Building a Repertoire /Apple Tart

The last class with ‘my teenagers’ is fast approaching and as I look back, I see how much we have accomplished. I had hoped that they would come away with the beginning of a repertoire and I think they have. We decided what to make from week to week, and though that may have seemed like a scattershot approach, it worked. In the back of my mind I had a list of ten dishes that I would send my own kid out into the world with and we pretty much touched on all of them.

Here is my list and how it was accomplished:

1. A simple tomato sauce: the ten-minute version. Check.

2. How to cook pasta: we made gnocchi, an impressive start right out of the gate. Check.

3. Bread: we made scallion flatbreads and poppy seed naan with a dough that could also be shaped into a loaf. They also made dough in class and brought it home to shape and bake. And sticky buns!! Check

4. Soup: we made chicken stock and then asparagus-leek soup and Asian beef-noodle soup. Check.

5. Roast chicken: we made it with mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus and a lemony pan sauce. Check.

6 & 7. At least two main courses in addition to roast chicken: we made chicken curry (and our own curry paste and powder) for something exotic, and broiled flank steak for a quick and dirty dish. Check

8. Salad and salad dressing: we made a basic vinaigrette, to go with pan bagnat, a kind of salad in a sandwich that combined bread baking, salad components and dressing. Check.

9. A special vegetable or potato dish: we made pommes anna to go with steak, beautiful! Check.

10. At least one good dessert. We made an apple tart, strawberry tarts and frozen yogurt. Check.

I loved the relaxed feel of our classes and the girls’ enthusiasm. They had enough interest to carry them—they barely needed me—and are already quite accomplished.  Going out into the world is tougher than most high school seniors can imagine, and one would not want to burden them with too many caveats or tales of gloom and doom now. They are about to embark on a carefree and happy summer as they end one chapter and begin another. May they truly enjoy it and go forth into their new lives with confidence and ease. Of one thing I am sure: whatever they may encounter in the future will be fortified with the comfort of a good meal. And nothing, I mean nothing, says it better than a homemade apple tart. 

Apple Custard Tart

Makes 1 9-inch tart

The No-Roll (!) Dough:

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon cold water

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

4 ounces (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut in 1/2-inch slices

1. Beat the egg yolk with the water in a small bowl.

2. Combine the flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse briefly to mix the ingredients. Add the cold butter pieces and pulse several times until the mixture looks evenly crumbly. Open the lid and dribble the egg yolk and water over the dry ingredients. Pulse the machine several times until the dough looks like wet crumbs, but does not yet clump together.

3. Tip the dough into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable rim and spread the crumbs evenly over the bottom of the pan. Use your fingers to press it evenly into the sides of the pan first, and then the bottom. If the dough seems sticky, cover the tart with a piece of plastic wrap and use a dry measuring cup to tamp it into place.

The Filling:

4 large apples, about 1 3/4 pounds

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg yolk

1/3 cup milk or cream

3 tablespoons apricot jam

1 tablespoon water

1.Heat the oven to 375°F. Line the tart pan as directed in tart dough above.

2.Peel and halve the apples and core them with a melon baller. Set two apples (4 halves) aside for the top of the tart and cut the remaining 2 apples in small (1/4-inch) cubes. Mix the chopped apples with 1/3 cup sugar and the vanilla and spread them evenly over the bottom of the tart pan.

3.With the flat side down, cut the remaining apples in thin, half-moon slices. Lay the slices over the top of the tart in a circular pattern, overlapping them as you place them on the tart.

4.Bake the tart for 30 minutes. Remove it from the oven. Whisk the egg yolk, milk and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar together until thoroughly combined. Pour it over the apples and return the tart to the oven to bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the custard is set and the apples are golden brown. Let the tart cool for 20 minutes.

5.Mix the apricot jam and water in a microwave safe bowl and heat on full power for 1 minute in the microwave. Strain if necessary and brush the glaze over the cooled tart with a pastry brush.

Mango lassi: smoo-thee bumps in the road

“I love Mondays!” That’s what Emma said earlier this week when she and Lydia and Isabelle showed up at my kitchen door for another cooking session.

