Traverse City Record-Eagle

Sally Ketchum: In The Kitchen

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September 26, 2008

In the Kitchen: Best, worst of mealtimes

By SALLY KETCHUM

'The end of something," sounds like an old movie with Lauren Bacall leaning on the rails of an ocean liner and waving to Bogie standing on the dock. While I'm thinking of the coming winter meals -- those soups made with real soup bones, gravy-smothered pot roasts, and stews with dumplings -- I think of the "ends" of meals, too, the afterglow or the disappointments, fortuitous or dismal closures. Let's get dismal over with first.

Dismal 1.

The perfectly planned pretty sixth birthday party for our daughter's birthday ended with watching a locksmith trying to get little Nancy McPhee out of the bathroom. Mothers will understand this tale. Little Nancy was one of these girls who, daily dressed in starched white ruffles or a knife-pleated jumper in the clan plaid, could wade through a mud puddle and come out pristine ... and smug. She did not win the popularity contests.

Simply, as the party began, apparently accustomed to extensive security measures, little Nancy locked herself in the bathroom, and I don't think all the king's horses or all the king's men could get her out. Even the locksmith had trouble. Instead of Musical Chairs, the young locksmith, who rather looked like Prince Charming with a tool box, captured the young guests' interest, so the party moved to the upstairs hallway, with the little girls holding paper plates and happily getting sticky with cake frosting.

Dismal 2.

Annually I write about our infamous Thanksgiving. Briefly, our 125-pound dog jumped over the turkey on the festive table. My mother-in-law screamed and left. My mother cried. He-Who-Must-Be-Fed put the bird in the still-warm oven, and we started over, sans relatives, about 10 p.m.

W00T! (Joy!) -- to all the coming warm, comforting meals and their possible happy ends. I especially think of these:

Happy Ending 1.

One favorite is delaying dessert. The Three-Book Apple Pie with cheddar in the crust (a men's favorite) tastes marvelous with the 11 o'clock news (Recipe below). Another delayed treat: a cheese tray with crackers and some cold cuts put mid-evening with tea, hot cider, or a nightcap hot toddy.

Happy Ending 2.

Anxiety to pleasure: a "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" that had a delightful ending. My eldest son, a character at 10, was attending Gordie Howe's hockey school in St. Clair Shores. In fact, the house was full of hockey since we were hosting an out-of-town goalie with out-of-the-world equipment to get a break on tuition. Our boy idolized one of the NHL players there, defenseman Bryan Watson, a Pittsburgh Penguin (then leading the league in penalty minutes). Our kid thought Watson might be homesick, and he asked him to come for dinner. Lo! Watson accepted.

I had four hours to prepare. First we kenneled the aforementioned beast, then we kenneled the hockey kids (at Gram's), and I planned dinner. Knowing that professional athletes eat at great places when on the road, I wouldn't go for fancy, but I'd go for good ingredients. I ended up making Dungeness King crab (affordable back then) in a creamy Parmesan sauce, oven-roasted potatoes, Swiss chard for color, and hard rolls and pecan-date pie.

I expected mayhem with rough manners and some colorful vocabulary. Surprise! Watson was more gentleman than pest (His nickname was The Pest), more at home than away from home. His conversation and Canadian accent were delightful. We called, and still call, the entree, Crab Watson. The meal had a special happy end: He returned with his charming wife a second time when the Penguins were playing the Red Wings.

Happy ending 3.

Probably the most memorable happy end to an event with culinary offerings was a Christmas party for a crowd. We had a buffet, served in rented heated bins, mac 'n' cheese, seafood in crème fraiche, pork tenderloin in holiday cherry sauce, snap peas with carrots and a table loaded with cakes and Christmas cookies. (Super tip: Try macaroni and cheese with blue cheese. It's expensive, but the perfect splurge.) Festivity reigned throughout the late afternoon and evening. About nine, the crowd dwindled. Only a few stayed; heady, I think, with the atmosphere enhanced by a large, bright balsam, a guest at the piano playing carols and all the candlelight. Women, curled up in soft chairs, had their shoes off. Men loosened holiday ties.

Wait! What? A knock at the door! Several neighbors who had left earlier returned to party once again. Revived, lasting into the early morning hours, this party had two happy ends.

Three Book Apple Pie

1 Pillsbury piecrust

1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

4-5 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced

4 T. unsalted (1 stick) butter, melted

1/2 c. plus 2 T. flour

1 T. cornstarch

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. grated lemon zest or 1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 t. vanilla

Topping:

1/2 c. sugar

3/4 c. of flour

1/3 c. butter

1 T. brown sugar

1. Press unbaked pie crust into 9" pan (not shinny metal)

Sprinkle the cheese into the bottom and sides of the crust. Gently press it into the crust

Keep cold, ideally in the freezer.

2. Peel, core and slice the apples (Cut some thin or small to fit in spaces).

Pour melted butter, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon and zest (or lemon juice), and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. Thoroughly toss apple pieces in the mixture until evenly covered.

Place the apple mixture into the crust fitting smaller pieces in spaces and piling the apples tightly and high.

Topping:

Crumble the 1/2 c. sugar, 1/3 c. butter, 3/4 c. flour together in a small bowl.

Using a fork or a pastry blender cut the mixture into small pieces and toss.

Sprinkle the topping over the apples, the brown sugar, last of all. Bake at 350F* for 1 hour and 15 minutes; or you can bake at 425F for the first 15 minutes, then reduce the temp to 350F for the remaining hour of baking time. You might place foil under the pie tin to catch drips.

-- Sally Ketchum concocted this pie using three cookbooks, one for crust, one for filling and one for topping.

Sally Ketchum is a northern Michigan writer. You can meet Sally who will be signing her new book, "Bread Garden" (a middle reader novel) at 1 p.m. Nov. 8 at Horizon Books.

Clearing the Record

The recipe above originally omitted the oven temperature.

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