Wednesday, Jun. 11, 2008

Amost summer; time for soup

My grandmother used to make something she called summer soup. It had fresh vegetables; corn, lima beans and tomatoes are the ones I remember. It also called for chicken. It did not have noodles.

She didn't have the recipe written down anywhere and no one in my family seems to know how to make the soup. I'd be grateful if someone could help me find the recipe for this soup.

Thanks.

Tracy LaBrie
Fair Oaks

• Orange tea bread: Sometime around 1960, Family Circle or Woman's Day magazine had an article about putting on a wedding at home. One of the recipes featured was a great orange walnut tea bread. The first step was to candy your own orange peel with butter and sugar, then use it as an ingredient in a very moist, sweet bread. I saved the recipe for a long time, but during the course of our many moves, I've lost it.

I have contacted both magazines and looked on the Web without finding anything similar. This was a great alternative to banana nut or cranberry orange bread. Thanks for any help.

Helen Hardwick,
El Dorado Hills

• Looking for leaves: Many Thai and East Indian recipes call for fresh kaffir lime leaves or fresh curry leaves. Some authors say that the dried leaves do not taste the same. I have not been able to find either of these items. Is there anywhere in Sacramento that sells these ingredients? One grocer told me that it is illegal to import kaffir lime leaves. If you do find fresh leaves, can they be frozen for future use?

Larry North
Sacramento

• Apple pancake, please: One endearing memory of my father was his enthusiastic love of my mother's cooking. After a long day at work, he'd walk in the kitchen, and say, "What is that delicious smell? I can't wait to eat!"

My adorable husband, on the other hand, has not been a food enthusiast until recently. The Dutch baby apple pancake at the Original Pancake House in Roseville is to die for. I'd love the recipe, or one similar, so I can surprise my husband with it. Thank you.

Jo Ann Oliver
West Sacramento

• Daisy chicken fondly recalled: There used to be a restaurant on Fulton Avenue in Sacramento called Sampan. They had a daisy chicken dish that was fantastic. It was a bit like a mandarin chicken, but different. Since the restaurant closed, we miss our daisy chicken. Can anyone help? Thanks.

Michelle Johnston,
Sacramento

Watson is a Sacramento home economist who has been a nutrition consultant and cooking instructor for 15 years. She is a member of the American Association of Family and Consumer Science. Write: Teri Watson, Taste, The Sacramento Bee, P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento 95852. Fax: 916-556-5625. E-mail: twatson@sacbee.com. Include your full name, phone number and city.