Stu's Pink Applesauce

Apples remind me of my boys when they were small…all rosy cheeks from running wild.

We took them apple picking in the fall, ate fresh donuts hot from the fryer and tasted new cider. A bushel of red Macintosh always came home with us and Stu loved the applesauce I’d make….it was pink from leaving the skins on.

I made applesauce again today. That brought the memories back. It made me smile. I feel happy.

Stu’s Favorite Pink Applesauce

Makes approximately 4 cups

3# Macintosh apples, cored, skin on, cut into ¼’s

2/3 cup cold water

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground clove

1 cinnamon stick

1/4 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon sweet butter

The quantities of sugar and water will vary based on how sweet and juicy the apples are. Half way through the cooking taste it and add more sugar if you want a sweeter result. Do the same with the water. If you like a looser applesauce add more water, a tablespoon at a time. The applesauce will thicken as it cools so don't fret if it looks a little loose.

Choose a heavy duty pot with a tight lid.  (I use my 5 quart le Creuset---it's older than my boys and is still in great shape).

Add everything at once and stir. Put the pot over medium heat and bring the mix to a boil. Cover and adjust your heat to keep everything at a gentle boil.

Cook for about 20 minutes----stirring occasionally---until the apples are soft and easily mashed.

Remove from the heat and check seasonings. Adjust as needed. If you are adding more sugar, spices or water at this time, return the applesauce to the heat and cook, covered, another 5 minutes. 

Remove from the heat, uncover and cool, in the pot, for about 15 minutes. (Do this to avoid burns. Hot applesauce hurts!)

Put the applesauce in a food mill and puree to remove skins and any stray seeds.

Cover and chill. Lasts for one week in the refrigerator or can  in a water bath canner for 20 minutes. I use 1/2 pint jars so I can enjoy Stu's pink applesauce as a snack.

Pink Applesauce---Enjoy!

Chicken Soup

We are half way through the Jewish New Year, the span of time that begins with  
Rosh Hashanah and ends with Yom Kippur. It is a time for celebrating and remembering, for forgiving and fasting, for being with family and friends.

It’s also a time to eat well.

While traditional recipes reign---pot roast, noodle pudding, roast chicken---pride of place in the Jewish Holiday food line up is the classic, comforting home made Chicken Soup. It is also the food with as many permutations as there are cooks putting a chicken in a pot (Not to mention that it is also a food that crosses many cultures).

Everyone starts with a whole, fresh chicken (which a hundred years ago might have arrived in the kitchen still feathered and squawking---a friend tells a great story about her Bubbie sitting on the back stoop plucking feathers), carrots and onions, celery, salt and pepper and enough water to cover the bird. That rounds out the list of widely approved ingredients.

Other additions---approved by some, scorned by others---are bouillon cubes, parsley, dill, leek, parsnip and garlic. My Mother, Aunt, Grandma and Nana added paprika and thyme.

The final result can be a finely wrought, clear broth with a simple garnish of cooked chicken and a bit of carrot or a rich soup served with a mélange from the pot: bits of onion, minced parsley, slices of carrot and lots of the chicken, shredded.

(In my house, Mother would be lucky to find any of the cooked chicken when it was time to serve the soup...Daddy and I loved nibbling on the cold bird and left little behind for guests).

Many cooks add rice, noodles, alphabet pasta (if there are very young children joining the dinner) or tiny squares of pastina. And of course, we cannot forget the lovely matzo ball---which we will save for another blog.

While there will always be as much discourse about what constitutes a perfect bowl of soup as there is over the perfect “Q”, I can promise that every cook who serves you soup will declare it the best you ever ate and, you had better agree!

My Family’s Recipe for The Perfect Chicken Soup

• 1 3# to 4# kosher or organic chicken, well cleaned                    
• 1 onion, cut in ¼’s
• 1 stalk celery, leaves on, cut in ½
• 1 parsnip, peeled and cut in ½
• 1 leek, light green part on, well cleaned, cut in ½
• 6-8 carrots, peeled and cut in 1½ ” to 2” lengths
• ½ bunch fresh dill
• ¼ bunch flat leaf parsley
• Seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic powder, dry thyme, paprika, dry dill weed: all to taste

Method:
Fit the chicken in the bottom of a heavy stock pot. The chicken should fit rather snugly on the bottom. There should be no more than 1”-2” of space from the side of the pot to the chicken. Fill the pot with enough cold water to top the chicken by about 4”.


