10/16/13 Cook’s Corner
Betty Kaiser
As a young housewife in the 1960s, “Dear S.O.S.” was my favorite weekly column in the Los
Angeles Times food section. Mine was not the era of cooking with fresh herbs,
fruits and vegetables. Foreign cuisine was just that—foreign. And our tastes
leaned more to the popular Fruit Cocktail Cake than Almond Tofu Ice Cream. We
were hungry for some up-to-date recipes.
Fortunately, this was Los Angeles. We not only had access to
fresh produce all year but a multi-cultural environment. A handful of major
restaurants —many are now closed—were the inspiration for new cuisine. Like
others, my husband and I would save our money, get all dressed up, go to dinner
on payday and wonder how to re-create the meals we enjoyed at The Brown Derby,
Scandia or The Bistro.
Thus was born “Dear S.O.S.” Readers would write in and say
something like, “Dear S.O.S., I recently enjoyed the Cappuccino Soufflé at
L’Escoffier in the Beverly Hilton. Would they pass along their recipe?” The
column editor would then contact the restaurant. Sometimes the answer was
“Yes.” Sometimes it was “No.”
If the answer was “No,” the home economists of the
newspaper’s food section would go to work and try and recreate the recipe.
Imagine that! A newspaper with a staff of home economists! Yes, it was a
different era in which we clipped our recipes.
Eventually, in 1994, Rose Dosti, the long-time S.O.S. editor
published a book: “Thirty Years of Recipe Requests (to the Los Angeles Times).”
That was nearly 20 years ago and since then I believe that there has been at
least three other volumes.
Remember, going out to dinner forty to fifty years ago was a
rare treat and these recipes were considered exotic. We didn’t make enchiladas
at home. You had to go to Olvera St. to buy tortillas or Chinatown for Chow
Mein. Today’s Tempura recipe is from an unnamed restaurant in L.A.’s Little
Tokyo and the enchiladas from the well-known Acapulco. We finish with a
Chocolate Crème Brulée. Note: The tempura recipe has two parts and the enchiladas
three parts. Enjoy!
TEMPURA
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup very cold water
1 cup flour
1/4 baking powder
Salt
Green beans
Carrot sticks
Eggplant slices
Sweet potato slices
Shrimp
Sea Bass pieces
Oil for deep frying
Tentsuyu (recipe below)
Combine egg and cold water and blend well. Gradually add
flour, mixing just enough to moisten. Stir in baking powder and dash of salt.
Pat vegetables dry. Dip vegetables and seafood into batter, allowing excess
batter to drain off before adding to hot oil. Fry a few ingredients at a time
in deep oil heated to 340-360 degrees, until pale golden. Drain on wire rack or
paper towels before serving. Dip into Tentsuyu, served in small individual
bowls. Makes 4 servings.
TENTSUYU
1 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
1/2 cup flaked dried bonito
Grated daikon (white radish) optional
Combine all ingredients except daikon in saucepan. Bring to
boil. Remove from heat and add daikon to taste. Makes about 2-1/2 cups.
The Acapulco Restaurant served Crab Enchiladas that were a
frequently requested favorite of L.A. Times readers. I would double the recipe
to make 6 servings of two enchiladas per person.
CRAB ENCHILADAS
6 corn tortillas
Oil or lard
One and 1/2 cups crab meat
6 tablespoons minced onion
Salsa con Tomatillos (recipe below)
Shredded Jack cheese
Sour cream sauce (recipe below)
Pitted black olives
Avocado slices
Sliced (or diced) tomatoes
Heat tortillas one at a time, in oil until soft. Place 1/4
cup crab meat in center of each, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon onion. Spread a
little Salsa Con Tomatillos on top. Roll tortillas and place, seam side down,
in shallow baking dish. Cover with remaining salsa. Sprinkle generously with
cheese. Bake at 400° F. about 10 min. or until hot and cheese is melted. Serve
with dollop of sour cream sauce and garnish with olives, avocado and tomato
slices. Makes 6 enchiladas.
SALSA CON TOMATILLOS
2 dozen fresh tomatillos
Water
Oil
2 Jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (I use more)
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon salt
2 corn tortillas.
Remove papery husks from tomatillos, cover with water and
boil until soft. Drain off half of liquid. Turn into blender and blend until
smooth. Note: (If using canned tomatillos, drain half of liquid and blend).
Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup oil in saucepan; add chiles and
onion and cook until soft but not browned. Add cilantro and garlic salt. Cook 5
min. Add tomatillos. Fry tortillas in oil and place in blender with a little
water. Blend until smooth. Add to sauce and cook 5 min.
SOUR CREAM SAUCE
1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Dash sugar
Mash garlic in salt. Combine all ingredients. Stir gently.
CHOCOLATE CRÈME BRULÉE
Chef Joachim Splichal
of “Pinot and Patina”
1 quart whipping cream
2 cups whole milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split
10 egg yolks (!)
9 ounces fine quality dark sweet chocolate, melted
Raw sugar
Preheat oven to 275° F.
Combine cream, milk, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla bean in
saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat. Mix yolks with remaining 1/2 cup
sugar. Add 1/2 cup milk mixture to egg mixture to temper. Then pour egg mixture
into remaining milk mixture and stir. Add melted chocolate and stir to mix.
Strain.
Pour into 8 (1 cup) ramekins. Place ramekins in another pan
filled halfway with water and bake 45 min. Refrigerate until set. Sprinkle with
raw sugar. Place ramekins under broiler until sugar melts. Serves 8
Keep it simple and keep it seasonal!
Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s
Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes
that are delicious, family
oriented and easy to prepare.
