Al Dente

Zwieback AWOL. Still Looking for the Cheesecake of My Dreams...

I'm looking for the cheesecake of my youth, dense, not creamy, and with absolutely no graham crackers!  Al Dente reader Marcy and I both had high hopes for a circa 1961 Craig Claiborne's Cheesecake recipe that she found the New York Times that she found. It calls for cottage cheese instead of cream cheese and uses zwieback for its razor-thin crust instead of graham crackers.

I had planned to try this recipe, or rather have my husband, the cheesecake enthusiast, try it last week, but finding zwieback, a crisp, twice-baked biscuit, proved impossible. With zwieback AWOL, I needed a substitute, and I spent all last week looking for it. My first thought was biscotti, the twice-baked Italian biscuit, but all the biscotti I came across had strong nutty flavor, which I thought would be overpowering in the cheesecake. I scanned the cookie aisle and finally settled on some crispy Italian ladyfingers. Not the perfect substitute, but I didn't want to wait any longer to try this recipe.

In the end, the results were disappointing. The cheesecake was watery, perhaps the cottage cheese should have been drained. The lemon juice and rind was overpowering. I'm still looking for my ideal recipe. Any suggestions for the cheesecake of my dreams?

Cottage Cheese Cheesecake

Ingredients:
1 6-ounce package zwieback
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 pounds cottage cheese
1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 eggs, separated
1 cup sour cream
Rind and juice of one lemon
Strawberry glaze (see below)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven 325 degrees F. Roll zwieback into fine crumbs. Grease a nine inch spring form pan and dust the sides with zwieback crumbs. Mix the remaining crumbs with the one quarter cup of sugar and the butter and press onto bottom of the pan. Bake five minutes. Cool.

2. Press the cottage cheese through a fine sieve. Add half the remaining sugar, the flour, salt, egg yolks, sour cream, lemon rind and juice. Whip until thoroughly blended.

3. Beat egg whites until stiff, adding the remaining sugar gradually. Fold into cheese mixture.
Turn the mixture into prepared pan, bake at 325 degrees F about 1-1/2 hours. Cool in pan and glaze as directed.

Strawberry Glaze

Ingredients:
1 quart strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon butter

Directions:
1. Wash and hull berries. Crush enough berries to make one half cup.

2. Boil the crushed berries, sugar, water, and cornstarch two minutes, stirring. Add the butter, strain and cool.

3. Arrange the whole berries over the top of the cheesecake and pour the glaze over the berries. Chill.

--Tracy Schneider

Not All Amaretti Are Created Equal!

My friend Terry doesn't like the crisp amaretti you find in boxes and tins at specialty food stores, so when her neighbor in Spilamberto, Italy, Elisa, offered her some homemade amaretti, she was surprised at how delicious--and chewy--they were. She even asked for the recipe.

Turns out Terry liked Elisa's amaretti for more than just their texture. Elisa's recipe includes no almond paste nor almond extract, which Terry finds overpowering, just freshly ground almonds. I like Elisa's recipe because it has only four ingredients, and they're all kitchen staples.

Elisa's Amaretti

Ingredients:
100 grams sugar
1 egg white
100 grams almonds, preferably blanched
Salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Grind the almonds in a food processor, but be careful not to grind them too finely. Combine with sugar.

3. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, whisk the egg white with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. With a wooden spoon, thoroughly fold in almond mixture.

4. Using a teaspoon drop small balls of the mixture on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle a pinch of sugar on each and put immediately into the oven.

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, less time if you'd like them soft and chewy, more time for crisper cookies.

Makes 15-20 cookies.

--Tracy Schneider

Make-at-Home Merguez

When I heard about the merguez sausages my friends Zachary and Clark cooked for dinner the other night, I asked them to send on over the recipe. In addition to the recipe, from the October issue of Saveur, they sent me their tips and a great photo of their dinner. I wish I had been invited over that night!

