Recipes

The Grape & Gourmet event in downtown Sacramento brings the best of dining with lovable wines. Here are some samples.

Does anyone know how to make the spicy sauce served at the Japanese Kitchen Restaurant in Fresno?

Before my dad got his medical practice going and finally grew an actual income, we kids were growing up pretty poor.

The Joy of Cookies in the K Street Mall sold a lemon- drop cookie that was moist on the inside and kind of crunchy on the outside. Most of the recipes that I can find call for you to flatten the cookie and dip it in sugar.

Stuart Leavenworth, our Chef Apprentice, will occasionally share an Oliveto recipe. Today it's a sugo – a rustic and intense meat sauce that is spooned on meat dishes at the Oakland restaurant. Chef Paul Canales developed this version for home cooks.

Layers from the past

I have been eating the carrot and raisin salad served at Plaza Hof Brau for years. It used to be Sam's Hof Brau, located at Watt and El Camino avenues.

Veggie pinwheels

I enjoy your column and recipes. I would love to have a recipe for dolmades (singular "dolma"); stuffed grape leaves. Can anyone help?

Fudge brownies

The assignment was slightly daunting: See what appetizers can be found or created from the stock at a dollar store. Two stops later – Dollar Tree and 99 Cent Only Stores – there were five appetizers: two that would show up on my table, two that looked pretty but didn't taste as nice, and one that didn't make the cut.

Market find: Pimentón or Spanish paprika

It's the time of year when cheese logs and yule cakes are so omnipresent it makes you wonder if they've cloned themselves.

Does anyone know of a restaurant in the Sacramento area that serves a dish called crispy beef? There is a Chinese restaurant in Fresno that prepares this dish, which is thinly sliced beef, lightly breaded and deep fried. My wife loves this dish so we'd like to find a local restaurant that serves it. Thanks for any help.

Pound for pound – and this is one hefty cookbook – the new collection from Cooking Light magazine is terrific.

In a long-standing tradition, it's time to wrench a mess of greens and cook up some winter sallet. And don't forget to sop up the pot likker, or – if you prefer – pot liquor.

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.

I am 88 and just in the last few years have become allergic to wheat. I am sure there are others like me. I'd like to have recipes for baked goods that do not contain wheat. Thank you.

This lasagna is a quick way to satisfy a craving for Mexican flavors.

These recipes were supplied by Gopal Kapur of Roseville, who advocates eating raw foods and occasionally eating a limited- calorie diet to simulate what some people subsist on in other countries.

I would like to know how to make sun-dried tomatoes, like the ones used in spreads on toasted bread, for example. I would also like some recipes that use sun-dried tomatoes. Thank you.

According to "The New Lasagna Cookbook," this is the traditional lasagna, first cooked in Bologna, Italy.

This rich lasagna is the perfect comfort food.

In a small bowl combine vinegar, water, soy sauce, black beans, corn starch, and pepper flakes, stir to mix well, set the sauce aside.

Joan Sisler of Sacramento loves the enchiladas and sauce served at Los Altos Mexican Dining and Cantina in Truckee.

This classic white sauce is made from butter, flour and milk.

Combine dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and shake well.

This side dish from Janice Thornton can be used with any Mexican or East Indian meal.

This recipe comes from Janice Thornton and goes with the chicken enchiladas with roasted tomatillo chili salsa.

Here are a few recipes that the people at Soil Born Farms put in their veggie boxes, since so much produce is in season right now – or will be in the coming weeks. Sean Hagan said they are standard cookbook recipes with alterations based on the fresh produce available.

The key to success is cooking the caramel to exactly 250 degrees. Before you begin, test your candy thermometer by dipping it into boiling water. It should read 212 degrees. Add or subtract the difference when you cook the mixture.

I am looking for a cake recipe that I believe I saw in a women's magazine recently. It called for three 8-inch round layers of yellow or vanilla cake, possibly from a cake mix.

Stephanie Izard, who this summer became the first woman to win Bravo TV's "Top Chef" cooking competition, prepared this shrimp dish during a demonstration earlier this month at the 23rd annual Lake Tahoe Autumn Food & Wine Festival in the Village at Northstar outside Truckee.

My friend Mr. Blaine would not approve of this recipe, but it is quick and easy. You can leave out the nuts if you want. Note: The apples should be chilled about 45 minutes before you eat them.

Ruby Harding of Turlock was looking for P.F. Chang's won ton soup recipe.

The Land Park Community Association will host its annual wine tasting event 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday on 17th Street (between 11th and 13th avenues) in Sacramento. About 25 wineries, 14 caterers and two breweries will be on hand. Cost is $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Visit www.landpark.org or call (916) 447-3803, ext 3. for details. Tickets are available at Vic's Ice Cream, Avid Reader, Espresso Metro and Capitol Nursery.

Barbara Vickery of West Sacramento loved the apple bran muffins with coconut she used to get at the now-closed Bran Wagon.

Pistachios add a whole new dimension to pumpkin soup. This recipe is from the Western Pistachio Association in Fresno.

Don Lutz of Carmichael was looking for recipes for oven-fried potatoes, sometimes called wedgies, to make on the grill. Sue Bear of Citrus Heights shares this recipe.

Years ago, Christina St. Amour of Sacramento enjoyed a crab lasagna served at a restaurant. It was one of the most delicious dishes she's ever tasted. She was hoping for a recipe.

This recipe is from the Western Pistachio Association in Fresno.

This spice cake combines all the flavors we associate with the fall season. The recipe is from the Western Pistachio Association in Fresno.

Sally White of Rancho Murieta was looking for a recipe for gingerbread that did not have the usual dense texture but was light and fluffy.

This recipe can be made as an appetizer or a main dish. For a main dish, serve the meatballs over steamed rice. This recipe is from Western Pistachio Association in Fresno.

Jane Dewey is often asked for her favorite pistachio recipe and she shares this one for chunk cookies.

I am hoping someone has the recipe for the potatoes au gratin served at the Blue Bayou restaurant at Disneyland.

Pectin requires a large portion of sugar to fruit in order to gel properly. Sugar-free jam is often made with gelatin instead of pectin.

Norma Horrell of Roseville recently attended a function catered by Hannibal's where she enjoyed a delicious broccoli salad. She was hoping they'd share their recipe.

I lost a great recipe that was in The Bee for Spanish rice. Did anyone else save this recipe? Thanks.