Who's Hungry? Magazine | No 5

judith mara | Editor and Writer

Judith has worked with Stephen for almost seven years and helps to lead the editorial concept and execution of Who’s Hungry?™ magazine. An award-winning former creative director for major ad agencies such as Leo Burnett and J. Walter Thompson, Judith sweats the details, pens Weather Permitting and literally hand writes How We Did It.

ian law | Design

Ian designed every aspect of Who’s Hungry?™ magazine with meticulous attention to detail and typography, and helped turn static images into an interactive experience. His award-winning design work has been featured in the pages of Print, Creativity, How, PDN and Graphic Design USA.

Deirdre o’Shea | Production Director

If you have worked with Stephen Hamilton, you’ve worked with Deirdre. Drawing on 15 years of experience in managing photography studios, Deirdre has a hand in nearly every aspect of Stephen’s business. She’s been instrumental in organizing the magazine’s shoots, sourcing ingredients, and always keeping production on schedule.

Dannielle Kyrillos | Writer and Television Commentator

A series judge on Bravo’s “Top Chef Just Desserts,” Dannielle is an expert on stylish entertaining, food, fashion, and travel. She appears regularly on NBC’s “Today” and “The Nate Berkus Show,” as well as on “E! News,” BetterTV, CNBC, CNN, and local morning programming in New York and Philadelphia. For Who’s Hungry?™ Magazine, Danielle clued us in on the most comforting dishes from across the country.

kathryn o’malley | Associate Editor and Writer

Kathryn’s love of food is matched only by her passion for writing about it; as the newest addition to the Who’s Hungry?™ team, she indulges in a bit of both. Her popular food blog, dramaticpancake.com, garners more than 40,000 unique viewers per month and highlights the people and stories behind great recipes.

claire bidwell smith | Writer and Author

Claire is the author of the critically acclaimed memoir The Rules of Inheritance, a fearless and heartbreaking, yet ultimately uplifting, exploration of love and loss. She has written for many publications including Time Out New York, Yoga Journal, BlackBook Magazine, The Huffington Post and Chicago Public Radio. For Who’s Hungry?™ Magazine, Claire shares her hard-earned insight on what it means to be truly nourished.

a special thanks to : Gale Gand, Rose Levy Baranbaum, Alice Medrich, Matt Lewis, Renato Poliafito, CeCe Campise, Raymond Barrera, Tom Hamilton, Paula Walters, Walter Moeller, Breanna Moeller, Ruth Siegel, Andrew Burkle, Justin Paris, Josephine Orba, Kathy Joy, Mary Ann Melone, Jen Straus, Carol Smoler, Geoff Bins-Calvy, Martha Schrick, Giuseppe Tentori, Pedro Rayes at GT Fish, Travis Croxton and his team at Rapphannock River Oysters and Mindy Segal, Alex Gara and Alex McDaniel at HotChocolate.

A bit of indulgence seems to be part of the holidays. Naughty little food treats mysteriously appear all over the studio and seem to disappear just as inexplicably. I can’t resist giving into my kids this time of year with a nonessential gift or two.

LETTER FROM STEVE

When entertaining friends and family it’s all about sharing little luxuries that meld with the season. On the top of my list is the decadent combination of oysters and champagne. In “The Oyster’s Allure” we celebrate the beauty of briny oysters and explain how to pair them with champagne.

The cookies in “The Holiday Cookie Exchange Party” are gifts themselves. And we include recipes for every level of baking skill from Christmas cookie expert Rose Levy Berenbaum, pastry chef Alice Medrich and bakery owners Matt Lewis and Renato Peliafito.

Much of the holidays are spent with family. Claire Bidwell Smith, author of the highly regarded memoir, The Rules of Inheritance, writes for us her memories of cooking along side her food stylist mother and how that has influenced who she is today.

In “5 Favorite Sweet Celebrations” Dannielle Kyrillos takes us on a sensational tasting trip with decadent desserts from Sin City’s Montesano’s Cream Cheese Cookies to San Francisco’s Fleur de Lys’s Chocolate Soufflé.

Just across the New Year’s line is January when many of us try to correct the holiday excess. It’s back to a simpler life. We cozy up during the short, dark days of winter looking for sunshine. In “Weather Permitting” we salute our Southern states for sending us their “citrus” sunshine.

Who’s Hungry?™ Let the holidays begin!

STEPHEN HAMILTON

LETTER BY PETER HURLEY BY ANDREW BURKLE

THE HOLIDAY BAR CORNER STYLIST’S

by KATHRYN O’MALLEY

Creating something that is not only visually appealing, but also emotionally evocative, is one of the greatest challenges of prop styling. Here, prop stylist Tom Hamilton was challenged to construct a scene that set a celebratory mood—without being holiday-specific.

To begin, Tom opted for a rich color palette of amber, wine, and emerald. “I wanted to draw the viewer into an earlier, more glamorous era,” Tom says, “and veer away from the ubiquitous wintery blues you see this time of year.” A weighty leather-bound book, antique stool with textured fabric, and a variety of vintage glassware all contribute to a regal, old-school atmosphere. “Part of what makes something feel celebratory,” Tom explains, “is using items you wouldn’t normally use, things that are relatively unexpected. A celebration should feel special, and it calls for special décor.”

