Author: Kathy Hunt

The Perfect Holiday Gift? Edible Treats!

Published by Kathy Hunt

Sometimes it feels as though I’ve spent a lifetime rooting around jam-packed stores, searching for, but never finding, the perfect holiday gift. That’s why I’ve started giving edible presents. Who can resist a basket filled with tea, coffee, candies, cakes and breads or bottles of local wine, liqueurs and infused oils? In my case, no one. Whether homemade or store-bought, gourmet edibles satisfy everyone on my shopping list. Giving food is not a novel idea. During the Viking Age the Norse god Odin traveled across the cold winter landscape with his reindeer to deliver fruit and corn. Centuries later Saint Nicholas took over Odin’s route and filled European children’s shoes with sweets. In Colonial times old Saint Nick brought American youth cakes and fruits while they in turn left out hay and carrots for his faithful white horse. As a little girl, I often heard tales of how my uncle and mother would bound down the stairs on Christmas morning to find their stockings bulging with oranges, whole walnuts and penny candy. The oranges were …

A Collection of Christmas Cookbooks

Published by Kathy Hunt

We probably all would agree that you don’t need a fancy, Christmas-themed cookbook to create a memorable holiday meal. Neither my mother nor grandmothers relied upon books to help them whip up their Christmas dinners, dinners that I remember to this day. Instead they served the foods that their mothers and grandmothers before them had made. Yet, sometimes it’s nice to have a little break from tradition and the decades of green bean casseroles, herb stuffings and mince pies. That’s when I turn to the following cookbooks to spice up my yuletide offerings. Packed with color photographs, menus and backgrounds on such holiday favorites as eggnog, fruitcake and gingerbread, “The Martha Stewart Living Christmas Cookbook” (Clarkson Potter, 2003) provides home cooks with all the tips and recipes needed for a spectacular seasonal feast. Don’t let the title deceive you, though. You can use “The Martha Stewart Living Christmas Cookbook” long after December 25th. I make Stewart’s porcini-stuffed mushrooms and roasted beets with feta and pecans, among other dishes, throughout the year. In some respects Elizabeth …

Give the Gift of Cookbooks

Published by Kathy Hunt

With the holidays right around the corner and Black Friday looming on the horizon I’m serving an assortment of new cookbooks in this week’s review. Whether shopping for the culinary novice or expert, you’ll find something for any and every cook here. However, if none match your gift recipient’s exact interests, check out my past suggestions under “Cookbooks.” NIGELLA KITCHEN by Nigella Lawson (Hyperion, 2010) I kicked off Tuesday’s cookbook treasures with Nigella Lawson’s first book. Now I’m celebrating her latest, “Nigella Kitchen.” Filled with the cleverness and wit that made “How to Eat” so enjoyable, “Nigella Kitchen” is likewise loaded with Lawson’s homey recipes. Take, for instance, the cheerfully named sunshine soup, date steak or jumbleberry jam. With roughly 190 dishes at their fingertips home cooks will consult this fun, approachable book for years to come. SUBSTITUTING INGREDIENTS by Becky Sue Epstein (Source Books, 2010) Ever get halfway through cooking a meal before you realize that you’ve run out of a crucial ingredient? Take heart. Thanks to Becky Sue Epstein’s “Substituting Ingredients,” you’ll know …

Talkin’ Sides for Turkey Day

Published by Kathy Hunt

Since virtually every food writer in America is talking about Thanksgiving this week, I’ve decided to jump on the bandwagon and share a bit about turkey day. As you’ll see, the history lesson is short. The recipes, however, are plentiful. As most may know, Thanksgiving didn’t become a national holiday until President Lincoln declared it so in 1863. Even so, early 19th century Americans still gave thanks for successful harvests and other welcomed events with sumptuous meals. These celebrations featured an array of meats such as pork, venison, duck, goose, chicken and turkey. They also included sweets such as dried fruit, plum puddings, fruit pies and tarts. Missing, though, were many of the delicious side dishes that I so enjoy. While these dinners lacked my garlic-chestnut Brussels sprouts and three cranberry conserve, they offered something that the present holiday doesn’t – a strong religious tone. This was particularly the case in New England where colonists spent their days of thanks in church rather than at the table. By the late 19th century the religious aspect …

Wild Food from Land and Sea

Published by Kathy Hunt

Long before Gordon Ramsay bellowed expletives at his kitchen staff or Anthony Bourdain snarked his way around the globe there was Marco Pierre White. Dubbed the original enfant terrible of the culinary world, White became the youngest and first British chef to earn three Michelin stars. He was also the first ever to give them all back. Now a renowned restaurateur as well as an occasional cooking show host, White is the author of this week’s cookbook pick, “Wild Food from Land and Sea” (Melville House Publishing, 2010). In his second cookbook White shares not only his iconic recipes but also the techniques that turn these dishes into extraordinary foods. With “Wild Food from Land and Sea” I’m able to take a simple sea scallop, whole chicken or brisket and, using White’s tips, transform it into a gustatory delight. My family and friends may think that I’ve had their gourmet dinner catered but in fact they owe their repast of poached oysters, guinea fowl with morels and lemon tart to me and Marco Pierre White. …

