TAKE COMFORT FROM CHEF JAMIE NEW COOKBOOK, OLD FAVORITES.

Byline: - Natalie Haughton

Meet Jamie Gwen.

You can catch the Valley resident hosting ``ChefTalk'' from 5 to 6 p.m. Sundays on KRLA-AM (870) radio. She answers cooking questions and offers recipes.

Her latest venture is a cookbook, ``Chef Jamie's Modern Comforts: Healthy Updates for Traditional Foods'' (Friedman/Fairfax; $24.95) written with Dr. Myles Bader. It features 200 of Gwen's favorite recipes.

Here are some quick bites.

Food experience: Graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y; worked 3 1/2 years at Pinot Bistro, Studio City; on-camera chef/food expert for the ``Home & Family Show'' on the Family Channel for 2 1/2 years; food stylist for NBC ``Emeril'' sitcom starring chef Emeril Lagasse (show has been canceled); spokeswoman and culinary consultant for Smart & Final stores since 2000; food segment contributor to ``Good Day L.A.'' on Fox 11 television; cooks weekly on ``Smart Solutions'' on HGTV.

Cooking style: Simple, fresh flavors easily prepared and scrumptious to eat.

Most popular dishes she makes: Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes (also her most requested television and radio recipe); Southern Fried Chicken; Flourless Chocolate Cake.

Pet peeve: Poor knife skills. ``I want to teach the world how to properly hold a knife.''

Favorite cookbooks: ``Everyday's a Party,'' by Emeril Lagasse; and ``Julia's Kitchen Wisdom'' by Julia Child.

Ideal vacation: A culinary tour of France.

Favorite foods: Lobster; chocolate; foie gras; fried chicken and any dessert.

Favorite junk foods: Pink's chili cheese dog and Pink's French fries with ranch dressing.

Secret food passion: Sweet and salty flavors together (like chocolate-covered pretzels and chocolate-covered potato chips).

Favorite restaurants: Emeril's, New Orleans; Tra Vigne, Napa Valley; Union Square Cafe, New York; Ambassade du Sud-Ouest, Paris; Hitching Post, Buellton; Geoffrey's, Malibu; Yang Chow, Los Angeles.

Favorite kitchen gadget: Microplane grater.

Worst kitchen disaster: Five minutes before air time on a ``Home & Family'' segment, Gwen pulled an onion souffle out of the oven - and it was a total flop. It never puffed up. There was something wrong with the recipe. She had to quickly scrap plans to demonstrate the dish and show the finished product. Instead, she substituted a last-minute dish that she cooked with ingredients from the cupboard.

If she could dine with anyone, who would it be?: Julia Child; Jacques Pepin; Andrea Bocelli.

BLUEBERRY BUCKLE CAKE

CAKE:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening

3/4 cup whole milk

2 large eggs

3 cups fresh OR frozen blueberries

CRUMB TOPPING:

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Grease a 9-inch round springform pan or a 9-inch square pan. To make Cake: In a large bowl, blend together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, shortening, milk and eggs. Beat 2 minutes. Carefully stir in blueberries until just combined.

To make Crumb Topping: In a separate bowl, combine all topping ingredients. Blend with a fork until crumbs form.

Turn cake batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle top with Crumb Topping mixture. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cut into slices. Makes 12 servings.

LOW-FAT TIP: In cake batter, use low-fat milk in place of whole milk, liquid egg substitute instead of eggs and canola oil in place of shortening. Texture will not be as flaky or light as original recipe. In topping, use 50 percent-less-fat butter in place of unsalted butter.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING (STANDARD RECIPE): 282 calories; 10 grams fat; 4 grams protein; 45 grams carbohydrates; 49 milligrams cholesterol.

REDUCED-FAT RECIPE: 194 calories; 6 grams fat; 3.5 grams protein; 46 grams carbohydrates; 6 milligrams cholesterol.

