A dish fit for a czar

By DONNA PIERCE
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Q. After enjoying this dessert at La Madeleine's French Baker and Cafe in New Orleans, I'm looking for a recipe for strawberries Romanoff. -- Florence Hybl, Westchester, Ill.
A. Although La Madeleine does not reveal recipes, one staffer disclosed the three ingredients in their Romanoff sauce. We mixed together these proportions: 1 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar and 1 tablespoon brandy.
This worked well spooned over fresh berries. But we also found this more traditional recipe in our archives. It appeared in 1991 in an article by the late cooking teacher Peter Kump.
STRAWBERRIES ROMANOFF
1 pint strawberries, washed, hulled, halved
4 tablespoons each: fresh orange juice, orange-flavored liqueur
1 cup whipping cream, well chilled
2 tablespoons sugar, optional
Place strawberries in a large bowl. Combine orange juice and liqueur in a small bowl; pour juice mixture over fruit. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour. Beat the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form; add sugar if desired. Continue beating until firm peaks form, about 2 minutes. Serve strawberries with a large dollop of whipped cream on top of each.
Yield: 4 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 106 calories, 46 percent of calories from fat, 6 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 14 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 8 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.