a test kitchen dossier

I have learned
To spell hors d’oeuvres,
Which still grates on
Some people’s n’oeuvres.
- Warren Knox

Origin
The French phrase hors d’oeuvre (often pluralized as hors d’oeuvres in English) literally means “outside of the work,” and originally referred to an outbuilding not incorporated into the architect’s main design of a house or building. The phrase eventually found its way into the culinary lexicon, meaning appetizers served apart from the main course of a dinner.

Description
Hors d’oeuvres can encompass a wide variety of foods, and range from casual finger foods to elegant nibbles. Their versatility makes them ideal for any kind of event, either as snacks taken at the cocktail hour prior to a seated meal, or as the main menu for a party where the guests won’t be seated. Tapas, dim sum, antipasti, antojitos and appetizers all can fit into the theme of hors d’oeuvres, leaving the menu open to your imagination.

Serving Hors d’Oeuvres
If you read our Cocktail dossier, you know that we prefer to go with hors d’oeuvres parties for the hectic holiday season, and it’s our favorite way to celebrate for New Year’s Eve. We’ve recapped our menu suggestions here so you can craft your menu with the right progression of light to heavy hors d’oeuvres for each “course,” as well as appropriate serving sizes.

If your party is scheduled to take place around the dinner hour, understand that people will probably arrive hungry for dinner. This doesn’t mean you need to feed them dinner, of course, but you should be prepared to serve hors d’oeuvres that are substantial enough to get them through the next couple of hours. There is nothing worse than leaving a party with a hunger pain.

We have an entire collection of recipes to fuel your inspiration (see the links at the end of this dossier), and those can be served along with the crudités and/or a cheese board. Use your imagination and have fun with the creative process.

You can estimate recipe quantities by assuming 4 portions per person for light dishes and 3 portions for heartier fare, provided you also serve other nibbles like crudités and a cheese board. (There really is no reason why you shouldn’t, as they are a snap to put together.) However, if you are truly reluctant to do so, double the portions of hors d’oeuvres per person to be safe. Also, if you have vegetarian guests, be sure to include enough portions to compensate for the other dishes they will not be eating, and/or add more to the crudités and cheese board.

The flow of your cocktail party menu should be as follows:

Crudités/Light Hors d’Oeuvres
Hearty Hors d’Oeuvres
Cheese Board/Dessert Items

Here is an example:

Light hors d’oeuvres:
Crudités with Aoili Garni
Smoked Trout with Horseradish Crème Fraîche on Toast Points
Eggs with Caviar and Salmon Rosettes

Hearty hors d’oeuvres:
Lobster Bisque Shooters
Mini Savory Bites
Grilled Lemongrass Shrimp
Grilled Beef with Spicy Satay Dip
Cheese Board (optional)

Dessert items:
Cheese Board
and/or
Thai Curry Truffles
Olive Oil Brownies with Toasted Walnuts
Pecan Shortbread
Lavender Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze

The flow of dishes above accounts for two important considerations: (1) early guests have something to nibble until the bulk of the crowd arrives; and (2) hot food can be presented when you have the maximum crowd there, so it can be enjoyed at its peak of temperature and freshness.

We recommend serving the light hors d’oeuvres for the first 20-30 minutes, as most people tend to be “fashionably” late — this is a judgment call you will have to make according to the size of the crowd at that time.

In case you have not yet perused our Entertaining section, our article The Magic of Ambience is full of tips and tricks to set the right mood for your gathering, including lighting, music and table displays.

Recipes

Food:
There are far too many to list here, so simply click through to our full recipe listing. Remember that many of these recipes can be featured as individual servings, so get creative!

Don’t forget to see our Cheese Course dossier for serving your selection of cheeses.

Drinks:
You can serve a variety of beverages for your gathering, so see our Cocktails, Anyone? dossier for your bar setup and our cocktail recipes for drinks. The following articles will also help you in the area of wines:

Champagne
Sparkling Wines
Wine Selections

How simple and frugal a thing is happiness: a glass of wine, a roast chestnut, a wretched little brazier, the sound of the sea.
–Zorba the Greek

Foodstuff: Chestnuts

Etymology: From chesten (Old English) to chesten nut (Middle English)

Area of Origin: Asia Minor, modern day Turkey

Description
We may be able to eat strawberries and asparagus in December, but they will always be a pale shadow of their spring and summertime selves. Thankfully, eating seasonally doesn’t have to be about deprivation — instead, savor the winter delicacies that are not only at their peak, but are also perfectly suited to cold weather, hearty appetites and holiday leisure.

Tightly encased in layers of thorns and shiny, hard shells, chestnuts do not make for instant satisfaction; but the reward is well worth the effort. After all, chestnuts are not only a delicious foodstuff, they are an activity unto themselves. What could be more decadent than an afternoon spent lingering in front of the fire, drinking a bottle of fruity red wine, peeling and nibbling a bowl of chestnuts fresh from the oven?

Whether you dream of a Dickensian Christmas, or an Italian autumn festival, chestnuts are the stuff of cold-weather fantasies and ruminations.

History
We may associate chestnuts with frosty weather and Dickens novels, but these unique nuts first grew in Asia Minor (today Turkey) where they have been eaten since prehistoric times. The Greeks probably discovered the tree during the Persian wars, when their routed armies survived on stores of chestnuts while retreating home. The Greeks spread the trees throughout Europe, and different varieties are now are so deeply entrenched from England to Istanbul that they are considered native species almost everywhere they grow. Still more species of chestnuts are considered native to Japan and Korea, but it is unclear whether all of these types of chestnuts originally descended from one type.

Chestnut trees earned the nickname “bread tree” during the Middle Ages, when small forest communities in Southern Europe used chestnuts rather than wheat as bread flour because they had no access to mills. Throughout Europe chestnuts were commonly eaten by the poor, either as a substitute for bread or potatoes. Many northern European countries celebrate the beginning of winter with St. Simon’s feast day; this feast is often said to begin on the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, because it symbolizes the beginning of winter.

Native Americans commonly ate a variety of chestnuts unique to North America, but in the early 20th Century, chestnut trees imported from Asia infected American trees with a fungus that devastated the North American species. Today chestnut growers are slowly bringing American chestnuts back to the market.

Forms of Chestnuts

Whole, fresh
Available from October to March, but most commonly found in December, fresh chestnuts should be firm and heavy for their size, with smooth, glossy shells. Chestnuts are extremely starchy, and will keep for a few days in the refrigerator or in the freezer for a few months. The most prized chestnuts for roasting are typically imported from Italy, and fall into two categories: marroni and castagne. Marroni are larger and sweeter and should be saved for roasting. Castagne are typically boiled and made into a purée or ground for chestnut flour.

Preserved
Canned, preserved chestnuts are available year-round. Most are imported from France and are available sweetened or unsweetened.

Preparing Fresh Chestnuts

Boiling
Slit the shell of the chestnuts (traditionally they are cut with an X to prevent them from exploding). Drop in boiling water for 10 minutes. Let cool in the water, then shell as soon as possible.

Roasting
The best way to roast chestnuts is over hot coals, but since that’s not practical for most people, you can also roast them in the oven on a cookie sheet. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Make an X in each chestnut so they won’t explode and place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Don’t pack them too tightly. Roast until the chestnuts have softened, at least 15-20 minutes. The skin will have begun to peel back. Be careful, they will be very hot! Place the nuts on a kitchen towel, wrap them up, and squeeze them hard — they will make a pleasant crackling noise. Let them sit for a few minutes. As soon as they are cool enough to touch, peel and enjoy.

You can also roast chestnuts in special pans directly over a gas flame. Holes in the pan allow direct contact of the flame but are small enough that the chestnuts don’t drop out. These pans replicate some of the effect of coal roasting.

Recipes

Chestnut Caramel Pound Cake
Chestnut Hot Chocolate
Love & Honor Cocktail

Sources
A Modern Herbal by M. Grieve
Roasting Chestnuts

Dossier by China Millman

a test kitchen dossier

I’ve learned there are three things you don’t discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin.
- Linus, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Foodstuff: Pumpkin

Etymology: Alteration of obsolete pumpion, from obsolete French pompon, popon, from Old French pepon, from Late Latin pepon, from Latin, watermelon or gourd, from Greek, ripe, large melon.

Area of Origin: North America, specifically southern Mexico.

Description
Such a happy little friend is the bright orange pumpkin. He makes us think of jack o’ lanterns, fairy tale coaches, Ichabod Crane and even the Land of Oz. However, we rather like to eat him instead! Botanically, pumpkin is usually listed along with summer squash, but because it has a harder exterior and more solid flesh than zucchini, yellow, and other varieties of summer squash, it is typically grouped in with winter squash. Unlike winter squash, however, pumpkin is usually available just in the early autumn months; of course, this might have more to do with the market demanding pumpkins in October, when the vast majority of larger pumpkins go for decoration and for jack o’ lanterns! Pumpkin, like other orange colored vegetables, is high in beta–carotene.

History
Pumpkin seeds dating as far back as 7000 BC have been found in Mexico, and references from other continents can be found in the evolution of the pumpkin’s name from Latin, Greek and Old French. In North America, however, the pumpkin’s use is most well known.

Native American Indians used pumpkin as a staple in their diets centuries before the pilgrims landed, and made use of all parts of the pumpkin in their daily activities. They dried strips of pumpkin and wove them into mats, roasted long strips for eating, and used their flesh in recipes both savory and sweet. Interestingly enough, the origin of pumpkin pie is thought to have occurred when the colonists sliced off the pumpkin top, removed the seeds, and then filled it with milk, spices and honey. The pumpkin was then baked in the hot ashes of a dying fire (Source: www.pumpkinpatch.com).

Picking Pumpkins
Look for a hard rind with a firm stem and a bright orange color. The best pumpkin is like a gem: It should be perfect, deep and vibrant in color, and the surface should be smooth with no soft spots or cracks. When knocked, it should have a pleasant hollow “thump,” and be heavy for its size (which indicates a good ratio of flesh to inner cavity).

There is no significant difference in taste between large and small pumpkins, and although large pumpkins are prized at state fairs and for the scariest jack o’ lanterns, the best pumpkins for eating are the smaller ones (those less than four pounds) because the inner flesh is less fibrous. You will sometimes see “baking pumpkins” or “sugar pumpkins” in the supermarket, which do tend to be smaller and sweeter. Choose these whenever possible.

Cooking with Pumpkins
Pumpkins keep for a long time if kept in a cool place, and if the flesh is unblemished. Note: Since the outer flesh is so hard and durable (good for the pumpkin), it can be hard to get at the tender inner flesh (bad for Peter Peter).

To get chunks of pumpkin flesh for sautéing or for another purpose, it’s easiest to peel away the outer skin first, the same way you might remove the outer flesh of an orange. Cut off the top and bottom so that the pumpkin lies flat, then use a sharp knife to remove the outer flesh, curving along the outside from top to bottom. One you’ve removed all the skin, then you can cut it in half and remove the seeds and flesh.

If making pumpkin purée, you can simply cut the pumpkin open, remove the inner strings and seeds, and steam or bake the halves until the flesh is tender. Then you can scrape the flesh away and mash it or pass it through a ricer. It’s never advisable to boil pumpkin, as it absorbs too much water and gets mushy, and boiling leeches out the vitamins into the water (there’s nothing like orange water down the drain to ruin the pumpkin-esque goodness of a recipe).

Pumpkin seeds, or pepitas (recipe below), are incredibly popular as a snack in Mexico, where the pumpkin is native. They are a healthy snack for the kids, and are easy to make.

Pumpkin blossoms are also a tasty treat which can be enjoyed in many ways. (Be sure to peek inside to ensure no small insects are in there!) You may also wish to remove the stamen, which can sometimes be bitter. Pumpkin blossoms can be filled with goat cheese or ricotta, and cooked in a light tomato sauce, or lightly fried in oil.

Our Approach
We love pumpkin in both sweet and savory dishes given its smooth texture and hint of sweetness. We’ve used it in curry and bisque, and savored the crunch of pepitas. We couldn’t ignore the sweeter side, naturally, so there are also a few yummy desserts to savor (save some for holiday baking!).

Recipes

Calabacitas
Thai Red Curry Beef and Pumpkin
Roasted Pumpkin & Vegetable Medley with Creamy Polenta
Pumpkin Bisque
Pumpkin Streusel Cake
Pumpkin Flan with Ancho Chile Brittle
Pepitas (Spicy Pumpkin Seeds)

This test kitchen dossier is from our September 2006 issue.

The day of fortune is like a harvest day. We must be busy when the corn is ripe.
Torquato Tasso

Etymology
Given corn’s global prevalence, its etymology can be quite confusing. For example, in parts of Germany, korn means “rye,” where in Old English language, corn referred generally to the most prominent crop produced by a district.

In our case we are speaking of modern (sweet) corn, derived from the Spanish maize or mahiz, meaning “that which sustains us.” Known initially in the US as Indian corn (now renamed Zea mays), corn refers specifically to corn on the cob, so we’ll just go with that definition for our purposes. (We can’t make sense of all of it, either.)

Area of Origin
Mesoamerica, stretching south from the central part of Mexico to the northern part of Central America

History
Maize was flourishing in Central America around 8,000-5,000 BC before it made its way north, migrating along with the cultures that made it a dining staple. As a cultivated crop, corn had a large influence in transforming nomads into agrarian communities, which planted rows of the grain and tended the crop until it was time for harvest.

The ancient Mayans referred to themselves as “corn people” due to the vegetable’s leading role in their diet, and once it was established as a core crop in Mexico and the southwestern United States, corn found its way down into Peru. With the help of Christopher Columbus, the kernels made their debut in Europe and stretched eastward into Asia.

Given its adaptability to various climates, corn was able to firmly establish its place in worldwide cuisine, and has become an important part of sustenance in almost all cultures on the planet, including our own. In fact, if it weren’t for corn, the American settlers likely would have starved to death, so we owe the cob a little tip of the hat.

Description
Grown on every continent except Antarctica, the corn crop has more than 3,500 uses. We, of course, prefer it in its edible form. Unfortunately, corn has become a fall guy in the modern food arena, largely due to its use (and overuse) in virtually every area of our lives, from high fructose corn syrup to glue. We’re going to leave that debate to the documentarians and activists, however, and focus on the food — real, unprocessed food.

In Peru, the site of our culinary adventure in autumn of ‘09, we reveled in discovering more than 55 varieties of corn in hues of white, purple, yellow, black and red. We had no idea artisan, organic corn could taste so good, and we eagerly tasted cobs of choclo with its giant kernels. Sold as a popular street food at train stations, markets and popular gathering places, choclo offers a childlike delight as you pluck the kernels from the cob and pop them into your mouth. They don’t even require butter — just a touch of salt. We also enjoyed sips of chicha morada, a popular fermented corn beverage, which was served as a sweet afternoon refreshment.

Our Approach
A much-maligned vegetable, we’d like to celebrate corn’s goodness as a sweet siren of summer and a delicious treat to be enjoyed, as with all things, in moderation. There are scads of ways to go about said enjoyment, but here are some of our favorites. You can see more ideas in the recipe list below, which includes everything from a corn cocktail to some gorgeous riffs on cornbread.

Tip: Corn’s sugars start to convert to starch soon after it is picked, so the closer you can purchase corn to the farm, the better.

Corn on the Cob
Corn in its simplest, freshest form is the essence of summer. To enjoy it grilled, soak the corn in its husk for 30 minutes before grilling to avoid charring the husks. Pull down the husks to expose the kernels and remove the silk. Season with salt and butter (we’re not giving up the butter, and be careful with olive oil on the grill, as it does inspire a big flame) along with whatever else inspires you, then pull the husks back up before grilling. We love to slather our cobs with butter and ancho chile purée for a hot smoky flavor, or a mixture of honey, butter and cayenne pepper for a salty/spicy combination. For grilled “sweet” corn, mix brown sugar or agave nectar into the honey. And don’t be afraid of caramelization; it adds such a smoky sweetness to the corn that you’ll be missing out. If you don’t have access to a grill, a 400 F oven works splendidly.

Grits
The American south loves its grits (and so do we folk here in the northeast!). Grits are a classic breakfast dish, but they can serve as a wonderful side companion to fish, roasted vegetables or steaks. Buttery grits are a fantastic accompaniment to roasted Brussels sprouts, which we do love simply roasted with bacon. Grits also provide the perfect creamy balance to shrimp and crab dishes.

Corn Salsa
As an alternative to tomatoes, use corn kernels to make a colorful salsa. Mix with black beans, cilantro, green and red peppers, rice wine vinegar, lime juice and oil. Here again, we love cutting grilled corn kernels right off the cob, which adds flavor to the salsa that would be missing with frozen or canned corn.

Corn Breads
We give you permission to slather your cornbread with butter until it glistens. Try mixing whole, grilled corn kernels into the cornbread batter, and add finely chopped smoked bacon or roasted jalapenos for an another layer of flavor. We have two other variations listed below under Recipes.

Succotash
A popular Depression-era dish, succotash may evoke memories of Sylvester the cat, but we think it’s a great way to color your plate. A creative combination of corn and beans, succotash can serve as a wonderful partner for grilled fish. Try corn and edamame with ahi tuna. Or corn, lima beans, bacon, and red peppers as a bed for grilled halibut or sea bass.

Ice Cream
Sweet corn ice cream with caramel topping? Yes, please. Extract the “milk” from the cob with a grater and use in the ice cream custard base. Cold and creamy caramel corn sounds divine to us.

Polenta
We love us some polenta here in the Gilded Fork test kitchen. A fantastic gluten-free side dish, grilled polenta topped with sauteed mushrooms, melted Manchego and truffle oil (or chopped rosemary) is a crowd favorite. Or top polenta slices with basil pesto, a thick slice of tomato and olive oil and indulge. If you prefer the loose package of grains, stir in some cream while cooking them, which makes a smooth, luscious base for short ribs or pork loin.

Soups & Salads
We also get excited about corn soups, including the chorizo-laden bowl of goodness in the recipe list below. And as a salad, nothing screams summer like a corn salad with peppers of all varieties, scallions and chopped chorizo.

Popcorn
Butter and popcorn. What else is there to be said? Naturally, we like to take it a step further, so truffle oil is our topping of choice. Yes, darlings, the aroma is mesmerizing. If you are not a truffle fan, try a topping of melted butter mixed with grated Parmesan and fresh herbs.

Recipes
Fields of Gold Cocktail
Lobster Arepas
Calabacitas
Chipotle Corn Chowder
Roasted Pumpkin & Vegetable Medley with Creamy Polenta
Polenta Napoleons with Wild Mushroom Bruschetta & Truffles
Rosemary Corn Financiers
Upside-Down Cranberry Cornbread
Tropical Corn, Mango and Black Bean Salad with Honey
Butter-Baked Corn
Santa Fe Corn Fritters

Sources
Online Etymology Dictionary
Peru Travels
Prom Peru
Origin, History and Uses of Corn – Iowa State University
What’s Eating America, Michael Pollan, Smithsonian Magazine

a test kitchen dossier

I’m strong to the finich cause I eats me spinach.
- Popeye the Sailor Man

Foodstuff: Spinach

Etymology: From the Arabic isbinãkh

Area of Origin: Persia (modern-day Iran and parts of East Asia)

Description
We here at the Gilded Fork like a challenge. Of course, we could pick any number of foodstuffs that would have you salivating merely at their mention; but that would be too easy. So try to fight off any ill-fated childhood memories of being forced to choke down one more mouthful of you-know-what. Remember: The Gilded Fork is an adult magazine – that means check your childhood prejudices at the door. If you give us a few minutes of your time and rally your creative juices to try a few recipes, we give you our word that the finer delights of this misjudged vegetable will soon be revealed to you. After all, just because it’s good for you doesn’t mean you can’t love it. . .

When carefully selected and prepared, spinach has a fresh, crisp texture and slightly bitter taste that are both refreshing and enticing. This leafy green provides the perfect backdrop for mixing textures, temperatures and flavors; it pairs equally well with sweet foods like strawberries in salads, and sharp cheeses such as feta in a mouth-watering spanakopita (a kind of Greek savory pie made from spinach and feta between layers of phyllo dough). Spinach inspires improvisation and creativity, and what more could we ask of any ingredient?

These little green leaves are ultimately very forgiving, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t treat them with care. (Note: Smaller leaves will be more tender and have a less pronounced bitterness.) Always wash spinach, even if it says pre-washed, because any grit will ruin the texture, but aside from that there is very little labor involved on the road toward satiety. Of course, the worst thing we can do to spinach is overcook it – it demands a delicate touch and restrained treatment. When cooked, spinach only needs to be wilted, not totally dehydrated; when it turns a bright, vibrant green, it is finished cooking. Sautéed spinach should be served immediately, and luckily it only takes a minute or two to cook, so it’s easy to do at the last minute before plating your meal.

History
Wild spinach is believed to have grown throughout east Asia, but hot temperatures caused the plants to bolt (turn into a less edible, seed-producing form) so quickly that they were impossible to cultivate. The Persians solved this problem with an ingenious irrigation method, probably around 700 AD. Soon after, spinach made its way to China when the king of Nepal sent it as a gift to the Emperor. It was then introduced by the Moors to Spain in the eleventh century and soon spread to Italy. Legend has it that spinach was the favorite vegetable of Catherine de Medici, and when she married King Henry II, she brought her love of spinach from Florence to France. That is why French dishes prepared on a bed of spinach (or often garnished with spinach) are called “à la Florentine.” Interestingly, throughout the seventeenth century spinach was often cooked with sugar and used in sweet dishes.

In the U.S., spinach was waning in popularity by the 1930s, and the industry was in serious trouble until a man named E.C. Segar created the famous “Popeye” comic strip. One theory behind the Segar’s use of spinach to imbue Popeye with inhuman strength is that in 1870 a scientist named Dr. E. von Wolf miscalculated spinach’s iron content as being ten times greater than it is actually is. This figure wasn’t corrected until 1937. Whatever the reason, spinach soon became as popular as Popeye. The town of Crystal City, Texas (heavily dependent on the spinach industry) was so grateful that its citizens erected a statue in Popeye’s honor, where it still stands today.

Varieties of Spinach
Spinach is available throughout the year, but its peak seasons are from March through May and September through October. Winter spinach is generally a little hardier and thicker than spring and summer spinach.

As spinach contains a lot of water, its volume decreases considerably when cooked. And while there is nothing wrong with bagged spinach, spinach that is sold in bunches (e.g. at the farmer’s market) is usually fresher and of a higher quality.

Baby spinach
Baby spinach refers to any form that is picked when the leaves are very small and the stems very thin. Always the best choice for eating raw, baby spinach can also be delicious when cooked; however, just because something is called “baby spinach” doesn’t mean it’s a good choice for salad spinach. Some brands of baby spinach are much larger and more mature than others, so do your best to seek out the smallest, palest, most tender leaves you can. You will certainly taste the difference.

Savoy spinach
Common among bagged spinach, Savoy spinach can be identified by its dark-green, crinkly, curly leaves.

Flat/smooth leaf spinach
This spinach is rarely available fresh, but is often used for canned and frozen spinach.

Semi-Savoy
This hybrid variety has slightly crinkled leaves and is often sold fresh at markets.

Our Approach
So yes, we have chosen to celebrate spinach as an Indulgence, meaning that we are presenting it in some more elegant ways than might be commonly expected. We’ve crafted towers, a lovely warm-weather soup and a deliciously rich dip. Who said spinach was for health nuts?

Recipes

Spicy Artichoke Spinach Dip
Asparagus and Spinach Soup with Yuzu Custard
Spinach Tortellini Soup
O-Hitashi: Mini Spinach Towers
Lamb Loin with Baby Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Bush Tomato Chutney

Sources
Mediterranean and World Cuisines: your source for cuisine and history
Larousse Gastronomique
The Worldwide Gourmet: All about Spinach

Dossier by China Millman

“As with most fine things, chocolate has its season. There is a simple memory aid that you can use to determine whether it is the correct time to order chocolate dishes: any month whose name contains the letter A, E, or U is the proper time for chocolate.”
- Sandra Boynton, ‘Chocolate: The Consuming Passion’

Foodstuff: Chocolate

Proper name: Theobroma cacao (Translation from Latin: ”Food of the Gods”)

Area of Origin: Chef Mark explores the history of chocolate’s origins in detail in Food of the Gods

Notoriety
Chocolate has been touted as an aphrodisiac for many a century, on many a continent. While there is likely some truth to the legend, perhaps much of it is a fanciful excuse for treating ourselves to this decadent taste of heaven; or perhaps the effects of a sugar high are misconstrued for chocolate euphoria. Renowned as a cure for heartbreak, PMS, various other ailments, and even Dementor attacks in the world of Harry Potter, chocolate is almost mythical in its healing capabilities. Quite an extraordinary foodstuff, isn’t it?

But what is the real story?

Medical experts have not yet conclusively proven that chocolate, in and of itself, has healthful benefits. While cocoa seems to have some minimal positive chemical effects on the body, this is only shown to be accurate when other “detrimental” additives such as sugar, high f ructose corn syrup, et. al. are removed from the analysis. In any case, we are cognizant that such studies are published with alarming regula rity, touting what is good for us and what will likely kill us (sometimes it’s the same ingredient, depending on the week). However , we choose not to focus on such minutae and speculation, because o ur concern regards the characteristics of chocolate that make it a wonderful ingredient fo r crafting both sweet and savory dishes . Cocoa butter adds a beautiful mouthfeel to sauces and gravies, and coats the tongue with silken sweetness in des serts and confections.

Flavor Characteristics
Chocolate comes in a range of colors and sweetness that can literally overwhelm the uninformed. Just researching the topic was an exercise in brain cramping. Semisweet? Bittersweet? What is the difference, and are they interchangeable?

Here is a very simplified overview:

White Chocolate: White chocolate contains only the fat (cocoa butter) from the cacao bean, and none of the cocoa solids (which includes both cocoa butter and cocoa), hence its lack of color. The fat is combined with milk, sugar, emulsifiers, vanilla, and sometimes other flavorings. Its mild flavor is quite unique, and could not technically be called “chocolatey.” White chocolate is sweet, and thus is used primarily in desserts and confections.

Milk Chocolate: This is the chocolate you will typically see used in candy bars and other confections. It is not often used in baking, as it is simply too sweet when paired with the additional sugar needed in recipes. Milk chocolate contains from 10-20% cocoa solids, and more than 12% milk solids.

Dark Chocolate: To add to the confusion, dark chocolate presents its own spectrum of sweetness, from bitter to sweet. When a recipe specifies dark chocolate, and you are not creating a savory dish, it is likely semi-sweet. Dark chocolate contains less milk solids (less than 12%) and more cocoa solids than milk chocolate, giving it a more pronounced flavor.

Semisweet Dark Chocolate: This chocolate is also on the sweeter side, and can be substituted for sweet dark chocolate in any recipe, though it does likely contain more cocoa solids (40-60%). It is typically found in the baking aisle of supermarkets, and can sometimes be called “sweet baking chocolate” or “dark baking chocolate.” Do note, however, that it is not to be confused with regular baking chocolate, which is completely unsweetened (and inedible — trust us).

Bittersweet Chocolate: The motherload of baking chocolate. The premium brands have a higher cocoa butter content, allowing for a silky richness and bite of flavor that plays beautifully against the sweet in baked goods like brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and rich chocolate cakes. Though it must contain at least 35% cocoa solids, higher-end brands often contain much more, up to 90-95%. It is important to note that this chocolate is not interchangeable with semisweet or dark chocolate. Yes, we have a headache too.

Unsweetened Chocolate: We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again: Do not eat this by itself. As it contains no sugar and mostly cocoa solids (up to 100%), the purpose of unsweetened chocolate is to add a silky, rich texture to savory dishes, or a bite to baked recipes that contain enough sugar to compensate for the lack of sweetness. This is the chocolate we have used in this week’s savory sauces.

Typical Uses
Most of the time chocolate is quite delightful as a stand-alone indulgence, whether in candy bars or other sweets. However, it has also been famously paired with coffees of all sorts, spicy chile peppers, fruit, and even martinis.

Our Approach
Though we will attend to the sweet-toothed among us in our next update, we first wanted to explore chocolate from a savory approach, adding spice, cooking it with wine, and essentially testing how it contributes to the texture and flavor of main courses. Chef Melissa has gone the very traditional route in researching the origins of Mexican molé, presenting it in a format that may seem daunting at first glance; we wish to note, however, that no ancient recipe was ever “quick and easy.” Molé must be crafted with love, much like an Italian tomato sauce, a French cassoulet, or an Indian curry (made the old-fashioned way with mortar and pestle) — such dishes cannot be hurried.

Certainly, one can eat these dishes in a restaurant, or buy a pre-made version, but such shortcuts really lose the essence of origin, and the essential heart of the recipe. These flavors must be slowly coaxed and gently layered, particularly with a delicate ingredient such as chocolate; the time and patience required are unlisted but necessary ingredients. When you try them in your kitchen, we encourage you to savor the process, and enjoy the aromas and delicate touches that take a dish from everyday to spectacular.

Recipes

Savory:
Classic Mexican Mole (with Grilled Chicken & Cashews)
Herb Crusted Veal Roulade with Savory Chocolate Gravy

Sweet:
Chocolate Cranberry Jam
White Chocolate Lemon Napoleon
Theobroma Cocktail
Chocolate and Caramel Tart with Port Ganache
Chestnut Hot Chocolate
Garlic Brittle Cookies
White Chocolate Cinnamon Crusted Tuile Cookies
Mascarpone Brownies with Honey Chocolate Sauce
Luscious Thai Curry Truffles
Mocha Pudding with Espresso Creme
Cardamom Hot Chocolate
Photo: Kelly Cline

Originally Published January 2006

Game meats have a tendency to be off-putting to the average eater; perhaps it is a “savage” connotation derived from the image of wild hunters with bows and arrows. In the U.S., most cooks prefer to procure food that is in a secure (and very sterile) package of Styrofoam and plastic wrap. Yet it is difficult to ignore that wild meats and fowl have been a staple of human consumption from (quite literally) the beginning of time; after all, the first Thanksgiving turkey was not a Butterball.

Given my Scottish heritage, game cooking was treated as a point of pride in my grandmother’s house, where it was not unusual to find rabbit, lamb, or venison cooking on the stove. This did not thrill me.  And given the headcount of six males in my immediate family, my youth was filled with early-morning memories of Dad and The Brothers heading off before sunrise for a hunting adventure. Often they would return empty-handed, but once in a while they would come home triumphant, sporting a deer carcass or various game birds. This did not thrill me, either; the flavor of the meat was so…“gamey” that consumption was not an option for me. My palate has become more adventurous through the years, however, so game has become a happy addition to my palate’s repertoire.

Thankfully, you no longer need to be an avid hunter — or an incredibly adventurous eater — to enjoy the taste of game at your home table; there is now a variety of reputable purveyors from which to choose. With the proliferation of artisan animal husbandry in the United States, game meats and fowl are becoming ever more popular from restaurant menus to the home kitchen, and their flavor is far more mild than the kind my father and brothers brought home. It is also likely that game’s low saturated fat content has led to the growth in its popularity.

In the hands of talented purveyors (and the modern, web-based mail-order system), a wide variety of game is now available in every part of the country. The most well-known purveyors are Hudson Valley Foie Gras (foie gras and duck), D’Artagnan (numerous game specialties, foie gras, truffles), Sonoma Foie Gras (foie gras) and ExoticMeats.com (everything under the sun, including alligator and rattlesnake). These companies are specialists in the realm of game sourcing, storage, and aging, so you are virtually guaranteed the highest possible quality of foodstuffs for your meal preparation.

The more popular varieties of game and fowl available include rabbit, venison, and quail, but others such as ostrich and buffalo have also gained a foothold with the dining public. Following are the more commonly found varieties of game birds and meats:

Fowl:

-        Quail
-        Duck
-        Pheasant
-        Wood Pigeon
-        Squab
-        Poussin
-        Ostrich
-        Partridge
-        Wild Turkey

Meats:

-        Rabbit
-        Wild Boar
-        Buffalo
-        Venison (deer meat)
-        Yak
-        Elk
-        Caribou
-        Kangaroo

Of course, for the home cook, the intimidation factor of this list can be overwhelming — such animals seem so — exotic. The sourcing is no longer an issue, but what does one do with them once the package arrives?

Fear not; the process is not as daunting as you might think. Again, in its previous incarnation (from the wild), game meats had to be marinated for days to remove that notorious “gamey” flavor. Modern meats are much more delicate and palatable from the start, so the preparation is more akin to the treatment of everyday meats and poultry.

An important caveat, however, is that game tends to be quite lean, so it cooks and dries out more quickly. Most of the time, there is no need to cook it past medium-rare, as any further stage will result in a dry, tough piece of meat.

Before the growth of domestically-raised game, marinades and barding were the saviors of the kitchen. Here is a classic marinade from my grandmother’s cooking notes which includes burgundy and port wines:

Recipe: Roast Venison

Today, however, marinades are used much as they are in regular cooking — as an infusion of flavor. Barding is the process of covering the top (or entire) bird with bacon or pork fat, enabling a constant basting to take place during roasting. This is still done for flavor, but domestically-raised birds often have enough fat content to stay juicy on their own.

