K.L. of Davie asked for ``a truly authentic'' recipe for making Lebanese bulgur salad. She remembered that her mother would make it ``and wouldn't even let us taste it until it had chilled for a day.''

J.S. recommends the tabouleh recipe here, from Jeff Smith's The Frugal Gourmet On Our Immigrant Ancestors (William Morrow, 1990). This recipe is quite different from other tabouleh I've tasted, primarily from Israel. As Smith writes, what makes the Lebanese version taste different is that it calls for a cinnamon and allspice blend. While tabouleh ``appears in the cuisine of other Middle Eastern cultures, I like the flavorings the Lebanese impart best. . . . They remind me of my childhood when my Lebanese Uncle Vic would prepare this for us on a summer evening.''

Sherri Fox of Golden Beach sent a recipe from ``a cookbook put together by U.S. military officers' wives in 1970 that offers this tip for those who prefer softer, fluffier grains in tabouleh: Pour the wheat into a large bowl, cover with boiling water, and let stand for two hours, then strain well before proceeding with recipe.

COOKBOOK

I am quite taken with a new cookbook from Food and Wine Magazine, Quick from Scratch Italian Cookbook ($24.95). The recipes are not only time savers, they are intriguing. Venetian fish soup, Florentine beef steak and grilled chicken with lemon and thyme are just a sampling. Here's one I tried and will definitely make again and again. I made four generous servings of a truly delicious dish in about five minutes of prep time. Letting it bake while I tossed a salad put dinner on the table in about half an hour.

The ``trick'' to the recipe is that instead of stuffing cannelloni, you simply toss the ingredients and bake.

Q: Do you think you could find the recipe for White French Dressing, made at the old Post & Paddock restaurant in Bay Harbor? My husband and I used to go there over 30 years ago. You haven't failed me yet! Tonight we are having steaks with Place for Steak Sauce, thanks to your column!

Bridget

A: I'm not sure if this is exactly the recipe, but many readers contributed thoughts when we first published a recipe for White French Dressing a few years ago. I wasn't a fan, but was told it was very popular in Ohio and the Midwest, where at one point you could even buy it at the grocery store. Some recipes add tarragon or celery seed, some use dry mustard rather than Dijon, and some call for simply tucking a whole peeled garlic clove in the dressing for a few hours to ``scent it.'' Let me know if it fits the memory.

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