Solving Mystery of the Lost Garlic Wowchos Recipe

Dear SOS: I’m desperately trying to find my lost recipe for Wowchos which was featured in The Times some years back. Please reprint it.

TERRY

Dear Terry: We would if we could, but we can’t find the recipe. Any other clues?

Dear SOS: Never mind. I found it. At long last here is the infamous recipe for Wowchos, which I think would be a welcome addition to any recipe collection. Although I have written it as printed, I have modified it in my own kitchen to suit my taste and added one more garlic bulb, which is mashed after it is baked. For your information, the recipe was first printed in the Aug. 25, 1983, issue of the Los Angeles Times Food Section. It appears that Wowchos won second prize at the annual Gilmore Garlic Festival contest that year for Leonard Brill of San Francisco.

--TERRY

Dear Terry: What a relief. Thanks.

GARLIC FESTIVAL WOWCHOS

2 large heads garlic, separated into cloves and peeled

2 tablespoons oil

Tortilla chips

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles

1/3 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed olives, optional

1 1/2 cups shredded jalapeno Jack cheese

Chopped cilantro

Chopped green onion tops

Coat garlic with oil and bake at 375 degrees 30 minutes or until soft and golden. Cover 13x9-inch foil-covered metal pan with tortilla chips. Mash and distribute garlic, onion, chiles and olives evenly over chips. Cover with cheese and bake at 400 degrees 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Top with cilantro and green onion and serve. Makes 4 appetizer servings.

Dear SOS: My husband has to watch his cholesterol but he loves fudge. Do you have a recipe for making fudge using cocoa powder and oil?

--BERTHA

Dear Bertha: How about a fudge recipe made with cocoa powder and margarine, which can be cholesterol-free.

TRADITIONAL COCOA FUDGE

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Dash salt

2 tablespoon margarine or butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Line 8-inch square baking pan or 9x5-inch loaf pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Lightly butter foil. Set pan aside.

Combine sugar, milk, cocoa, corn syrup and salt in heavy 3-quart saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture begins to boil.

Continue cooking, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until thermometer reaches 234 degrees (soft-ball stage) or until small amount of syrup dropped into very cold water forms soft ball that flattens when removed from water. (Bulb of candy thermometer should not rest on bottom of saucepan.)

Remove mixture from heat and add margarine. Do not stir. Cool to room temperature (110 degrees or until bottom of pan is barely warm to touch). Stir in vanilla. Beat mixture with wooden spoon until mixture becomes very thick and just starts to lose its gloss. Do not use electric mixer. Quickly spread in prepared pan. Score into 1-inch squares. Cool and cut into squares. Makes 45 to 64 squares.

Dear SOS: Do you have a recipe for chicken enchiladas Suiza similar to the Weight Watchers TV dinner? There are no tomatoes or tomato sauce. Instead, it is made with cheese sauce and cream.

--DONNA

Dear Donna: Give this one a try. It was a winner at a Le Dome restaurant cooking contest back in 1979.

MARTINE HECHT’S

ENCHILADAS SUIZA

4 (1 1/2-pound) or 2 (3-pound) chickens

Boiling salted water

3 (7-ounce) cans diced green chiles

2 1/2 pounds Jack cheese, shredded

15 tortillas (corn or flour)

1/2 cup oil

2 pints whipping cream

Cook chickens in boiling salted water to cover until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain, reserving stock for other use. Bone and cube chicken. Combine cubed chicken with chiles and 3/4 of cheese.

Soften tortillas in heated oil. Heat cream. Dip each tortilla in hot cream. Place about 1/2 cup of chicken mixture in center of each tortilla. Fold sides over mixture and place seam-side down in greased large baking pan. Pour remaining cream over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 450 degrees about 30 to 45 minutes or until golden and cheese is melted. Serve with sliced tomatoes, or guacamole, if desired. Makes 15 enchiladas.

Note: About 4 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey may be substituted.

Dear SOS: I am looking for a recipe for Black Bean Soup. I have ordered it at two restaurants recently. It was delicious and I would like to make my own.

--NANCY

Dear Nancy: Here’s a classic recipe:

BLACK BEAN SOUP

2 cups dried black beans, rinsed

6 cups water

8 slices bacon

1 1/2 cups sliced onions

1 cup sliced celery

2 canned or roasted and peeled green chiles, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon cumin

Lemon slices

Combine beans and water in Dutch oven or large kettle. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 1 hour.

Cook bacon until crisp. Cut into small pieces. Add to beans along with any drippings. Add onion, celery, chiles, garlic, bay leaf, salt and cumin. Bring to boil and simmer, covered, 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until beans are tender. Cool slightly. Puree soup 2 cups at time in blender. Serve hot, garnished with lemon slices. Makes 8 servings.

Note: Swirl sour cream into soup just before serving for flavorful touch.

Dear SOS: I keep watching your section for a honey mustard dressing, but so far have not found one.

--LOIS

Dear Lois: So sorry. This is from the Proud Bird restaurant in the airport area of Los Angeles, and it’s quite good.

PROUD BIRD HONEY

MUSTARD DRESSING

3 cups mayonnaise

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup prepared mustard

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 onion, minced

1/4 bunch parsley, chopped

1 cup oil

Combine mayonnaise, sugar, honey, mustard, vinegar, onion and parsley. Blend in oil. Chill about 1 hour before serving. Makes 4 cups dressing.

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.