Turkey Chili Recipe Gets a Call

Dear SOS: My boyfriend and I often enjoy the turkey chili at Hampton’s in Toluca Lake. We’d love to try some at home.

--LAUREL

Dear Laurel: Do. Hampton’s was happy to accommodate you with this nourishing chili that contains less fat than most chilis made with red meat. HAMPTON’S TURKEY CHILI

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground oregano

1 teaspoon ground basil

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon paprika

2 pounds ground turkey

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup dry red wine

1 teaspoon garlic puree or 2 cloves garlic, mashed

1 (8-ounce) can tomato puree

1 (8-ounce) bottle catsup

Salt

Chopped onion

Grated Cheddar cheese

Combine chili powder, oregano, basil, red pepper, cumin, bay leaves and paprika. Add to ground turkey and mix well. Combine turkey mixture with onion. Place in large saucepan.

Add Worcestershire and red wine. Cover and cook over medium heat 1 1/2 hours, stirring often. Add garlic and stir well. Add tomato puree and catsup and mix well. Season to taste with salt. Cook over low heat 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot with chopped onion and grated Cheddar cheese. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Dear SOS: The devil’s food cake that reader John wanted (Food Section, Jan. 16, 1986) must be what my mother-in-law called “Wacky Cake.” It’s a family favorite.

--EILEEN

Dear Eileen: The cake has other names, too, such as cuckoo cake, crazy cake, cockeyed cake, punchy cake, black devil’s cake and lickety split cake. I must have been cockeyed, if not crazy, to have blacked out on this American classic, so here it is, lickety split.

CRAZY, PUNCHY, COCKEYED AND BLACK DEVIL’S, LICKETY SPLIT, TOO, WACKY CAKE

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

6 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla and stir just until batter is smooth and well-blended. Pour into greased and floured 9-inch layer cake pan or 8-inch square pan. Bake at 350 degrees 35 to 40 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool. Dust with powdered sugar. Makes 9 servings.

Dear SOS: I have part of a recipe for Bulgarian Meatball Soup. Can you please provide the complete recipe or repeat it in your column?

--NORMA

Dear Norma: Of course, now that a good, nourishing wintry soup would be welcome.

BULGARIAN MEATBALL SOUP

1 pound ground beef

6 tablespoons rice

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground savory

Salt, pepper

Flour

6 cups water

2 beef bouillon cubes

1/2 bunch green onions, sliced

1 large green pepper, chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

3 to 4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 to 2 small yellow chiles, split and most seeds removed

1/2 bunch parsley, minced

1 egg

Juice of 1 lemon

Combine beef, rice, paprika and savory. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix lightly but thoroughly. Form into 1-inch balls, then roll in flour.

Combine water, bouillon cubes, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, green onions, green pepper, carrots and tomatoes in large kettle. Cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

Add meatballs, cover and bring to boil again. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add chiles and simmer, covered, 40 minutes or until rice is cooked. Add parsley during last 5 minutes of cooking time. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.

Just before serving, beat egg with lemon juice. Stir 1 to 2 tablespoons hot soup into egg mixture, then stir egg mixture into soup. Heat and stir until soup is thickened slightly. Do not allow to boil. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Dear SOS: I’d like the recipe for the Loma Linda Chocolate Prune Cake printed some time ago.

--MRS. J.P.L.

Dear Mrs. J.P.L.: Who would think the combination of prunes and chocolate would work? But it does, as many readers who have fussed over this delicious cake can attest.

LOMA LINDA CHOCOLATE PRUNE CAKE

1/4 cup boiling water

3/4 cup pitted prunes

2/3 cup oil

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

Chocolate Fudge Icing

Pour boiling water over prunes and let soak 30 minutes. Combine oil, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, salt and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs and beat well 2 minutes.

Combine soaked prunes and buttermilk in blender container or food processor bowl and chop finely. Add to creamed mixture with flour, soda and baking powder. Beat well and turn into well-greased and floured 13x9-inch baking pan or 2 (8-inch) round pans. Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes or until wood pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool and frost with Chocolate Fudge Icing.

Chocolate Fudge Icing

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup light corn syrup

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Bring water to boil. Remove from heat and beat in shortening and corn syrup. Add powdered sugar, cocoa, salt and vanilla and cream well to spreading consistency.

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.