Season's Eatings

Every year I post food gifts for the season because food is truly the gift to give in winter. Historically, traditionally, in the northern hemisphere, the cold dark of December and January was an existentially scary time. Little grew in the iced soil, transport to hunt or fish was challenging, heat was limited. The famed festivals of Spring essentially celebrate the joy of survival.

So in our primal human brain, food in the dark cold is the gift of life. To give somebody food is to show how much you want them to stay alive.  And traditionally what's in that food carries similar meaning.  It's not coincidental to use a lot of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg right now: these spices are known to warm the body--and heat in cold times is the gift of life. The same reasoning puts sweets in sight: sugary carbs heat up the metabolism whose roaring engine warms the body. We bake with dried fruits because the fruits we dry--figs, plums, apricots, dates--are among the most sugary. That's why they dry so well.  

Preserving fruits by drying, preserving vegetables by pickling or salting, preserving fish by smoking --all this preserving is for the gift of life, a holdover from the long long times food was not so readily available. So jams, chutneys, pickles and the like are wonderfully appropriate gifts of this season. So is cheese, which is preserved milk.

There is nobody on Earth who does not need food. So give the gift of life in these dark times.  My handmade, heartfelt gifts this year include taralli, ginger cookies, jam I made earlier to preserve the fruits of summer-- blueberries, strawberries, figs, plums, peaches, apricots; authentic maple syrup, herb infused olive oil and some of what follows. I mix it up every year.   

Oh yes, I try to find interesting canisters, baskets, plates and tins that become, hopefully, the lasting gift. 

Apricot fig cake

 pure fig version

This is my fast version of the traditional Catalan pan de higos, for which figs are lovingly pressed one by one with freshly harvested almonds into a mold weighted down for weeks. You can buy thin slices at considerable cost in high end markets now. Or you can try this version, in which I include a few apricots.  You can also stick to pure fig.
  In either case, what you end up with is gluten free, vegan and    white sugar free. In other words, healthy, hearty and highly portable. 
  
1 lb dried Mission* figs OR 1/4 lb dried apricots and 3/4 lb dried figs 
1/2 tsp anise seed
pinch ground cloves
pinch ground cinnamon
1 tbsp dry sherry or brandy
1 tbsp honey  
10 raw almonds
 *  Mission figs are black figs are Spanish figs which are key here.

Stem the figs.
In the bowl of a food processor or chopper, combine the figs, apricots, anise seed, cloves, cinnamon, sherry or brandy and honey. Process just to start getting the fruit chopped. Add the almonds and continue to process until the figs stick together in clumps. You should still be able to see shards of almonds.

Line a  5" baking dish or flat bottom bowl with parchment paper that is at least double the size so it will eventually fold over the cake. Put the fig cake clumps into the mold and smash them down to fit it. Press down hard to mold them into one coherent whole.  Cover the top with the overhanging parchment paper and put a heavy weight on top. Let it remain 24 hours.  Remove the weight. While keeping the cake in the parchment remove it from the mold and wrap it entirely in the parchment. Place in a sealable plastic baggie or wrap in foil.  You're done!
 
Vanilla walnuts

 I've been posting this for years because I've been making these for decades. Folks actually wait anxiously for their arrival. I keep a can for myself too because they glamorize a winter salad, uplift drop in for a drink sessions and make sensational snacking. They are also a gift of life because, at least in traditional millennia old Chinese medicine, walnuts are thought to restore depleted chi, life energy. Then again be careful as some folks are fatally allergic to walnuts.

This will fill about 3 sm/med tins.
1 lb walnut halves
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 1/2 tbsp corn oil
1 tbsp good quality vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
couple grinds of the pepper mill
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
pinch cayenne

Preheat oven to 325º.
Blanch walnuts 1 min in boiling water. Drain well in a colander. While still hot put in a large bowl and toss with the sugar and corn oil and vanilla. Let stand 10 minutes to absorb. Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet (for easy clean up line it with parchment paper) in a single layer. Bake 30-35 min, checking every 10 minutes and moving them around with a metal spatula so they don't brown unevenly. They should get brown and crispy.

While they bake, combine all the spices, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss the hot nuts in the spices being sure everyone gets coated. Cool before packing into airtight tins.

Chocolate fruit cake

This ridiculously rich concoction kills all those jokes about Christmas fruitcake. And who doesn't want the gift of happiness eating chocolate is. For those who don't like fruits, you can make this with chocolate chips brown and white plus three kinds of toasted nuts (pecans, walnuts, pistachios). It's an artery clogger so send small sections with instructions to cut it very thin. 
  

1/2 lb dark chocolate (more than 70% cacao)
1/2 c unsalted butter (1 stick)
4 large eggs
1 1/2 c mixed dried fruits, nuts and/or coconut *
1/4 tsp orange flower or rose water (optional)
1/4 tsp spice (your choice: cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, anise--a mixture?)
1 tbsp cocoa powder
*use dried figs, dried dates, dried cherries or dried cranberries, toasted pecans or almonds, pistachios, toasted coconut, candied ginger....

Preheat the oven to 350º. Heavily butter or line with parchment a 6-7" cake or pie pan. Or two 4" pans. 
In a double boiler or bain marie, over barely simmering water (in the bottom pot) on low heat, melt the chocolate and butter together.  Remove from heat. One by one whisk in the eggs. With a wooden spoon, stir in the salt and your fruit/nut combo and flavoring/spices. Blend so it's all very smooth and shiny. Pour everything into the prepared pan, level the top and smooth it. Bake 15-20 minutes until a tester comes out clean and the cake is solid. Let it cool at least 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and dust the top with the cocoa.  That's it!

Dilly beans

This is a kid favorite and a great way to get them to go green. Plus fermented food is the gift of probiotics that keep the body functioning smoothly. It's also something kids like to make. Dilly beans are great cocktail fare, picnic fare and companions for sandwiches in lieu of cucumber pickles.

  4 1-quart canning jars with new lids

2+ lbs. green beans

8 lg garlic cloves, halved and smashed

2 tsp red pepper flakes

4 tbsp dill seeds

2½ cups white vinegar

2½ cups water

¼ cup kosher salt (not regular salt)

Sterilize jars in boiling water.

Pull the “twiggy” ends off the beans and wash them. Dry carefully. Put one into the jar to measure how long it can be to be slightly shorter than the jar and cut it. Use this to cut all the beans into that same length. Put 4 garlic halves, 1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes and 1 tbsp dill seeds in each jar. Fill each jar tightly with the green beans, trying to keep them all standing up in the same direction.

In a large saucepan, combine the water, vinegar and salt. Stir to dissolve salt and bring to a full boil. Ladle the hot liquid into jars, filling to ¼” of the top. Shake jars to remove air bubbles. Seal jars. Put back in boiling water 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Listen for the lids to “pop” so you know the jars are securely sealed.

Thekua, Nepali whole wheat cookies 

This splendid recipe for whole wheat cookies is from my Himalayan collection. It's my oven baked version of a beloved Nepali treat that's traditionally fried and thus made with jaggery .  You can feel virtuous sending loved ones these nourishing and tasty not so sweet cookies.

1¼ c whole-wheat flour plus 2 tbsp for rolling

6 tbsp turbinado or raw or brown sugar

½ tsp ground cardamom

¾ c plus 1 tsp ghee*

1 tbsp fennel seeds

¼ c shredded unsweetened coconut

*now available at Trader Joe’s as well as Middle Eastern and Indian markets and at a higher price at Whole Foods Markets.

Preheat oven to 350º.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. (This makes cleanup a snap!)

In a medium bowl, using a spatula or wooden spoon, combine 1¼ c flour, 2 tbsp sugar, cardamom and ¾ c ghee into crumbly dough. (It won’t be perfect yet.)

In a small saucepan, combine 4 tbsp sugar,1 tsp ghee and 2 tbsp water. Bring to a boil and boil 3-5 minutes or until it just starts to thicken slightly. This caramelizes the sugar. Let this cool a bit.

Add 3 tbsp of sugar syrup to the dough mixture. Add fennel seed and shredded coconut and quickly blend into dough. If it is still too crumbly, add 1-2 tbsp. of the sugar liquid, saving some for the finale. Roll the dough into a ball and slightly flatten.

Sprinkle 1 tsp whole-wheat flour over a piece of wax paper twice the size of the dough disk. Sprinkle 1 tsp whole-wheat flour on top of the disk. Cover with waxed paper and either using your hands or a rolling pin, make a circle ¼” thick. (Err on the higher side.) Be sure it is level all around. Using a 1½” round biscuit/cookie cutter cut circles, remaking the scrap dough into a ball and rerolling and cutting until nothing’s left. You should get 14-15 cookies. Place the circles on the prepared cookie sheet in a single layer no closer than 1” apart.

Bake at 350º 15 minutes. Turn oven up to 425º. Remove cookies, lightly brush each with the remaining caramelized sugar and return to the oven 2-3 minutes.  Remove immediately, put the cookies on racks to cool. Enjoy! 

Snowball Cookies

These beloved sweets are more traditionally known as Mexican or Italian wedding cookies, as Greek Kourabeides, and German pfeffernusse. No matter what you call them, they're a rich buttery bite. 

 about 5 dozen

 1 lb sweet (unsalted) butter         

1/2 c powdered (confectioner's) sugar (more below)  

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp cognac or brandy

1 tsp vanilla 

1 tsp almond extract

1/2 c finely chopped or ground almonds 

 4 c unbleached white flour

   3 c powdered (confectioner's) sugar

 Heat oven to 300º. Butter or line with parchment paper two cookie sheets.

In a food processor, blend the butter and sugar until you have a very creamy mixture.  With the motor on, add the egg yolk, cognac, vanilla and almond extract. Add the almonds and blend into a smooth pasty mixture. Gradually add the flour, cup by cup, and process just long enough to  get a soft dough. Do not overprocess. 

Turn the dough out onto waxed paper or a board.   Pull off pieces and roll them into smooth walnut size balls.  Place these on the  baking sheet at least 1" apart.  Put the first cookie sheet in the fridge while you fill up the second. These need to stay cold to hold shape.

Bake at 300º  20 minutes or until they are just turning golden. Also you can test by lightly pressing a finger into one to see if it leaves an indent. If it doesn't the cookies are done.  Cool slightly so you can handle them

Spread the 3 c powdered sugar in a shallow bowl or pan and roll the cookies in them.  Pack in airtight tins.  They last a while that way.