Vodka, Lemon Provide Spirited Flavors to Gypsy Italian Cafe’s Pasta

DEAR SOS: The Gypsy Italian Cafe in Orange, Calif., serves a wonderful lemon-flavored pasta made with vodka. I’d love to reproduce it at home.

--A READER

DEAR READER: This pasta is an easy-going dish for fall. The alcohol will burn off almost completely when heated, leaving only the flavor.

GYPSY ITALIAN LIMONE-VODKA PASTA

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup vodka

2 cups half and half or whipping cream

1 cup Parmesan cheese

Salt, pepper

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 to 3/4 pounds spaghettini, cooked and drained

Melt butter with vodka. Heat and ignite. Add half and half and reduce by half. Add cheese, salt and pepper to taste and lemon juice. Heat. Toss with spaghettini pasta. Makes 4 servings.

DEAR SOS: You printed a recipe for Peanut Butter Fudge that didn’t have to be cooked. Here is my simple recipe for a similar fudge.

--MARTHA

DEAR MARTHA: How nice of you to share. And what an easy recipe--mix and serve.

PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

1 pound powdered sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons vanilla

Dash salt

Combine sugar, peanut butter, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt. Mix well.

Spread into 9-inch baking pan and cool until fudge hardens. Cut into squares. Makes 16 servings.

DEAR SOS: I would love to have a recipe for the minced squab I tasted at a Chinese restaurant.

--CRISTINE

DEAR CRISTINE: Chinese recipes for minced squab are much the same from place to place, so here is one from the Mandarin in Beverly Hills.

The lettuce-wrapped morsels of squab can be served as appetizers or entrees, depending on the size and amount served. You can use chicken, turkey or any cooked meat for variety.

MANDARIN’S MINCED SQUAB

Oil for deep frying

1/4 (8-ounce) package rice noodles

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil

Dash sugar

Dash white pepper

4 squabs

4 ounces dried black mushrooms

1 (3- or 4-ounce) can water chestnuts

3 or 4 green onions

1 ounce Virginia or other ham

1 head iceberg lettuce

1 tomato

Few sprigs cilantro

Oyster Sauce, optional

Heat oil about 1 inch deep in wok or large skillet, until hot. Add noodles and fry until puffed, but not golden, about 1 to 3 seconds. Remove at once from wok, since noodles continue to cook. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Combine soy sauce, Worcestershire, sesame oil, sugar and pepper in small bowl. Set aside.

Bone and mince squab flesh, reserving bones and skin for soup or other stock. (Any poultry may be used.) Soften mushrooms in warm water 5 minutes. Drain and mince. Mince water chestnuts and green onions.

Heat 1/2 cup oil in wok or skillet. Add minced squab and ham. Saute 1 minute. Add half of sauce mixture and saute until squab is done. Remove from wok and set aside.

Add mushrooms and water chestnuts. Saute 30 seconds. Add remaining sauce mixture and saute 30 seconds longer. Remove from wok and add to minced squab mixture. Add green onions to wok and saute 30 seconds. Add to minced squab mixture.

Cut off 1/4 of lettuce heat at stem end. Plunge larger portion in cold water to help separate layers of leaves. Remove individual leaves, reserving gnarled inner portion for other use.

Crush fried noodles and place on serving platter. Make well in center. Place minced squab mixture in well. Garnish with tomato wedges or tomato butterflies and sprigs of cilantro. Arrange lettuce cups on separate platter.

To serve, spoon heaping tablespoon or 2 of minced squab mixture in center of lettuce cup. Fold like taco to eat, using Oyster Sauce for drizzling or dipping. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Note: To form tomato butterfly shape, cut tomato wedge lengthwise in center, cutting almost but not quite completely in half. Cut peel almost to stem. Do not remove. Butterfly tomato.

Oyster Sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons canned oyster sauce

Dash white pepper

Dash sugar

Combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper and sugar.

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.