A few weeks ago Beverly Price of Crafton requested a recipe for Potato Leek Soup. This request caught the eye of Garnet Roth, a member and publicity person for the St. David's Society of Pittsburgh, an organization for people of Welsh heritage. "I'm a great fan of Leek Soup. I would like to remind you that the leek is a symbol of Wales, and Leek Soup is a classic Welsh recipe. One of our members makes an excellent Leek Soup," Garnet wrote. Kitchen Mailbox contacted Jeannine Lanigan of Edgewood, another member of the St. David's Society who sent us the recipe and it was excellent.

The St. David's Society will celebrate St. David's Day (the patron saint of Wales) March 1. Featured on the menu that day will be Leek Soup and homemade Welsh Cakes. Kitchen Mailbox is featuring both recipes today. Roth, of Baldwin, sent us the Welsh Cakes recipe.

The Welsh Cakes recipe calls for superfine sugar. You can make your own superfine sugar by placing regular sugar in a food processor, process until the sugar is powdery.

POTATO LEEK SOUP

• 3-4 leeks
  
• 1 medium onion
  
• 2 tablespoons butter
  
• 3 cups chicken stock
  
• 4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• Salt to taste
  
• White pepper to taste
  
• Chopped parsley and chives for garnish

Slice the root ends from the leeks, and remove the tough dark green ends (these can be saved and used for making a stock). Slice the leeks lengthwise and wash thoroughly. Chop the leeks. Peel and mince the onion.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan or medium-size stock pot. Add the leeks and onion. Cover and cook over heat until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and chicken stock.

Cook over low heat until the potatoes are thoroughly cooked, about 30 minutes.

Remove the pan or pot from the heat. Break up the potatoes using a potato masher or wooden spoon. Stir in the milk, and add salt and white pepper to taste. Return to the stove and cook at a low heat until the soup is heated through. Garnish with chopped parsley and chives.

WELSH CAKES

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, slightly softened
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  
• 2 teaspoons milk
  
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 2 1/4 cups flour
  
• 1 tablespoon nutmeg
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 cup currants or raisins (optional)

Fine or superfine sugar for sprinkling over the baked cakes

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, milk, vanilla. Sift dry ingredients and add to the dough. Stir in currants or raisins (we used raisins). Chill slightly if desired (we chilled the dough for 5 minutes).

Roll the dough out 1/4 inch thick. Cut the cookies in desired shapes (we used a 2-inch biscuit/cookie cutter).

Preheat a griddle 360 degrees. Place the cakes on the griddle cook until brown. Turn and brown cakes on the other side. Remove from griddle and immediately sprinkle with fine sugar. These may be kept for several days, and they freeze well.

Note: The Welsh cakes can be made in the oven but authentically they are made on a griddle. Currants can be found near the raisins and other dried fruit in most large grocery stores.

Letters

Mary Fatigati Birnie of Chantilly, Va.: "I was teaching my children to 'Google' a person on a Web site and we happened to type in my maiden name Fatigati (Fatigati's Restaurant in Cuddy) and saw a few requests for recipes from my family's restaurant. I got a chuckle out of it. My father and grandmother taught all of us how to cook. You can tell your readers that none of the recipes were written down. It is hard to give a recipe on exacts because we did it all by eye -- a little here, a little there."

Requests

Christine Piccolo of Coraopolis would like a recipe for Italian Love Pie or Italian Love Cake.

Jason Rakip of South Park: " I am hoping someone might have a recipe for strawberry crinkle cookies. They are similar to chocolate crinkles with confectioners' sugar, but with strawberry flavoring instead of cocoa. I had them at a wedding recently, but no one knew who made them and my searches on the Internet have proven fruitless."