The Simple Things

There are certain things that they say are tied very closely to memories. I believe food is definitely one of those things. If you've read my recently posted autobiography (yes, with all it's typos) you'll see that I truly believe this. Lately I have a tendency to be making some rather complex and diverse foods, but these are not the ones I tend to remember as fondly. What does tend to be tied more closely to my memories are the ones steeped in simplicity.

One of the best examples of these is Sunday morning Tea with my father. On many a Sunday morning, while waiting to get ready for church, I can remember sitting on my fathers lap, wearing an oversized tee-shirt that I slept in the night before reclined in a chair in the living room and sharing a cup of strong Lipton Tea with lots of Milk and sugar(a tradition that originates with my Grandma Margie). My favorite part of this though was the Cinnamon-sugar toast that dad would make to have with the tea.
I can remember making the tea in the microwave, I didn't even realize that normally the tea would be made in a kettle until later when I would share the same tradition with my grandmother. My father would save the teabag on the sill behind the sink to brew another cup later. I remember ignoring the television (which was invariably set to CBS sunday morning, a show no 5 year old in his or her right mind would be interested in), and I remember the sweet and savory taste of the buttered cinnamon toast being the best breakfast I could have.
Nowadays, I find that life can be pretty stressful, it can be depressing, it can seem downright overwhelming. Now I understand why my father, and my grandmother, continued these traditions. Now when I find my world to be a little overwhelming, or if I find that I miss my dad or grandma, that such a simple treat can bring back so many of the things that made me so happy as a kid. It never ceases to amaze me how happy it can still make me now.

Tea:
1 Bag strong pekoe Tea (Lipton or PG Tips works best)
2-3T of Milk
2t Sugar (at least)
8oz boiling water
Steep Briskly for 4 minutes to get a very strong brew. Grandma would always retrieve the teabag with a spoon and wrap the string around it to squeeze the bitter stuff out. stir in the remaining ingredients.

Toast:
2 slices white bread toasted to a rich golden brown and generously buttered.
2T White Sugar
3/4t Cinnamon.
mix the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle liberally on the buttered toast as the butter is melting. Enjoy with Tea.

A crispier side

Every now and again, I find an ingredient that I just don't know how I ever survived without. Usually these ingredients make this distinction because of their taste, but on special occasions I come across something so simple, so flexible, that it becomes a staple in my kitchen.

One of these ingredients are wonton wrappers. These little squares are probably one of the most flexible food items I've ever found. You can use them for everything sweet, savory, fried, baked, steamed. They are every bit as flexible as pasta, and yet so completely underused. I like underused though, because to me, this translates to "special"
I've used these to make foods that are always met with high regard. They've seen their way into my Best Friend's wedding shower, My first dinner invite to my new coworkers, First Dates, and the list goes on.
I think these are a perfect compliment to sweets, giving a non-traditional flare to traditional desserts. I like to use them to make little, turnover-like pastries. Their taste is so neutral that you can stuff them with anything and it's bound to taste good. Here, I LOVE the taste of honey and poppyseed as a sweet finish to a light meal or an accompaniment to good tea.
As you'll see in a recipe below, my preferred method to prepare these is to deep fry them (I am from the midwest, after all). I feel it not only gives them a wonderful crispy texture, but by far produces the most beautiful result. The crispy, bubbly texture and shine that deep frying produces just beg to be eaten, and trust me, your guests will.

Deep Fried Wonton:
1 pkg wonton wrappers
Poppy Seed Filling (Recipe Follows, but you can purchase this ready-made)
Canola or Peanut Oil for Frying
Egg
Honey
Powdered Sugar

Poppy Seed Filling:
POPPY SEED FILLING:

1/2 c. poppy seed
1/4 c. whole milk
2T honey
1T sugar
Generous Pinch of Kosher salt
1 Egg Yolk

Mix first 5 ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and cook till thick, stirring constantly. when complete, add a scant amount of the hot mixture to the yolk while stirring to keep it from cooking, and add this back into the hot mix, again while stirring. Allow to cool completely.

