RESTAURANT REPLICAS: CREATE FABULOUS COPYCAT APPETIZER, SALADS AT HOME.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

The mail continues to bring new requests for copycat versions of Cheesecake Factory creations. This time it's the bruschetta requested by reader L.S. Nelson of North Hollywood, who notes that it is delicious and has a wonderful taste. A recent sampling verified that it is indeed terrific.

Even better, our version designed for home cooks goes together in a jiffy with chopped fresh tomatoes, red onion, garlic, basil and olive oil. Be sure to use fresh basil - it's not the same without it. And use top-quality extra virgin olive oil. Serve as an appetizer or offer as a quick meal with a big green salad with or without meat.

If you're looking for something different for an entree salad, consider the cold Chicken Diablo Salad, a replica version of one from the take-out counter of Gelson's market. The flavor is intriguing - hot and spicy with a slight sweet and sour twist. It's not too time-consuming to prepare if you use cooked chicken breasts or a whole chicken from the market. Remove the skin and dice the meat. Red pepper strips, rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes (Gelson's uses yellow, which we couldn't locate, so red ones were substituted), red onions and ripe olives add color while a little chopped green chile, cilantro, rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and oil add interesting flavor. The mixture is best chilled an hour prior to serving if you have the time.

Serve piled on assorted greens for a beautiful-looking variation on the chicken salad theme. Keep this salad in mind next time you're entertaining at a midday shower or weekend lunch. Both its appearance and flavor make it a showstopper.

Another novel entree salad - that could be served in a smaller portion as a dinner salad, especially during the holiday season - completes today's replica collection. It's a fabulous-tasting combination sampled at the Bongo Room, a restaurant in Chicago. The restaurant is small and busy at breakfast and lunch and brunch on the weekends. And with the wonderful array of tempting-sounding salads and sandwiches, it's no wonder.

Breakfast dishes sound innovative with offerings like Raspberry Cheesecake Hotcakes and Pineapple Upside Down Brioche French Toast. Go early if you want to avoid waiting for a table.

The salad, referred to as the Ambassador on the menu, combines fresh spinach leaves, fennel pieces, red onion slices, toasted pecans, dried sour cherries and manchego cheese. The ingredients are dressed with an Orange-Balsamic Vinaigrette, which in our version has lots of fresh orange juice along with a little orange peel.

If you're not familiar with fennel, give it a try in this dish. It has a pale green feathery top and large bulblike base. The distinctive flavor is similar to licorice or anise seed but less pungent. Look for fresh green leaves and crisp, large compact greenish-white bulbs with no sign of splitting, drying or browning. Keep refrigerated until using.

To prepare, rinse well and trim top and bottom, removing any bruised outer pieces. Although all parts of the fennel plant are edible - and can be eaten raw, steamed, baked, stir-fried or sauteed - we used the bulb (cut out and discard the hard center core) cut into thin slices. Blanch in boiling water in the microwave oven for a few minutes, just until crisp-tender.

If you can find it, use manchego cheese (a rich, golden semifirm cheese with a mellow flavor) as the restaurant does. In a pinch, substitute a very mild crumbled feta or goat cheese so you don't overpower the other ingredients. Manchego is famous in Spain and was so named because originally it was made only from the milk of Manchego sheep that grazed the famous plains of La Mancha.

These three facsimiles are all winners. Tasters gave them top marks. Clip and save to use throughout the year.

BRUSCHETTA

2 cups finely diced tomatoes (about 5 to 6 plum tomatoes - squeeze out seeds and most of juice before dicing)

1/3 cup finely diced red onion

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

1 small clove garlic, crushed through a press or minced

Extra virgin olive oil

Seasoned salt and pepper to taste

6 (3/4- to 1-inch thick) diagonally cut slices sourdough or French bread (from a baguette or flute)

In a medium stainless steel or glass bowl, combine tomatoes, red onion, basil, garlic and 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Toss gently to mix. Stir in seasoned salt and pepper to taste.

Brush both sides of bread slices with olive oil and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Toast under preheated broiler about 8 inches from heat source about 2 minutes per side until light golden.

Spoon tomato mixture onto toast slices and arrange slices attractively on a serving plate or platter. Or spoon tomato mixture into a small bowl or souffle dish and place in center of serving plate surrounded by toast slices. Makes 3 to 4 servings.

CHICKEN DIABLO SALAD

2 1/2 to 3 cups diced cooked chicken breast

1/4 to 1/2 red onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped soft sun-dried tomatoes (rehydrate tomatoes in boiling water 10 minutes and drain well)

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon water

1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped Anaheim OR California chile

3/4 cup drained whole medium ripe olives

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup vegetable OR olive oil

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 clove garlic, pressed

Seasoned salt and garlic pepper to taste

Hot sauce to taste

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients, mixing well.

Refrigerate 1 hour before serving on assorted greens. Makes 4 to 4 1/2 cups, about 4 servings.

AMBASSADOR SALAD

Orange-Balsamic Vinaigrette

8 cups spinach, cleaned and torn into pieces

1 fennel bulb, cut in thin slices, blanched in boiling water in microwave oven until crisp-tender and drained

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced and slices cut into strips

1 cup toasted pecans

2/3 cup dried sour cherries

3/4 cup crumbled manchego cheese

Prepare Orange-Balsamic Vinaigrette; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine spinach, fennel, red onion, 1/2 of pecans and 1/2 of cherries. Add vinaigrette and toss well.

Serve on salad or dinner plates and sprinkle with remaining pecans and cherries. Top with cheese, dividing evenly. Makes 3 to 4 entree-size servings; 6 salad-course size servings.

ORANGE-BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE: In a small bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup oil, 2 to 3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar, 6 tablespoons fresh orange juice, 1 teaspoon grated orange peel and seasoned salt and garlic pepper to taste. Makes about 3/4 cup.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

Photo: (Color) Bruschetta goes together quickly with chopped fresh tomatoes, red onion, garlic, basil and olive oil.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer