Diablo Made Us Do It

DEAR SOS: I wonder whether Mirabelle Restaurant in West Los Angeles would share its recipe for the spicy pasta sauce used on the Linguine Diablo.

MIKE

DEAR MIKE: Mirabelle happily shared the recipe, and it’s an easy one if you already have the tomato basil sauce--your own or store-bought. You can vary the seafood or omit it altogether.

MIRABELLE’S LINGUINE DIABLO

3/4 pound dried linguine

1/4 cup olive oil

6 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

6 large scallops

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon chopped basil

2 cups tomato basil sauce

1 tablespoon butter

Cook linguine in plenty of salted boiling water until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid for sauce if needed.

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add shrimp, scallops, garlic, red pepper flakes and basil and saute until shrimp turn pink and scallops are opaque, about 2 minutes.

Add tomato basil sauce and heat through, 2 to 3 minutes. If sauce is too thick, add small amount of reserved pasta cooking water. Add butter and stir until melted. Toss with cooked pasta.

2 servings. Each serving:

533 calories; 659 mg sodium; 31 mg cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 74 grams carbohydrates; 18 grams protein; 1.33 grams fiber.

Gooey Muffins

DEAR SOS: Would it be possible to send me the recipe for Ralphs’ honey bran muffins? They are tasty and gooey.

MARGOT

DEAR MARGOT: This is the recipe the Ralphs Grocery Co. shared with us some time back. Honey and molasses are interchangeable in the recipe.

RALPHS’ MOLASSES BRAN MUFFINS

1/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

1 cup bran

3/4 cup milk

1 cup sifted flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup finely cut dates

Mix shortening and molasses until creamy. Add egg and beat well. Stir in bran and milk. Let stand until most of moisture is absorbed.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to molasses mixture with dates and stir only until blended. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

12 muffins. Each muffin:

134 calories; 202 mg sodium; 19 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.55 gram fiber.

Sour Cream Cake DEAR SOS: When I attended Marina del Rey Junior High School in the Los Angeles School District, they served at recess the most awesome coffee crumb cake I’ve ever tasted. Would you please print the recipe?

KRISTA

DEAR KRISTA: This should make you and other readers happy.

1959 CITY SCHOOL SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE

TOPPING

1/4 cup flour

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces

CAKE

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for preparing pan

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature, plus extra for preparing pan

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

TOPPING

Combine flour, sugar, salt and walnuts. Add butter pieces and rub into mixture with fingers until crumbly. Do not over-mix.

CAKE

Combine cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda and baking powder in bowl.

Beat butter and granulated sugar in separate bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Add half of dry ingredients, mixing just until flour is blended. Blend in sour cream, then remaining dry ingredients.

Spread 1/2 batter in buttered and floured 10-inch tube pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 Topping mixture. Spread remaining batter over and sprinkle with remaining Topping.

Bake at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

8 to 10 servings. Each of 10 servings:

485 calories; 267 mg sodium; 69 mg cholesterol; 27 grams fat; 58 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.61 gram fiber.