When preparing game (or regular) birds, herbed butters are a wonderful way to add flavor and juiciness to the meat and its skin. No recipe is needed — you can simply use what is on-hand in your pantry, or see our Harvest Spiced Butter from last month. For fowl, sage is a wonderful accompaniment, and in the Test Kitchen we simply add some herbs to unsalted, room-temperature butter, add salt and pepper to taste, and rub the flavored butter all over the outside of the bird, as well as under its skin. (Incidentally, this elevates Thanksgiving turkey to a wonderfully delicious level of flavor.)

Two of our favorite game birds are quail and squab; both are petite enough for individual servings at dinner parties, and their flavor is tender and succulent. Quail is the smallest game bird available, and adapts quite well to a variety of cooking methods, including marination, broiling, or saucing. Our good friend and chef Jean-Louis Gerin from Restaurant Jean-Louis in Greenwich, CT has generously shared one of his favorite recipes with us:

Recipe: Boneless Quail stuffed with Poultry Quenelle

Squab, traditionally known as pigeonneau, is actually a young pigeon that has not yet learned to fly. Its name has been changed in the U.S. given the unpopular image of pigeons, but it is a frequent menu item in most fine-dining establishments. Its meat is dark, rich, and tender, but it must not be cooked past medium-rare or it develops a rather liver-esque flavor. Chef Mark Tafoya has created a delicious recipe to tempt our palates:

Recipe: Roasted Squab in Apple-Cinnamon Glaze

Of course, one cannot discuss game birds without mentioning the ever-flavorful, satisfying taste of duck. Our friends at Hudson Valley Foie Gras have sent us a mouthwatering recipe for Magret de Canard (duck breast) that sings with the promise of rich, fruity flavors balanced with a peppery zing.

Recipe: Magret de Canard au Poivre

We will continue to look at a variety of game meats and fowl throughout the month (along with our über-favorite indulgence, truffles), but we hope these will keep you busy in the kitchen until next week’s installment. A la cuisine!

Photo: Kelly Cline

Originally Published November 2005

Jennifer could not resist sharing her favorite bread recipe with us. Also known as New York Rye or Jewish Rye, the scent is so overwhelmingly mouthwatering that many eager noses have been burned just trying to get a whiff.

Yields 2 large loaves

Ingredients

1 ½ cups rye bread pieces (see Preparation)
3 cups Rye Sour (see below)
1 package dry yeast
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp caraway seeds
4 cups bread or unbleached flour, approx.
1 egg, beaten, mixed with 1 Tbsp water

Preparation

Soak in water half a dozen crusty slices of a previously baked loaf of rye (store-bought is fine). Squeeze dry. Set aside 1 ½ cups for this recipe; the balance can be refrigerated or frozen for later use.

Using the plastic dough blade, place the bread pieces and the sour in your food processor work bowl. Pulse several times to make certain the two are thoroughly blended. Add the yeast, salt, and 1 Tbsp caraway seeds. Pulse, and leave for a minute or two for the yeast particles to dissolve.

Add the flour, ½ cup at a time (pulse quickly after each addition), until the batter becomes solid and is carried around the bowl by the force of the blade.

Keep the machine running and knead for 45 seconds. If the dough is too dense for your machine (this is likely for smaller mixers), turn it out onto a floured surface and proceed by hand.

Place the dough in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Punch down the dough and turn out onto a floured work surface. Divide into 2 pieces and form either round loaves or long plump ones. Place the loaves on a baking sheet that has been dusted with cornmeal.

Cover the loaves with wax paper and put aside to rise for 30 minutes to proof three-quarters in volume (not the usual full proof of double in volume).

Preheat the oven to 450˚ (if using a convection oven, 400˚) 20 minutes before baking, and prepare 1 cup hot water to pour into a pan on the bottom shelf a few minutes before putting in the loaves. This will create the steam needed for a beautiful, crisp crust.

Cut the top of the loaves into a pattern with a razor blade or sharp knife. Try a tic-tac-toe design or diagonal cut across the top. Brush with the egg-water mixture. Sprinkle with remaining caraway seeds.

Place in the hot oven. Midway through baking, turn the loaves around so they brown evenly. The loaves will bake to a deep brown in about 40 minutes. Turn one loaf over and tap the bottom crust to determine if it is done. If it is not hard and crusty, return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes.

Place on a metal rack to cool.

[Ed: Try not to burn your nose as you inhale the luscious scent.]

Rye Sour
Yields 8 cups

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
4 cups rye flour, stone-ground preferred
3 1/2 cups hot water (120˚-130˚ degrees)
2 packages dry yeast
1 Tbsp caraway seeds
Length of cheesecloth

Tie the onion pieces into a bag made with the cheesecloth. Put aside.

In a large bowl measure the rye flour and water. Stir to mix. Sprinkle on the yeast and work it into the rye mixture. Add the caraway seeds.

When the mixture is thoroughly blended, push the onions down into the center of the sour. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and put aside overnight (no more than 24 hours). Do not refrigerate.

Lift out the onions, scrape the sour off the cloth, and discard the onions.

The sour can now be used as part of the sponge in all sour rye breads, or refrigerated for later use. (May be kept alive in the refrigerator for several weeks with occasional stirring and feeding.)

Recipes adapted from Bernard Clayton’s New Complete Book of Breads. Copyright © 1995 Bernard Clayton, Jr.  Tested for The Gilded Fork™ by Donna Marie Zotter. Photo by Donna Marie Zotter.

Originally published March 2005, a time when Jennifer could still eat gluten

As with most skills worth learning, bread baking requires a dedicated piece of your time: Time first spent on learning and understanding your ingredients, then on understanding the spectacular organic and natural processes that take place between those ingredients to yield your baking dough. With this understanding, you are then left to pure instinct.

Oddly enough, the instinct is the easy part. Trusting your instincts is where most cooks fear they will go wrong — they won’t. It is the touch of the dough — the way it springs against your touch, and the way the smell of sugars caramelizing promise that the crust is forming properly — that will guide you toward perfection. For your efforts, every sense is rewarded. But beyond those ethereal and aesthetic pleasures, perfectly baked bread will above all else inspire you. Bread is, in every respect, the staff of life.

That’s not to say bread isn’t easy. In many respects it is, particularly when yeast isn’t involved. Quick breads and cake breads instantly come to mind and, of course, every seasoned cook has a small repertoire of recipes at hand. Effortless and essential, quick and cake breads deliver home-baked freshness to your table, without compromising your time to get it there.

There is only one secret to achieving moist, light quick breads. Stop working your dough — or batter, if you prefer — before you think you should. Because there is no yeast to stretch the gluten, and your leavening agent is mostly chemical (in the form of baking soda or baking powder) and mechanical (in the form of creaming butter and sugar or eggs), one stir too many and the irreversible process of hardening the gluten begins. You want your ingredients thoroughly combined, and any nuts or fruits well distributed, but a few good stirs should do the trick.

For wonderfully different cake-like bread that is both sweet and savory, Susan Herrmann Loomis created a dried fig and hazelnut bread (cake aux figues et au noisettes) inspired by a meal in the garden of the Musee de la Vie Romantique in Paris’ 9th arrondissement. She demonstrated it to me during a wonderful week in Louviers, France at her home On Rue Tatin. A quick bread in the traditional sense, this is a delight when served in small slices as an aperitif, with a chilled glass of Savenniere or a flute of champagne.

Recipe: Dried Fig and Hazelnut Bread

The aroma wafting from a kitchen where bread has been set to bake is one that is undeniably intoxicating. Even with a quick bread, your kitchen is a delight to the senses. This is, in large part, due to the multitude of processes that occur beginning with the fermentation of the yeast, and then the development of the dough. But I’m getting ahead of myself. I want you first to understand the core components to the bread-baking puzzle. It is upon this that everything else is built. If you miss something, chances are you will miss it here. Technique is, after all, a simple exercise of following instruction. Methode, on the other hand, is the art of building and developing flavor. With the confidence of a basic knowledge in place, and your instincts intact, you will be well on your way to creating fine home-baked breads.

Method:

Bread baking, in the truest sense of the word, begins with the most basic of ingredients: flour, yeast, salt and water — yet, depending on the methode and technique employed, the flavors will range from delicate to robust

Ingredients:

Flour

Flour is the essence of bread, and wheat the grain of choice from which bread flour is milled. Wheat contains more gluten than other grains, which is a necessary organic component to the fermentation process.

Designated by the amount of gluten protein it contains, most bread baking flours you will encounter have between 9.5 and 13.5 percent gluten (9.5 to 11.5 percent gluten in all-purpose flour; 11.5 to 13.5 percent gluten in bread flour). Artisanal bakers often select from a variety of flours milled from a variety of wheat. From hard wheat to soft wheat, red wheat to white wheat, winter wheat to spring wheat, each strain contains different qualities, all of which account for the distinguishing flavors and textures of bread from one bakery to another.

As home bread bakers, we are often limited to the types of flours our local grocer carries. Fortunately, most of the recipes you’ll encounter will work well with any brand of commercially available bread flour, and in most instances, with all-purpose flour. The primary difference between brands and types is in the ability of the flour to absorb water, which translates in the amount of time you will have to mix, or knead, the dough.

Unbleached flour is the preferable choice among flours. Its yellowish tint is created by the presence of beta-carotene, which during the baking process contributes to a better aroma and better flavor, not to mention the visually alluring creaminess to the crumb. Of course, any nutritional benefits conveyed by the presence of the beta-carotene are lost with the high heat used in baking.

Yeast

Instant yeast or active dry yeast are probably the two most widely available yeasts, and absolutely suitable for home bread baking. Instant yeast has 25% more living yeast cells per teaspoon than an equal amount of active dry yeast. Instant yeast, though you may see it packaged as “rapid-rise” or “fast-rising” is, contrary to its name, rather slow to awaken. And in bread baking, in most cases, slow will better suit you.

Active dry yeast is grown on larger grains of nutrients that have to be dissolved first in warm water. For most, this extra step is simply a nuisance. But it is quite easy: warm water, sprinkle the yeast on the water, wait 2 to 6 minutes and then move on. Instant yeast, on the other hand, comes in such small grains that it instantly hydrates when the dough hydrates. Consequently, it can be added directly to the flour.

The yeast cells go to work digesting the sugar present in the flour. This process creates carbon dioxide and ethanol as by-products. The carbon dioxide molecules attach to the gluten in the flour, stretching the proteins as the gases expand. The number of viable yeast cells, along with the temperature and dough environment (warmth and moisture) determines your rate of fermentation. The process of fermentation is commonly known as the first rise.

What you must understand about yeast in the fermentation process is that yeast feeds on the sugars present in the dough, converting the sugar to carbon dioxide and ethanol as a digestive by-product. The ethanol evaporates during baking, while the carbon dioxide leavens, or raises, the dough. Too much yeast will leaven the dough too quickly, exhausting the available supply of sugars. This leaves you with an alcohol aftertaste, as the yeast turns on itself, creating a less desirable by-product, glutathione, which is responsible for the ammonia-like taste in the dough.

Instant, as well as active dry yeast, will keep best in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Once the package is opened, the yeast will begin to absorb moisture from the air and slowly come to life. The longer it is exposed to air, the more potency the yeast will lose. If necessary, you can freeze yeast in an airtight container. The freezing will not kill the yeast, and most likely any reduction in potency will be minimal.

