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Good Times Can Still Roll in the Winter Cold
By Ronni Lundy
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Photo by Sister72
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February approaches and with it the next issue of TheZenchilada.com devoted to Carnival and a panoply of winter-based celebrations that anticipate the coming spring.
And oh yes, that holiday too; Valentine's Day is named for one or more saints who were variously noted for their sacrifice and martyrdom, but not so much for romantic love. If that makes you wonder how it became the holiday for sweethearts, you're not alone. Scholarship on the subject disagrees, but many have suggested the early Christian church was co-opting ancient fertility rites observed at the same time of year.
It's Chaucer who gets the credit for the first Valentine poesy, writing in Parlement of Foules (1382): "For this was on Saint Valentine's day/When every bird cometh there to choose his mate." Not as steamy as the good parts of The Canterbury Tales, but it curiously echoes a ritual said to be associated with Juno Februata, the ancient Roman feast day of Juno, Queen of Heaven and patroness of courtship and marriage, celebrated on February 14. Juno was thought to give a little extra edge of luck to girls who invoked her when participating in rituals with romantic implications. For example, on Juno's feast day it was thought that the first bird seen by a girl could foretell what her husband would be like: wise as the owl, mysterious as the raven, chatty as the magpie - and what a mixed bag for she who opened her eyes to the rooster's crow. Alas, those who spied a woodpecker were predicted never to marry.
These days our romantic rituals revolve more around the objects of our consumer culture: wine, baubles, flowers , books of poetry, downloads of music and, of course, sweet stuff. For those who prefer the handmade to the made-in-a-foreign-factory, Sweet Stuff: Karen Barker's American Desserts, published by the University of North Carolina Press in 2004 and still in print, is just the ticket to paradise.
Barker and her husband, Ben, own the award-winning Magnolia Grill in Durham, North Carolina, and have brought home a couple of James Beard trophies themselves - Karen in 2003 for Outstanding Pastry Chef in the U.S. She is in charge of the remarkable sweet stuff on the Magnolia's menu, a litany of pleasures ranging from the kitsch delish of a Tin Roof Peanut Butter Blondie Sundae with Milk Chocolate Malt Ice Cream to the more uptown nuances of a Manchego Brulee with Poached Quince and a Spanish Olive Oil Crisp.
But anyone who's even tried to read, let alone work from, an inscrutable chef cookbook, knows that brilliance in a commercial kitchen doesn't necessarily translate to accessibility and competence on the page. Barker's book is the notable exception, and I got to eat proof of her pudding (okay, actually cheesecake) when my daughter decided recently, almost on a whim, to bake her first from Karen's book. In Meghan's kitchen, the Black Bottom Gentleman Jack Cheesecake seemed as simple to make as the 1-2-3 layers of its construction - and it turned out delectably divine.
If familial endorsement is not enough, though, Sweet Stuff is also one of the well-used volumes on the loaner shelf at the Tree House Pastry Shop and Café in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Named one of the country's best farm-to-table restaurants by Gourmet magazine, the Tree House offers a selection of baked goods and desserts that changes daily. "Do any of them come from Karen's book," I asked owner/baker Maria Elena Bustamante-Bernal. She grinned, "Actually, I use that book much more at home than I do in the restaurant. It's remarkably error-free, and it's an excellent methodology."
Barker's methodology is to establish a solid core of basics and then elaborate from there. She begins with a chapter on baking fundamentals, then follows with a thorough run-through of recipes for the components (pie dough to marshmallow fluff) from which her desserts are made.
If there's a baker (or even an aspiring one) on your Valentine hotline, you could give him or her a box of chocolates for a momentary sugar rush - or a copy of Sweet Stuff for a lifetime of the real deal.
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You're the Apple of My Chai (When You Wear that Porkpie Hat)
 | | Photo by Ryannan Bryer de Hickman |
One part necessity and one part adventure led to the invention of this wonderful pie, perfect for dessert, but also a surprisingly yummy breakfast option.
About a week after she and her husband, Todd Kindberg, had returned to the mountains of western North Carolina from a trip to India, Meghan Lundy-Jones laughingly confessed, "We were putting chai masala in everything - tea, coffee, yogurt. It just seemed natural then to spice an apple pie with it instead of choosing just one spice like cinnamon."
A bag of crisp, fragrant Lady Slipper apples that needed to be used were further inspiration, "and I'd bought a pound of really good bacon that we weren't eating fast enough. We were invited to a pot luck and I thought, 'Hmmmm, bacon in apple pie.' "
From there, a star was born.
Be sure to fry the bacon crisp and drain it well, and to pile the apples high and higher, creating a domed crust on top. This pie must be eaten warm - there's something transformative that happens with the spice. But you should feel free to top it with cool ice cream or yogurt.
APPLE-CHAI-BACON PIE
Makes 1 (9-inch) pie
2 crusts prepared to fit a 9-inch pie plate
12 ounces smoky bacon, cooked crisp and well-drained on paper toweling
6-7 apples, cored and cut into 6-8 wedges each
¾ - 1 cup granulated sugar
2-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons homemade chai masala (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees (425 at sea level). Put apples, sugar, flour and lemon juice into a large bowl and mix well. Crumble bacon and add it and chai masala to apples and mix well. Place first crust in pie plate and fill with apple-bacon-chai mixture. Top with second crust, pinch edges together and cut several vent holes in top. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 45 minutes, or until apples are tender and crust is browned. Serve warm.
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Leftover chai masala can be used to make chai tea.
 | | Photo by Ryannan Bryer de Hickman |
Combine 2 strong black tea bags with 3 cups water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, add 1 teaspoon chai masala and 1/4 cup sugar and simmer over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Strain into glass jar or clean pot and add milk (and more sugar, if desired) to taste. Serve at once or store in refrigerator and reheat when ready to serve.
CHAI MASALA
Makes about ½ cup
3 star anise pods
4 teaspoons green cardamom pods
3-4 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 crushed true cinnamon stick (not cassia)
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon ground ginger
Toast star anise, cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon and cloves in a dry skillet until fragrant. (Shake or stir often to prevent burning.) Cool and then grind in a spice mill or clean coffee grinder. Pour into small glass jar and add ginger. Shake well to combine. Can be stored in a cool, dark place for several months without losing potency.
(Adapted from Field Guide to Herbs and Spices by Aliza Green, Quirk Books, 2006)
-Ronni Lundy is the editor-in-chief of TheZenchilada.com
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As American playwright Lillian Hellman once wryly observed, "People change and forget to tell each other." Well, TheZenchilada.com is changing, too - and before we forget, we want to tell you about all the new features you'll find when the Winter 2011 issue goes live in February.