"'Tis substantial happiness to eat," said the 18th-century English poet Alexander Pope, expressing an undeniable sentiment, though his tongue should have forked as he spoke (rubbing his fat little aristocratic belly after a hearty meal in London), since in Ireland at the time 'twas substantial difficulty to eat. Nonetheless, no one could agree with the poet more heartily than Ela, who, when he was growing up, loved for me to turn chef. But like any true artist, I can only create by inspiration. Necessity produces meals, but only inspired kitchen work produces chefs d'oeuvre. Only an epicurean rampage results in an extended cuisine extraordinaire.
I went on such a rampage when Ela was eleven or twelve, beginning on Christmas Eve, when the tomato-rich aroma of someone's Italian grandmother's best lasagna sauce
filled the house and teased the palate. (The recipe in my recipe box is of unknown origin, but didn't all lasagna sauces come from someone's Italian grandmother, folded and tucked into a pocket and brought to America on the ship?) This meatless lasagna (altered, by now, from the Italian grandmother's original recipe to fit my own diet and desires) was layered pasta-firm and cheese-melty for tactile pleasure; green spinach noodles, red with tomato sauce and white with ricotta cheese, for visual delectation; and tomato-sauce spicy and Parmesan sharp for gustatory delight. Later the house underwent an Indonesian transplant as the odor of a ginger-cayenne-peanut-butter sauce permeated its chinks with spices. To balance both the tongue-biting piquancy and golden brown color of this gado-gado,
I served it with raw vegetables and a mild-tasting green-and-white spinach-ricotta pie. Another meal sent us to Russia with an exotic Russian vegetable pie, and another to Greece with a rather unHellenic (no lamb) mushroom moussaka. No culinary rampage would be worth the name without homage to French cooking, in this case a classic cheese and mushroom quiche. Though my whole wheat pie crusts aren't always light and flaky, the one for this quiche was, and although my quiches aren't always the gourmet's choice and gourmand's delight, this one was.
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| The lasagna |
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| Gado-gado with vegies |
As for the desserts, what ecstasy we fell into! What culinary feats of heroic caliber I rose to! Breathlessly we executed the first cutting of the zuppa inglese—through the whipped cream frosting decorated with dried pineapple, through the first layer of sponge cake, the almond custard, another sponge cake, the vanilla custard, another sponge cake, the brandy(!) custard, the final sponge cake! Each wedge was carefully lifted and placed on a China plate. Each piece was a picture from the World's Best Desserts cookbook, each bite a mouthwatering triumph. Was it better than apple pie? I asked Ela. My deep-dish apple pie had once won me the silver bowl now filled with fruits and nuts on our table. Ela clamored for the story, and because he was flattering enough (and smart enough) to listen to it, I baked the pie the next day.
The black-bottom pie,
usually a specialty highly touted and greedily greeted, was almost taken for granted this year, surrounded as it was by pineapple-walnut bread, yogurt-cream-cheese pudding pie, brandied gingerbread (served for breakfast with home-canned peaches and vanilla yogurt), and the Westhaven cake. A winner in the lottery of new recipes, this date-and-chocolate-chip carob cake vied at last with zuppa inglese as Best Dessert of the Year (but, in the end, didn't win).
The black-bottom pie,
And then on New Year's Day, we had the traditional black-eyed peas. Good as they were, black-eyed peas and cornbread were a letdown after the rich fare of the days before. But it's good luck to eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day (an old Southern tradition), and now I understood why. Surely it's good luck to be reminded in such a way that feasting is fine but eating is necessary, that substantial happiness can come from eating simple food, too, and that culinary binges do come to an end.
Next week: Christmas Cookie Party
Recipes from this post, posted below:
Somebody's Italian Grandmother's Best Lasagna
Gado-gado
Spinach-ricotta pie
Mushroom moussaka
Classic cheese and mushroom quiche
Pineapple walnut bread
Recipes from this post, posted tomorrow
Russian vegetable pie
Yogurt cream cheese pudding pie
Brandied gingerbread
Westhaven cake
Black bottom pie
The zuppa Inglese recipe is in "Carberry Creek Dessert Bake-off Part 2." Use search bar at the right.
The apple pie story and recipe will be posted on this blog in March, 2020.
Black-eyed beans and cornbread recipes will be posted on this blog in April, 2020.
