Marinated Carrots Are Tasty Menu Toppers

DEAR SOS: Please ask Gilbert’s El Indio Restaurant in Santa Monica to share their recipe for hot marinated carrots.

--GIL

DEAR GIL: They were happy to. Enjoy this spicy treat.

EL INDIO CARROTS

10 large carrots

6 red Japanese chiles

6 Jalapeno peppers, sliced

3 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 medium onion, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups water

2 cups vinegar

Peel and slice carrots. Place in container with chiles, garlic, oregano, onion and salt. Add water and vinegar to cover carrots completely.

Cover container, but not airtight. Let stand 2 days at room temperature, then refrigerate 1 day. Makes 3 1/2 pints.

DEAR SOS: I’d like to have an old-time recipe for Lemon Ice Box Cake, which you can make ahead and freeze.

--JANET

DEAR JANET: The recipe probably originated with the advent of freezer compartments in refrigerators. At that time, the cake was frozen in the ice tray and sliced to serve.

LEMON ICEBOX CAKE

14 to 15 graham crackers, crushed

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup lemon juice

Sugar

3 eggs, separated

1 (13-ounce) can evaporated milk

Place crushed crackers in bowl and work in butter until well mixed. Place 1/2 crumbs in 2 freezer trays or 1 (13x9-inch) baking pan, pressing around bottom and sides of pan or pans. Reserve remaining crumbs for topping.

Heat lemon juice with 1 cup sugar until sugar is dissolved. Beat egg yolks until light and add to lemon mixture. Cook, stirring, until mixture is smooth and thick.

Beat egg whites with 1 tablespoon sugar and fold lemon mixture into whites. Freeze evaporated milk until crystallized and beat until stiff.

Fold lemon mixture into whipped milk and pour into trays or pan. Top with reserved crumbs. Freeze. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

DEAR SOS: We ate at Santa Cafe in Santa Fe, N.M., and had the most unusual cold soup. The recipe is great for holiday buffets as well as for summer meals.

--ELEANOR

DEAR ELEANOR: This excellent soup can also be served hot if cold soup doesn’t suit your menu.

TOMATO-POTATO-BASIL SOUP

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup chopped leek

4 cups chicken stock, about

1/2 (1-pound, 12-ounce) can whole canned tomatoes, drained and chopped

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large sweet red pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1/2 cup minced red onion

Dash cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

7 dashes hot pepper sauce

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

3 medium new potatoes, cooked and cut into bite-sized cubes

7 basil leaves, cut julienne, or chopped parsley

Heat oil in saucepan. Add leek and saute until tender. Cool, then add 4 cups chicken stock, canned and fresh tomatoes, garlic, sweet red pepper, oregano, thyme, onion, cayenne, salt, hot pepper sauce and chopped basil. Stir to mix well.

Add potatoes gently. Additional broth may be added, if too thick. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve garnished with julienned basil leaves. Makes 6 servings.

Questions have been raised about the directions for making Fratello’s Zuppa Inglese, which appeared in last week’s SOS column. A corrected recipe follows.

FRATELLO’S ZUPPA INGLESE

2 (3 1/2-ounce) packages instant lemon pudding

1 quart half and half

1 (10 3/4-ounce) package frozen pound cake, thinly sliced

2 egg whites

Prepare pudding according to package directions using half and half instead of milk. Refrigerate until thickened. Cover bottom of 12-inch flat round oven-proof bowl or baking pan with 1/2 cake slices.

Spread pudding mixture over cake slices, covering completely. Layer remaining 1/2 cake slices over top.

Beat egg whites until stiff and spread over cake slices, covering completely. Bake at 350 degrees 12 minutes or until egg whites turn golden brown. Makes 8 servings.

Note: If desired, fold 1/2 cup finely diced mixed candied fruit into prepared pudding before layering cake.