Tools:

Though I have a penchant for any tool or piece of electronic wizardry that reduces the time of manual labor for me, when it comes to bread baking, they are little more than a luxury. Kneading is one of the most time-honored aspects of the bread baking process, and it is the only way to understand the feel of the dough. While electric stand mixers work equally well, and only in some cases does a food processor suit the task, in the end, you will turn out the dough onto a floured surface and complete the task of kneading.

The tools you select to do your kneading or mixing may vary from recipe to recipe, depending on the type of bread dough and the additional ingredients you plan to add. Regardless, kneading has three primary functions: distribution of the ingredients, development of the gluten and initiating fermentation.

As for the other tools you might want to have, the most basic of kitchens will be well-equipped. Shaping and proofing baskets, bowls and cloths are wonderful luxuries to have, but they are absolutely unnecessary. From the most expensive French bannetons (bentwood willow baskets popular for shaping breads during the proofing stage) to the dollar store bread baskets, or to the stainless-steel and glass mixing bowls you may have on hand, adapting a basket or bowl for proofing needn’t consume you with worry.

The same goes for couches, or the linen proofing cloths for freestanding loaves. You can adapt a white, old tablecloth by lightly misting it with spray oil and dusting with flour to prevent your dough from sticking.

Baking Stones

Much has been written about the virtues of baking stones. Logically, yes, they do retain and radiate heat much more effectively than sheet pans, and are most likely to replicate the hearth ovens of artisanal bakeries. Are they necessary? No. Will they make a difference in the resulting quality of your bread? Perhaps, but only marginally.

Flavor is developed in the fermentation process, which a baking stone will never improve upon. At best, a stone will promote more even baking and give you a slightly more crisp crust. Depending on the quality and performance of your oven, a stone may be a good investment. In most cases, you can improvise to accommodate for your oven’s shortcomings.

Fermentation and Proofing:

Most breads are fermented and proofed at room temperature. You would do well when you read “room temperature” in a bread recipe to think “warm place”, and by “warm place” think about 73 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature promotes a slower rise, than say a commercial proofing oven or the proofing function of a professional-grade home oven appliance. But, in the case of bread making, a slower rise will do more to develop the flavor of your bread, allowing the organic process of fermentation to slowly take place.

I find my kitchen environment — indeed, my home — to be too cold. During the winter months, I place my proofing bowl (a glazed ceramic pottery bowl I found at the National Apple Harvest last year) on my counter beneath my under-cabinet lights. These lights produce a nice warm bath for the bowl. The proofing bowl, tucked back on the counter under the lights, keeps the bowl out of any drafts circulating about the kitchen. A small room, with a sunny window and a door to close the heat in, will often warm to a desirable temperature, and is another option for the home baker.

In the summertime, when warmth isn’t necessarily the problem so much as humidity, I’ve had my best results when I turn my oven on to the “warm” setting just until preheated. This allows the oven to warm generously. Then I turn it off, and keep the door closed. Done about an hour before I am ready to begin my bread, I find that when my dough is ready for fermentation and the first rise, the oven is warm and the perfect environment for proofing.

Baking:

Many processes take place during the baking stage. The critical piece, however, occurs in the oven where three elemental processes occur: the gelatinization of the starches, the caramelization of the sugars, and the coagulation and roasting of the proteins. Each will affect the quality of your final product.It is the baking process where heat must be directly radiated into the bread to facilitate these processes, which is why so many advocate baking stones. Steam is the other functional component. Whether you choose to use a baking stone is a personal decision. However, when it comes to baking hearth breads, the use of steam is not optional.

Steam delays the onset of gelatinization (or the thickening of the dough mass transforming it from dough to bread), allowing the bread additional time to rise in the oven (also called oven spring). It also provides an attractive glaze or shine to the bread. Steam is valuable to the baking process only in the initial stages, during the first half of baking time. After that, the bread needs a dry environment in order to develop a properly crisp crust.

To steam, many advocate pouring water onto the oven floor or misting the walls of the oven. For a variety of reasons, including the damage you can cause to your lights, glass doors and the oven floor itself (in a gas oven, of course, you may dowse the pilot) resulting from the severe temperature differentials, I have learned to avoid misting all together. A better method is to place an empty heavy duty pan or cast iron skillet on a lower shelf or oven floor during the preheating process. Before placing the bread in the oven, add hot water (the hotter the better so as not to rob the oven of its heat) to the pan. Added care is required here to prevent being burned from the steam it will create.

Once the steaming is underway, keep the oven door closed. Opening will cause the heat and moisture to escape, affecting the outcome of your bread. Once you are halfway through the cooking process, you may want to rotate your bread to get an even bake. At this point the steam will have evaporated; it is safe to open your oven door.

Cooling:

I hate this part. Unfortunately, it is critical to the baking process, and rendering of a quality loaf.

When a loaf comes out of your oven, the internal temperature is (at a minimum) 180 F. Depending on the size of the loaf, it may take several hours to cool to room temperature. During this time the bread will continue to evaporate moisture, drying out and correspondingly elevating the flavor. Above 160 F the dough is still technically gelatinizing, which is why cutting into a properly baked, but still hot loaf will seem doughy or under-baked. The starches, though fully saturated and swelled with moisture, still need to set. The trapped steam, evaporating through the crust or reforming as moisture and absorbed by the crumb of the bread, must be allowed to dissipate for outstanding results. Interrupting this process will produce a soggy, seemingly improperly baked loaf.

[Ed: But it's just so hard!]

As difficult as it is to wait, patience here is greatly rewarded. A cool loaf will yield its maximum flavor and a rich crumb texture, with a crisp crust to deliver that sumptuous divinity as old as creation. If it is warm bread you prefer, gently reheat cooled slices of bread wrapped in aluminum foil in a preheated 350 F oven.

Technique:

Aromatic yeast breads can be made with relative ease and only a small amount of actual hands-on time. I’ve selected a Ciabatta as a terrific example of basic bread baking technique. Basic technique, yes. Anything but ordinary results.

Recipe:  Lavender, Honey & Walnut Ciabatta

Another delightful experience with a commercial yeast dough is found in Armenian-style flatbread. Developed from an enriched, stiff dough and using commercial yeast rather than natural yeast, a relatively simple formula makes bread and crackers that are perfect for your table’s breadbasket.

Lavash, though usually called Armenian flatbread, also has Iranian roots, and is now eaten throughout the Middle East and around the world. It is similar to many other Middle Eastern and North African flatbreads known by different names, such as mankoush or mannaeesh (Lebanese), barbari (Iranian), khoubiz or bhobz (Arabian), aiysh (Egyptian), kesret and mella (Tunisian), pide or pita (Turkish), and pideh (Armenian). The main difference between these breads is either how thick or thin the dough is rolled out, or the type of oven in which they are baked (or on which they are baked, as many of these breads are cooked on stones or red-hot pans with a convex surface). Some of the breads form a pocket like a pita bread, and some, like the injera of Ethiopia and Eritrea, are thicker and served as sponges to soak up spicy sauces.

The key to crisp lavash crackers is to roll out the dough paper-thin. The dough sheet can be cut into crackers in advance or snapped into shards after baking. The shards make a nice presentation when arranged in baskets. Because the dough is so stiff, it is easier to knead by hand than in a machine.

Recipe: Lavash Crackers

The most common technique for developing deeper flavor and better texture in the finished loaf is to start with a sponge or a sour — a starter. A starter is typically a mixture of flour, liquid, and commercial (store bought) yeast that is allowed to stand for anywhere from a few hours to overnight before it is mixed with the balance of the dough ingredients.

Starters are where most people stop. They see hours or days and think ‘too much work’. But, as in bread making, the actual hands-on time is minimal. Starters are no different. And, here, with this seeded rye, the 15 minutes of effort transform this bread into a remarkably complex and deeply flavorful bread. The aroma is heavenly; the flavor is endless.

Whatever you do, don’t read up on rye bread and rye starters until after you’ve tried this recipe. Rye flour and rye starters are deemed to be the trickiest of all in the bread baking world. But before you buy into that notion, bake this bread first. You’ll never understand what the fuss is all about.One note about the rye starter: If you’re not going to make rye bread on a regular basis, it is best to build a new starter every time you want to bake it. Retarding a rye starter is more difficult than a white starter. More than a week in the refrigerator, and it will become too sour.Rye ferments much faster than other flours. Though this is a joy to experience — watching the bubbles and the seething sticky goo and enjoying the slightly sour aroma even dormant — it will continue to ferment. This requires constant attention, feeding, stirring and restoring. Trust me; I’ve tried. It’s not easy. You can freeze the starter, but once it thaws, you must be prepared to tend to it for 1 or 2 days until it is ready for use. Trust me when I say, just start with a new starter!

Recipe:  Seeded Rye Bread

Inevitably, baking bread loaves or even buying an expertly made artisanal specimen results in leftovers. Even the fiendish of bread lovers will rarely finish an entire loaf. And, while breadcrumbs are always an appropriate option, why settle for crumbs when you can have a whole course? This savory bread pudding is the ultimate culmination of your bread baking efforts: leftovers transformed into savory elegance. Use this dish as a side or as a main course vegetarian meal.

Recipe: Savory Bread Pudding

Resources and Sources:

Breads from the La Brea Bakery by Nancy Silverton. Copyright 1996 by Nancy Silverton (Villard Publishing)

Essentials of Baking. Copyright 2003 Weldon Owen Inc. and Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

Bernard Clayton’s New Complete Book of Breads by Bernard Clayton, Jr. Copyright 1995 Bernard Clayton, Jr. (Simon & Schuster)

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart. Copyright 2001 by Peter Reinhart (Ten Speed Press)

Dossier by Donna Marie Zotter

Originally Published in March 2005

Port is not for the very young, the vain and the active. It is the comfort of age and the companion of the scholar and the philosopher.
-Evelyn Waugh

Foodstuff: Port Wine

Etymology
Shortened from Oporto, the city in northwest Portugal from which the wine was originally shipped; from o porto “the port.”

Description
Port wine is a fortified wine made from grapes grown in the Douro Valley region of Portugal. (This is one of the greatest wine rivers in the world, as it also feeds the Ribera del Duero wines that come from farther upriver in Spain.) Also known as Vinho do Porto or Porto, this typically sweet wine is one of our favorite ways to end a meal, whether served with dessert or as an indulgence all on its own. In the kitchen, however, port’s richness lends itself well to enhancing sauces to accompany game meats and other savory dishes – and yes, we’ve been experimenting. Though port is most frequently known as a sweet wine, it can also be found in semi-dry or extra dry varieties – it all depends upon the fermentation process.

Port has a heavier consistency than non-fortified wines due to the addition of distilled, clear grape spirits to the wine juices during fermentation. These spirits halt the fermentation process, retaining the wine’s sweetness before all its sugar is converted to alcohol. (Note: Adding the spirits to the wine after fermentation results in a dry fortified wine such as sherry, which comes from Jerez in the Andalusia region of neighboring Spain.)

As with Champagne, there are many imitations of port crafted throughout the world, but under the strict guidelines of the European Union, only Portugal’s product can officially be labeled as port; within Portugal, the wine’s production is overseen by the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto. U.S. guidelines also specify that port from Portugal be labeled Porto or Vinho do Porto.

History
We can thank the English for port’s present popularity, as they found it an apt substitute for French wines during the tumultuous 1700s, when they were unable to purchase the grape juices of their wartime enemy. The Methuen Treaty of 1703 reduced import duties on Portuguese wines, enabling English merchants to have their fill of grape-induced reverie. The treaty also paved the way for English entrepreneurs, as can be seen on the Anglican labels of port wines from Sandeman to Taylor Fladgate.