"Saveur magazine recently ran a cover story on lamb, which inspired us to do some lamb tasting. Our neighborhood butcher usually has fresh local lamb on hand, but they also get in lovely New Zealand lamb. (Can anyone tell the difference?)

The first recipe we tried, 'Merguez,' looked like the most complicated of the bunch, but it turned out to be quite easy--a perfect mid-week supper.

We used ground lamb from our butcher, instead of grinding lamb shoulder in the food-processor, and the recipe worked perfectly. We served the accompaniments suggested: chopped tomatoes (cherry or grape are best this time of year), red onion, and cucumbers. Instead of serving pita bread, we served hot buttered naan, which we prefer in both flavor and texture to pita.

We're adding merguez to our list of recipes that fall into the hard-to-find category of 'fun-and-different' weeknight meals that are both easy and yummy."

Once you try it yourself, I bet you will too.

Merguez (Spiced Lamb Sausages)

Ingredients:
1 pound trimmed lam shoulder, cut into 1" cubes or 1 pound ground lamb
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon harissa
1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup yogurt
8 leaves basil, roughly chopped
Chopped tomatoes, red onions, and cucumbers, for serving
Flat bread, for serving

Directions:
1. Put lamb into a bowl of a food processor fitted with the chopping blade and transfer to freezer to let chill for 30 minutes. Add 2 cloves garlic, harissa, parsley, paprika, coriander, cumin, fennel, salt, and pepper to the bowl; process until lamb is coarsely chopped and mixed with spices, about 15 seconds. (If using ground lamb, just mix lamb with other ingredients in a large bowl.) Divide lamb mixture into 8 portions and form the portions into 3"-wide patties. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb patties and cook, turning once until browned and still slightly pink, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer merguez to paper towels, set aside.

2. Meanwhile, stir together remaining garlic and oil, yogurt, and basil in a small bowl to make a sauce; season with salt and pepper. Serve merguez on a platter with sauce, chopped vegetables, and flat bread.

Serves 4

Saveur, No. 123, October 2009

--Tracy Schneider

Yogurt Comes of Age

It wasn't I until I lived in Paris that I became enlightened as to the ways of yogurt. I was a student in college at the time, and the family I lived with kept a yogurt maker on the kitchen counter. Yogurt, mixed at the table with a little sugar, was our dessert at almost every evening meal.

In Parisian grocery stores, the yogurt section was enormous, and I became a big fan of creamy French yogurt. This creamy, "European-style" yogurt eventually came to the U.S. and over many years, the yogurt aisle in Seattle has seen some exciting additions. I was thrilled to discover the full-fat, non-homogenized Brown Cow yogurt with its luscious layer of cream at the top. Then I tried thick Fage Greek yogurt, and we eat so much now I buy four tubs at a time, thought I've switched to the more affordable Trader Joe's brand.

I like Port Madison's goat milk yogurt that I find at my local farmers market, and I've tasted water buffalo milk yogurt from Bufala di Vermont at the Union Square Greenmarket in New York. But I'd never tried the Icelandic yogurt skyr, so when I saw Siggi's yogurt on sale at my local grocery store, I decided to give it a go. I'm a sucker for great graphics, and Siggi's simple packaging is an eye-catcher.

Skyr is a strained yogurt with a distinctive tang, and though Siggi's is made with non-fat milk, it has a richer, thicker consistency than you might expect. Though I tend to prefer plain, unsweetened yogurt, I was intrigued by Siggi's unusual flavor combinations like orange & ginger and pomegranate & passion fruit, sweetened by the way, with agave nectar. And I'm anxious to try it's newest flavors, vanilla, acai and grapefruit, but at $2.99 for a 6-oz. cup, I'll have to wait until Siggi's is back on sale.

There are so many new yogurts available from small dairies around the country now, why not give your favorite a shout out and share it with us.

--Tracy Schneider

Stalking the Tastiest Brussels Sprouts

If you're lucky enough to spot some Brussels sprouts stalks at your farmers market, grocery store or specialty shop, grab them! I found some beautiful stalks a few years ago at my local co-op and used two of them as centerpieces for a night before I turned them into supper the next day. Not only are they artistic in their own right, I'm guessing that in general, the sprouts on the stalk are fresher than those that have been cut and bagged. Does anyone know for sure if that's true?

