Archive for November, 2009

Blues in the Night

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

bitn

 
Johnny Mercer was born 100 years ago tomorrow, on November 18, 1909. A statue of the lyricist will be unveiled in his hometown, Savannah Georgia, on his birthday.
 
Tributes have been going on all year and will continue, including my own show “Blues in the Night,” scheduled for Friday evening, November 20. (I may just have mentioned it before!)
 
Alice Parker and I named our program “Blues in the Night” after one of Mercer’s best known musical creations.
 
“Blues” made its debut in a 1941 Warner Bros. film that was named after the song as soon as the producers heard it and realized what a musical hit they had on their hands.
 
The film itself, which recently aired on Turner Classic Movies, is peculiar to say the least.
 
It recounts the adventures of a small group of jazz musicians, including the dour Richard Whorf, the future film director Elia Kazan, and the always over-the-top Jack Carson.
 
These tunesters roam around the country trying to make a living being true to themselves as artists by playing music that is authentically American and bluesy.
 
They are inspired while sitting in a jail cell after a fight with a bar patron who wanted them to play less exalted music.  As they ponder their future an African-American in a nearby cell (it’s a segregated jail) starts intoning,
 
My mama done tol’ me, when I was in knee highs,
My mama done tol’ me, “Son,
“A woman’ll sweet talk and give you the big eye,
“But when the sweet talkin’s done, a woman’s a two-face,
“A worrisome thing who’ll leave you to sing
“The Blues in the Night……”
 
The musicians immediately vow to run out and create the sort of authentic American folk jazz they have just heard.
 
Of course, one might think they would start by hiring the talented singer to whom they have just listened.  Instead, they team up with Priscilla Lane. She’s pretty, but she’s a musical lightweight. 
 
The film continues to defy expectations by throwing in assorted genres (it’s a musical, it’s a romance, it’s a gangster movie) and leaving plot lines dangling.
 
What looks like an incipient love interested between Lane and Whorf disappears. The rather pale musician who coughs a lot early in the film, who would end up dying of consumption in a normal Hollywood movie, loses his cough with no explanation.
 
The Bad Girl (Betty Field) who vamps half the male cast has about as much sex appeal as a flounder so the plot twists about her strong hold on men’s hearts and minds are rendered completely unbelievable. And so forth.
 
What shines in the movie–and haunts the soundtrack–is “Blues in the Night.” Happily, no one expected Priscilla Lane to sing this rather challenging song. It is repeated mostly instrumentally through the film, and it makes the story more moving than it would otherwise be.
 
Watching the film it was hard for me to believe that before it came out “Blues in the Night” didn’t exist. When they wrote it, Mercer and composer Harold Arlen created that rare thing, a song that sounds as though it has been around forever–as though it has sprung organically from ordinary people’s real lives.
 
More than the box cars and jail sets in which the actors pose, “Blues” evokes the material conditions of working Americans just coming out of the Great Depression.
 
And more than any emotions expressed by this not very exciting cast (the best actors are in minor roles) the song expresses love and loss, humor and pathos–the very soul of the blues.
 
It’s not really in my ideal repertoire. Like Priscilla Lane I’m a lightweight singer. But I can’t resist its siren call.
 
Please sing it tomorrow in honor of Johnny Mercer’s birthday. If you feel a little lightweight, here’s a recipe to give you some substance.
 
It was invented by Debra Kozikowski of Chicopee, Massachusetts. Deb is a political activist and blogger who has recently launched her own food blog, The Other Woman Cooks. She won a contest sponsored by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council with this blueberry barbecue sauce. 
 
Here’s the link to Deb’s original post. As you can see, she is an avid fan of picking your own berries in season, although she did tell me I could use frozen berries for this recipe!
 
Debby marinated pork or chicken in the sauce and then grilled the meat, basting with the sauce. My grilling season is over so I browned medallions of pork tenderloin and baked them in the barbecue sauce (and just a little water) at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, uncovering them for the last few minutes.
 
I think you could probably use the sauce interchangeably with regular barbecue sauce. Like “Blues in the Night” it combines sweetness and heat in surprising fashion.
 
sauceweb
 
Deb’s “Blues in the Night” Barbecue Sauce
 
Ingredients:

2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon chili powder (I made this heaping)
1 teaspoon black pepper (I ground about 15 times)
1/2 teaspoon salt (Deb didn’t include this, but I thought it enhanced the flavors)
1/2 cup water
 

Instructions:

Bring all the ingredients to a low boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened and chunky. Deb said this took 10 to 15 minutes; for me it took about 20 because when my frozen blueberries defrosted they were pretty wet.

Makes about 2 cups of sauce.

bluesporkweb

 

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Pudding Perfection

Sunday, November 15th, 2009
The Winner!

The Winner!

