BOOK/A TABLE - British Coffee Cake

Apart from Hercule Poirot’s Christmas, The Sittaford Mystery is perhaps Agatha Christie’s most wintry detective novel, where a wicked blizzard provides a convenient alibi for guests sheltered together during a deadly seance... 

However, the real headline here is that having started with Sleeping Murder in 1978 and finally reading The Sittaford Mystery, I have now completed all 66 books in the Agatha Christie canon! 

Herman Melville once spouted that profound things, and emotions of things are preceded and attended by silence, but I think this particular moment calls for—cake!

In an effort to help catch the killer lurking around Sittaford, Caroline Percehouse requests a recipe for British Coffee Cake to assist in the investigation: “I hear you had the most delicious coffee cake for tea yesterday afternoon. Will you be so kind as to give me the recipe for it?”

Happy to oblige, Caroline. Here it is, thanks again to Karen Pierce, author of the wonderful Recipes for Murder: 66 Dishes That Celebrate the Mysteries of Agatha Christie. 

Do enjoy!  


British Coffee Cake
Yields two 9-inch (22-centimetre) round cakes

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups (270 grams) all-purpose white flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/8 cups (255 grams) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing
3/8 cup (85 grams) vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar five large eggs
5 cups (1.2 litres) whole milk, plus 2 tablespoons
5 1/2 tablespoons Camp Coffee (Scottish coffee syrup) or Coffee Time coffee syrup, plus 2-3 tablespoons 
4 cups (520 grams) confectioners’ sugar

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with a medium bowl, cream 3/8 cup (85 grams) of the butter, the shortening, and the sugar.
4. Add the eggs and beat well.
5. Add the milk and mix well.
6. Add 5 1/2 tablespoons Camp Coffee or Coffee Time
7. Grease two 9-inch (22-centimetre) round pans, divide the batter between them, and bake for 20-25 minutes.
8. While the cakes are baking, make the icing. With a hand mixer in a medium bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar with the remaining Camp Coffee and the remaining 3/4 cup (170 grams) of butter. If the icing seems too thick, add the remaining milk and mix well. To runny, add a little more confectioner sugar. Mix until you achieve the desired consistency.
9. When the cakes have finished baking, toothpick tested them for doneness and let them cool to room temperature.
10. After the cakes cooled, ice them in layers with all the icing.

Consider the Oyster (Stuffing)!

                        
Back in 1941, M.F.K. Fisher wrote vibrantly, wickedly, about love, death (and stew) amongst the molluscs in her seminal tome Consider The Oyster. So, I got to thinking...how about considering an oyster stuffing for Thanksgiving this year?

If you are curious as to what it’s all about, the recipe is below. Whatever you serve, have a wonderful time with family, found family, and friends. And THANKS for reading Evenings with Peter!

“The oysters were curious too, weren’t they...”
Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Oyster Stuffing

In a large pot, melt 4 tbsp butter over high heat until it smokes gently. 

Add 2 ribs diced celery, 1 large diced onion, 1 diced bell pepper, 1 1/2 jalapenos (seeded and minced), 7 cloves minced garlic, and 2 1/2 tbsp poultry seasoning. Lower to medium heat and saute until browned and tender, 15 minutes. 

Stir in 3 cups shucked oysters (purhcase a tin, already shucked!) and their liquid. Cook until edges curl, 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat. 

Stir in 8 cups crisp bread cubes, followed by 1 cup chicken or turkey stock. Add 1 more pack of stuffing mix and 4 eggs to incorporate. 

Season with salt and pepper. Fold in 2 cups chopped parsley, 2 sliced green onions, and 1 1/2 tsp minced rosemary.

Stuff in a 12 lb turkey. Or, bake in a greased casserole at 350 F until golden, 30-45 minutes.

Darling Clementine

Get a little Tipsy this Thanksgiving! Sweet Potato Tipsy, that is, courtesy of Clementine Paddleford.

Although she was once considered the pioneer of American food writing, Ms. Paddleford is largely forgotten today. I first encountered her in the pages of Saveur magazine some years ago and among the other recipes featured in the article, I was particularly enamored with these creamy sweet potatoes shot with a solid dose of sherry. 

I like to celebrate her memory by serving Sweet Potato Tipsy over the holidays, and I think you’ll agree this wonderfully warming dish is perfectly suited to a Thanksgiving table.  

Below is a picture of Miss Paddleford’s cookbook How America Eats, peeking out from under a platter of her scrumptious ginger cookies. Bake a batch to keep the kids busy this season! Click here for the recipe and to learn more about the great Clementine Paddleford. 

P.S. If you would like to make further use of sweet potatoes, click here.

Sweet Potato Tipsy
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
8 medium sweet potatoes
2 pinches of salt
7 tbsp butter
1⁄2 cup half and half
1⁄4 cup dry sherry
3 tbsp brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Put 8 medium sweet potatoes into a large pot, cover with cold water, and add 2 generous pinches of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, and cook until soft when pierce, 30-40 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.

2. Peel potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Coarsely mash potatoes with the tines of a fork, then add 5 tbsp. softened butter, 1⁄2 cup half-and-half, 1⁄4 cup dry sherry, and 3 tbsp. brown sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

3. Transfer sweet potato mixture to a buttered medium baking dish, dot with 2 tbsp. butter, and bake until top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.


First published in Saveur in Issue #62

 

Lentilles du Puy

Sometimes I feel lentils are the lost legumes because short of being stuffed in a veggie burger or hiding out in a hearty stew, lentils are difficult to find on a menu, shining on a plate of their own.

Café de Bruxelles in the West Village used to serve the most delicious grilled brook trout paired with a side of lentils and I have served them together at dinner parties as a result. I think it’s a great combo. Mercato further uptown currently serves luscious lentils lounging in a shallow pool of olive oil and anchovy paste to accompany table bread, but I have yet to experiment with that at home.

However, a dish of Lentilles du Puy needs no supporting cast—or indeed, even a plate! Sometimes I just spoon it right out of the roasting pan.

Instead of adding three cups of water to the lentils as in the recipe below, I suggest using two and a half cups stock (such as mushroom, vegetable, or chicken) and about half a cup of white wine.

Fresh is best, but canned or vacuum-sealed beets are fine to use in a pinch (and you don’t have the bother of peeling them). I’ve also added bacon, because why not? Fry three strips of bacon ahead of time, remove them from pan and sautée the carrots and beets in the bacon grease with a little butter instead of the suggested oil. Crumble the cooled bacon and toss into the mix at the end.

C’est magnifique!


Lentilles du Puy with Roasted Carrots and Beets
Adapted from Saveur, Issue #18
Serves 6 as a side dish

“This recipe was developed for the esteemed lentils from Le Puy (which have been granted an appellation d'origine contrôlée by the French government), but any French-style lentil will do.”

Ingredients
3 small beets, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
4 shallots, peeled and halved
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 sprigs fresh parsley
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 lb. lentilles du Puy, or other French-style green lentils, picked over and rinsed
3 tbsp. sherry vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Method
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Place beets, carrots, shallots, and 1/2 cup oil in a medium roasting pan. Stir to coat vegetables evenly with oil. Add parsley and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring once, until vegetables begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Add lentils and 3 cups of water, stir, then cover pan with foil. Cook until lentils are tender and all water is absorbed, about 1 hour.

2. Remove pan from oven. Remove and discard herb sprigs, then dress lentils with vinegar and remaining oil. Allow to cool slightly, then stir in chopped parsley. Adjust seasoning and serve.

Variation—Different vegetables and dressings can be used for this salad. For instance, roast 2 cups peeled small pearl onions for 20 minutes as in step 1 above. Dice 4 celery stalks. Add celery and lentils to onions with 3 cups water, cover, and continue roasting. Meanwhile, mix 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice with 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a small bowl. Stir in 1 minced peeled garlic clove and 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme. When lentils are tender and liquid has been absorbed, toss with dressing. Adjust seasoning and serve.

COOKBOOK/A TABLE - Chicken Livers a la Française!

Bonjour! I love chicken livers, preferably with onions, and I love that it is such a simple and satisfying dish to make. For this adventure, I looked to Julia Child for inspiration, as I so often do, and The French Chef Cookbook (which features recipes from her show, by episode—Chicken Livers a la Française is The Eighteenth Show).

 

Julia’s recipe calls for sauteed mushrooms and ham, but I substituted sauteed onions for those and set to work. I also used a fine Amontillado we had lying around instead of Madeira (that we didn’t have). My version below is definitely less involved than Julia’s. You’ll work quickly, but your guests might think you’ve spent hours in the kitchen to prepare such a sumptuous, elegant meal in the French method. 

Serve on top of a molded ring of rice or a bed of spinach, and perhaps garnish with peas or asparagus tips!

Do enjoy!

Sauteed Chicken Livers

For 4 to 6 people
Ingredients
1 lb chicken livers, about two cups
Salt and pepper
½ cup flour in a plate
A large sieve
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cooking oil
A heavy 10-inch enameled or no-stick skillet
1 cup onions, sauteed in butter until yellow and tender
Half cup beef stock or bullion
1/3 cup Amontillado (or Madeira, or a dry sherry)
One tablespoon fresh minced parsley

Method
Dry chicken livers on paper towels. Just before cooking, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, roll in flour, then shake in a sieve to remove excess flour.

Melt the butter and oil in the skillet over moderately high heat. When you see the butter foam begin to subside, add the chicken livers. Toss frequently for three to four minutes until livers are lightly browned; They are done and just springy to the touch of your finger. Do not overcook. Add onions, pour in the stock and the Amontillado, and simmer for one minute. Taste and correct seasoning. Reheat just before serving, then remove from heat and toss with parsley.

COOKBOOK/A TABLE - Quentin's Ghoulish Goulash

Anyone I’ve ever talked to about Dark Shadows (and the occasions have been many; the conversations long) has invariably told me how they used to race home after school to watch the 60’s Gothic soap opera in syndication. 

Certainly, I did. I kept a diary back then too (around the fourth grade) and when there wasn’t much to report about school, I filled in the pages with episode recaps!

For the uninitiated...the perpetually inclement, spectrally lit Dark Shadows was about Barnabus Collins, an elegantly creepy vampire with a soul, who actually suffered from guilt and had feelings for many of his victims. But there was also the true heroine of the show, Victoria Winters, who came as a governess to the great ancestral home of Collinwood, somewhere in the wilds of Maine, and was put through every trial imaginable (including an actual witch trial, when she was sent back to the year 1795 during a séance).

And of course, there was Quentin Collins, the werewolf who charmed hearts even as they were being torn from their host bodies.

So, with that appetizing prospect in mind, I wish you a wickedly wonderful Happy Hallowe’en! I hope you enjoy Quentin’s Ghoulish Goulash pulled from The Dark Shadows Cookbook. There are better goulashes out there (feel free to submit one here!), but this recipe is definitely among the more palatable ones found in the truly ghastly collection. Clam-Pourri, anyone? Beef and Olive Loaf? Enter if you dare!

The recipe calls for a pressure cooker, but I don’t have a pressure cooker—in the event that you don’t either, below I’ve added the simple method of using a Dutch oven instead. And oh yes, I add some paprika to the goulash and half a cup of beer to the gravy!

Quentin’s Ghoulish Goulash
Serves Four

Ingredients
Goulash
2 tablespoons margarine
1 1/2 lbs beef stewing meat, cubed
1onion, sliced

2 tablespoons paprika (my addition)
1 teaspoon parsley flakes (or fresh!)
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup tomato juice
1 cup water
4 small potatoes, cut in half
4 small carrots, cut in half
1 cup tomatoes, drained
Paste
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup of water

Pressure Cooker Method
Heat pressure cooker, add margarine and brown meat. Add onion, salt, pepper, paprika, and parsley. Place potatoes, carrots and tomatoes over meat. Mix ½ cup tomato juice and half a cup of water and pour on top of combination. Cover securely and place pressure regulator on vent pipe. Cook 15 minutes at 15 lbs pressure. Cool cooker at once. This can be done by placing the cooker under cold running water in the sink. The hissing sound of pressure being released will stop and then the cover can be safely opened. Make a paste of flour and water. Stir into stew to thicken.

