ROSE DOSTI : Lentil Soup

DEAR SOS: The lentil soup served at Papadakis Taverna in San Pedro gave warm comfort while a heavy downpour raged outside. Any chance for a recipe from the Papadakis family?

--THOMAS

DEAR THOMAS: The Papadakis family graciously sent us a recipe, which tested just fine. It’s called faki in Greece, where the soup is an everyday staple.

PAPADAKIS TAVERNA LENTIL SOUP (Faki)

1 pound lentils

1 quart lamb or beef broth

1 quart water

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup tomato sauce or 1 tablespoon tomato paste

Salt, pepper

Rinse lentils. Then place in large saucepan with broth and water. Bring to boil.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in skillet. Add celery, carrots, onion and garlic. Saute until onion is tender.

Add onion mixture, tomato sauce and salt and pepper to taste to lentils. Bring again to boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour or until beans are tender and soup is somewhat thickened.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Each of 8 servings contains:

253 calories; 423 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 19 grams protein; 3.33 grams fiber.

*

DEAR SOS: I’ve seen, tasted and loved red onion jelly at many boutiques but can’t find the recipe. I’d like you to publish it.

--MARIAN

DEAR MARIAN: We’d like to publish it also, but we can only offer a recipe for onion jam, which is served as “marmalade” with roasts or grilled meats. Perhaps a reader will come to our rescue with a blow-by-blow jelly recipe.

RED ONION JAM

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup oil

8 cups thinly sliced Spanish red onions

6 shallots, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup sugar

Melt butter with oil in saucepan. Add onions and shallots and fry until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat and stir in salt and pepper. Cook, partly covered, stirring frequently, until onions are very tender and caramel-colored, about 30 minutes. Do not burn.

Stir in sugar and cook until sugar is completely dissolved. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 3 cups.

Each 1-tablespoon serving contains:

35 calories; 36 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.19 gram fiber.

* Only recipes of general interest will be printed. Send recipe request to Culinary SOS, Food Section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053. Include restaurant address when requesting recipes from restaurants. We are unable to answer recipe requests by mail.

You can also reach Rose Dosti on the Wining & Dining bulletin board on TimesLink, or by TimesLink e-mail at wesd47e. For information on TimesLink, call (800) 792-LINK, ext. 274.