Onion Soup

The July 26 Dining Out column in the Sun Magazine reported that Ruth's Chris Steak House is not wheelchair-accessible. In fact, it is.The Sun regrets the error.Ruth's Chris Steak House, the Brokerage, 600 Water St., (410) 783-0033. Open for dinner every day. No-smoking area: yes. Wheelchair access: no.Ruth's Chris Steak House is like no other chain steakhouse you've ever experienced. I use the word "experienced" deliberately, because it's not just a matter of the food you'll eat. If you're thinking Ponderosa, or even Sizzler, think again.

My husband and I were prepared to like Chez Charles even before we sat down. We weren't disappointed.Several weeks before finally dining there, we had reservations for a rainy weeknight in December. I was to meet my husband, but the baby sitter was late and I called to ask that someone let him know.My husband called back. Still no sitter. He decided to come home and, if she did arrive, we'd return together. Before leaving Chez Charles, he asked if we could be seated later. "Actually," the hostess said, "you're our only reservation for the rest of the evening.

Always, there were those lovely old country estates and gracious manor taverns with roaring fireplaces, but in the old days fine dining was associated with the city. Not so anymore. Now, there are more compelling reasons than ever for diners to cross county lines for a good meal. The 50 best county restaurants in Howard County, Anne Arundel County and Baltimore County is a mix of the old and the new, destinations for special occasions and joints for Monday night suppers, the chef-driven and crowd-pleasing.

Some call it creamy onion soup, some call it the Outback Steakhouse Walkabout Soup. Kimberly Morris of Baltimore combined the two and requested an Outback Steakhouse creamy onion soup. Chris Mullen, also of Baltimore, responded with a recipe that she says comes from the book "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes." She notes there are many excellent recipes in the book, including this one. Outback Steakhouse Walkabout Soup Serves 4 as an appetizer 8 cups water 8 beef bouillon cubes 3 medium white onions 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup heavy cream 1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese Heat water to a boil in a large stockpot.

More than 33,000 whitetail deer were bagged by Maryland hunters during 1993's regular firearms season, the third highest total on record. In Harford County, hunters harvested 1,024 deer, most of which were taken during the season's first few days.Although a substantial number of hunters claim they enjoy the taste of venison, you'll often hear a different story from their spouses."Sure we eat venison at our house, but it's always tough and has a gamey taste," said a woman attending the Mid-Atlantic Hunting & Fishing Show at the Maryland State Fair Grounds.

Baltimore has a shortage of good, small restaurants, the kind with 20 or 30 seats, where diners can have some intimacy. Restaurants, at least the ones I've been reviewing, have been getting bigger, brassier, louder. I'm not complaining. I've been having some great dinners in big and medium-size, crowded restaurants. A sweet, small new restaurant named Liv2Eat has opened in South Baltimore. I'll confess to hating the name on sight. I got over it, and I hope others do and give it a chance.

In yesterday's Recipe Finder column in A La Carte, an ingredient was missing from the Cheesy Onion Soup recipe. After thickening the soup, one gallon of warm water should be added with the remaining milk.The Sun regrets the error.

Raymond Altieri of Dundalk was looking for a recipe for orange chicken that he says was floating around about 20 years ago. The main ingredients were orange marmalade and Lipton onion-soup mix. Robert Muehleisen of Pennington, N.J., sent in a recipe on behalf of his 89-year-old mother, Margaret Muehleisen, who had seen Altieri's chicken recipe request in her local paper. His mother calls this recipe simply "good chicken" and he says his family has been enjoying it for years. The only change I made to her recipe was that I let the chicken marinate overnight before baking it. I served it over a bed of rice, and the finished chicken looked and tasted wonderful.

MICROWAVES DO A great job on high water, low-fat foods such as fish and fruits and vegetables. Flavor is enhanced and foods stay moist without added oil. A delicious example is microwavable fillet of sole with garden vegetables, a tasty combination of fish, white wine and spices on a bed of tender carrots and shredded cabbage. This tempting dish is flavored with golden onion recipe soup mix, a savory blend of onions and seasoning in light chicken broth. This recipe is from Lipton Co.Fillet of Sole with Garden Vegetables1 pound sole or flounder fillets, thawed if necessary1 envelope golden onion recipe soup mix1 1/2 cups water1/4 cup dry white wine1 tablespoon lemon juice2 cups shredded cabbage2 cups shredded carrots1/4 teaspoon oregano leaves1/8 teaspoon pepperRoll each fillet, jelly-roll style, starting with small end; set aside.

Miriam Nicholas of Glen Burnie was looking for a lost recipe for what she called "No Peep Chicken." She said the chicken dish was made with chicken pieces, long-grain-and-wild-rice mix, mushroom soup and onion-soup mix. Maureen Flanagan of Reisterstown sent in a recipe she had for "No Peek Chicken" which she says sounds exactly like what Nicholas is describing. This is a super-easy chicken dish that takes practically no time to prepare. I suspect that it got its name because once you put it together, you cover it with foil and put it in the oven to bake undisturbed for two-plus hours.