An Apple Pie Goes Nutsy

DEAR SOS: Several years ago you published a marvelous apple pie recipe. I think the name was Apple Pie Babalu. It has a pecan-caramel topping. Our friends and family love it. But--you guessed it--we can’t find the recipe.

LINDA NEAL

Los Angeles

DEAR LINDA: Here you go. It’s from Babalu Restaurant in Santa Monica.

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Babalu Caramel Pecan Apple Pie

Active Work Time: 45 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 2 hours 35 minutes plus 45 minutes chilling

PIE CRUST

3 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup ice water

Grease a 9-inch pie pan and set aside.

Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the butter. Work the dough with your fingers or a pastry cutter to form coarse crumbs. Add the ice water and mix lightly until a stiff dough is formed. Shape the dough into a disk, cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 45 minutes.

Divide the dough in half. Roll out one half and place it over the pie pan, allowing the edges to hang over slightly from the rim. Roll out the other half, the top crust, and place it on wax paper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

FILLING

1 tablespoon lemon juice

6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1/4 cup flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter, cut in 4 pieces

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the lemon juice, apples, flour, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Mound the filling over the bottom crust. Dot with the butter. Top with the rolled top crust. Trim the edges and fold under and crimp. Cut a few slashes in the top crust for ventilation.

Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown, 1 hour, 15 minutes to 1 hour, 30 minutes.

CARAMEL TOPPING

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons cold butter, diced

1 cup pecan halves

Combine the sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan. Stir constantly over high heat until the mixture dissolves and turns a rich caramel color, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly stir in the whipping cream and butter until smooth.

Pour the Caramel Topping over the crust and cover with the pecans. Line the baking sheet with foil, return the pie to the sheet and bake until the nuts are toasted, another 10 minutes.

8 servings. Each serving: 884 calories; 584 mg sodium; 84 mg cholesterol; 42 grams fat; 20 grams saturated fat; 124 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 4.85 grams fiber.

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The Moroccan Veggie Curry From Vegas

DEAR SOS: I would love to have the recipe for curried potatoes and garbanzo beans that is served at the Spice Market Buffet at Aladdin Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. This Moroccan stew is one of the best dishes I’ve tasted and would love to prepare it at home. I’ll be forever grateful for a recipe.

CARMEN ROSE

Pico Rivera

DEAR CARMEN: It was a while in coming, but it’s a wonderful stew, loaded with beans, vegetables and curry. It will make a great side or main dish for a party buffet. To make it vegetarian, use vegetable stock. Chef Rodolfo Volpe suggests serving it with roasted leg of lamb, tandoori chicken skewers or grilled curry fish filets.

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Aladdin Curried Garbanzo Beans and Potatoes

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour

Look for cans of Madras curry powder at Indian and Asian markets, Indian curry powder at Indian markets and small cans of Thai curry paste at Asian markets.

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced white onion

1/4 cup diced carrots

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3 bay leaves

4 to 5 cups chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon Madras curry powder

1 teaspoon Indian curry powder

1 teaspoon Thai curry paste

1 pound boiling potatoes, peeled and diced

2 (16-ounce) cans garbanzo beans

Salt, pepper

1/2 cup chopped parsley, divided

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the celery, onion and carrots and cook until the onion is translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and bay leaves and cook 2 minutes more. Add 2 cups of chicken stock, the cayenne pepper, oregano, Madras and Indian curry powders, curry paste, potatoes and garbanzo beans. Stir to combine well. At this point, the stock should cover 3/4 of the mixture; if necessary, add more stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat the remaining stock in a saucepan over medium-low heat.

Add 1/4 cup of parsley to the skillet. Bring the stew to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour. As the stock evaporates, add 1/2 cup warm stock to the stew at a time, as though making a risotto. The stew will thicken as it cooks.

Just before serving, stir in the remaining parsley. Transfer the stew to a warm tureen or bowl to serve.

4 to 6 servings. Each of 6 servings: 318 calories; 903 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 52 grams carbohydrates; 13 grams protein; 9.83 grams fiber.