Black Bean Gold

DEAR SOS: Would you please obtain the recipe for Black Bean Soup from Baily Wine Country Cafe in Temecula? It is the best soup we have ever had.

MARY

DEAR MARY: Such a nice soup for a wintry night. I like it with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro.

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BAILY CREAM OF BLACK BEAN SOUP

1 pound dried black beans

1/2 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon butter

1 (8-ounce) can peeled and chopped tomatoes

1 Anaheim chile, roasted, peeled and chopped

6 cups chicken broth, plus extra if needed

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 cups half and half or whipping cream

Hot pepper sauce

Soak beans in water to cover by 2 inches overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain.

Saute onion and garlic in butter in heavy saucepan over medium heat, about 3 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, chile, chicken broth, cilantro, salt and pepper and cook over low heat 1 hour. Add half and half and continue to cook 30 minutes.

Puree in batches in blender. Add more broth if soup is too thick. Stir in hot pepper sauce to taste.

6 to 8 servings. Each of 8 servings:

323 calories; 1,217 mg sodium; 27 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 18 grams protein; 3.27 grams fiber.

Citrus on Toast

DEAR SOS: I’ve lost the recipe for Three Fruits Marmalade using grapefruit, orange and lemon. It was an easy, simple marmalade recipe. I would be forever grateful if you would reprint it.

NORMA

DEAR NORMA: Certainly. It’s an especially worthwhile project when citrus supplies are abundant (therefore less expensive) in markets. Incidentally, the recipe is from a 1979 column by James Beard, the food writer and author who described how “Mrs. Fiske [probably Minnie Maddern Fiske], one of the famous actresses of the past, loved marmalade with toast and heavy cream for tea.” To Beard’s mind, this would be a pretty rich combination. “I like mine,” Beard said, “with nothing more than buttered toast or perhaps in a dessert, either in little tartlets, to which the pungent juices and crisp, chewy shreds of bitter peel give a marvelous quality, or in a steamed souffle, an ethereal puff of egg whites, sugar and marmalade.”

THREE FRUITS MARMALADE

3 pounds mixed citrus (about 3 grapefruits, 3 oranges, 3 lemons)

Water

6 pounds sugar, about

Wash citrus well. Dry and peel thinly, leaving pith on fruit. Cut peel into shreds.

Holding fruit over bowl to catch juice, cut off pith. Slice fruit into thin circles. Remove seeds and tie pith and seeds in cheesecloth bag. Measure fruit and juice and put in large bowl with 3 times as much cold water. Add pith and seeds in bag and shredded peel. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours.

Pour into large wide pan and bring to boil. Cook uncovered over low heat, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours. Remove and discard cheesecloth bag. Measure juice. For each 1 cup of juice, add 1 cup sugar. Stir fruit mixture in kettle until sugar is dissolved.

Bring to boil over high heat, watching carefully until mixture reaches jelling stage, 220 degrees on candy thermometer. Another test for jelling is to spoon small amount onto cold plate and see if it forms wrinkly skin.

Ladle cooked marmalade into hot sterilized jars to within 1/4-inch of top. Fit flat lid on top and comfortably tighten rings. Cook in boiling water to cover 10 minutes. Remove to cool place. The next day or when jars are completely cool, press on center of each lid; it should not spring back. If it springs back, repeat boiling process. Let marmalade set about 2 weeks before eating.

About 3 pints. Each 1-teaspoon serving:

39 calories; 0 sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.02 gram fiber.

Welcome Wallop

DEAR SOS: I’ve been looking for a recipe for Sock-It-To-Me Cake but have been unsuccessful.

MARIA

DEAR MARIA: This recipe was a rage in the ‘60s when “sock it to me” was a catch phrase.

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SOCK-IT-TO-ME CAKE

CAKE

1 cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 (18 1/2-ounce) package yellow cake mix

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

4 eggs

GLAZE

3 tablespoons milk

1 cup powdered sugar

CAKE

Combine pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Set aside.

Combine cake mix, oil, water, sugar, sour cream and eggs in large bowl and beat at high speed with electric mixer 2 minutes.

Pour 2/3 mixture into greased 10-inch tube pan. Sprinkle nut mixture over batter. Add remaining batter and bake at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool 5 minutes.

GLAZE

Slowly add milk to powdered sugar, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over cake to cover completely.

8 servings. Each serving:

594 calories; 471 mg sodium; 119 mg cholesterol; 29 grams fat; 82 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.18 gram fiber.

Parmesan Strips

DEAR SOS: I love those Parmesan cheese toast strips they used to serve at the old Perino’s in Hancock Park before it disappeared. Any chance of a recipe?

KAREN

DEAR KAREN: I miss them too. The pumpernickel toast strips, usually brought to the table tucked in crisp white napkins as a nibble food in lieu of bread, were served at many old-time Los Angeles restaurants, and some still observe the custom. There are many versions for the toast; here is one from our old file.

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PUMPERNICKEL TOAST (30 MINUTES OR LESS)

1 loaf unsliced pumpernickel, frozen

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Slice bread paper thin with sharp knife

Melt butter over low heat. Add garlic and cheese and stir for few seconds to blend well. Using pastry brush, spread 1 side of each bread slice with butter mixture.

Arrange bread slices in single layer on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 275 degrees until crisp, about 15 to 20 minutes. Bread will curl slightly at edges.

Cool. Then store in air-tight container until ready to use. Serve as appetizer or with soups and salads.

30 to 40 slices. Each of 30 slices:

72 calories; 147 mg sodium; 10 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.17 gram fiber.