If only your home had room service

Dear SOS: I would love the carrot soup recipe from the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

S. Rogers

Studio City

Dear S.: Lluis Caner, executive chef at the Beverly Hilton, sent us his recipe. It’s a rich soup, reminiscent of a bisque. A small cup would be a nice beginning to a light lunch or make a delicious first course for dinner.

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Carrot and jalapeno soup

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Servings: 4

3 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup chopped onion

3 tablespoons flour

3 cups chicken stock

1 3/4 cups grated carrots

3/4 cup whipping cream

1/3 cup dry white wine

Salt

1 small jalapeno, diced

1. Melt the butter in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook until slightly softened. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Add the broth and stir to thoroughly combine. Use the back of a spoon to break up any clumped flour.

2. Return to the heat, add the carrots and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the carrots are tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Add the cream and wine and heat until bubbly, about 2 minutes. Add salt to taste, then stir in the jalapeno.

Each serving: 300 calories; 559 mg. sodium; 85 mg. cholesterol; 26 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 2 grams fiber.

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All about chocolate

Dear SOS: Linn’s Fruit Bin restaurant in Cambria makes wonderful chocolate cupcakes. Can you get the recipe?

Julie Wodark

Orange

Dear Julie: Linn’s calls these black bottom cakes because the chocolate sinks to the bottom.

Total time: 1 hour

Servings: 22

Cupcakes

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1/3 cup plus 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

1 (6-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips

2 1/4 cups flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups water

1/3 cup oil

1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 22 cups of 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with paper liners.

2. Beat together the cream cheese, egg and 1/3 cup sugar until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips.

3. Sift together the flour, remaining sugar, cocoa, soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla; gradually add to the dry ingredients until blended.

4. Fill the cups half full. Top each with 1 tablespoon of filling. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake until the tops spring back, 25 minutes. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip with ganache. Pipe over the top of the cooled cakes.

Chocolate ganache

1 cup semisweet

chocolate chips

1/2 cup sour cream

1. Melt the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Blend in the sour cream until smooth. Let cool.

Each cupcake: 298 calories; 203 mg. sodium; 24 mg. cholesterol; 15 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 1 gram fiber.