Great Potato Dish Looks Like a Pie

DEAR SOS: Delmonico’s Seafood Grille serves an outstanding potato dish that looks like a pie. I’d love to surprise my family with these great potatoes.

--GRETA

DEAR GRETA: Delmonico’s garlic-potato pie would make a terrific accompaniment to grilled meats, fish or poultry.

DELMONICO’S SEAFOOD GRILLE GARLIC-POTATO PIE

1 bulb garlic

Olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Salt, pepper

3 to 4 medium Russet or White Rose potatoes

Cut garlic bulb horizontally into halves. Place in heavy oven-proof skillet. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and roast at 350 degrees 30 minutes. Remove garlic from oven and cool.

Remove garlic cloves with small spoon. Place in small bowl and break cloves into small pieces with fork. Combine garlic with 1/2 cup olive oil, parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

Peel and slice potatoes paper-thin, using knife, electric slicer or mandolin.

Brush 9- or 10-inch baking pan or pie plate with oil. Place single layer of overlapping potato slices in bottom of pan. Spread 1/4 garlic mixture on top. Repeat 4 times or until pie is at least 1 inch thick.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 1 hour longer or until potatoes are golden brown and crisp. If desired, invert onto serving platter. Bottom should also be golden brown. Makes 6 servings.

DEAR SOS: Do you have a recipe for Peanut Butter Cake with peanut butter frosting that might have been popular in the ‘50s or ‘60s?

--D.S.

DEAR D.S.: Yes, we do. And it is an oldie but goodie, going back to the ‘50s. The peanut butter frosting contains cocoa, giving it a special chocolate-peanut butter flavor you find in candy.

PEANUT BUTTER CAKE

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup milk

Cocoa-Peanut Butter Frosting

Sift together flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Cream butter with peanut butter in bowl. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups sugar, beating mixture until light and fluffy. Blend in egg yolks and vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.

Beat egg whites until frothy. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating until whites form soft peaks. Gently fold whites into batter.

Turn batter into 13x9-inch pan that has been greased, then lined on bottom with wax paper. Bake at 350 degrees 35 to 40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Turn cake onto rack to cool. Remove paper and cool competely before frosting.

Cocoa-Peanut Butter Frosting

6 tablespoons cocoa

1/2 cup hot water

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Dash salt

3 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Blend cocoa and water. Beat in peanut butter, vanilla and salt until smooth. Gradually stir in sugar. Makes enough frosting for top and sides of 13x9-inch cake or 2 (8-inch) layers.

Only recipes of general interest will be printed. We are unable to answer all requests. Include restaurant address when requesting recipes from restaurants. Send letter with self-addressed, stamped envelope to Culinary SOS, Food Section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.