December Baking

December Baking

 

I grew up in a family of German heritage and cookies were always a big part of our Christmas celebration. My father’s sister Irma always showed up with big tins of fancy homemade cookies for everyone—all kinds; my favorites were the iced cutout cookies and the anise caps—and my mother’s family made cinnamon waffles using a special waffle iron passed down through the family. When I got out on my own I kept up the cookie baking tradition, trying out new recipes as I went along, but still making my aunt’s anise caps and my grandmother’s cinnamon waffles—which I now make on an electric pizzelle maker since a cousin has the family waffle iron.

About 20 or so years ago I saw that my church in White Plains was having bake sales on Sundays in December to raise money for Heifer International, which struck me as such a worthwhile project that I started taking a lot of my vacation time in December and added pies, coffee cake, cranberry-orange bread, Christmas stollen and rolls to the baking list. I get teased a lot about the “cookie calendar” I have to work out in late November so I can keep what I’m doing when straight. I’m still doing that, and I try to make plenty to give away to friends as well. My colleagues at the library don’t see much of me in December, but they do seem to enjoy my occasional visits with baked goods in tow.

I have a small collection of cookie cookbooks at home, but there are some good ones here at the library as well:

The Cookie Party Cookbook by Robin L. Olson

The Gourmet Cookie Book: The Single Best Recipe From Each Year 1941—2009

Cookies For Christmas by Jennifer Darling

Cookie Craft Christmas by Valerie Peterson and Janice Fryer

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Cookies by Harriet Hastings and Sarah Moore

Gingerbread Houses: Baking and Building Memories by Nonnie Cargas

Nestle Toll House Best Ever Cookies

The French Cookie Book by Bruce Healy and Paul Bugat

          

Contributor: Beth Mills, Senior Librarian @ NRPL and one of our favorite December bakers! 

The Post-Thanksgiving Sandwich

White Bread Was Invented For The Post-Thanksgiving Sandwich

For your leftover-eating pleasure, we culled the sandwich-themed cookbooks in the library’s collection to find some over-the-top turkey sandwich recipes. Our findings? Slim pickings, when it comes to recipes for a reasonable and delicious turkey sandwich. The few recipes we found called for a host of ingredients and frying pan (spinning on the traditional “Monte Cristo”) or a summer’s day for barbequing and homemade coleslaw.

Perhaps New York Times food columnist Sam Sifton had it right when he told an interviewer, “The way it works with Thanksgiving leftovers is as follows: the best Thanksgiving sandwich is the first one that you eat. You eat it as soon as you get hungry again, in the kitchen, probably barefoot and when it’s dark. You open the fridge, adjust the light in the refrigerator and rip out some dark meat. You want a little dressing or stuffing…” (Sifton is the expert on such matters, by the way, as the author of Thanksgiving: How To Cook It Well. It’s a gem of a book – keep it in mind for next year!)

'wichcraft, by Tom Colicchio and Sisha Ortúzar, did offer a good-looking turkey sandwich recipe that involved a Ciabatta roll, 3 pieces of cooked bacon, a few slices of avocado, good-quality mayonnaise, and the following tasty condiment. I might make this ahead next year and serve it with the main dinner – just so there will be some leftover for that first turkey sandwich.

Balsamic Onion Marmalade
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it slides easily across the pan. Add the onions, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, until the onions are soft. Add the sugar and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the onions appear dry. Add the vinegar and reduce the heat to low. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour, until the onions are soft and dry. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store the marmalade in the refrigerator. It will keep for several weeks.

P.S. To learn the real story behind the invention of white bread, be sure to check-out this fascinating book: White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf. New Rochelle history lovers will find the book particularly interesting as the first packaged, sliced white bread was first mass produced (in 1910) by Ward Bakery. Yes, the same “Ward” as in New Rochelle’s Ward School and Ward Acres!

Contributor: Barbara Davis, Community Relations Coordinator @ NRPL and proud owner of 60+ cookbooks!

Break Bread Not Hearts

Break Bread Not Hearts

Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital’s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program hosts a weekly 'Preschool Fun & Fitness' activity at the Library. This is a fun-filled hour of movement, games and healthy eating and lifestyle tips, made possible by a grant from the Hudson Health Plan. From my experience of watching yesterday's participants, I can tell you that the 'fun' part of this program is contagious. The children took so much pleasure in their fitness routine and you can see the proof in the album on our Facebook page. I would have joined in but, sadly, the equipment and obstacles are decidedly child-sized! 

Following their work-out, children and their care-givers sat to attention and watched the wonderful Giovanni 'Chef d'Amour' Green, from Break Bread Not Hearts, as he demonstrated how simple it can be to create a healthy, tasty snack. Giovanni had a self-imposed 20 minute prep and cook time (he didn't go a minute over) - further highlighting the ease by which such simple snacks can be created. Garbanzo Pancakes with Cranberry Quick Jam were enjoyed by the children, their parents and grandparents (and some staff, strictly for blog research purposes!) The jam makes a fantastic, no sugar added alternative to cranberry sauce - something to consider with Thanksgiving almost upon us. 

