A Holiday Season Apple-Cranberry Pie Just Like Mom Used to Make

Dear SOS: The City Restaurant in Los Angeles bakes the most delicious apple-cranberry pie that I have ever tasted. Not too sweet--just perfect.

--BLANCHE

Dear Blanche: Shade’s of Mom’s Midwest apple pie, and what a great treat for the holiday season. CITY RESTAURANT APPLE-CRANBERRY PIE

5 extra large Grannie Smith apples or equivalent

1 (12-ounce) package cranberries

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup minute tapioca

Partially Baked Pie Shell

Streusel

Peel, core and chop apples in pieces the size of cranberries. Place cranberries in food processor. Chop briefly, about 10 seconds.

Combine apples and cranberries in large bowl. Add sugar and stir until fruit is coated with sugar. Cover bowl and set aside until juices from fruit flow freely and sugar is almost completely dissolved, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir tapioca into fruit and juice and let soak additional 10 to 15 minutes. Fill Partially Baked Pie Shell with apple-cranberry filling. Sprinkle top generously with Streusel. Reserve any remaining streusel for other use. Bake at 325 degrees until filling bubbles in center, about 45 minutes. (If edges of pie shell begin to brown too quickly, cover with strips of foil.) Makes 1 (9-inch) pie. Partially Baked Pie Shell

2 cups flour

1/2 cup lard

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 teaspoon salt

Ice water

Combine flour, lard, butter and salt in large bowl. Lightly work dough using fingertips until pieces of butter and lard are no larger than small peas. Add 1/3 cup ice water a little at a time, tossing flour mixture lightly with fork. If mixture seems too dry to press into ball, add another 1 tablespoon ice water.

Press mixture into ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest about 30 minutes in refrigerator. Roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Fit into 10-inch pie plate. Flute edge attractively and let rest again in refrigerator 30 minutes. Line shell with sheet of foil filled with pastry weights or uncooked navy beans. Bake at 425 degrees until edges are light brown. Remove foil and weights. Return to oven until bottom crust is set and no longer appears raw. Streusel

2/3 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups flour

Combine butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and flour. Lightly work mixture using fingertips until butter is completely incorporated and mixture is crumbly.

Dear SOS: While visiting Oceanside in August, I happened upon a sinfully delicious macaroon called a haystack, but I’d call it diet-killer’s heaven. Can you get the recipe?

--PAT

Dear Pat: Haystack recipes are fairly standard, so here is one from Griswold’s, in Claremont, which I hope you will find as heavenly as the ones tasted in Oceanside. GRISWOLD’S HAYSTACK

13 egg whites, lightly beaten

2 cups sugar

6 1/2 cups flaked coconut

1 1/2 cups chopped dates

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine egg whites and sugar. Cook in top of double boiler over simmering water until mixture reaches 120 degrees or feels hot to touch. Stir constantly.

Combine coconut, dates, walnuts, salt and vanilla in mixing bowl. Add hot sugar mixture and blend well. Using small ice cream scoop, form into balls and place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool and remove from pan. Makes about 3 dozen.

Dear SOS: Recently I visited the India festival of science at the California Museum of Science and Industry in Los Angeles and had lunch at the Indian restaurant operated by Beverly Hills’ Bombay Palace. They served a meatless mixed vegetable curry which was delicious. Would it be possible to get the recipe?

--ANDREA

Dear Andrea: It so happens that “The Bombay Palace Cookbook” by Stendahl (Caravan Publishing) has a recipe for nine vegetable curry served at the museum. BOMBAY PALACE NINE VEGETABLE CURRY

1/4 pound broccoli, cut into florets

1/4 pound green or sweet red peppers, cut into diamond shapes or small cubes

1/4 pound carrots, peeled, sliced and cut into diamond shapes or small cubes

1/4 pound cauliflower, cut into florets

1/4 pound green beans, sliced and cut into diamond shapes or small cubes

1 large potato, peeled, sliced and cut into diamond shapes or small cubes

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 tablespoons yogurt

Dry Masala

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/4 pound fresh or 1/2 frozen package green peas, thawed

1 (4-ounce) can mixed fruit cocktail, drained

1/4 cup raisins

12 slivered, blanched almonds

Separately cook broccoli, green pepper, carrot, cauliflower, green beans and potato in boiling salted water until crisp-tender. Drain. Set aside.

Melt butter in skillet. Add onion and garlic. Saute until onion is transparent. Add tomatoes, yogurt and Dry Masala. Simmer 5 minutes.

Add parboiled vegetables and simmer 5 minutes longer, adding 1/4 cup water. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add whipping cream and peas. Remove a few cherry pieces from canned fruit for garnish. Add remaining fruit to sauce. Just before serving, top with raisins and almonds and decorate with cherry pieces. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Dry Masala

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Combine cardamom, coriander, ginger, chili powder and turmeric.

Dear SOS: Several years ago you printed a recipe for California Tamale Pie in Home Magazine. Unfortunately, I have misplaced this terrific recipe.

--GAIL

Dear Gail: There were many such recipes. We hope this one is it. TAMALE PIE

6 cups water

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal

Salt

1 cup chopped white hominy

1/4 cup oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 large onions, diced

1 small green pepper, diced

1 cup sliced celery

2 pounds ground beef

1 tablespoon chili powder

Dash cayenne pepper

1 (1-pound) can whole kernel corn

1 (1-pound 12-ounce) can tomatoes

Pitted black olives

2 cups shredded American cheese

Bring 3 cups water to boil in top of double boiler over direct heat. Meanwhile, stir cornmeal into remaining 3 cups water until smooth.

Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to boiling water, then stir in cornmeal mixture. Cook and stir until thickened. Add hominy. Place over boiling water and cook 30 minutes. Turn mixture into greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Cool until firm.

Heat oil, then add garlic, onions, green pepper, celery and beef and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, chili powder, cayenne, corn and tomatoes. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Unmold cornmeal mush and split through center, making two layers. Place 1 cornmeal layer in pan, top with meat mixture and sprinkle with 1 cup olives. Cover with remaining cornmeal layer. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 degrees 1 hour. Garnish with additional olives, if desired. Makes 10 to 12 servings.