GOOD TASTES.

MORTON'S IS COOKING

Fans of Morton's can now re-create some of its menu items at home with a little help from ``Morton's Steak Bible: Recipes and Lore From the Legendary Steakhouse,'' by Klaus Fritsch with Mary Goodbody (Clarkson Potter/Publishers; $30). It includes more than 100 recipes for favorites like the Chopped Salad With Hearts of Palm, Artichoke Hearts and Blue Cheese, Crab and Artichoke Dip With Parmesan Croutons, Mini Cheeseburgers, Chicken Goujonettes, Creamed Spinach, Lyonnaise Potatoes, Bearnaise Sauce, Beef Filet Oskar, Legendary Hot Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Souffle.

And of course, there's a chapter devoted to steak along with information on buying, cooking and timing.

Some of the recipes are more complicated and time-consuming than others. Although I haven't tested any recipes from the book, the ingredient amounts in the hot chocolate cake (delicious at the restaurant) jumped out at me -- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter and 8 large egg yolks plus 7 large eggs (with 12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate) for six (6-ounce) servings. They seem a little excessive. I've made lots of these types of desserts with far less butter and fewer eggs. A friend who made the Wild Mushrooms With Garlic Butter noted that the recipe came out great, but the Shrimp Alexander she tried didn't taste like what's served in the restaurant.

Fritsch, a professional chef, teamed up with Arnie Morton to found Morton's in 1978 -- and he's currently the company's vice chairman.

If you'd like to meet Fritsch and have him autograph a copy of the book, plan to attend a book reception at Arnie Morton's The Steakhouse in Burbank from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 9 or at the downtown restaurant location 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 10. Signature hors d'oeuvres will be served and cost is $30 per person (including a copy of the book). Call Gina Cano at [phone] (Burbank) or Charisse Older at [phone] (Los Angeles) for a reservation.

-- Natalie Haughton

DELICIOUS BROWNIES

So who has a delicious selection of brownies? Who's Brownies, right in our back yard -- in Reseda. The company, owned by good friends, Mark Sferas and Kelly Hartleip, offers 13 flavors -- pecan, peanut butter, coconut, raspberry swirl, caramel, white chocolate and butterscotch among them -- in 2 3/4-inch squares as well as 1/2-sized and 1/4-sized brownies. All are baked with Scharffen Berger chocolate, butter, eggs and pure vanilla.

You can mail-order the brownies (packaged in cello bags) by calling [phone] or [phone] or by going to www.whosbrownies.com. A standard box of 6 (2 3/4-inch) brownies is $20, 13 brownies $36, or 37 brownies $90, all plus shipping and handling. Custom gift baskets are also available. Upon arrival, store the brownies in the fridge three to four weeks or in the freezer three months.

Who's Brownies also offers party platters and gourmet brownies (turtle brownies and cherry ganache brownies) and both can be delivered locally within a 35-mile radius -- or picked up. Platters with 100 bites (1/4-size brownies) are $85 and 200 bites are $149. Gourmet brownie platters are $129 for 100 bites.

Samples got a thumbs-up from us. The gourmet turtle brownies received rave reviews.

-- N.H.

CONTEST ALERT

Here's a chance to become a fabulous grillmaster. Cattlemen's Barbecue Sauce is looking for the worst barbecuers in their Chump to Champ BBQ Makeover Contest. Nominate the most barbecue-impaired person you know by writing in 100 words or less why he/she doesn't cut it (burns the meats, etc.). Cattlemen's will pick a grand prize winner to transform from the worst into the best with a barbecue makeover from Rick Browne, author of ``The Big Book of Barbecue Sides'' and TV host of Barbecue America. The winner will attend a barbecue festival in Memphis in May. Send entries to Cattlemen's Chump to Champ BBQ Makeover Contest c/o BHG PR, 546 Valley Road, Upper Montclair, NJ 07043 or enter online at www.cattlemensbbqsauce.com. Deadline for entries is Aug. 1.

Lender's is looking for a healthy bagel masterpiece in its Healthiest Bagel contest. The grand prize is a spa day at a national spa location, including travel. Use any variety of Lender's bagels -- frozen, refrigerated or fresh -- and your favorite nutritious toppings. Take a photo, describe what it is, and send it along with your name and address to Lender's Healthiest Bagel Contest, c/o BHG PR, 546 Valley Road, Upper Montclair, NJ 07043 or e-mail to [e-mail]. All entries must be received by July 31.

-- N.H.

TOFFEE PUDDING

Sticky Toffee Pudding, was the winner of the Food Network's Scoop contest held in conjunction with Haagen-Dazs that challenged ice cream lovers across the country last summer to create their ultimate dessert fantasy. Judiaann Woo of Brooklyn, N.Y., a pastry chef, food writer and editor in chief of PastryScoop.com at the French Culinary Institute in New York, came up with the flavor inspiration from the popular classic British dessert of the same name, which has been popular on dessert menus in the Big Apple of late.

Haagen-Dazs is now selling the ice cream as a limited-edition flavor (it will be available through the end of the year) in grocery stores and Haagen-Dazs shops nationwide. As interpreted by Woo and Haagen-Dazs, the ice cream sports a creamy vanilla ice cream base with chunks of moist, brown sugary cake with swirls of gooey, decadent toffee sauce. Suggested retail is $3.75 per pint. Yum!

The other four finalists' (two from Los Angeles) flavors were Cannoli, Toasted Coconut Sesame Brittle, Mocha Malt and Carmelized Figs and Walnuts. Cannoli and Toasted Coconut Sesame Brittle made it into the top three.

-- N.H.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) no caption (Who's Brownies)

(2 -- color) no caption (book: MORTON'S STEAK BIBLE)

(3 -- color) no caption (Haagen-Dazs sticky toffee pudding)