Teriyaki Sauce Has Multi Purpose

Dear SOS: Once a meat-and-potatoes consumer, my dining habits have been greatly varied and enhanced in the past few years. The teriyaki sauce of chef Jose Lopez of Alexander’s Brass Rib in Pasadena is of great interest to me.

--WES

Dear Wes: Here is Lopez’s teriyaki sauce, which can be used with ribs, chicken, fish or shrimp.

ALEXANDER’S BRASS RIB TERIYAKI SAUCE

2 tablespoons minced ginger root

1/2 white onion, sliced

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped celery leaves

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup soy sauce

1/4 to 1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup Burgundy wine

1/4 cup sauterne

2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

Combine ginger root, white and green onions and celery leaves. Saute in olive oil until evenly browned, about 10 minutes.

Add soy sauce, pineapple juice, water, Burgundy, sauterne and brown sugar. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes over medium-low heat. Strain and serve with desired meats. Leftover sauce can be refrigerated for several days. Makes about 2 cups.

Dear SOS: In a recent Food section, a reader asked for a recipe for Pina Colada Muffins and you gave her a recipe for the cake. I think this is what you want.

--SUDIE

Dear Sudie: Thanks.

PINA COLADA MUFFINS

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup margarine or butter

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon rum extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (8-ounce) can drained crushed pineapple

1/2 cup coconut

Combine sugar, egg, margarine, sour cream and rum extract and beat until blended. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until barely blended. Do not over mix. Add pineapple and coconut. Pour into 14 well-greased baking tins. Bake at 375 degrees 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 14 muffins.

Dear SOS: I have lost my recipe for vegetable spaghetti printed several years ago. It had broccoli, mushrooms zucchini, Chinese pea pods, tomatoes and cheese. Can you print the recipe again? Our family enjoyed it.

--BETTY

Dear Betty: We have many such recipes in our files, so I’m not sure this is the one you have in mind. However, it does contain the vegetables mentioned and is a fairly basic spaghetti with vegetables.

PASTA PRIMAVERA

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally

1 eggplant, peeled and cut into small sticks

1/2 pound mushrooms, diced

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium zucchini, shredded

1/4 pound Chinese pea pods, string removed

1 teaspoon ground oregano

1 teaspoon basil

1 large tomato, cut into wedges

1/4 cup white wine

12 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained

2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese

Saute garlic, carrots, eggplant and mushrooms in olive oil 2 minutes. Stir in zucchini, pea pods, oregano and basil. Saute 1 minute longer. Add tomato wedges and wine. Cover and steam 2 minutes. Serve over hot cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with Romano cheese. Makes 6 servings.

Dear SOS: We have gone for years to the Halekulani Hotel at Waikiki Beach in Honolulu and marveled over its sumptuous-tasting Coconut Cake. It is pure air. Please, if you could, get the recipe for us. I know it won’t compare to eating it with the surrounding atmosphere, but it could sure make those waits for our annual trip at least bearable.

--DEE

Dear Dee: Would a similar recipe from the Kahala Hilton Hotel be all right with you?

KAHALA HILTON COCONUT CAKE

4 eggs, separated

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup cake flour

Sugar

Custard Filling

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

3 cups freshly grated coconut

Mix egg yolks, oil, water and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Add salt, baking powder, cake flour, and 3/4 cup sugar and mix until smooth.

Beat egg whites until stiff and carefully fold into batter. Pour into 10-inch springform pan that has been greased and floured or lined with wax paper. Bake at 325 degrees 50 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool.

Cut cake into 4 very thin or 3 thicker layers. Spread cooled Custard Filling between cake layers. Whip cream with 3 tablespoons sugar until stiff. Frost top and sides of cake with whipped cream. Sprinkle top and sides generously with coconut. Chill. Makes 1 (9-inch) layer cake.

Custard Filling

2 cups milk

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons cold milk

2 eggs, beaten

Combine milk, sugar and vanilla in saucepan. Bring to boil. Mix cornstarch with cold milk and beaten eggs. Blend cornstarch mixture into sugar mixture and cook, stirring, until thickened. Cool.