Tomato Soup, Chocolate Souffle, Vegetable Burgers

thick, creamy, the best I’ve ever had. Will you please print the recipe?

--SUSAN

DEAR SUSAN: The recipe is attributed to Nate Udomsri, the restaurant’s Thai chef, who whipped up the fresh tomato soup flavored with ginger for a customer who requested a soup without flour. It’s been on the menu ever since.

DOMENICO’S TOMATO SOUP 2 1/2 ounces ginger root, peeled and cut into slices 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 2 pounds plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/4 cups chicken stock Sugar Salt Freshly ground white pepper 3/4 cup whipping cream 2 egg yolks Watercress

Drop ginger through feed tube of food processor and mince (or mince by hand). Add onion and puree mixture in processor (or with hand blender) until smooth. Transfer mixture to bowl. Add tomatoes to food processor and puree until smooth (or use hand blender). Set aside.

Melt butter over medium heat in large, heavy saucepan. Add ginger-onion puree and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomato puree, chicken stock and 1 tablespoon sugar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to boil, stirring occasionally. Add cream, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste soup and add more sugar, if necessary, to balance acidity of tomatoes.

Beat egg yolks in bowl with whisk to blend. Gradually beat in about 1 cup of soup. Return mixture to saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until soup thickens, about 2 minutes. Do not allow soup to boil. Strain soup through fine sieve into clean saucepan. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming until ready to serve.

To reheat, remove plastic wrap. Heat over low heat. Adjust seasonings to taste. Ladle into 4 heated soup bowls and garnish with watercress leaves. Makes 4 appetizer servings.

Each serving contains about: 375 calories; 361 mg sodium; 229 mg cholesterol; 32 grams fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 1.68 grams fiber.

Note : Although many recipes call for uncooked eggs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has found them to be a potential carrier of food-borne illness and recommends that diners avoid eating raw eggs. Commercial egg substitutes may be used in place of raw eggs in certain circumstances. Check egg substitute package for applications.

*

DEAR SOS: I am longing to re-create Moustache Cafe’s wonderful chocolate souffle in my own lowly little kitchen. At the Westwood restaurant, it is served very warm, but with whipped cream, very cold, on the side. The flavors, temperatures, everything else is just beyond further description.

--ANN

DEAR ANN: And when the whipped cream sinks into the steaming center . . .

MOUSTACHE CAFE CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE 7 ounces dark unsweetened chocolate 1/2 cup milk Granulated sugar 4 egg yolks 6 egg whites Butter Powdered sugar Whipped cream, optional

Combine unsweetened chocolate, milk and 7 tablespoons granulated sugar in top of double boiler over simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chocolate and sugar are melted. Remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes.

Drop egg yolks into chocolate mixture. Using wire whisk, mix until blended.

Beat egg whites with mixer until stiff. Add 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and continue beating until blended. Using wire whisk, add 1/3 of egg white mixture to chocolate mixture and whip until blended. Gently fold remaining egg whites into mixture.

Butter 6 individual souffle dishes, covering entire inside surface and rim. Sprinkle with granulated sugar to taste.

Fill each souffle dish to rim with chocolate mixture. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven. Dust with powdered sugar to taste. Serve at once with dollop of whipped cream. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving, without whipped cream, contains about: 188 calories; 125 mg sodium; 185 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0 fiber.

*

DEAR SOS: I am looking for a vegetable burger recipe.

--SARA

DEAR SARA: This recipe for vegetarian burgers is from Ratner’s, a Jewish dairy restaurant on Delancey Street in New York City. The recipe calls for canned vegetables, but you can substitute equal amounts of cooked fresh vegetables.

RATNER’S VEGETABLE BURGERS 3 medium potatoes Salt 2 tablespoons butter 1 onion, chopped 3 mushrooms, chopped 1 (8-ounce) can diced carrots, drained 1 (8-ounce) can green beans, drained 1 (8-ounce) can peas, drained 2 eggs Matzo meal, about 1 cup Black pepper Vegetable Gravy

Cook potatoes until tender in pan of boiling water, salted to taste. Peel potatoes when cool enough to handle. Mash potatoes in medium-sized bowl. Melt butter in skillet. Add onion and mushrooms. Saute until golden. Pour mushroom mixture into bowl with mashed potatoes. Stir in carrots, green beans, peas and 1 egg. Mix well. Add enough matzo meal to allow mixture to be shaped into patties. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Shape into 6 large patties or pack into greased 8- or 9-inch loaf pan. Beat remaining egg and brush patties on both sides, or top of loaf, coating well. Place patties on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes for patties or 45 to 60 minutes for loaf, or until lightly browned. Serve topped with Vegetable Gravy. Makes 6 patties or 1 loaf.

Each patty contains about: 269 calories; 772 mg sodium; 21 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 54 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 1.98 grams fiber.

Vegetable Gravy 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 onion, chopped 1/2 carrot, diced 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 sweet green pepper, chopped 1 small clove garlic, minced 1 (8-ounce) can tomatoes, drained 1 1/2 cups Mushroom Water or vegetable broth 2 tablespoons mushroom powder, optional 2 tablespoons flour Salt, pepper Paprika

Melt butter in skillet. Add onion, carrot, celery, sweet green pepper and garlic. Saute until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, Mushroom Water and mushroom powder to make paste. Stir into saucepan until sauce bubbles and thickens. Season to taste with salt, pepper and paprika.

Mushroom Water 1 pound mushrooms, chopped 2 cups water

Combine mushrooms and water in large saucepan. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Strain broth and chill until ready to use, reserving remaining mushrooms for future use. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Note: Mushroom powder is available at some gourmet food markets and health food stores.