 
I know! I’ve been posting TOO MANY SWEET RECIPES lately.
 
But I haven’t yet written about this year’s Pudding Hollow Pudding Festival. So here’s a brief report for pudding fans along with the winning recipe, a (gulp!) sweet pudding.
 
Save it for Thanksgiving when the calories will be just a small part of the day.
 
Our Day of Pudding was exhausting—and exhilarating—and just plain fun.
 
Its spooky scheduling (Halloween!) this year was an accident—the result of musical director Alice Parker’s busy schedule. We were a little worried that having the festival on this busy day would reduce attendance, but we had no choice so we decided to do it anyway.
 
It turns out that Halloween is a GREAT day for puddings! Several contestants (and even members of the general public) came in costume. Everyone seemed to enjoy the new prizes for best costume, spookiest pudding, and best pumpkin pudding.
 
Our wonderful judges—Edie Clark of Yankee magazine, Kathleen Wall of Plimoth Plantation, and Michaelangelo Wescott of the Gypsy Apple Bistro—had to work extra hard this year.
 
In the past we have held a semi-final round a few weeks before the big day to cull our finalists down to a manageable 15. This year the Sons & Daughters of Hawley had a heavy schedule and couldn’t face adding the semi-finals to it.
 
The judges therefore had all 27 entries to work on. I have a feeling their digestive systems are only now recovering from the experience!
 
If we had cut off entries earlier, however, the panel wouldn’t have been able to taste the pudding that won this year.
 
Paula Zindler of Cummington, Massachusetts, told me she only decided to enter the contest the week before Halloween. Her pumpkin gingerbread pudding delighted both the eyes and the taste buds.
 
As always, our entertainment took a lighthearted look at the culinary history of my hometown of Hawley, Massachusetts. “The Witches of Pudding Hollow” stirred up a big pot of potion and a lot of fun for thespians and audience members alike.
 
To read Edie Clark’s description of the judging process, please visit her blog. And if you’d like to see more photos of our big day, please go to the Pudding Festival web site. Meanwhile, here is Paula’s winning pudding recipe.
 
 
The Witches of Pudding Hollow (I'm the short witch in the middle) sing about their brew.

The Witches of Pudding Hollow (I'm the short witch in the middle) sing about their brew.

 
Paula’s Pumpkin Gingerbread Pudding
 
for the Pumpkin Gingerbread:
 
Ingredients:
 
1-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons melted sweet butter
1/3 cup milk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
 
Instructions:
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a loaf pan well; then line the bottom with buttered waxed paper. Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside.
 
Combine the wet ingredients in a large bowl and beat until well blended. Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, stirring until smooth.
 
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely in the pan, covered with plastic wrap.
 
Cut the loaf into quarter-inch slices and line a 10-inch buttered ovenproof dish with the slices. (The dish must have 2-inch sides.) Set aside.
 
for the Vanilla Custard and Assembly:
 
Ingredients:
 
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
3 whole eggs plus 8 egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla
 
Instructions:
 
Combine the milk, cream, and sugar in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool by stirring for 5 minutes.
 
Combine the whole eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla in a large bowl and beat lightly until well blended. Quickly whisk 1/2 cup of the slightly cooled milk into the egg mixture and then slowly pour the egg mixture into the milk pot, whisking continuously over low heat.
 
When the milk mixture just begins to put off steam, remove it from the heat and pour it into the baking dish. Allow the custard to soak into the bread for 10 minutes.
 
Place the baking dish into a pan of hot water in a 350 oven for 50 minutes or until the custard is set. Enjoy at any temperature.
 
Serves 8 to 10. 
 
Crowning the Winner
Crowning the Winner

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Glazed Autumn Cider Cake

Friday, November 13th, 2009

Cider Pound Cakeweb

 
Cider Days are over, but I still have cider on the brain–and in the refrigerator. So I  baked a cider cake.
 
This recipe makes A LOT of cake; it’s great for a brunch or a coffee party. I was lucky enough to have the new Williams-Sonoma “Autumn Leaf” Bundt pan to cook with; it’s not only beautiful but large enough to hold all the batter.
 
(Full disclosure: Nordic Ware, which manufacturers the pan, gave it to me to play with. I wouldn’t be writing about it if I hadn’t loved working with it, however.)
 
If you’re serving fewer people or don’t have a huge Bundt pan, you might want to cut the recipe down by a third; use 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, and so forth. In that case, reduce the cooking time as well.
 
My family and friends had split opinions on the glaze. Several of us (including me) thought it added to the cake’s visual appeal just as glaze adds to the appeal of pottery; it made it shiny and gave it depth. The glaze’s crunch also gave the cake two textures instead of just one.
 
My mother decided that she would have preferred cream-cheese frosting to offset the cake’s spices. And one of my neighbors suggested that the cake would have been just as tasty with neither icing nor glaze. Experiment as you see fit!
 
