ASK THE SPLENDID TABLE® by Lynne Rossetto Kasper
Host of The Splendid Table®, American Public Media’s national food show. Ask questions and find Lynne, recipes, and station listings at splendidtable.org, or 800-537-5252. Copyright 2006 Lynne Rossetto Kasper
Dear Lynne, What happened to my mother's (usually wonderful) Coconut Cream Pie? She made it in the usual way, making the custard part on top of the stove with cornstarch. The custard was thick when she removed it from the stove and put it in the crust. When she served the pie later that day, the custard was thin and runny -- liked she'd never cooked it at all! What happened? The only thing we can come up is that the cornstarch was about a year old. HELP! Linda
Dear Linda, It’s the evil alpha amylase enzyme at work again. Food scientist, Shirley Corriher in her book, Cookwise (Morrow, 1997), explains that you have to cook egg yolks in this kind of custard (one with starch in it) until the custard is gently boiling to kill this enzyme. If not, the enzyme “eats” the starch gels up and you get liquid instead of firm custard. So suggest to your mom that she simmer her custard a few minutes (stirring all the time to keep it from scorching) and all will be well.
Dear Lynne, Is there a trick to getting the seeds out of a pomegranate, and how would I juice one? Puzzled in Peoria
Dear Puzzled, To seed the pomegranate use a large sharp knife. Slice the pomegranate into quarters or sixths from top to bottom, then with a fork of knife tip, pick out the seeds. Do this over a bowl to catch all the juice. The gel around the seeds is delicious and many just crunch down on the seeds, and discreetly discard them once they’ve gotten all the gel.
To juice the fruit, cut a deep hole into its side with a paring knife and squeeze hard into a bowl.
Once you’ve got seeds and juice do The Cardinal’s Tail for parties.
The Cardinal’s Tail
Serves 1 and multiplies easily.
1 fresh pomegranate seed
1 tablespoon pomegranate juice, or to taste
4 to 5 ounces chilled champagne, cava or Cremant
1. Place the pomegranate seed in the bottom of a champagne flute, add the juice and finally, the wine. Serve chilled.
Dear Lynne, I have several cases of champagne left over from an event in 1983. Do I throw it out or can it be used for something like champagne vinegar? Forgetful
Dear Forgetful, I am dying to know how several cases of champagne could just hang around for 23 years without being noticed. It suggests a great abundance at your house and does foster some jealousy at my house.
If the bubbly is a vintage bottling ( it will have a year on the bottle) from a good year like 1979, 1980, 1981 or 1982 and was kept cool and in a dark place, you have some fine drinking ahead of you (perfect for New Year’s Eve). Outstanding vintages were ‘79 and ‘82. If not, vinegar may be the right choice. The only way to know is to open a bottle and see.
If you are looking for very classy champagne to celebrate with now, the vintages to check out are 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, and 1996.
Dear Lynne, A friend brought me two pounds of pitted dates from the Middle East. I’ve never eaten them before. They taste like candy, but how do I use them in a recipe. On Her First Dates
Dear On Her First Dates, I am groaning, but love the pun.
You probably have pretty fine dates. Turn to their home countries for recipe ideas -- Morocco, Tunisia, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Iran, and Turkey.
You don’t want to overwhelm the dates with too many other ingredients. Something acidic for contrast and perhaps a snap of spice sets them off.
This recipe is so good for the holidays -- not heavy, a great contrast to bold flavored main dishes, good enough to stand on its own for a light supper, or to serve for dessert, especially with a bowl of whole milk yogurt sweetened with honey.
Find orange flower water in Mid East and Asian shops or specialty food stores.
Holiday Salad of Sweet Dates, Orange and Almonds
Serves 6 to 8
Colorful and totally different, serve this Moroccan-inspired salad as a side dish with bold meats and poultry, or best of all, for dessert with honey-sweetened organic whole milk yogurt.
4 to 5 large organic navel oranges, peeled, and sliced into segments free of any membrane
1-1/2 to 2 pounds fresh dates, or 1 pound dried dates, pitted and cut into bite-sized pieces
Generous pinch salt
4 to 5 grindings of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper (optional)
2 teaspoons orange flower water (optional)
juice of a large lemon, or to taste
2 to 3 teaspoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup lightly crushed whole toasted almonds
1. Arrange the orange segments on a platter. Scatter with the dates, salt, pepper, red pepper and orange flower water (if using), lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon.
2. Taste for balanced flavorings and serve, or cover and chill up to 4 hours. Serve at room temperature scattered with the almonds.
A Very Happy Holiday to All!
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Comments: 4
I have a friend supplying a venison loin for a New Year's Eve meal for 8. I have never cooked venison. Please help! These are fairly sophisticated eaters coming to the event, so I need something classy. I also need help with side dishes, etc. that would be compatible. Thanks for your help.
mlr
I've been baking bread this fall for the first time in my life. My first 10 loaves have been fine. Suddenly my bread is not rising. I've tried several different recipes, including your stollen recipe which never rose and turned into a heavy block. My yeast is new, and I've tried the normal active dry yeast (which I've been using all fall) and the fast yeast.
any ideas?
thanks,
karen
How long should a 20 pound turkey take to thaw? Thanks for your help! Season best to all.