Fried Carrots, Praline-Pumpkin Pie

DEAR SOS: I just love Clifton Cafeteria’s fried carrots. Do you think you can get the recipe or duplicate it?

--LORETTA

DEAR LORETTA: The carrots seem to be popular with many other readers. At Clifton’s Cafeteria the fried carrots are served a la carte with a spoon on a bread plate--and don’t ask me why.

CLIFTON’S FRIED CARROTS

1 pound large carrots

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup cold water

1/4 cup flour

Salt, pepper

2 cups coarsely ground salt crackers

Oil for deep-frying

Rinse and clean carrots. Cut in halves crosswise in about 3-inch lengths. Slice each half carrot lengthwise on slicing machine or with sharp knife into 1/8-inch-thick slices. (Measure thickness with ruler as correct thickness is crucial to flavor.)

Combine buttermilk with cold water in mixing bowl. Combine flour and salt and pepper to taste in shallow dish. Combine crushed crackers in separate shallow dish, mixing well.

Dip each carrot piece into buttermilk mixture. Dip carrot into seasoned flour. Dip each piece once again into buttermilk mixture, making sure surface is completely wet.

Coat each piece of carrot with cracker crumb mixture, pressing lightly to coat each piece completely. Avoid caked-on appearance.

Place carrot pieces in fryer basket, being sure to avoid overcrowding. Drop basket into hot oil heated to 350 degrees and fry carrots until golden brown. Do not fry in advance and avoid stacking carrots before serving. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

371 calories; 563 mg sodium; 2 mg cholesterol; 19 grams fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 1.32 grams fiber.

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DEAR SOS: I have lost my recipe for praline-pumpkin pie I found in an old Los Angeles Times Home magazine. The recipe called for a mixture of brown sugar, butter and pecans spread on the bottom of a pie crust. It is delicious. I would love a recipe for it.

--DEBRA

DEAR DEBRA: Here it is.

HARRISON REID’S PRALINE-PUMPKIN PIE

3 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup dark-brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

1 (9-inch) pie crust

1 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup water

2 eggs

1 (16-ounce) can pumpkin

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped, optional

20 buttered pecan halves, optional

Cream butter with dark-brown sugar until fluffy. Stir in pecans and press mixture onto bottom of pie crust. Pierce bottom of crust with fork. Bake at 450 degrees 10 minutes. (This forms praline layer.) Cool.

Combine evaporated milk and water in saucepan and scald. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin, granulated sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Stir in hot milk mixture to blend. Spoon evenly over praline layer. Bake at 350 degrees 50 to 60 minutes until set, but still soft in center.

Cool and serve with whipped cream. Garnish with 20 buttered pecan halves. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

628 calories; 628 mg sodium; 126 mg cholesterol; 40 grams fat; 62 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams protein; 1.03 grams fiber.