Ingredients:
 
for the cake:
 
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3 cups flour
1 cup cider
 
for the glaze:
 
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 teaspoons cider
 
Instructions:
 
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a large Bundt pan or spray it with Baker’s Joy. Cream the butter; then gradually add the sugar, beating well. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Stir in the baking powder, salt, and spices.

Gently add the flour to the creamed mixture alternately with the apple cider, beginning and ending with the flour.
 
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
 
Cool the cake for 15 minutes on a rack before removing it from the pan. While it is cooling prepare the glaze. Combine the glaze ingredients in a saucepan and bring them to a boil. Simmer them, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes, until they are a little tacky.
 
Remove the cake from the pan when it is ready, positioning it on a rack under which you have placed waxed paper (the glaze is messy!). Gently spoon or brush the glaze over the cake, piercing a few holes in the cake if you like with a fork to help it absorb the glaze. You may want to wait a few minutes and then spoon up the glaze on the paper and put it back on the cake.
 
Let the cake cool completely before you serve it. Serves 12 to 16.
 
cider pound cake cuweb
 

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Don’t-You-Dare-Boil-Me Brussels Sprouts

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

sprouts on stemweb

 
I recently picked up a gorgeous stem of Brussels sprouts at M&M Green Valley Produce in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. These little cabbage relatives perk up the farm stand at this time of year, particularly when still on their stems: varying shades of warm green blend with just a hint of pink here and there.
 
I’m not sure you could call what I do with them (and what most of the world does by now, I should think) a recipe. I’m writing it down anyway. It’s easy, and it’s addictive.
 
When I was a little girl my family tended to boil Brussels sprouts. This is NOT a cooking method I recommend. The process fills the house with an unappetizing cabbage smell. By the time you get around to eating the darn things they don’t appeal to you at all. To cap it off, they end up pretty soggy.
 
In contrast, oven-roasted sprouts are crunchy and delicately flavored. The salt and pepper stick to them (because you’ve tossed them with oil) and pop out at you as you eat. Yum! This is as close as a vegetable gets to tasting like dessert.
 
The only trick is to monitor them in the oven and keep stirring them; they can burn easily. (You can see from the photo below that I was distracted by a phone call and let my most recent batch bake a little too long on one side. They were delicious anyway.)
 
Next time I think I’ll try roasting a little garlic in with the sprouts. (I’ll let you know how they come out!) Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy them this way as much as my family does……
 
 
Ingredients:
 
2 generous cups Brussels sprouts (compost the pretty stem)
about 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I just drizzle until it looks like enough)
salt and pepper to taste
a little freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)
 
Instructions:
 
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and drain your sprouts. Cut off any messy (especially yellow) leaves, and trim the bottoms. With a sharp knife make a little cross in the bottoms to help the sprouts cook evenly.
 
In a small pan (I use a pie plate) toss the sprouts with the oil, salt, and pepper, making sure they are nicely coated. Roast them, turning from time to time, until they are nicely brown and crispy. This will take between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on the size and age of your sprouts.
 
Squeeze a little lemon juice on top if you want to, and serve immediately. Serves 4.
 
roasted sprouts web
 

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Huckleberry Friendship Bars

Sunday, November 8th, 2009

huckbars web

 
After I published my Huckleberry Friend post about Johnny Mercer the other day one of my readers expressed her disappointment that I hadn’t included a huckleberry recipe.
 
Amazingly, I had been so busy expressing myself as a chanteuse that the cook part of me had failed to make that connection!
 
So I’m rectifying the omission here. Many thanks to Cathy for the idea. I hope the students and teachers at Huckleberry Hill School like these bars.
 
Since I didn’t have huckleberries on hand I made the bars with the huckleberry’s close cousin, the blueberry.
 
If your berries aren’t very juicy, you may want to add a little liquid (see the Gathered Blessings comment below) and/or reduce the amout of cornstarch.
 
Ingredients:
 
3 generous cups huckleberries or blueberries (you may use frozen ones, but defrost them before cooking!)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup water
1-1/2 cups uncooked oatmeal
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) sweet butter
 
Instructions:
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil, and grease the foil.
 
In a saucepan combine the berries, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Add the cornstarch paste and cook over low heat , stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Set it aside to cool.
 
In a medium bowl mix the dry ingredients and cut the butter into the mixture. Pat 3/4 of this crumb mixture into a the prepared baking dish. Add the fruit mixture. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs on top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
 
Cool the bars thoroughly before removing the foil and slicing. Makes from 16 to 32 bars, depending on your slicing skills.
 
Johnny Mercer looks for a good huckleberry recipe here (Savannah Morning News).

Johnny Mercer looks for a good huckleberry recipe (Savannah Morning News).

 

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