cut into L-inch pieces ¥% cup (I stick) butter | ¥% cup sour cream 1 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Preheat oven to 350°E Brush com with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and peppet Wrap each ear of com in foil and place on bbaking sheet. Place garic on piece of foil; bush garic with olive oil and sprinkle swith salt and pepper Wrap in foil and place on same baking sheet. Roast garlic until tender and beginning to brown, about 45 minutes, Roast com until begin- ning t0 brown, ruming occasionally, about 1 hout. Press garlic between fingers to release from skins. Mash garlic in ‘medium bow. Cut com off comcobs. Cook potatoes in large pot of boil- ing salted wacer until cender, about 20 minutes, Drain, Retum potatoes to same ppot. Mix in butter, sour eream and garlic and mash. Stir in com, then parsley. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Set aside at 00m temperature. Rewarm before serving) Thad never been especially fond of bread pudding, but 1 changed my mind when T i tried the one served at The Winchester Country Inn in Ashland, Oregon. Ther ver- sion is outstanding; i's studded with apri- ‘ots and topped with avich caramel sauce Sendra Miller Cherry Hill, New Jersey APRICOT BREAD PUDDING WITH ‘CARAMEL SAUCE Croissants and a Grand Marnier custard ‘make this bread pudding super-decadent. It's great with or without the Caramel Sauce Gee recipe): if you're short on time, substitute a purchased sauce. 12 SERVINGS 1 cup Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur ¥% cup water 5 cups whipping cream 6 lange egas 2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extact 4% teaspoon grated nutmeg 8 croissants, cubed (about 1 pound) 26 IANUARY 2000 RSVP. 1 cup dried apricots, diced Caramel Sauce (optional; ee recipe) Simmer Grand Mamier and Y cup water fn heavy medium saucepan 5 minutes, (Cool mixture completely. ‘Whisk Grand Mamier- water mixture, cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg in large bowl 0 blend. Place croissant pieces in 13x0s2-inch glass baking dish; add apricots and toss to combine. Pour cus- tard over croissantapricot mixture, press- ‘ng down gently with rubber spatula so that croissant and apricot pieces are even- ly covered. Let stand 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°E Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Place dish in larger roasting pan. Add enough hot ‘water to roasting pan to come 1 inch up sides of baking dish. Bake 1 hour Remove aluminum foil and contin- ue baking until bread pudding is golden ‘brown on tap and firm to touch, about 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove bread pudding from oven and from water bath; cool slightly, Drizle bread pudding with Caramel Sauce, if desired, and serve warm, CARAMEL SAUCE This would also be terfic over ice cream. 1% MAKES ABOUT 1% CUPS 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons light com syrup % cup whipping cream % cup (stick) unsalted butter ¥% teaspoon vanilla extract Stir sugar, 2 tablespoons water and com syrup in heavy medium saucepan over mediumow heat until sugar dissolves Increase heat; boil without srring until syrup tums deep amber, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swifling pan occasionally, about 8 min utes, Remove from heat. Whisk in cream, buter and vanilla (mixtore will bubble vigorous). Place pan over low heat and stir until sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead Cover and cil. Rewarns over mediatow heat before serving) Viuo's Waterfront, a charming restaurant ‘on Marco Island off Florida's Gulf Coast, ‘offers a house salad that comes with a thick cand tangy swr-dried tomato dressing Joanne Lawrence Nonwell, Massachusetts ‘SUN-DRIED TOMATO DRESSING MAKES ABOUT 3% CUPS 1 small red bell pepper 2 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped. 1 small onion, chopped (1 cup) 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 2 large garlic cloves, peeled % teaspoon dried crushed red pepper 1 S-ounce jar oilpacked sun-dried tomatoes, drained, ent into strips % cap water % cup whipping cream % cup red wine vinegar 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice ¥% cup vegetable oil Char bell pepper over gas flame or in broiler nail blackened ail over. Enclose in paper bag, Ler stand 10 minutes. Pel and) seed bell pepper, coarsely chop. Combine bell pepper and next 5 ingredients in processor. Blend until almost smooth, Transfer to medium bow Mix sun-dried tomatoes, % cup water cream, vinegar and lemon juice in proces: «sor With machine running, add ol; blend until almost smooth. Whisk sun-dried tomato mixture into bell pepper mixture Dinner at La Bowne Etape-an eightecnth- century coachstation-urnedinn—as the best port of my i othe ow af Chto Amos im Provence The duck T ordered caine with ight pe mt and ove sce Sanda Olesky Bondville, Vermont DUCK WITH PINE NUTS AND OLIVES 4 SERVINGS SAUCE 1 tablespoon butter 2 ducks (each about 5% pounds), fresh or frozen, thawed (necks, hears and gizzards reserved) {RECIPE CONTINUED ON FAGE 28}