Santa Anita Clam Chowder Is Another Dish for the Winner’s Circle

Dear SOS: The Santa Anita Race Track beef stew you published is great, but their clam chowder--the red clam chowder--is also great. Do you suppose they would share that recipe?

--VI

Dear Vi: Yes, they would--and did. Race track executive chef Tony Pope has been sharing his recipes with Times readers for more than 20 years. And good recipes they have been, too.

SANTA ANITA-STYLE

CLAM CHOWDER

1 cup butter or margarine

1 1/2 teaspoons oil

1 stalk celery hearts, diced or cubed

3 onions, diced

1 1/2 teaspoons thyme

1 tablespoon flour

1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced

2 cups chicken broth

2 (8-ounce) cans clam juice

2 (6 1/2-ounce) cans minced clams

1/2 (8-ounce) can diced tomatoes

Salt, pepper

Combine butter and oil in saucepan. Heat until butter melts. Add celery and onions and saute until onions are tender. Add thyme. Gradually stir in flour, stirring slowly 10 to 15 minutes until slightly browned. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, cook potatoes in boiling water until tender. Set aside.

Add chicken broth to onion mixture. Add clam juice and clams. Add cooked potatoes, tomatoes and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes. Makes 8 cups.

Dear SOS: Many years ago, when Richard Nixon was running for office, there was a recipe for Crustless Apple Pie. It was great but I have lost my copy. Do you still have it?

--B.J.L.

Dear B.J.L.: The time frame suggests that this may be the recipe you remember using. And what a good New Year resolution recipe it is, too. The idea of a pie without crust is to conserve calories, hence the lack of crust, use of non-sugar sweetener and a topping made with dry nonfat milk instead of whipping cream. You can, however, use the sugar equivalent given.

CRUSTLESS APPLE PIE

2 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

3/4 cup water

Liquid sweetener equal to 1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Whipped Topping, optional

Place apples in 8-inch pie pan. Soften gelatin in water and heat until dissolved. Stir in sweetener, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice. Pour over apples. Bake at 325 degrees 1 hour or until apples are tender. Cool and chill. Serve with Whipped Topping. Makes 4 servings of about 50 calories per serving without Whipped Topping.

Whipped Topping

1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder

1/4 cup ice water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons sugar or liquid sweetener

Whip dry milk powder with ice water until soft peaks form, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add lemon juice and beat until stiff about 3 minutes longer. Sweeten with sugar. Serve at once. Makes about 1 1/2 cups topping at 16 calories per serving.

Dear SOS: Many years ago, my mother used to make a devil’s food cake without eggs. It contained cocoa, oil and vinegar. I have searched in vain through various cookbooks, but have had no luck. Can you help?

--JOHN

Dear John: We have a recipe for an Eggless Chocolate Cake that goes back a while, but this recipe makes use of vinegar and oil substitutes (shortening instead of oil and buttermilk or sour cream with soda in place of vinegar.) The result may be similar. Do you want to try it?

EGGLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

3 tablespoons shortening

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour or 1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt shortening. Blend in sugar and cocoa. Sift together flour, soda and salt. Add to shortening mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. Pour into greased and floured wax paper-lined 9-inch square pan. Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes. Cut into squares to serve. Makes 1 (9-inch) cake.

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.