THE COMMUNAL POT

The Communal Pot

          Our winter Holidays gather us together as families, friends and communities in hope that the cheer of the human spirit can allow us to forget the seasonal darkness of the winter solstice. That cheer inevitably involves food and many a cook and hostess at this time of the year seem to out-do themselves with preparation.

          So, after the rush and the groaning Holiday tables, it may be time to recall that equally delicious and pleasing meals can be achieved with some simple ingredients cooked at the table by the ‘diners’ around a communal pot, or fondue pot. It only requires an small enameled or metal pot set over a small alcohol flame at the table, partially filled with oil or broth, in which each diner cooks a selected piece of thin pre-cut meat, vegetable or shrimp on long forks, then places the cooked items on their plates to eat with an assortment of condiments or sauces. Conversation flows readily between the participants with much teasing about individual agility and aptitude in keeping food on the fork while it cooks. Fondue was very popular in the 1970’s, but even today can be found in a few restaurants.

          The original ‘fondue’ comes from the French word ‘fondre’ or melt and was  applied by the Swiss a couple of centuries ago. They invented the Swiss Fondue, which is a cheese fondue, originally devised to make stale bread and hard cheese more palatable in winter. In the hands of a good cook, even such barely palatable fare can become ‘ambrosial’ if combined with ingredients like wine and a bit of garlic.

                                      Swiss Fondue

          Rub the bottom and sides of an enameled chafing dish with the cut sides of a clove of garlic. Add 1 ½ cups dry white wine to the dish and heat just to boil, but do not boil. Stir in 1 pound grated natural (not processed) Gruyère cheese. Stir with a wooden spoon until creamy and barely simmering. Combine 2 tsp. cornstarch with 3 Tblsp. Kirsch and lightly stir into the cheese mixture. Place the chafing dish on a low flame alcohol burner on the table. Keep the fondue warm, but not simmering and serve with cubes of crusty bread for dipping in the cheese fondue. If desired, serve slices of hard dried salami and small boiled potatoes on the side.

          The French Bourguignonne meat fondue had it origins in the Burgundy region vineyards, where the workers kept a pot of oil simmering on a fire in the field and would cook slices or small chunks of meat in it during their breaks.

                             Beef Fondue

          Assemble a platter of: 1 lb. sirloin, sliced thin (~2.5 x 1.5 inch size works well or 1 ½ inch cubes), pieces of  pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, string beans or other firm vegetables that can cook quickly. Prepare dipping sauces by mixing: 1) ½ cup sour cream, ½ tsp. salt, dash of pepper, 1 tblsp. horseradish; 2) ½ cup mayonnaise, 1tsp. lemon juice 2 tsp. curry powder, ¼ tsp. cumin, ¼ tsp. salt;3) ½ cup ketchup, 1 tblsp. Worcestershire sauce, ½ tsp. garlic salt; 4) ½ cup sour cream, 2 tblsp. Dijon mustard, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, ¼ tsp. salt.  Set several folded paper towels at each place setting at the table to drain excess oil from the cooked food. Heat 1 cup peanut oil in a fondue dish to hot, but not smoky and set over a medium hot alcohol flame at the table. Each person dips a piece of meat or vegetable in the hot oil to cook as preferred. When done, the fork is removed from the oil, the food dabbed on paper towels and eaten with a dipping sauce of choice. Serve with slices of crusty bread.

          Japanese version of the communal hotpot dish is called Shabu-Shabu and the cooking liquid is broth or water. Either meat or fish/shrimp can be used for this preparation with a variety of vegetables that may include pieces of bok choi or Asian cabbage. When all the meat and vegetables are eaten, the liquid is divided up in bowls and sipped as soup.

          We must have the biggest sweet tooth of all, since the chocolate fondue is definitely an American invention. Happy ‘dipping’ in the communal pot in 2018!

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

FRAGRANT YEAST BREAD RISING

Fragrant Yeast Bread Rising.

          The falling first snow of the season is likely to send many cooks to their kitchens to catch up with their holiday baking. The sweet smells of cookies have likely wafted through the house already for at least a week. These are the treats for grandchildren, neighbors, the local cookie exchange, impromptu part deserts and gifts to friends and family. I’m often tempted to experiment with exciting new shapes and flavors, only to curb my enthusiasm by recalling that no matter what – our modern grandchildren still vote “old fashioned” for my mother’s butter cookies and my chocolate chip cookies.

          The other holiday baking tends to be more time consuming, since it involves yeast dough and one normally has to reserve at least 4 hours for each project.  There are many ethnic recipes that have evolved in different cultures but now are adapted and enjoyed regardless of origin. Challah, the braided Jewish egg bread for Hanukkah has a barely detectable sweetness, but many of the European Christmas breads can be made with sweet roll dough and have a lightly sweet flavor. Candied fruits and nuts are found in many such recipes as the German Stollen. Pannetone, the flamboyant Italian version of fruitcake, comes originally from Milan, but now graces many gourmet shop shelves in this country. Greeks, trying to insure luck for the next year, even wrap coins and hide it in their Vasilopitta bread for Christmas.

          My sister in law Joyce, has for many years enthusiastically baked a large assortment of ethnic breads as holiday gifts for her friends. For those of us of less patience or time, here are a couple of holiday yeast breads, both of which can be made with sweet roll dough.

