Mock Turtle Soup, City School Sweet Rolls

(2)DEAR SOS: The mock turtle soup at Lubach’s in San Diego is superb. Do you think the people there would share the recipe?

--DARYL

DEAR DARYL: The restaurant is no more as far as we know, but Lubach’s sent us the recipe some time ago. For those who can’t believe their ears or eyes, turtle soup is an old American delicacy made with green turtle, snapping turtle, terrapin or other edible species. The “mock” version indicates that it is made with calf’s head, feet or oxtail masquerading as turtle. This recipe is made with oxtail.

LUBACH’S MOCK TURTLE SOUP 3/4 cup unsalted butter 1 carrot, peeled and diced or shredded 4 medium onions, minced 2 tablespoons mixed chopped thyme, rosemary and parsley 3 oxtails, cut in pieces 4 quarts plus 1/4 cup water 1 leek, cleaned and chopped 1 celery stalk, diced 1 (1-pound) can tomato sauce or puree 1 tablespoon ground marjoram 1 teaspoon black pepper Salt 1/4 cup flour 6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped Few drops hot pepper sauce Juice 1 lemon Dash Worcestershire sauce 1 cup dry Sherry Additional Sherry, optional Lemon wedges, optional

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in soup pot. Add and saute carrot and half of onions until browned. Add mixed herbs and oxtails. Add 4 quarts water and simmer over low heat 5 hours. Strain to degrease stock. Set aside strained stock. Cool oxtails and separate meat from bones. Reserve meat and discard bones.

Heat another 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan. Add and saute leek, remaining onions and celery until tender. Stir in tomato sauce, marjoram, pepper and salt to taste. Add reserved stock and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Stir flour into 1/4 cup water and blend into soup. Simmer, stirring until slightly thickened. Add reserved oxtail meat and hard-cooked eggs.

Just before serving, add hot pepper sauce, lemon juice and Worcestershire. Remove from heat. Whip remaining 1/2 cup butter into soup until butter melts. Add Sherry. Serve with additional Sherry and lemon wedges. Makes 10 servings.

Each serving contains about: 246 calories; 210 mg sodium; 165 mg cholesterol; 17 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.95 grams fiber.

DEAR SOS: My husband and I attended Southgate Jr. High School in the early 1950s, when the cafeteria served the best-ever cinnamon rolls. We are hoping you have this recipe in your files.

--JACK and KATHLEEN

DEAR JACK AND KATHLEEN: The Los Angeles City School District sent us this recipe back in 1982, and we’ve been reprinting it regularly ever since.

CITY SCHOOL SWEET ROLLS 4 cakes yeast 2 cups lukewarm milk 1/2 cup sugar 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 cup shortening 1 large egg 1 cup cake flour 5 cups bread flour 3/4 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted Cake Crumb Filling Powdered Sugar Glaze

Dissolve yeast cakes in lukewarm milk. Combine sugar, salt, shortening and egg in mixing bowl and mix 1 minute at low speed. Add milk mixture and mix 1 minute. Add cake and bread flours and nutmeg and mix only enough for flour to be incorporated, not more than 5 minutes.

Roll out to rectangle shape. Brush with butter and sprinkle with Cake Crumb Filling. Roll up jellyroll fashion. Slice into 1 1/2-inch slices. Place on greased baking sheets, cut-side down, and pat out fairly flat. Let rise until doubled. Bake at 400 degrees 15 minutes. When partially cooled, brush with Powdered Sugar Glaze. Makes 18 rolls.

Each serving contains about: 361 calories; 322 mg sodium; 24 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 61 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.13 grams fiber.

Cake Crumb Filling 1 cup plain cake crumbs 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine cake crumbs, brown sugar and cinnamon in small bowl and mix well.

Powdered Sugar Glaze 2 cups powdered sugar 1/4 cup hot water 1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix powdered sugar into hot water until smooth. Stir in vanilla.