Q: In the early 1970s, I made a cake/cobbler the whole family loved, and it was so easy. In a glass pie plate or 8-inch square glass baking dish, I melted butter, added flour and stirred in milk and sugar. I then dropped in any kind of fruit and put it in the oven to bake. It always turned out so good. Would you happen to know anything like this?

Gloria Smith, Huntsville, Ala.

A: I've got a recipe nearly as easy as the one you describe that can be made with any fresh or canned fruit. Served warm, it begs for a scoop of ice cream or dollop of cream. If you don't have self-rising flour, substitute 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt.

RED BEANS AND RICE

Frank Kirwin asked for a 1992 recipe he believed was from my column for ``a pasta (macaroni) and red kidney bean dish.'' I thought it was my attempt to duplicate the Olive Garden pasta fagioli, but it turns out the dish was not Italian but New Orleans-inspired, and was created by Mary Armstrong, who wrote a Heart Healthy column at that time.

The recipe intrigued me, and I immediately tried it out on my family. It is delicious. After being healthily vegetarian the first night, I sliced leftover grilled chicken sausage with basil into the dish the next time I served it for a heartier meal.

Q: I am on a mission to find an egg drop soup recipe and also the chips that go along with it that you find in any Chinese restaurant.

D. Hill, Forsyth, Ga.

A: Making egg drop soup is easy, particularly if you have homemade chicken broth or a very good commercial product on hand. It's a little tricky to get the egg to cook in wands rather than clumps. A whisk or fork tends to trap the egg. I find using a chopstick to keep the broth circling while you drizzle in the egg mixture works best. I like to add shredded carrots or zucchini, snow peas or frozen baby peas.

As to the ``chips,'' most restaurants make their own crisp noodles by deep frying strips of wonton dough. For an easy at-home version, buy wonton wrappers in the refrigerated section of an Asian market or large supermarket. (Flour tortillas could be substituted.) Use a pizza wheel to cut strips about 1/3 inch wide and 2 inches long. Heat 2 inches of peanut or canola oil to 365 degrees, and fry strips until crisp, about 30 seconds; drain on paper towels.

SLEUTH'S CORNER

Q: I've misplaced a wonderful recipe for a whole wheat bread made with applesauce and brown sugar. I believe I got it from a handout at a ladies circle of the Mormon church.

Peggy Johnson, Kendall

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