The mailbox

Sunny oat cookie recipe correction

Last week's Mailbox featured a recipe for sunny oat cookies (flourless). The ingredient list should have called for  1/4 teaspoon of salt, not  1/4 cup of salt.

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Bourbon steak

Several years ago in the Taste section, you had a recipe for bourbon steak that was wonderful. I cannot locate it. Would anyone be willing to share this recipe?

-- Linda Adams, Gridley

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Nut Tree's tamales

I am interested in finding a recipe for the tamales served at the old Nut Tree restaurant. All the tamales I buy or order at restaurants are wrapped in the husk with lots of masa but little sauce. Can someone help?

-- Ann Hendrick, Fair Oaks

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Hukilau's Kona chop salad

Now that the Hukilau in Sacramento is closed, I won't be able to have a Kona chop salad any time I want. Is there any way the owners would be willing to share the recipe?

-- Heather Majesko, West Sacramento

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Poor Red's Golden Cadillac

I'm sorry to hear that Poor Red's is going to be sold. Does anyone have the exact recipe for the Golden Cadillac drink that was served there? Thank you.

-- Victoria Eberle, Elk Grove

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Ruth Butterworth's chocolate mousse

Prep time: 35 minutes | Serves 8

In the 1970s, Debbie Johnson of Polson, Mont., and her girlfriends used to lunch at Butterworth's in Auburn. They always had chocolate mousse for dessert. Johnson was hoping someone would have the recipe.

Pioneer United Methodist Church of Auburn published a cookbook in 2002 as part of its 150th anniversary. Ruth Butterworth was a longtime member of the church and submitted her mousse recipe. It was served many times at church functions. She died in February 2005 at age 88.

Marjorie Snyder of Auburn, a friend of Ruth's, shares her recipe.

Sharon Eisenbeis of Foresthill and Lucille Lovestedt of Grass Valley found the same recipe in a little blue-and-white cookbook titled "Ruth Butterworth's Cookbook," which states that Ruth adapted her home recipes for the restaurant that she opened in 1972.

Note: The prep time does not include the several hours' freeze time before serving.

Ingredients

 1/2 cup brewed coffee, divided use
6 ounces bitter chocolate
 3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
6 ounces butter
Pinch of salt
 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Instructions

In small saucepan (or the top of a double boiler), measure out  1/4-cup of the coffee and add the chocolate. Set in water over low heat to melt. Pour remaining  1/4-cup of coffee into a second saucepan and add sugar. Set aside.

Separate eggs and put yolks in a small, deep bowl and whites in a separate bowl to beat later. Beat yolks until light-yellow and thick.

Set coffee and sugar mixture over high heat and swirl continually until mixture boils up as high as possible in pan.

Pour mixture slowly into egg yolks, beating all the while. Set pan in bowl of ice and continue beating until mixture is thick and cold. Set aside.

Add butter to the chocolate mixture in small chunks, beating with each addition. When all the butter is incorporated, blend with the egg yolk mixture.

Meanwhile, beat egg whites until frothy and add pinch of salt and cream of tartar. Beat until stiff but not dry. Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture. Store in freezer in covered container several hours before serving. Serve in small decorative glasses and top with whipped cream.

Per serving without whipped cream: 362 cal.; 4 g pro.; 33 g carb.; 25 g fat (15 sat., 6 monounsat., 1 polyunsat., 3 other); 153 mg chol.; 76 mg sod.; 0 fiber; 18 g sugar; 60 percent calories from fat.

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Oyster fritters

Prep time: 40 minutes | Cook time: 16 minutes | Serves 4 to 6

Carolyn Carlson of Rocklin loved the beer-battered shrimp she bought at The Green Spot, a takeout shrimp restaurant in Bell Gardens in Southern California. She was hoping for the recipe or one similar.

Mary Tapparo of Carmichael shares this recipe, which she loved to make. She says the beer batter is wonderful and that butterflied shrimp could easily be substituted for the oysters.

Note: The prep time does not include the 1-hour rest time for the batter. The cook time is for the oysters fried in 4 batches.

Ingredients

1 cup flour, divided use
 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
 1/2 cup beer
2 dozen fresh oysters, shucked or 2 dozen frozen oysters, thoroughly defrosted (or shrimp)
1 egg white
Vegetable shortening or vegetable oil for deep-fat frying
Lemon wedges

Instructions

Sift  1/2 cup of the flour and the salt into a mixing bowl. With a wooden spoon, stir in the butter and the egg. Then pour in the beer and mix only until the batter is fairly smooth. Don't overmix. Let the batter rest at room temperature for about an hour.

When you are ready to fry the oysters, beat the egg white with a rotary beater or whisk until it is stiff enough to form unwavering peaks on the beater when it is lifted out of the bowl. Gently fold the beaten egg white into the batter and continue to fold until no streaks of white remain.

In a deep-fat fryer, heat the shortening or oil until it registers 375 degrees on a deep-frying thermometer. The fat should be at least 3 inches deep. Dip the oysters in the remaining  1/2 cup flour. Shake off any excess and then dip in the batter. Let the excess batter drain off, then fry the oysters (or shrimp), 5 or 6 at a time, for 3 to 4 minutes until they are puffed and golden brown. Drain on paper towels and keep the fritters warm in a 200-degree oven until all the oysters have been fried. Serve at once with wedges of lemon.

Per serving based on 4 servings (oysters): 263 cal.; 9 g pro.; 27 g carb.; 12 g fat (5 sat., 4 monounsat., 3 polyunsat.); 87 mg chol.; 376 mg sod.; 1 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 41 percent calories from fat.

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Easy tamale pie

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 40 minutes | Serves 6

Richard May of Sacramento was looking for easy, one-dish casseroles that he could prepare and enjoy over a couple of nights for dinner.

Lucy Sperlin of Chico shares this recipe, which her mother made in the 1950s. It's a quick last-minute, short-notice or emergency potluck dish because all of the ingredients come from a can. The can sizes don't have to be exact.

You could sprinkle shredded cheese over the top the last 10 minutes of baking and serve it with salsa, sour cream and sliced avocado for a tasty variation.

Ingredients

2 large cans of tamales (about 12)
1 4 1/4-ounce can of chopped black olives
1 15-ounce can of creamed corn

Instructions

Pour tamales in a large bowl. Wash hands and remove the paper wrappers from each, scraping juice off into the bowl with a knife. Break up the tamales into small chunks. Add chopped olives and corn. Stir to mix evenly. Pour into a 1 1/2- to 2-quart casserole dish and heat in oven at 375 degrees for about 30 to 40 minutes or until top is bubbly and getting browned.

Per serving, approximately: 358 cal.; 14 g pro.; 38 g carb.; 20 g fat (6 sat., 8 monounsat., 3 polyunsat., 3 other); 37 mg chol.; 485 mg sod.; 5 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 47 percent calories from fat.

How to contact The Mailbox:

• If you have recipes in reply to Mailbox reader requests, or questions or comments, write to: Mailbox, c/o Taste, The Sacramento Bee, P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento, CA 95852. You also can e-mail twatson@sacbee.com or fax (916-556-5625). Please include your full name, your city and phone number.