During the colder months, first-time dinner guests are always served chicken pie at our house.  Long ago, I vowed that I would never make another chicken pie after making hundreds of them weekly in our pie shop, MOM.  But when we closed it and moved on to other projects, not too much time passed before we were all longing for the taste of MOM – both my mom (who was the expert pie maker) and the daily pies from the shop.  So, I started making them again.  (Although I refrain from succumbing to pleas of long-time customers who still stop me on the street asking “can’t you make me just one pie?”)

During the winter, there is nothing more warming and comforting that a chicken pie straight from the oven.  And, if you’re the cook, they are the perfect entertaining meal as much can be done in advance which leaves time to enjoy drinks with guests.  I make the filling (see Cookbook Ideas – An American Family Cooks – for the recipe) and the pastry early in the day.  I cut out the pastry tops and little chicks to decorate so all that I have to do is pop the pastry on the filled containers (I use individual large soufflé dishes) and then sit the pies in a preheated 375ºF oven to bake for about 30 minutes while we all enjoy our first course – always a salad and often one served with what I call Olive Swirls which I’ll tell you about in a later post.

Since An American Family Cooks has the recipe for both the filling and the pastry, we are simply sharing the photos of me putting together pies for this past weekend’s dinner party, hoping to inspire you into making them for your wintertime entertaining.

Since I have changed my pastry recipe a bit over the years, here is the revision – either the original or this one will work.  To make enough pastry for a 2 crust pie, I combine 2½ cups of all-purpose flour with 1¼ cups lard or vegetable shortening (when using lard I am careful about the filling that I combine it with as it has, to me, a very distinct meaty flavor) and about ½ teaspoon salt (more or less to your own taste) in the food processor fitted with the metal blade.  I moisten with ½ cup of ice cold water, processing to just barely combine.  I pull the dough together and separate it into 2 equal pieces which I flatten, cover with plastic film, and refrigerate until ready to use.  I think this makes a perfect light, flaky traditional American pie crust.

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When my mom made pie pastry, she always used the leftover to make what she called cinnamon swirls.  These were made by simply rolling out the leftover dough into a free-form sorta rectangle and sprinkling it with cinnamon sugar.  The dough was rolled up, jelly roll-fashion, into a log which she then cut, crosswise, into slices about a quarter inch or so thick.  They were placed on a cookie sheet and baked for about 15 minutes in a 375ºF oven, turning out sweet little swirled cookies that were perfect with tea.  They were a childhood favorite and something I introduced to my boys when I made pastry.

Not long ago when I was making pastry (see the chicken pie post for pastry recipe) and had some leftover, I thought why not make a savory hors d’oeuvre rather than the cinnamon-scented cookie that I had always loved.  So, I took mom’s technique and translated it to a filling of olive paste, then pesto, then grated parmesan cheese and smoked paprika.  Like mom did, I roll out the dough, but then I coat it lightly with olive paste (or now whatever filling I happen to have on hand).  The little savory swirls have become so successful that I have started making pastry just for them.

Here is my recipe for olive paste – aka tapenade – but don’t hesitate to purchase jarred olive paste from your favorite specialty food store – most that I’ve tried are pretty good.   This makes quite a bit but it will keep for about a month, covered and refrigerated.  In addition to being used as a filling for olive swirls, olive paste can be used as a condiment for meat, poultry, or fish; as a dip for crudités; as a topping for croutons, baguette slices, or sliced cooked potatoes.

Olive Paste or Tapenade

¾ cup olive oil

¼ cup finely chopped red onion

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper

1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

2 cups chopped black olives, such as kalamata, niçoise, Gaeta, or other

deeply-flavored black olives

1½ cups finely chopped toasted walnuts

⅓ cup chopped flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoon finely chopped basil

½ cup red wine vinegar

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes or just until beginning to color.  Stir in all of the bell peppers and sauté for 10 minutes or just until the peppers are softened.  Stir in the olive the olives, walnuts, parsley, and basil.  When well-combined, stir in the vinegar.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and scrape into a nonreactive container.  If storing for a long period of time, cover the top with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil.

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Not only do we have lots of vegetarian friends, we now have 2 vegetarian granddaughters so I am always struggling to devise dishes that will appeal to them as well as to our houseful of meat-eaters.  This is a simple trick that adds a deep, almost meat-like flavor to salads or vegetable dishes, even something as simple as a baked potato, sweet or Idaho.  If you are feeling expansive, fry up a bunch and use them as a snack with cocktails – so delicious!

Get a mess of large, very fresh shiitake mushrooms.  Clean them and remove the stems (which you will, of course, save for adding flavor to stocks or sauces).  Then, cut each one into thin slices.  Heat about ⅛-inch of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add the shiitake slices and toss to coat well.  Lower the heat slightly and fry, tossing frequently, for about 12 minutes or until the mushroom slices are crisp, nicely browned little frizzles.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a double layer of paper towels to drain.  Season with sea salt and pepper and serve warm.

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For as long as I can remember, this has been a staple in our house.  When my mom made it, the cooking fat of choice was bacon or lard and the beans were mashed with butter.  I have made some healthier changes, but it is still the go-to dip (with homemade tortilla or pita chips) for television-watching (usually for the guys glued to sports), card-or game-playing, or even for a late night easy-to-put-together burrito, taco, or tostada.  My mom had a wonderful electric bean crock that she used to serve it in – kept the dip warm and cheesy.  I have been looking for one just like it to no avail.  If you know of one, let me know.

When we were last in San Francisco, I did my usual run to the Rancho Gordo stand at the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market.  I bought many 1 pound packages of their various heirloom beans – borlotti, yellow eyes, Christmas limas, and on and on the list goes. (Check out their website ranchogordo.com for the complete listing of heirloom beans, grains and rices, herbs and spices, dried corn, and chiles and chile powders – their products are sensational).  I am down to just a couple of packages in the larder so used the one remaining Santa Maria Pinquito Beans for this.  Rancho Gordo calls them “the classic pink bean for California tri-tip barbecues.”  I found that they made a deeply flavored dip.

Although a lot of restaurant chefs now seem to forego the presoak for the beans, I stick to my old-fashioned ways.  I have had too many a bit more than al dente beans served in restaurants to give up presoaking.  I have found, however, that adding salt and/or acidic ingredients, such as tomatoes, early in the cooking cycle does not seem to affect the end result as I had been taught.  And, although my mom used an electric mixer – which was the absolute wonder of her kitchen – you can quite easily use a food processor fitted with the metal blade to mash the beans – just don’t over-process to a really smooth purée.

Makes about 8 cups

2 cups dried pinto beans, rinsed and picked clean of any debris

1 jalapeño chile, seeded and minced or to taste

1 cup chopped onions

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2½ tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin or to taste

½ cup olive oil

¾ cup reduced-calorie cheddar cheese or full-flavored if you are not concerned

about such things

⅓ cup nonfat sour cream (and the same for sour cream, richer if you don’t mind)

Tabasco or other hot sauce sauce to taste

Coarse salt to taste

Place the beans in cold water to cover by 1-inch and set aside to soak for 8 hours or overnight.

Drain the beans and transfer to a large, heavy bottom saucepan.  Add water to cover by 2-inches along with the jalapeño, onions and garlic.  Stir in the chili powder and cumin.  Place over medium-high heat, stir in the olive oil and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat and simmer, stirring frequently and adding additional boiling water as needed to keep the beans moist, for about 2 hours or until the beans are very, very soft and almost all of the liquid has been absorbed.

Remove from the heat.  Add the cheese, sour cream, Tabasco and salt to taste.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a heavy duty mixer with the paddle attachment and beat until the cheese has melted into the beans and the mixture is almost smooth.  Taste and, if necessary, season with additional Tabasco and salt.

Scrape into a bowl and serve.  Or, set aside to cool.

When cool, transfer to a container (or containers) with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months.  If frozen, thaw and reheat before using.

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I do love ginger – fresh or dried and I particularly love ginger cookies.  But, I’ve never had a recipe that met my requirements for one that is crisp, chewy, sugary, and biting with a swath of heat.  Not only do I now have that recipe, it has become the most requested recipe from the Christmas gifts from my kitchen.  To welcome in what I think will be a spectacular year, I share my recipe with you all.  I guarantee it will become a favorite!

