with tomato slices. Sprinkle with salt and top with remaining sugar mixture. Sprinkle cinnamon, lemon juice and peel evenly over top of pie. Dot with butter.

Roll out remaining pastry and cover pie with top crust. Make slits around pie dough. Bake at 450 degrees 10 minutes. Reduce heat and bake at 350 degrees 50 minutes longer.

Dear SOS: Look as I may, I cannot find a recipe for calamari steaks. I would like to have this with or without a sauce.

--R.V.H.

Dear R.V.H.: You can have it without the sauce. Squid steak is sometimes known as abalonette because of its close taste resemblance to abalone. The recipe is said to have originated at San Francisco’s waterfront.

SQUID STEAK

4 whole, cleaned squid, without

tentacles

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup whipping cream, half

and half or evaporated milk

Salt, pepper

2 cups fine soda cracker crumbs

Oil for frying

Split mantle on 1 side of squid body and lay out flat. Beat egg in shallow bowl. Beat in whipping cream and salt and pepper to taste. Dip squid steak in milk mixture, then roll in cracker crumbs. Pour oil about 1/2 inch deep in large skillet. Heat and add squid steaks. Fry 3 to 4 minutes, turning to brown evenly on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Makes 4 servings.

Dear SOS: For several years I have tried to duplicate the chocolate dessert Sacher Torte as originally developed by the Sacher Hotel in Vienna and available throughout Austria. A recent trip to that country verified to me that my version clearly misses the mark.

--JOY

Dear Joy: Back in 1979, we covered the Vienna Exhibition at the California Museum of Science and Industry in Los Angeles. The Viennese chefs interviewed prepared the tortes. Here is their recipe.

SACHER TORTE

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

9 egg yolks

8 ounces semisweet chocolate,

melted

7 medium egg whites

1 3/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup apricot jam

Chocolate Fondant Icing

Cream together butter and 1/2 cup sugar. Add egg yolks and mix until light in color. Add melted chocolate and blend well.

Beat egg whites until frothy. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat until stiff. Fold chocolate mixture into egg whites, incorporating lightly but thoroughly. Sift flour with baking soda and gradually fold into batter, blending thoroughly.

Turn into greased 9-inch spring form pan, spreading batter up around sides of pan to form concave. (This will ensure uniform rising of cake as it bakes.) Bake at 350 degrees 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cake stand on wire rack at room temperature overnight.

Next day, cut thin layer off round cake top so cake becomes level on top. Invert onto cake rack, bottom side up. Place square of wax paper under rack. Split cake in half. Spread 1/3 cup apricot jam over cut bottom layer. Top with second layer. Melt remaining jam over low heat until bubbly around edge and syrupy. Pour over cake and spread evenly over top and sides of cake to seal. Let cool and set. Pour Chocolate Fondant Icing over cake and spread evenly over top and sides. Let set before slicing. Makes 1 (9-inch) Sacher Torte.

Chocolate Fondant Icing

1 cup Fondant Cream

1 1/2 squares unsweetened

chocolate, melted

1 teaspoon water, about

Heat fondant over low heat until smooth and creamy. Stir in melted chocolate, blending well. Add enough water to make creamy pouring consistency.

Fondant Cream

2 cups sugar

Dash salt

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine sugar, salt, syrup, cream and milk in deep 2-quart saucepan and mix well. Place over low heat and cook and stir until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Cover and cook 3 minutes without stirring. Remove cover and cook, without stirring, to 240 degrees or to soft ball stage. During cooking, wash down sides of pan often with fork wrapped in damp cloth to remove sugar.

Pour, don’t scrape, fondant onto cold moist platter or marble slab, spreading 1/4 inch thick. Cool to lukewarm. Work with broad spatula or wooden spoon until creamy white by lifting and folding from edges to center. Knead until smooth. Knead in vanilla and cool, uncovered.

Wrap in wax paper. Place in tightly covered container and ripen in refrigerator at least 24 hours. Use as needed according to recipe directions. Fondant will keep in refrigerator a few weeks. Makes 1 pound.

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.