Recipe Requests

Sandra Stonebreaker of Ocean Park, Wash., was looking for a recipe for a soft, chewy molasses cookie similar to the ones sold at Starbucks. Mary Thorne of Pittsfield, Mass., said that she has never tried the cookies at Starbucks, but she thinks the "best" molasses cookie she has ever eaten was sold at a gift shop called the Jennifer House in Great Barrington, Mass. Thorne says that the shop closed a while ago but the outcry for its cookie recipe was heard loud and clear, and it was eventually published in her local newspaper, The Berkshire Eagle.

When Beth Lamb of Seward, Pa., requested help in finding a recipe for chicken teriyaki, John Von der Haar of Havre de Grace responded with two recipes. He wrote:, "I think she wants recipe No. 2, which is our family favorite. It's copied from 'Frugal Gourmet Cooks With Wine,' by Jeff Smith. ... Happy to help." Our food tester, Laura Reiley, did indeed choose recipe No. 2.A spongecake using egg yolks was the request of Marie Vollbrecht of Truth or Consequences, N.M. Among the many recipes we received were two from Margaret Purcell of Cockeysville.

As peaches come into season, thoughts turn to cakes made with the ripe, juicy fruit. Janelee Sunderland of Baltimore wanted an "old-fashioned Baltimore peach cake with a shortcake or hardtack dough like the one a local bakery once sold."Audrey Lasseth of Baltimore came up with a recipe that suits the request.Baltimore Peach CakeServes 4-62 cups flour1/2 teaspoon salt2 teaspoons baking powder3 tablespoons butter1 egg, lightly beaten1 cup milk4 peachessugar, to tasteSift flour, salt and baking powder.

Two recipe requests -- for Carrot-Raisin Salad and Black-Walnut Candy -- brought interesting and tasty responses.Karen Welsch-Susio of Nottingham was looking for the salad. Ray Saunders of Alexandria, Va., responded. "This recipe is from the 1996 'Luby's Cafeteria 50th Anniversary Recipe Collection' and is designated as one of Luby's most requested recipes," he wrote.The candy, requested by Lillian Mink of Rising Sun, brought a recipe from Wendy Mellinger of Smithton, Pa., who recommends using an old cookie sheet when making the brittle.

Joanne Cohen of Owings Mills requested a peanut butter bread recipe. She said that she once had one, which she described as a "keeper." But then "I promptly put the recipe away, and you can guess the rest. I can't find it."Alice D. Brauer of Grasonville came to the rescue with a recipe from her collection. "I've never made it," she acknowledged. "But I hope she finds it helpful."Peanut Butter BreadMakes 1 loaf or 16 servings3/4 cup chunky or creamy peanut butter1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) margarine or butter, softened2 cups all-purpose flour1/2 cup sugar2 teaspoons baking powder1/4 teaspoon salt1 large egg1 1/4 cups milk1 tablespoon grated orange peelPreheat oven to 375 degrees.

Shrimp -- one of America's favorite crustaceans -- is the subject of two recipe requests.Bonnie C. Dunnigan of Finksburg wrote that she had a delicious cup of pumpkin-shrimp bisque at Rudy's 2900 Restaurant last year and was looking for a similar recipe. Beth Hunter of Timonium sent in her version, saying: "This recipe has been adapted from the 'New York Times International Cookbook.' I hope this is the one she is seeking."Stacey Politzer of Baltimore wanted a recipe for shrimp in garlic sauce that is similar to the one served at Tio Pepe restaurant.

It doesn't get much better than indulging in Portuguese Sweet Bread, according to A. Silva of St. Augustine, Fla., who wrote, "My aunt had the recipe, but she is not well and I cannot find it. I would appreciate help."Thomas S. Moore of Dameron responded with a recipe for the holiday bread. While it is traditionally served at Easter, the sweet bread also is great to have at this time of year. Anna S. Barnes of Southern Pines, N.C., who also sent in a recipe, wrote, "It is one of my favorite recipes, which I have every Christmas.

Cheryl Brussell of Rapid City, S.D., had requested "everyone's best fruitcake recipes ... especially the orange gumdrop fruitcake."Jeanne Slater of Cary, Ill., responded. She wrote, "Here is one that I make every year. It came from my grandmother many years ago. They are best when made two weeks before Christmas."Gumdrop FruitcakeServes about 202 pounds raisins5 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon cinnamon1 teaspoon nutmeg1 teaspoon clovesbig pinch allspicebig pinch salt3 tablespoons butter or margarine2 cups sugar3 eggs1 pound chopped dates1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans2 pounds gumdrops (no black ones)

Jane DeLong of Lebanon, Ore., was searching for a casserole made with eggs, green chilis and lots of cheese. This recipe sent by Carol Adolphsen of Sykesville fit the bill.Egg and Cheese CasseroleServes 8-103 small cans (4 ounces each) whole green chilies, seeded and drained2 cups grated Cheddar cheese2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese8 eggs1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk4 tablespoons flourpinch salt1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauceButter an 8-inch-by-12-inch oblong pan; flatten seeded chilies and line the bottom of prepared pan with half of them.