Add the seasonings to the water; season lightly in the beginning. The cold water will deaden taste. You can add more seasonings later if necessary. Loosely cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Turn the light down and keep the heat on a gentle boil for 1 hour.


After one hour, re-check and adjust your seasonings. Add all of the vegetables, bring the broth back up to a boil and continue gently boiling for another 2 hours. (Loosely covered). Turn off the heat, adjust the seasonings if necessary and let the soup cool for ½ hour.


Remove the chicken from the pot and put aside. Strain the balance of the soup, saving the vegetables. Pick out all but 2 of the carrot pieces from the vegetables and set them aside with the chicken.


Add all of the remaining vegetables to the bowl of a food processor and puree until smooth. If necessary, add 2-3 TBS. of the soup to the vegetables to make the processing easier.


Scoop the pureed vegetables back into the soup, stir, cover and chill overnight.
The next day, skim all of the congealed fat from the top of the soup and discard.


This soup will keep in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. It also freezes very well. Make sure, if you’re dividing the stock into smaller containers, that it’s well mixed so there are equal amounts of the puree in each batch.


Serve warm with a bit of the cooked chicken, lightly shredded, a carrot and a pinch of finely chopped parsley.

What's Hiding In My Pantry?

Piles of magazines float around our neighborhood; each of us trading our subscription copies with friends. I like this arrangement. We get to read several magazines and only pay for a couple.

The pile I dug into today included Bon Appetit and Martha Stewart Living (a few from 1999—love it!) and I spent a lazy afternoon digging through all kinds of food ideas, recipes, diet plans. Nothing was really grabbing my interest until I saw a short column by BA’s Restaurant Editor Foodist Andrew Knowlton

A letter to the Editor asked about using canned tuna. The writer was trying to make the most of what she had in the house.

Knowlton  answered with a story about a challenge he met to make a week’s worth of meals using only what was already in his house. “The goal was simple, ” he wrote.“Save money and clean out all those forgotten ingredients.”

It struck me as something perfect to do this time of year, as the seasons are slipping from summer to fall. Cleaning out my pantry, cabinets and fridge to make room for the cooler weather, autumnal foods we’ll soon be craving.

So, what was in my pantry, fridge and freezer? Could I make a week’s worth of meals and stay out of the store?

I decided to start with Knowlton’s recipe (from his friend Chef Chris Cosentino) and go on from there. I made two changes as I didn’t have tuna, did have salmon and preferred soba noodles to spaghetti. It was a very good dinner with a leafy green salad dressed in a simple vinaigrette.

Chef Cosentino’s Spaghetti with Canned Tuna

(serves 2)
• 1 can high quality tuna packed in oil (if your tuna is in water you will need one tablespoon of olive oil)
• 1 clove of fresh garlic, minced
• 1 TBS fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
• 1 1” piece of lemon peel
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup plain bread crumbs (or panko) that have been toasted in a pan with 1 TBS melted butter and tossed with 1 TBS minced Italian parsley
• Cooked pasta, cooking water reserved

Method:
• Drain the tuna, if you have it in oil, pour the oil into a skillet set over medium heat (if your tuna is in water drain that off, discard it and use the 1 TBS olive oil)
• When the oil is heated mix in the parsley, lemon peel and garlic. Sauté for 1 minute
• Add the tuna, flaking it gently with a fork. Sauté just to heat.
• Add the cooked pasta and toss gently. Use some of the pasta water to moisten to taste. Add it 1 TBS at a time
• Top with toasted breadcrumbs and serve. No cheese necessary.

BA Foodist Food Editor Andrew Knowlton's Blog

Dear Jean,

Each month Vanity Fair Magazine ends their issue with a feature they call Proust Questionnaire, a one page celebrity Q and A found just inside the back cover. This month’s featured celebrity was the agelessly beautiful, talented, delightful, Helen Mirren.