Port was initially fortified to keep it from spoiling during the rough sea voyage from Portugal to France, but at that time its alcohol content was much lower (3% compared with today’s 19-22%). Quality unfortunately varied a great deal, however, prompting the creation of the Companhia Geral dos Vinhos do Alto Douro in 1756 by the Marques do Pombal. The organization was founded to oversee production qualities and prevent fraudulent activities among port producers. Today that duty is overseen by the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto.

Types of Port

Tawny Port
Tawny ports are made from fortified red wines aged in oak barrels, a process that exposes them to gradual oxidation and evaporation. As a result, they gradually mellow to a golden-brown color. The tawny develops a nutty, complex flavor, and the resultant wines are blended to achieve the signature style of the winemaker.

To be called Tawny Reserve, the port must be a blend of wines spending at minimum seven years in oak barrels. Tawny “with an indication of age” is a blend of several vintages, with the average years in wood stated on the label. These ports can be labeled 10 year, 20 year, 30 year, and over 40 years.

The cheapest forms of Tawny Port are young wines made from a blend of red and white grapes. Unlike Tawny Reserve and Tawnies with an indication of age, they may have spent little or no time maturing in wood. Tawny ports from a single vintage are called Colheitas (pronounced col-YATE-ah, meaning harvest).

Garrafeira
Garrafeira is an intermediate vintage dated style of Port comprising grapes from a single harvest (therefore it is not a blended port). Garrafeira is the result of some time spent in barrel and the remainder in large glass containers called demijohns.

Ruby Port
Ruby port is the most common type of port, and therefore the cheapest. Unlike Tawny and Garrafeira ports, Rubies are aged for only 3 to 5 years, and are not aged in oak, so they do not develop the oxidization characteristic of tawny port. They are aged in stainless steel tanks after the fermentation process, preserving their bright red or claret color (hence the name). The wine is also fined and cold-filtered to remove sediments and particulates before it is bottled.

White Port
White port is made from white grapes, and can be used as the basis for a cocktail, or served on its own. White ports range in style from dry to very sweet, and should always be served cool or cold.

Vintage Port
Vintage port has the smallest production, hence is the most coveted. The most highly prized of Portuguese wines, vintage ports are only made in exceptional years declared as such by the port house. Much as with Champagne, due to the need for highest quality, not all years are declared as vintage years; the decision is made in the spring of the second year following the harvest, when the quality of the wine can be determined. Vintage ports are aged in barrel for a maximum of 2 ½ years before they are bottled, and are usually aged for another 10 to 30 years in bottle before they are at the ideal point for drinking.

Unlike tawnies, vintage ports are only in barrel for a short time, and thus retain their deep colors and fruit structure. Older vintage ports are some of the most expensive wines in the world, because they can continue to improve with the years. (In Portugal, it is considered a great honor to purchase a vintage port from a baby’s birth year, to be drunk when they, like the wine, are mature.)

Serving Port: A Quirky Tradition
Port is commonly served after meals as a dessert wine, while white and tawny ports are typically served as an apéritif.

If you really wish to embrace tradition in serving your glasses of port, the English have (of course) developed a particular standard of etiquette for service, which goes way back to British naval officers.

Traditionally the wine is passed “port to port,” where the host pours a glass for the person seated to his right, then passes the bottle or decanter to his left (his port side). This process continues around the table.

If the port becomes forestalled at some point, it is considered poor form to ask for the decanter directly (and we know how the English feel about poor form). Instead, the thirsty person must ask the person with the bottle: “Do you know the Bishop of Norwich?” (said Bishop was apparently quite stingy). If the keeper of the port is unaware of the ritual (and so replies in the negative), the querent will remark “He’s an awfully nice fellow, but he never remembers to pass the port.”

A technical solution to the potential problem of a guest forgetting their manners and ‘hogging’ the port can be found in a Hogget Decanter which has a rounded bottom, which makes it impossible to put it down until it has been returned to the host, who can rest it in a specially designed wooden stand known as “the Hogget”.

In other old English traditions when port is decanted, commonly at the dining table, the whole bottle should be finished in one sitting by the diners, and the table should not be vacated until this is done (source: Wikipedia).

Best Matches
The sweetness of chocolate is a wonderful complement to port, as are stewed fruits. We love to poach succulent pears in ruby port and serve them with a chocolate raspberry sauce, and we are highly partial to figs poached in ruby port. Game meats and blue veined cheeses such as Stilton or Gorgonzola also go very well with this elixir (port does not go as well with milder cheeses, so take note). Tawny ports go well with almonds and almond desserts, or dishes flavored with caramel.

Our Approach
Naturally we couldn’t resist trying all sorts of port variations, from savory duck and veal dishes to some gorgeous Pastry Princess dessert specialties. See our Test Kitchen Notes blog for some port ruminations by her majesty.

Recipes

Pear Panna Cotta with Port Gelée
Red & White Salad with Candied Pecans in a Port Reduction, Figs and Chèvre
Veal Scallopini with Grapes and Port Wine Reduction
Seared Duck Breast with Figged Port Demi-Glace
Chocolate and Caramel Tart with Port Ganache
Cherry Port Sauce

Resources
To find more port wine facts and history, visit the official site of port, the Instituto dos Vinhos do Duoro e Porto, as well as www.portwine.com, which has notes on everything from harvesting to sipping.

We also found the Culinary Institute of America’s Exploring Wine to be an invaluable resource for all sorts of wine information.

For food and wine pairing advice, we love to reference Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page’s What to Drink with What You Eat.

Smells bring to mind…a family dinner of pot roast and sweet potatoes during a myrtle-mad August in a Midwestern town.
- Diane Ackerman

Etymology
From Ipomoea batatas, Latin. Of the morning glory family, convolvulaceae.

Description
Sweet potatoes and yams are often used interchangeably, but we in the test kitchen want you to know your tubers: a sweet potato isn’t really a potato, nor is it a yam. They are tubers that develop from a vine and grow underground. The morning glory and the sweet potato are relatives; a field of sweet potatoes will have occasional flowers that add a little touch of beauty. About 40% of our American sweet potatoes come from North Carolina with 42,000 acres dedicated to its cultivation. With hundreds of varieties (Covington, O’Henry, Japanese, Beauregard, Evangeline, Puerto Rican, Purple), there are many ways to savor the tasty tuber. Yes, when our local farmer’s market gets purple sweet potatoes, we will be making purple sweet potato fries. When choosing sweet potatoes for our deliciously hearty and comforting fall dishes, we like the firm, fresh looking, somewhat evenly shaped ones. The deep orange variety will provide the most nutritional value and will add the most color to the plate.

History
Native to Central and South America, some accounts have pinpointed the origin of domesticated sweet potatoes to Peru, where the earliest records of cultivation (750 B.C.) have been discovered. From the Americas, it is speculated that the sweet potato made its way to the Pacific Islands and South Asia prior to the explorations of Columbus and that his voyages introduced the tuber to Europe. Sweet potatoes were a staple during the Revolutionary and Civil War due to their storage capabilities. Unfortunately its popularity has been taken over by the white potato; Americans ate on average 31 pounds of sweet potatoes in 1920 and has recently dropped to just over 5 pounds. We think a sweet potato revival is in order.

Our Approach
Yes, we know what you are thinking, they might look a little dull. What should I do with this oddly shaped dirty looking thing that grows in the ground? Don’t fear, sweet potatoes are most likely our favorite fall tuber. Our handy tried and true Larousse Gastronomique gave us several ways to play with sweet potatoes: baked, fried, pureed, au gratin, pudding, souffle, mashed, boiled, roasted. Where to start? Start at the beginning. Bake like your average baked potato. But we prefer to call them by their French name because everything sounds better in French: Patates en Chemise (sweet potatoes in jackets). Bake in a 375 degree oven for 50 min to an hour or until done. Finish simply with butter and salt. One of our favorite accompaniments to sweet potato fries is chipotle mayo. This may have been the inspiration for our Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes. Perhaps your Thanksgiving mashed potatoes could use a makeover? Speaking of spices, pair sweet potatoes with a spice that complements their sweetness like allspice, ginger or cinnamon and fresh herbs like rosemary or sage. But be sure not to overwhelm the natural, sweet flavor with too much spice. Since they are sweet, they also pair nicely with citrus like orange or lime. If you really want to impress, add the richness or bacon, pancetta, or chorizo. You will tickle every single taste bud. Sweet potatoes also hold up nicely with strong cheese. Case in point Sweet Potato and Gorgonzola Gratin. Obviously we like to feature the tubers in sweet desserts and breads given their great texture and flavor. Sweet potato pie is an absolute must at any southern Thanksgiving. As an alternative to plain zucchini or banana bread, try Zucchini and Sweet Potato Bread. You’ll thank us later. See? They’re not so dull after all.

Sources
Editors of Cook’s Illustrated, ed. Here in America’s Test Kitchen.
Encyclopædia Britannica Online
Everyday Mysteries: Fun Science Facts from the Library of Congress
Food Timeline
McGee, Harold. On Food & Cooking: The Science & Lore of the Kitchen
National Geographic. Edible: An Illustrated Guide to the World’s Food Plants
Rodale, J.I., ed. How to Grow Vegetables & Fruits by the Organic Method.
University of Illinois Extension: Watch Your Garden Grow

Dossier by Kalle Guinn and Amanda Olsen

Photo by Kalle Guinn

If you’re anything like us, you’re probably thinking “what the heck is a brassica?”

Brassicas are vegetables that belong to the brassicaceae or mustard family, and on the whole they’re referred to as cabbages. Regardless of their definition, we find them to be bites of deliciousness that are familiar and fun to play with every day, including cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. So for us, and probably you, brassica is a new name for things we already love. New to brassicas — or tired of the same old steamed cabbage? Come play in the kitchen with us.

Featured Recipes:

Pasta with Brussels Sprouts, Prosciutto and Pecans
Champagne Glazed Cauliflower
Pistachio Crusted Salmon with Shredded Cabbage & Bailey’s Irish Cream Sauce

***
Here’s what our other Fall Fest friends are cooking with brassicas this week. Go take a peek and leave a comment or recipe. You can also follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #fallfood.

Todd and Diane: White on Rice Couple
Spicy Brussels Sprouts with Mint
@whiteonrice

Paige: The Sister Project
Brussels Sprouts to Convert Even the Most Determined Haters

Liz: Healthy Eats
Kale 5 Ways (Including Kale Chips!)

Alison: Food2
All About Broccoli and Cauliflower
@Food2

Michelle: Cooking Channel
Cauliflower with Sweet Potatoes

Kirsten: Food Network
Cheesy Brussels Sprouts

Nicole: Pinch my Salt
Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Walnuts
@pinchmysalt

Alana: Eating from the Ground Up
Brussels Sprouts Gratin
@edability

Caron: San Diego Foodstuff
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Vinegar
@carondg

Food Network UK
Why I Love Cabbage Soup

Caroline: The Wright Recipes
Fresh Brussels Sprout Salad with Pears and Blue Cheese
@chefcaroline

HOW YOU CAN JOIN IN FALL FEST:
Each Wednesday for the rest of the fall, a group of blogging friends including those above will swap our recipes and tips about the following harvest-fresh ingredients. Here’s the schedule:

10/17 Sweet Potatoes
10/24 Bounty to Be Grateful For

We each post something and then link to one another, so that you can travel around the combined effort, gathering the goodies. Sharing makes the experience even better, so if you have a recipe or tip that fits any of our weekly themes, you can do either of the following:

• Leave a comment on participating blogs with a link to your recipe/tip
• Publish a post of your own, and grab the juicy Fall Fest 2010 badge (illustrated by Matt Armendariz of Mattbites)

We hope to see you in the kitchen!

