Beef-Barley Soup, <i> Karithopita</i> , Maple Frosting

DEAR SOS: I’d be interested in a recipe for the beef-barley soup served at the Vintage House in Orinda, Calif. Any chance?

--CAROLINE

DEAR CAROLINE: What a cozy idea. And an inexpensive one, too, if you’re planning a main dish soup supper.

VINTAGE HOUSE BEEF-BARLEY SOUP

1 cup barley

2 tablespoons oil

1 pound beef stew meat, diced 1/2-inch

1 medium onion, diced 1/4-inch

2 stalks celery, diced 1/4-inch

2 carrots, peeled and diced 1/4 inch

1/2 teaspoon ground oregano

1/2 teaspoon crushed basil

1/2 cup Sherry

8 cups beef stock

Salt, pepper

Grated Parmesan cheese

Rinse barley with cold water, then place in 3 cups clear water in large saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour until barley is done (add more water if needed). Drain and rinse again with cold water. Set aside.

Heat oil in large pot. Add beef and saute until browned. Add onion, celery, carrots, oregano and basil and saute until onion is tender. Add Sherry and cook until reduced to glaze. Add beef stock to meat and vegetable mixture and bring to boil. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Add cooked barley and simmer 10 minutes longer. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese. Makes 8 servings.

DEAR SOS: I’m missing my recipe for Karithopita, a Greek honey pour-on cake, which I think I had gotten from your newspaper in the 1970s. I think it contained orange juice.

--BLANCHE

DEAR BLANCHE: The recipe we have uses orange peel. It’s a fairly standard recipe to which you may add any liquid you want to flavor the cake. Instead of 1/4 cup milk called for in the recipe you can substitute orange juice or other juices. Either way, it’s a great cake to serve with tea or coffee.

KARITHOPITA (Greek Honey Cake)

1/2 cup butter or margarine

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 cup sifted flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash ground cloves

2 cups finely chopped walnuts

1/4 cup milk, orange or other fruit juice

Honey Syrup

Cream butter and gradually add sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at time. Add orange zest. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Add walnuts and mix well. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Turn into greased and lightly floured 9-inch square pan.

Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes. Cut into diamond-shape pieces and pour warm Honey Syrup over cake. Makes 16 pieces.

Honey Syrup

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine sugar and water in saucepan and bring to boil. Boil 5 minutes, then add honey. Simmer 2 minutes and add lemon juice. Cool to lukewarm.

DEAR SOS: I used to make a white cake frosting with Karo syrup. I threw away the recipe by mistake. Since then I have tried unsuccessfully to repeat it. Can you help?

--HARRIET

DEAR HARRIET: The fluffy frosting can be made with Karo and flavored as desired. Simple pancake syrup works divinely, as well.

MAPLE FROSTING

2 1/2 cups maple syrup or light corn syrup

4 large egg whites (about 3/4 cup)

Heat maple syrup in saucepan to light thread or 225 degrees on candy thermometer. Beat egg whites until stiff in mixer bowl. Gradually pour cooked maple syrup in fine stream onto beaten egg whites, beating constantly until thick and fluffy. Makes enough to frost between layers, top and sides of 2-layer cake. Makes about 3 cups.

Note: If using light corn syrup use few drops of any flavoring extract desired.