Apple Galette

Dear Devon,

Watch out, Zabar's, here I come! I've gotten into the habit of visiting Zabar's in the 7 o'clock hour, when the croissants are marked down 75 cents. I'll pick up two on my way home, and more often than not, croissants aren't the only thing going in my bag. It's one of those places that's absolutely irresistible to anyone with any sensory appreciation. Don't think I'm completely decadent- this only happens once every couple of weeks.

Somehow I got it into my head to make my own morning pastry without having to make puff pastry. Without any real game plan, I set out to make individual-sized galettes, about four inches in diameter. In an SAT verbal-style analogy, galette is to tarte as a English garden is to a French garden. Galettes are a without formal pattern, a bit wild, but with a relaxed elegance derived from combining various elements in one clearly defined space. That being said, I don't usually set out to make galettes. More often than not, they are failed tartes.

I use Julia Child's recipe for pâte sucrée from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, vol. 1. I am still trying to find the best recipe for this stuff. I want one that combines the sweet taste of butter with a light, flaky crumb. It seems that every baker has a recipe for pâte sucrée. I've probably tried a half dozen in the last year or so. Looking back over my cookbooks, a few recipes have ended up marked in red ink, a reminder not to repeat them. Others have been adequate, but ultimately unsatisfying. Julia Child's pâte sucrée comes closest to what I'm searching for. It has a crust that browns beautifully in the oven and is laden with rich, delicious butter. I'm in the habit of using good quality butter- It makes a big difference. If you want the pasty to taste like plastic, use cheap butter; if you want it to transport you to Paris, use a high fat butter.

The recipe is relatively simple. I focus mainly on the crust. The filling takes minutes to prepare. Thinly slice apples and set aside a bowl of cinnamon sugar. No fuss, but maximum tastiness. Apples are the easiest fruit to use because they don't let their juices ooze out like berries or plums. They also retain their shape nicely, so be mindful when arranging your slices.

Taking into account that this is for breakfast, I settle on four small galettes, maybe 3 inches in diameter. You can easily make one large galette, instead, if you like. The crust turns out beautifully. The heady perfume of baking butter fills my kitchen and lungs. Two sets of greedy fingers can barely contain their excitement when the four golden brown galettes come fresh out of the oven. The apples are wonderfully cooked, quietly spiced and lightly sweetened. The soft apples give way to a rich and buttery crust. With each bite, large flakes of crust drop onto the plate, later gathered by butter-soaked fingers.

This definitely breaks the numbing cycle of cereal and coffee.

Apple Galette

1 cup flour
4 oz butter, cubed
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup ice water

3 small apples, sliced
1 tbsp vanilla sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with silpat or wax paper.

Prepare a acidulated ice water bath (mixture of lemon juice and water). Peel and core apples. Thinly slice them, about 1/8 inch. Dunk slices in water bath to prevent discoloration. When you are ready to assemble the galettes, drain apple slices and pat dry.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add chilled, cubed butter. Toss butter lightly with flour. With your hands or a pastry blender, work and rub the flour into the butter until the pieces of butter are about the size of peas. Drizzle 1/4 cup of ice water. Gently mix until a soft dough forms. Add an additional tablespoon of water if the dough is dry. Turn out onto a clean surface and knead gingerly until the dough is smooth and the butter is completely incorporated. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Set in the fridge to chill for about an hour or up to one day.

When ready to use, allow dough to rest at room temp for a few minutes. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Set one piece on your floured surface. Return the remaining three pieces to the fridge. Gently roll the dough into a rough circle, 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Carefully arrange slices in a circular pattern in the center of prepared dough, leaving a one inch border. Sprinkle with 1/4 tablespoon cinnamon sugar (recipe follows). Fold excess dough over the arranged apples. Set on prepared baking sheet and chill in fridge while you prepare the remaining galettes. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown.

Cinnamon Sugar: in a small bowl, combine cinnamon with sugar. Mix with a fork until combined. I used vanilla sugar. I always have that on hand. Simply place a used vanilla bean in a container of sugar. Easy and yummy. Great in coffee too!

One For You, One For Me Pear Apple Crisps

Dear Devon,

The best pear I ever ate was in Italy. It weighed over a kilo and was about a foot long. I've never had one quite as good. I seldom eat pears. It's not that I don't like them. In fact, it's the exact opposite, I love them. But I've been disappointed by the mealy, tasteless ones so often that I don't eat them anymore. So when a friend told me about the wonderful pear he ate at lunch, I had some reservations. I decided to go to the exact same store and buy a pear to see for myself. What can I say? He was right. The juice running down my chin was a surefire indication that this was not any old pear. Since that afternoon, I've had pears on the mind. My pear apple crisp is the product of these daydreams.

