Recipe Finder

Marie K. Louder of Verona, Pa., requested a recipe for "Houlihan's Baked-Potato Soup." Her response came from Evelyn R. Boss of Towson.Boss wrote that she used to live in the Pittsburgh area and got the recipe from the Pittsburgh Press/Post Gazette years ago. "My family was, and still is, a great fan of this soup," she said.Tester Laura Reiley said the result is a "can't-miss, chunky soup" and is a good way to use leftover baked potatoes. "You'll still spend some time in the kitchen simmering, but it's worth it," she said.

Betty Grove of Baltimore requested a recipe for sweet potato cake, and Doris Williams of Bel Air responded with a recipe for one of her favorite cakes.Ms. Williams says she lived in Connecticut where she helped care for a child with muscular dystrophy. Occasionally, he would bring her sweet potato cake. "He wanted me to taste it," she says. "And I loved it," she said, and asked him for his mother's recipe."It is good even without an icing," she says. "It's crispy on top if you use a tube pan. It's so moist and delicious," she says.

Pat Bourne's request for a cream of crab soup was met with more than a dozen recipes sent in by readers. Two stood out, say our food testers at the Baltimore International Culinary College.;/ Ann Hoskins of Dundalk sent in this recipe:Maryland cream of crab soupServes six.1 pound Maryland crab meat1 vegetable bouillon cube1 cup boiling water1/4 cup chopped onion1/4 cup butter or margarine2 tablespoons flour1 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon celery salt1/8 teaspoon pepperfew drops of hot sauce1 quart milkparsely flakes, for garnishRemove cartilage from crab meat.

Ruth Christian of Baltimore requested recipes for a three-layer Red Velvet cake with cream cheese icing and a Scripture cake. The response was tremendous for each recipe.This recipe was sent in by Ruth Sakkaf of Reisterstown.Scripture cake4 1/2 cups flour1 cup butter2 cups sugar2 cups raisins2 cups figs2 cups almonds6 eggs1 cup milk6 tablespoons honey2 teaspoons baking sodaa pinch of saltseason to taste with cinnamon, cloves, mace and/or nutmegCream softened butter and sugar with electric mixer.

Ruth Christian of Baltimore requested recipes for a three-layer Red Velvet cake with cream cheese icing and a Scripture cake. The response was tremendous for each recipe.This recipe was sent in by Ruth Sakkaf of Reisterstown.Scripture cake4 1/2 cups flour1 cup butter2 cups sugar2 cups raisins2 cups figs2 cups almonds6 eggs1 cup milk6 tablespoons honey2 teaspoons baking sodaa pinch of saltseason to taste with cinnamon, cloves, mace and/or nutmegCream softened butter and sugar with electric mixer.

Get out those recipe files! We have requests for a wide variety of recipes.But first a reminder, Recipe Finder is a reader exchange recipe column. We do not mail recipes, even if you send a stamped, self-addressed envelope.Recipes in Recipe Finder are generally not tested before they run. That means it's very important to include complete ingredients and directions in any recipe you may send us.And please print neatly! Recipe Finder has spent many an "entertaining" hour trying to decide if a little squiggle stands for teaspoon or tablespoon or trying to decipher someone's last name.

Get out those recipe files! We have requests for a wide variety of recipes.But first a reminder, Recipe Finder is a reader exchange recipe column. We do not mail recipes, even if you send a stamped, self-addressed envelope.Recipes in Recipe Finder are not tested before they run. That means it's very important to include complete ingredients and directions in any recipe you may send us.And please print neatly! Recipe Finder has spent many an "entertaining" hour trying to decide if a little squiggle stands for teaspoon or tablespoon or trying to decipher someone's last name.

Elleno R. Alvarez of Arnold says she is always looking for something different to do with chicken and her recipe for crab-stuffed chicken breasts, included below, is a hit with her family.She adds she likes the flavor combination in the recipe, and she was trying to imitate a dish she had had at a restaurant.Loreeta J. Owens of Baltimore requested a recipe for chicken breasts stuffed with crab meat with a sauce. We hope she enjoys this Alvarez family favorite.Crab-stuffed chicken breastsServes six.6 chicken breasts, skinned, boned and flattened.

Virginia S. Hodges of Baltimore says this sauce was one of her mother's favorites. The recipe is for Dolores M. Barnes. Don't let the light color of this from-scratch sauce fool you, the lemony flavor is quite strong.Lemon Sauce1/2 cup sugar1 tablespoon cornstarch1 cup water1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice1/8 teaspoon salt2 tablespoons butterCombine sugar, cornstarch and water in saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until thickened, not quite the consistency of mayonnaise.

Frances A. Wence of Baltimore requested a recipe for turtle cookies that were not a bar-type cookie. Theresa Stewart of Gambrills responded with this recipe.Turtle cookiesMakes 42 cookies1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar1/2 cup margarine1/4 teaspoon vanilla1/8 teaspoon maple flavoring1 egg1 egg, separated1 1/2 cups flour1/4 teaspoon baking soda1/4 teaspoon salt1 1/2 to 2 cups pecan halvesIn a large bowl, beat brown sugar and margarine until light and fluffy. Blend in flavorings, 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk.