Roy S. Sell of Johnstown, Pa., asked, "Does someone have a recipe for Tuscany bread? Tuscany is that region in Italy. Thank you very much."Shirley M. Greene of Latrobe, Pa., responded with a recipe. "I have baked this bread many times and it is delicious. I got this recipe from PBS TV station WQED in Pittsburgh, Pa., a number of years ago, on a cooking show called 'Ciao Italian,' hosted by Mary Ann Esposito."Makes one large loaf1 tablespoon dry yeast1/2 cup warm water1 cup flour1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast1 1/4 cups water1 teaspoon salt4 to 5 cups all-purpose flourTo make sponge (bread-dough mixture)

Brucie White of Baltimore was hoping someone might have the recipe for the signature chopped salad that was served at Marconi's restaurant that was in downtown Baltimore for many years and is now closed. Many locals remember the restaurant fondly but, unfortunately, no official cookbook from the famous restaurant seems to have surfaced over the years. However, Mike Flynn of Timonium, also a great fan of the salad, has developed a recipe that he thinks makes a "reasonable facsimile"of the renowned Marconi's chopped salad.

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.

Juanita McNeill of Marston, N.C., was looking for a recipe for an old-fashioned egg custard. Bonnie Giraldi of Perryville sent in an easy recipe for a baked egg custard. Her recipe is the classic one. It is simple to prepare; just be sure to put enough water in the hot-water bath. The water should come up to the level of the custard inside the dish. The water bath assures that your custard is protected from the heat. To me, baked custard is definitely a "comfort food." It is good almost any time of day, including breakfast.

Anita Wheeler of Bremerton, Wash., was looking for a recipe for making mincemeat bars. Toni Palumbo of Mercerville, N.J., sent in one she found in her local paper not long ago for Holiday Mince Squares. These traditional bar cookies are wonderful to make this time of year because you can find the jars of mincemeat in grocery stores. I used my food processor to cut in the butter, which made the recipe quite fast and easy. I'm not sure why mincemeat seems to be available only around the holidays but I'm going to buy an extra jar or two now so that I can make these delicious, old-fashioned treats any time of the year.

Jerry Dennis of Fayetteville, N.C., has been searching for a recipe for Grape-Nuts Bread, which he says was printed on a box of Post Grape-Nuts in the mid-1940s. Mary Ann Ford of Cockeysville sent in a recipe given to her by her mother-in-law when she was first married in 1967. Her mother-in-law told her that it came from a box of Grape-Nuts cereal in the 1940s. Ford says it is still a family favorite today. The only change I made to the original recipe was to substitute buttermilk for the sour milk.

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.

Holly Stewart of Auburn, Pa., was looking for her mother's old bran-muffin recipe. She thought that it was possible that it came from an All-Bran cereal box many years ago. Kathy Birke of Fayetteville, N.C., sent in a recipe that she said she cut from the side panel of an All-Bran cereal box some years ago. This is more than likely just what Stewart was looking for. The only difference is that Stewart remembers her mother's recipe had you soak the cereal...

Martha Nielson of Trenton, N.J., was hoping someone would have the recipe for a Crab Imperial dish similar to the one she and her husband used to enjoy on their trips to Maryland. It was served at Busch's restaurant in Cape St. Claire. The restaurant closed several years ago and though she has tried many recipes for Crab Imperial, none has come close to the light and fluffy one with a cheesy topping that was served at Busch's. Unfortunately, we did not receive any responses from our readers for a Crab Imperial with a cheese topping.

Patricia Coyle of West Palm Beach, Fla., was looking for a recipe for rice pudding that is baked instead of prepared on the stove top like most she has used. The particular recipe she used to have for the baked version was made with heavy whipping cream and she said it was "wonderful!" Dorothy McMann of Perry Hall e-mailed a recipe she got when she visited Williamsburg, Va., some years ago. While this particular recipe calls for whole milk, not heavy cream, there would be no reason why you could not substitute heavy cream if you were not concerned about the calorie count.

Doris Porter of Baltimore was looking for a recipe for what she called "Wacky Cake." It was in a cookbook that was compiled in the 1950s by her daughter's fourth-grade class and, sadly, she has lost it. She said while she has come across other recipes for the cake over the years, none of them produced the chocolate sauce in the bottom of the pan after baking that made this cake so particularly delicious. Margie LaDue of Mud Butte, S.D., sent in a recipe that her grandmother had passed down to her mother and the family always enjoyed.