Fishing for Fromin’s Salad Recipe

DEAR SOS: Fromin’s Delicatessen in Encino serves a great tuna salad. Do you think they’ll want to part with the recipe?

--JERRY

DEAR JERRY: Fromin’s corporate representatives even saved us the chore of reducing the quantity size recipe to serve eight to 10.

FROMIN’S TUNA SALAD

4 (6 1/2-ounce) cans white meat albacore tuna, water-packed

3 stalks celery

2 slices egg bread

3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup mayonnaise, or to taste

Drain tuna well. Place in mixing bowl and break into small pieces. Wash celery and chop fine. Trim and discard crust from egg bread. Finely chop bread.

Add celery, egg bread, relish, pepper and garlic powder to tuna. Add mayonnaise and mix well. Cover and refrigerate. Makes 4 1/2 cups or 8 to 10 servings.

DEAR SOS: I am asking for the recipe for Chocolate Mousse Pie, which appeared in your newspaper. I misplaced my copy.

--EVELYN

DEAR EVELYN: The original recipe came from judge Mildred Lillie of the Court of Appeals in Los Angeles. She developed the recipe 10 years ago because she was tired of having to go out to restaurants to enjoy it. Chocolate mousse cake was a rage during that period.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE PIE

8 eggs, separated

Sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brandy

10 ounces unsweetened chocolate

2 ounces semisweet chocolate

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brewed coffee

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

Chocolate Crust

Cherry Cordials

Combine egg yolks, 1 1/2 cups sugar, vanilla, salt and brandy in top of double boiler. Place over simmering water and beat until pale yellow and thick, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from water and set aside.

Melt both types of chocolate in top of double boiler over hot water. When melted, remove from water and beat in butter, bit at time.

Gradually beat chocolate into egg yolk mixture until smooth. Chocolate mixture will congeal and become very stiff. Beat in coffee.

Beat egg whites (at room temperature) into soft peaks. Gradually beat in 3 tablespoons sugar until stiff peaks form.

Fold 1 cup beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture until thin, then carefully fold in remaining beaten egg whites until thoroughly incorporated. Whip cream until stiff and gently fold into chocolate mixture.

Pour mousse mixture into Chocolate Crust and chill overnight in refrigerator. Garnish with Cherry Cordials. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Chocolate Crust

2/3 (8 1/2-ounce) package dark chocolate wafers

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Grind wafers in blender container until crumbs are very fine. Combine butter with crumbs and pat onto bottom and sides of buttered 9-inch spring form pan. Bake at 325 degrees 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Cherry Cordials

13 maraschino cherries with stems, drained

1/2 cup brandy

5 ounces semisweet chocolate

Soak cherries in brandy and place in freezer. Melt chocolate over hot water. When cherries are frozen, dry on paper towels and quickly dip, 1 at time, into chocolate, swirling around by stem until completely covered.

Chocolate will harden almost immediately. Place on wax-paper-lined tray and refrigerate until ready to use.