Dutch Oven Method
Heat the Dutch oven, add margarine and brown meat. Add onion, salt, paprika, and pepper. Place potatoes, carrots and tomatoes over meat. Mix ½ cup tomato juice and half a cup of water and pour on top of combination. Cover and simmer your goulash over a low flame for three hours. Add parsley. Then make the paste of flour and water and stir into stew.


Ghoulish Gravy
Makes 2 cups
Ingredients
2 cups liquid stock
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons enriched flour
½ cup beer

Method
Remove meat and vegetables from pan. Skim off fat from top of remaining liquid. In a measuring glass, put 1/4 cup cold water in 2 tablespoons of flour. Stir until smooth. Pour slowly into stew gravy, stirring constantly over medium heat until gravy bubbles. Add half a cup of beer to the gravy. Lower flame and cook 5 minutes or so until smooth, stirring occasionally.



Thanks to spendwithpennies.com for the photo.

BOOK/A TABLE - Napoleon House Muffulettas

 

Rereading a book is often a chance to revisit a time in your life when you first turned the pages; perhaps a reminder of where you were in the world and what you knew of it back then. For example, when I first read Anne Rice’s fantastically creepy The Witching Hour, I hadn’t yet been to New Orleans, San Francisco, or Marseilles as featured in her book. But she captures New Orleans so particularly well I felt I had been there even before experiencing for myself the murmuring Spanish moss under the shiver of rain, the iron-lace balconies and flickering flambeaux, as well as that sense of something quite magical in the air...

 
This sentence from The Witching Hour brought back a delicious memory: “We left Galatoire’s finally for a small, quiet Bourbon Street café and continued our conversation until well after 8:30 that evening.”

How well I got to know Bourbon Street over several visits! And how quickly I remembered a perfectly languid afternoon spent with a good friend in the enchanting back garden at Napoleon House in the French Quarter. After so many hours (witchy and otherwise!), our final bill included about a million Sazerac cocktails and a traditional muffuletta sandwich that we shared. 

Napoleon House is one of my all-time favorite places in the world that I know. I’m thrilled to share the recipe for a muffuletta here, made with simple deli meats and cheeses, olive salad, and the best bread you can find. I suggest a host of Sazeracs as an accompaniment as well, but they are entirely optional, of course.

Napoleon House Muffuletta
Yields: 2-4 servings
Ingredients
1 (9-inch-round) seeded muffuletta bun or Italian seeded bread, halved
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices ham
5 slices Genoa salami
2 slices pastrami
3 slices provolone cheese
3 slices Swiss cheese
⅔ cup Napoleon House Olive Salad (recipe follows)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Brush bottom and top half of bun lightly with oil. Layer ham, salami, pastrami, and cheeses on bottom half of bun. Top with Napoleon House Olive Salad, and cover with top half of bun. Wrap in foil.
Bake until thoroughly heated, about 20 minutes. Unwrap, and cut in half or quarters.

Napoleon House Olive Salad
Yields: 3 cups
Ingredients
1 cup pimiento-stuffed Spanish queen olives, chopped
½ cup canned chickpeas, drained and coarsely chopped
½ cup pickled vegetables,* drained and coarsely chopped
⅓ cup canned artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
¼ cup cocktail onions, drained and coarsely chopped
¼ cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 tablespoon capers, drained and chopped
½ teaspoon minced garlic
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions
In a large bowl, combine olives, chickpeas, pickled vegetables, artichoke hearts, onions, bell pepper, capers, and garlic. Add oil, vinegar, oregano, and pepper, stirring to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Will keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Notes
*We used giardiniera, a mixture of pickled carrot, cauliflower, celery, and green pepper.

Thanks to stripedspatula.com for the muffuletta photo!