Papitas, Tarte Tatin, Dressing

DEAR SOS: I’d love to have a recipe for the papitas cucharitas served at Gardel’s Argentine restaurant in Hollywood. Please? --JERRY

DEAR JERRY: Chef-owner Tito Tarrago was happy you asked. And so were we.

CHEF TITO TARRAGO’S PAPITAS CUCHARITAS 4 whole potatoes, washed and peeled Olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Scoop little balls from potatoes, using melon ball scoop. Heat oil for deep-frying in skillet. Drop balls into hot oil and heat to seal. Drain on paper towels and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to finish cooking, remove potatoes from refrigerator and immediately deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet. Add garlic and parsley. Saute 1 minute. Add potatoes and continue cooking 1 minute. Remove and serve at once. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Each of 4 servings contains about: 148 calories; 7 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.49 gram fiber.

DEAR SOS: You printed a recipe for a caramelized upside-down apple cake but I missed getting all the directions. --SHARON

DEAR SHARON: Are you referring to tarte tatin ? That is the French-style upside-down apple cake in which you first cook apples in sugar and butter to make a caramel sauce, then top with a puff pastry base. Once the crust is baked, the cake is inverted and served oozing with the built-in caramel sauce and a scoop or two of ice cream. This version of the recipe is from Nounou, a restaurant on the French Riviera.

TARTE TATIN A LA NOUNOU 1 cup butter 2 cups sugar 8 to 12 small Red Delicious apples 1 sheet frozen puff pastry Vanilla ice cream

Place butter and sugar in heavy-gauge pan 2 1/2 inches deep and 8 inches in diameter. Peel and core apples. Arrange apples snugly upright around edge of pan and in center over sugar mixture. Add more apples, if necessary, to keep pan snugly fitted with apples.

Place over low to medium heat and simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until sugar-butter syrup is golden caramel color. As apples cook, fit any bits of apple in gaps where apples have shrunk.

Roll pastry sheet out onto floured board and form 9-inch circle. It should be very thin. Pierce with tines of fork and place over apples. Bake at 375 degrees 20 minutes or until crust is golden. Invert on platter, being careful sides do not fall away. With spatula or broad knife, smooth surface of apples and serve warm topped with small scoops of vanilla ice cream. Makes about 8 servings.

Note : In place of puff pastry use 6 sheets of filo dough. Stack, cut into 9-inch circle and brush each sheet with butter. Stack again and place over tart to bake as directed.

Each serving, using puff pastry, contains about: 660 calories; 415 mg sodium; 62 grams cholesterol; 38 grams fat; 80 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.52 gram fiber.

DEAR SOS: I’d like the green goddess dressing from the Velvet Turtle. --JOYCE

DEAR JOYCE: We do not have that recipe, but here is a standard green goddess dressing recipe that should do. You can modify the recipe by using half sour cream or yogurt and half mayonnaise. Anchovy paste can be used in lieu of the fillets, and lemon juice may be used with or instead of vinegar.

ORIGINAL GREEN GODDESS 8 to 10 anchovy fillets 1 green onion 1/4 cup minced parsley 2 tablespoons minced tarragon 3 cups mayonnaise 1/4 cup tarragon vinegar 1/2 cup minced chives

Mince anchovies with onion. Add parsley, tarragon, mayonnaise, vinegar and chives. Blend thoroughly. Makes about 1 quart dressing.

Each tablespoon contains about: 45 calories; 96 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.03 gram fiber.