Potatoes Romano, Zuppa Inglese, Chili Beans

DEAR SOS: The Original Enterprise Fish Co. in Santa Barbara serves a wonderful side dish called potatoes Romano. Could you possibly obtain the recipe? My husband would be so grateful.

--CAROL

DEAR CAROL: It’s a rather unusual potato casserole made with both diced and instant mashed potatoes. What a great side dish for a festive roast dinner.

ENTERPRISE FISH CO. POTATOES ROMANO

2 1/2 pounds waxy potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 cup oil

2 1/4 cups nonfat dry milk

1/2 cup diced sweet red pepper

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon white pepper

1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup instant mashed potatoes

Paprika

1/4 pound grated Romano cheese

Cook potatoes in boiling, salted water to cover until potatoes are no longer crunchy. Set aside with all of cooking water.

In electric mixer combine 1 cup warm water, oil, dry milk, sweet red pepper, garlic powder, white pepper, seasoning salt and salt. Add cooked potatoes with cooking liquid. Mix thoroughly. Add instant mashed potatoes, stirring until smooth.

Using spatula, spoon mixture into large casserole, about 2 inches deep. Sprinkle with layer of paprika to taste. Top with Romano cheese. Bake at 350 degrees 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

441 calories; 561 mg sodium; 25 mg cholesterol; 20 grams fat; 48 grams carbohydrates; 20 grams protein; 0.65 gram fiber.

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DEAR SOS: I would love to have a recipe for traditional Italian rum cake with custard filling. Can you help?

--LOUISE

DEAR LOUISE: Zuppa Inglese is a classic Italian dessert we have printed many times throughout the years. This short-cut version uses bakery sponge cake, which is then sprinkled with rum and vermouth and frosted with custard.

ZUPPA INGLESE

(Italian Rum Cake)

3 egg yolks

2 cups milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

Dash salt

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 (6-inch) sponge cake layer

6 tablespoons sweet vermouth

6 tablespoons dark rum

1/4 cup orange marmalade

1/4 cup chopped or thinly sliced toasted almonds

Beat egg yolks well and blend with milk, sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler. Stir in lemon peel. Cook over hot--not boiling--water, stirring constantly until custard is thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Split sponge cake into 3 layers. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons vermouth over bottom and middle layers. Spread each of 2 layers with 2 tablespoons orange marmalade. Stack layers and top with third layer. Sprinkle top and sides of cake with rum. Spread cooled custard over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle toasted almonds over top. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

290 calories; 120 mg sodium; 190 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.43 gram fiber.

DEAR SOS: I am desperate for a recipe for chili beans made from scratch for a patio party. Can you help?

--JEAN

DEAR JEAN: Here’s a fairly typical chili bean recipe using pinto beans.

CHILI BEANS

1 pound pinto or red kidney beans

6 cups water

1/4 pound salt pork, chopped

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 large clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3 teaspoons chili powder or to taste

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

Cover beans with water and simmer until beans are tender, about 2 hours.

Cook salt pork until almost crisp. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender, but not browned. Add salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, chili powder and tomato sauce.

Dip cup of liquid from beans and add to sauce. Simmer 5 minutes. Add onion mixture to beans. Turn into casserole and bake, covered, at 325 degrees 2 hours or longer. Taste after 30 minutes and season to taste with more salt, if needed. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Each of 8 servings contains about:

352 calories; 778 mg sodium; 8 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 53 grams carbohydrates; 17 grams protein; 5.26 grams fiber.