Chicken Curry, Upside-Down Cake, Monkey Bread

DEAR SOS: Do you think the Raymond Restaurant in Pasadena would share its incredible recipe for chicken curry? --AVION

DEAR AVION: Conrad Steinhauer of the Raymond Restaurant gives a few tips along with the recipe. The curry mix added to chicken and cream is a quantity recipe, and makes about twice as much as necessary. Use only as much as you need to suit your taste and the number of servings being prepared. The mix may be refrigerated to use the next day or so.

CHICKEN CURRY RAYMOND 1/2 medium onion, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 2 tablespoons curry powder 1 tablespoon paprika 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper Salt White pepper 1 pound boneless chicken breasts 2 tablespoons oil or butter 3/4 cup whipping cream Hot cooked rice Shredded coconut, optional Raisins, optional Chutney, optional Peanuts, optional

Combine onion, celery, curry powder, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne in bowl and season to taste with salt and white pepper. Set aside.

Cut chicken into chunks. Heat oil in skillet and add chicken. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups curry mixture or to taste (save remaining for next-day use) and saute until chicken is almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add whipping cream and reduce by half. Serve over cooked rice and sprinkle with shredded coconut, raisins, chutney and peanuts. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about: 354 calories; 153 mg sodium; 105 mg cholesterol; 30 grams fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 16 grams protein; 0.63 gram fiber.

DEAR SOS: My boyfriend loves pineapple upside-down cake. His birthday is coming up and I would love a recipe. --MICHELLE

DEAR MICHELLE: Upside-down cake coming up.

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE 1/2 cup butter 2 cups brown sugar, packed 1 (8 1/4-ounce) can pineapple slices, or larger can if more slices desired 4 eggs, separated 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup sifted flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter in 10-inch cast-iron or other heavy oven-proof skillet, tilting pan to coat sides. Stir in brown sugar and cook, stirring, until melted. Remove from heat. Drain pineapple, reserving 2 tablespoons juice. Press pineapple slices into brown sugar. Set aside.

Beat egg yolks until light. Add granulated sugar, beating until well-blended. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into egg yolk mixture. Add reserved pineapple juice and vanilla. Beat egg whites until stiff but glossy. Fold into yolk mixture to blend.

Turn batter into prepared skillet. Bake at 350 degrees until puffed and browned, about 45 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool briefly in pan, then turn out on serving plate. Serve warm or cold. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about: 432 calories; 387 mg sodium; 137 mg cholesterol; 14 grams fat; 74 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.18 gram fiber.

DEAR SOS: Is there any way you would be able to find a recipe for monkey bread? Our grandmother had a great recipe for the bread but it burned along with my aunt’s home in Baldwin Hills. --TRIKKIA

DEAR TRIKKIA: Monkey bread was a rage during the early ‘70s when Mahalia Jackson shared her recipe.

MAHALIA JACKSON’S MONKEY BREAD 1 quart milk 1/4 cup sugar 4 teaspoons salt 2 tablespoons chilled shortening 1 package dry or cake yeast 1/4 cup lukewarm water 12 cups flour, about Melted shortening 1 pound butter or margarine

Scald milk in saucepan. Add sugar, salt and shortening. Cool mixture to lukewarm.

Sprinkle or crumble yeast in bowl with lukewarm water and stir until dissolved.

Stir dissolved yeast into cooled milk mixture. Gradually add flour to milk mixture, mixing well. Add enough flour to make dough stiff enough to be handled easily.

Turn dough onto floured surface and knead until smooth and satiny. Shape dough into 4 loaves. Brush surface lightly with melted shortening. Cover and let rise in warm place free from drafts until doubled in bulk. Melt butter, then cut each loaf into thick slices and dip slices in butter. Place slices in roomy molds with room to expand. Let rise again. Bake at 400 degrees 40 minutes or until golden and crusty. Let cool before slicing. Makes 4 loaves, about 32 slices.

Each slice contains about: 291 calories; 428 mg sodium; 33 mg cholesterol; 14 grams fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.13 gram fiber.