Cheesecake, Chicken <i> Mole</i> , No-Cook Berry Jam

DEAR SOS: Cafe Blanc in Los Angeles makes the lightest-tasting cheesecake. Would the chef share his recipe?

--MRS. J.J.

DEAR MRS. J.J.: Here’s the recipe, which can be served frozen if you want to prepare it ahead for a dinner party. Otherwise expect the filling to be soft. The recipe calls for egg substitute, a safety measure that replaces uncooked eggs. This also helps trim a bit of the fat and cholesterol and make the dessert lighter in texture.

CAFE BLANC CHEESECAKE

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup water

3 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons egg substitute

1 1/2 cups plus 2 teaspoons sugar

1 3/4 cups whipping cream

Grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon Cointreau

2 tablespoons milk

Graham Cracker Crust

1 to 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs

Soften gelatin in water in small bowl. Beat cream cheese, sour cream and egg substitute in large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup whipping cream, lemon zest and juice, vanilla, Cointreau and milk. Beat until well blended. Stir in gelatin mixture. Strain thoroughly into Graham Cracker Crust. Refrigerate 3 hours. Or cover and freeze until needed.

When ready to serve, whip remaining 1 cup whipping cream with remaining 2 teaspoons sugar, until soft peaks form. Beat until stiff and spread over cheese cake. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs.

Graham Cracker Crust

Scant 2 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons melted butter

Work crumbs with melted butter until crumbly. Reserve 1/2 cup crumbs for garnish. Pat remaining crumbs into 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees 10 minutes.

DEAR SOS: I’d love to have a recipe for chicken mole. Maybe the one served at Antonio’s Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles. Any chance?

--DAVID

DEAR DAVID: It just happens we obtained the recipe back in 1985. Gear up for lots of peeling and prepping.

ANTONIO’S CHICKEN MOLE

2 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) chickens, cut up

2 dried California chiles

2 pasilla negra chiles (black pasilla)

2 Anaheim chiles

1/2 cup peanuts

1/2 cup pecans

1/4 cup walnuts

1 (3.1-ounce) tablet Mexican chocolate, cut up

1 banana, cut up

1 large tomato, peeled and chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

Dash ground oregano

Dash ground cumin

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt

4 cups chicken broth

Oil

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 medium tomato, peeled and chopped

Simmer chickens in boiling salted water to cover until tender. Drain, reserving broth.

Meanwhile, soak dried California chiles 30 minutes in warm water. Drain and remove stems and seeds. Grind dried chiles and fresh pasilla and Anaheim chiles in food processor or blender until pureed, adding small amount chicken broth or hot water to facilitate grinding. Strain chiles through sieve to remove bits of peel.

Combine chile pulp, peanuts, pecans, walnuts, chocolate, banana, tomato, onion, 2 cloves garlic, oregano, cumin, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 cups broth in large pot. Cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Turn mixture into blender and grind until pureed. Beat 2 teaspoons oil into mixture. Return sauce mixture to pot, add remaining 2 cups chicken broth and simmer slowly 30 minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in medium skillet. Add onion and remaining clove garlic and cook until onion is tender. Add tomato and cook until tender. Add chicken and stir to mix. Season to taste with salt. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Note: Fresh and dried chiles called for are generally available at many supermarkets or Mexican grocery stores.

DEAR SOS: My husband and I have heard that there is a refrigerator recipe for strawberry jam that requires no cooking. This summer we are blessed with an abundance of beautiful strawberries and would appreciate a recipe for the jam, if such a recipe exists.

--VICKI

DEAR VICKI: No-Cook Strawberry (or any berry) Jam is just the ticket for a lazy summertime “cooking” project.

NO-COOK STRAWBERRY JAM

2 cups crushed ripe strawberries, blackberries or raspberries

4 cups sugar

3/4 cup water

1 (1 3/4-ounce) package powdered pectin

Mix berries and sugar in large bowl and let stand.

Combine water and pectin in small saucepan and mix well. Bring to boil over high heat and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir pectin into berries and continue to stir about 3 minutes. (There will be some remaining sugar crystals.)

Ladle quickly into clean 8-ounce glasses and cover at once with tight lids. When jam is set (it may take up to 24 hours) store in freezer. If jam is to be used within 2 or 3 weeks, it may be stored in refrigerator. Makes 6 (8-ounce) glasses.