Homemade pizza

Aaron and I have a tradition of making homemade pizza on the night before Thanksgiving.  It's usually just the two of us at home (a quiet evening before the crowd arrives the next day) and we make pizza from scratch, put on a fire, open a bottle of wine and watch movies.

This year Aaron cooked.  He made two pizzas, a simple margherita with tomato and basil, and one topped with chanterelles and dandelion greens.  The greens were a last minute addition, but were an inspired choice to add a bitter element to the earthiness of the mushrooms.

Buceo 95

Aaron and I spent a week in New York recently and tried some new wine and tapas bars. We like tapas because they give a chance to try several different foods rather than settling on one big plate of something.   Also, it’s a lot of fun to sip a glass of wine while nibbling on a few bites of this and that, with freedom to leave after a short while if we want to try something different, or linger for a second glass if we like.  Wine bars typically have an interesting, unusual selection of wine by the glass, and if the staff have time, they’re usually happy to chat about the wines, wineries, and growing regions. All in all, it’s a great way to spend an hour in the evening.

My favorite newly discovered wine bar is Buceo 95, on the upper west side at 95th and Amsterdam.  Buceo 95 advertises itself as Barcelona off Broadway; the food is strongly influenced by Spain.  Oyster mushrooms with a sherry-balsamic reduction are a standout dish, so delicious that we went back to the restaurant a second time just to get another plate of them.  Everything we tried was well prepared, with asparagus just the right level of doneness, and patatas bravas that could become an addiction.

The first time we went was early enough in the evening that we beat the crowd.  The waiter was helpful in selecting food and wine, and sent the sommelier over to visit as well.  He told us about his recent buying trip to Spain where he found two Raspay monastrells (2003) from the same grape but done in completely different styles.  He poured tastes for us, one of which was smooth and spicy, while the best way to describe the other is funky, sort of with a mushroom taste.   Aaron was wild about the funky one.

The second time we went it was close to midnight, after the theater, and happily the kitchen was still open.  While the restaurant was still lively even at a late hour, the waiter stopped to talk several times, and again was happy to share his knowledge of the wines and give us tastes of ones he likes. His recommendation was the AN/2 Anima Negra from Mallorca, a wine in the newer style, spicy, fruity and terrific.  The chef was  hanging out at the bar and told me about the spices used for the patatas bravas.  I haven't tried to recreate the sauce yet, but it's on the to-do list.

Aaron made a version of the mushrooms after we got home.  He gave a quick sear to oyster mushrooms with oil, butter and dry sherry.   After the mushrooms cooked he added another splash of sherry and a dash reduced balsamic vinegar.   Perfect.

The non-dairy pumpkin pie experiments

I’ve been on a quest to find a non-dairy pumpkin pie recipe for Thanksgiving.  We have several lactose intolerant guests this year, so I want to accommodate everyone’s food parameters while still giving the full Thanksgiving pumpkin pie experience.  There are two variations described here, with and without tofu.  I make silken tofu chocolate mousse that’s the bomb, so started the experiments with a tofu-based pumpkin.  I also tried an egg based version that had no tofu. Any of the variations will work, so your choice depends on which ingredients you want to include or avoid.  Without the dairy, the pumpkin flavor stands out just a bit more in these recipes than in a traditional mix. It’s a pleasant change, and you won’t miss the milk.  Note that the tofu and eggs are entirely tasteless, but each changes the texture of the pie.  Notes follow.

We're accommodating both lactose and gluten allergies this year, so I plan to make two variations on a pie.  One will be a traditional pie with a ginger snap crust for those who want a traditional pie, and the second a baked custard with cinnamon-sugar pecans on top, gluten-free but still in the Thanksgiving tradition.


Variation 1: Pumpkin pie with silken tofu and egg

This is the most like traditional pumpkin pie in texture. It makes a dense, creamy custard, with a traditional taste and feel.  This is my favorite variation.

1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 package silken tofu
2 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t allspice
1/4 t nutmeg
pinch salt

Beat the ingredients in a food processor.  A mixer won’t do it -- the food processor is necessary to get the tofu fully blended.  Bake at 375 until a knife comes out clean.


Variation 2: Pumpkin pie with silken tofu (no egg)

Same as above, except no eggs. The custard is more delicate and less well bound.  The mouth feel is fine and it doesn’t fall apart while eating it, and the flavor is indistinguishable from traditional pumpkin pie.   It just feels a bit more like baked pumpkin and a bit less like custard.  I would have no problem serving this as part a vegan dinner, or if someone had an egg allergy, but would opt for the pie with egg otherwise.


Variation 3: Pumpkin pie with egg (no tofu)

This variation was shared by Becky Boutch, based on her modification of a recipe from The Millennium Cookbook by Eric Tucker & John Westerdahl (Ten Speed Press, 1998). 
The texture and feel of this custard was quite nice, proving the egg makes the difference.   I didn’t care for the molasses so will eliminate it when making this again. It actually wasn’t bad. It just tasted more like an Indian pudding than a pumpkin pie.  Without the molasses this is a strong finisher in second place, and because we need to avoid tofu this year, this is the version we’ll use next week for Thanksgiving. 

1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree
2/3 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 eggs

Brussels sprouts, mushroom and apple salad

I had dinner a few weeks ago with at Rioja in Denver with my friend Mara. We had both been working all day and through the evening, so it was late before we set out, hungry and tired, in search of food.  It was one of those times when just finding a warm, quiet meal would have been fine, so landing in this gem of a restaurant was especially nice.  Rioja was packed and we didn’t have reservations, but the host found us two seats at the bar facing the kitchen where we could watch the cooking, and as it turned out, chat up the chef.

My dinner was great -- a quartet of vegetarian small plates with a brie ravioli, onion puree, broccoli rabe and acorn squash, and my favorite, tempura green beans and preserved lemons. I’d not have thought of preserved lemons as a tempura, but it gave a refreshing tartness in an otherwise mellow set of dishes.  Dinner was interesting, light and tasty. 

Mara’s dinner is the one that really caught my imagination.  She had a brussels sprout salad with an apple and pancetta vinaigrette, served over roasted acorn squash.   I didn’t ask for a taste because of the pancetta, but she raved about the salad, especially the apples, and asked the chef how they were prepared.  He said the diced apples are marinated in a ginger vinaigrette for four hours, then quickly sauted with the already-rendered pancetta.

I’ve worked up a vegetarian version of the salad since returning home, which probably isn’t quite the same but good nonetheless.  A fast saute on mushrooms gives a salty, earthy bite to the salad, replacing the pancetta.  I haven’t used squash at home, but some diced, roasted winter squash would make a great addition.

Brussels sprouts, apple and mushroom salad

Brussels sprouts, chopped into 1/4 inch strips.  Saute gently in a small amount of stock so that it cooks off in about five minutes just as the sprouts are getting tender.

Apples, 1/2 dice, marinated in champagne vinegar and ginger for four hours.  I use a few tablespoons of vinegar and a teaspoon of grated ginger, and toss the apples every so often.  Drain the apples and toss into the sprouts just before cooking is done to get them warm.

Crimini mushrooms, chopped into 1/2 inch chunks.  Sear the mushrooms in olive oil and salt in a hot pan.  You want to get a nice brown crispness without too much moisture loss.

Assemble the salad:

Use a bed of rocket, spinach or other sturdy greens.  Toss a bit of olive oil and pepper into the sprout-apple mixture, then pile it warm on the greens.  Top with parmesan cheese cut into curls with a vegetable grater.   Put the hot mushrooms on top.  Finish with a light drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar.