Culinary school a treasure of fine dining

The Mikasa Dining Room is sort of a secret treasure for a fancy lunch out in the Lowcountry.

Located within the Culinary Institute of Charleston at Trident Technical College, it's a training ground in restaurant operations for students. They prepare the food and wait on the tables, and the experience is outstanding for them and the diners alike.

Based on what I've eaten and others have told me, the meals are consistently excellent, and you can't argue with the price, which starts at $2 for soups up to $8 for entrees. Plus, the dining room itself is very pretty and offers views of the kitchens, so people can watch the action if they choose.

The Mikasa Dining Room will be open again to the public in mid-September after the fall semester starts. Note: Reservations are required; you can't just show up.

The exact opening date and hours each semester — fall, spring and summer — vary with each semester's class schedule. In a few weeks, you can check the Web site www.tridenttech.edu/culinary_institute_o... and click on Mikasa Dining Room, or phone ahead then to find out the days and times. The reservations line is 820-5087.

Several weeks ago, Wanda Crosby of Round O ate lunch there and subsequently e-mailed to ask if I could get the recipe for a soup she enjoyed: cold potato and cucumber soup with lump crab meat. Marion Sullivan, culinary program specialist at the institute, kindly worked to get the recipe, which had to be downsized from a big batch. Thanks to chef Scott Stefanelli and the student chefs.

Chilled Cucumber & Potato Soup With Fresh Blue Crab

6 (8-ounce) portions

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 English cucumbers, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 Vidalia or other sweet onion, cut in half and sliced thin

2 cups peeled and diced white potatoes ( 1/4-inch cubes)

1 clove garlic, minced

3 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 ripe avocado

1/4 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

8 ounces lump crab meat, gently picked over for shell

2 teaspoons white truffle oil (optional)

1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the canola oil over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the cucumbers, onions, potato and garlic. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Do not let anything brown.

Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the soup to a blender and add the heavy cream. Puree until smooth. You may have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your blender.

Peel, seed and dice the avocado. Add the avocado and the sour cream to the blender and blend until smooth. Add the salt and pepper and adjust the seasoning.

Strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer and chill for 12 hours.

Divide the soup between 6 (8-ounce) cups. Place equal amounts of crab in the center of each cup. Drizzle with the truffle oil and sprinkle with chives.

Birthday cake

Anne Dobson of Mount Pleasant asked about a cake recipe she wants to make for her father's 88th birthday. From his description, she believes it was two-toned with an orange flavor, and not a layer cake.

A retired teacher in Moncks Corner e-mailed this recipe, and it seems like a match. She says it's a variation of an angel cake, it's two-toned yellow and white (fitting the suggested name Sunshine Angel Cake), isn't two layers and is faintly orange-flavored. She scanned it from "McCall's CookBook," 1963 edition.

McCall's Best Daffodil Cake

Makes 20 servings

White batter:

1 3/4 cups egg whites (12 to 14)

1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Yellow batter:

5 egg yolks

2 tablespoons cake flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

In large bowl, let egg whites warm to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

To make the white batter: Sift flour with 3/4 cup sugar; resift 3 times. Set aside.

With portable electric mixer, at high speed, beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks form when beater is slowly raised.

Gradually beat in remaining sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until stiff peaks form when beater is slowly raised.

With rubber scraper or wire whisk, gently fold vanilla into egg whites until well-combined.

Sift flour mixture, 1/4 at a time, over egg whites. With wire whisk or rubber scraper, using an under-and-over motion, gently fold in each addition with 15 strokes, rotating bowl a quarter-turn after each addition.

Then fold an additional 10 strokes; flour mixture should be completely blended into egg whites. Put 1/3 of the batter into medium bowl.

Make yellow batter: In small bowl, combine egg yolks with cake flour and sugar. With electric mixer, at high speed, beat until thick and lemon-colored. Stir in orange peel.

With rubber scraper or wire whisk, using an under-and-over motion, gently fold egg-yolk mixture into reserved 1/3 of the batter, with 15 strokes.

For marbled effect, spoon batters alternately into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, ending with white batter on top. With spatula or knife, cut through batter twice.

With rubber scraper, gently spread batter in pan until it is smooth on top and touches side of pan.