As always the questions were the same and, as usual with many of the famous, infamous and simply notorious interviewed there, I expected the usual banal, trite, not-too-amusing replies. But Helen Mirren always astounds. One of her answers gave me the giggles and then a second answer, put with the first, sent me rolling down memory lane.

Q. “What do you most value in your friends?”
A. “Their ability to open a bottle of wine.”

Q. “If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?”
A. “A well worn sofa.”

How many well worn sofas and chairs, blankets on beaches and other cozy places have dear friend Jean and I settled into with the required bottle of wine? I can not count nor do I want to. Just the memory of those times---the intimacies, the tears, the silliness---is enough to make me happy and sentimental and giggly and even, a little tiny bit sad.

I want to thank you Ms. Mirren for reminding me, again, how much loveliness I’ve enjoyed over the years with my precious friend and a bottle of wine.

***Warning*** A Rant.

Atlanta is a foodie mecca. The range and quality of dining in this city, and throughout the surrounding suburbs, is astonishing.

Atlanta features enough culinary star power to rival any other US city or for that matter, almost any city in the world. We have become a veritable melting pot of food cultures with celebrity Chefs on every corner. The diner can as easily find a great place for Indian cuisine as she can for great Q.

The competition among all this fabulousness is sharp and palpable. Throw the flat economy into the mix and you have a restaurant community facing the toughest market it has ever seen. No one is immune from worry over filling their chairs, rising costs and the new guy next door.

I know this. I have worked in Atlanta restaurants for 15 years.

So, when a friend called some months ago telling me he was coming to town with a small convention and needed dining, I jumped---literally---for joy. A group to send to a few dining favorites who were also willing to do what was required for the large group diner: fixed (higher) gratuity, no budget, limited menu, sign a contract.

What did this group want in return? Casual dress, casual dining, Very Good Food, locally owned restaurants reflecting Atlanta, specific times; they were on a tight schedule. Not too far from midtown. If I was a restaurant I'd jump at this.

First Call, Miller Union. The Atlanta Hot Spot. Lauded by everyone from local Food Critic John Kessler to Nationally recognized Bon Apetite Magazine, this place hit all the marks for my visiting group.

And, what did I hear when I called Miller Union requesting a Noon reservation for 15 diners (six weeks down the road, a guarantee to come)?

“We can not guarantee a table for your group at that time or that date. We are doing so well we do not need to reserve that far out.”

Shame on you Miller Union. Shame----on----you! 






Restaurants to Applaud---A Short List:
The Group Loved Them; They Were Welcoming and Accommodating

Agave, 242 Boulevard, SE Atlanta

http://www.agaverestaurant.com/

Besides the best margaritas ever, this place features wonderful Southwestern fare and a very accommodating staff. A very, very nice staff. My favorites: Southern fried chicken with mashed Yukon golds or the slow cooked short ribs marinated in ancho chilies. Or, maybe the cevice martini, all spicy and limey and overflowing with tuna and shrimp? You decide. Just go.

Tavola, Virginia Avenue, Virginia Highlands

http://www.latavolatrattoria.com/

I dream about the food here. I smile the minute I walk through the door. Tavola has the nicest managers and a staff to match. The cuisine is perfect Italian straight from the Italian countryside. Have the mozzarella burrata with tomato conserve and crostini; the lemony shrimp risotto with Georgia shrimp and Thai basil. If I ever needed a last meal, this would be it.

Havana Sandwich Shop, lower Buford Highway, Atlanta
http://www.havanarestaurantatlanta.com/
This restaurant was rebuilt after a fire at another location. I am glad the owners made the effort to come back. They would have been sorely missed.  What to try? Cuban sandwiches and Cuban food and the best you’ve ever eaten. Don’t forget the Mojo sauce and a side of black bean soup.

Nine Months Later

Nine months later and I am finally ready to admit to myself that this really happened. It’s also okay now ‘cause two other friends also crossed a remarkable age threshold this year. Time to finally eat the cake.

Musings from last December:

A significant birthday is about to slap me in the face. I’ve spent a year trying to decide what to do about it. Do I celebrate and if I do, how? I was going to have a bash with a friend whose birthday is close to mine, but a few months ago I opted for selfish and went with my own party. Now I’m days away from the event.