SOMEBODY'S ITALIAN GRANDMOTHER'S BEST LASAGNA (meatless)
serves 12
(You can, of course, add ground beef to the sauce. Brown it before you do the onions. Remove it from the pan and add to the sauce when you simmer everything together.)
The sauce
Ingredients
1 cup chopped onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 can (1 pound, 13 ounces) tomato purée
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons dry red wine
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 jar good black olives
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Preparation
Chop onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and parsley. Mince or crush the garlic. Cut up the olives. Grate the cheese.
To make
Sauté onions and garlic in the olive oil. When onions are translucent, add the peppers, mushrooms, and herbs and continue cooking till mushrooms and peppers are soft. Add the tomatoes (canned and fresh), tomato paste, black pepper, and wine. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. (Do not shorten the simmering time. The flavors want to mingle well.) At the end of the cooking, add the parsley and olives and heat for a minute or two more. Last, add the cheese.
Noodles
Half cook 12 lasagna noodles. Drain and rinse under cold water.
The filling
Ingredients
2 cups ricotta or cottage cheese
2 beaten eggs
1/2 pound spinach
Dash nutmeg
2 tablespoons wheat germ
Preparation
Chop the spinach.
To make
Mix all ingredients. Blend well.
Assemblage
Ingredients
Sauce
Noodles
Filling
1 pound mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Preparation
Grate the mozzarella and Parmesan or Romano cheeses. Preheat oven to 375º.
To assemble
After spooning some sauce onto the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan, layer the ingredients in the pan in the following order:
Noodles (use 4)
Filling (half of it)
Sauce (1/3 of it)
Mozzarella cheese (1/2 of it)
4 more noodles
The rest of the filling
Sauce (1/2 of what's left)
The rest of the mozzarella
The last 4 noodles
The remaining sauce
A thick layer of Parmesan or Romano cheese
Bake, covered, at 375º for 35 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 10 more minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
GADO-GADO
serves 6-8
The sauce
Ingredients
1 cup chopped onion
2 medium cloves garlic
3-4 teaspoons grated ginger root
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
1 lemon (for juice)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of tamari
Preparation
Chop the onion. Mince or crush the garlic. Juice the lemon. Grate the ginger.
To make
Sauté the onion, garlic, bay leaf, and ginger in butter. When onions are translucent, add remaining ingredients, mix, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
The vegetables
Ingredients
Anything you might put in a salad. Here are some suggestions:
Spinach and/or lettuce (These will serve as the base; see below.)
Cabbage, sliced or shredded
Carrot slices
Celery slices
Broccoli spears, steamed lightly
Green beans, steamed lightly
Asparagus, steamed
Jicama
Turnips
Boiled eggs, sliced in quarters
Tofu chunks
Garnish: orange pieces, raisins, toasted seeds and nuts—whatever you like
Preparation
Cut, chop, slice, shred, steam—i.e., prepare whatever vegetables you are using.
Assemblage
Begin with a mound of raw spinach or good lettuce leaves on the entire serving platter. Over that make a beautiful arrangement of the vegetables and garnish with ingredients of your choice. Let people help themselves to the salad. Pass a gravy bowl of the gado-gado sauce to go on top.
SPINACH-RICOTTA PIE
From Moosewood Cookbook, by Mollie Katzen
serves 6
The crust
Ingredients
1/3 cup butter
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
(1/4 teaspoon salt if you're using unsalted butter)
3 tablespoons (or more) cold buttermilk
To make
Cut butter into flour with pastry cutter or two knives (or whatever electrical implement is suitable). When the mixture resembles cornmeal, add enough buttermilk that the dough comes together into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill.
The filling
Ingredients
1/2 pound spinach
1 small onion
1/2 pound mushrooms
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 pound ricotta cheese
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup sharp cheese, grated
dash of nutmeg
Preparation
Wash and chop spinach. Slice mushrooms. Dice onion. Beat eggs. Grate cheese.
To make
Sauté onion in the butter. Then add mushrooms and basil, then the spinach, salt, pepper. Beat the eggs and ricotta cheese together. Add the rest of the ingredients, including spinach and mix well.
Assemblage
Ingredients
Filling
1 cup sour cream
Paprika (or, if you're allergic to peppers, nutmeg)
Preparation
Flour a working surface and your rolling pin. Have a 9-inch pie pan at hand. Preheat oven to 375º.