PHOTOGRAPHY

BY STEPHEN HAMILTON | STYLED BY TOM HAMILTON

tom hamilton

FAVORITE

SWEET

CELEBRATIONS

by DANNIELLE KYRILLOS

Dannielle Kyrillos, a series judge on Bravo’s “Top Chef Just Desserts” and expert on all things food and entertaining, shares her five favorite comfort food dishes from around the country.

Portrait by Peter Hurley

Chef Hubert Keller grew up in Alsace above his parents’ patisserie, and to hear him tell it, spent an idyllic childhood playing among flour sacks and learning the family trade. He is one of the sweetest chefs you’ll meet, and while his savory dishes are world-famous, his heart and his roots are in sugar. So of course he is a true master of that quintessential dessert, so simple on paper

and so complex in practice—the chocolate soufflé. The iteration he serves at his jewel, Fleur de Lys, with cherry and Kirsch ice cream, brings the otherworldly pleasure only a great dessert can. Like a poufy, eggy cloud you’d like to live on, but then decide to eat because its aroma makes you drool even though you’re all dressed up, Keller’s soufflé is the stuff of legends, and of very sweet dreams. Fran

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN HAMILTON

the end of dinner, to a simpler time. Its warm, hearty bready-ness comforts and cozies, while the toffee’s contrasting chew provides the most fun texture that exists and ties it all together (literally!). The accompanying coffee cream lends a grown-up elegance and nuanced bitterness, elevating this pudding to showstopper status. Poulos, a former member of the U.S. Air Force, has hit upon the antidote for longing. grill’s grill Cheshire bridge ga

Sure, Atlantans really dig temple-of-local Woodfire Grill’s super-fresh, sustainably sourced savory menu, but they get downright rabid when it comes to pastry chef Chrysta Poulos’s English toffee pudding. This study in sticky has become an institution in its own right, because it hits every mark of what makes a dessert work. As a classic dish, it conjures childhood nostalgia and transports us, at least for a brief respite at

Dessert is, by definition, frivolous. One does not eat it for nutrition or sustenance. It’s never an urgent matter and it’s never necessary. It is instead a celebration, a convivial, instant party, even if the only occasion is enjoying someone’s company or having made it through another long day. Dessert creates excitement just by existing, and that is truly the case with Oleana’s Baked Alaska. Chef Ana Sortun opened her intoxicatingly

charming restaurant in 2001, and pastry chef Maura Kilpatrick has been crafting this exquisite treat since day one. The rakish peaks of meringue are so beautiful, so carefully and lovingly wrought, highlighted by sunny pools of passion fruit caramel, even mean people can’t help smiling when they arrive. A luscious coconut ice cream is the reward for cracking into them, and suddenly any old Monday is very, very special.

The best part of anything with yuzu in it is the yuzu. The Asian citrus’s flavor is like a sultry light with tart edges scampering across your tongue, and it makes everything it encounters brighter, more vivid, and more impactful. It’s magical, and I’m a sucker for a dish that showcases it as beautifully as the concoction called Yuzu Eskimo at this subterranean dessert bar. When

yuzu’s delightfully sour spark is balanced with the creaminess of chocolate ganache, the moist crumble of Oreo “soil,” the tangy, earthy sweetness of blackberries, strawberries and raspberry foam, it’s like an alchemist has finally hit paydirt— flavors and textures align to create something transcendental. Which is a pretty good reason to skip dinner.

montesano’s italian restaurant 9905 s. eastern aVe., las Vegas, nV 89183 817. 877.4545 |

Every town in the world has one: the sweet that inspires a craving so ferocious you’ll plan an entire trip around eating it. It is almost always discovered in the most unusual spot, shared by an insider’s insider, never showy, often overlooked. When you taste it, you can’t remember living without it. Amid the decadence and glitz that is Las Vegas, in a humble Italian restaurant and bakery run by teddy-bear-like brothers and treasured by real locals, lies a

cream cheese cookie that will haunt you. It’s a dense but petite round of dough topped with a just-airy-enough swirl of cream cheese, made from an old family recipe. It’s a nugget of delight so perfect in its simplicity, so nuttily crunchy and creamy at once, so unassuming it catches you off guard. This bite of goodness in Sin City is a study in honest, wholesome satisfaction you wouldn’t have bet on.

THE ART of the

CHAMPAGNE CORK POP

by KATHRYN O’MALLEY

The pop of a champagne cork often signals one thing, and one thing only: the celebration has begun and it’s time to let loose. And yet, photographing a cork pop is a different story entirely. The shot needs to look natural, but controlling and capturing a

split-second of action requires careful planning, precision timing, and a complex set-up from special effects guru Geoff Binns-Calvey. Needless to say, this isn’t your average bottle of bubbly. Click the bullets to the right for more on our methods.

THE SPRAY

Although you can’t see it here, the bottom of the champagne bottle is connected to an elaborate set of pipes and tubes. With the push of a button, compressed air sends champagne rushing through the bottom of the bottle and up through the neck, erupting in a splash of bubbles and vapor.

THE FLYING CORK

THE DROPLETS

Take one part water, one part glycerin, mix them together…and spritz! The drops of liquid look just like beads of champagne, but they don’t evaporate as quickly or trickle down the bottle.

A thin, stiff wire holds the cork in a fixed place a few inches from the bottle opening, ensuring it doesn’t budge (and that no one loses an eye!). The wire eventually disappears behind the spray of champagne so it isn’t visible in the final shot. BY STEPHEN

OUT of the BAG

by KATHRYN O’MALLEY

Every photo shoot requires a talented team of players, and Stephen Hamilton has always surrounded himself with some of the industry’s best. That includes Stephen’s right-hand man and lead photo assistant, Raymond Barrera,

who is responsible for everything from building sets and adjusting lighting to managing staff and ensuring that every shoot goes off without a hitch. Of course, all these tasks require certain tools…and what you see here is only a sample.

a-clamps

These A-shaped clamps are used to secure bounce and fill cards, to hang fabric backgrounds, and to hold small diffusers and reflectors in place.

flashlight

This powerful little beam is most often used to point to specific areas of a set. But when those on-location shoots go late into the night, a flashlight can also help you sort through your toolbox—or make an impromptu ghost story extra spooky.

walkie-talkies

The studio is a big place, but walkie-talkies make it easy to stay connected.

leatherman

This multi-talented tool can transform into a screwdriver, a blade, a wrench, a pair of pliers, and a file. It can even open up that can of soup.

gaffers tape and sharpies

Consider these the SUV’s of the office supply world: the go-anywhere, extratough, extra-durable counterpoints to the more common Scotch tape and ballpoint pens.

flash drive

The quickest way to transfer files, layouts, and images.

box cutter

The handy collapsible blade makes it easy to open box shipments and cut through tough foam core.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN HAMILTON

by K ATHRYN O’M ALLEY

Gale Gand has a knack for turning out some of the nation’s most delectable and dazzling desserts. Winner of the 2001 James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef, and founding pastry chef and partner at Chicago’s acclaimed restaurant Tru, Gale is also a celebrated cookbook author, television host, and owner of her own root beer company. Talk about a seriously sweet career.

We invited Tony Priolo, the subject of last issue’s Portrait of a Chef, to ask Gale anything he wanted…and she was happy to indulge us with her answers.

do you have any early childhood memories of what inspired you to be a chef?

Baking cherry pies with my mom. She was THE designated neighborhood pie baker. She taught me how to do elaborate woven lattice tops. And then there was playing restaurant as a kid—I was always the cook, not the waitress. I used to make “banana soup” out of orange day lily buds that my mom had in the backyard.

what is your favorite season for cooking (and why)?

Probably early summer for rhubarb and local strawberries, or midsummer for stone fruit. Peaches and apricots can sometimes be so good they make me weep.

tell us about your worst kitchen disaster. I’ve never had one...just kidding! There was the night Chicago Magazine was in the house dining and reviewing us at Tru our first year, and our gas went down. I remember CM was at the table near a window looking into the pastry kitchen, so I had to remain cool and calm even though we couldn’t cook anything in ovens or on stoves; we only had my convection oven, which was electric, and a few induction burners for the whole restaurant. I also had about 10 boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts in the kitchen and I was so afraid they would write about that. I mean, who has that many donuts just hanging around? Well, I do, but other than me, who does that?

And then there was that time when a kitchen towel caught fire on the set at Food Network while I was taping Sweet Dreams. I didn’t realize it, so a cameraman had to sneak on set way down low and stamp it out with cameras rolling while I tried to ignore it.

But other than that.... what’s your guilty pleasure?

Probably sweet (unsalted) butter on baguette slices, or Frosted Flakes with half and half—that’s always my birthday breakfast!

what do you eat when no one’s looking?

Cold fried chicken and Peppermint Patties. what’s your favorite thing to do with whipped cream?

Put it on hot cocoa or espresso or chocolate pudding—but really good chocolate pudding, like chocolate pot de crème. Or, fold it into mousse or plop it on top of a Pavlova and sprinkle with berries.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN HAMILTON

Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Hibsicus-Infused Berries: Hibiscus-infused strawberries and raspberries give Gale Gand’s silky panna cotta a splash of ruby red color.

The century-old cookie swap has a simple yet irresistible premise: bake several batches of one kind of cookie, socialize and swap cookies with friends and family, and take home a spectacular assortment of goodies. Unless there are any cookie monsters lurking in your home, the bounty should supply all of your holiday gifting, entertaining, and late-night snacking.

Not sure what to bake? Looking to try something new? We’ve got you covered. These knockout recipes from all your favorite cookie connoisseurs—and a couple from our test kitchen—are guaranteed to give you sweet results.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN HAMILTON

Jazz up the classic cookie swap: Ask guests to bring a beautiful tin, box, or serving dish, and “dish” them out by drawing names from a hat. Not only will everyone go home with a delicious variety of cookies, but also a lovely vessel in which to display them.

salted toffee peanut cookies

“Equally at home with a glass of milk or a bourbon cocktail, these cookies are addictively crunchy, sweet, salty on the outside and meltingly tender within.

The big peanutty flavor comes from using pure natural peanut butter. Adventurous eaters must try the variation with Thai curry peanuts.”

