Chocolate Malt Cake, Chicken Dijon

DEAR SOS: As a chocoholic I am in desperate need of the recipe for the unbelievable chocolate malt cake served at Dalt’s Restaurant in Burbank.

--JENNIFER

DEAR JENNIFER: Although this isn’t Dalt’s version, Chocolate Malted Milk Cake has made the rounds over decades.

CHOCOLATE MALTED MILK CAKE

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cider vinegar or lemon juice

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon malt vinegar

Cocoa powder

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Melt chocolate in double boiler and cool.

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at time, beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla.

Stir together cake flour and salt. Combine cider vinegar and milk. Blend flour into creamed butter-sugar mixture alternately with soured milk, mixing well. Add melted chocolate, blending thoroughly.

Dissolve baking soda in malt vinegar in bowl large enough to accommodate foaming of mixture. Add to batter, mixing well. Divide batter equally between 2 (8-inch) square cake pans, greased and dusted with cocoa powder.

Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes or until wood pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on wire racks.

Place 1 layer, top-side down, on serving platter. Spoon about 1/3 cup Chocolate Frosting onto layer and spread evenly to edge. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Place other layer, top-side up, on frosted layer. Frost sides of cake, then top, covering completely. Makes 12 servings.

Each serving contains about:

584 calories; 279 mg sodium; 79 mg cholesterol; 27 grams fat; 84 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.29 grams fiber; 42% calories from fat.

Chocolate Frosting

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1/2 cup butter or margarine

4 cups powdered sugar

4 to 6 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt chocolate in double boiler and cool.

Combine butter and powdered sugar in food processor container fitted with plastic blade. While processing, add milk, vanilla and melted chocolate through feed tube. Blend until smooth and creamy. Makes about 2 1/3 cups.

DEAR SOS: Several years ago The Los Angeles Times printed a wonderful recipe for Chicken Dijon. I have misplaced my copy.

--PATRICIA

DEAR PATRICIA: We’ve printed many wonderful recipes for Chicken Dijon, but here is a version using chicken breasts with traditional herbs--tarragon, thyme, rosemary--as well as Dijon mustard. Enjoy.

CHICKEN DIJON

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

Dash crushed rosemary

Dash crushed thyme

Dash crushed tarragon

Salt, pepper

Flatten chicken breasts into cutlets, using mallet. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet. Add chicken breasts and cook until lightly browned on both sides. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.

Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in skillet. Add onion and cook until tender. Add wine and mustard and simmer until mixture is reduced by half. Add whipping cream and simmer until sauce is thick enough to coat spoon. Strain, then add rosemary, thyme and tarragon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken breasts. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

438 calories; 210 mg sodium; 157 mg cholesterol; 43 grams fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.07 grams fiber; 88% calories from fat.

DEAR SOS: Do you have the recipe for Benihana’s salad dressing? It’s one of my favorites.

--RAY

DEAR RAY: Here’s the recipe as provided to us by the Benihana chain some years back.

BENIHANA SALAD DRESSING

1/2 cup soybean oil

1/4 cup white vinegar

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ginger root

1/2 cup sliced celery

1/4 cup coarsely chopped onion

Combine soybean oil, vinegar, tomato paste, soy sauce, salt, ginger, celery and onion in blender container. Mix at medium speed 3 to 5 seconds until celery is finely grated. Add dressing to salad and toss. Makes 1 1/2 cups dressing, 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

175 calories; 378 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.21 gram fiber; 94% calories from fat.