Garbanzo Pancakes

15 oz can of no salt added garbanzo beans (chickpeas) drained and rinsed

1 stalk celery (thinly sliced)

1 stalk scallion (thinly sliced)

2 cups flour (either a gluten free blend such as Bob’s Red Mill or an all-purpose unbleached wheat flour)

1 ¼ cup water

2 tsp cumin

3 tsp sea salt

¼ tsp cayenne or black pepper (optional)

Coconut oil (olive oil or butter works also)

Cranberry Quick Jam

1 cup fresh cranberries

1 cup raisins

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp sea salt

2 cups water

Juice from ¼ lemon

Love

Makes 15-20 mini pancakes

Directions

In a saucepan add the cranberries, raisins, and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and let simmer for 15-20 minutes until most of the water evaporates.

Add the cinnamon, and fresh squeezed lemon and remove the pan from the stove.

In a bowl add the garbanzo beans (chickpeas), celery, scallion, 2 cups of flour, 1 ¼ cup of water, 3 teaspoons of sea salt, 2 teaspoons  of cumin, ¼ teaspoon of cayenne or black pepper.

Mix with a fork until the mixture resembles pancake batter. If it is too dry, add more water - 1 tablespoon at a time. If it is too wet, add more flour  - 1 tablespoon at a time.

In a skillet over medium heat, add enough coconut oil to cover the bottom of the pan.

Use an ice scream scoop or a spoon to place the garbanzo mixture into the pan.

Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Remove from pan and top with cranberry quick jam and love.

Enjoy!

Thank you to Giovanni 'Chef d'Amour' Green for the recipe. If you are interested in participating in the 'Preschool Fun & Fitness' program, registration is required - please call Ruben or Nicolas at the WIC office on (914) 637-1677.

Contributor: Sarah Papa, Social Media Coordinator @ NRPL and avid fan of chickpea pancakes! 

Put 'em Up!

Put 'em Up! A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook, from Drying and Freezing to Canning and Pickling

Put ’em Up!

For November, I thought I'd take a look at our books on preserving food. The Farmers Market is brimming with produce too wonderful to pass-up (be sure to stock up before it closes on November 22nd) and gift-giving season is right around the corner. Personally, my garden yielded a bounty of jalapeño peppers and tomatoes that seems to be crying out for attention involving a Mason jar. And, a bushel of apples just arrived at my doorstep, compliments of a neighbor with a second home in orchard country. So, I checked out a few of the library's books on preserving and canning on the third floor (641.4). Put 'em Up! A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook was one that floated to the top. True to its title, this gem of a book is jam-packed (sorry!) with information and recipes for "Drying and Freezing to Canning and Pickling," all presented in a delightfully breezy, smart fashion.

Beginning with 'Why Preserve Your Own Foods?' (you'll have "delicious, high quality, economical, green, and traditional outcomes" using local foods that are "freshest, most flavorful, and less likely to be treated,") author Sherri Brooks Vinton walks you through the tools and the processes. All easy, no trips to the store for elaborate equipment or weird ingredients are required, and kids can readily help. She then provides great recipes, organized alphabetically by fruit or vegetable, with options for a variety of methods – canning, drying, freezing or just eating. With that bushel of apples I might make apple preserves, spiced apple chutney, or apple jelly to can in jars, freeze homemade applesauce, infuse some apple brandy, or simply oven-dry apple rings for snacking. But not before I put up a few pint jars of Charred Chili Salsa, a delicious and versatile sauce with just the right amount of kick.

Put 'em Up! is a keeper!

Check out author Sherri Brooks Vinton's website, here.

A jumble of tomatoes and jalapeños...

Pickled jalapeños to last well beyond the season!

Still too many jalapeños? Here's my quick and easy Pickled Jalapeño recipe that requires no canning process. Feel free to fiddle with the amount of garlic and the herbs. 

1 pound fresh jalapeños

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups distilled or pickling white vinegar

1 cup water

¼ cup sugar

2 tablespoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon fresh thyme or oregano

Wearing disposable gloves, wash jalapeños. Cut off the stems and slice them into rings. Pack the jar with the rings.

Combine all other ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring them to a boil to dissolve the sugar and salt. Remove the pot from the heat and ladle the pickling mixture over the jalapeño rings, making sure to include garlic and herbs. Cool, then refrigerate.

These pickles will keep in the refrigerator for months.

Inundated with apples? Try Sherri's Homemade Applesauce. This recipe may be canned but it's not required - the sauce will last in the freezer for up to six months. Sherri recommends cooking the apples with their skins and running the whole lot through a food mill; cutting down on prep time and adding color and body to the sauce.

½ cup water

2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice 

3 pounds apples, stems removed

Sugar to taste

Ground cinnamon (optional)

Pour the water and lemon juice into a large nonreactive stockpot. Roughly chop the apples, adding them to the pot with the lemon water as you go to prevent browning. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until the apples are tender, 10 to 20 minutes.

Pass the mixture through a food mill. Return the sauce to the heat and add the sugar to taste and the cinnamon, if using. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat.

Transfer to containers and let cool to room temperature then cover and refrigerate (for up to 5 days) or freeze (for up to 6 months). Easy! 

P.S. While you're visiting the library between November 10th and December 3rd, be sure to see our exhibit, "Over There, Over Here", which features extraordinary posters from World War I—when Americans did their parts for the war by growing and preserving their own food. 

Contributor: Barbara Davis, Community Relations Coordinator @ NRPL and proud owner of 60+ cookbooks!

Recipes excerpted from Put 'em Up! (c) by Sherri Brooks Vinton, used with permission from Storey Publishing.