Gastroanthropology

Apple Upside-Down Cake

The best part of fall in England is the amazing variety of crisp and fresh apples. Apple pie, apple crumble, apple turnovers, apple cider, applesauce, apple butter, caramel apples, apple cake, and the list goes on. With maybe the exception of the caramel apples, I'm pretty sure I would add a little or a lot of cinnamon to each of these things. Cinnamon is hands down my absolute favorite spice - I sprinkle it on anything I can. As a self-professed cinnamon addict I decided my next apple experience would not include the stuff.

Enter, nutmeg.

My favorite cookbook of the moment - has been since June - didn't let me down. An upside-down apple cake cooked in an iron skillet and made with apple butter and topped with caramel-soaked apples. And no cinnamon.

The recipe even begins, "we decided not to resort to the overused combination of apples and cinnamon and opted instead for nutmeg and vanilla". This recipe, from the Big Sur Bakery, is multi-step, so read through before getting started. Here it goes...

APPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

For the Apple Butter:

• 1 vanilla bean
• 6 apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• juice of 1 lemon wedge
• 1/4 c apple juice
• 2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 c sugar

Split vanilla bean and scrape out pulp. Add pulp and pod to medium saucepan. Add apples, lemon juice, apple juice (use fresh pressed if you can), nutmeg, and sugar. Cover and cook over medium heat for 7 to 10 min. Apples should be steamed and soft. Smash apples with a back of a wooden spoon to form a sauce. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook to let moisture evaporate, another 10 to 15 min. The apple butter is ready when it becomes thicker and smoother and has a rich tan color. Let the apple butter cool to room temperature. Remove the vanilla pod. You will probably have enough apple butter leftover for a second cake, and it will keep in the fridge for a few days. 

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350F.

For the Caramel Apples:

• 1/4 c unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 1/4 c sugar
• 5 apples, peeled, cored, and each cut into 8 wedges

To make the caramel apples, cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 1 to 2 min. Transfer the mixture to a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and cook over medium heat until it caramelizes to a deep golden brown, about 5 to 8 min. Carefully add the apple wedges, transfer the skillet to the oven, and bake for about 10 min, until the apples are tender but still retain their shape. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely in the skillet. Leave the oven on.

For the Cake:

• 1/2 c unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 c dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup of apple butter
• 1 3/4 c all-purpose flour

While the apples are cooling down, prepare the cake batter. Cream the butter, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the egg and 1 cup of apple butter, and mix to combine. Add flour, taking care not to overmix. Gently pour the cake batter directly over the caramel apples in the iron skillet, and bake 35 to 45 min. Cake is ready when skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Using a pair of kitchen towels or mitts, invert the cake onto a plate that is slightly larger than the skillet. Do this assertively. Slowly lift off the skillet. If any apples stick to the skillet, remove them gently with a spatula and place back on cake. Let cake sit for 20 min before serving.

Hot damn! The girl can cook. Perfect served warm with a bit of unsweetened whipped cream.

 

Food for Thought + Apple Crisp

This week hasn't been the best for an American expat in London. I had a little spat with a British food writer who did an opinion piece on Thanksgiving dinner for Waitrose Food Illustrated. She said the holiday had a huge downside (upsides included no presents, no cards, and no religious ceremonies) and that the feast was "downright bizarre". She also knocked Americans for not knowing how to roast potatoes...this all from a Brit...because the British are so much more gastronomically inclined than Americans.

In her defense she did write me to say that her piece was meant to be humorous. As I was reading it I thought maybe that was her intention and kept waiting for the funny bit, the sarcastic jab, but it never emerged. I also thought that any reader who has never experienced a "proper" Thanksgiving dinner would be left with an idea of Thanksgiving that is so far from the truth.

This got me thinking about food writing...what about food critics and restaurant reviewers? More harm than good?

Having worked in a high profile restaurant I've experienced first hand that all critics are not created equal and not all critiques are purely objective.  You can also be sure if the restaurant staff knows there's a critic in the house the critic isn't being treated like the average diner.

Restaurant reviews only give me the ability to imagine the critic's experience. I can't feel the ambiance or taste the food. I don't know if the critic has had a bad day or that I'm interpreting his description the way he meant. I recently read a negative review where the critic described the bread pudding as soggy. Um, isn't bread pudding soaked in liquid, and therefore at its essence, soggy? There are also times when something sounds so deliciously descriptive, like on a menu, and then my tastebuds are totally disappointed.And then, there are those restaurants that have gotten great reviews where its like the Emperor's New Clothes and some are afraid to say how they truly feel.

So what to do? Never treat one review as the gold standard. Ask your friends, check out some blogs and other food sites, like Yelp, where users generate reviews. I've been to many of the best restaurants in food capitals all around the world and I have to say the best meals (food+service+ambiance) are rarely the ones with multiple Michelin stars.

And now I leave you with a simple Apple Crisp. You be the critic.

APPLE CRISP

• 3 oz unsalted butter (melted)
• 3/4 c + 1 Tbs all purpose flour
• 1/4 c rolled oats
• 1/4 c almond flour
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground clove
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c + 2 Tbs packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 currants or cranberries (optional)
• 4-5 medium firm, tart apples (like granny smith)
• 1/2 juice of 1 lemon

METHOD

Melt butter over low heat. Meanwhile, slice apples (I don't peel mine but peel them if you prefer it) and toss with lemon juice, 1 Tbs flour, and 2 Tbs brown sugar in a small baking dish. Sprinkle currants or cranberries over the apples. Combine all other ingredients, pour melted butter over top, and stir with a large spoon or fork. It should come together in a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle over top of the apples. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour in 350 Fahrenheit/ 180 Celsius oven. Serve warm, and maybe with a little vanilla ice cream. This recipe only serves up to four people and the perfect ending to a dinner for two. Double it if you need more.

Normandy, Part 2

The most delightful surprise from last week's trip to Normandy was the Sunday Cambremer Market. It was a rainy day and everything was a bit wet. There was a little crowd of children surrounding a covered trailer whispering , "Oh, Mignon!", so I took a peek. Oh my goodness! Piglets!

The mother was so obviously sleepy and all the little ones were clamoring for milk. One had his fill and was a little less camera shy then his siblings.

I didn't want to leave the piglets but was lured away by teurgoule. Teurgoule is a type of rice pudding that comes from the Normandy region. In French, Teurgoule means twisted mouth. Today's teurgoule is made with rice, cinnamon, sugar, and raw full-cream Normandy milk. Originally, the pudding did not have sugar as it was difficult to come by and the unsweetened cinnamon spice would "twist" the mouths of the Normans who ate it. Cinnamon was procured by Norman pirates who would steal it from Spanish ships.  

We ate 750 grams of this award winning rice pudding! It is cooked for hours and creates a thick, brown crust. The pudding inside is so creamy and the rice melts in your mouth.

The farmers market also had these beautifully colored pumpkins and squash. 

 

Cambremer and its surrounding areas are home to apple orchard after apple orchard. It reminded me of the short time I lived in upstate New York, where every fall everyone went apple picking.

I suspect at some point I'll leave my life and do something where I can live and work the land. Who wouldn't want to live here amongst the apple trees and press some of them into cider?

Normandy, Part 1

On Friday, Nate and I jumped on the Eurostar from central London and in one hour we were in Calais, France. We rented a car that would probably be considered a toy car by American standards and raced to Honfleur for a late dinner. There was just a sliver of moonlight while we were walking around the cobblestoned streets and it started to get cold and windy so we tucked into a cozy little restaurant right on the water. We enjoyed the most delicious warmed goat cheese salad and what Nate called the best fish dish he's ever had. It had a little bit of everything the ocean has to offer + Normandy cream sauce. Everything was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The mouthfeel of the cream sauce was heavenly and paired perfectly with all the different types of seafood.

 

We initially planned the weekend trip to Normandy to visit D-day sites. We spent the most time at the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach. It is kept in perfect condition and is the site of a wonderful museum explaining all that went into and all that was lost on D-day. It's an event that I never put the thought it deserves but will do so now. The lives lost and what they gave this world is beautifully remembered there.

The American Flag was flying high all over Normandy and it was the first time I really felt welcome in Europe. The people in Normandy were so absolutely kind, helpful, and friendly. By Saturday evening we had stumbled upon all the seaside villages along the coast of Normandy and called it a night in Cherbourg.

If fall knocked on Britain's door last week, winter blew down Normandy's door Saturday night. Umbrellas were useless as wind gusts threw rain at us in every direction imaginable. Sunday we woke up to a cold, rainy day so we decided to take the inland route back to Calais, armed with caffeine and chocolate croissants, of course.

It was now time to sample Normandy's culinary traditions: apples, calvados, and dairy. First stop - The Cider Route.

The Route du Cidre stars in Cambremer and weaves in and out of apple farms, forest, dairy farms and little hamlets. The first stop on the route was the Sunday farmer's market in Cambremer. Life hasn't changed much here over the years and you could tell because the market doesn't sell the trendy, "organic" foods but locally reared piglets, dairy cows, chickens, ducks, and local, homegrown squashes and freshly made sausages and puddings. More on this in a few days with Normandy, Part 2. Continuing on with the route we found that the apples we found were just starting to ripen...

Since it wasn't quite time to eat the apples we had to enjoy the next best thing...calvados. We stopped at an apple farm that presses its own cider and got a few bottles to take home. We got the aperitif de Normandie - the before dinner type as it is a bit sweeter and not as high in alcohol content which makes it more enjoyable and able to consume in greater amounts. We had little time to really enjoy the entire route for fear of missing our train back to London so we had to cut the trip a bit short which now warrants a return visit.

Our drive back took us through Isigny-sur-Mer where we wolfed down an entire wedge of brie cheese from the local dairy producer, Isigny Ste Mere, with baguette. I was quite possibly the most delicious brie I have ever had. No, it was. And its thanks to these gals...

Sugar Bush Apples

The absolute worst: Biting into a mushy, tasteless apple. Apples from the grocery store can be quite deceiving because they look so perfect. Retailers often reject product that is not uniform in size or visually attractive. Apple growers have been forced to modify their crops to make sure their product is blemish free and hearty enough to withstand travel. Often the produce suffers in taste and nutritional value.

The absolute best: Biting into a crisp, sweet but tart, juicy apple. Here in England many varieties are producing their first crops of the season. My new favorite is the Cox variety. I love eating apples plain, but here's another way to enjoy them.

SUGAR BUSH APPLES

• 1/2 c packed brown sugar
• 1/2 c grade "B" maple syrup
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 oz butter
• 1/4 c heavy cream
• 8 small apples, such as Braeburn or Cox
• 4 split wooden chopsticks

METHOD

Add sugar, maple syrup, vinegar, and butter into a medium saucepan. Bring to boil and let mixture gently bubble for 10-15 minutes. Add the cream and let bubble for another 3-5 minutes. Meanwhile, push chopsticks into the top of each apple. To test to see if mixture is ready drop some onto a cold plate and place in freezer for 1 minute. It should be firm, but give a little when touched. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. As mixture starts to thicken submerge and turn apple, holding it by the chopstick. Place on parchment to cool and set apples. Warm mixture over gentle heat if it gets too hard to dip apples. Any leftover mixture can be stored for 1 week in the fridge and can be used as dip for apple slices, just warm for a minute in microwave.