Help! My recipe got burned

I am looking for a recipe that was in The Bee 10 to 15 years ago.

The recipe was for chicken with onions, apples and apple liquor. It was one of my family's favorite dishes. The recipe was burned in a house fire.

My grown children are asking for this recipe. Can someone help?

– Torey Ross, Sacramento

What a sublime dessert that was

Does anyone have a copycat recipe for the aish al sharia dessert served at Maalouf's Taste of Lebanon in Sacramento?

It's sublime. If my mother had tasted this, she probably would have called it "what the gods eat to celebrate."

The menu says "toasted French bread soaked in our special syrup and topped with special pudding."

Can someone help? Thanks.

– Anne Poitras Shaw, Sacramento

Seeking Papa Dooley's split pea soup

In the 1980s, The Bee published a recipe for Papa Dooley's split pea soup. I remember that all of the vegetables were grated. I lost the recipe in a move and can't find anyone else who has it. Hopefully someone saved this recipe and will be willing to share. Thank you.

– Teri Taylor, Teasdale, Utah

Creamy chicken tortilla soup

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves 8

Vince's Mexican Restaurant in Woodland is one of Bill Ferrier's favorites. It recently added to its menu a hearty chicken tortilla soup rich in cumin flavor. Ferrier was hoping for the recipe or one close.

This creamy chicken tortilla soup recipe comes from Lila McGraw of Atlanta, Ga. It has the good cumin flavor Ferrier enjoyed with Vince's version.

INGREDIENTS

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

3 tablespoons margarine or butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 14-ounce cans chicken broth

4 cups half-and-half

One 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 cup fresh salsa or 1 to 2 chopped jalapeños, to taste (wear gloves)

One 15-ounce can creamed corn

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked, cut into chunks

2 teaspoons ground cumin

One 1.27-ounce packet fajita seasoning

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided use

16 ounces tortilla chips

8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the garlic and onion in the margarine or butter for 5 minutes. Add flour and stir well, cooking for 1 minute more. Add broth and half and half. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Add the soup, salsa, corn, chicken, cumin, fajita seasoning and 2 tablespoons of the cilantro. Stir and continue to cook for 15 minutes.

Crumble tortilla chips into individual bowls. Add 1/2 ounce shredded cheese to each bowl and ladle in soup. Top each bowl with more crumbled chips, remaining cheese and cilantro and serve.

Per serving using low sodium chicken broth: 730 cal.; 36 g pro.; 71 g carb.; 33 g fat (16 sat., 10 monounsat., 3 polyunsat., 4 other); 125 mg chol.; 1391 mg sod.; 5 g fiber; 10 g sugar; 42 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 can email twatson@sacbee.com or fax (916) 556-5625. Please include your full name, your city and phone number.

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