Stuffed Eggplant, Plum Pudding, Cranberry-Orange Bread

DEAR SOS: I love the eggplant stuffed with pasta and ricotta prepared by Antonio Orlando at his restaurant.

--CHARLENE

DEAR CHARLENE: Chef Antonio Orlando is now head chef at Fresco in Glendale, Calif. The dish is not on the menu, but can be special-ordered in advance. When Orlando came up with the idea of using an eggplant shell to house a serving of pasta in eggplant sauce, the final touch became apparent: crisp eggplant chips for a garnish. Sliced paper-thin from the ends of eggplants, the crisply sauteed or grilled chips can be placed on top of the stuffed eggplant dish as described, or served as appetizers or snacks with drinks.

ANTONIO ORLANDO EGGPLANT STUFFED WITH PASTA AND RICOTTA

2 (1 1/2-pound) eggplants

Salt

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped tomato

3/4 teaspoon chopped basil

1/4 teaspoon crushed red chile pepper

Freshly ground pepper

3/4 cup ditali or other short, round pasta

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Slice each end of 2 eggplants into 4 paper-thin slices (about 1/8-inch thick), yielding 8 slices from each eggplant. Place in bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons salt. Let stand 1 hour. Rinse well with water and pat dry with paper towels.

Cut what remains of whole eggplants in half horizontally. Hollow out each half to about 1/4 inch of rim to make shells, leaving bottom flesh intact. Reserve and chop flesh for sauce and set aside.

Bake eggplant boats in casserole containing 1/2 cup water at 350 degrees 10 to 15 minutes or until eggplant is tender. Set aside.

Brush paper-thin eggplant slices with some of olive oil and saute in hot skillet or grill over medium-high heat until browned on each side. Slices will be crisp and dry. Set aside.

Heat remaining oil in skillet. Add garlic and brown lightly. Add reserved chopped eggplant flesh and cook until lightly browned. Add tomato. Saute until tomato is tender. Add basil and red chile. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Saute 5 minutes or until eggplant is tender and mushy.

Cook pasta to al dente stage, drain and add to sauce, along with ricotta and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stuff eggplant with pasta mixture and top with remaining shredded mozzarella. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese melts, about 15 minutes. Cover each stuffed eggplant with 4 slices of sliced grilled eggplant. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

256 calories; 471 mg sodium; 25 mg cholesterol; 12 grams fat; 29 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams protein; 1.96 grams fiber.

DEAR SOS: Make my day and print a recipe for plum pudding.

--SAMUEL

DEAR SAMUEL: Steamed plum puddings are normally made with raisins and currants. We printed a traditional recipe earlier this month on December 16. So instead, we are taking your request for a plum pudding recipe literally.

PLUM PLUM PUDDING

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

5 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/4 cup water

2 cups sliced fresh or canned plums

Ice cream or whipped cream, optional

Combine crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter and water. Mix thoroughly. Arrange crumb mixture in alternate layers with plums in individual baking dishes, ending with layer of plums.

Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes. Serve hot in baking dishes. Top with ice cream or whipped cream. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving, without ice cream or whipped cream, contains about:

372 calories; 402 mg sodium; 31 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 58 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.96 gram fiber.

DEAR SOS: Could you reprint a recipe for cranberry-orange bread?

--DORIS

DEAR DORIS: Is this the one you want?

CRANBERRY-ORANGE BREAD

2 cups sifted flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

Juice and grated zest of 1 orange

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Boiling water

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup chopped cranberries

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. Stir in egg. Combine orange juice and zest, butter and enough boiling water to make 3/4 cup. Stir into flour mixture, mixing only until moistened throughout. Stir in nuts and cranberries.

Turn into well-greased 8x4-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees 1 hour or until wood pick inserted in center comes out clean. (It is natural for top of this loaf to crack while baking.) Remove bread from pan, cool on wire rack. Wrap in foil and refrigerate overnight. To serve, slice thin and spread with butter or cream cheese. Makes 1 loaf or 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

342 calories; 266 mg sodium; 34 mg cholesterol; 13 grams fat; 52 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.95 gram fiber.

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