– Alice Medrich, renowned pastry chef and award-winning cookbook author

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN HAMILTON

Salted Toffee Peanut Cookies

View Alice Medrich’s recipe on page 56 »

“Malt is one of those ingredients with a taste you just can’t quite place your finger on. It has a warmth, depth and a nuttiness that tends to give your recipe an added note of flavor, which if you are anything like us, over time becomes a serious addiction. There’s a reason that malt permeated almost every

vintage American dessert recipe. And like all baking things of old, malt is making a comeback and features prominently in this amazing sandwich cookie.

These cookies come from our love of the classic Oreo-style sandwich cookie. And

as much as we like sugar cookies around the holiday season, we love a sandwich cookie with a slightly boozy, creamy center.”

– Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, owners of famed NYC bakery, Baked, and authors of Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented

View Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito’s recipe on page 58 »

malted milk sandwich cookies

Malted Milk Sandwich Cookies

Mexican Wedding Cookies

mexican wedding cookies

“This is a recipe with many names and claims of origin. Some people call them Portuguese Wedding Cakes and Wedding Bells, but this version containing pecans is said to have come from Mexico.

These innocent-looking mounds, pristinely dusted with powdered sugar, are so ethereal they seem to

explode in your mouth. A real favorite with most everyone, they are lovely to serve for an afternoon tea and, placed in an attractive container, make a charming and welcome holiday gift.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN

View Rose Levy Beranbaum’s recipe on page 59 »

– Rose Levy Beranbaum, James Beard Award-winning baker and best-selling cookbook author

mandel bread with dried cranberries and pistachios

The Jewish mandel bread, sometimes called mondel bread or mandelbrot, is a twice-baked cookie similar to Italian biscotti. Rich, crunchy, and loaded with almonds, the basic recipe is infinitely adaptable and can be dressed up or down. Keep things simple with a dusting of cinnamon and sugar, or try a nontraditional mix of dried cranberries and pistachios.

Mandel Bread

View recipe 60

PHOTOGRAPHY

CITRUS. SOUTHERN SUNSHINE.

WEATHER PERMITTING

by JUDITH MARA

Turning the pages of a fragile hand-written cookbook dated 1881, we were surprised to find many recipes using citrus fruit. Even more surprising, it was a Wisconsin farm wife who recorded the recipes including boiled lemon pudding, orange mange and lemon meringue pie. It’s been a long time that we’ve been grateful for the sunshine in the shape of citrus fruit that our warmer states deliver to us all winter.

The variety available to us is vast in comparison to the 19th century (or earlier) when it was limited to lemons and oranges. In addition, we now grow tangerines (clementine and mandarin) blood oranges, grapefruit, Meyer lemons, limes, kumquats, tangelos and pomelos. Florida, Texas, Arizona and California are our big citrusgrowing states, where you’ll find small farmers and big producers. However, there

are many emerging growers to be found at local markets in southern Louisiana, Alabama and Georgia.

The other secret to finding small citrus farmers is no secret at all: There are many on the web that will ship from coast to coast. Look for our sidebar list of some small growers we’ve found for you. A box of juicy organic oranges or grapefruit is a without a doubt a welcome gift.

Citrus looks and tastes bright and refreshing. Chefs know that the acid in lemons, oranges, limes or grapefruit can transform savory dishes. And even though we don’t make orange mange for dessert any more, oranges remain the most popular fruit after apples. And lemon meringue pie? It remains the third favorite dessert in the USA. It seems our tastes haven’t changed as much as we thought.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN HAMILTON

oranges that look green

Many varieties of oranges and lemons are still green when ripe and turn orange only if the temperature is right. In countries or in a growing season where the weather never cools down, oranges are always green on the outside.

sweet and sour kumquats

Kumquats are unusual because it’s the rinds that is sweet and the center is sour.

Some people peel a kumquat and eat the rind, not the pulp. The rind make a nice jam, marmalade or are good added to chutney and marinades.

peeling grapefruit

Sometimes the pith of a grapefruit (the white layer under the skin) is hard to remove. The easiest way to remove it is to bring a deep pot of water to a boil, turn off the heat, drop the grapefruit in the hot water for about 5 minutes, let cool and peel.

citrus tips for cooks

saving citrus for later All juice and zest (the top layer of skin) from citrus fruit can be frozen and used later to add to marinades, roasted fish and chicken, desserts, salad dressings and so on.

small farms to order citrus gifts

Uncle Matt’s, FL – citrus gifts in limited quantities Fenton Family Farm, CA – mixed citrus S & J Mandarin Grove, CA – organic mandarins Beck Grove, CA – Meyer lemons Lemon Ladies Orchard, CA – Meyer lemons G & S Groves, TX – a variety of citrus Crockett Farms, TX – Ruby Red grapefruit give a citrus gift

WEATHER PERMITTING: CITRUS. SOUTHERN SUNSHINE.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN HAMILTON

HIGH SPIRITS

THE SERAPH

A HOT HOLIDAY COCKTAIL

by JUDITH MARA

It’s cold in Chicago. So we didn’t need to search far for a warm cocktail to wrap our frosty fingers around. As a matter of fact, James Beard Award-winning Mindy Segal’s restaurant, HotChocolate Craft Food & Drink is known for creative ways of serving hot chocolate and coffee.

