Margo's Feast

Cranberries are my new big love. Their bright red color cheers up any dull winter day, and their tartness is wonderfully refreshing.  They’re a great companion for brown sugar, apples or oranges. Up until a few months ago I only used dried ones in muffins and scones, but I’m completely converted now and have a bag of fresh cranberries in my fridge all the time. So far my best recipe for them is a tart that I came up with for last year’s Thanksgiving dinner. After making a roasted cranberry and orange sauce for the turkey, I kept looking for a way to use the rest of them.

My first reference book for baking is Once Upon a Tart by Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau. I fell for it the very first time I put my hands on it and since then have never parted with it. Two of my friends got it because of my constant nagging. If you like baking tarts – sweet or savory – this is the book to start with. I found a recipe for an apple and cranberry tart, which I used as a base for my recipe. The result was an amazing sweet-tart pie that looked great and tasted even better, and which has become a huge successes with friends and family. The number of fans grows each time I make it. Next step will be to turn the filling into a jam to keep the energizing taste of this winter classics – cranberries, apples and dates – for longer.

Tart crust makes every home baker a little nervous, but it shouldn’t. Once you get your gear and temperature right, it’s not scary at all. The most important thing is to have very cold butter and a rather cold kitchen when making the dough. This is why you shouldn’t turn the oven on before you finish making it. You can make the pastry a few hours in advance and keep it in the refrigerator. I roll mine out and put it in the tart pan, and keep it in the freezer if I’m going to bake it within a half an hour or so.

The crust:

• 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1tsp salt
• 2 sticks and 1 tbsp unsalted butter (230 g) – cold, cut into small cubes
• a small glass of water with few ice cubes in it
• 9-inch tart pan (or 11-inch) with removable bottom

I make the crust by hand, as my kitchen has been absolutely glacial over the past few weeks and I have a pastry chef’s cool hands. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl, add the butter cubes and using a pastry blender (if you’re lucky like me to have one) or two small knives held parallel to cut the butter into the flour. Work fast until crumbs form and the butter is roughly worked into the flour. You can use a food processor with a metal blade to mix the dry ingredients and butter into crumbs – pulse, don’t run the processor – you don’t want the flour and butter to mix completely.

Dump the crumbs into a bowl, sprinkle 4 tbsp icy water over them, and start bringing the dough together. Add more water, one tablespoon at time if it’s hard to get it together, but don’t panic and don’t add too much – the dough shouldn’t be sticky, it should still be quite crumbly. I never give it more than six tablespoons of water, and usually four or five are enough. Cut the dough in half and flatten it into two discs on wax or parchment paper. If too warm to be rolled, put them into the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Take out, place plastic foil or another piece of parchment paper on one of the discs and roll it about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Wrap it around a rolling pin dusted with flour and transfer to the tart pan. Fit it in, cut the excess dough, patch the places where it needs more (usually the edges) and place the tart pan back in the fridge. Proceed with the second disk – you’ll need it to cut strips to decorate the top of the tart. Put it into the fridge until you make the filling.

The filling:

• 4 Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored and diced
• about 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, one 12 oz package (350 gr)
• 2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• about 2 oz (60 gr) dry dates – I use pulp ready for baking (available in Middle Eastern stores – saves time)
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves (about 4 cloves – powdered in a mortar)
• 1 egg whisked with 1 tsp milk for egg wash

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) with racks positioned in the middle.

In a saucepan mix the apples, cranberries and dates with the spices and sugars over medium heat and cook until the cranberries pop-up – stirring occasionally, about 10 min. Don’t let it boil. Cool the filling to room temperature and spoon it into the prepared tart shell.

Cut strips from the second disc about ½ inch (1 ½ cm) wide. Lay them in parallel over the tart, with another set of strips in the opposite direction. This is elegantly called lattice crust and is used to make even plain desserts look better. Brush the strips with the egg wash using a brush or even a paper towel, and sprinkle them with sugar. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Take out, let cool slightly and remove from the pan (best to use one with a removable outside ring) placing it on a big can and sliding the outside part off. Put the tart on the counter and slide off the form bottom, being careful not to break it.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The taste and smell of this tart is entirely addictive.

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These little bundles stuffed with meat, vegetables or shrimp are my favorite Asian food. I can have them steamed, fried, boiled, in soup, with dips, for breakfast, lunch or dinner. A restaurant devoted only to those parcels of joy would be my ultimate dining heaven. Toss in Vietnamese fresh spring rolls, Chinese dim sum and Japanese gyoza and I will move to live there, wherever it might be.

