Clam Up for Summer

DEAR SOS: I think this may be the hot clam dip recipe Alexa requested. My sister, Lucy, got it from a co-worker. It’s a family favorite.

--SARA

DEAR SARA: Several readers responded to Alexa’s plea. Thanks to you, Lucy and her co-workers for sharing the recipe. It’s a terrific recipe for summer entertaining.

HOT CLAM DIP IN A BREAD BASKET

1 (1-pound) round loaf sourdough or shepherd’s bread

3 (8-ounce) cans minced clams

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese

8 drops hot pepper sauce

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon salt

Cut slice from top of bread and hollow out loaf. Cut cap and hollowed out portions of bread into cubes and reserve.

Drain clams, reserving juice for other use. Combine clams, cheese, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and salt in bowl. Mix well and pour into hollowed-out bread loaf. Place loaf on baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees until dip is hot, about 30 minutes. Serve with reserved cubed bread or crackers.

Makes 12 servings.

Each serving contains about:

379 calories; 633 mg sodium; 99 mg cholesterol; 21 grams fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 21 grams protein; 0.67 gram fiber.

Gazpacho Treasure

Dear SOS: Help! I lost my treasured recipe for gazpacho from the now-closed Scandia restaurant. My family is begging for it. Do you still have the recipe?

--LISA

DEAR LISA: The recipe was found safe and sound in our file. We like to serve the gazpacho in a punch bowl and let the guests add their own garnishes from satellite dishes.

SCANDIA GAZPACHO SOUP

4 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced

1 jalapen~o chile, seeded and coarsely chopped

2 cups tomato juice

1/2 cup wine vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup white or red wine

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Few dashes hot pepper sauce

Few dashes Worcestershire sauce

Soak tomatoes, onion, garlic, cucumber and jalapen~o in tomato juice 2 hours. Add wine vinegar, olive oil, wine, paprika, salt, pepper, cumin, hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire. Puree in blender until smooth. Strain and chill several hours to blend flavors. Add water if too thick.

GARNISH

1 cucumber, sliced

1 avocado, peeled and diced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

Chopped chives

2 to 4 slices white bread, diced and toasted

Serve in chilled soup bowls with separate bowls of cucumber, avocado, green and red bell peppers, chives and diced bread as garnish.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

146 calories; 1,050 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 2.36 grams fiber.

Ageless Pasta Favorite

DEAR SOS: I’ve never tasted anything quite like the Spaghetti Mizithra that’s served at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Hollywood. I would love to enjoy this sauce-less dish at home.

--MAUREEN

DEAR MAUREEN: We’ve been serving up this recipe for so many years it’s become a favorite for generations of Culinary SOS readers. You’ll need to use the hard Greek kasseri and Italian Romano for the proper taste and texture. Kasseri, once hard to find, is available at most supermarket cheese counters or gourmet food stores. Enjoy.

SPAGHETTI MIZITHRA

1 pound spaghetti

1 cup butter

1/2 pound kasseri cheese, grated

1/4 pound Romano cheese, grated

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water until tender but firm to bite; drain.

Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat just until brown. Meanwhile, combine cheeses. Place spaghetti on warm platter, sprinkle with mixed cheeses, then drizzle with browned butter. Sprinkle with parsley.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

772 calories; 1,147 mg sodium; 128 mg cholesterol; 46 grams fat; 59 grams carbohydrates; 29 grams protein; 0.26 gram fiber.

Worthy of a Toast

DEAR SOS: I’ve lost my recipe for Fabulous Brandy Alexander Pie. It truly is fabulous and appeared in The Times at least 10 years ago.

--JOYCE

DEAR JOYCE: What a great hot-weather pie. The recipe has been reprinted several times since its first appearance in 1977.

FABULOUS FROZEN BRANDY ALEXANDER PIE

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup whipping cream, whipped

2 tablespoons creme de cacao

2 tablespoon brandy

1 (9-inch) graham cracker crust

Shaved chocolate for garnish, optional

Combine sweetened condensed milk, whipping cream, creme de cacao and brandy in large bowl. Pour into graham cracker crust. Freeze 4 to 6 hours or until firm. Garnish with shaved chocolate, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

560 calories; 318 mg sodium; 85 mg cholesterol; 25 grams fat; 72 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams protein; 0.31 gram fiber.

Send requests to Culinary SOS, Food Section, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053. Include restaurant address when requesting recipes from restaurants. We are unable to answer recipe requests by mail.

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