The Seraph isn’t any ordinary cocktail served at 150 degrees Fahrenheit. The Seraph pairs the expertise of two of HotChocolate’s beverage professionals: head barista Alex McDaniel and head bartender Alex Gara. Their inspiration was a desire to reinvent a coffee cocktail program. Using the methodology of classic cocktails and the techniques for creating coffee drinks, they decided to do a spin on traditional hot drinks such as Irish and Spanish Coffee.

While tasting several variations of the cocktail, the tasting notes centered around soft spices and buttery and creamy textures. This was in contrast to a bolder and spicier drink they were also developing. One drink showed angelic qualities and the other showed devilish qualities, inspiring a succession of forgettable names relating to heaven and hell and angels and devils. They finally settled on The Seraph and The Siren. Good choice— The Seraph is really quite heavenly.

View Alex Gara and Alex McDaniel’s recipe on page 62 »

THE SERAPH

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN HAMILTON

THE OYSTER’S ALLURE

by KATHRYN O’MALLEY

All of the exquisite oysters pictured here were provided by the talented folks at Rappahannock River Oysters and GT Fish & Oyster.

Oysters are a study in contrasts, at once hideous and hauntingly beautiful, with hard shells shuttered to the world and tender, vulnerable flesh locked up within. They are private, mysterious creatures, and yet one taste reveals them completely—the chilled, briny flavor telling an oyster’s whole life story and transporting you momentarily to the salty waters in which it grew.

PHOTOGRAPHY STEPHEN HAMILTON

Paired with an ice-cold beer, dry white wine, or sparkling champagne, oysters make for the perfect hors d’oeuvre or sumptuous appetizer. Best of all, they require no occasion; the mere presence of these delightful masked mollusks is reason enough to celebrate.

Raise your glass to one of the most enigmatic of foods…and read on for some bite-sized facts.

6 Pearls Of Wisdom

1. Technically, oysters are classified as bivalve mollusks: soft-bodied animals that protect themselves with two hinged shells. They have the ability to change sex depending on reproductive needs, and most will do so at least once during their lifespans.

2. Just like us, oysters are largely a product of their environment, and the waters in which they live have a direct effect on their taste and texture. Because an oyster filters 40 to 50 gallons of water through its gills each day, its flavor profile is highly influenced by ambient minerals, algae and salinity levels.

3. Oyster bars like to dress their oysters in all sorts of fancy names—some descriptive, some geographic. But believe it or not, there are just five species of oysters harvested in North America. Crassotrea gigas, aka the Pacific oyster, and Crassostrea virginica, aka the Eastern oyster, are most common.

4. Though today’s cultivated oysters are changing matters, warm-water months traditionally make up the spawning season, during which oysters spend their energies on reproduction and their fullness and flavor steadily decline. Once water temperatures begin to dip, however, spawning ceases and oysters bulk up on a carbohydrate called glycogen that makes them plump and sweet.

5. There is always some risk in eating oysters, but it’s very slight as long as you’re careful. High temperatures promote bacteria, and for that reason, many oyster farmers prefer water colder than 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Once harvested, oysters should be eaten within five days and stored on ice or refrigerated at all times.

6. It’s the question on everybody’s mind: Are oysters really aphrodisiacs? The answer is open to debate, but their high levels of zinc and iron are said to increase stamina, and at the very least, contribute to a healthy diet. Our best advice? Run your own experiments and draw your own conclusions.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN HAMILTON

Champagne & Oysters

Champagne and oysters are a classic, luxurious pairing. But which wine to pair with which oyster? The general rule of thumb is that neither one should overpower the other in terms of sweetness or body. The briny flavor of an Eastern oyster, for example, calls for a dry, crisp, light-bodied champagne, whereas the sweet and creamy Kumamoto works best with a full-bodied and similarly sweet champagne.

When selecting the perfect sparkling wine to accompany your oysters, look for the following labeling terms used to distinguish among sweetness levels:

Brut Nature or Brut Zero – extremely dry

Extra Brut – very dry Brut – dry

Extra Dry, Extra Sec, Extra Seco – medium dry Dry, Sec, Seco – medium dry Demi-Sec, Semi-Seco – sweet Doux, Sweet, Dulce – very sweet

PHOTOGRAPHY STEPHEN HAMILTON

“Before I was born my mother was in great agony of spirit and in a tragic situation. She could take no food except iced oysters and champagne. If people ask me when I began to dance, I reply, ‘In my mother’s womb, probably as a result of the oysters and champagne, the food of Aphrodite.’”

isadora duncan, American Dancer, (1878 - 1927)

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN HAMILTON

A CULINARY INHERITANCE

by CLAIRE BIDWELL SMITH

Author of The Rules of Inheritance

“Mom,” my three-year old daughter groans, “why do you keep frosting those cupcakes? Can’t we just eat them already?”

I smile at her. “Don’t you want them to look pretty?” I ask, and in a flash I am transported to my own mother’s kitchen.

Growing up the only child of a food stylist, I spent an inordinate amount of time at my mother’s side, helping her create all manner of delectable things to eat. To say that my mother was obsessed with everything culinary would be an understatement. The kitchen in each house we lived was a bubbling, simmering den of palatable alchemy, around which it seemed, our entire lives revolved.