A REUBENESQUE SANDWICH

1 cup sauerkraut, well drained

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup Thousand Island Dressing 

8 slices rye bread

8 slices Swiss cheese

1 pound corned beef, sliced thin

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

In a mixing bowl, combine sauerkraut, caraway seeds and garlic powder. Spread Thousand Island Dressing on one side of each slice of rye bread. Top 4 slices of bread with a slice of cheese. Top cheese with corned beef, a spoonful of sauerkraut and another slice of cheese. Cover sandwiches with remaining slices of bread, dressing side down.

Brush tops of sandwiches with melted butter. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. When pan is just warm, add sandwiches (two at a time), butter side down, and cook until golden brown. Flip sandwiches over and continue cooking until cheese has melted and bread is lightly browned. Makes 4 servings.

THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING: In a mixing bowl, blend together 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise, 1/4 cup ketchup and 1/4 cup chili sauce until well combined. Stir in 2 teaspoons pickle relish. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled through. Makes 1 3/4 cups; each 2-tablespoon serving has 128 calories and 13 grams fat. For a low-fat version, use nonfat mayonnaise instead of regular mayonnaise; each 2-tablespoon serving has 114 calories and 0 grams fat.

LOW-FAT SANDWICH TIP: Substitute turkey slices for corned beef and use nonfat mayonnaise in Thousand Island Dressing.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SANDWICH (STANDARD RECIPE): 763 calories; 55 grams fat; 38 grams protein; 32 grams carbohydrates; 255 milligrams cholesterol.

REDUCED-FAT RECIPE: 605 calories; 24 grams fat; 42 grams protein; 32 grams carbohydrates; 111 milligrams cholesterol.

SPICY STIR-FRY ORANGE CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup orange juice

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch 

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Salt and pepper to taste

4 chicken breasts, sliced crosswise

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 cup snow peas, cleaned

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup thin orange peel strips

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together chicken broth, orange juice, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, rice vinegar and sesame oil.

Fill a large resealable plastic bag with flour and salt and pepper. Shake bag well to mix. Place chicken pieces in bag, seal and shake to coat. Remove chicken from bag and shake off excess coating.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok until very hot. Add floured chicken. Cook about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden. Add bell pepper, snow peas, green onion, orange peel, garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute 2 minutes, stirring often, until vegetables are tender but still crisp. Stir in sauce mixture and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens slightly. Makes 4 servings.

LOW-FAT TIP: Eliminate flouring chicken and saute using only 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and nonstick cooking spray to coat wok. Reduce sesame oil in sauce to 1/4 teaspoon.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING (STANDARD RECIPE): 611 calories; 27 grams fat; 66 grams protein; 27 grams carbohydrates; 176 milligrams cholesterol.

REDUCED-FAT RECIPE: 497 calories; 12 grams fat; 66 grams protein; 27 grams carbohydrates; 176 milligrams cholesterol.

GREEN GODDESS SALAD

1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces

1 bunch watercress, chopped

2 large tomatoes, sliced

1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

12 medium shrimp, cooked and chilled

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

4 anchovy fillets

1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon 

Salt and pepper to taste

Arrange iceberg lettuce in a large salad bowl or on a serving platter. Top with watercress, tomatoes and onion. Arrange shrimp on top. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To prepare dressing, in a food processor, blend mayonnaise, sour cream, anchovies, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley and tarragon until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, drizzle or pour dressing over chilled salad. Makes 6 servings.

LOW-FAT TIP: Substitute light mayonnaise and low-fat sour cream for regular.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING (STANDARD RECIPE): 137 calories; 9 grams fat; 5 grams protein; 10 grams carbohydrates; 9 milligrams cholesterol.

REDUCED-FAT RECIPE: 85 calories; 5 grams fat; 5 grams protein; 12 grams carbohydrates; 6 milligrams cholesterol.