Once cool:

If you have a deep fryer, set it to 350 and allow the oil to heat. Take a wonton wrapper, and place about 1/2t of the poppyseed mix into the center. Using a small pastry brush, or your finger, brush a light amount of the egg wash on 2 edges of the wrapper that meet at a corner. Fold the wrapper over and seal, keeping as much air out of the wrapper as possible. Place these on a damp paper towel, and cover with another damp paper towel to keep from drying out.
When ready, start by placing 2-3 wontons in the fryer for about 5-10 seconds, and flip immediately to keep the other side from cracking. (otherwise you'll end up with an empty fried wrapper full of oil, and a fryer full of poppyseed filling) allow to fry for 30 secs and flip again. cook for another 15-20 secs and remove from oil, allow to drain completely, and place on a paper towel to allow the excess oil to drain off. Serve immediately on a plate, dredge lightly with powdered sugar and drizzle with honey.

Going Bananas

Alright... so the title isn't all that original. Then again, neither is the dish. This may seem a bit hypocritical because, in many of my previous posts, I repeatedly profess the need to incorporate flavor into the all possible aspects of the dishes you make for your guests. While this is true, and is cornerstone to my core belief about food, I should point out that there is an equally important counterpoint to be made here. A practice that can often wow your food audience every bit as much as bold, new flavors. That point: Simplicity.



Recently, I invited a much anticipated guest to spend some time with me here in Ohio. Additionally, with his being a fellow foodie, I knew that we would be cooking quite a bit of food. There was a rather impromptu fondue party in his honor, a night of baking calzones, many occasions on which we ate out, even a special treat of "no-bake" cookies prepared by my mom(Thanks mom!). There was one dish that we made, in particular, truly stands out every time I make it.

Let's face it, Bananas Foster is not a particularly exciting dish in theory. The Flavors of Banana and Carmel are not notably exotic or original. The method by which you prepare the dish is not complicated or challenging. It's not even particularly exciting to look at when it's prepared. At this point, I'm sure it sounds as though I think this is a rather bland dish... and nothing could be further from the truth.

Quite contrary, when you mix a little sugar, molasses, butter, rum and banana over some heat, the result is an exercise in sheer, blissful simplicity. The preparation is quick and unadulterated fun. This might just be evidenced by the countless number of pictures, videos, and (i'm sure) hilarious stories of me making the dish. Which, you can tell by now, I do quite often. The full bodied sweetness is downright comforting. Even the sight of a mound of white vanilla ice cream being suffocated by an ooze of brown caramel elixir would cause the most hardened Weight Watcher to crumble. It is exactly divine in it's simple-ness.

One of the things I like about this dish is how quickly it comes together. What this means though is that you should be prepared. Measure out each of the ingredients prior to beginning the dish so that they can quickly be added. (Also, if you have an audience, keep a long-neck lighter nearby. A good flambe is always a crowd pleaser, and as Julia Child would say: "It's not really necessary, but it's fun!")

Start by measuring out 4T Salted Butter(I'm going to give a shameless plug to Hartzler's Dairy here in Wooster for making what can only be described as the most awe-inspiring hunk of the most delicious butter I have ever experienced in my life. They sell it as far away as the west side market in Cleveland, so I recommend you go get yourself a roll), 1/2t Pure Vanilla Extract, 1/3c packed light brown sugar, a pinch of kosher salt, 1T Heavy Cream, 1/8t Cinnamon, 2 Medium Bananas (I cut mine into 1/2" thick pieces), and 2T Rum(I use Bacardi Select, but you can use your favorite.)

In a deep skillet, start by melting the butter with the vanilla over medium heat. As the butter finishes melting add the brown sugar and salt and stir constantly to fully dissolve the sugar in the butter. As soon as the sugar melts into a caramel mixture and begins to bubble vigorously(as with any caramel dish, be careful not to burn the sugar or it will taste like the black outside of a burned marshmallow), mix in the cream completely then reduce the heat to medium low. Gently stir in the cinnamon and bananas allowing them to cook for a few seconds. add the rum, giving a quick stir as you do. IMMEDIATELY remove from the heat and Flambe using the lighter allowing it to burn for only 2-3 seconds (ONLY use a long lighter and keep your hands clear of the pan or you'll singe your hands, trust me on this) then blow out any remaining flames. It's best to allow to cool slightly before serving. When Ready Serve over a generous helping of natural vanilla bean ice cream, and garnish with slices of cinnamon roll.

There you have it, Simple ingredients and fast preparation time. As a matter of fact, by the time we started making this dish, it was safe to say that I was exhausted from trotting around to various places and eating out and it didn't drain the little energy I had left to make it. I was, however, quite ready to sit down and share the delicious, uncomplicated dish between the two of us. One big plate, 2 spoons, and a movie. What a great end to a fantastic and busy week.