Month: November 2009

Pumpkin, the Jack of All Gourds

Pity the pumpkin. Each fall it risks getting carved up, stuffed with a candle and dumped unceremoniously on someone’s porch only to be forsaken after Halloween. When this thick-skinned winter squash does make it to the dinner table, it’s relegated to the end of the meal, to a time when most diners are too satiated to indulge in or even appreciate its rich, earthy taste. I, too, once had little regard for the poor pumpkin. It was neither a seasonal decoration nor a fragile cannonball but the main ingredient in my mother’s Thanksgiving pies or aunt’s sweet pumpkin squares and breads. Spiced with ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg, it concluded the holiday dinner then quickly disappeared from our menus, replaced by cranberry cobblers, mince pies and fruitcakes. Now, though, the low-fat and low-calorie pumpkin sticks around long past Thanksgiving, playing a starring role in both my dinners and desserts. Much of the world uses pumpkin in savory as well as sweet dishes.  The French use it in soups and in bread, pain de courge, which is …

Wild, Wild Rice

To friends who dislike or have grown tired of white rice, I always suggest that they give wild rice a try.  With its firm texture, nutty flavor and earthy appearance this grain adds a little excitement to the staid rice family.  High in dietary fiber and protein, it likewise offers a nutritional boost absent from milled, nutrient-depleted white rice.  If disillusioned rice eaters take into account wild rice’s complex taste and texture and dietary benefits, they may give this hearty food a chance. When these winning aspects don’t sway them, I point out that wild rice falls into the category of affordable gourmet goods.  With wild rice they can splash out on an exotic dish without emptying their wallets.  The same cannot be said for other epicurean delights such as white truffles, a bottle of good, aged balsamic vinegar or wheel of aged Manchego cheese. Should my finicky friends remain unconvinced, I simply present them with one of a multitude of savory recipes.  One bite of wild rice sauteed with cremini mushrooms, simmered with onions, …