COOK'S CORNER EASY AS PIE, AND SURE TO BE THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

When Juanita Nichols inquired about an apple pie made with soft apples - preferably one made with applesauce - readers sent along a few different suggestions.

Kathleen Amezcua of West Hills noted that she also likes soft apples in her pies and uses only B.C. McIntosh apples, as they end up with a soft consistency when baked. Nancy Peterson, also of West Hills, recommends cooking the sliced, spiced and sugared apples in the microwave oven until fork tender before filling the pie shell. Once the pie is baked, the apples will be nice and soft every time, she adds.

Viola Maupin of Van Nuys responds that Nichols doesn't need applesauce. ``She only needs to use peeled delicious apples like I do. My pies are always soft.'' Maupin sent along the following pie recipe which she uses for her pies. She also recommends investing in a round aluminum ring (it's fabulous, she says) to put over your pie crust so you don't burn it.

PERFECT APPLE PIE

(Shared by Viola Maupin, Van Nuys)

1 (15-ounce) package Pillsbury all-ready pie crusts

6 cups thinly sliced, peeled apples (about 8 small delicious apples OR 6 large)

3/4 cup sugar (reduce sugar if you don't fill pie high)

2 tablespoons flour

3/4 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash salt

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon orange juice

Prepare pie crust according to package directions for 2-crust pie using a 9-inch pie pan.

In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and orange juice. Toss lightly. Spoon apple mixture into pie-crust lined pan. Top with second crust and flute. Cut several slits in top crust.

Bake in preheated 425-degree oven 15 minutes and then put foil around edge of crust. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking about 1 hour or until pie is light golden brown. Makes 1 pie.

NOTE: 2 (20-ounce) cans apple pie filling can be substituted for fresh apple filling above. Bake as directed.

From Pillsbury.

SPECIAL SALAD

A former colleague recently contacted me to find out if we had ever copied the chopped salad served at Nicola's Kitchen in Woodland Hills. Well, she was in luck because we developed and featured a copycat version in our Restaurant Replicas column in 1994. The unique salad, which contains pine nuts, raisins, sun-dried tomatoes and ripe olives, is as good today as it was then. Although the salad involves lots of chopping - including iceberg lettuce, cucumber, green onions, cooked chicken breast, red and yellow peppers and sun-dried tomatoes - the effort is well worth the tasty results.

Toss the ingredients with a slightly creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette - whisked together with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, seasoned salt, pepper and a little whipping cream - for a delicious salad, ideal to serve as a main dish for dinner or a weekend lunch.

SPECIAL CHOPPED SALAD

8 cups chopped iceberg lettuce

3/4 cup EACH chopped red and yellow pepper

3/4 to 1 cup finely chopped, peeled and seeded cucumber

1 to 1 1/4 cups rehydrated chopped sun-dried tomatoes

2 cups chopped boneless, skinless grilled chicken breast

1/3 cup dark seedless raisins

1/3 cup pine nuts

1 (2 1/4-ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained

2 tablespoons chopped green onions

Balsamic Vinaigrette

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except Balsamic Vinaigrette. Toss with as much Balsamic Vinaigrette as desired. Serve immediately. Makes 4 main-dish servings.

BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE: In a small mixing bowl, combine 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 clove garlic, minced, 3 tablespoons whipping cream, 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt and 1/4 teaspoon garlic pepper. Whisk in 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil.