Basta Pasta! Cooking Pasta for a Crowd

Lacking a magical pasta pot like Strega Nona (grandmother witch), a favorite character from the pen of legendary children's book author and illustrator, Tomie DePaola, I recently faced the challenge of serving 4 pounds of pasta to a crowd in some sort of condition that was relatively fresh and tasty (vs. limp and gummy) and could be reheated on demand as needed. A quick perusal you-know-where led me to a quite detailed explanation on Yahoo Voices,  "How To Hold Pasta for Later Service." Armed with this sage advice from Ron James, a denizen of the blogosphere, and a freezer bin of ice cubes, I set to work.

I cooked one pound of pasta at a time, in a huge pot of boiling salted water. My first "truc" (French for little kitchen trick) was meant to make it easy to quickly extract the pasta from the boiling water without having to empty and repeatedly start a new pot of water. I nested a metal kitchen colander that caught on the edges of the pot and stayed immersed deeply enough in the pot to hold the pasta as it cooked. The pasta was dropped into the colander in the boiling pot of water, making it easy to stir it (about every 3 minutes) until it was just short of my desired state of al dente, which was about 1-2 minutes less than the published cooking time.

When the time came to remove the pasta, I grabbed the colander and immediately dumped the pasta into a large bowl of ice cubes and chilled water that I had already prepared in the sink. This dunking stopped the cooking and chilled the pasta in one go. The next step was to spread it out in a layer on a lint-free dishtowel, rollup the dishtowel and let the pasta dry a bit while I started the next batch cooking. (See how smart I am- still had my boiling pasta water at the ready!)

After the pasta had dried a bit- maybe five minutes - I tossed it in a plastic storage container with a drizzle of olive oil, covered and refrigerated it. Voila! Only 3 more pounds to go.

Reheating the pasta meant following the process in reverse. I again set up the boiling pot of water with the colander. This time I used tongs to put a portion or more of cold pasta in the colander, let it reheat and finish cooking to perfection (just two - three minutes), removed it with the tongs to drain briefly in a second colander or strainer set in a large bowl, and then served it forth. (Did I mention that the reheating operation was taking place outside the confines of a kitchen on a hot plate? Aren't you impressed with my improvisational cooking skills?!)

To sauce the pasta I used multiple recipes of Mario Batali's Essential Tomato Sauce from Food & Wine. My recommendation is to make one more recipe than you think should be enough, just trust me on this- you don't want to run short. Because my crowd included numerous potential picky eaters (young children), I offered grated cheese and sliced olives as condiments.

Batali's Essential Tomato Sauce
The simple additions of shredded carrot and fresh thyme add a deeper dimension to this sauce's flavor. Another example of why Mario makes the big bucks!
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Makes about 5 cups (If it were me, I would make one recipe per pound of pasta)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup finely shredded carrot
1 TB finely chopped thyme
Two 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes with their juices, crushed
Salt (to taste)

In a saucepan, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened and just starting to brown, 10 minutes. Add the carrot and thyme and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring, until thickened and reduced to 5 cups, 30 minutes. Season with salt.
The tomato sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

So, there you have it- the sum total of my knowledge of mass pasta cooking. Have I told you about the time I made 1000 crepes for a wedding party of 500?

The Picky Eater's Awards for Best Dessert, 2014

The awards season is rolling around, and we here at The Picky Eater decided to throw our winners for best desserts of 2013 into the ring. Trust me, you will be green as creme de menthe with envy when you peruse the delicious sweets that we enjoyed whether out on the town(s) or made at home this year.

Best New Cookie
Commercial: "Corn Cookies" from Momofuko Milk Bar in New York City
We haven't tried to recreate them at home, but you can find a version of the recipe at The Kitchn

Homemade: 
"Chewy Expresso Cookies"
(Broadly adapted from Smitten Kitchen's "Crispy, Chewy" Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe)
This cookie dough must be refrigerated for at least 4 hours before baking to prevent spreading. Also under bake the cookies to maintain their chewiness- they will finish baking on their cookie sheets as they cool.

Chewy Expresso Cookies
Makes about 32 cookies.

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2  cups unbleached flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tb finely ground (to a powder) coffee beans - preferably decaf beans. If you have ground coffee, pulverize it in a blender or food processor.
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 TB vanilla extract
1 cup nuts, toasted & chopped (Heat on a cookie sheet in a 375 degree oven for 5-7 minutes, until they just start to taste toasty.)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Melt the butter on the stove or in the microwave and set aside to cool slightly. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking soda, and ground coffee.

Using a stand mixer, beat together the melted butter and both sugars on medium speed for two minutes.

Whisk together the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla in a measuring cup with a spout. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the egg mixture and beat until it is thoroughly combined.

Remove the mixer bowl from the machine and hand stir in the flour with a wooden spoon, in three portions. Stir in the chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and place the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out walnut size balls of dough and place them about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake about 12-15 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets from the top to bottom racks and front to back. The cookies should still be slightly squishy in the middle when you remove them from the oven.

Allow them to cool about 5 minutes on the cookie sheets and then transfer them with a spatula to a cooling rack.

Best New Cake 
Homemade:
"Eggnog Pound Cake with Crystal Rum Glaze"
from Baking for All Occasions by dessert maven Flo Braker
Be still my heart- this is the most scrumptious new cake to grace my oven in recent memory- moist, without being heavy and hits just the right note of sweetness. We had the luxury of substituting an old E&J Gallo brandy for the rum, which may have accounted for this cake's extra smooth deliciousness. The lesson there- use a quality liqueur for best results, and spring for a nutmeg grater and fresh nutmegs! You can make your own non-alcoholic eggnog out of season (recipe below, adapted from Dumbies.com)

Eggnog Pound Cake with Crystal Rum Glaze
Makes a 10" bundt cake- about 16-20 servings
(have all the ingredients at room temperature)
1/2 cup dried currants
2 Tb dark rum, brandy or water
3 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature (plus more for buttering the pan)
2 cups white sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten (Don't ask me why, but if a baker asks you to beat something, I listen.)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup store-bought refrigerated (not canned) eggnog

Crystal (Rum) Glaze
3/4 cup white sugar
2 Tb rum (or freshly squeezed orange juice for a non-alcoholic version)
2 Tb water

Prior to starting the cake, combine the currants and liqueur or water in a small bowl and set aside for 15 minutes. Place your rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees (325 degrees if your pan has a dark finish). Thickly butter and flour a 10"bundt or springform tube pan.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a medium size bowl and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light colored and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop several times during beating to scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on medium low, and the eggs a tablespoon or two at a time, continuing to stop and scrape down the bowl, until all the egg is incorporated. Briefly mix in the vanilla.

Remove the mixer bowl and hand stir in the flour mixture, alternating with the eggnog- 3 additions of flour & 2 of eggnog, making sure that each addition is thoroughly incorporated before adding the next. Gently fold in the prepared currants and soaking liquid.

Use a rubber spatula to spoon and evenly spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake until the top springs back when lightly touched and the sides are starting to come away from the pan, about 45-60 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for about 10 minutes while you make the glaze . Stir the sugar and liquids together in a small bowl with a rubber spatula until just blended.

Turn the cake out onto a rack and leave the decorative side up. Place the rack over a large plate or tray to catch the excess glaze. Use a pastry brush to generously coat the top and sides of the warm cake with all of the glaze. Let it cool completely before serving. To transfer the cake to a serving plate, use a large offset spatula to loosen the cake from the rack and slide it onto the plate.

Kid-Friendly Eggnog
Yield: about 2 cups (2 servings)

1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
f1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Beat or blend together in a blender the milk, cream, sugar, and eggs until smoothly mixed. Add the vanilla and nutmeg.
This eggnog is uncooked, which works just fine for baking in a cake. If you decide to make a recipe to consume, drink it asap or cook the milk, egg & sugar mixture on low heat, whisking constantly, until it just thickens. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla and nutmeg and chill before drinking, adding a jigger of rum, whiskey, or brandy for the adults in the audience.

Best Cold Dessert
Restaurant: "Geranium Ice Cream with White Chocolate Mousse and Huckleberries" (Sons & Daughters, San Francisco)

Homemade:
The Picky Eater's adaptation of David Lebovitz's "Salted Caramel Ice Cream" She makes hers with a "wet" caramel, no praline, and less sugar and salt.
Picky Eater Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Makes about 3 cups

2 1/2 cups whole milk, divided
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons (60 gr) unsalted butter
1 tsp Fleur du Sel
6 large egg yolks
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract


Make an ice bath by filling a large bowl about a third full with ice cubes and adding a cup or so of water so they’re floating. Nest a smaller metal bowl (at least 2 quarts) over the ice, pour 1 cup of the milk into the inner bowl, and rest a mesh strainer on top of it.

Spread the cup of sugar in a small, heavy saucepan in an even layer. Add 1/2 cup of milk and gently stir together as briefly as possible. Cook over moderate heat, without stirring, until the mixture is caramelized. Once caramelized, remove from heat and stir in the butter and salt, until the butter is melted. The caramel may harden and seize, but return it to the heat and continue to stir over low heat until any hard caramel is melted. Stir in 1 cup of the milk.

Whisk the yolks in a small bowl and gradually pour some of the warm caramel mixture over the yolks, stirring constantly. Scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan and cook the custard using a heatproof utensil, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture thickens. If using an instant-read thermometer, it should read 160-170 F (71-77 C).

Pour the custard through the strainer into the milk set over the ice bath, add the vanilla, then stir frequently until the mixture is cooled down. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or until thoroughly chilled.

Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Best Chocolate Confection
Commercial: Dude, Sweet's FDA Chocolate Salami - whole meedjoul dates and dried figs ground and added to California marzipan with Valrohna cocoa nibs and 72% South American rolled in powdered sugar - a vegan delight!

Homemade:
"Pistachio, Almond, Dried Cherry and Cranberry Bark" from Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz.
We made a good thing even better by doubling the amounts of fruits and nuts and adding dried cranberries to the mix. This chocolate bark is a cinch to make, and also vegan to boot.

Pistachio, Almond, Dried Cherry and Cranberry Bark
Makes about 1 1/2 pounds

1 1/4 pounds (20 oz) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup almonds, toasted (see the toasting instructions in the Chewy Expresso Cookie recipe, above)
1/2 cup shelled pistachios
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Flaky sea salt (optional, but recommended)

Stretch a sheet of plastic wrap tautly across a flat cookie sheet.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water until it is almost melted. Remove the top double boiler pan from over the hot water and stir the chocolate until it is completely melted. Mix in the nuts and dried fruits.

Scrape the mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet and use a spatula to spread it out, trying to evenly distribute the fruits and nuts. Flick bits of salt across the top of the bark. Refrigerate the cookie sheet until the chocolate is solid. When the bark is firm, break it into rough pieces. Store in the refrigerator for from one to two weeks.

Best Jam or Jelly
Commercial: "Blood Orange Marmalade" from June Taylor
Homemade: Robert Sabbatini & Bonnie Loyd's "Pear Vanilla Jam."
Smooth and succulent on the palate; essence of vanilla predominates at the start, but there are strong notes of pear in the finish.

Best Plating
Restaurant: Tie between
"The Fire Split" (Fire Food & Drink, Cleveland) - a fudge brownie, salted caramel ice cream and brûléed banana

and "variations of dark chocolate and pumpkin" (SPQR, San Francisco) - Pumpkin cake, chocolate sauce, pumpkin gelato, and pumpkin mousse enrobed in chocolate ganache.

Couldn't resist- took a bite before the photo was shot!

Maida Heatter Lifetime Achievement Award
Since the 1970's Maida Heatter, a.k.a. "the Queen of Desserts," has been making the world a sweeter and more chocolaty place. She is the author of nine classic dessert cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts.  Ms. Heatter is a member of the James Beard Foundation Hall of Fame, has been named to Cook's Magazine's Who's Who in Cooking, and was one of the first people inducted into the Chocolatier Hall of Fame. An octogenarian, she continues to bake joyfully from her home in Palm Beach, Florida.
Commercial: Macarons from Laduree

Homemade:
"Fudge Crackle Cookies" based on a recipe, with a few additions, from The Village Baker's Wife by Gayle Ortiz.
Often imitated but never duplicated. Our standard household cookie since 1997. I estimate that I have baked more than 2500 of these babies in my time, and, unlike many things in life, they are still as good today as they were the first time.

Here  is an ode that the Picky Eater wrote to these extraordinary cookies at age 10:
"She was a wonderful dark chocolate cookie. Many cracks mar the surface, and strewn about, half buried in the airy earth cookie itself, are boulders of chocolate and nut. I took a bite, and the delectable deep rich chocolaty flavor bordered by the sweet crunch of the sugar coating filled my taste buds with delight. I swallowed, and the chunk of cookie slid down my throat like an ecstatic kid skiing down a mountain. I couldn’t resist. I took another bite, and another and another, each better than the last. When I was done I licked the last crumbs off my lips, and ran off to play."

Fudge Crackle Cookies
Makes three dozen cookies
For proper baking this dough must chill at least 5 hours before baking.

1/2 c. butter
6 oz. unsweetened chocolate- quality chocolate only!! No Trader Joe's concoctions.
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. pecans, finely chopped
1 c. chocolate chips

Sugar for coating

Melt the chocolate and butter over simmering water. Set aside to cool. Beat the sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth, Blend in the chocolate mixture.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Hand stir the flour into the batter until just incorporated. Add the nuts and choc. chips. Refrigerate the  dough at least 5 hours.

Preheat oven to 325°. Place coating sugar in a shallow bowl. Working with 1/3 of the dough at a time (leave remainder in refrigerator), take 1 Tb of dough, roll into a ball, and roll in sugar. Place balls 2” apart on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets.

Bake 12-20 minutes, until cookies have a slight crust, but are soft to the touch. Cool on wire racks.

The Murder at Gingerbread Grange: a Miss Necco Mystery Pastiche

For those who were unaware of it, a mysterious homicide recently occurred at Gingerbread Grange, our  seasonal fantasy country house. While the Picky Eater and her parents were briefly detained as persons of interest, Inspector Raisinet of the local constabulary was unable to satisfactorily weave the myriad of confusing clues and red herrings into a coherent case against them.

The facts of the case are these:

In the wee hours of a day in late December, while all the residents of Gingerbread Grange were absent - the Chemist out dancing the night away, the Cook on an emergency run to a 24-hour grocery for powdered sugar, and the Maker ensconced in the bowels of the house employing his extensive collection of mechanical snakes in an attempt to clear the cookie frosting from the sewer line.

When the Maker emerged after several hours of futile efforts, he found a stranger lying in the yard, dead as a doornail - impaled by a candy corn through the heart!

The man's name was Mr. Biscotto, and for several reasons he had become anathema to the family. They believed that he was more than likely the culprit in several unfortunate tragedies which had rocked the family in recent weeks-

the loss of a precious recipe, a secret formula, and a dispute concerning a laser patent.

While the police were able to identify a number of clues- A puddle of melted butter on the candy stone path, short-circuited headlights on the rented vintage VW bug parked next to the Grange, the purloined Nancy Drew recipe in Mr. Biscotto’s pocket, Mr. Biscotto’s nefarious activities as a patent thief – there were many unanswered questions – For instance, was the moose a laser gingerbread cutout decoy? 

Further research into his background by an informant to the constabulary revealed these shocking details concerning Mr. Biscotto:

"I  contacted one of the world's greatest drummers and amateur private detective, one Ginger Baker. He ran a background check on your Mr. Biscotto...real name, Anthony Biscotti, aka Naughty Tony Biscotti. As it turns out, Naughty Biscotti had quite a way with the ladies. Late night cupboard rendezvous with everyone from Betty Crocker to Dolly Madison. He made one mistake during his final tryst with...Mrs. Butterworth. Mr. Butterworth found out. You really never see the old boy around the kitchen. He maintains a very low profile and, unfortunately, is insanely jealous. The butter puddle tells all, as he was wounded during his fatal scuffle with Naughty Biscotti. If Inspector Raisenet aspires to any grapeness at all, he should bring in Mr. Butterworth for questioning and check his cholesterol type against that found in the puddle. He just might find something that will stick to Butterworth."

Into the breech steps Miss Necco, a cookie doppelganger of Agatha Christie's wonderful Miss Marple. A favorite author with the female members of our household, we are much indebted to Dame Christie for inspiring this set piece.

Despite the informant's Mrs. Butterworth allegations, Miss Necco's remains confident in her analysis and solution to the mystery:

“I was reminded of a terrible accident that occurred sometime back to a knitting acquaintance of mine in my village, Prune-on-Hudson. The poor woman tripped on her front step and impaled herself on her knitting needle. Fortunately, she had the good sense not to try to pull it out, and they got her to the infirmary in good time and the doctors were able to repair her injury.

The culprits in this crime wanted us to believe that that was what happened here. The man “stabbed through the heart” with a candy corn. But, here and there, the clues began to evince a pattern to me, and, yes, I do believe that I am correct.

I was first struck by the detail that all members of the household were absent or indisposed when the murder took place. With so many valuable secrets floating around the Gingerbread Grange it seemed most unsuitable that no one was left on guard. I had to conclude that Mr. Biscotto was meant to think that he could enter the house and pilfer it. What he didn’t know was that a most devious ambush was in store for him.

As he snuck up to the house, intending to use the candy corn to break and enter the Grange, he tripped a hidden alarm secreted in the path and was blinded by a laser beamed from the headlights of the old car which was, of course, why they appeared to be burnt out. Sightless and befuddled, he stumbled in the puddle of butter, slipped, and fell onto his sword, as it were.

So, it was a combination of the hidden security apparatus at the Gingerbread Grange and Mr. Biscotto’s own wicked intentions that brought about his demise.

As to the overly ingenious residents of the Gingerbread Grange, I do hope that they decide that their home would be better suited to more mundane purposes, and that they remove themselves from the premises at their earliest convenience, before dear doltish Inspector Raisinet manages to put more than two and two together and notices the many instances of triangulation in this case.

With that, I do think that it is time for me to get back to my cottage and make sure that that my silly housemaid Elsie hasn’t run off with the butcher’s assistant. You have no idea what intrigue and illicit romance can go on in a small village beneath the nose of even the most observant old spinster!”

The All-Purpose Multi-Flavored Icebox Cookie

Cranberry Orange Pecan cookies

It's not too late to make those holiday cookies you've been fantasizing about- not with Gourmet's circa 2003 handy dandy all purpose Basic Butter Cookie recipe, which can be modified to suit your heart's desire. You can even divide one recipe in half and make two flavors. Throw together some extra rolls of dough, cover the plastic wrap with holiday paper, tie up the ends with ribbon, and you've got the perfect hostess gift. Throw a few extra rolls (well wrapped) into the freezer for emergencies. Just don't over bake them! The dough even tastes great unbaked if you can overcome your fear of uncooked egg poisoning.

Without further ado, the all-purpose icebox cookie -

Basic Butter Cookie
(adapted from Gourmet Magazine, December 2003)
Makes three dozen 2"cookies.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Garnish: coarse or sanding sugar

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.

Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer at medium-high speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Beat in the egg and vanilla.

Reduce the speed to low, and add flour mixture, mixing until it is just combined.

Stir or knead in your chosen additions & flavorings (see below) until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Form dough into a 12-inch log about 2 inches in diameter on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll up the dough in the plastic wrap. Chill the dough until firm, at least 4 hours.

Put the  oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.

With a heavy knife, cut 1/4-inch-thick slices from the log and arrange the slices about 1 inch apart on two parchment lined cookie sheets. (Keep the remainder of the log chilled, still wrapped in plastic wrap).

Cookie roll in process

If you are garnishing with coarse sugar, sprinkle slices with it before placing them on the cookie sheets.

Bake the cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until the edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes total. Do not over bake. Cool 3 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough.

The dough log can be chilled for up to five days in the refrigerator or frozen, double wrapped in plastic for one month. Thaw frozen dough in the refrigerator just until it can be sliced.

Mexican Chopped Chocolate

Additions:

Picky Eater choices -

Cranberry Orange cookies: Add 1 cup dried cranberries, 1 cup chopped pecans, and 2 Tb orange zest. Sprinkle the cookies before baking with coarse sugar.

Mexican Chocolate cookies: Stir 2 tsp. ground cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne pepper into 100 grams of finely chopped bittersweet chocolate, then add to the butter cookie dough. Sprinkle the cookies slices with cinnamon sugar before baking.

Other possible additions are one cup of any of the following: currants, poppy or sesame seeds, cocoa nibs, mini chocolate chips, or chopped walnuts, almonds, pecans or pistachios. Lemon or orange zest would be welcome with either of the first three, and cocoa nibs and chocolate chips would enjoy the company of a little cinnamon or 2 Tb of finely ground coffee. Mix and match whatever suits your fancy, it all tastes good!

Gourmet Magazine's suggestions -
Lemon cookies: Stir 2 Tb fresh lemon juice and 1 Tb lemon zest into the basic cookie dough.
Almond Spice cookies: Add 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cloves, and 1/4 tsp ground ginger with the flour mixture, then stir in 1 cup slivered almonds.

Have a rugelach (arugula?)

We had an entertaining homophonic episode at dinner the other night. Confusion ensued when our diners were exhorted to "eat a rugelach" which was misinterpreted to mean "eat arugula," understandable given that the Picky Eater had made an arugula salad for dinner and I was serving my great grandmother's nut strudels aka rugelach, for dessert.

Have a rugelach!

Either choice was a good option, depending upon the number of calories one wanted to ingest. The rugelach are devilishly addictive, and it's easy to consume half a dozen (circa 900 calories) in the blink of an eye. The salad of greens, roasted cauliflower, pomegranate seeds, and pecans had fewer calories naturally, plus the bonus of more staying power, less fat, good flavor, and tons of nutrients. While the Picky Eater may have the will power to eschew the rugelach, I had to content myself with the compromise of eating some of both (not at the same time!)

Or, arugala

Start with the salad-
Arugula Salad with Roasted Cauliflower et al.
I like my salads heavy on the solids and light on the greens, but it's your salad and your call......

4-6 cups mixed arugula & baby spinach, washed, dried & stemmed
1 small head of cauliflower
1 cup whole pecans
1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
1/4 c olive oil
Salt & pepper

Dressing:
2:1 ratio of olive oil & lemon juice (or a light balsamic or champagne vinegar). (I used 1/3 cup oil to 3 Tb of balsamic vinegar.)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toast the pecans in a roasting pan for about five minutes, until just turning. Put the nuts aside to cool, then chop them into good sized chunks. Keep the oven on for the cauliflower.

Wash the cauliflower and cut it into bite-size florets. Wipe out the roasting pan that you used for the pecans and toss the cauliflower in it with the 1/4 cup olive oil and a generous amount of salt & pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes until just tender and nicely browned, checking and tossing every ten minutes or so. Remove from the roasting pan and allow the cauliflower to cool.

Just before serving whisk the olive oil and citrus or vinegar together until emulsified.

Toss the greens, cauliflower, nuts, and pomegranate seeds together with the viniagrette. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Serves 4 or one Picky Eater.

And finish with "a rugelach:"
Like many family recipe's, my great grandmother Pesse's rugelach come with a story attached to them. An acquaintance, Mrs. Friedman,  refused to share her Hungarian strudel dough recipe, and as an immigrant from the Ukraine, my great grandmother was unfamiliar with it. The secretive lady always  made her strudels when she had company coming, and so Pesse went visiting a few days before her friend expected out-of-town guests. Pesse chatted with her and watched her make the cookies, then went right home, made a batch herself, and they took their rightful place as a legendary family dessert!

Sour cream pastry rolled paper thin and topped with jelly, nuts, cinnamon sugar.- ready to roll.
 Blurry photo looks like it belongs in my mother's 1952 vintage Gourmet Cookbook!

Pesse Zeff’s Nut Strudels
Be sure to make the dough the day before you want to bake.

5 c. flour
1 lb. butter, cut into 1” cubes
3 egg yolks
2 c. sour cream
1 t. vanilla
1 TB baking powder
1 TB sugar

Filling:
Jelly (fruit or orange marmalade)
Nuts, finely chopped
2 c. sugar mixed with
2 t. cinnamon

Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut the butter in with a pastry knife until the pieces are the size of large peas. Mix in the cream, egg yolks, and vanilla. Form the dough into a flat disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Cut the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each piece until very thin (almost like paper!) on a large piece of parchment paper or a floured board. On one long side only, spread a thin line of jelly about 2” wide. Sprinkle the entire surface of the dough with nuts and cinnamon sugar.

Starting at the jelly strip end, gently roll the pastry into a neat loaf, folding in the side edges after you make the first fold over the jelly.

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, and prick the top of each roll well with a fork, to allow steam to escape during baking. Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with more cinnamon sugar.

Bake in a 350° oven for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned. Cut into 1” slices on the diagonal. Use a very sharp knife to avoid cracking. These freeze well if they make it to that far.

Makes about 8 dozen.

Omit the sugar and vanilla and you can use this dough for appetizer strudels with a mushroom duxelle filling and grated cheese scattered on the dough. Bake as directed with a some grated cheese added on top during the last 10 minutes of baking.

In the Kitchen Lab with the Picky Eater

The Picky Eater was telling me that I really could stop experimenting with desserts-  I have a bunch of great ones that always turn out splendidly, and I should just stick with those. (These comments were the result of a couple of less than stellar Thanksgiving dessert attempts.)

She, on the other hand, I was informed, was still searching for her dessert repertoire, and the following recipe is a recent successful experiment:

Smooth & creamy thanks to Cuisinart!

Homemade Nutella
(Adapted from The Kitchn and, well, logic)
Most recipes don’t have you put any actual chocolate in, I thought I’d add some.  This isn’t terribly sweet (especially compared to the commercial stuff), so add more sugar if you want.
Makes ~1 cup, or the perfect amount to swirl in a cake

1 ½ cups raw almonds
¼ cup couverture disks, 70% (or half a dark chocolate bar you’ve got laying around)
¼ cup cocoa powder
½ cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp salt
Sunflower oil, as needed (almond, hazelnut, or peanut oils would be lovely, but not necessary)

Toast the almonds in a skillet until dark and fragrant.  Place in the food processor along with the chocolate and process until paste-like.  Add the cocoa powder, sugar, and salt, and blend some more.  Dribble in oil until a spreadable consistency.

Refrigerate for up to 1 week, but good luck with that.  Or, swirl into the following cake:

Vanilla-Almond Bundt with Homemade Nutella

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the pan
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 large eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract (not necessary, but nice)
¾ cup buttermilk*

Preheat the oven to 350º.  Butter and flour a 10-cup capacity bundt pan thoroughly—I used a springform style for easier release and the cake still stuck some.

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approx. 3 to 5 minutes.  With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition.  Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.

Combined the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl, and add 1/3 to batter, beating until just combined, then half the buttermilk, 1/3 flour, remaining buttermilk, and remaining flour.   Scrape down occasionally and don’t mix any more than you have to—I like to do the last flour addition by hand.

Place half the batter in the pan, smooth, and make a small channel.  Add one batch homemade nutella or about one cup of store-bought nutella and cover with the remaining batter.  Swirl thoroughly (I wished I’d done more, I ended up with a cake with nutella filling instead of a swirl) and smooth the top of the cake.  Bake for 55-60 minutes, turning halfway through.  The cake is done as soon as a tester comes out clean of batter.

Let sit for 10-15 minutes to cool, and then turn out of the pan.

*If you haven’t got buttermilk, either add a couple spoonfuls of plain yogurt to enough milk to make buttermilk consistency (what I did) or add 1 tsp lemon juice to a cup of milk.  We’re more likely to have yogurt (and it’s actually more like cultured buttermilk), so I used 1 ½ Tb greek yogurt in enough milk to make ¾ cup, and it worked brilliantly

This cake bakes up beautifully, with a nice contrast between the almost bittersweet nutella and the cake. Unfortunately we didn't get an interior shot.

Serve to a large party of teenage engineers and watch it disappear.

In the Kitchens at Hogwarts

Young witch hard at work on her O.W.L. examinations.
Note the shrunken mandrake's head.

The Picky Eater and I have a long and most pleasant association with that esteemed wizarding institution The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, she as a prefect and Head Girl in her year, and I as an instructor at our annual Hogwarts short course. During the week-long course life takes on the soothing routine found in schools where the students are happy and excited to attend, the staff are benignly voluble, and the food is excellent. While life at the "real" Hogwarts may be filled with drama, strife, and uncertainty, it's all good fun, lots of wizardry crafts & potions, quidditch matches, and scrumptious snacks for elevenses during the Short Course.

In the stead of Mssrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, we offer not a Marauders' Map, but the makings of the aforementioned elevenses and a bevy of potions which would even satisfy Prof. Snape. After a long morning of classwork in Charms, Divination, Herbology, or Ancient Runes and a brisk quidditch practice, young witches and wizards are ready to tuck in. Elevenses always includes a bracing cup of tea or cocoa, toasted English muffins, crumpets or scones with butter, lemon curd and jelly, and Hagrid's famous Rockcakes. (Although we can assure you that these cakes are quite delicious and most decidedly not the jawbreakers that Hagrid bakes!) Pass the recipes on to your house elves, or in an elve-less household like Mrs. Weasley's, make them yourself.

While acceptable English muffins (and even crumpets) can be conveniently procured from your local purveyor, store-bought scones pale in comparison to those conjured up in the Hogwarts kitchen, best baked and served the same day.

Scones with lemon curd & crumpets with raspberry-lavender preserves.

Tea Scones
Using cake flour gives these scones a tender crumb; but you will also have excellent results with unbleached flour. Makes 8 generous sized scones. *See the note about cutting smaller ones.

2 c. cake or unbleached flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 Tb baking powder
1/4 t. salt
6 Tb chilled butter, cut into pieces
1 egg
1/2 c. cold whole milk

Preheat the oven to 400°.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly sprinkle it with flour.

Combine the  flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub it with your fingertips until the mixture is like course meal.

Beat the egg and milk together in a bowl. Pour over the dry ingredients, and combine with a fork. Gather the dough into a ball.

Turn the dough out on a floured surface and shape into an 8” round about 3/4” thick. Transfer it to the baking sheet. Cut the dough to make 8 equal wedges and separate them on the cookie sheet. *Alternately, you can use a simply shaped cookie cutter, like a heart, to cut out smaller individual scones.

Scone dough cut in wedges before separating.

Bake about 15 minutes, until the scones are firm to the touch in the center, and golden brown. Smaller scones may have a shorter baking time. Start checking at about 10 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.  Recipe adapted from the May 1998 issue of Bon Appetit.

Lemon Curd 
Just keep stirring! If you work hard enough you won't need to strain out any pesky lumps. Worth the effort.

3 large eggs
1/2 - 3/4 c. sugar (use less for more tartness)
1/4 c. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 Tb unsalted butter
2 Tb grated lemon zest

In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, whisk the eggs and sugar until smooth. Add the other ingredients and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until the mixture resembles slightly whipped cream.

Remove from the heat, cover, and stir the lemon curd frequently as it cools. When cool, strain (if necessary) and store in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Makes 1 ½ cups.  Adapted from The Village Baker’s Wife by Gayle Ortiz.

Rockcakes iced & cooling.

Hagrid's Rockcakes
Spicy, tender and guaranteed not to break any teeth. It's easy to eat four or five of these hardy drop cookies in the blink of an eye (or the swish of a wand.) They freeze nicely if well wrapped.
Makes 3 dozen cookies.

1 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
3 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. cloves
1 c. nuts, chopped
1 c. raisins

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift the dry ingredients together, and stir into the butter mixture. Then stir in the nuts and raisins.

Drop teaspoonfuls of dough on greased (or parchment papered) cookie sheets about 2” apart. Bake 8-10 minutes, until golden around the edges. These cookies are better slightly underdone.

While still hot, gently brush the cookies with this glaze:
Vanilla Glaze
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 Tb. soft butter
2 Tb plus 2 t. light cream
1 t. vanilla
pinch of salt

Mix ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. The mixture should be the consistency of mayonnaise. Cover when not in use.

Edible Potions
Potions Class, in the absence of Snape, offers a splendid opportunity for young witches & wizards to devise their own snacks and potables. We offer two examples of exemplary potion lessons- the "Eat-Your-Veggies Potion" based on a favorite recipe of Mrs. Wesley's from the tome Charm Your Own Cheese, and a simple draught known as the "Babbling Beverage."

In concocting both potions, insist that the results be totally tasty and edible, forewarning students that they will be eating and drinking them as their elevenses snack. If your class is divided into houses (we like to name our houses Unicorn, Dragon, Phoenix, and Hippogriff to avoid disappointment) members of each house can work cooperatively on their own batch of potion. Trust me, you won't want, or need, any more!

Eat-Your-Veggies Potion
Potion base:
1 cup sour cream
1 cup yogurt

Stir the potion base ingredients together and distribute a portion to each house or wizard in a small bowl or cauldron.
Add any desired combination of these herbs and flavorings to taste. Encourage young scholars to be prudent when flavoring their potions- adding components in small doses until a pleasurable balance is attained.