I was born in 1978, right in the center of a veritable food revolution. Chefs like Julia Child and Alice Waters were taking the world by storm, and my mother followed right along, roasting chickens, folding egg whites for soufflés and growing fresh herbs and vegetables in her garden. She taught me how to hold a sauté pan just so, how to chop an onion so my eyes wouldn’t water, and how to roll out the perfect påte brisée. But she also taught me that food couldn’t just taste good; it had to look good too.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN HAMILTON

My mother’s career in food styling came about by accident. Following art school she wound up in Manhattan with a seemingly useless MA in painting—that is until she found work taking a paint brush to raw Sara Lee turkeys, glossing them over until they looked perfectly cooked for the ad photographer. By the time she met my father in the mid-seventies, her portfolio was chock-full of photos just like these, a decade of food styling under her belt.

Although she gave up her profession when she became a mother, she never relinquished her passion for food. When I was in middle school she opened a restaurant, and if I thought I’d spent a lot of time at her side in the kitchen, nothing compared to the full-fledged foodservice career this change incurred in me. Although her restaurant only lasted a few years, by the time I was twenty I had an entire decade’s worth of experience waiting tables, hostessing, bartending and expediting.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN HAMILTON

View recipe on page 63 » monkey bread

During my freshman year of college my mother died of cancer. I suspect that this loss will forever remain the single most defining aspect of my life. That spring I took a leave of absence from school and returned home to live with my father. The

house felt empty with my mother gone, the kitchen a quiet, flat place. In those first few weeks I wandered the rooms, letting my fingertips brush against things she had so recently held: a hairbrush, a book, a whisk. I stood in front of the open door

to the freezer, sheets of cold wafting down at me, and took stock of what was left: a container of frozen marinara sauce, a tub of homemade pesto, a vegetable quiche.

These were the last meals of my mother’s that I would ever eat and yet I could scarcely bring myself to thaw them.

Little by little, I began to take her place at the stove. Some of the first dishes I made were a disaster, the potatoes crunchy and undercooked in my au gratin, a whole turkey coming out so dry my dad fed it to the dogs, oversalted soups and under-flavored sauces. But even in the midst of those failed attempts, I felt my mother there alongside me, reminding me how to hold a knife, how to stir a roux and, of course, how to style a plate.

In the years that followed I remained determined to forge a career for myself as a writer, but a funny thing happened. They say you should write what you know, and what I knew was food. So it was fitting that my first magazine writing assignment was to review a restaurant. I’m not sure I’ve ever missed my mother more than during that meal. I remember ordering oxtail påte and wondering if the waitress could tell I

was an undercover critic. I remember wishing that my mother were sitting across from me, sharing my secret.

She’s been gone for sixteen years and I still miss her every day. Over the last decade I’ve definitely become more of a writer than a foodie, although I still review the occasional restaurant. However, food remains an important part of my life.

Just as my mother did with me, I draw my daughter into the kitchen, letting her sift flour, roll dough, scoop measurements and create something that will nourish us both for years and years to come.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN HAMILTON

HOW WE DID IT

Deconstructing a shot from Stephen Hamilton’s The Restaurant Project

by JUDITH MARA

favorite dish

Boon Fly Donuts Restaurant

Restaurant: Boon Fly Café, Napa, CA

food stylist

CeCe Campise and Carol Smoler

prop stylist Paula Walters

ingredients:

·1 1/3 cups (6 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

·1/2 teaspoon baking soda

·1 teaspoon flaky sea salt or 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

·8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

·1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) packed light or dark brown sugar

·1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) granulated sugar

·1 large egg

·1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

·1 cup (9 ounces) natural (but not unsalted) chunky peanut butter—stir well to blend in the oil before measuring.

·5 ounces store-bought Coconut Toffee Peanuts or Toffee Peanuts, coarsely chopped

salted toffee peanut cookies by Alice Medrich

makes about fifty-six 1 1/2-inch cookies

equipment

Cookie sheets, lined with parchment paper or greased

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and mix together thoroughly with a whisk or fork.

In a large bowl, mix the melted butter with the sugars. Whisk in the egg, vanilla, and peanut butter, add the flour mixture, and mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon just until evenly incorporated.

Cover the dough and refrigerate for an hour or two and up to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

Pour the chopped nuts into a shallow bowl. Scoop about 2 level teaspoons of dough for each cookie, shape into a 1-inch ball or a fat little log, and coat the top and sides heavily with the chopped nuts, pressing in any pieces that fall off so that there are no bald spots. Place 2 inches apart on the lined or greased pans.

