Margaret S. Waring of Baltimore requested a recipe for Chicken Gumbo Soup. Her response came from Vivian Offutt in Bel Air, who wrote, "This recipe came from a very old cookbook that I have that dates back to about the 1940s. Hope this is what she wanted.

"If desired, add 2 quarts of peeled and diced tomatoes, in which case reduce the water by half."

Recipe requests

Rose Henry of Columbia writes: "I hope you can help me find a lost recipe for Spanish rice. It was in Woman's World magazine, possibly about 1997 or '98. The magazine couldn't help and copies were not in the library, so you are my last resort."

Bob Canning of Petaluma, Calif., jokes as he writes: "I am not crazy, but I want a chocolate sauerkraut cake recipe. Before my mother passed away, she let friends borrow her copy because it always garnered a lot of praise. It has been more than 12 years, and I'd love to introduce this legendary cake to friends who scoff, and to reacquaint my taste buds with wonderful times and memories." If you are looking for a recipe or can answer a request for a hard-to-find recipe, write to Ellen Hawks, Recipe Finder, The Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21278. If you send more than one recipe, put each on a separate sheet of paper with your name, address and daytime phone number. List the ingredients in order of use, and note the number of servings each recipe makes. Please type or print contributions. Letters may be edited for clarity.

Chicken Gumbo

Serves 6

1 disjointed 3 1/2 -pound fryer chicken

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons chopped onion

1 tablespoon flour

2 quarts okra, sliced and chopped

water

salt and pepper, to taste

Wash and pat dry chicken pieces. Melt butter and saute chicken, onion and flour over medium-high heat in a tall stockpot until nicely browned. Add okra and 1 quart water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover.

Simmer until okra is dissolved, about 2 1/2 hours, adding water occasionally to keep quantity the same. Remove chicken pieces, cool slightly and strip meat from bones. Return meat to soup. Season to taste.

Tester Laura Reiley's comments: "I would definitely add the tomato to the dish - it adds both flavor and visual interest (otherwise the resulting soup takes on a gray-green color that might not be universally appetizing).

"The basic gumbo is very satisfying and delicious, but a spicy-food fan might think of adding 1 tablespoon creole seasoning or a half-pound of sliced andouille sausage. Since fresh okra is not always easy to find, two 10-ounce packages of frozen, sliced okra could be substituted."