Though the pears were delicious on their own, I added apples, to give the dessert some interesting texture and a variety of flavors. I am using Golden Delicious for its subtle sweetness and sustained crunchiness even after baking. I spoon the prepared fruit into four 5-inch white fluted ramekins. I like the idea of serving each guest their own pear apple crisp. But, later discovered that the portions were a bit hefty. His and Hers became a 2 for 1 deal. No matter, the remaining desserts will store nicely in the fridge for a quick dessert some other night this week.

I am using a relatively basic crumb topping: butter, flour, brown sugar, rolled oats. Two noticeable changes include a dash of cayenne pepper for a spicy surprise and a hefty 1/2 tsp of salt. Desserts need a bit of savory to calm the sweet. The natural sweetness of the fruits and the spicy cayenne stand up to the extra salt. If you are adverse to over-salted food, reduce to a 1/4 tsp of salt.
Pear Apple Crisp

3 Golden Delicious Apples
3 Bosch Pears
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Topping
4 oz cold butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter ramekins or large ceramic pan. Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet. Set aside.

For the filling: Fill a large bowl with ice cubes, water, and lemon juice. Peel, core, and slice apples and pears. Place sliced fruit into lemon water to prevent oxidation. Remove fruit from acidic water. Put fruit into a large bowl, sprinkle with sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Toss until all the fruit is coated. Divide into the ceramic containers or pour into large baking dish. Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Set aside while you prepare the topping.

For the topping: Place flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Cut butter into cubes. With your fingers, crumble the butter into the flour mixture. Continue to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture forms clumps the size of small peas. This can be easily done with a stand mixer. I don't have one, too heavy and no storage space. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit. Don't push down.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until topping is browned and filling is bubbling. It goes nicely with ice cream.

Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to a week covered in plastic wrap. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed through 10 - 15 minutes.

Fall Gnocchi with Cabbage, Apples, and Chorizo

Dear Michelle,

You know, the first time I remember having madeleines was when you sent them to me my first year in college. I was so impressed! Can't wait to try this recipe.

I have been on a bit of a gnocchi craze lately. Ever since I lived in Florence, packaged gnocchi have never been the same for me. Compared to the puffy little potato pillows they have there (which are not really that hard to make from scratch, but time-consuming), store-bought gnocchi seemed so dry and heavy. That is, until I recently saw Jacques Pepin's technique, on a public television rerun of one of More Fast Food My Way. It seemed so obvious; instead of boiling them, you saute them in fat, then cover almost all the way with water and let simmer till they are almost dry. They are still a whole different thing than Florentine gnocchi, but they deserve a respect all their own. They get a little crispy and golden on the outside, and soft and tender on the inside, and they are perfect for this cold weather when you want something substantial.


Jeff and I tried a chorizo taco at our favorite Mexican restaurant (this place is seriously good, and easy on the wallet. Try the tongue taco. For the squeamish, there are lots of terrific normal tacos, and all sorts of other delightful things), and loved it. When we saw some chorizo at a local bodega, he wanted me to try cooking something with it. I think that the fresh version might be better in this dish; I imagine it would fall apart instead of staying in chunks, but those were perfectly fine. Like usual, it was a winning suggestion on his part. Not only does the sausage ooze a bright orange fat when it is cooked, and I do love anything that intensely colorful, but the flavor is amazing. It is smoky and peppery from the paprika, and crunchy and delicious like anything made from the fatty parts of a pig tends to be. Add in soft gnocchi, silky sauteed cabbage, and just-cooked apples, and you've got a winner of a cool-weather meal.



Fall Gnocchi with Cabbage, Apple, and Chorizo

1/2 link chorizo, casing removed, diced (about a 1/2 cup)
1/2 package pre-made gnocchi
1/4-1/2 small green cabbage, core removed, cut in thin ribbons
1 apple
bacon fat and/or olive oil
butter
1/4 cup chicken stock (optional)
splash beer (optional)
water
splash apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper
some sort of cheese to grate on top (optional, and we used aged Gouda)


Add 1T fat and/or oil to large, heated frying pan. Add chorizo and cook, stirring, till crispy and just browned. Remove, leaving fat in pan. Add gnocchi, and cook, stirring occasionally, till crispy and lightly browned (they will turn orange from chorizo fat, or I'd say till golden). Add cabbage and saute till mostly wilted. Add stock, beer, and water, or just water, till gnocchi and cabbage is 3/4 covered. Turn down to slow simmer, cover, and let soak up water for about 10 minutes, or until almost dry. Add apples. Add a splash of vinegar and pepper to taste. Stir in chorizo. Add salt to taste, and stir in 1T of butter. Plate and grate cheese on top if using.