• Fresh and/or herbs: Parsley, cilantro, basil, thyme, oregano, tarragon                                             Make sure that the fresh herbs have been washed. They can be chopped fine with a knife or chopper or, more safely, snipped with a clean pair of scissors.
• Soy sauce
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• Balsamic vinegar
• Worcestershire sauce
• Mustard- yellow or Dijon
• Hot sauce

Serve with crackers, breadsticks, and crudites- sliced carrots, celery sticks, bell pepper, cucumber, etc. Encourage witches and wizards to try potions made by other houses.

Babbling Beverage

Be sure to warn your students that overindulgence may result in the dreaded motor mouth syndrome

Beverage base:

Offer a reasonable assortment of the following: Ginger ale, 7-up, apple juice, sparkling water.

Measure 2-3 cups of mixed-as-desired beverage base into a large cauldron or pitcher.

Add some or all of these additions to make a tasty brew:

• Spoonfuls of undiluted frozen juice concentrate- orange or lemonade
• Flavored Kool aid mix (various, blue is always nice)
• Spices & flavorings- vanilla, almond extract, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg

Add ice and ladle into cups. Enjoy and try not to babble uncontrollably.

A Visit to Hogsmeade- 

Young witches and wizards delight in their weekend visits to Hogsmeade, and are more than happy to pitch in and help Mr. Honeyduke replenish his stores. After a spell spent making magical candies, nothing is better than quaffing a tankard of pumpkin juice or butter beer at Madam Rosmerta's esteemed establishment, The Three Broomsticks.

It is possible for students to assist Mr. Honeyduke by making two of his best sellers- chocolate frogs and chocolate wands.

Chocolate Frogs & Wands

24 oz bag of chocolate chips

Gummi frogs

Bag of pretzel "Rods"

Colored cake decorating sprinkles

Double boiler

Inexpensive/disposable paint brushes

Parchment or wax paper

Melt the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water. Alternately, melt and transfer to a small crockpot for safer house elf working conditions.

Use the paintbrushes to coat the frogs with melted chocolate. Set on a piece of wax or parchment paper to cool.

Dip about half the length of the pretzel rods in the melted chocolate to coat. Hold vertically over melted chocolate to allow the excess to drip back into the pan. While the chocolate is still soft, hold the wand over wax/parchment paper or a plate and coat with the sprinkles. Cool until chocolate is hard on paper.

Pumpkin Juice

Icy cold, this is the young wizard's thirst quencher of choice.

Makes 4-6 servings

32 oz. bottle of apple juice

14 oz. can of canned pumpkin

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

optional: 1/4 cup honey

Measure about 1 cup of apple juice into a 2 qt pitcher, bowl or cauldron. Gradually beat in the canned pumpkin and about half of the honey, along with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Once the mixture is smooth, gradually add the remainder of the apple juice until well mixed. Taste and add additional spices and honey to taste. Serve over ice if desired. 

Butter Beer
The exact recipe for Butter Beer is a closely held secret, and much controversy surrounds it among its aficionados. Young witches and wizards seem happy to drink any of its many iterations.

For 4-6 servings

2 12 oz. bottles of cream soda (note: there appear to be many new gourmet varieties available which are less sickeningly sweet than the high volume manufacturers, and they will produce a much more palatable product)

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup caramel sauce (homemade** or store bought)

Chill the cream soda. Whip the cream in a clean bowl with either a hand or electric beater until it forms sturdy but not stiff peaks. (Note: young wizards may enjoy the novelty of operating a Muggle egg beater.) Gently stir in the caramel sauce, trying not to deflate the cream.

Fill a tall wine or beer glass with 4-6 oz. cream soda and add several large dollops of the caramel whipped cream. Clink glasses and enjoy.

Quick Butter Beer

Alternately, for a quicker brew, pour a quantity of cream soda over several scoops of butter caramel ice cream in a tall glass. Stir together gently and enjoy.

**Homemade Caramel Sauce

Quite a wizardly concoction in and of itself. Watch plain sugar and water transform themselves into nectar of the gods.

Makes 1 cup.

1 c. granulated sugar 

1/3 c. water 

An additional 1/3 to 1⁄2 c. water 

1 c. heavy cream

Boil the sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small heavy saucepan, swirling until the sugar is dissolved. Put a lid on the pan and boil slowly until the sugar bubbles thicken considerably.

Uncover and boil without stirring until the syrup begins to caramelize. Swirl the pan until the syrup is walnut brown. Remove from the heat, and continue to swirl. Avert your face and pour in the additional water.

Simmer, stirring frequently, until the caramel has melted into the water. Boil the mixture until it is a light syrup. Add the cream, blend in thoroughly, and boil, stirring, for 2-3 minutes to reduce the cream slightly. Serve warm or cold. 

Adapted from Julia and More Company by Julia Child.

Hogwarts in Gingerbread

Many young wizards and witches of our acquaintance enjoy rendering gingerbread house versions of Hogwarts. Shown below is a splendid rendition by our young friend Frank.

Can you spot Nagini, the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid & Nearly Headless Nick?