Cream Cheese Cake, Chicken, Jam

DEAR SOS: This recipe for cream cheese loaf cake was printed in your paper about 25 years ago. The 1971 earthquake misplaced it, and the 1994 earthquake found it behind a wall cabinet, somewhat chewed up around the edges. Now it’s difficult to read. Please print it again.

--C. K.

DEAR C.K.: The ravages of time itself caused our recipe to vanish all together. We hope it is floating peacefully in recipe heaven, but we can’t be sure. So let us help you reconstruct this unusual recipe for the benefit of other readers, old and new.

CREAM CHEESE LOAF CAKE 2 1/4 cups sifted flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup shortening 1 2/3 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 cup milk 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1 tablespoon grated orange peel 1/4 cup orange juice

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Cream shortening and gradually add 1 1/2 cups sugar, continuing to cream until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, beating well. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Blend well after each addition. Cut cheese into 1/4-inch cubes and fold into batter, along with walnuts and orange peel. Turn batter into 2 greased and floured 9x5-inch loaf pans or 12 well-greased muffins tins. Bake at 375 degrees 50 to 55 minutes for loaves or 20 to 25 minutes for muffins, or until golden brown. Combine remaining 1/3 cup sugar and orange juice. Brush over hot loaves. Cool 30 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely before slicing. Makes 2 loaves, about 8 servings each.

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DEAR SOS: I enjoy Indian curries. Could you please print a recipe?

--GINO

DEAR GINO: One of our favorite Indian-style curries is the one shared by Nancy Mehta, wife of conductor Zubin Mehta, when the couple lived in Los Angeles.

NANCY MEHTA’S MOGHLAI CHICKEN 8 boned chicken breasts Seasoned flour 1/4 cup butter 2 to 3 large onions, chopped 6 large cloves garlic, crushed 1 (1/2-inch) piece ginger root, grated 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin 1 1/4 teaspoons cumin seeds, crushed 1 1/4 teaspoons caraway seeds 1 1/4 teaspoons turmeric 1 teaspoon dried red chile 1 or 2 green chiles, split 1 or 2 large tomatoes, chopped 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cloves 1 1/4 teaspoons cardamom 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed 1 teaspoon saffron 2 tablespoons warm milk 1 cup sour cream

Dredge chicken breasts in seasoned flour and brown in butter. Remove chicken. Add onions, garlic and ginger and saute until onions are transparent. Add ground cumin and crushed cumin seeds, caraway seeds, turmeric, red chile and green chiles. Cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes until chiles are browned, spices are mixed and seeds are lightly fried. Add chicken breasts and tomatoes. Add water to cover and simmer about 25 minutes, or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken breasts to baking dish. Combine cloves, cardamom, brown sugar and saffron that has been soaked in warm milk with sour cream and pour over chicken. Heat at 250 degrees to keep warm until serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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DEAR SOS: Do you have a recipe for banana jam?

--OLLIE

DEAR OLLIE: Happily we do. You can, if you wish, reduce the recipe by half.

BANANA JAM 12 cups sliced bananas (about 20 medium) 6 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups orange juice 3 strips orange peel 6 strips lemon peel 2 sticks cinnamon 6 whole cloves

In large kettle, combine sliced bananas with sugar, orange juice, orange and lemon peels, cinnamon and cloves. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Boil rapidly 10 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes. When jam is thick, remove from heat and ladle immediately into sterilized canning jars. Fill to within 1/8 inch of top. Screw caps on evenly and tightly. Invert for few seconds, then stand jars upright to cool. If jam is to be stored for long period, place jars on rack in large kettle and cover with boiling water. Boil 10 to 15 minutes to sterilize. Remove from water and cool. Makes about 5 pints.