For years I was deprived of Asian dumplings and had to do with Polish pierogi (not that I don’t like them) and the occasional tired won ton or pot sticker in some mediocre eatery in Warsaw. I would have loved to make them myself, but the ingredients were hard to get, and it looked a bit too complicated. Well, not any more. The Asian stores in Chicago are amazing and once I found them my won ton obsession blossomed once more. With frozen pastry for all kinds of wraps and rolls, exotic herbs, vegetables and fresh shrimp cheaper than a pound of nuts, I was indeed in dumpling heaven. And it all was in my own kitchen.

The best won ton wrappers I have found so far are Dynasty brand – 3.5X3.5 inch (8X8 cm) in about 12 oz (340 g) packs. As for spring rolls – I use  Spring Home brand Tyj spring roll pastry – also frozen 5.5X5.5 inch (14X14 cm), 50 sheets. Those come with very helpful picture instructions on how to proceed. As for the filling – the sky is the limit. The best meat is fresh minced pork that is well marbled (lean is no good – it will be too dry once cooked). Napa cabbage, been sprouts, cilantro (coriander), Asian mint and basil can add a brighter flavor.

My kids love rolling spring rolls and fight over the limited counter space. I’m always amazed by the quantities they can eat in one sitting, and all that without complaining about the weird greens. Won tons are also on their favorite list, though they yet have to master the wrapping technique. It took me almost an hour the first time I made them, but now I’m pretty good, though not yet as good as an Asian chef. As with any other dumplings, once you get to it it’s better to make at least a double batch and freeze the extras, as you’ll probably have your fill of stuffing, folding and shaping for some time.

Won ton with minced pork

makes about 48 dumplings

• 1 lb (500 g) minced pork
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
• ¼ cup fish sauce
• ½ cup shredded Napa cabbage
• ½ cup been sprouts, chopped
• ½ cup fresh mint, cilantro or Asian basil, chopped, loosely packed
• 2 green onions, chopped
• ¼ tsp sesame oil
• 1 pack 12 oz (340 g) 3.5X3.5 inch (8X8 cm) won ton wrappers – about 50, defrosted for about an hour
• cup with water and a brush

In a bowl combine all the ingredients and mix well. On a clean surface place one wrapper. Spoon 1 teaspoonful of the mixture in the middle. Brush all the edges with water. Fold in half to form a triangle. Starting from the filling, squeeze the air out gently by brushing with your fingers towards the edges, then press to seal the won ton.

Now wrap one end around your finger, brush with a little water and press the other end to seal:

There, your won ton is ready. Place on baking sheet covered with parchment paper to prevent the dumplings form sticking to each other. Repeat with the rest.

The first few will be hard, but once you get it, it’ll be easier. Don’t overlap the won tons on the sheet and be careful to dry your hands and work surface – the wrappers get sticky when wet and they are hard to take back apart. You can make this few hours before cooking. Cover with foil and let stand at room temperature. Count the amount you will need and freeze the rest on a metal sheet, then transfer to freezer bags or containers. When needed take them out and lay on flat surface for at least an hour. Use in aromatic clear Thai soup or fry and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

We love them the pot sticker way:

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat with ½ cup (125 ml) water and 2 tbsp vegetable oil for each 16 dumplings. Cover and cook for 6-8 min. They should be cooked through and have brown crispy bottoms. This is the side you should be serving them on. The taste explosion when you bite one is tremendous. They are great dipped in Chinese black vinegar or soy sauce, but I like to complicate things. My favorite is Vietnamese soy sauce recipe given by Trieu Thi Choi and Marcel Isaak in their Authentic Recipes from Vietnam.

Vietnamese soy sauce:

makes ½ cup

• ¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp sugar (palm sugar preferable, but any will do)
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 small red chili, deseeded and minced (or ½ tsp chili garlic sauce)
• 2 tbsp lime juice

Combine everything in a bowl and mix well.

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This is a recipe that can be used in so many ways it’s always good to make more than you need and freeze the excess. Homemade is always better than store-bought in my universe, and I keep a container or two of this tomato sauce in the freezer at all times. It’s great on pizza, and is a real time-saver when you get an urge to whip up spaghetti with meatballs or fresh Italian sausage for a quick dinner. It also helps transform boring chicken breasts into much better-looking and tasting chicken parmigiana.

Ingredients:

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 bunch fresh basil (or flat leaf parsley), torn or chopped
• leaves from 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 big can – 1 pound 12 oz (about 800 g) – of the best tomatoes you can find or an equivalent amount of ripe fresh tomatoes
• salt, freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Place a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium low heat. Add the olive oil, garlic and onion. Saute until onion is translucent, add the tomatoes, basil and thyme. If the tomatoes are whole – smash them with the back of a spoon or fork. Season with salt and pepper, add the vinegar and some sugar if too sour. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until it begins to concentrate. Strain the sauce through a sieve, pushing with a wooden spoon or using a whisk. Put the strained sauce back into the pan and simmer for few more minutes until it is thick enough to spread on a pizza, or add a bit of water if it’s for pasta. Freeze any leftovers.

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