Old Junior League of Mobile recipe favorites come together in a new cookbook that's sure to become a classic. Everything old is new again - or so the saying goes. Such is the case with everything from hip-hugging bell-bottoms to favorite foods. "Best of the Bay," the latest cookbook by the Junior League of Mobile, celebrates this astute adage by serving up classic local recipes in a new way. The petite, pocket-sized culinary reference tool features more than 50 timeless, tried-and-true classics, including West Indies salad, trout amandine and gumbo. It also offers tips, like how to make hollandaise ahead of time, and updates, such as substituting orzo for the usual, expected rice. The book is the brainchild of Pam Bostick, a sustaining member and the operations director of the Junior League. "After Hurricane Katrina, a lot of people called to ask for copies of the JLM's cookbooks to replace ones that had been lost in the storm," Bostick says. Both "Recipe Jubilee!" and "One of a Kind" had recently been retired from publication. The organization's "Bay Tables," the official cookbook for the city of Mobile, is still in print. Bostick says they looked into reprinting the retired books, but unfortunately, it was too expensive. So, a new project was born. Bostick and fellow sustainers, Anne Blake Brooks, Sarah Davis, Ann Faulkner, Sally Morrissette and Elizabeth Turner, went through both beloved books, recipe by recipe, in order to select dishes they felt truly represented Mobile. "Best of the Bay" includes a slew of seafood specialties, along with many supper club standards, including the splendid picks that follow. "Best of the Bay" is available for $9.95 at juniorleaguemobile.org or the JLM headquarters, 57 N. Sage Ave. 471-3348. DIVINE CASSEROLE This dish has been a staple on the supper club circuit in Mobile since the 1960s. The recipe, from Barbara Ann Guthans, was originally published in "Recipe Jubilee!" It makes two tasty casseroles, feeds a crowd and freezes well - and that's divine. 1 large (16-ounce) package small egg noodles 2 pounds ground beef 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 (8-ounce) carton cottage cheese 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream 3 - 4 whole green onions, chopped 1 stick butter or margarine salt to taste Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil, drain, and rinse noodles under hot water. Brown and drain meat well. Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and salt. In a separate bowl, mix cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream and green onions. Melt butter in a separate bowl. Grease two 2-quart casseroles. Place 1/4 of the noodles in each casserole, pour a little melted butter over noodles and add 1/2 of the cheese mixture to each casserole. Add remaining noodles and more butter. Top with meat mixture. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes. Freezes well. Makes 2 casseroles. Serves 16 - 20. HOLLAND RUSK SEAFOOD CANAPES WITH MOBILE'S PINK SAUCE (COMEBACK SAUCE) My husband's great aunt, Mildred Cowan, and his grandmother, Lu Irvine, first served an adaptation of this incredibly addictive classic combination to me when I was just a young bride-to-be. I have made it countless times since that long-ago luncheon. It makes a perfect summer supper and is ideal for ladies' luncheons any time of year. The original recipe is credited to the kitchens of the Country Club of Mobile. Mrs. B. Franklin King submitted it for the "Recipe Jubilee!" lineup. 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon anchovy paste 1 Holland Rusk per serving 1 sliced tomato 1 pound boiled shrimp, crabmeat or both 1 sliced avocado 1 sliced hard-cooked egg Season cream cheese with Worcestershire sauce and anchovy paste. Spread cheese mixture onto each Holland Rusk. Place a tomato slice on the Holland Rusk, then top with seafood. Garnish plate with sliced avocado and sliced hard-cooked egg. Pour Mobile's Pink Sauce (see right) over the canapés. Serves 4 - 6. MOBILE'S PINK SAUCE (COMEBACK SAUCE) 1 cup mayonnaise 1 cup chili sauce 1 teaspoon white vinegar 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon grated onion 2 teaspoons anchovy paste Tabasco to taste In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use. (Sauce may be used as dipping sauce for boiled shrimp.) Makes approximately 2 cups. NANNY'S NEVER FAIL GUMBO Good gumbo is a Mobile tradition. This tried-and-true "Recipe Jubilee!" rendition comes from Mrs. Jere Austill Jr. 2 tablespoons lard 2 tablespoons flour 2 medium onions, finely chopped 4 celery stalks, finely chopped 1 green pepper, finely chopped 2 large cans tomatoes 1 pound okra, sliced round 8 - 12 crabs 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled, cleaned and deveined 3 quarts water 1 teaspoon salt black and red pepper to taste Tabasco to taste 1 pound crabmeat (optional) Make a golden roux of lard and flour in a heavy skillet. Stir in onions, celery and green pepper. Simmer a few minutes, stirring constantly. Add undrained tomatoes and okra. Simmer until okra is tender. Place in a large soup pot and add crabs, shrimp and water. Add seasonings and cook slowly over low fire for several hours. (The longer the better.) Add crabmeat if desired. Serve in soup bowls over steaming hot rice. (Gumbo is tastier if crabmeat is added. Add more red pepper for a hotter soup.) Serves 8 - 10. MARINATED SHRIMP, MUSHROOMS AND ARTICHOKES Most Mobilians have a preferred version of "pickled shrimp." Many swear by Tillie Delchamps' tasty recipe from "Recipe Jubilee!" Others opt for this "One of a Kind" recipe from Mrs. Owen E. Duke, which features the festive addition of artichokes and mushrooms. 15 pounds raw shrimp 6 (14-ounce) cans small artichokes, drained 4 onions, sliced 30 bay leaves 10 pounds fresh small mushrooms, cleaned 6 cups oil 3 cups white vinegar 12 tablespoons capers 9 teaspoons celery seed 6 teaspoons salt 6 - 8 drops Tabasco Boil shrimp in seasoned water, peel, and devein. In a very large bowl or pan, alternate shrimp, artichokes, onions, bay leaves and mushrooms. In a separate bowl, mix oil, vinegar, capers, celery seed, salt and Tabasco. Pour marinade over shrimp mixture. Refrigerate for 24 hours and toss before serving. Use toothpicks to serve. Serves 50 - 75. Recipe may be halved. LEMON TORTE This delectable dessert is an Irvine family favorite. We serve this almost every holiday and special occasion. The recipe comes from my mother-in-law, Anne Irvine, who submitted it to "Recipe Jubilee!" Anne got the recipe from her late mother, Alice Caine Carter. 4 egg whites 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 4 egg yolks 3/4 cup sugar 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind 3/4 cup whipping cream 2 teaspoons vanilla Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually add 1 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Divide the meringue mixture in half. Spread each half to about the diameter of a pie pan on a circle of parchment paper. Bake 1 hour. In a medium-sized bowl, beat egg yolks; add sugar, lemon juice and rind. Cook in double boiler until thick, stirring occasionally. Cool. Whip cream and add to lemon mixture. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla. Peel paper from 1 meringue and place on serving dish. Spread with half of the filling. Place other meringue on top and spread with remaining filling. Refrigerate. Serves 6 - 8. Image information: Main: The 1964 cookbook distribution chairwoman, Kit Caffey. Folio/Junior League of Mobile Left: Marinated Shrimp, Mushrooms and Artichokes Center: The "One of a Kind" committee in April of 1981: Austill Lott, Ann Faulkner and Jayne Gaillard. Folio/Junior League of Mobile Right: Lemon Torte Photos by Elise Poche unless otherwise noted.