                             Sweet Roll Dough

          Stir 1 tsp. sugar in ¼ cup lukewarm water and stir in 2 packets dry yeast, allow 10 min. to soften and become foamy. Scald ¾ cups milk, stir in ½ cup sugar and 1 tsp. salt to dissolve. When liquid is lukewarm, place in a 4 qt. bowl, stir in yeast and 2 beaten eggs. Beat in 2 ½ cups flour and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Stir in ½ cup melted butter, 2 tblsp. sour cream, 1 tsp. fresh grated lemon rind and ½ -1 tsp. ground cardamom to taste. (Note: add raisins, citron, candied cherries and pecans at this point for Jule Kake) Then stir in 2 cups additional flour until well mixed. Cover and let stand for 10 min, for the flour to swell. Turn out on a board sprinkled with ½ cup flour and kneed dough with flour for about 5 min. Place dough in a greased bowl, turn once, cover with a damp towel and place in a warm spot to rise 1- 1 ½ hr. Punch down and allow to rise for another 30 minutes. Turn out on a floured board or pastry cloth, cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes, before you proceed with either of the two recipes below. If baking just rolls, shape in rolls of desired size and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

                             Jule Kake (Norwegian Christmas bread)

          Prepare sweet roll dough as above with added: ½ cup raisins, 2 tblsp. Fine cut citron and candied cherries each and ½ cup chopped pecans. After the second rising, turn out on floured board, cut dough in half and round each half. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes covered, then flatten each half of dough to fit into a greased 9 inch cake pan. Cover, let rise until doubled (~1 hr.), then bake at 350 degrees for 40 min. Remove from oven at once and brush with glaze: ¼ cup white corn syrup and 2 tblsp. Water boiled for 2 min. Remove from pan to cake rack to cool.

                             Poppy Seed Bread

          My mother used to make her own filling from poppy seeds, honey and butter. These days poppy seed filling can be found in 11 oz. cans. To prepare the 2 loaves, turn out the sweet roll dough from above on a floured surface after the second rising and divide in two portions, cover and allow to rest for 10 min. Lightly rollout each half of the dough in an 8 inch rectangle. Lightly brush each rectangle with melted butter and spread half of the filling in the can on each piece. The filling may be heated slightly for ease of spreading. Roll up each filled rectangle as for a jelly roll and seal the ends. Set on a greased pan, cover and allow to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. Brush with beaten egg and bake at 350 degrees 35-40 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove on a cake rack to cool. Wrapped tightly the loaves will keep fresh and moist for several days.

          The joys of holiday baking seem twice as pleasant when wrapped in the aroma of holiday yeast breads.

           

 (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

THE ART OF APPETIZERS

The Art of Appetizers

          Thanksgiving being the official kick-off start of the Holiday season brings many of us to the perennial dilemma of interesting appetizers for all those holiday gatherings. No matter whether the gathering is a family dinner, a casual gathering of friends or an elegant cocktail party, the expectations of those gathering lean toward some sort of nibbles with their beverage of choice.

          Crackers, cheese, a vegetable tray and some nuts have become almost ‘de rigeur’ for most gatherings. However, any host or hostess will welcome with open arms anyone offering to bring a different and interesting appetizer. And sometimes, in the role of hosting a gathering it is worth the extra effort to come up with something different. The visual or artistic appeal of the appetizers tray can even set the tone of the gathering.

          And yet, it is our busy season. Unfortunately my favorite French cheese puffs,  Gougères are quite time consuming requiring gently cooked dough whipped with eggs and Gruyère and subsequent 30 minute baking. Fortunately, frozen puff pastry is generally available and can be a real time saver for elegant appetizers.

                   Prosciutto and Assiago rolls

          Thaw 1 sheet ( ½ package) of frozen puff pastry, lay flat on a board and cut in half forming two 9.5 x 4.75 inch rectangles.  Lay 2oz. prosciutto on each half or the pastry leaving ½ inch border free on the long side. Sprinkle with ¼ cup freshly grated aged Assiago cheese. Brush  the free edge with  egg and starting at the opposite side roll each pastry lengthwise in a tight roll gently sealing the edges. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. To bake, slice each log in ½ inch rounds and place on parchment lined pans an inch apart. Bake in a 400 degree oven 15-17 minutes until lightly browned. Serve warm.

                             Parmesan and oregano cheese straws

          The other half package of the thawed puff pastry can be used immediately to prepare cheese straws. Again, cut pastry in half, brush one half with beaten egg, spread ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, sprinkle with some oregano and finely chopped parsley. Lay the other half of the pastry sheet on top and seal the two together with a rolling pin. Cut the pastry with a sharp knife in ½ inch strips crosswise. Twist each strip several times and lay on a parchment lined pan, pushing down the ends to keep the strips from untwisting. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. When cool, remove gently from pan and keep airtight until serving. Good as appetizers, but also great as an aside with soups.

 

          Warm appetizers are always elegant, but inconvenient if need to be baked the last minute or taken as a contribution to a festive gathering. The local deli, supermarket or specialty shop provide ready made ingredients for a visually pleasing and tasty appetizer tray with help of toothpicks, 3 inch wooden skewers and imagination. Recently I assembled one such tray with: 1 inch cubes of melon wrapped with prosciutto; thin slices of salami wrapped around a pickled string bean; skewers with small fresh mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes; pickled mushrooms paired with cheese or tiny tomatoes; all with decorative application of black and green olives as well as extra pickled green beans. The variety was colorful and visually pleasing as well as delicious.

          Amazingly, last minute ‘bruschetta’ can be achieved from any variety of items in a well stocked refrigerator. Sliced bread squares , brushed with oil and lightly toasted, need only a bit of chopped tomato mixed with a dash or oregano and a minced clove of garlic and crumbled feta or other cheese to become bruschetta when heated briefly under a broiler.  

          Imagination is a wonderful and colorful inspiration for many visually and delicious appetizers.

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)