Bake the cookies for 15 to 18 minutes, until they are lightly colored on top (and underneath). Rotate the sheets from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking. The cookies will seem very soft to the touch (and the one you turn over to assess color may even fall apart), but they will firm up as they cool. For lined pans, set the pans or just the liners on racks to cool; for unlined pans, use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to racks. Cool the cookies completely before storing. May be kept in an airtight container for at least 2 weeks.

upgrades: Salted Peanut Toffee Thumbprints with White Chocolate

Surprisingly, white chocolate tastes better than dark or milk chocolate in these cookies (and this from a huge fan of bittersweet chocolate!). And chopped pieces from a bar of “real” white chocolate taste better than white chocolate chips. | Have ready 4 ounces white chocolate cut into little pieces or 2/3 cup (4 ounces) white chocolate chips. Bake the cookies in the shape of balls as described. As soon as the pans come out of the oven, press the back of a chopstick or dowel into the center of each hot cookie and move it around gently to widen the hole. Tuck pieces of chocolate (or chips) into each depression while the cookies are still hot.

salted peanut toffee thumbprints with jam

Have ready about 1/2 cup (5.5 ounces) strawberry or other jam or preserves. Bake the cookies in the shape of balls as described. As soon as the pans come out of the oven, press the back of a chopstick or dowel into the center of each hot cookie and move it around gently to widen the hole. Cool the cookies. Just before serving, fill the depressions with jam.

salted peanut cookies with thai curry cashews

Made by Sunridge Farms, Thai Curry Cashews can be found in bulk bins in some supermarkets. Substitute Thai Curry Cashews for the toffee peanuts.

spicy salted peanut toffee cookies

Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Thai curry paste or other hot sauce to the dough with the peanut butter

makes about 30 sandwich cookies

ingredients for cookies:

·4 cups all-purpose flour

·3/4 cup malt powder

·2 teaspoons baking powder

·1/2 teaspoon baking soda

·1/2 teaspoon salt

·1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

·1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

·1 cup granulated sugar

·2 eggs

·1/3 cup sour cream

·2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

ingredients for vanilla filling:

·5 ounces vegetable shortening, at room temperature

·4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small chunks, at room temperature

·3 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

·1/2 teaspoon salt

·1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

·1 teaspoon light rum

to make the cookies: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, malt, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat until just incorporated. Add half of the dry ingredients all at once and beat for 15 seconds. Again, scrape down the bowl, then add the remaining dry ingredients and beat until just incorporated. The mixture should come together almost in a ball.

Loosely shape the dough into two balls, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Divide each dough ball in half, to make four portions. Place one portion on a lightly flour-dusted work surface and return the other three to the refrigerator.

Roll out the dough so that it is ¼ inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so you may have to flip and lightly flour it a few times while you work. Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter to create the sandwich tops and bottoms, and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space around each cookie. Extra dough scraps can be refrigerated and rerolled once more, if desired.

Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are just slightly browned.

Place the baking sheets on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the racks to cool completely. While the cookies cool, prepare the filling.

to make the vanilla filling: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the shortening and butter until lump free and smooth. Add the sugar in three parts, mixing each part until just com bined. Add the salt, vanilla, and rum and beat again for 10 seconds. The filling should be thick but spreadable (like the inside of an Oreo). If it is too thick, add a drop or two of water as needed. Keep adding water to reach desired consistency, but do not add too much water or the filling will be too thin.

Alternatively if the mixture is too thin, add a few tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar.

to assemble the malted milk sandwich cookies: Use a pastry bag or a small spoon to apply about 2 tablespoons of filling to the flat side of a cookie. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top. Press down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie.

Repeat until all the sandwich cookies are made. Let them set up for about 15 minutes before serving. Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

malted milk sandwich cookies by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

mexican wedding cookies

by Rose Levy Beranbaum

makes 4 1/2 dozen cookies

ingredients for cookies:

·1/2 cup (1.75 ounces) pecan halves

·1 cup (4 ounces) powdered sugar, lightly spooned into the cup ·pinch of salt

·1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter

·1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

·1 3/4 cups (8.75 ounces) bleached all-purpose flour

ingredients for topping:

·1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) powdered sugar

equipment:

·Ungreased cookie sheets

Place 2 oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the pecans on a cookie sheet and bake them, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

food processor method

In a food processor with the metal blade, process the sugar with the pecans and salt until the pecans are powder fine. Cut the butter into a few pieces and add it with the motor running. Process until smooth and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and pulse in. Add the flour and pulse in until it starts to clump together.

electric Mixer Method

Soften the butter. Grate the nuts so that they are powder fine. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and grated nuts. In a mixing bowl, at low speed, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract and scrape the sides of the bowl. Still on low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture just until incorporated.

for both methods

Scrape the dough into a bowl, cover it tightly, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and preferably no longer than 3 hours. Measure the dough into a 1 ¼-inch scoop, gently rounded, or 1 scant tablespoon and roll it between the palms of your hands to form 1-inch balls. Lightly flour your hands if necessary.

Place the balls 1 ½ inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cookies barely begin to brown. (The undersides will be lightly browned.) For even baking, rotate the cookie sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking period.

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 2 to 3 minutes. Use a small, angled metal spatula or pancake turner to lift them from the sheets. Roll them in the powdered sugar while still hot. Several rollings create a lovely powdery coating. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Roll again in the powdered sugar.

store: In an airtight container at room temperature.

keeps: About 1 month.

ingredients:

·3/4 cup vegetable oil

·3 eggs

·3 1/2 cups flour

·1 cup sugar

·1 teaspoon baking powder

·1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

·1/4 teaspoon salt

·1 cup chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries, pistachios, or any combination of these

·1/2 – 1 cup sliced almonds

·cinnamon and sugar, for dusting

In a large mixing bowl, beat together oil and sugar, then stir in extract. Beat in eggs.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the oil, sugar and egg mixture. Stir in the almonds and chocolate chips (or raisins, dried cranberries or dried cherries). Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 – 60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Very generously grease two cookie sheets that have edges. Baking sheets can be lined with greased parchment paper or foil for easier cleaning.

