Dessert From Margaritaville

DEAR SOS: I’d love to have the recipe for the margarita-flavored cheesecake as served at the Acapulco restaurant in Long Beach.

--KAREN

DEAR KAREN: Thanks for asking. We enjoyed it, too.

ACAPULCO MARGARITA CHEESECAKE

4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tablespoons lime juice

Few drops green food color

Graham Cracker Crust

Sour Cream-Lime Topping

Blend cream cheese and sugar 5 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer. Add eggs, lime juice and food color, mixing another 5 minutes.

Pour into Graham Cracker Crust and bake at 375 degrees 50 minutes. Chill 12 hours.

Spread Sour Cream-Lime Topping over cake. Bake at 350 degrees 15 minutes. Refrigerate up to 48 hours before serving. Makes 1 (9-inch) cheesecake.

Graham Cracker Crust

1/4 cup margarine

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

Melt margarine and add to graham cracker crumbs in bowl. Mix well.

Press mixture onto bottom and up sides to within 1-inch of top edge of 9-inch springform pan with removable bottom.

Sour Cream-Lime Topping

10 ounces sour cream

10 ounces imitation sour cream

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon lime juice

Stir together lightly sour cream, imitation sour cream, sugar and lime juice.

DEAR SOS: Please reprint the Original Pantry’s recipe for coleslaw. It’s great.

--LAURA

DEAR LAURA: One of the oldest restaurants in Los Angeles is famous for its coleslaw. We’re happy to reprint it. However, don’t expect a perfect reproduction. Recipes broken down from quantity size often lose something in the translation.

PANTRY COLESLAW

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/3 cup oil

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon celery salt

Dash black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup half and half

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large head cabbage, very finely shredded

Blend together mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar and oil. Add garlic and onion powders, mustard, celery salt, pepper, lemon juice, half and half and salt. Stir until smooth.

Pour over cabbage in large bowl and toss until cabbage is well coated. Makes 8 to 10 servings.