Salty Like the Sea

Published by Kathy Hunt

One of the essential minerals and oldest seasonings has gone gourmet. Forget about the white, fine-grain, mass-produced salt crystals of the past. Chunky sea salts in hues of beige, pink, red and black have taken over kitchens, tabletops and gourmet grocery aisles around the globe. Prized by chefs, connoisseurs and home cooks, they come from France and the Mediterranean coast, from salt pans in Tunisia and Majorca and from countless other sites, including Hawaii, Australia and Bali. In the Mediterranean sea salt is produced by an age-old technique. Here sea water is collected in shallow basins and allowed to evaporate in the sun. As it dries up, salt forms at the base of the pans. There it takes on the color of the clay or other natural materials found on the bottom. The salt at the top remains pure white. In France this delicate salt is known as fleur de sel. Light tasting and quick dissolving, it’s primarily used to finish dishes but it occasionally appears in baked goods. What do cooks do with all …

Joy of Cooking

Published by Kathy Hunt

You only need to glance at my battered copy of “Joy of Cooking” (Scribner, 1997) and you’ll know how much I value this timeless cookbook. Written in 1931 by Irma S. Rombauer, “Joy of Cooking” taught me how to make stocks, dressings and tomato sauces. It showed me how to shuck clams, carve pumpkins and bake a brioche. It even helped me to create an exceptional ratatouille and master homemade crepes. Someday, if I want to curry goat or broil a pigeon, I undoubtedly could do so after consulting this book. It’s that comprehensive. On nights when I’m stumped over what to make for dinner, I start thumbing through “Joy of Cooking.” Revised for the modern cook, it offers a variety of healthful and international recipes including salads, tagines, kebabs and curries. Although I no longer follow it word-for-word, I do use it as the starting point for countless dishes. My cranberry-white chocolate panettone, shepherd’s pie, and Meyer lemon meringue pie were all inspired, in part, by Rombauer, Rombauer Becker, and Becker. Whether you’re a …

“A” Is for . . .

Published by Kathy Hunt

With World Go Vegan Week right around the corner I’ve been thinking quite a bit about animal-free meals. Since my household abhors tofu and seitan, the obvious vegan players are out of the picture for now. Instead I’ll be reaching for such protein-rich foods as beans, lentils and avocados. Native to Central and South America, the creamy, pear-shaped avocado has been cultivated for over 7,000 years. In spite of its long history and popularity the avocado didn’t pop up in North American kitchens until the late 1800’s. Europeans had to wait even longer, until the early 20th century, to enjoy this rich, luscious fruit. All avocados descend from three original types – Mexican, Guatemalan or West Indian. While there are now over 500 varieties, I usually look for a Hass. California’s main avocado crop, Hass possesses an oval shape and pebbly, greenish-black skin that peels easily. It’s in season from early winter to summer. In general, though, avocados are available year-round. Rich in fiber, potassium, protein and “good fats,” the avocado is most often consumed …

My Sweet Mexico

Published by Kathy Hunt

If I base my view of Mexican sweets on what street carts and restaurants serve, I’d wrongly think that the best this country has to offer are sugar-topped churros, eggy flans and the ubiquitous fried ice cream. Thanks to pastry chef Fany Gerson’s “My Sweet Mexico” (Ten Speed Press, 2010), I know that our neighbors to the south enjoy an array of delectable confections. With recipes for and histories of pastries, breads, desserts and drinks Gerson guides me through the colorful world of Mexican sweets. Although “My Sweet Mexico” landed in bookstores – and on my bookshelf – a few weeks ago, I’ve already found several new, favorite recipes. Convent cookies are among them. Laced with ground, caramelized almonds, these cookies are lovely with afternoon coffee or tea. Likewise, I adore “polvorones.” Commonly known as Mexican wedding cookies, these delicate, powdered sugar-coated treats are perfect for any occasion. I’m similarly smitten with “aceite de vainilla” or vanilla cordial. An uncomplicated yet ambrosial beverage, vanilla cordial consists of dried vanilla beans, simple syrup and vodka or …

Pretty as a Persimmon

Published by Kathy Hunt

Sometimes we start off on the wrong foot with food. Such was the case with my husband and the pretty, leaf-topped persimmon. One bite of a firm, unripe persimmon and Sean swore never to touch this fall fruit again. Why such a negative reaction? Unless it’s ripe, this small, plump orb tastes as bitter as a harsh astringent. Persimmons peak in mid-October. By that point they’ve turned a beautiful brilliant orange and taken on a soft texture and honey-apricot flavor. Any picked and eaten before then run the risk of tasting tinny and, in Sean’s case, terrible. Early settlers learned this invaluable lesson about ripeness from Native Americans. They allowed the fruit to ripen fully and fall from the tree before consuming it. Even with this good example some colonists found out the hard way about young persimmons. In the 17th century Captain John Smith noted that ‘if it be not ripe it will draw a mans mouth awrie with much torment . …” Boy, does that sound familiar! A good persimmon requires only a …