Bookends & End Tables - The Best of 2024

The table is set for a New Year! What a wild ride this one was, what with upheavals in the weather and the White House—and a Caligula-sized rapper pulling up the rear, finding an unlikely bedfellow in the poster child (more of a centerfold, I guess) for rage against the healthcare system.

But, as I’ve said before: a fella’s gotta eat. So let’s dig in!

Why don’t we start with dessert? It was such a treat to discover Raf’s (@rafsnewyork rafsnewyork.com), the Italian and French bakery on the Lower East Side! Tear-inducing jasmine honeycomb semifreddo with an apricot jam drizzle in a shallow pool of crème anglaise was a near-religious experience.

The medium-rare Muscovy duck breast at Scarpetta in New York (@scarpetta scarpettarestaurants.com) quite literally melted in my mouth, well-assisted by maitake mushrooms, pickled cranberry, and an outrageous foie gras ganache. 

And I loved our dinner at Reveler’s Hour (revelershour.com) one weekend in D.C., particularly the surprising, sumptuous dish of tagliatelle with blueberries and pancetta in a luscious cream sauce.

While visiting family in New Hampshire, we stopped into The Weathervane (weathervaneseafoods.com) for perfectly golden fried clams and thickly cut onion rings—always worth the trip.

Monell’s (monellstn.com/nashville) in Nashville served up a dinner family-style, with all-you-can-eat skillet fried chicken, turnip greens, cornbread, biscuits and white gravy, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, banana pudding, and sweet tea lemonade for $17.50!

I returned to Hoexter’s (@Hoexters hoexters.com) located on the Upper East Side to take another bite out of their gorgonzola bread dripping with garlic gorgonzola cream bechamel. There are more delicious delights on the menu, such as the beefy burger, but making a meal of this bread at the bar is certainly an option...

Speaking of bread, we also loved the smoked focaccia with gorgeous whipped bone marrow at Legacy Records (@legacyrecordsrestaurant legacyrecordsrestaurant.com). A true indulgence when we stopped by one lazy Manhattan afternoon.

BONUS: Click on these links for the best appetizer, main dish, and cocktail that I made at home.

And of course, I read, finding sustenance in the following books that topped my list for the year: 

The Bell by Iris Murdoch. In the hands of the great Murdoch, this story about the lives affected by the installation of a new bell at Imber Abbey enthralled me—especially when the former bell (purported to be of some magical, religious significance) is dredged up from a pond on the grounds.

The Drowned by John Banville. One of my favorite authors, his prickly pathologist Dr. Quirke and detective St. John Strafford are back on the hunt for another murderer, after their stunning debuts in Snow.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. Search around for a plot if you must, but otherwise revel in the limbs and leaves—the keen, moving insights on human nature; its strength and frailty, as seen through the eyes of Francie Nolan, a young girl living with her family in Brooklyn at the dawn of the 20th century.

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. Longing, regret, lost loves, memory: certainly all of these things are among my favorite obsessions, but only a few of the themes Waugh’s beautiful novel touches upon.

Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler. The second gritty novel featuring the Los Angeles-based private eye, Philip Marlowe. Chandler’s hardboiled turn of phrase can’t be beat and the dames are deadly.

My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand. I wholly recommend the audiobook, replete with musical clips. While folding laundry, I was riveted to hear Streisand talk about her rise to fame and what she ate and wore along the way.

What were your favorite food adventures this year? Books? Please let me know in the comments!

Merry Crickets!

“It may have entertained the Cricket too, for anything I know; but, certainly, it now began to chirp again, vehemently. 

“‘Heyday!’ said John, in his slow way. ‘It’s merrier than ever, tonight, I think.’ 

“‘And it’s sure to bring us good fortune, John! It always has done so. To have a Cricket on the Hearth, is the luckiest thing in all the world!’”

—A Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens

Seasons Greetings! And a cricket on all our hearths!

Thank you so much for reading Evenings with Peter.

BOOK/A TABLE - The Pickwick Papers

It’s Dickens weather! 

Certainly Charles Dickens is my favorite writer to get cozy with when it’s cold out. There’s always A Christmas Carol and the wintry Bleak House, but on a recent chilly evening (I wish I could say it was by a fireplace), I picked up The Pickwick Papers, which follows the course of Mr. Pickwick (the English Don Quixote), as he travels hither and yon with his cockney Sancho Panza and suffers one hilarious outrage after another.

Responding to an invitation to the country early in the book, their barouche (or carriage) is well-stocked:

“Fastened up behind the barouche was a hamper of spacious dimensions—one of those hampers which always awakens in a contemplative mind, associations connected with cold fowls, tongue, and bottles of wine.”

I don’t know how you’d go about leasing a barouche these days, but reading this made me think of holiday travel, table spreads, and those beautiful but awfully pricey Piccadilly wicker picnic hampers from Fortnum & Mason. A hamper might be very generous as a gift, but speaking as well of wine...and something a bit more affordable, what about this faux-wicker wine cooler I found from Kikkerland for roughly ten bucks? What a chic way to transport your gift of wine—and I guarantee this is the one time your gleeful recipient won’t mind being left holding the bag.

If you can’t get this cooler delivered by Christmas, consider bringing it to your New Year’s Eve party as a gift for your host. I’m sure it’s a suggestion that would make Mr. Pickwick pleased as...well, punch. Like the wine punch listed below!

Sparkling Christmas Party Punch

Adapted from halfbakedharvest.com
8 servings  

Ingredients:
1 (750ml) bottle dry white wine
1 ½ cups pomegranate juice
1 cup vodka
1 cup St. Germain (elderflower liqueur)
2 (12 ounces) ginger beer, plus more for topping, if desired. Perhaps ginger ale?
2 grapefruits or blood oranges, sliced
Seeds from 1 pomegranate, plus more for serving
2 cinnamon sticks
Cinnamon sugar for the rims of your glasses (optional)

Method:
1. In a large pitcher, combine the wine, pomegranate juice, vodka, St. Germain, grapefruit or oranges, pomegranate seeds, and cinnamon sticks. Stir. Transfer to the fridge and chill for up to 1 day.
2. Rim your glasses with cinnamon sugar, if desired.
3. Just before serving, add the ginger beer. Fill each glass with ice and pour the punch over top. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

BOOK/A TABLE - Read, Drink, and Be Merry!

Let’s raise a glass to...these Library Whiskey glasses from Well Told Design! 

What a delightful gift for the drinkers in your life who perhaps also like to read! A Christmas Carol is a safe bet this time of year, but Well Told Design offers a range of titles tailored to the lucky recipients’ taste, including Moby-Dick, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Jane Eyre, more Dickens, Poe, and even a couple of Shakespeare’s plays.

I featured the Sherlock Holmes rocks glass here in a recent post, but I’ve also had thoughts of gifting myself with the glass commemorating The Count of Monte Cristo, the classic tale of slow-burn revenge, and one of my favorite stories. Detail bonus: each gorgeous glass (11 fluid ounces) features a quote from literature’s greatest works, such as this one from Monte Cristo:

“On February 24, 1815, the lookout at Notre-Dame de la Garde signalled the arrival of the three- master Pharaon, coming from Smyrna, Trieste and Naples. As usual, a coastal pilot immediately left the port, sailed hard by the Château d’If, and bordered the ship between Cap de Morgiou and the island of Riou.”

Now, doesn’t that make you thirst for adventure? Fill you with a sudden wanderlust, an indefinable hunger? Maybe you just need to eat something. Look below for another classic—a recipe for the Monte Cristo sandwich.

Cheers, everybody!

Monte Cristo 
Adapted from Allrecipes.com, submitted by Carolyn Overton
Makes one sandwich

Ingredients
2 slices bread
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
2 slices cooked ham
2 slices cooked turkey meat
1 slice Swiss cheese
1 large egg
½ cup milk

Directions
Spread mayonnaise on one side of one bread slice. Spread mustard on one side of remaining bread slice.
Top with alternate slices of ham, turkey, and Swiss cheese.
Close sandwich with remaining bread slice, mayonnaise-side down.
Beat egg and milk in a shallow bowl until well combined. Lightly grease a small skillet over medium heat.
Dip sandwich into egg mixture to coat on both sides.
Transfer sandwich to the hot skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides and cheese is melted.
Serve hot.

BOOK/A TABLE - Travel Sweets

Stuck on stocking stuffer ideas this Christmas? As you scour your brains, the internet, or perhaps even venture outside to actually shop for the perfect little holiday treat, why not consider travel sweets? This fine suggestion comes via the sugary confections Judith Potts favors in The Marlow Murder Club.

“Judith rooted in her bag again and pulled out an old-fashioned tin of travel sweets. ‘Would you like a sweet?’
Antonia didn’t quite know what to say to the question.
‘No?’ Judith asked. ‘Then do you mind if I have one?’ Judith popped the lid of the tin, plucked a boiled sweet from within the icing sugar, put it in her mouth, and sucked on it for a few seconds.  ‘Lime,’ she pronounced with satisfaction. ‘My favorite.’”

Apart from the sweets found therein, The Marlow Murder Club book itself is also a great gift for cozy mystery fans, featuring ladies of a certain age on the hunt for a killer in a tiny village. And you know how the old pitch goes: if you liked Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club, you’re sure to love... 

Should you prefer to avoid going anywhere this holiday season and observe the whole thing from the bah humbug comfort of your curmudgeonly couch, you are still in luck. The Marlow Murder Club recently aired as a mini-series on PBS!

Order Simpkins travel sweets here with this convenient link. 

 

BOOK/A TABLE - The Casi-no Royale Cocktail

My birthday twin and I celebrated our special day with lunch at Alain Ducasse’s French bistro Benoit. There among the wines and cocktails were booze-free alternatives, such as the Wannabe a Spritz, composed of a pre-made Phony Negroni with sparkling Earl Grey tea.

Our waiter was indifferent to the drink, so I didn’t order it. But...I was intrigued, thinking I should try to make a version at home.

First of all, the Wannabe a Spritz uses the Phony Negroni to get the flavors of Campari and sweet vermouth found in a traditional Negroni, although the use of sparkling water really makes it more of an Americano. However, since the Negroni and Americano both feature Campari and sweet vermouth, I used non-alcoholic substitutes for those aperitifs that I already had on hand as I toiled over my shaker.

It’s an Americano that the British James Bond orders in Casino Royale (the first of Ian Fleming’s books to feature the secret agent), so it did make sense that I should flavor my mock Negroni/Americano with British Earl Grey tea, as they do at Benoit. I just created a homemade Earl Grey tea-infused syrup instead. 

Along with the syrup, a drop of lemon and a splash of sparkling water, it all ended up being a most satisfying no-alcohol concoction—the Casi-no Royale!

“Bond ordered an Americano and examined the sprinkling of overdressed customers, mostly from Paris he guessed, who sat talking with focus and vivacity, creating that theatrically clubbable atmosphere of l’heure de l’apéritif.”

Just say “yes” to the Casi-no Royale (or perhaps the Doctor No-Groni). A recipe for a no-alcohol Americano, the America-no, is also below.

Casi-no Royale

Ingredients
1 oz Ritual Aperitif Alternative
1 oz Lyre’s Apéritif Rosso
1 oz Earl Grey simple syrup

A few dashes of non-alcoholic bitters, such as All the Bitter

Lemon wedge
Club soda

Method
To make simple syrup: Steep an Earl Grey tea bag for five minutes in 1 cup boiled water. Stir in half cup sugar to blend. Refrigerate in a tightly sealed container for at least 20 minutes and give it a good shake before use.

To make the cocktail: Shake the first four ingredients into an ice-filled shaker and strain into a rocks glass over ice. Squeeze lemon wedge over your cocktail and then drop it in. Top with club soda to taste.

America-no

Ingredients
1 oz Ritual Aperitif Alternative
1 oz Lyre’s Apéritif Rosso

Club soda or sparkling water

Orange slice or lemon twist

Method
Pour Aperitif Alternative and Apéritif Rosso over ice in an old fashioned glass and stir. Add a splash of the club soda or water, to taste. Garnish with the orange slice or lemon and serve!

P.S. Give the wheel a spin: If you prefer to hit the hard stuff, click here for a traditional Americano or try an Earl Grey Negroni from tablemagazine.com, made with Earl Grey-infused gin and lemon bitters.

                                             

BOOK/A TABLE - Rollin' on the River

Percival Everett’s remarkable novel James reimagines The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as narrated from the enslaved Jim’s perspective. The New York Times bestseller was also recently announced as Barnes & Noble’s Book of the Year.

During Jim and Huck’s journey together down the Mississippi river, they discover a stash of books that includes Candide. I loved Jim’s testament to the transporting nature of reading:

       “I pulled my sack of books closer, reached in and touched one. I let my hand linger there, a flirtation of sorts. The small thick book I’d wrapped my fingers around was the novel. I had never read a novel, though I understood the concept of fiction. It wasn’t so unlike religion, or history, for that matter. I pulled the book from the bag. I checked to see if Huck was still sleeping soundly and then I opened it. The smell of the pages was glorious.

       In the country of Westphalia...
       I was somewhere else. I was not on one side of that damned river or the other. I was not on the Mississippi. I was not in Missouri.”

Now, the friends don’t find a lot to eat during their travels (their bread ruined, they mostly subsist on catfish and berries), but talk about nourishment! Huck couldn’t read much, but Jim was thankful that he could feed his soul.

What are you reading that feeds your soul? What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? While you chew on that, think about making these traditional yeast rolls courtesy of Southern Living to share with your family and friends as you break bread together for the holiday.

Why? Because that’s how you roll, of course.

Click on the Southern Living link below for tips and make-ahead options and do enjoy!

Buttery Yeast Rolls
Adapted from Southern Living Test Kitchen
By Southern Living Test Kitchen
Yield: 32 rolls

Ingredients
2 (1/4-oz) envelopes active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
1 1/4 cups warm water (105° to 115°F), divided
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
5 to 5 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, as needed, divided, plus more for work surface
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tsp flaky sea salt

Directions
Activate yeast:
Stir together yeast and 1/4 cup of the warm water in a large bowl; let stand until mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Make dough:
Add eggs, shortening, sugar, salt, 2 cups of the flour, and remaining 1 cup warm water to yeast mixture. Beat with a wooden spoon until well combined and smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually stir in 3 cups of the flour until a soft dough forms, adding up to 1/4 cup remaining flour if dough is too sticky.

Complete first rise:
Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel; let rise in a warm place (about 80°F) until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Divide dough into rolls:
Punch down dough in bowl. Turn out onto a floured work surface, and knead until slightly smoother, 3 to 4 times. Divide in half. Working with 1 portion at a time and keeping remaining dough covered, shape each portion evenly into 16 balls (about 2 heaping tablespoons each). If baking right away, skip to Step 6.

Freeze dough balls if making ahead:
To freeze, arrange dough balls about 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze until solid, about 4 hours. Transfer to a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Seal bag, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at least 8 hours in the refrigerator, covered, before using.

Complete second rise:
Arrange fresh or frozen dough balls in 2 lightly greased (with cooking spray) 9-inch square metal baking pans. Cover each pan with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place (about 80°F) until slightly more than doubled in size, about 1 hour. If dough balls were frozen, let rise about 1 hour, 30 minutes. You can also let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight. Let sit at room temperature while the oven preheats before baking.

Bake rolls:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove plastic wrap from baking pan. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven, brush evenly with butter, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve warm.

BOOK/A TABLE - Fegato alla Venezia

If you’re like me, you probably have a stack of books waiting to be read. The books in my pile are removed as I finish them of course, but new additions keep coming in and the pile never seems to dwindle...

I also keep notes in my datebooks (dating back to 1988!), listing more titles I intend to cross off one day. Somewhere around 1993, I made a notation to read Sister Carrie.

Well, saints preserve us, I finally read Theodore Dreiser’s novel just last month.

Was it worth it after all this time? Did I enjoy following Carrie’s eventual ascendence to the stage despite the unsuitable men complicating her life? Sure. I didn’t love (it ain’t Tess of the D’Urbervilles), but like so often when turning to the classics, I find it extremely satisfying to discover the lives secreted away in the pages, the stories I’ve long heard about unearthed at last.

At one point, Carrie proposes to make dinner for her tiresome husband Hurstwood:

“We’re all out of flour,” she said; “you’d better get some this afternoon. We haven’t any meat, either. How would it do if we had liver and bacon?”

Now, liver and bacon is something I do love, espcially when served with melted onions. When my D.C. friend comes to visit me in Manhattan, we hightail it to Joe Allen, one of the few places in town (Gene’s is another) that has liver on the menu. Reading Sister Carrie I was reminded too of the outrageously good Fegato alla Veneziana (Venetian-style liver) found in POLPO: A Venetian Cookbook (of sorts) and which may be easily prepared at home. 

The cookbook is so fabulous, filled with uncomplicated recipes that pay delicious tribute to the glories of Venice. Pictured above is my splattered copy. Sadly, I ruined the gorgeous cover during a misfortune that involved a pear galette—but that’s another story!

What are you reading? What’s on your reading list? Please let me know in the comments!

Fegato alla Veneziana
Adapted from POLPO: A Venetian Cookbook (of sorts)
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
6 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 large white onions (Spanish, or cipollini if you can find), finely sliced
Flaky sea salt and black pepper
12 sage leaves
1 kg (about 2 lbs) calf’s liver, trimmed, cleaned and thinly sliced
50 ml (a quarter cup) white wine
50 g (3-4 tbs) unsalted butter

Method
Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a heavy-based pan and sweat the onions with a pinch of salt on a very low heat for approximately 30 minutes, or until soft. The onions will become translucent and should not burn—they should be only lightly brown. Add a grind of pepper. Take off the heat and set aside.

Cut the sliced liver into thin triangles. In another large heavy-based pan, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil on a medium flame with the sage leaves and when hot add the liver, season, and cook until brown on both sides (if your pan is hot this should be no more than 1minute in total). Add the melted onions, heat through, and add the wine. Turn up the heat to get it bubbling for one minute and then immediately add the butter, simmer for another minute, check the seasoning and serve.

If you want to include bacon...fry up a proper amount, then drain off the fat and pat dry. Crumble when cool and top your dish.

COOKBOOK/A TABLE - Howdy, Dolly!

 

Someone’s in the kitchen with Dolly—and it’s her sister Rachel!

My cousin is one of those kind and generous souls who doles out little gifts throughout the year, whether or not it’s your birthday or a holiday. It’s her wonderful way to let you know she is thinking about you. When I recently visited my hometown in NH, she presented me with Dolly and Rachel’s Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals—A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food, featuring a whimsical calendar of seasonal recipes designed for delicious celebrations.

Included in the Parton sisters’s spirted, down-home collection are Southern favorites such as a Mother’s Day Mimosa, Barbecue Ribs for the 4th, a Thanksgiving Turkey with gravy, a festive Crème Brulée for Christmas—and Fried Chicken and Mac and Cheese, which of course are welcome anytime.

Fortunately for my family, my cousin also makes a fantastic Mac and Cheese that she brings to many gatherings, but until I wrest that particular recipe from her...here’s how the Partons do it!

“Ours is made with a variety of cheese, but we had to include a little Velveeta—ultimately, that’s what makes this version so creamy and good.”

 

Mac and Cheese
Adapted from Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals—A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food

Makes: 6 to 8 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
Butter, for greasing
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon mustard powder
8-ounce block Velveeta, cubed

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with butter.

Place a large saucepan of water over medium heat, add the salt, and bring it to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for 2 to 3 minutes less than indicated on the package. Don't overcook and don’t rinse. Drain the macaroni well in a colander, return it to the pot, and add the olive oil. Gently stir to coat so the macaroni doesn’t stick together.

Set aside 1/4 cup of the shredded cheddar and 1/4 cup of the shredded Monterey Jack for topping.

In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to combine the eggs, milk, sour cream, butter and mustard powder. Add the Velveeta, remaining cheddar and remaining Monterey Jack, stirring well. Add the macaroni to the mixture and stir until well combined and the macaroni is nicely coated.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, spreading it evenly, and sprinkle the top with the reserved cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Bake until the cheeses are bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes to thicken before serving.

BOOK/A TABLE - A Pumpkin Party!

“But it was rather remarkable, seeing so many pumpkins or vegetable marrows, whatever they are. They were everywhere, in the shops, and in people’s houses, with candles or nightlights inside them or strung up.”

So says Ariadne Oliver, ranting in Agatha Christie’s Hallowe’en Party. But good gourd! She didn’t say a word about all the many other ways to feature pumpkins—such as chicken pot pie or cheese fondue in a pumpkin, outrageous cheesey-choco-pumpkin bars, pumpkin pie of course, or its modest sister—pumpkin bread.

The recipe I found in the New York Times turned out to be a pretty good roadmap, but not quite the fall flavor-burst I’d hoped for. Pumpkin on its own tends to be bland and the flavor really needs to be teased out, so next time I would double up on the cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger before digging in. Don’t over bake, but do slather with apple or pumpkin butter. 

Pumpkin Bread With Brown Butter and Bourbon
By Melissa Clark
Yield:Two 8-inch loaves

Ingredients
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup bourbon (or use water or apple cider)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 ¾ cups pumpkin purée, homemade or canned (1 15-ounce can)
4 eggs
½ cup olive or other oil (such as canola)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1¾ cups light brown sugar
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Preparation
Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees and arrange a rack in the center. Grease the insides of two 8-inch loaf pans with butter or line with parchment paper.

Step 2
In a large skillet, melt ½ cup (1 stick) butter over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the frothy white milk solids sink to the bottom of the pan and turn a fragrant, nutty brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Brown butter can burn quickly, so watch it carefully. (A tip: You will know your brown butter is almost ready when the frantic sound of bubbling begins to die down, so use your ears as well as your eyes and nose.)

Step 3
In a glass liquid measuring cup, combine bourbon and vanilla. Add water until you reach the ⅔ cup mark. In a large bowl, whisk together bourbon mixture, pumpkin purée, eggs and oil. With a spatula, scrape all the brown butter from the skillet into the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine.

Step 4
In another large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Step 5
Divide batter between the two greased loaf pans. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to oven. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow bread to cool completely before removing from pan.

Keep the party going! Karen Pierce features Devilled Eggs also inspired by Hallowe’en Party in her fabulous cookbook Recipes for Murder—66 Dishes that Celebrate the Mysteries of Agatha Christie. Read about another Agatha Christie celebration here. 

                                                       

I hope you enjoy some of these fanciful, seasonally spot-on dishes—and if your guests ask who made them, you can certainly take satisfaction in telling them YOU dunnit. 

Happy Hallowe’en!

BOOK/A TABLE - King and I

In a drafty auditorium, while other cast members were taking a break from rehearsal, I sat glued to one of the theater seats reading Stephen King’s The Shining. It was around Hallowe’en, I was about 12 or 13 years old and our local theater group, the Garrison Players, was putting on a musical revue called Encore, Encore!. I don’t know where any of the other performers had scuttled off to, but I do know some moldy dead woman was climbing out of a bathtub at the Overlook Hotel. 

I was alone in that huge auditorium, well, just me and the old woman, when suddenly a wild gust of wind blew in from the lobby, a door slammed shut, and I jumped about a foot. I spun around, on the defensive, but no one was there. It was just the wind...and I knew that, but as I settled back down in my chair and returned to The Shining, I knew too that I’d just experienced the power of a great book.

By opening night, I was duly recovered. Curiously enough I’d been enlisted to kick off the show (in knickers) with ‘I Whistle a Happy Tune’ from The King and I—about the King of Siam, not Stephen.

There’s also the character of Wendy in The Shining, the hapless (certainly not helpless) wife, exploring the vast hotel kitchen, looking for something to make for dinner. To me, the whole scene has such a creepy feel about it, like a trip to the morgue...

“When she opened the big walk-in freezer the light clicked on automatically. The chill made her gasp. The shelves were neatly stacked with lamb chops, roasts, chickens, frozen vegetables.” 

But let’s take a moment to think about those roasts in a different (and certainly more appetizing) light: here I present a simple, best ever off-oven roast beef that I’m sure you’ll take a shine to.

And don’t overlook the divine Henry Bain sauce!

Off-Oven Roast Beef
Adapted from New York Magazine

Serves 4 to 6 as a main course, with leftovers for sandwiches

Ingredients
1 beef roast, like top, eye or bottom round, approximately 3 pounds
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Red-pepper flakes to taste

Preparation
Remove roast from refrigerator. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix together salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil and red-pepper flakes to create a kind of paste. Rub this all over the roast. 

Place beef in a roasting pan or cast-iron skillet, fat-side up, and put in oven. Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes per pound.

Turn off oven. Do not open oven door. Leave roast to continue cooking, undisturbed, for two hours.
After two hours, remove roast from oven. Slice and serve alongside, ideally, a watercress salad, some skillet-fried potatoes and a small tureen of Henry Bain sauce.

Creamy Cranberry-Cherry and Pistachio Spread

Inspired by a layout in Martha Stewart’s Halloween 2024 issue, I made this appetizer off the cuff for a recent party, tailored to what I thought would taste good. Alter the proportions to achieve the perfect combination of tingly, creamy, tart, and sweet that you desire. 

Creamy Cranberry-Cherry and Pistachio Spread
Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients
1/3 cup chopped dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped dried cherries
1/3 cup chopped pistachios
6 oz crème fraiche
6 oz goat cheese

Method
Mix crème fraiche and goat cheese together with a fork to soften, add fruit and blend. Spoon mixture into a ramekin, top with pistachios and serve with crackers alongside OR spread fruit mixture onto endive leaves and sprinkle with pistachios.

BOOK/A TABLE - Vampire Weekend Cocktails

“There lay the Count, but looking as if his youth had been half restored. For the white hair and moustache were changed to dark iron-grey. The cheeks were fuller, and the white skin seemed ruby-red underneath. The mouth was redder than ever, for on the lips were gouts of fresh blood, which trickled from the corners of the mouth and ran down over the chin and neck.” From Dracula, by Bram Stoker.

We all know what Dracula likes to drink. Here we offer a cocktail less revolting, more fun and refreshing, and certainly in keeping with the spooky season: the Pina Ghoulada! But never fear—with a red syrupy rim, there will be blood (in ghastly appearance anyway) during the Hallowe’en weekend soon to rise upon us...!

 

Pina Ghoulada
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living Special Issues, 2000
Serves 10 to 12 eight-ounce servings

Ingredients:
FOR THE “BLOOD”
3 tablespoons corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon red food coloring

FOR THE DRINK
20 ounces pineapple juice
1 can (15 ounces) cream of coconut
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup orange juice
10 ounces good-quality rum

Instructions:
Pour the corn syrup in a shallow bowl. Dip a toothpick into the food coloring, and stir a very small amount into the syrup to combine. Hold a glass by the stem, dip rim into the syrup mixture, and turn glass, coating entire rim. Turn the glass upright, allowing mixture to drip down sides for an eerie effect. Dip the remaining glasses. Set aside.

Whisk together drink ingredients. Place 2 1/2 cups ice in a blender, and add 1 cup drink mixture. Blend until smooth; add more pineapple juice if mixture is too thick. Repeat with remaining ice and mixture. Carefully pour into prepared glasses; serve.

*BONUS* Frozen eyeballs for your highballs! Click here for eye-popping garnishes from thismamacooks.com that will give your martinis a particularly ghoulish “look.”

                                                 

BOOK/A TABLE - The Chowder Society

 

Revenge is a twice-told tale: the pursuit of it, and the aftermath that follows. Throw a spiteful ghost into the mix and things begin to get rather complicated...

In Peter Straub’s Ghost Story, set in a wintry New England town, a collection of four old men (a.k.a. members of the Chowder Society) are haunted by their past and get together once a month to tell each other—yes, ghost stories—in an effort perhaps to absolve themselves of the grave accident they once caused. Let’s just say it doesn’t exactly work out for the poor fellows.

“Somberness had not been evaded: he saw again the skeletal branches thrusting through the brilliant leaves, the implacable bloodied face of the girl on the film poster, and remembered that is was his turn to tell the story at the Chowder Society meeting that night.”

I won’t reveal any more about the book, preferring to tell you instead about this recipe for New England Clam Chowder from Manhattan’s Fulton Fish Market. But like the stories in Ghost Story, this dish is meant to be shared.

Chunky New England Clam Chowder
Adapted from fultonfishmarket.com
Serves Four

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
8 ounces thick-cut bacon, sliced crosswise
1 large onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 small white potatoes, peeled and diced
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 ⅔ cups whole milk
2 cups fish or chicken stock
2 bay leaves
⅔ cup heavy cream
1 ½ pounds fresh clams, rinsed
½ cup dry white wine
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the bacon and fry until golden and crisp, 6-8 minutes; remove to a plate lined with paper towels and cover with aluminum foil.

Add the onion, celery, garlic, potatoes, and a pinch of salt to the Dutch oven, sweating until starting to color, about 10 minutes.

Whisk in the cornstarch and cook for 2 minutes; whisk in the milk followed by the stock in a slow, steady stream until fully incorporated.

Add the bay leaves and bring the mixture to a simmer; cook steadily until the potatoes are very soft, 15-20 minutes.

Discard the bay leaves. Whisk in the cream; bring the chowder to a simmer and season to taste with salt and pepper; keep warm over very low heat.

Place the clams in a large saucepan set over high heat. Add the wine, cover the pan with a lid, and cook until the clams have steamed open, 3-4 minutes; discard any that don't open.

Drain the clams and leave to cool for 3 minutes. Pick the meat from the shells; stir the picked clam meat into the chowder along with the parsley and reserved bacon.

Serve straight away for best results.

 

BOOK/A TABLE - Mad About the Melt

In anticipation of Hallowe’en, I'll be featuring a few frightening reads and recipes all this month—kicking things off with a tribute to the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. Read on, if you dare...

Back in 1980, when my friends and I were in 7th grade, we did the impossible. At least, our feat was something that would be considered quite unfathomable to the teens and tweens of today (and I daresay more than a few parents)—we sat, glued together in front of a television in the dark and, uninterrupted by any distractions, watched Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho in all its jaw-clenching entirety for the first time.

I will always remember that night and appreciate that my friends agreed to walk me the few blocks home afterward, certain as I was that although it was only a movie...only a movie...a knife-wielding madman was nevertheless hiding somewhere in a bush along the way.

In Robert Bloch’s novel Psycho, Norman offers Mary some sustenance upon her arrival to the Bates Motel. “The kitchen was a complement of the parlor—lined with ceiling-high glassed-in cupboards grouped about an old-fashioned sink with a hand-pump attachment...and the long wooden table bore a welcome display of sausage, cheese and homemade pickles in glass dishes scattered about on the red-and-white checkered cloth.”

I think it’s safe to say that Bloch was a fan of the hyphen.

Anyway, in the movie version, Norman gives Mary some kind of uninteresting sandwich instead of the aforementioned display, when what he really should have served is the outrageous tuna melt from the Golden Diner under the Manhattan Bridge. I can’t help but think things might have turned out differently for all involved if Norman had only cut into this sandwich instead of...well, never mind. 

Golden Diner’s Tuna Melt
Yield: 4 sandwiches
Recipe from Sam Yoo
Adapted by Alexa Weibel

Ingredients:
For the Tuna Salad
⅓ cup mayonnaise (preferably Hellmann’s)
¼ cup minced bread and butter pickles
1½ teaspoons yellow mustard (preferably Frank’s)
Scant ½ teaspoon distilled white vinegar
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 (5-ounce) cans yellowfin tuna packed in water, drained (all of the water squeezed out)
⅓ cup minced red onion
⅓ cup minced celery
½ teaspoon Tabasco (or to taste)
Salt

For the Sandwiches:
6 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
8 slices rye bread (or other sandwich bread)
Salt-and-vinegar potato chips
6 slices American Cheese

Preparation
Step 1
Prepare the tuna salad: In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, minced pickles, mustard, vinegar, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil with one hand while whisking the mixture with the other. Add the drained tuna, red onion and celery; fold to combine. Season to taste with Tabasco and salt; refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
Step 2
Cook the sandwiches: Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, lightly butter one side of each slice of bread. Working in batches as needed, add the bread to the heated griddle, buttered-side down, and divide the cheese among 4 slices of bread, tearing cheese to fit in a single layer (1½ pieces per slice of bread). Cook until the cheese is melted and the bread is crispy and golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer toasts to a large cutting board for assembly.
Step 3
Divide the cold tuna mix among 4 slices (about ½ cup each), schmearing it to cover each piece from edge to edge. Add a handful of chips on top and close the sandwiches with the other slices of bread, toasted-side up. Using a serrated knife, cut sandwiches in half diagonally and serve while the bread is warm.

P.S. Speaking of Hitch...it’s Hitchcocktober at Village East by Angelika (181-189 2nd Ave, NYC) when they will be serving up a smorgasboard of Alfred Hitchcock’s finest films on the big screen every Wednesday in October, finishing up with Psycho on the 30th-31st. Go to angelikafilmcenter.com for more info.

Thanks to Rachel Vanni for the tuna sandwich pic from The New York Times!

 

BOOK/A TABLE - Victorious Victoria Cake

“Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea. There are circumstances in which, whether you partake of the tea or not—some people of course never do—the situation is in itself delightful.”

So begins The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James. I’ve always admired the gentle ritual of the British tea; the pause that refreshes, like a siesta—but with caffeine—and have enjoyed an afternoon or two steeped in civilization at The Ritz in London and The Plaza in New York.

But what is tea without cake? This heavenly Victoria Sandwich Cake courtesy of Barbara Pym is stuffed with raspberry jam and might well be the queen of all teatimes. With only a few ingredients and a modicum of effort, you can emerge victorious when serving this dessert any hour, even at midnight, to yourself. 

Victoria Sandwich Cake

Adapted from The Barbara Pym Cookbook

(My suggestions in italics)

Ingredients:

12 tablespoons (180g) butter

1 cup (180 g) castor or superfine sugar

Vanilla extract

3 eggs

1 cup (180g) self-rising flour

Raspberry jam (go nuts and break from tradition with strawberry jam!)

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). 

Beat butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Add a few drops of vanilla extract and beat in eggs, one at a time. Sift flour, and fold into batter gently.

Put the mixture into two 7-inch ( 18 cm) sandwich tins that have been greased and dusted with flour. Bake 17 to 20 minutes (I used one 8-inch tin and baked for 30 minutes. Tent with foil if browning too much), until done.

To sandwich, spread slices with raspberry jam, layer, and sprinkle tops with castor or superfine sugar.  

BOOK/A TABLE - Dressing for Dinner

Behold the battered, taped-up copy of Valley of the Dolls I bought at the Paperback Bazaar when I was about fifteen years old and desperate to escape New Hampshire. Although I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting into, I ended up tearing through it, enthralled by the depiction of New York (and Broadway!) set in the 40s and 50s. And I told anybody who’d listen to read it. I wasn’t alone of course in my discovery—Jacqueline Susann’s debut has remained one of the all-time bestsellers for over fifty years.

The other night I went to a showing of the infamous 1967 movie version with my friend (he’d never seen it) and I explained afterward how the book has a special place in my heart and differs greatly from the camp spectacle he’d just witnessed. Also there is no bad acting in books.

Gore Vidal (or Truman Capote, depending who you ask) once said Susann’s prose wasn’t writing, it was typing—and although it might not be Wuthering Heights, the book has a brilliant structure founded upon the friendships of three young women struggling to make something of themselves. Susann was also a marketing visionary, a brand-name novelist who brought Peyton Place to Manhattan and paved the way for many romance writers to come.

Valley of the Dolls made me fall in love with New York and confirmed my decision to make it my home. Visions of the old El Morocco and the Stork Club danced in my head and after I moved to Manhattan, ‘21’ certainly became one of my favorite places to eat—no, to experience! 

Before ‘21’ closed a few years ago, I had the privilege to chat with its former executive chef Michael Lomonaco at a press event. I gushed over the shallot and champagne vinaigrette in his cookbook, which feature recipes from the fabled venue. So, when Anne Welles, the heroine of Valley of the Dolls arrives at ‘21’ dressed to the nines, I can’t help but imagine her salad was dressed with Lomonaco’s perfect vinaigrette—and my go-to favorite.

“Anne rushed into ‘21’ and joined Henry at his usual front table. Henry noticed that every man in the room had turned to look at her. She wore eye makeup and her hair was fuller, like a lion’s mane...she was exciting now. Anne laughed and ordered a salad.”

                              

Shallot and Champagne Vinaigrette
Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:

1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
4 large, peeled shallots
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Method:
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process the vinegar, mustard, sugar, shallots, salt, and pepper until the shallots are finely chopped. With the processor running, add the oil very slowly in a small stream until all the oil has been incorporated and the dressing has achieved a silky, smooth texture. The dressing may be stored, covered, up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator but should be brought to room temperature before using.