Don't toss those empty food cans in your recycling bin -- use them to make today's recipe, Boston Brown Bread. It is a quick bread made with rye and whole wheat flours and molasses. Other ingredients vary but today's recipes call for cornmeal, buttermilk, baking soda, raisins and walnuts. And you don't need any fancy equipment; just pour the batter into those empty cans and then place the cans in a large pot of boiling water. The heat and steam cooks the bread. The result is moist, dense and rich.

Today's recipes are in response to a request from Joan Hardt of Hampton. We tested two. The first, sent by Len Sciullo of Freedom, we made as described above and the second, sent by Jenny Whitney of South Park, we made in a slow cooker.

Serve this bread warm or room temperature with butter or cream cheese -- delicious.

PG TESTED

• 3 16-ounce clean and empty food cans
• 1/2 cup rye flour
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup molasses

Spray cans and 1 side of 3 6-inch square pieces of foil with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl combine rye flour, cornmeal, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Stir in walnuts and raisins.

In another bowl whisk buttermilk and molasses together until blended. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir until well mixed. Spoon batter evenly into cans. Place 1 piece of foil, greased side down on top of each can. Secure foil with rubber bands or kitchen string.

Place filled cans in slow cooker. Pour boiling water into slow cooker to come halfway up sides of cans, making sure foil tops do not touch boiling water.

Cover and cook on low 4 hours or until tested done.

To remove bread, lay cans on side roll and tap gently on all sides until bread releases.

Cool completely on cooling rack.

PG TESTED

• 2 28-ounce clean and empty food cans
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup rye flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 3/4 cups dark molasses
• 1 cup raisins, optional

Grease and flour cans. Grease two pieces of foil large enough to cover top of each can.

In large bowl mix all ingredients with a spoon or whisk until well blended.

Divide batter between cans. Tightly cover the top of the cans with the greased foil. Tie kitchen string around the foil. Place cans in a large pot.

Pour boiling water into pot to come halfway up sides. Bring water to a boil again then reduce the heat to low. Cover pot with a tight fitting lid and simmer until tester inserted into center of the bread comes out clean (about 3 hours).

Remove cans from pot and cool on a cooling rack (about 15 minutes). Run a butter knife between the cake and can then gently shake to remove the bread.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: Bread can be baked in a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan following the same directions.

Suzanne Dillon of Raleigh, N.C., wondered if any of our readers remembered the chicken burger restaurant between Marianna and Lone Pine, Washington County, in the 1950s.

We received a response from Trudy Kosey of Canonsburg: "Read the request about the chicken burger stand. It was called Stouffer's on Old Waynesburg Road/Route 19 south, toward Waynesburg. After many years of being closed it reopened in the basement of Millcraft Center (West Chestnut Street in Washington, Pa.) for a couple of years and is no longer open. There is a restaurant on Route 19 near the Meadows called The Finish Line that has the same burgers."

Joanne Rovder, Johnson Johnstown, Pa.: "I would greatly appreciate getting the recipe for beef vegetable soup from Mimo's Restaurant in Windber. Pa. My husband and I think it is the best soup anywhere, especially the broth! They make it once a week. A bowl isn't enough,. I would love to make a pot of it."

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Calling all turtle soup lovers. Do you have a good turtle soup recipe? If you do send a copy to Kitchen Mailbox, c/o Arlene Burnett, 34 Blvd. of the Allies, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15222 or aburnett@post-gazette.com.SLOW COOKER BOSTON BROWN BREAD