Bake, on lower oven rack, 35 to 40 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Invert pan over neck of bottle; let cake cool completely, about 2 hours.

With spatula, carefully loosen cake from pan; remove. Serve plain or frost as desired.

Meanwhile, Rita Phillips of North Charleston called to ask about a "Louisiana cake," another orange-flavored tube cake. She thinks ground nuts can be put on the bottom or top. Is anyone familiar with this cake?

Second helping

Ground turkey recipes from Cynthia Edmiston of Mount Pleasant arrived a bit past my deadline for last week's column. Cynthia sent a couple, noting that ground turkey can be used in most any recipe for ground beef, "if you add a pinch of ground rosemary as you're browning the turkey."

Turkey Chili

1 pound ground turkey

1 tablespoon butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon rosemary

1 onion, chopped

1 can kidney beans, un-drained

1 can chopped tomatoes, undrained

1 can tomato sauce

1 small can green chiles, chopped

1 package Chili-O or other chili season mix

Water as needed

For garnishes: cheddar cheese, sour cream and guacamole

In a pan, brown turkey with butter, garlic and rosemary. Transfer to a large pot. Add onion, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chiles and seasoning mix. Simmer 1 hour, adding water as needed.

Serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream and guacamole in side dishes for garnishes.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Serves 4

For stuffing:

4 medium carrots, steamed and chopped

1 cup cooked ground turkey

2 cups cooked rice

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 can chopped tomatoes, drained

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon parsley

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

16 large cabbage leaves, steamed

For sauce:

1 can tomato sauce

1 small can tomato paste

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon each Italian seasoning and Italian dressing

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix ingredients for stuffing, except cabbage leaves, and salt and pepper to taste. Separate into 8 equal portions. Place one portion in the middle of a cabbage leaf, roll up, then roll another leaf around that. Repeat with remaining leaves and stuffing.

Mix sauce ingredients. Lightly cover bottom of a casserole dish with sauce and place rolls into dish. Spoon remaining sauce over rolls. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve 2 rolls per person. Accompany with hot bread and a tossed salad.

Shrimp smell update

I heard from Pam Rector of Mount Pleasant about the eau-de-shrimp in my van.

"Dear Teresa,

"Long-term shrimper for 43 years, Bubba Rector in Mount Pleasant said SELL THE CAR.

"Just kidding, but some of us have done just that. Denie White, widow of Farrell White of McClellanville, shrimper for 52 years, has tried carpet cleaner, baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, charcoal, coffee, hospital sanitizer and pet odor eliminator. Even airing the trunk and the odor didn't go away.

"Lowcountry shrimpers say the odor is there to stay. It seeps under the carpet and makes a permanent home in your car.

"Although Mary Scott, wife of Jimmy Scott, shrimper from McClellanville, says that diluted Clorox works but will spot your carpet if the solution is too strong.

"Just some remedies from the locals."

As I told Pam, the smell in my van has gotten better, settling down into an unpleasant funk instead of a stench. I guess I don't have to offer to drive anymore — will save money on gas.

I haven't given up yet, though.

A Wadmalaw reader related a story about raw chicken leaking in the car years ago, and the repeated effort to get rid of the smell. Baking soda scrubbed into the carpet a few times finally worked. A St. George reader also suggested trying a product called Odor Free or Febreze. Thanks, y'all.

Who's got the recipe?

--A Folly Beach reader is wondering if anyone had the recipe for the cheeseburger sub at the old Sonny's Sub Shop, which was on St. Andrew's Boulevard. "Even though it sounds simple I cannot duplicate it. Is there some secret ingredient?" Another long shot, but we'll see.

Second time around:

--Judi Lawrence of Charleston writes, "I wonder if anyone has the recipe for the oval, scalloped hors d'oeuvres crackers served at Woodlands in Summerville (on New Year's Eve 2005 — yes, 2 1/2 years ago!). They were thin, about 1x2 inches, and sprinkled with sesame and poppy seeds."

--Hazel Williams of Charleston requests a blackberry dumpling recipe for her sister, Gloria Williams, who just moved here from Maryland.

If you have a recipe request or one to share, reach Food Editor Teresa Taylor at 937-4886, food@postandcourier.com or write The Post and Courier, 134 Columbus St., Charleston, SC 29403.