Lisl Christie from Santa Rosa, Calif., was looking for a recipe for a carrot cake that she has lost that used to be printed on a sugar package. Ruth Bly from Winchester, Va., sent in a recipe that was given to her by a friend that she says she has been using for over 30 years. While the recipe may not be the exact one that Christie was in search of, Bly says everyone seems to enjoy this cake very much. Her recipe is for a simple, old-fashioned one-bowl cake. Now that you can buy packaged grated carrots in most grocery stores, you can whip this homemade goodie up in under 10 minutes.

Barbara Corley of Windsor, Calif., was looking for a recipe she lost some years ago for a turkey meatloaf. She said it was particularly tasty and somewhat unusual in that it had sour cream as one of the ingredients. Donna Mason of Dallas sent in her recipe for what she describes as a Tex-Mex style turkey meatloaf that she thought Corley might like to try. I liked her recipe very much because it addressed what is my biggest complaint with turkey meatloaf: a lack of flavor. While this may not be your mom's meatloaf, it certainly is a healthful, low-fat alternative that packs so much flavor your family might not even realize it's made with ground turkey.

Marlene Wheeler of Baltimore was looking for a recipe for a fresh peach cake. She remembers with great fondness one that was made by Gerstung's bakery in East Baltimore. Connie Devine of Bel Air sent in a recipe for a Baltimore Peach Cake that she clipped from the News American newspaper in the summer of 1967. Now is the ideal time to make this simple yeast cake while the local peaches are at their most flavorful. Recipe requests * Linda Everett of Knoxville, Tenn., is looking for a recipe she has misplaced for a cottage-cheese poundcake that appeared in a women's magazine in the early '80s.

Dot Coffey of Dothan, Ala., was looking for a recipe for a grape cobbler. Christy Munroe of Bend, Ore., sent in a recipe for what she calls Grape Crisp that sounded very good. She says, "This is a yummy summertime treat." She likes to serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. She also recommends using a mixture of red and green seedless grapes. While I know there is a difference between a cobbler and a crisp, in this case I hardly think it matters. Munroe's recipe was a snap to prepare and offers a nice change to the more traditional fruit desserts of summer.

I got my first recipe for magic brownies at a Weight Watchers meeting. I became so hooked on the little squares of chewy, chocolaty goodness that I began testing, revising and perfecting my own version. When mixed and baked just right, they come out moist, delicious and mind-numbingly good. The secret ingredient? Black beans. That's right, magic brownies are nothing more than a can of black beans pureed and dumped into a fat-free brownie mix. I also add cinnamon, which not only perks up the flavor but has been shown in studies to help lower LDL, or "bad" cholesterol.

John Klingkamer of Fife Lake, Mich., was looking for a recipe for a five-star white chili. Robert Massarelli of Forest Hill sent in one of his favorite recipes for white chili. He says it is extremely spicy but can be easily adjusted. I thought it actually had kind of an Indian flavor thanks to the healthy dose of cumin, and I didn't find it overly spicy. I liked the addition of the corn, and when it's in season, I might be tempted to use fresh instead of canned. This chili does have a good kick, but when topped with cheese and/or sour cream it was by no means too hot to handle.

Sue Miller of Canton, Ohio, was looking for a recipe for healthful homemade granola bars. Laura Pierce of Easthampton, Mass., sent in a recipe she found online at Mother Earth News. The recipe was developed some years ago by Denise Garoutte for her family. She says feel free to use her basic recipe as a guideline and make changes and additions that suit your family's tastes and preferences. I followed the core recipe. The only substitution I made was dried cherries for the raisins because I know my kids really like them, but you could add just about anything, I would think.

Barbara Kempisty of Baltimore was looking for a recipe for biscuits that can be made completely in the microwave. She wanted to be able to prepare the dough in advance and take it to an elderly aunt who is in assisted living and does not have a kitchen but does have access to a microwave. Hope Weiner of Rapid City, S.D., sent in a recipe for whole-wheat microwave biscuits. These biscuits are made with a combination of whole-wheat and white flour. The dough can be made in advance, and the biscuits can be made in the microwave.

Jane Snow of Bordentown, N.J., wrote in on behalf of her co-worker who was looking for an appetizer recipe that was popular in the 1970s called "Spatini Cocktail Hot Dogs." Linda Butta of Baltimore sent in her recipe for this appetizer, which a co-worker gave her about 20 years ago. She says that over the years she has converted the original recipe from the stove top to the slow cooker. She says this is a terrific dish to make for office gatherings because you can prepare everything the night before and put the slow-cooker pot in the fridge.

Michelle Rice of Rapid City, S.D., was looking for a recipe for old-fashioned Steamburgers or Sloppy Joes. Jennifer Henrie of Philip, S.D., sent in her mother's recipe for Steamburgers, which she says are "quick and delicious, and even better the next day - if there is any left!" She suggests using the leanest ground beef you can find or even ground buffalo. This dish is sure to be a hit with kids and grown-ups alike and would be terrific to serve at an informal party. It can be made easily the day before and, as Henrie says, actually may even taste better that way. Mom's Steamburgers Makes about 16 sandwiches 2 pounds lean ground beef 1/2 onion, chopped 1 can tomato soup 1/4 cup ketchup 2 tablespoons yellow mustard 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon white vinegar salt and pepper to taste In pan, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat until beef is no longer pink and onions are translucent.