From Juice to Soup

DEAR SOS: Pasta Prezioso in Glendale makes an incredible gazpacho soup, much better than any other I’ve tried. Is a recipe possible?

ROBERT HAGMAN

La Crescenta

DEAR ROBERT: Here’s the recipe; enjoy it.

PASTA PREZIOSO CAFE GAZPACHO

1 cucumber, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1/2 bunch green onions, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

1 (46-ounce) can tomato juice

Combine cucumber, red and green peppers, onion and green onions in bowl. Add oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, dill and tomato juice. Mix well. Refrigerate 2 hours.

6 servings. Each serving:

134 calories; 221 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 1.41 grams fiber.

The Spaghetti Crowd

DEAR SOS: Our church will soon hold a spaghetti dinner and we need a spaghetti sauce that will feed 500. Hope you can help.

DOROTHY V. BUSKEY

Crestline

DEAR DOROTHY: Anything for a good cause. This recipe makes 50 servings, which is the maximum batch size most home-kitchen cooks can handle. If you have restaurant-size equipment and plenty of elbow grease, double the recipe.

SPAGHETTI SAUCE FOR 50

8 slices bacon, cut in small pieces

4 cups finely chopped onions

8 cloves garlic, minced

9 (1-pound 13-ounce) cans tomatoes

9 (12-ounce) cans tomato paste

3 cups wine vinegar

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons dried basil

2 teaspoons dried oregano

5 teaspoons salt

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 cup chopped parsley

4 teaspoons pepper

4 pounds ground beef

4 pounds ground pork

4 pounds ground veal

In large, heavy kettle, fry bacon, onions and garlic until golden brown. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, thyme, basil, oregano, salt, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, parsley and pepper. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Mix ground beef, pork and veal together and saute in large skillet, in two or more batches, if necessary. Drain off excess fat. Add meat to tomato mixture. Simmer about 30 minutes or longer. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

50 servings. Each serving:

317 calories; 0 sodium; 66 mg cholesterol; 17 grams fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 19 grams protein; 1.38 grams fiber.

* Alec Karros bowl in photo at left from Freehand, Los Angeles.