It’s the highest form of flattery and makes me smile inside.  But I have to agree. Mondays have become a bright spot in my week with these three enthusiastic beauties eating and talking and cooking in my kitchen.  I exist in a two-against-one household, with the guys in the majority. Words like “prom dress” are simply not part of the vernacular around here, so a weekly dose of girl-energy is refreshing.

            The Knight Cooks wanted to make curry this week. I learned my limited (and vegetarian) repertoire of Indian dishes from a lovely Indian lady named Santosh. But they wanted to make a chicken dish, and since I had been encouraging them to watch Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, we decided to test out the recipe for chicken korma in Jamie’s new book. They learned how to cook rice (we forgot to fluff it at the end, an essential part of cooking basmati rice which should not be gummy—even mistakes have their lessons,) and how to make our own garam masala. For sustenance before lunch, we made mango lassi. Oh, and we made naan, too. No slackers in my kitchen! The curry was wildly successful, and I was happy that it inspired at least one of my cooks to make it at home.

            Cooking from Jamie’s new book led me to contemplate why Jamie’s Food Revolution made such compelling television watching. It is about food and healthy eating, subjects that piqued my interest. But there was so much more! Drama! And the drama was wonderful! It was, of course, embellished by clever producers, directors and editors who knew how it was all going to end, but two major themes that played out on the screen struck me. Number one: One person can make a difference. Number two: Change is hard.

  

Now of course, if the one person happens to be famous already and has a huge support system backing him up, you could discount the first theory. But we all saw Jamie working himself into a sweat on many occasions. The frustration he experienced and the effort he made were palpable. Jamie reinforced my belief that one person can make a difference. One person’s actions can make a splash or their actions can reverberate quietly, the way a stone in a pond sends out rings of water. It doesn’t matter how big the splash; change can happen because of what you do. A powerful concept. Now try to remember that when the cranky critic in your head berates you for all the unglamorous stuff you do. Most of it (and I mean you, moms) really helps people. Don’t underestimate the significance of small acts.

The other theme, the change-is-hard theme, is a big story of its own. I think I can safely say that human beings hate change. Even when the change is going to ultimately improve our lives, we resist. The radio announcer on the show said you would not catch him sitting around eating lettuce all day, no sireee. That was never going to happen. Better the devil we know. God forbid we should feel uncomfortable. We live in an age where comfort and convenience trumps just about everything. Most of us have to be gobsmacked* out of our comfort zones and into change. Maybe God-smacked is a better word. Or divine intervention from the universe. Whatever. It’s the surprise element—we stop paying attention to something, or worse, consciously (or unconsciously) ignore it and lo and behold! Our life is talking to us in CAPITAL LETTERS and EXCLAMATION POINTS!!

My life has had its share of gobsmacking moments lately, but here’s my sage advice to myself: It’s all good. Really! If a devilish situation shows up on my doorstep, I am trying to learn to invite it in. Have a seat, I say, but don’t get too comfortable. I accept you, even if I don’t like you. But don’t even think about wearing out your welcome!

So if you’re living through your own gobsmacking moment right now, treat yourself to a mango lassi. It’s not going to change your life, but it will make you feel just a teensy bit better to do something nice for yourself. Let the gobsmacking begin.

*Gobsmacked: to be astounded, surprised, as in, smacking your hand over your mouth (gob) in astonishment

Mango Lassi

I think smoothies must have been invented in India. This mango lassi is like a pretty party dress: It seduces us with its girly pink color, a heady whiff of cardamon, and the mysterious flowery overtones of rosewater. And like the lovely, dewy-eyed girl at the prom, it’s both creamily delicious and refreshing.  Be judicious with the rosewater, it’s powerful stuff.  Rosewater is made from rose petals (duh!), which are, in fact, edible. You will find it in Middle Eastern or Indian markets and some health food stores. Frozen mango is quick and easy to use and it makes a lovely thick drink. Traditionally this lassi would be made from fresh mango and served over ice.

Makes 2 servings

2 cups plain yogurt

1 tablespoon sugar, honey or agave syrup

1 cup mango chunks, fresh or frozen

About 1/2 cup water, buttermilk or milk

1/4 teaspoon rosewater

1/4 teaspoon crushed cardamon seeds

Combine all ingredients except cardamon in a blender and puree until smooth. Serve over ice and sprinkle with cardamon.