PENNE PUTTANESCA

1/3 cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole

1 anchovy fillet 

2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes

20 kalamata olives, pitted and halved

1 tablespoon capers 

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 

1 pound penne pasta, cooked and well drained

Heat oil in a large saute pan until hot. Add 2 garlic cloves and cook until garlic is golden brown. Remove garlic. Add anchovy fillet to hot oil and stir to dissolve. Add tomatoes, olives, capers, basil, red pepper flakes, oregano and remaining garlic clove. Cover and simmer sauce 1/2 hour. Remove garlic clove and discard. When ready to serve, toss cooked pasta with enough sauce to coat. Makes 8 servings.

LOW-FAT TIP: Reduce olive oil in recipe to 3 tablespoons, but keep heat low to avoid burning garlic.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING (STANDARD RECIPE): 234 calories; 12 grams fat; 3 grams protein; 27 grams carbohydrates; 35 milligrams cholesterol.

REDUCED-FAT RECIPE: 194 calories; 7 grams fat; 3 grams protein; 27 gram carbohydrates; 35 milligrams cholesterol.

BANANA CREAM PIE 

CRUST:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1 large egg

FILLING:

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 egg yolks

2 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons dark rum

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup heavy whipping cream 

3 large, ripe bananas, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds

To make Crust: Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse to combine ingredients. Add cold butter and pulse, at 1-second intervals, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses total. Add egg and pulse until a ball of dough is formed. Remove dough from processor and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead dough 3 or 4 times until smooth and it holds together. Press dough into a disk shape and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until ready to use.

Roll out chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to a 10-inch diameter circle. Place dough in a 9-inch pie pan and trim and crimp edges. Refrigerate pie shell 20 minutes before baking. Pierce all over with a fork and line it with wax or parchment paper. Fill the pie pan with pie weights or dried beans. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven or until crust is golden brown. Cool completely and remove pie weights or beans along with wax paper before filling.

To make Filling: Combine 1/2 cup sugar, flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using a large whisk, beat in egg yolks, one at a time. Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan until butter melts and bubbles form around edge of pan. Slowly pour milk mixture into sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Stir in rum and 1 teaspoon vanilla; return mixture to saucepan. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens to a smooth, heavy custard. Allow to cool to room temperature before continuing.

Meanwhile, beat cream with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until stiff peaks form. Gently fold 1/2 of whipped cream into cooled custard.

To assemble pie: Spread 1/4-inch of custard on bottom of pie crust. Arrange a layer of bananas on top of custard. Continue layering pie, finishing with a top layer of bananas. Spread or pipe remaining whipped cream on top of pie in a decorative pattern. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Sprinkle with shaved chocolate, if desired. Makes 8 servings.

LOW-FAT TIP: Prepare a low-fat graham cracker crust by combining 1 1/2 cups low-fat graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons reduced-fat butter, melted, and 2 tablespoons sugar; mix well. Press into bottom of a 9-inch deep dish pie plate coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake in preheated 325-degree oven 10 minutes. For filling, use 1 egg yolk and 1/4 cup liquid egg substitute along with low-fat milk. Also, in place of heavy cream, use frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING (STANDARD RECIPE): 409 calories; 22 grams fat; 6 grams protein; 37 grams carbohydrates; 166 milligrams cholesterol.

REDUCED-FAT RECIPE: 358 calories; 15 grams fat; 6 grams protein; 39 grams carbohydrates; 85 milligrams cholesterol.

CAPTION(S):

8 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Jamie Gwen

(2 -- 3 -- cover -- color) Culinary Chat

Radio talk-show host dishes up cooking advice and recipes

(4 -- color) no caption (Jamie Gwen)

(5 -- color) BLUEBERRY BUCKLE CAKE

(6 -- color) REUBENESQUE SANDWICH

(7 -- color) SPICY STIR-FRY ORANGE CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES

(8 -- color) GREEN GODDESS SALAD

John McCoy/Staff Photographer