Invitations have been sent, my menu is set and I’m in the last throes of getting ready. I’d like to dig my heals in and stop the clock. I can’t. Time goes and I’ve got to go along…..want to or not.

So, how do I really enjoy this trauma? I’ve been so engrossed with table scapes, preparing food, cleaning and decorating---all kinds of minutiae---I haven’t allowed myself to feel what is coming. That age. I…..am….going…to be….65. Yeesh.

Maybe I should be knitting or looking at picture albums. I don’t have albums. All of my pictures are either framed or in piles. Panic or not. No ! I will focus on what I love. My friends are coming. Hopefully lots and lots of friends will show up and I’ll glaze through that extraordinary day in a haze of good conversation, hugs, too much wine and a lot of great food…which I will cook, present and serve. Happiness!

There is nothing better for me than getting ready for a party. And that is what I’m doing. I’ve cooked and frozen 250 potato knishes (Stan will eat at least half!). Two twenty inch seafood strudels are also in the freezer. (Cynthia said that’s all hers). I’ve stuffed them with tiny scallops, shrimp, lobster, glazed criminis and shallots, all folded into a thick béchamel with fresh dill, lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne. I’ve also got 150 Swedish meatballs, two tartars and an Antipasto board in the works.

I’m putting homemade marshmallows and mini black and white cookies on the coffee table and I’ve ordered a birthday cake with marzipan, butter cream and strawberries. Yum. I am a freak for marzipan.

A sentimental, old-fashioned champagne punch (with raspberries and sherbet) will round out the bar of wine, vodka and beer

So, my tummy will be happy. My mind will be occupied. My friends will surround me. That I will certainly enjoy. I’ll go to sleep tired and smiling. And, I will wake up the next morning 65 plus another day. Really, it will be just another day.

Maybe I should plan a good breakfast. Just in case.

Meaty

At last, I can finally come out of my closet. No, I am not writing about sexual orientation. I am writing about meat. Red Meat. Meat from the Angus, Brangus, Hereford and Charolais. Grilled, rare, reddish-pink on the inside and running with juices.

No longer considered Bad Food, meat is in vogue again and I am delighted. I can eat it again with impunity and without embarrassing----or have to wince in front of-----my vegetarian friends.

The resurgence is almost startling as we are also in the throes of a food revolution demanding healthier food, farm to table food, locally grown food, organic food.

How does this reconcile? Well, I don’t exactly know. But, I will tell you, it makes me happy to find a half dozen restaurants (in this city alone!) specializing in the burger and another place where the whole animal---literally everything from nose to tail----is deliciously presented and heartily enjoyed.

Ah, the carnivore is acceptable again. How delectable to be decadent once more.

Atlanta’s Meaty Winners----My Short List:

Farm Burger, W. Ponce in Decatur

http://www.farmburger.net/

Do not be discouraged by the cramped parking lot or the line you might find. Chalk it up to part of the experience and visit while you wait. 100% grass fed beef cooked by a chef who decides when the pink inside is just right. And, it is always just right: burgers that taste just like burgers should; delicious, juicy, meaty, perfect. There are plenty of toppings and sides to choose from: I love their grilled onions and special sauce. My friend raves about the salty-crispy sweet potato fries.

Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, Piedmont Avenue, NE Atlanta

http://www.fatmattsribshack.com/

Another place with limited parking and lines, which I promise you will easily forgive and forget once you sit, are served and eat. Fat Matt's is an Atlanta institution and has been around for 2 decades. The meat on the ribs is so tender it literally falls off the bone. Sauce is sweet and vinegary with extra served on the side; there’s also chicken and chopped pork sandwiches. But, for me, the ribs, the ribs only. Sides include hot roasted peanuts and thick rich baked beans. Blues music adds to the fun.

Morton’s of Chicago, Peachtree Street, Downtown

http://www.mortons.com/atlanta/

There is nowhere else where you can find a better prime steak served in wood-paneled luxury. I like mine grilled Pittsburgh style to a pinky-red medium rare. Morton's Downtown does it to perfection. Pair that with a side of lyonaisse potatoes and the creamed spinach; wash it down with a glass of pinot noir. Now, that’s steak.