Ginger Cookies

Makes about 5 dozen (you can easily cut the recipe in half)

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ cup white sanding sugar

5 cups all-purpose flour

3½ tablespoons ground ginger

1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon

1½ tablespoons baking soda

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 pound (2 cups) dark brown sugar

½ cup unsulphured molasses

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger, optional

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

I use nonstick cookie sheets, but I still line them with silicone baking sheets (or parchment).  If you don’t do this, you will have to grease your cookie sheets.

Place the granulated sugar in a large shallow bowl.  Set aside.

Place the sanding sugar in another shallow bowl.  Set aside.

Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, and baking soda.  Set aside.

Place the butter in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle.  Beat, on medium, to soften.  Add the dark brown sugar and beat until light, scraping down the sides of the bowl a couple of times to insure even creaminess.  When creamy, beat in the molasses.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat to incorporate.  Beat in the orange zest and lemon juice.

Now, here you really should have a splash guard or the flour will go flying all over.  Begin adding the flour mixture, a bit at a time, and beat on low until all of the dry ingredients have been blended in.  Do not over-beat as it will dry out the dough.

If you are adding crystallized ginger, fold it in now.

Scoop out about a large tablespoon of dough and roll it between your palms into a smooth ball.   Roll the ball in the granulated sugar and then push one side into the sanding sugar.

Place the ball, sanding sugar coated side up, on the prepared cookie sheet.

Continue making cookies, setting them about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets.

Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes or until just barely colored around the edges and slightly rounded in the center.  Do not over-bake UNLESS you want crisp, dry cookies.  You will probably have to bake a few batches to figure out exactly how much baking is required in your oven to get the optimal crisp exterior and chewy interior.  Or, at least, I did.  The crisp cookies are great dunkers, though!

Remove from the oven and transfer to wire racks to cool.

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I, like many cooks, have embraced pork.  If you’ve been following my ramblings, you might remember my almost-happened pig roast of the summer and my recent attack on a country ham.  One of my specialities is a pork loin.  One of the things that I teach when instructing young home cooks is how to break down a whole loin and what to do with it once you’ve done so.  The following is one of my most-requested recipes from this exercise in economy.

I make this using the small cutlets that I cut from the loin which I pound to the requisite thinness.  The finished dish rather mimics the classic and expensive veal scallopine; in fact, I think it is better.  You can also purchase thick boneless pork chops which should then be cut in half, crosswise, and pounded.  I generally allow 2 pieces per person.  This recipe can also be used with boneless chicken breasts as well as the traditional veal.

Pork Scallopine with Arugula Salad

Serves 6

12 small pieces pork loin, trimmed of all fat and sinew, about ⅜-inch thick

2 large eggs

¼ cup milk

2 cups bread crumbs (plain or seasoned, depending upon your preference)

½ cup Wondra flour

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

¼ cup olive oil plus more for dressing

6 large handfuls baby arugula (or other small salad green), well-washed and

dried

Juice of ½ lemon

Lemon quarters for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 200ºF.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set

aside.

Place each piece of pork between 2 sheets of waxed or parchment paper.  Work-

ing with one piece at a time and using a small, heavy frying pan, pound the meat out to about ⅛-inch thickness.

Combine the eggs and milk in a shallow dish, whisking to blend well.

Combine the bread crumbs and flour in another shallow dish.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir to blend.

Working with one cutlet at a time, dip the meat into the egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off.  Then, dip it into the bread crumb mixture.  If you prefer a heavy coating, again dip into the egg and bread crumb mixture.  Place the coated cutlets within easy reach of the stove.

Heat ¼ cup of the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.  When very hot, but not smoking, begin adding the cutlets, without crowding the pan.  Fry, turning once, for about 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp and golden brown.

Transfer to a double layer of paper towel to drain.  Then, carefully transfer to the parchment-lined pan and place in the preheated oven to keep warm while you continue frying the remaining cutlets.

If the oil gets too dark and filled with bits of the cooked coating, pour it out, wipe the pan clean with paper towel, and start again with fresh oil.

When all of the cutlets are cooked, place 2 on each of 6 warm dinner plates.

Place the arugula in a mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil and the juice of ½ lemon.  Season with salt and pepper and mound an equal portion on top of the cutlets on each plate.  Serve with a lemon quarter for drizzling on the meat.

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