Dear Sun Spots: I would like to find a recipe for pistachio cake and a recipe for making cottage cheese.

Could anyone please help? – No Name, No Town.

Answer: Hopefully there are some readers out there willing to share their favorite recipes with you and other column readers. In the meantime you and your family might like to try the following:

Curd ingredients: 8 large egg yolks, ¾ cup sugar, ½ cup fresh lemon juice, ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes, 2 tablespoons (packed) grated lemon peel, 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Pistachio crunch: 2/3 cup sugar, ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, ¼ cup water, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 cup natural unsalted pistachios (about 5 ounces).

Frosting: 2½ cups chilled whipping cream, divided 8 ounces high-quality white chocolate, chopped 1/8 teaspoon salt

Cake: 3½ cups cake flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1¼ cups (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, 2 cups sugar, divided, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel, 1½ cups whole milk, 8 large egg whites

For curd: Whisk all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Cook over medium-low heat until curd thickens and candy thermometer registers 170 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring constantly, about 7 minutes (do not boil). Pour curd into small bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface. Chill at least 1 day and up to 3 days.

For pistachio crunch: Place large sheet of foil on work surface; butter foil. Combine sugar, butter, and ¼ cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves and butter melts, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Increase heat to medium-high and boil until syrup is medium amber color, stirring constantly, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Immediately add baking soda (mixture will foam up), then nuts and stir to blend well. Spread nut mixture onto prepared foil, separating nuts. Cool completely. Chop crunch into ¼- to 1/3-inch pieces. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

For frosting: Bring ¾ cup cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and salt; stir until smooth. Transfer frosting base to bowl. Cover; chill overnight.

For cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1½-inch-high sides. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add 1¾ cups sugar, beating until well blended. Beat in vanilla and lemon peel. Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk in 3 additions each. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining ¼ cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter in 3 additions. Divide batter among prepared pans.

Bake cakes until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 15 minutes. Cut around pan sides and turn cakes out onto racks. Turn cakes right side up and cool completely. (Can be made a day ahead. Wrap in foil and store at room temperature.)

Using serrated knife, cut off mounded tops of cake layers to level. Place 1 cake layer on platter, trimmed side up. Spread with half of lemon curd. Top with second cake layer, trimmed side up. Spread with remaining lemon curd. Top with third cake layer, trimmed side down.

Whisk remaining 1 ¾ cups chilled cream into frosting base to loosen. Using electric mixer, beat until frosting holds stiff peaks.

Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Chill until frosting is firm, at least 3 hours. (Can be made a day ahead. Cover with cake dome; keep chilled.)

Press crunch lightly into frosting on sides and top edge of cake. (Can be prepared 1 hour ahead and refrigerated.)

Regarding your request for cottage cheese, Sun Spots located the following recipe, if you are comfortable with winging it on some of the ingredients, online at www.http://mixes.cdkitchen.com:

Homemade Cottage Cheese Ingredients: sour milk, 1 quart hot water, cream, melted butter, salt. Method: Heat the sour milk until it reaches 100 degrees. When it reaches this temperature, pour into a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Pour over 1 quart of hot water.

Let curd hang in cheesecloth until all the whey has been drained off. In a mixing bowl, add enough cream and melted butter to moisten the food. Add salt.

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