Of Tartar Sauce, Chili and Soup

DEAR SOS: Can you find out how the Parasol Restaurant makes its delicious tartar sauce?

--DONNA

DEAR DONNA: The recipe is a simple formula that is terrific with fried fish and sandwiches or as a dressing for shrimp and crab salad.

PARASOL TARTAR

SAUCE

2 cups mayonnaise

1/2 medium onion, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

3/4 cup sweet pickle relish

Combine mayonnaise, onion, lemon juice and pickle relish. Mix well. Serve with fried fish. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

DEAR SOS: I was recently in Cincinnati, where you can find Cincinnati chili along with something called skyline chili. I can’t find the latter in any cookbook, so please print the recipe if you have one.

--SUSAN

DEAR SUSAN: We got this recipe from a reader from Cincinnati.

CINCINNATI SKYLINE

CHILI

2 pounds ground beef

3 cups water

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 bay leaves

1 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper

Combine ground beef and water in medium saucepan. Mix until soupy. Stir in tomato sauce, garlic powder, bay leaves, onion, cinnamon, Worcestershire, salt, cumin, vinegar, chili powder, allspice and red pepper. Simmer, uncovered, 3 hours. Stir occasionally. Makes 8 servings.

Note: If desired, serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese and chopped onions. Or add chili beans or use as sauce over noodles or spaghetti.

DEAR SOS: More than 10 years ago you printed the recipe for Bartered Soup, which I’ve served each winter since. Now I can’t find the recipe. Can you help?

--SANDI

DEAR SANDI: This hearty soup is made with leeks, lettuce, spinach and garbanzo beans. Turn it into a main-dish soup by adding cooked, diced, cubed or shredded meat or poultry.

BARTERED SOUP

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup shredded lettuce

2 leeks, white part only, cut in thin slices

2 cups cooked spinach

1 cup canned garbanzo beans, drained

2 cups chicken broth

1/3 to 1/2 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

Salt, pepper

Sour cream, optional

Fresh dill or dried dill weed, chopped

Heat olive oil in saucepan. Add lettuce and leeks and cook until lettuce is wilted and leeks are transparent. Add spinach, garbanzo beans and chicken broth and simmer 10 minutes.

Cool slightly, turn into blender container and puree until smooth. Add lemon juice and mint. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve soup hot or cold with dollop of sour cream. Garnish with dill. Makes about 6 servings.

Note: Soup should be thick, but if necessary thin with additional broth, or if not using sour cream, with buttermilk.

Only recipes of general interest will be printed. Send recipe request to Culinary SOS, Food Section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, Calif. 90053. Include restaurant address when requesting recipes from restaurants. We are unable to answer recipe requests by mail.