Monthly Archives: December 2009

Apple Cider Doughnuts

Posted on December 29, 2009 | 6 Comments

In economics, the term “economies of scale” drives both efficiency and production.  The term – or theory as it may be – dictates that as the number of goods produced increases, so does the efficiency of producing those goods.  The reasoning behind the theory is simple: as a company produces a greater number of goods, it is able to divide its fixed costs (salaries, rent, etc.) among that greater number of goods, lowering the average cost per unit.

Economies of scale need not be limited to the boardroom.  Its principles are equally applicable to the kitchen.

To make sufganiyot, I needed to Continue reading →

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Posted in Breakfast

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Maple-Roasted Winter Squash

Posted on December 24, 2009 | 3 Comments

Cooking offers the chance to learn something new.

Sometimes, it’s a new cooking style – broiling or deep frying, perhaps.  Other times, cooking offers the opportunity to try a new spice or a new vegetable.  When I learned the difference between sweet potatoes and yams, I went out and bought two different types of yams.

Not surprisingly, when I learned the difference between the different types of winter squash, I went out and bought three different types of squash.  Among them were two varieties I had never tried: acorn and ambercup.

Roasting different varieties together has its advantages.  It offers the chance Continue reading →

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Posted in Entrees

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Sufganiyot (Jelly Doughnuts)

Posted on December 21, 2009 | 5 Comments

In a country divided between twelve political parties, finding common ground can be no easy task.

Indeed, Israelis are as likely to disagree about politics as they are about food.  Ashkenazim (Jews of European ancestry) have their culinary traditions, and Sephardim (Jews of Spanish and Middle-Eastern ancestry) have theirs.  Even the origins of falafel and hummus have been bitterly debated, with Arabs and Jews alike claiming the food as their own.

Fortunately, all Israelis can rally around sufganiyot.  Sufganiyot, or jelly doughnuts, are Continue reading →

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Posted in Breads, Holidays

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Pecan Pie with Candied Pecans

Posted on December 14, 2009 | 1 Comment

I didn’t make it back to New Orleans this Thanksgiving.  But I still wanted a piece of the city at the table.  To that end, I settled on a piece of pecan pie, inspired by the Pecan Pie served at The Camellia Grill.

The Camellia Grill is a local landmark, its Greek columns set right off the streetcar line and the river-bend, and sandwiched between the Uptown and Carrollton neighborhoods.  Its patrons run the gamut, with partied-out college freshmen seated elbow-to-elbow with local luminaries, with everyone in between still waiting to be seated.

Two well-worn green couches sit on opposite ends of the Grill, and serve as the designated waiting area.  A series of one-legged stools, bolted to the ground, snakes around the counter, Continue reading →

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Posted in Desserts

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Vanilla Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Posted on December 7, 2009 | 2 Comments

If you know me, you know I love sweet potatoes.  So, when it came time to create a Thanksgiving menu, the question wasn’t whether I was going to serve sweet potatoes, the question was simply what recipe to choose.

I wanted something fairly simple to make, but that would nonetheless impress.  I also wanted it to be something unique and fun.  This recipe met Continue reading →

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Posted in Sides

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Candied Pecans

Posted on December 7, 2009 | 4 Comments

When Caitlin and I were working on our Grim Peeper Panorama, her candied pecans fueled our creative endeavors.

This recipe also encourages creativity, as you can vary both the spices and the type of nut, if desired.  Candied pecans make a great snack on their own.  They can also be added to mashed sweet potatoes, or used to add a little extra punch Continue reading →

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Posted in Appetizers

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Endive Gratin

Posted on December 6, 2009 | Leave a comment

Whenever I think of endives, I think of the year I spent in France.

During my junior year of college, I studied in Paris, at the Institute of Political Science, or Sciences-Po, as they called it.  While there, my classes were entirely in French – it being a french university and all.  I even took a Russian language course: nothing beats learning a foreign language in a different foreign language.

For the first semester, all of the international students – and there were a few hundred – went to lecture with the native French students, but then had smaller discussion groups among themselves.  The idea was to allow us to develop our French skills sufficiently, so that we could be fully immersed in the regular discussion groups by second semester.  It also allowed us a chance to meet the fellow international students struggling to learn the History of the Second Republic in French.

My Russian class, however, was the one class Continue reading →

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Posted in Sides

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