The Mailbox

Green Goddess salad dressing

Here's a flashback from the 1970s. I've been searching for the recipe for that great salad dressing of the era, Green Goddess. Does anyone have this recipe?

-- Kimberly Hinkle, Sacramento

Chicken Acapulco

Almost 20 years ago, I found a recipe in The Bee for chicken Acapulco that was fabulous when entertaining. It had Monterey Jack cheese, boneless and skinless chicken breasts, and green chili peppers baked in a soufflélike egg-white batter. It made an impressive dish. I lost the recipe. Did someone else save it and would they be willing to share?

-- Connie Cullivan, Rocklin

Vegan chocolate cake

One of the members of the Sacramento Vegetarian Society brought a vegan chocolate cake to our monthly potluck. The cake was purchased from Freeport Bakery. This was the best vegan chocolate cake I've tasted. Does anyone have this recipe or one similar?

-- Sheila Compton, Sacramento

Sauce for tamales, spaghetti

I am looking for a recipe from the now-closed Pioneer Restaurant in Stockton. It had the most delicious sauce or gravy on its tamales, enchiladas and even spaghetti. It was the same sauce for all.

My mother, who grew up in Stockton, was remembering the restaurant recently. I would love to get a recipe for the sauce to make for her. She said that there was another restaurant in Stockton around the same time (1960s) called Timmy's that had a similar sauce. I would appreciate it if anyone has this recipe and would be willing to share. Thank you.

-- Sheryl Garcia, Modesto

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Cookie crust for pie

Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 55 minutes | Makes enough for 1 double-crust pie

Sharon McMasters of Rio Linda lost her cookie dough crust recipe, which was similar to that for the pie crusts at Marie Callender's restaurants.

Janet Watson of Modesto shares this recipe. It calls for vanilla sugar. To make this delicious and fragrant sugar, bury two vanilla beans in a pound of granulated or powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container for a week, then remove the beans. You can use the same beans this way for up to six months.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
2 large eggs

Instructions

Have all the ingredients at room temperature. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Cream butter with sugar and  1/4 cup of the vanilla sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined, then add flour mixture in three parts, mixing to combine on low speed after each addition. (A hand mixer works well, or the dough can be blended by hand, since it is cookie dough. Sometimes with the high-powered processors and mixers available today, the dough gets overmixed. It is better to have a light touch.)

Divide the dough into two equal portions. If you are going to make the crust later the same day or another day, lay each dough portion down on a large piece of plastic wrap and pat it into a flat circle about  1/2 inch thick. Wrap the plastic up and over the top of dough and refrigerate. When ready to resume making the crust, remove dough from refrigerator and allow to return to room temperature. Remove plastic before rolling out.

If you are not making crust later, you may begin rolling out the dough after you divide it into two portions.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly flour rolling pin and surface the dough will be rolled on. Roll one dough portion from the center out to form a larger and larger circle. When circle of dough is about 2 inches larger in diameter than the pie pan, fit in pan and add filling. Roll second dough portion the same way and place on top of filling, crimping edges together.

Cut an "X" in center and fold back the corners, exposing the filling. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of vanilla sugar over crust and bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Reduce heat to 350 and continue baking for another 45 to 55 minutes, until crust is nicely browned and filling is soft and bubbly. If crust starts getting too brown, cover edges with a thin strip of foil.

Remove pie, let cool for at least 2 hours.

Per serving, based on 8 servings (crust only, without filling): 316 cal.; 6 g pro.; 44 g carb.; 13 g fat (8 sat., 4 monounsat., 1 polyunsat.); 84 mg chol.; 225 mg sod.; 1 g fiber; 14 g sugar; 37 percent calories from fat.

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Peanut butter cookies

Prep time: 25 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes | Makes 50 to 60 cookies

Sallee Dawson of Fair Oaks has been looking for a recipe for soft and chewy peanut butter cookies. She has tried several methods, but her cookies still turn out crisp.

Avril Zermeno of Mather shares her recipe for the cookies, which are a staple at her house. She says they are almost cakelike and remain perfectly chewy even a couple of days later. This is based on a Fanny Farmer's recipe, and Zermeno makes some changes that she thinks makes a better cookie. She uses butter instead of shortening and parchment paper instead of greasing the cookie sheets. She also uses a cookie scoop instead of forming the dough with her hands.

This is Fanny Farmer's version.

Ingredients

1 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup peanut butter
3 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheets.

In a mixing bowl, thoroughly cream the shortening, vanilla and sugars. Add the eggs and beat well. Stir in the peanut butter. Mix together the flour, salt and baking soda and add to the peanut butter mixture. Combine thoroughly.

Form the balls with the palm of your hands and place on the cookie sheets. Press each cookie twice with the back of a fork dipped in flour to make a crisscross design. Bake about 8 to 10 minutes or until firm.

Per cookie, based on 50 cookies: 129 cal.; 2 g pro.; 15 g carb.; 7 g fat (2 sat., 3 monounsat., 2 polyunsat.); 9 mg chol.; 85 mg sod.; 0 fiber; 9 g sugar; 47 percent calories from fat.

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Pork chop bake

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 1 hour, 10 minutes | Serves 4

Richard May was looking for several easy casserole dishes he could make for dinner. Our readers have been very helpful sharing their recipes.

This one is from Ellen McNeil of Sacramento.

Ingredients

4 pork chops, ½ inch thick
4 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 envelope Lipton onion-mushroom or beefy mushroom soup mix
1 1/2 cups water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, brown the chops and drain.

In a greased 2-quart, oblong baking dish, arrange potatoes, then place the chops on top. Thoroughly blend soup mix with water. Pour over chops and potatoes. Bake, covered, 1 hour or until potatoes are tender.

Per serving: 141 cal.; 22 g pro.; 29 g carb.; 7 g fat (3 sat., 3 monounsat., 1 polyunsat.); 58 mg chol.; 348 mg sod.; 3 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 23 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.

Mailbox columnist Teri Watson is a Sacramento home economist who has been a nutrition consultant and cooking instructor for 15 years. She is a member of the American Association of Family and Consumer Science.