Form the dough into three logs, about 1¼-inch thick, and place on greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle a mixture of cinnamon and sugar on top of the logs. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden on top.

Slice logs on the diagonal into pieces about 1-inch wide, and place the pieces on their sides; sprinkle with more cinnamon and sugar and bake 5 minutes. Flip pieces over and bake an additional 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

makes 35-40 mandel bread mandel bread

chocolate clouds

makes about 24 cookies

ingredients:

·1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

·1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

·1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

·1/4 teaspoon salt

·8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

·1 1/4 cups sugar

·2 eggs

·1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

·1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 baking sheets. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Turn off mixer and scrape down sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add 1 egg and beat on medium speed just until blended. Add the other egg and vanilla and beat until blended. Turn off mixer and add the flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until combined.

Form the dough into tablespoon-size balls. Place confectioners’ sugar in a bowl; roll each ball of dough in the confectioners’ sugar until covered. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.

Bake the cookies until they are crackled and puffed, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set it on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Using a metal spatula, move the cookies onto the rack and let cool completely. Repeat with the rest of the cookie dough. Makes about 24 cookies.

high spirits: the seraph by Alex Gara and Alex McDaniel

The below recipe was written to make in a home kitchen. At HotChocolate the milk is actually steeped with cream that was allowed to sit overnight with vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks and whole nutmeg and cloves. They zest the orange then bake until it’s firm enough to crack in your hand. The zest is then pulverized and mixed with fresh nutmeg.

makes 1 cocktail

ingredients:

·.75 oz Benedectine

·.25 oz AE DOR V.S. cognac

·.5 oz espresso

·2 heaping tablespoons of melted white chocolate

·2 oz steamed eggnog

·garnish with ground nutmeg, orange zest*

*zest first, allowing to dry out before garnishing.

Measure out .75 oz Benedectine, .5 oz AE DOR V.S. cognac, and pour in snifter.

Measure out 2 heaping tablespoons of melted white chocolate, pour into snifter

Measure out .5 oz of hot espresso, pour into snifter.

Steam 2 oz eggnog and pour into snifter.

Sprinkle with dried orange zest and freshly grated nutmeg.

makes 8-10 servings

ingredients for bread:

·1/4 cup warm water

·1 envelope yeast

·1 1/4 cup whole milk

·2 tablespoons butter

·1 egg

·1/4 cup sugar

·1 teaspoon salt

·4 cups all-purpose flour

·1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar

·2 tablespoons cinnamon

·1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

ingredients for glaze:

·8 ounces cream cheese

·1 cup confectioners’ sugar

·1 teaspoon vanilla

·orange juice or milk, for thinning out glaze

for the bread:

Bloom the yeast in the bowl of a mixing bowl in warm water, until foamy (about 10 minutes). Heat milk and butter until butter is melted; add to yeast with 2 cups flour. Mix with dough hook. Add the egg, sugar and salt and stir to combine. Knead for 5 minutes with dough hook, then knead on tabletop until smooth. Cover and let dough rest in an oiled bowl in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a separate bowl, melt remaining butter and combine with brown sugar and cinnamon. Generously grease a bundt pan with butter and coat with extra cinnamon and sugar. Turn the dough out and gently deflate, but do not knead. Cut the dough into squares and gently roll into balls. Toss in melted butter mixture then roll in additional cinnamon and sugar. Pile the balls into the bundt pan about 3/4 the way up. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes, then turn out the bread.

for the cream cheese glaze:

In a stand mixer, mix together all ingredients until blended and smooth. If glaze is too thick, thin it out with some orange juice or milk. Drizzle over warm monkey bread.

monkey bread

bacon, leek and gruyere soufflés

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and brush eight 1-cup ramekins with butter. Lightly coat the ramekins with 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano-Reggiano and set them on a sturdy baking sheet.

ingredients:

·4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus softened butter for brushing

·1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

·1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

·1 1/2 cups milk

·3/4 teaspoon salt

·1/4 teaspoon cayenne

·6 ounces diced cooked bacon

·2 sliced leek whites sautéed in butter

·6 large eggs, separated

·5 ounces shredded Gruyere

·1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar makes 8 servings

In a medium saucepan, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and cook over medium-low heat until smooth and very thick, about 2 minutes. Stir in the salt and cayenne. Remove pan from heat. Whisk in the egg yolks; let cool slightly. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the Gruyere, bacon and leeks.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar at medium-high speed until frothy. Increase the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the soufflé base until blended.

Spoon the soufflé mixture into the ramekins, filling them to 1/2inch below the rim. Sprinkle the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano on top and bake in the bottom third of the oven until the soufflés are puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Alternatively, bake in an 8-cup soufflé at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve immediately.

make ahead: The recipe can be prepared through Step 2 and refrigerated overnight. The soufflés can be assembled up to 1 hour ahead. The cooked soufflés can be reheated in the oven.

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