Get yer peanut dressing!

I would very much like the recipe for the peanut dressing used on the salads at Asian Garden Chinese restaurant in Grass Valley.

They would rather not share their recipe. Can anyone help?

– Donna Day, Grass Valley

May as well seek two

I am looking for two recipes. One is for old-fashioned tea cakes. These are not like Russian tea cakes. My grandmother used to make these many years ago. They have the consistency of a cake or cookie and they're soft like a biscuit, but flatter.

They are sweet and contain flour, sugar and cinnamon. My grandmother would use a drinking glass to cut out the dough instead of a cookie cutter.

I am also looking for a burrito recipe like the huge ones served in Mexican restaurants. They have chicken, beans and a delicious sauce.

Can anyone help with these recipes? Thank you.

– Martha Johnson-Young, Antelope

Chocolate fudge rum cake

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Serves: 12

Sarah Stachniuk of Carmichael makes a lot of cakes for different events and was looking for a dense chocolate scratch cake recipe.

We received an overwhelming number of wonderful-sounding chocolate cake recipes in response to Stachniuk's request.

Today's recipe comes from Jack Quartaroli of Sacramento, who has been making this cake for years.

We will feature more chocolate cake recipes in upcoming Mailbox columns.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate squares, melted

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup boiling water

3/4 cup unsalted butter

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon dark rum, optional

For the icing:

3 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces

1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons water

Pinch salt

1 tablespoon dark rum, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until just mixed and reserve. In a food processor, mix melted chocolate, sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder and process 1 minute. Add boiling water and butter, and process 1 minute. Add eggs and process 5 seconds. Add sour cream and rum (if using) and process until smooth, about 10 seconds.

Add reserved flour mixture and process on and off, only until smooth. Pour batter into springform pan sprayed with nonstick spray, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Cool. Remove cake from pan and place on serving plate.

Icing: Melt semisweet chocolate pieces and mix with powdered sugar, butter, water, salt and rum (if using) until smooth. Spread over top of cooled cake.

Per serving: 273 cal.; 3 g pro.; 30 g carb.; 16 g fat (11 sat., 4 monounsat., 1 polyunsat.); 68 mg chol.; 164 mg sod.; 1 g fiber; 53 percent calories from fat.

Barcellona Bites maple bourbon glaze

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Makes about 1 cup

Valerie Reynosa Piotrowski of Folsom attended an event catered by Barcellona Bites recently and said its maple bourbon glazed meatballs were fabulous. She was hoping for the recipe.

We heard from Rochelle Barcellona, executive chef for Barcellona Bites (www.barcellonabites.com), who graciously shares her recipe for the glaze.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup bourbon or sour mash whiskey

1/2 cup cider vinegar

Grated zest and juice of 2 oranges

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1/4 cup brown or full-flavored yellow mustard

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 cup soy sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

In a heavy, nonreactive saucepan, add the maple syrup, bourbon, vinegar, orange zest and juice, brown sugar, mustard, cayenne and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer and continue simmering for about 30 minutes, until reduced to 1 cup.

Cool the glaze, store in a clean, airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. The glaze can be made ahead and will keep in the refrigerator for three weeks. To use the glaze after refrigerating, warm it over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Per 1/4 cup: 220 cal.; 1 g pro.; 37 g carb.; trace g fat; 0 mg chol.; 280 mg sod.; 1 g fiber; 2 percent calories from fat.

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 email twatson@sacbee.com or fax (916) 556-5625. Please include your full name, your city and phone number.

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