Brussels sprouts stalks are still not a common sight in the grocery store, though I found some today at Trader Joe's. I'm not a celebrity, but I create a bit of a scene when I have a Brussels sprouts stalk in my grocery cart. "What is that?" everyone wants to know. Maybe we don't know as much about growing Brussels sprouts as we do, say, potatoes, because Brussels sprouts are at at the bottom of the list of "favorite" vegetables.

If you don't like Brussels sprouts, I'm guessing it's because you've only eaten them boiled or steamed, two methods that I myself don't think produce very appetizing results. I learned about roasting Brussels sprouts from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, and with her recipe I've turned some of the most staunch sprouts opponents into diehard fans. When my teenage niece Lauren tasted my roasted Brussels sprouts, she told me they were even better than French fries. Now that's quite a coup!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons good olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Cut of the ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bow with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Turn them out on a baking sheet and roast for 35 40 minutes, until crisp outside and tender inside. Shake the pan from time to time, to brown the Brussels sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt and serve.

Serves 6

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter, 1999

--Tracy Schneider

Picnic Playground

Leave it to Putumayo to combine music and food in its recently released CD, Picnic Playground. I'm a longtime fan of Putumayo World Music and its Kids Division, beginning with World Playground in 1999.

Picnic Playground is a collection of songs about food sung by artists--guitarists, singers, songwriters, pop stars and musical groups--from around the world. Songs in Swahili, French, German, Spanish, Danish and English explore cherries, tomatoes, milk, ice cream and pie.

One of my favorite songs by the South African singer, dancer and actress Kheswa, describes a beautiful day shopping at the farmers market purchasing all the makings of a picnic.

With the holidays now around the corner, this CD will make a great gift for foodies and their young proteges.

--Tracy Schneider

It's an Old-fashioned Halloween at Our House

The plan for the day was to make jelly apples and popcorn balls with my daughter, all before her afternoon soccer game. Surprisingly enough, that's just what happened.

We popped three batches of popcorn, mixed them with Paula Deen's sugar syrup, and then with buttered hands turned them into popcorn balls.

My daughter loves to measure, pour and stir, but once the candy syrup began to boil, I kept her a few arms lengths from from the bubbling sugar syrup on the stove.

Without a candy thermometer, we had to use a cup of cold water to check the syrup and she got the chance to see how the sugar water became molten syrup in stages, from soft ball to firm ball to hard ball. 

We went through a similar drill for the candy apples, and soon enough, we had a dozen of both--the makings of an old-fashioned All Hallows' Eve.

Popcorn Balls

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1-1/3 cups water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1.In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, syrup, vinegar, and salt. Cook over high heat until mixture reaches 255 degrees F (hard-ball stage) on a candy thermometer. Stir in vanilla.

2. Pour over popped corn, tossing gently to coat. When mixture is cool enough to handle, press popcorn into 3-inch balls with lightly greased hands. Cool completely on waxed paper.

Makes 14 popcorn balls

Popcorn Balls, Paula Deen

--Tracy Schneider

Saveur Has Me Thinking About Thanksgiving...

When my Saveur magazine arrived in the mail earlier this week, I had to steal away from the work at hand for a quick look. I love how Saveur dishes up both a global perspective and at the same time a personal look at what people are eating and how they are cooking. And, of course, there are those magnificent photos.

I savor the double page spread of a Thanksgiving dinner held at a home in Oaxaca, Mexico, with turkey and stuffing surrounded by potluck contributions: a creamy squash vine soup, guacamole, corn bread, green salad, giant white corn tortillas, jello molds, and more. The table too is surrounded, but with hungry guests, plates in hand, and it positively groans under the weight of those heavy platters.

In another article of a New England Thanksgiving, my eye is drawn to a large platter of creamed onions. They turn out to be swathed in a curried cream. It's the signature dish of one Anna North Coit, a 101-year-old Connecticut Yankee who has been cooking this particular recipe for some thirty years.

Halloween is not yet here, but Saveur has me thinking of Thanksgiving dinner and all its possibilities.

Curried Creamed Onions

Ingredients:
Kosher salt, to taste
2 pounds white pearl onions, unpeeled
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup half-and-half
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Bring a 6-quart pot of salted water to a boil. Add onions and cook until just tender, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer onions to bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Using a pairing knife, peel onions and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and curry powder and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and thick, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the half-and-half, the reserved cooking liquid, and mustard and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally,until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes. Add onions and season with Tabasco and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften a little and the flavors meld, about 10 more minutes. Transfer onions to a platter or a bowl with a slotted spoon and pour some of the cream sauce over them.

Serves 4-6.

"Yankee Pride," Sandra L. Oliver,  Saveur, No. 124, November 2009

--Tracy Schneider

Candy Bracketology

"Almond Roca over Atomic Fireballs? No way!" my husband said, in total disbelief, when he heard the news. But that's just what happened the first day of the 2009 "Candy and 'Friends' Tournament", put together by the folks at Milliman, an actuarial firm based in Seattle.

"Could sour gummy worms be this year's Cinderella? Could a powerhouse like Cracker Jacks see an early exit from the tourney? Is there any way that Bugles could make it into the Sweet Sixteen?"

"This is really out of my league," I think, as my husband tries to explain the intricacies of bracketology. But even if you've never been swept up by March Madness, like me, you can still appreciate this "sporting" event.

Milliman's first Candy Tournament was held in 2005, the brainchild of Rex Barker and Arthur Rains-McNally, Milliman actuaries and candy enthusiasts. Maybe enthusiast isn't quite the right word. Rex, I've been told, pounds candy, nonstop, all day long. Not even chocolate, but the really sweet stuff. Smarties are a favorite.

If you walk into the company kitchen on any given afternoon over the next few weeks, you'll find trays or bowls laden with two kinds of candy or "friends" (non-candy snack foods like wasabi peas or Chips Ahoy!). And if you want to taste, you'll have to vote. Those are the rules. In fact, the rules of the tourney take up a full page, (so too do the rules for the bracketology), all decided by the Candy Committee. I'm not sweet talking you. There really is one.

And in addition to creating the rules, the Candy Committee also determines just which 64 treats make it into the tournament. Toblerone? Yes. Frangos? No. Skittles, Nerds or Zotz? Yes, yes and yes. Now that is one sweet job.

--Tracy Schneider

The Canal House Cookbook: Home Cooking for Home Cooks

I received my copy of Canal House Cooking, Volume No. 2 (Fall & Holiday) a few days ago, and I can't help myself from sharing it with everyone I know. First I describe the concept, two former Saveur alums, one a photographer, the other an illustrator, both writers, who cook together every day, publish their favorite recipes throughout the year, according to the seasons.

Then I describe the cookbook, beautifully photographed, handsomely illustrated, lovingly designed. Each recipe has its own story. As for the recipes, it's hard to choose which to try first. Fried zucchini? Duck with apples and onions? Pear sorbet? Currant gingersnaps? I want to try them all. And why not? It's all "home cooking, by home cooks for home cooks."

When I read the story about the pumpkin soup that the Canal House Cooking authors, Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton, made for visiting Chez Panisse chef David Tanis, I knew it would be the chosen first recipe.

I've been itching to buy one of those beautiful Cinderella pumpkins these last few years, I see them in the fall at our local farmers market, but could never justify paying the hefty price for a mere decoration. But if it's an ingredient...

At first glance, the pumpkin soup recipe may sound a bit daunting. I always thought cooking and serving soup in a pumpkin was a bit over-the-top. But after reading the recipe, the whole procedure seems pretty straightforward--and a whole lot of fun.

Pumpkin Soup with Pimenton and Preserved Lemon

Ingredients:
8-10 pound sturdy, thick-fleshed pumpkin, (preferably Rouge Vif d'Etampes, Cinderella, or Cheese)
Softened butter
Coarse salt and pepper
2 tablespoons pimenton
2 preserved lemon rinds, finely chopped
2 sliced garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
Chicken broth

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut out a lid around the stem-end of the pumpkin and set aside. Scrape out and discard the seeds and strings.

2. Put pumpkin on a baking sheet along with the lid. Rub the pumpkin flesh with lots of softened butter. Rub in coarse salt and pepper, and 2 tablespoons pimenton. Add the finely chopped rinds of 2 preserved lemons, a coupe of sliced garlic cloves and 2 bay leaves.

3. Fill the pumpkin halfway full with a good broth. Roast until flesh is soft when pierced with a paring knife. Take care not to puncture the skin. Replace lid for effect, if you like, and serve the pumpkin soup at the table, scraping the flesh from the bottom and sides into the broth then ladling it into bowls.

Serves about 8.

Canal House Cooking, Volume No. 2, Hamilton & Hirsheimer, 2009

--Tracy Schneider

A Halloween Hit: Gross-out Cakes

My daughter came across Gross-out Cakes earlier this year and was absolutely enthralled. My husband was quick to see the allure. Me, I think the whole book is disgusting. And that's just the point. Gross-out Cakes is a children's cookbook that definitely lives up to its name.

What kid could resist, after all, the likes of Barf Bars or Slime Mousse? And that's just the beginning. There are more than two dozen revolting recipes that are perfectly delicious for Halloween.

Now, how about a slice of Graveyard Cake?

Graveyard Cake

Ingredients:
1 chocolate cake mix (18.25 oz/454 g), plus ingredients
2 Twinkies
1 can chocolate frosting (15 oz/454 g)
1 package chocolate sandwich cookies (18 oz/510 g)
3 Milano cookies
Small plastic skeleton

Directions:
1. Bake cake in greased 9" x 13" pan according to package instructions. Let cool. Remove from pan and place on serving platter.

2. Cut off the bottom half of two Twinkies and place on cake for grave mounds.

3. Create a coffin out of graham crackers, stuck together with frosting. Set on cake.

4. Cut coffin-sized hole in cake. Remove extra cake and place coffin in hole. Make a coffin "lid" out of another piece of graham cracker and place into cake, ajar, next to coffin.

5. Frost cake, including Twinkies and lid.

6. Pipe R.I.P. on Milano cookies.

7. Crush chocolate sandwich cookies in a food processor or with a rolling pin.

8. Sprinkle crumbs over graveyard, with a larger pile next to coffin cover, as if dirt had recently been displaced.

9. Insert plastic skeleton into coffin. Serve.

Cookbook notes: the Graveyard Cake received a 2 for grossness, and a 4 for difficulty.

Serves 12.

Gross-out Cakes, Barlow and Schetselaar, Silverleaf Press, 2006

--Tracy Schneider

Looking for the Ultimate Cheesecake Recipe

My husband is on a quest for a cheesecake recipe that spirits me away to the New York City delis of my youth. He's tried before, to no avail. This time I fear, if I don't help him along, I'll be eating cheesecake for Thanksgiving instead of pumpkin pie.

My idea of cheesecake differs from his entirely. First, cheesecake should not have graham crackers, period. Graham crackers are for s'mores. Second, cheese cake should be moist, but not creamy. The texture should be drier, closer to the mouth feel of ricotta than of cream cheese.

I'd be happy with a ricotta cheesecake. (My favorite comes from the Florentine Bakery in Utica, New York where I grew up.) But for an authentic New York Cheesecake, I think we're looking for a recipe that calls for farmer cheese, a dry cottage cheese that I remember eating occasionally as a child. I haven't seen it in years.

As a starting point, my husband tried the Upstate Cheesecake recipe from Baked. But that recipe was as far away from my ideal, as Upstate is from Manhattan. If you have any suggestions, we're all ears!

Upstate Cheesecake

Ingredients:

For the simple graham crust:
2-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 20 crackers)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick unsalted butter, softened

For the cream cheese filling:
40 ounces (five 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, softened
1-3/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
5 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

Make the simple graham crust:
1. Lightly spray a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Put the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a large bowl. Beat, by hand, until well combined. Press the mixture into the bottom and all the way up the sides of the prepared pan. Put in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

Make the cream cheese filling:
1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, sugar, flour, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Beat on medium speed until just combined, being careful not to overbeat (too much air can cause cheesecakes to crack). Add the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the cream and beat until incorporated.

3. Pour the mixture into the chilled crust and bake for 10 minutes. Open the oven door to let out some heat, and lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake until the cheesecake is set around the outside, but still slightly wobbly in the center, 45 minutes to 1 hour, rotating the pan every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread the sour cream over the top of the cheesecake. Return to the oven for 5 more minutes. Turn off the heat, crack the oven door, and let the cheesecake cool completely in the oven (about 1 hour).

4. Chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, loosen the sides of the crust from the pan with an offset spatula, then remove the springform sides and serve.

Yield: 1 (8-inch) cake

Baked, Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2008

--Tracy Schneider

Halloween Cuisine: Pumpkin Guts

We're readying for Halloween at our house. My daughter baked cupcakes this weekend, decorated them with orange and black icing, and then distributed them to the neighbors. She has volunteered me to make "deviled" eggs for her Girl Scout troop's Halloween party at the end of the week. And yesterday, while my family was turning mild-mannered pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns with personality, I was asked to do something with the bowlful of pumpkin guts.

In the past I would thoroughly clean the pumpkin seeds, lay them on a baking sheet, sprinkle them with Kosher salt, and roast them at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes, stirring them halfway through. These last few years I've left some of the pumpkin meat on the seeds; friends told me it added to the flavor. But I'm not entirely convinced. I've also read about various ways to season your pumpkin seeds, but I'm a purist when it comes to the holidays, so I've never ventured past salt.

I think I'm ready to shake things up a bit. What are your ideas for cooking pumpkin guts?

--Tracy Schneider

The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders

I still remember listening to Daniel Pinkwater introduce The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders to Scott Simon on NPR's Weekend Edition some seven years ago. My whole family was hooked.

Jack Prelutsky's poems are delightful, and Petra Mathers illustrations are charming. So many of Prelutsky's poems feature food, it's hard for a foodie to choose a favorite, but here's one of them. 

Peanut Peg and Peanut Pete

Peanut Peg and Peanut Pete,
on a bright Atlanta street,
call in voices loud and clear,
"Peanuts! Get your peanuts here!"

"Peanut cookies, peanut cakes,
peanut butter, peanut shakes,
peanut ices, peanut pies,
peanut sauce, and peanut fries!"

All day long they gaily sell
peanuts still inside the shell,
peanuts salty, peanuts sweet-
Peanut Peg and Peanut Pete.

The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders, Jack Prelutsky, Tien Wah Press, 2002

--Tracy Schneider

Gourmet's Adventures with Ruth: Behind the Scenes & on the Cutting Room Floor

This Sunday, in many areas but sadly not mine, Ruth Reichl will visit Jon Rowley's Seattle, the second installment of Gourmet's Adventures with Ruth. Julia Child called Jon Rowley the "fish missionary" and viewers can watch Reichl as she tastes the first Copper River salmon of the season and forages for clams and fiddlehead ferns at his side.

But viewers won't have the opportunity to join the pie class Ruth attended with "pie whisperer" Kate McDermott, Rowley's wife and an accomplished baker in her own right. McDermott spent two years experimenting with pie dough before she arrived at the perfect crust.

If Kate's Art of the Pie class with Ruth had not ended up on the cutting room floor, you would have learned that they baked two pies that afternoon, a rhubarb pie made from enormous red Northwest stalks and an apple pie made with the last of the storing apples. 

And you would have been surprised, then delighted by Kate's approach to making pie. She throws the cookbook out the window and breaks all the rules when it comes to baking.

Kate tells you to imagine that you're a mother of six on the plains of the Mid-west in the early twentieth century. There's fruit that needs to be used up, kids that are running in and out of the kitchen, and supper that must be put on the table. These women weren't using the "dip and sweep" method to measure their flour or cutting out perfectly symmetrical apple slices.

Kate beams as she holds up a measuring cup with a little more or a little less flour. Watch as she roughly chops her apples, peel and all, into mismatched sizes. Kate shows that baking a pie need not be a production. And if you had been behind the scenes you might have heard Ruth say, "Kate, your approach to baking has really been liberating."

--Tracy Schneider

 

Join the Brown Butter Craze with Brown Butter Wiener Schnitzel

Gourmet Magazine put brown butter on my radar this month with their tantalizing recipes for brown butter pound cake and brown butter scrambled eggs. So when my Vermont friends Zachary and Clark sent me their recipe for Wiener Schnitzel made with brown butter, I couldn't resist.

"Wiener Schnitzel," they insist, "is one of those simple, yet subtle creations. Once you figure it out, it will become a standard in your home." Here are their tips:

1. First, let's deal with any lingering discomfort you might have about serving veal. Our butcher had beautiful veal from a local farm famous for its cow's milk cheese. We could be assured that the calves were raised humanely. The bonus was that the meat was of superb quality, succulent and tender, as veal should be.

2. The flavorings for wiener schnitzel are only two: butter and lemon. So make sure you use the best quality of both.

3. You can serve schnitzel with any accompaniment you like, but our favorite is the plainest of green salads--fresh, tender lettuces dressed only in a bit of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and freshly ground pepper.

4. Our recipe adds two twists to the classic version. First, we brown the butter in the saute pan and then squeeze the lemon into that, deglazing all the delicious caramelized bits and creating an instant brown butter-lemon sauce for the veal. Also, we add a pinch of truffle salt at the table. The combination of truffle and brown butter is irresistible and adds a final elegant touch to what is an easy, weeknight meal.

WIENER SCHNITZEL

Ingredients:
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 4-oz. pieces veal, pounded to ¼” thick
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup flour
2 eggs
2 cup fresh bread crumbs
8 tablespoons canola oil
1 lemon
Truffle salt (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Warm large plate or pan.Clarify butter—melt butter over medium heat, skimming foam as it appears. Cook until foam subsides, 2-3 minutes; set aside.

2. Mix eggs with a dash of water. Put flour, eggs, and crumbs in separate dishes. Season veal very lightly with salt and pepper.

3. Dredge veal in flour, then egg, then crumbs, covering both sides well. Place on rack for 15 minutes to allow coating to set.

4. Heat half of oil and clarified butter in largest saute pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Saute veal about 1 minute per side; remove to heated plate in oven to keep warm; repeat with remaining veal, adding more butter and oil as needed.

5. Deglaze pan with juice of lemon and remaining clarified butter; scrape up brown bits and allow butter to brown. Serve on hot plates and garnish with fresh green salad, brown butter-lemon sauce, and dash of truffle salt.

Serves 4.

--Tracy Schneider

Who Stole My Ziplocs?

I was about to put away our leftovers last night, some ravioli that my husband could reheat for lunch, but when I looked in the pantry for my stash of reusable containers, I found only lids. Twelve lids to be exact. This isn't the first time I've been out of containers, yet stuck with plenty of lids. Does this ever happen to you?

Today I bought replacements and stocked the pantry with more than 50 containers. I like a variety of sizes. The large rectangular ones are perfect for storing slabs of bacon or a half of a roast chicken. I use the medium sized squares to store soups and sauces in the freezer. And the small squares hold cut-up fruit or a few cookies or crackers for on-the-go snacking.

I'm under no illusion that they will all last into the new year. What with sending holiday leftovers home with our dinner guests--a turkey leg, a slice of pie--I know the numbers will dwindle. There will be decorated cookies to share with friends, chicken soup for those with winter colds, and let's not forget the Halloween cupcakes that we'll deliver to neighbors next week.

But this won't explain the disparity between containers and lids that I will no doubt experience again in just a few short months. What gives?

--Tracy Schneider

Poached or Baked: A Perfect Pear

I first came across poached pears years ago in Italy. Until then, it would never have occurred to me, wherever I was, to order any dessert unless it had chocolate--and lots of it!

But there they were, an entire platter of beautiful pears, and I became a convert. Back in the U.S, I set out to find a recipe for poached pears that would recreate that first bite. But I was always disappointed. Then I came across this recipe for baked pears in the October 2002 issue of Martha Stewart Living.

I love the flavor of these pears with their thick, sweet wine sauce and the luscious vanilla mascarpone that is served on the side. It's not the same as my first bite. Maybe better.

Baked Pears with Vanilla Mascarpone

Ingredients:
4 Anjou or Bosc pears
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup red wine
2 sprigs thyme (optional)
Vanilla Mascarpone (recipe follows)
Store-bought biscotti

Directions:
1. Preheat over to 425 degrees. Slice off bottom end of each pear just enough so that it will stand upright. Using a melon baller or small spoon, remove seeds from the bottom. Peel upper half, leaving stem intact, and pat dry with a paper towel. Rub butter over peeled part of each pear and arrange pears in a small baking dish (about 7 x 11 inches) so they are standing. Sprinkle with the sugar.

2. Pour wine into baking dish; add thyme sprigs, if using. Bake until pears are soft when pierced with a paring knife and well browned, about 45 minutes; using a small spoon, baste pears occasionally with the wine, adding a bit of water as needed to prevent liquid from evaporating. Remove from oven.

3. To serve, spoon some of the pan juices into each serving dish, and place a pear on top. Sever with a dollop of mascarpone and several biscotti on the side.

Vanilla Mascarpone
½ vanilla bean, split and scraped
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir together with a wooden spoon. For the creamiest results, allow the mascarpone to stand at room temperature for fifteen minutes before serving. Makes about 1 cup.

Notes: If using Bosc pears, buy only ripe ones; Anjou, which are juicier, can still be slightly firm. Avoid enamel baking dishes, as they cause the syrup to burn.

Serves 4

Martha Stewart Living, October 2002 

--Tracy Schneider

The Bake Shop Ghost: A Sweet Book for Kids

My friend Carolyn gave The Bake Shop Ghost to my daughter, but I know Carolyn had me in mind. I love reading about food. And who could resist this description of the sweets made by the best baker in town, Miss Cora Lee Merriweather?

Few looked up from the glass-fronted cases filled with fluffy meringue pies, glistening fruit tarts, flaky strudels, and, most of all, cakes. Layer cakes, sheet cakes, cakes with glazes, cakes with fillings, cakes with frosting finer than Irish lace, chocolate cakes, white cakes, tiny petits fours and towering wedding cakes.

When Cora Lee Merriweather dies, she refuses to leave the bake shop, and her ghost scares off all the new buyers, until Annie Washington, a pastry chef fresh off a cruise ship, arrives. But how Annie and Cora Lee make peace is a delicious tale. And at the very end of the book, author Jacqueline K. Ogburn shares her family's favorite recipe for chocolate layer cake.

The Bake Shop Ghost, Jacqueline K. Ogburn, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005

--Tracy Schneider

Another Default Dinner: It's the Wurst!

The power of suggestion has strongly swayed my dinner decisions lately.

First came the suggestion for Pasta with Clam Sauce from Al Dente reader Kathi. Next came yesterday's Spaghetti alla Carbonara from Linda. And this evening, reading Ann's default dinner suggestion, brats with sauteed onions, sent me to the grocery store for some wursts of my own. I came home with bockwurst.

Bockwurst is a mild sausage, made with pork and veal. I like mine with sauerkraut, deli mustard and a slice or two of rye bread. Octoberfest may be over for this year, but bratwurst, bockwurst, and knockwurst make a great default dinner any time of year.

--Tracy Schneider