Ah, root vegetables. They are veritably the crown jewels of harvest, though often relegated to root cellars and dark places when they are — at least in our opinion — the tastiest thing on the menu.

We are huge proponents of delving into their comforts this time of year, and invite you to join us in savoring their autumn delights.

Featured Article:
Hidden Jewels of Harvest: Root Vegetables Exposed!

Recipes:
Apple & Turnip Soup with Nutmeg Cheddar Breadsticks
Balsamic-Roasted Root Vegetables
Herbed Mascarpone & Beet Napoleons with Walnut Oil

***
Here’s what our other Fall Fest friends are cooking with root vegetables this week. Go take a peek and leave a comment or recipe. You can also follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #fallfood.

Caroline: The Wright Recipes
Slow-Cooked Pot Roast with Root Vegetables + Apple, Potato and Celery Root Mash
@chefcaroline

Paige: The Sister Project
A Sweet & Savory Soup

Nicole: Pinch My Salt
Rutabaga Puff
@pinchmysalt

Caron: San Diego Foodstuff
Roasted Carrot and Fennel Soup with Miso
@carondg

Roberto: Food2
Easy Roasted Root Vegetables

Michelle: Cooking Channel
Roasted Beet Salad

Kirsten: FN Dish
Root Veggie Sides to Try

Liz: Healthy Eats
In-Season Root Veggies

Food Network UK
Return to Your Roots

HOW YOU CAN JOIN IN FALL FEST:
Each Wednesday for the rest of the fall, a group of blogging friends including those above will swap our recipes and tips about the following harvest-fresh ingredients. Here’s the schedule:

10/20 Pears
10/27 “Mad Stash”, aka what you’re canning, preserving, freezing for winter
11/3 Root Vegetables
11/10 Brassicas

We each post something and then link to one another, so that you can travel around the combined effort, gathering the goodies. Sharing makes the experience even better, so if you have a recipe or tip that fits any of our weekly themes, you can do either of the following:

• Leave a comment on participating blogs with a link to your recipe/tip
• Publish a post of your own, and grab the juicy Fall Fest 2010 badge (illustrated by Matt Armendariz of Mattbites)

We hope to see you in the kitchen!

by Donna Marie Desfor

Crisp.  The very word sounds like Autumn — the very thought of which sends me clamoring for a kitchen.  I’m ready to don those fluffy sweaters and fire up my stove; indulge in richness, and comfort; cook sauces and bake breads.  I don’t care much that September, at least in these parts, is still full-on Summer.  The weather has changed, and so has my mood — I need to create flavors that capture the essence of this transition.  I want heat, but not intensity; I want savory, but not suffocating.

What could define the essence of “crisp” better than a pear?  It is, quite possibly, the very definition of Autumn.  Crisp.  It satisfies my need for the season yet to come.  But it gets me creative and back in my kitchen.

Said to represent sensuality and longing, artists have long used the pear as a provocative measure of our innate desires.  One of the most appealing and desirable of the fruits, it is exotic and sexy, sweet with its juices and endless in its appeal.  How appropriate, then, that the pear introduces Autumn and gets me back in touch with my kitchen instincts — my intuitive sense of when, of how much, and for how long.

Admittedly, yes, pears are available year-round.  But if you’re smart enough to pay attention, you know with one bite that these are not the same pears as the ones you’ve been tasting all year.  They’re firmer, sweeter, their flavor is brighter, and their juices a bit thicker.  That once mealy texture from prolonged movement and warehouse storage is now buttery smooth.  If you hold them right under your nose and breathe deeply, you find that they actually have a sweet, floral aroma — a feat you’re unlikely to repeat at any other time of the year.

The varieties available are numerous, and the flavors they combine with brilliantly are equally abundant.  And when it comes to cooking or baking, it’s not too terribly difficult to choose among them, at least in our GM Test Kitchen.  Hands down, our favorites are the Bosc variety, and with good reason: Their sweet flavor and dense flesh make them the perfect match for high heat and extended cooking times.  They keep their shape and taste, and under a knife they slice cleanly, and are easily manipulated into a dice.

Recipe: Harvest Risotto with Caramelized Pears

Some may think September too early for a hearty dish like risotto.  But before you join the nay-sayers, consider what the addition of a sweet caramelized pear and the heady, haunting, aromatic qualities of allspice, cinnamon, and ginger conjure up in your mind.  That is exactly why this recipe works.

Pears — of just about any variety — are made to marry with the exotics of spices (ginger, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice); fruits (lemons, cranberries, and apples); cheeses (blues (of just about any variety), brie, parmesan and aged); nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, and pecans); and wine, including wine vinegar (balsamic, especially aged).

Depending on the variety you choose — and there are several hundred from which you can choose — any dish becomes a succulent course with the hint of sweetness that makes even hearty flavors appealing in the waning days of summer.  What I find absolutely stunning, though, is the taunting way the flavor of pear dances with savory components.  Combining the two satisfies my desire for unabashed flavor, without drowning me in thick heaviness that the season just isn’t ready for.

Recipe: Bosc Pear Fritters with a Sweet Potato and Sekel Pear Sauce

It may sound odd, but when you think of savory herbs and introduce pear, your mental mouth can imagine the exquisite way the flavors meld.  Aromatic and full in the mouth, the sweet pushes, and the savory pulls.  There is a complexity that is compelling, but never confusing, which is why these pear fritters are a delight.  Their earthiness is balanced with savory herbs, the sweet pear serves as a counterpoint to the seasoned batter, and the sauce is undeniably the flavor of Autumn.

Pears should spark all sorts of possibilities in your mind beyond the traditional, dessert-type recipes (though we will happily deliver a few of our favorites in the weeks to come).  The diversity our Test Kitchen offers with this month’s lead recipes should get your creativity ripening and your flavor buds bursting.  And if nothing else, we’re hoping to inspire you back into the kitchen and to your stove; it’s time to fire those babies up and get ready for a whole lotta Harvest cooking.  Welcome sweet, sensual, pear-luscious September.  Welcome home to your kitchen.

Photo: Kelly Cline

Donna Marie Desfor is the founder and executive chef of There’s A Chef in My Kitchen, a portable culinary school in Harrisburg, PA.

Pumpkins and squash are way more delicious than jack-o-lanterns and cornucopia displays. You don’t think so? Step into our kitchen and join us in learning about and cooking some of our favorite fall foods.

Dossiers
Pumpkins: Into the Pumpkin Patch
Winter Squash: A Must for Fall

Featured Recipe: Butternut Squash Bisque with Nutmeg Crème Fraîche

***
Here’s what our other Fall Fest friends are cooking with pumpkin & winter squash this week. Go take a peek and leave a comment or recipe. You can also follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #fallfood.

Caroline: the Wright Recipes
Roasted Pumpkin and Winter Squash with Labneh and Skhug

Alana: Eating From the Ground Up
Fall Vegetable Chicken Pot Pie

Alison: Food2
Pumpkin Donuts

Toby: Healthy Eats
Pumpkin 5 Ways (Including Seed-Studded Pumpkin Bread)

Kirsten: Food Network
Best Pumpkin Recipes

Cate: Sweetnicks
Baked Acorn Squash with Brown Sugar and Butter

Caron: San Diego Foodstuff
Clay Pot Winter Squash

Paige: The Sister Project
Pumpkin, Roasted, Stuffed and All Grown Up

Michelle: Cooking Channel
Pumpkin and Squash Recipes

Food Network UK
Praise the Gourd

HOW YOU CAN JOIN IN FALL FEST:
Each Wednesday for the rest of the fall, a group of blogging friends including those above will swap our recipes and tips about the following harvest-fresh ingredients. Here’s the schedule:
10/13 Pumpkin & Winter Squash
10/20 Pears
10/27 “Mad Stash”, aka what you’re canning, preserving, freezing for winter
11/3 Root Vegetables
11/10 Brassicas

We each post something and then link to one another, so that you can travel around the combined effort, gathering the goodies. Sharing makes the experience even better, so if you have a recipe or tip that fits any of our weekly themes, you can do either of the following:

• Leave a comment on participating blogs with a link to your recipe/tip
• Publish a post of your own, and grab the juicy Fall Fest 2010 badge (illustrated by Matt Armendariz of Mattbites)

We hope to see you in the kitchen!

Nobody likes beets Dwight! Why don’t you grow something that everybody does like? You should grow candy! I’d love a piece of candy right now…not a beet.
-Michael Scott, The Office

Etymology
Beta vulgaris (Latin)

Origin
Beets have been farmed for at least 5,000 years. Ancient growers in the Mediterranean region used them as a storage vegetable to provide sustenance during the winter months. Migration moved them north into Europe, and they were subsequently brought to the United States by European settlers.

The sugar beet, which is cultivated for its sucrose, was originally discovered by a German scientist and developed as a sugarcane substitute during the late 18th Century, when sugarcane sources from the West Indies were cut off in Europe. Thankfully for us and all beet lovers, our garden variety table beet has flourished.

Description
Beets are a root vegetable consisting of leaves which attach to a root bulb. The bulb can vary greatly in size, with table beets being smaller than sugar beets. Despite their high sugar content (table beets contain 10% sugar and sugar beets 20%), they are, much to our delight, a low-calorie food. And if high levels of Vitamin B, C, calcium and folic acid aren’t enough motivation for you to indulge and treat your body to some super-nutrition, their antioxidants called betalain have been studied for their cancer-fighting qualities. Healthy and delicious, beets are arguably one of the most underrated vegetables in the garden.

Speaking of gardening, what better place to get to the root of beets than the Black Dirt region of New York’s Hudson Valley? Listen to our tour of Rogowski Organic Farms , where we get our shoes all muddy, pick our dinner right from the ground, and connect with five beet varieties and their veggie friends. We totally dig the farm sounds in that podcast.

Types
The beet was originally grown for its leafy greens. Leaf beet (more commonly known as Swiss chard) is used mostly for its leaves, and table beets are grown mostly for their roots, though the leaves are also edible. There are several varieties and colors of table beets: Italian heirloom Chioggas are known for their candy cane-like striped appearance, and we think they are absolutely gorgeous. Golden and albino beets are similar to red beets in all aspects except for their red pigment. Bonus: They will not turn your hands purple, but are equally delicious.

Smaller beets are more tender; once they grow larger than 3 inches in diameter, they can be too fibrous and tough. For the freshest beets, chose firm ones that still have their tops.

Our Approach
Our test kitchen is blushing with beet juice, and we like to approach these little beauties in a way that embraces their color, texture and sweetness. Even if you’re a beet-hater, we challenge you to give this earthy root another go. Though they may be viewed as an old-fashioned food, found on salad bars and as cans of pickled, sliced magenta discs of something that may have once been a fresh vegetable, the inherent earthy, pungent flavors of fresh beets evoke the romantic food-lover in us. Yes, you read that correctly. There is something so pure about that flavor — and it’s one people tend to love or hate — that we find beets to be the closest thing to the taste of earth itself.

