Author: Kathy Hunt

Taking Sides on Turkey Day Take 2

Published by Kathy Hunt

The countdown to turkey day has begun! Rather than take up valuable shopping and cooking time talking about the history of Thanksgiving side dishes, this year I’ll share a few recipes for easy and fabulous offerings. Whether you’re hosting a huge feast for family and friends, traveling to a potluck or holding an intimate dinner for two, the following sides will surely satisfy. For additional Thanksgiving recipes, check out Kitchen Kat’s 2011 entry on Taking Sides for Turkey Day. “TOP” (TURNIP-ONION-POTATO) CASSEROLE Serves 4 to 6 2 turnips, trimmed and cut into chunks 1 large red onion, cut in half and then quartered 1 large yellow onion, cut in half and then quartered 1 yam, peeled and cut into chunks 1 Idaho potato, peeled and cut into chunks 3 red bliss potatoes, washed and quartered 1 large orange bell pepper, cut into chunks 8 cloves garlic, peeled and halved 1/3 cup olive oil freshly ground black pepper, to taste 4 ounces Haloumi cheese, thinly sliced Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat the interior …

‘Tis the Season for Cranberries

Published by Kathy Hunt

Cranberries never seem to get their due. At Thanksgiving we mash them into chunky, oft neglected sauces. Face it—no matter how tasty it may be, no one asks for seconds on cranberry sauce. Once that holiday passes, we shove string through their waxy, red skins and fling them across fir trees. The rest of the year we squeeze out their tart, crimson juice for fruit cocktails or dry them until withered and toss them into scones and salads. All and all, not very dignified ways to use such a spectacular fruit. Native to North America, cranberries were a favorite of Native Americans and European settlers. They made them into compotes, jams, sauces, soups, tarts, cakes, breads and wine. Sometimes they dried them. Other times they ate them straight from the vine. Unquestionably, the settlers knew a good fruit when they saw one. High in antioxidants and fiber, cranberries go well with a myriad of foods and flavors. As you might expect, they pair beautifully with apples, cinnamon, cloves, chicken, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and turkey. They …

This Holiday Season Have a Scotch … Egg

Published by Kathy Hunt

While I know that the holidays are steeped in tradition, I do like to spice things up a bit by adding a new dish or two to the Thanksgiving menu. This year I’m leaning toward scotch eggs. Although it’s now a fixture at British pubs, the scotch egg had tonier beginnings. The posh London department store Fortnum & Mason claims to have created the very first in 1738. Inspired by Indian kofta, a scotch egg consists of a hard-boiled egg encased in ground sausage and seasoned breadcrumbs. Deep-fried until golden brown, it is then cooled and served at room temperature. Nice on its own, it also goes well with dash of hot sauce or splash of gravy. Sans sauce, a flavorful scotch egg makes for great finger food. Hence why, along with being a pub favorite, this portable treat also shows up at picnics and at English high tea. Its taste, portability and eye-catching appearance likewise make it a welcome addition to the holiday appetizer, dinner or brunch table. For vegetarian guests I offer a …

Return to the Pumpkin Patch

Published by Kathy Hunt

I can’t let autumn pass by without mentioning that amazing, globular fall fruit known as the pumpkin. Ranging in size from two to a whopping 800 pounds, this hefty fellow was once relegated to seasonal pies and decor. Today, though, I keep this low-fat, low-calorie, firm-fleshed gourd in my kitchen long past Thanksgiving. Although I lack the green thumb and good soil to grow pumpkins, thanks to friends who have both, I’ve learned a thing or two about harvesting a great pumpkin. A trailing plant, this winter squash needs space to grow. It likewise requires temperate weather and regular watering. Mature at 16 weeks, a pumpkin can be picked and stored whole in a cool, dry, dark place for several months. When cut, it must be refrigerated and used within a few days. How to use a freshly cut pumpkin? I love turning it into a silky puree. After removing the seeds, I put the pumpkin halves, cut side down, on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle a half cup of water over them. I …

Misunderstood Macadamias

Published by Kathy Hunt

Compile a list of misunderstood foods and macadamia nuts would undoubtedly rank near the top. For years I’ve heard them called everything from macadamien and macadam to plain old mag nuts. Then there’s the issue of origin. Although macadamia trees hail from Northeast Australia, many folks insist that they’re native, if not exclusive, to Hawaii. Get past those misconceptions and you face the question of consumption. How do you cook with macadamia nuts? More than a handful will argue that you don’t cook these plump, buttery jewels; you eat them straight from the vacuum-packed can. Uncultivated in Australia until the late 1800’s, these nuts initially were called Queenslands nuts. Botanists later changed their name to macadamia to honor the chemist, John McAdam, who had promoted their cultivation. In the 1890’s macadamia nuts traveled to Hawaii. Because they prefer moist yet well-drained, fertile soils and moderate temperatures, the trees and nuts thrived there. In fact, today the state produces close to 90% of the world’s macadamia nuts. What do you do with macadamia nuts? Most people …

Squash!