To assemble
Roll out the pie dough to a 10-inch circle and place in the pie pan. Trim edges. Fill unbaked shell with ricotta-mushroom filling. Cover with sour cream and dust with paprika or nutmeg. Bake at 375º for 40-45 minutes or until set.
(This is a great pot-luck dish because it's good cold, too. My friend Lasse, who is a very good cook, said this would be good with bits of ham added to it.)
MUSHROOM MOUSSAKA
serves 8
(Again, if you want a non-vegetarian version, add browned ground beef to the mushroom sauce.)
The vegetable layer
Ingredients
3 medium eggplants
Preparation
Oil a cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 350º.
To cook
Slice the eggplants 1/2 inch thick. Salt lightly, place on prepared cookie sheet, and bake at 350º for 15 minutes or until tender.
Mushroom sauce
Ingredients
2 pounds mushrooms
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons butter
6 ounces tomato paste
1/4 cup parsley
dash each of oregano, basil, cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh pepper to taste
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or cheddar cheese
4 large eggs, beaten
Preparation
Slice the mushrooms, chop the onions, and mince or crush the garlic. Crumble or grate dry bread to make crumbs. (These are more trouble than but superior to packaged bread crumbs.) Chop parsley.
To make
Sauté onions and garlic in butter over medium heat in a large saucepan until onions are translucent; then add the mushrooms and sauté till they darken and soften. (If you don't have a big enough frying pan, this will have to be done in a large pot.) Stir frequently. Add tomato paste, parsley, herbs, and wine and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add bread crumbs, cheese, and beaten eggs.
White sauce
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup flour
2 1/2 cups warm milk
4 egg yolks
To make
Melt butter over low heat. Whisk the flour into the butter to make a roux. Slowly, whisking all the while, add the warm milk. Do not let lumps form. Whisk hard. This step is best done with the pan off the heat, at least for the first, thickest and trickiest, part. When there is no more danger of lumps forming, return the pan to low heat and add the rest of the milk. Cook, whisking all the while, until thick. Add the egg yolks and set aside.
Assemblage
Ingredients
Baked eggplant slices
White sauce
Bread crumbs
Parmesan cheese
Preparation
Butter a large casserole dish. Grate the Parmesan cheese. Preheat oven to 350º.
To assemble
Layer as follows:
Cover the bottom of the casserole with eggplant slices
Pour in half of the mushroom sauce
Add the remaining eggplant
Cover with the rest of the mushroom sauce
Pour the white sauce over everything
Top with bread crumbs and extra grated cheese
Bake at 350º for 35 minutes, covered. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes.
CLASSIC CHEESE AND MUSHROOM QUICHE
The crust
Ingredients
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
3-4 tablespoons cold water (or more, as needed)
Preparation
Dust a working surface and a rolling pin with flour.
To make
Mix flour and salt. Cut the butter into the flour-and-salt with a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips (or with whatever electrical equipment does this sort of thing). When the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, make a well in the center, and pour in the ice-cold (depending on the time of the year or your access to refrigeration) water and mix with a fork until the dough comes together into a ball. Ball it up, cover it with plastic wrap, and chill. When ready to use, roll the dough to a 10-inch disk and lay it in a 9-inch pie pan. Trim edges.
The filling: Vegetable layer
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion
1/4 - 1/2 pound mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon thyme
Salt and pepper
Preparation: Chop the onion and slice the mushrooms.
To make: Sauté the onion in butter till translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook with thyme till just brown. Salt and pepper lightly.
Ingredients
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
To make: Beat the eggs with the milk. Add flour, salt, and mustard and beat well.
Ingredients
Filling ingredients
1 1/2 cups grated cheese (Gruyere or Emmentaler preferred)
9-inch unbaked pie crust
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375º. Grate the cheese
To make: Layer the filling ingredients into the pie crust, starting with a spread of grated cheese on the bottom, adding the cooked vegetables, and pouring the custard over everything. Bake at 375º for 40-45 minutes or until set.
PINEAPPLE-BANANA-WALNUT BREAD
Ingredients
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups bananas, mashed (4-5 bananas)
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, including juice
1 cup walnuts (or other nuts)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preparation
Butter and flour 2 5x9-inch loaf pans. Chop walnuts. Mash bananas.
To make
Mix all ingredients except the walnuts and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix well. Fold in walnuts and vanilla. Let the batter sit for an hour at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350º. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pans and bake at 350º for one hour, five minutes, or until center tests done.
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