Sounding the Bell for Two-Alarm Chili Recipe from the ‘60s

Dear SOS: I lost my recipe for Wick Fowler’s Two-Alarm Chili from the late Mike Roy’s book. Can you help?

--READER

Dear Reader: Mike Roy’s daughter, Robin, who happens to work at the Los Angeles Times, brought in “The Mike Roy Cookbook No. 2” (Ward Ritchie Press), which contains the recipe. According to Roy, the recipe came from the Chili Appreciation Society International, Los Angeles Chapter, in the ‘60s.

WICK FOWLER’S TWO-ALARM CHILI

3 pounds ground beef, coarsely ground

1 onion, chopped

Chopped garlic to taste

1 (1 pound 4-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon cumin

6 red chiles, about 2 inches long, optional

1/4 cup chili powder

1 tablespoon paprika

2 tablespoons flour

Saute meat, onion and garlic in skillet until meat is browned. Add tomato sauce and about 1/4 cup water. Stir in mix well. Add salt, cayenne pepper, hot pepper sauce, oregano, cumin, red chiles, chili powder and paprika. Add water to cover and stir well. Simmer 1 1/2 hours or longer, stirring frequently. Skim off fat. Blend flour with 1/4 cup water and stir into chili. Cook until slightly thickened. Serve with beans, rice or cornmeal mush, if desired. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Dear SOS: While on vacation in Washington we were served a Cranberry Butter with bran muffins, which is quite unforgettable. Is a recipe possible?

--PAM

Dear Pam: We happen to have a Cranberry Butter in the Food Section files, which would, indeed, be good with muffins, toast or coffeecake.

CRANBERRY BUTTER

1 cup cranberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 pound unsalted butter

Cook cranberries with sugar about 10 minutes or until berries have popped and mixture forms sauce, about 10 minutes. Cool. Soften butter. Blend cranberry mixture into butter with wooden spoon. Pack into crocks or molds. Chill. Serve with hot corn sticks, corn bread, muffins or coffeecake. Makes about 3 cups.

Dear SOS: Please, I’ve lost my recipe for Custard Lulu, a dessert which originated, I believe, at the Hamburger Hamlet.

--VALEDIA

Dear Valedia: We have never, to our knowledge, received a recipe from the Hamburger Hamlet for their Custard Lulu, which is custard topped with whipped cream sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs. The recipe we have printed in the past uses caramel fudge topping instead of caramelized sugar as a base for the baked custard. Is this what you mean?

CUSTARD LULU

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

6 tablespoons bottled caramel fudge topping

Beat eggs with sugar 5 minutes. Add milk, nutmeg and vanilla. Place 1 tablespoon caramel fudge topping in bottom of each of 6 custard cups. Fill prepared cups with custard mixture and place cups in pan of hot water. Bake at 400 degrees 30 minutes until firm or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Makes 6 servings.

Dear SOS: Some years ago, my husband and I dined at a restaurant that served finnan haddie, a dish that my husband’s mother prepared. I failed to get the recipe. Hers was prepared in a cream sauce. Can you help?

--HETTIE

Dear Hettie: Finnan haddie is a smoked fish named after the fishing port and river of Findhorn, Scotland. Haddie is the abbreviated name for haddock. So finnan haddie is haddock from Findhorn, usually served for breakfast in creamed form with toast in Britain.

CREAMED FINNAN HADDIE

1 pound finnan haddie (haddock) or other smoked fish

Milk

1 onion, sliced

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 hard-cooked eggs

Freshly ground pepper or parsley

Place fish in large skillet. Barely cover with milk and top with onion slices. Simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter and stir in flour and salt. Cook until bubbly, then add 2 cups milk. Cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened. Slice eggs and add to sauce. Place haddie on warm platter and top with warm sauce. Sprinkle with pepper or parsley. Makes 6 servings.

Dear SOS: For years, I have added a jar of Peach-Rum Jam to my gifts at Christmastime. Now that peaches are in markets, I can’t find my recipe. Can you help?

--SANDRA

Dear Sandra: Oops, we’d better slip this one in before market peaches disappear.

PEACH-RUM JAM

2 pounds ripe peaches

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon ascorbic acid crystals, optional

2 teaspoons rum extract

5 cups sugar

3/4 cup water

1 (1 3/4-ounce) box powdered fruit pectin

Wash, scald and drain containers and lids, using only containers that have tight-fitting lids.

Peel, pit and grind or chop peaches very fine. Measure 2 1/4 cups into large bowl or pan. Add lemon juice, ascorbic acid and rum extract to peaches. Thoroughly mix sugar into fruit mixture. Set aside.

Mix water and fruit pectin in small saucepan. Bring to boil and boil 1 minute, stirring about 3 minutes. (A few sugar crystals will remain.) Ladle quickly into jars. Cover immediately with tight lids. Let stand at room temperature until set. (This may take up to 24 hours.) Store in freezer. If jam is to be used within 2 or 3 weeks, it may be stored in refrigerator. Makes 6 cups or about 6 (8-ounce) jars.