Published by Kathy Hunt

Stop to admire a friend’s flourishing fall garden and you may walk away with an armload of autumn vegetables. This happened to me two weekends ago when I visited college friends in Lancaster County, Pa. Although I had gone to Amish country empty-handed, I returned home with bags of homegrown pumpkins and butternut squash. Unquestionably, I was grateful for the unexpected gifts but I was also at a loss for what to do with all this food. Considered by many cooks to be the best winter squash, the bowling pin-shaped butternut possesses a tough, smooth, tan skin. Cut into the skin with a heavy, serrated knife and you’ll find creamy, orange, fragrant flesh. Some compare its sweet, rich flavor to sweet potatoes while others liken it to roasted chestnuts. To me it tastes like butternut squash. A versatile vegetable, this squash goes nicely with savory foods such as bacon, anchovies, cheese, garlic and onions. It also compliments such sweets as brown sugar, coconut, maple syrup, vanilla and yams. In spite of its versatility I tend …

When in Singapore, Sling It!

Published by Kathy Hunt

To me, no trip to Singapore could ever be complete without trying a deliciously fruity, ever-so potent Singapore Sling. Face it. If you’ve been shoe horned into your economy class seat for 25-plus hours — or a paltry 19, if you can swing a non-stop flight — then you’ve earned a vibrant and strong chilled cocktail. You’ve earned a Singapore Sling. Drop by Raffles Hotel and you’ll get not only the colorful drink but also its history. As the lore goes, it was here, in the hotel’s Long Bar, that bartender Ngiam Tong Boon whipped up the first Singapore Sling. Although the exact date remains unknown, it’s believed that he created his ‘cocktail for ladies’ sometime between 1907 and 1910. The sling itself had been around since the turn of the 19th century. A fairly generic term, sling referred to a beverage containing brandy, gin, vodka or whisky, confectioner’s sugar and fruit juice. What Boon had invented contained far more than just three ingredients. While the original recipe was lost in the 1930’s, notes from …

Sizzlin’ Satay

Published by Kathy Hunt

Over Labor Day weekend I invited few friends over for Singapore Slings and chicken satay. You know how it goes. I visit a foreign country, buy and lug home 20 pounds of cookbooks and then have to justify my aching back and sagging bookshelves with exotic drinks and noshings. Depending on where you’re from, you may refer to what I grilled as a kebab, souvlaki, yakatori, espetada, shashlik or brochette. Then again, you might skip the fancy name and just say, “meat-on-a-stick.” However, if you’re eating Southeast Asian cuisine, you can only be talking about one thing — satay. Some historians attribute satay to the Indonesian island of Java. There Muslim traders from India reputedly introduced the islanders to kebabs. Indonesian cooks transformed these grilled hunks of skewered meat into the marinated and grilled strips of chicken, fish or meat known as satay. While Indonesia may lay claim to its creation, many Southeast Asian countries feature satay in their cuisines. It’s especially popular in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Served with a dipping sauce made from …

Pizza! Pizza!

Published by Kathy Hunt

For years I had a problem with pizza. What I liked and what I ended up eating were two vastly different things. I wanted crunchy yet chewy thin crusts with fresh, flavorful toppings. What I got were gummy, limp slices with bland and greasy cheese that oozed onto my hands, shirt, jeans . . .. Turned off by floppy, oily take-away, I periodically tried to make my own pies. While the recipes in The Joy of Cooking, Fanny Farmer and Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking made perfectly respectable pizzas, none resulted in the crisp, wafer-thin crust that I craved. Around the time that I had resigned myself to mediocrity my husband and I had dinner at the home of our friends Rob and Brande. On that fateful night we ate Rob’s ethereal, homemade pizzas. With their firm yet light crusts, hearty sauces and fresh, wholesome toppings these pizzas ranked among the best that I’d ever consumed. With one amazing meal I rediscovered my love of this food. After months of badgering Rob for …

The Versatile Mr. Catfish!

Published by Kathy Hunt

After graduating from college and moving to suburban Philadelphia, what I wanted, more than anything, was to adopt a dog. What I got was a cat, Andy Peabody, who came with a homemade, nondescript toy called Mr. Catfish. The gentle, gray tabby became my doorway into pet ownership. His beloved, yellow-and-gray pipe cleaner toy became, in its own weird way, my introduction to catfish. Over the weekend I was reminded of Andy and his quirky sidekick when I went fishing in Marietta, Ohio. There the catch of the day was the benign, whiskered channel catfish. Of the 28 varieties of North American catfish, channel remain the most commercially important. Fast-growing and highly sustainable, they thrive in rivers, lakes, reservoirs and ponds. Although they can reach 50 pounds in the wild, the Ohio channel cats that we caught – and released – were closer to one and a half pounds. Had we kept these fish, we could have expected a meal with an earthy tang to it. Because wild catfish happily potter about in murky waters, …