Chicken and rice like mom baked

My mom used to make a chicken dish with rice and curry in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. It was baked in the oven. I've looked in every cookbook she left me and can't find this recipe. My mom passed in 1970 and no one in the family makes this dish. Does anyone have this recipe? Thank you.

– Bess Long, Sacramento

Chocolate with walnuts, anyone?

Panera Bread Store has a delicious chocolate cookie called chocolate duet with walnuts. I would love to make these for the holidays. Does anyone have this recipe or one similar? Thanks.

– Liza Maldonado, Sacramento

Ann Pachett's spicy seafood chowder

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Serves 4

Clarisse Davis of Wilton was looking for a spicy seafood chowder recipe that was in The Bee a number of years ago.

Janice Thornton of Merced shares this recipe, which may be close to what Davis is looking for.

Note: The cook time for the orzo overlaps the cook time for the broth.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped celery

½ cup chopped green bell pepper

3 large garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

2½ cups bottled clam juice

two 8-ounce cans tomato sauce

¼ cup orzo

½ pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined

½ pound bay scallops, side muscles removed

two 6-ounce cans chopped clams

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery and green pepper. Sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, sauté for 1 minute. Add basil, thyme, oregano and dried crushed red pepper. Sauté 1 minute. Stir in bottled clam juice and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. (Broth can be prepared 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm over low heat before continuing.)

Meanwhile, cook orzo in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Rinse under cold water until cool. Drain well.

Add shrimp and scallops to broth. Simmer until shrimp are just opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Stir in orzo and clams with juices. Simmer until clams are just heated through. Divide chowder among 4 bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Per serving: 456 cal.; 50 g pro.; 30 g carb.; 14 g fat (2 sat., 9 monounsat., 3 polyunsat.); 162 mg chol.; 1444 mg sod.; 3 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 29 percent calories from fat.

Garlic chili (vegetarian)

Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 40 minutes

Serves 10 to 14

Lori Quick of Citrus Heights was looking for a vegetarian chili recipe that calls for 100 cloves of garlic.

This recipe comes from Connie Lane of Penn Valley, who says this dish can be served with cooked beans of your choice. Lane suggests adding 2 pounds of chuck (cubed into 1-inch pieces or 2 pounds of ground chuck) when you add the salt and pepper. Brown the meat and continue following the recipe. If you add the meat, this dish will serve 12 to 16.

INGREDIENTS

12 dried California chilies

Boiling water

Two 28-ounce cans tomatillos, drained

¼ cup olive oil

100 cloves garlic, medium size

1 cup chopped onions

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 cup chopped fresh basil or fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the chilies in a large heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand 30 minutes, until soft. Remove from water (discard water), then seed and stem the chilies. In a food processor or blender, process or purée the chilies and tomatillos. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-duty skillet. Peel the garlic cloves and cut them in half. Sauté them until they are soft and just barely begin to brown. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add salt and pepper, stirring after the addition. Pour off any excess fat. Add the chile-tomatillo puree and the tomatoes. Stir in the basil or cilantro and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes or until the desired consistency.

Per serving based on 10 servings: 175 cal.; 4 g pro.; 26 g carb.; 7 g fat (1 sat., 4 monounsat., 2 polyunsat.); 0 mg chol.; 414 mg sod.; 5 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 35 percent calories from fat.