Carrot Salad, Grasshopper Pie, Candied Figs

DEAR SOS: I would love to have the recipe for shredded, marinated carrots from the salad bar at Rosie’s BBQ Grillery in West Los Angeles. The flavor of the vinaigrette is unusual and delicious.

--H.

DEAR H.: The recipe would make a terrific holiday buffet salad. Halve the recipe if it’s too much salad for your needs.

ROSIE’S CUMIN CARROT SALAD

25 medium to jumbo carrots, peeled, cooked and diagonally sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 bunch parsley, leaves only, chopped

17 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup olive oil

3/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup white vinegar

5 teaspoons salt

5 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin

Combine carrots, parsley, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, paprika and cumin. Mix thoroughly. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving. Makes 25 servings.

Each serving contains about:

115 calories; 499 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.89 gram fiber.

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DEAR SOS: This past summer you printed a recipe for a grasshopper pie that was not the one the woman requested. Mother cut this out of The Los Angeles Times in 1976. Perhaps it’s the correct recipe.

--ARDITH

DEAR ARDITH: Thank you. We’ll try not to misplace it again. The reader had requested a grasshopper pie recipe containing marshmallows.

LULU BELLE’S GRASSHOPPER PIE

2/3 cup milk

24 marshmallows

2 ounces green creme de menthe

1 ounce white creme de cacao

1 cup whipping cream

Chocolate Crust

Whipped cream

Scald milk in top of double boiler over simmering water and add marshmallows. Cook and stir over simmering water until marshmallows are melted. Cool to room temperature. Add creme de menthe and creme de cacao.

Whip cream and fold into marshmallow mixture. Turn into Chocolate Crust and freeze. Serve with whipped cream, if desired. Makes 8 servings

Each serving contains about:

317 calories; 176 mg sodium; 64 mg cholesterol; 20 grams fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0 fiber.

Chocolate Crust

1 1/4 cups crushed chocolate cookie wafers

1/3 cup melted butter

Mix chocolate wafers with melted butter. Pat into 9-inch pie pan and chill.

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DEAR SOS: In the ‘40s I was given some candied black figs, and they were wonderful. I should have asked for a recipe but didn’t. Do you have the recipe for Candied Figs?

--GENEVA

DEAR GENEVA: We do. It’s a bit of business, but well worth it if you have food gifts in mind for the holiday season or if you plan on enjoying some the year around.

CANDIED FIGS

4 1/2 cups sugar plus extra for coating

2 cups water

5 pounds figs, preferably white or Kadota

1/4 cup baking soda

Stir sugar and 2 cups water in large saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil over high heat.

Place figs in another saucepan and sprinkle with baking soda. Cover with boiling water and let stand 10 minutes. Drain and rinse figs. Let stand 10 minutes in cold water and drain again.

Drop figs into boiling syrup. Reduce heat to simmer and cook figs, uncovered, 2 hours. Cover and simmer 30 minutes longer. Let stand in syrup overnight.

Spread figs 1 layer deep on trays or baking sheets lined with cheesecloth. Cover with another layer of cheesecloth, fastening top and bottom layers of cheesecloth with clothespins. Let dry in sun 4 to 5 days, turning each day. (Bring trays in at night.) When figs are dry but not hard, pull or press flat. Roll in sugar and store in airtight containers with wax paper between layers. Makes about 5 pounds.