Pudding to Macaroons

DEAR SOS: I am looking for the recipe for Vincent Price’s bread pudding served at Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego. It is the best I have ever had and I wondered if you happen to have the recipe in your file.

--BETTY ANNE

DEAR BETTY ANNE: We, too, wondered how Vincent Price’s bread pudding ended up on a San Diego restaurant menu. During a visit to the inn more than 10 years ago, Price shared his recipe with former chef Bob Blakesly. Price’s pudding has been Number 1 on the dessert list ever since.

VINCENT PRICE’S

RANCHO BERNARDO

INN BREAD PUDDING

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

8 slices white bread

3 eggs, beaten

4 cups milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced

Creme Anglaise

Sprinkle raisins and brown sugar evenly in well-buttered 13x9-inch glass baking dish. Line dish with bread slices. Set aside.

Combine eggs, milk and vanilla and pour over bread slices. Dot with butter.

Place baking dish in hot water bath. Bake at 350 degrees 1 hour or until pudding is firm. Serve in squares with Creme Anglaise. Makes 8 to 12 servings.

Creme Anglaise

6 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups milk

Dash salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine egg yolks and sugar. Mix thoroughly until smooth. Set aside.

Bring milk to simmer. Add salt and vanilla.

Combine egg mixture with some hot milk and return to milk mixture. Heat over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Strain and cool. Makes 2 cups.

DEAR SOS: I was recently in Cincinnati where you can find Cincinnati chili, also called skyline chili. I can’t seem to find a recipe in any cookbook. Please print the recipe if you have one.

--SUSAN

DEAR SUSAN: We got this one straight from the horse’s mouth: a reader from Cincinnati.

CINCINNATI SKYLINE

CHILI

2 pounds ground beef

3 cups water

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 bay leaves

1 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Combine ground beef and water in medium saucepan. Mix until soupy. Stir in tomato sauce, garlic powder, bay leaves, onion, cinnamon, Worcestershire, salt, cumin, vinegar, chili powder, allspice and red pepper. Simmer, uncovered, 3 hours. Stir occasionally. Makes 8 servings.

Note: Top with shredded Cheddar cheese and chopped onions. Or add chili beans or use as sauce over noodles or spaghetti.

DEAR SOS: When I was a little girl my mother would surprise me with those wonderfully light macaroons from Will Wright’s Ice Cream parlor. Can you possibly come up with a recipe?

--DEBI

DEAR DEBI: Will Wright’s Ice Cream parlor is no more, but we do have a few macaroon recipes that might come close. Try this and see.

MARVELOUS

MACAROONS

1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (7-ounce) package flake coconut

1 (2 1/2-ounce) package whole almonds, toasted and chopped

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Drain pineapple well, pressing out excess juice with back of spoon. Reserve juice for beverage or other use. Combine drained pineapple with condensed milk, coconut, almonds, melted butter, lemon zest and almond extract in large bowl.

Combine flour and baking powder. Beat into pineapple mixture until blended. Spoon by heaping tablespoons 1 inch apart, onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees 13 to 15 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool. Store in refrigerator. Makes 3 1/2 dozen.

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