Distance makes hearts grow fonder for Forum favorites

Ever wondered what makes other Forum cooks tick?

Well, it will probably come as no great surprise that their top priorities (you know the ones – the must-have, underlined and with exclamation points, recipes it’s not possible to survive without) are just as varied as the places they now call home.

Take, for instance, Lisa Mandic, who currently lives way over there in Butte, Mont. Her heart’s desire happens to be a certain soup, from a particular restaurant.

In case you have a yen for this concoction, too, and either missed it the first go-round or have misplaced it since, here it is again, as it originally appeared in a March 20, 1991, Forum column.

But first, we have to travel in the other direction, across the Pacific this time, to the Kula, Hawaii, kitchen of Kuulei Heyer.

Topping her wish list is a real Forum old-timer, an onion flat bread, that nowadays we’d probably label focaccia. When it first appeared in the Forum Oct. 5, 1983, it had just won the grand prize (and earned $10,000 for its Virginia creator) in the Best Foods $100,000 Baking Contest.

Incidentally, even after all these years, Kuulei says, “It is pretty darned good!”

Let’s start with the soup how-to, then do the bread:

1wood ear mushroom

Water

1ounce bamboo shoots, shredded

2ounces lean pork, shredded

1ounce fresh mushrooms, sliced

1ounce bean curd, thinly sliced

1/2cup cornstarch

4cups chicken broth

2teaspoons beef base

1/4teaspoon salt

1/2teaspoon white pepper

5teaspoons soy sauce, Kikkoman brand preferred

7teaspoons vinegar

1egg, beaten

1teaspoon sesame oil

1green onion, chopped

In small bowl, soak wood ear mushroom in hot water until softened, then drain, cut into long shreds and set aside. In saucepan, bring 2 cups water to boil; add shredded mushroom, bamboo shoots, pork, sliced mushrooms and bean curd. Allow to boil 5 minutes, then drain, discarding water and set aside.

Meanwhile, in bowl, dissolve cornstarch in 1/2 cup cold water to make a light paste. Set aside, but stir occasionally to keep mixture from separating.

In large saucepan or kettle, bring chicken broth to boil; add reserved mushroom mixture, beef base, salt and pepper. As soon as mixture returns to a boil, slowly stir in cornstarch mixture until soup is thick. Immediately stir in soy sauce, vinegar, egg and sesame oil. Ladle into bowls and garnish with green onion.

Makes 4 servings.

41/2-5 cups unsifted bread flour, divided

2tablespoons sugar

1teaspoon salt

1/4cup lukewarm (105-115 degrees) water

1teaspoon sugar

1package dry yeast

1egg, slightly beaten

1cup lukewarm milk

1/2cup real mayonnaise

3tablespoons margarine, divided

11/4cups shredded onion, drained, divided

Garlic powder

2tablespoons sesame seed

Paprika

In small bowl, stir together 2 cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and salt. In large bowl, stir together water and 1 teaspoon sugar; sprinkle yeast over water and stir until dissolved; let stand 5 minutes. In small bowl, stir together egg, milk and mayonnaise; stir into yeast. Beat in flour mixture.

Stir in enough remaining flour to form soft, not sticky, dough. Knead 2 minutes on floured surface or until smooth and satiny. Place in oiled bowl; turn to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled, 45 to 60 minutes.

Melt 2 tablespoons margarine in medium skillet over medium-low heat; add onion and, stirring occasionally, cook about 5 minutes or until translucent. Cool.

Punch dough down; knead in 1/2 cup onion. Form into ball on floured surface. Using rolling pin and hands, roll and stretch dough to 10-by-15-inch rectangle. Place in oiled 1-by-101/2-by-151/2-inch jelly roll pan. Melt remaining margarine; brush over dough.

Sprinkle with garlic powder to taste and sesame seed. Spread remaining onion over top; sprinkle with paprika. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 15 minutes or until slightly puffy. Bake at 375 degrees 35 minutes or until well browned.

Cut lengthwise down middle of bread, then across into 1-inch slices. Serve warm or cool.

Makes about 21/2 dozen pieces.