When cooking beets, clean the skins with a soft vegetable brush, but leave the skin and a portion of the stalk intact. Roasted beets are as simple as heating your oven to 350 F, then adding olive oil, salt, pepper, chopped fresh rosemary and some love for 45-60 minutes (depending on their size). You can also peel, chop, and saute beets with balsamic vinegar to give them caramelized color or GBD (golden brown & delicious).

And while cooked beets are scrumptious, they can also be savored raw in salad or slaw; just shred them like carrots and dress with a tangy vinaigrette. Be careful though, as the red variety will give color to anything they touch — including hands, clothing or light-colored countertops.

If you’re not yet convinced of their deliciousness, try Herbed Mascarpone Beet Napoleons with Walnut Oil and you might be singing the praises of beets all the way to your farmer’s market. There are also many variations of colorful eastern European soup made with beets called Borscht; give our Silky Spring Beet Soup a try, which can be served hot or cold. Get your beet on.   

Recipes
Herbed Mascarpone & Beet Napoleons with Walnut Oil
Silky Spring Beet Soup

Sources
BEETS- Well Blog- NYTimes.com
National Gardening Association
The Story of Borshch- The Guardian
Health Benefits of Beet- Organic Facts
The Worldwide Gourmet

Photo: Kalle Guinn

Nothing quite says fall like apples. Except maybe pumpkins, but we’re not at that Fall Fest week on the calendar yet, so patience, Prudence.

The apple takes a lot of flack for being the fruit that led to the demise of Adam and Eve’s innocence, but we’d like to add that (a) it was more likely the tomato that did such work; and (b) we think they probably had a better time afterward.

For us, there is no greater temptation than a freshly baked apple resplendent with cinnamon and other spices, so we get it. In fact, we’ve included recipes for everything from soups to cocktails and dessert in this week’s roundup, so prepare your senses for a bit of “oh my, yes.”

DOSSIER
Apples: The Seductive Fruit

RECIPES
Apple Cinnamon Empanadas
Apple Anise Pizza
Caramelized Apple Bread Pudding
Apple and Blue Cheese Tartine
Roasted Squab (or Cornish Game Hens) with Apple-Cinnamon Glaze.
Apple & Turnip Soup with Nutmeg Cheddar Breadsticks
Clove Spiced Champagne

Photo: Jaden Hair

***
Here’s what our other Fall Fest friends are cooking with apples this week. Go take a peek and leave a comment or recipe. You can also follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #fallfood.

Margaret Roach: A Way to Garden
Favorite apple photos

Alison: Food2
22 awesome ways to use your apples

FN Dish: Food Network
Pick the perfect apple

Sara: Cooking Channel
Apple dessert recipes

Healthy Eats: Food Network
31 days of apple recipes

Food Network UK
Five English apples you should know and love

Marilyn: Simmer Till Done
Louisa May Alcott’s Apple Slump

Caron Golden: San Diego Foodstuff
Revised Medieval Apple Tart
@carondg

Nicole: Pinch My Salt
Favorite apple recipes
@pinchmysalt

Caroline Wright: The Wright Recipes
Apple Stack Cake and Dark Caramel Apples
@chefcaroline

Alana Chernila: Eating From the Ground Up
God and Apple Pie
@edability

Todd & Diane: White on Rice Couple
Apple picking & Broiled Leeks with Apple Vinaigrette
@whiteonrice

Paige: The Sister Project
Third-Prize Apple Pie

HOW YOU CAN JOIN IN FALL FEST:
Each Wednesday for the rest of the fall, a group of blogging friends including those above will swap our recipes and tips about the following harvest-fresh ingredients. Here’s the schedule:

9/22 Spinach
9/29 Apples
10/6 Fall Salads
10/13 Pumpkin & Winter Squash
10/20 Pears
10/27 “Mad Stash”, aka what you’re canning, preserving, freezing for winter
11/3 Root Vegetables
11/10 Brassicas

We each post something and then link to one another, so that you can travel around the combined effort, gathering the goodies. Sharing makes the experience even better, so if you have a recipe or tip that fits any of our weekly themes, you can do either of the following:

• Leave a comment on participating blogs with a link to your recipe/tip
• Publish a post of your own, and grab the juicy Fall Fest 2010 badge (illustrated by Matt Armendariz of Mattbites)

We hope to see you in the kitchen!

We do love the stinking rose. In fact, we make sure we eat it while in a group, because then we can all revel in the garlic breath together without worrying about the fumes. For this week’s Summer Fest, we are featuring the aromatic goodness of this little bulb, including its history, so have at it. Breath mints optional.

Dossier:

• Garlic: The Stinking Rose

Recipes:

• Salmorejo
• Serafino’s Sofrito
• Garlic Brittle Cookies
• Summer Tomato Salad with Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette
• Garlic Smashed Potatoes with Balsamic Reduction
• Garlic Spiced Butter
• Roasted Garlic & Red Pepper Hummus
• Aïoli Garni (Garlic Mayonnaise)
• Savory Garlic Ice Cream

******
Here’s what our other Summer Fest friends are cooking with garlic this week. Go take a peek and leave a comment or recipe. You can also follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #summerfood.

Margaret Roach: Away to Garden
Growing and Storing a Year of Garlic

Michelle Buffardi: Cooking Channel’s Devour/The Blog (Scripps)
Roasted Garlic
@mbuffardi

Food2 blog (Scripps)
Easiest Recipes Ever, Starring Garlic

FN Dish: Food Network
Garlic Chicken Greats

Healthy Eats: Food Network
5 Reasons to Eat More Garlic

Cate O’Malley: Sweetnicks.com
Double Dose of Garlic—Cuban Black Beans and The Best Pork Ever
@cateomalley

Paige Smith Orloff: The Sister Project
Spaghetti with Garlic and Zucchini
@paigeorloff

Diane and Todd: White on Rice Couple
Garlic Knots
@whiteonrice

Caroline Wright: The Wright Recipes
Ajo Blanco Soup, and Confit Garlic
@chefcaroline

Caron Golden: San Diego Foodstuff
Italian Marinated Eggplant and Sorrel and Garlic Sauce
@carondg

Alana Chernila: Eating from the Ground Up
Pickled Garlic
@edability

Nicole: Pinch My Salt
Spicy Pickled Garlic
@pinchmysalt

Food Network UK
Glorious Garlic

HOW YOU CAN JOIN IN SUMMER (AND FALL) FEST:
Each Wednesday for the rest of the summer and fall, a group of blogging friends including those above will swap our recipes and tips about the following harvest-fresh ingredients. Here’s the schedule:

9/15 White Potatoes
9/22 Spinach
9/29 Apples
10/6 Fall Salads

We each post something and then link to one another, so that you can travel around the combined effort, gathering the goodies. Sharing makes the experience even better, so if you have a recipe or tip that fits any of our weekly themes, you can do either of the following:

• Leave a comment on participating blogs with a link to your recipe/tip
• Publish a post of your own, and grab the juicy Summer/Fall Fest 2010 badge (illustrated by Matt Armendariz of Mattbites)

We hope to see you in the kitchen!

Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good.
- Alice May Brock

Foodstuff: Garlic

Etymology: From the Old English garleac or garlec, with gar referring to the spear shape of
the clove, and leac, meaning “leek.”

Area of Origin: The high plains in West and Central Asia

Description
Garlic is a member of the lily family and a close relative of the onion, shallot, leek and chive, and is oft referred to as the “stinking rose.” It grows underground in bulb formation, with each bulb consisting of small sections called cloves, which are each surrounded by a membrane made of parchment-like material. Garlic is a healthy food, filled with amino acids, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, magnesium and vitamins A and C. It is quite popular in the United States – Americans are thought to consume around eighty million pounds of fresh garlic each year, and celebrate it by holding yearly garlic festivals throughout the country such as the Gilroy Garlic Festival, held each summer outside of San Francisco in the self-proclaimed “Garlic Capital of the World,” and in New York’s Hudson Valley. Today, garlic is grown mainly in the United States, Italy, Spain, Mexico and France.

History
Garlic is believed to have spread throughout Asia in the hands of nomadic tribes arriving in the Middle East over 4,000 years ago. Since man began using it, garlic has always been considered both a food and a source of health. It has almost always been considered to have protective powers, as people used it to ward off sickness and evil (most famously in the form of vampires) throughout the ages. By 1500 B.C. the Egyptians recognized garlic as a remedy for over 20 sicknesses, including headaches, worms and heart ailments. The Egyptians also believed in the strengthening powers of garlic, and fed it to their slaves to keep their stamina levels high while building the great pyramids.

In ancient Greece and Rome garlic continued to be prized for its curative properties, noted for its ability to treat bladder infections, dog bites and asthma, and during the Middle Ages was used as a preventative measure against the plague. These health beliefs about garlic are not simply old wives’ tales: As early as 1858, research by Louis Pasteur showed that garlic had bacteria-killing abilities, and during World War II, garlic was used to disinfect open wounds when antiseptic drugs were not readily available. Today, research is being conducted all over the world to determine garlic’s specific healthful properties in curing and preventing a wide range of illnesses.

Of course, beyond simply warding off sicknesses and evil, garlic is also widely thought of as a surefire way to ward off potential suitors. Experts suggest chewing fennel seeds or parsley to lessen the effects of garlic breath. (Note that our forum poll has put the subject to a group discussion.)

Types of Garlic
Garlic can be found growing both wild and cultivated. It is usually classified into two main groups: hardneck and softneck. All wild garlic is hardneck, and domesticated garlic can be either hardneck or softneck. Hardneck garlic is well suited to grow in Mexico, California and South America, and is often purple in color with a stronger flavor than softneck garlic. Softneck garlic, also called Italian garlic, is usually tan, white, or slightly purplish, and can be cultivated to contain many or few cloves. A third type of garlic, elephant garlic, is not actually a true garlic: It is actually a kind of leek with a milder flavor, and produces very large cloves (hence its “elephant-ness”), usually only about three or four per bulb.

Using Garlic
Fresh garlic can be stored for up to eight weeks in a cool, dark place, kept in an open container away from other foods. Individual cloves, once they are broken away from the rest of the bulb, can be used for about a week.

In cooking, garlic is almost always peeled before it is used, and then it is usually chopped, pureed or crushed, which releases its essential oils. Garlic is also often roasted, which results in a milder, sweeter flavor.

Best Matches
Oh, what won’t we match with garlic? From savory ice cream to buttery spreads and favorite side dishes, garlic has a permanent place in our kitchen garden. Right beside the parsley.

Our Approach
Given its versatility, we decided to show all the ways in which garlic can be savored. We roasted it, chopped it, used it in gelato (yes, gelato), and caramelized it for a sweet taste. Indulge, and don’t forget the breath mints.

Recipes

Aioli Garni (Garlic Mayonnaise with Accompaniments)
Roasted Garlic and Red Pepper Hummus
Salmorejo
Garlic Smashed Potatoes with a Balsamic Reduction
Garlic Spiced Butter
Savory Garlic Ice Cream
Serafino’s Sofrito
Garlic Brittle Cookies
Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette

Dossier by Ava Tramer