Benné (Sesame Seed) Cookies ...p102

"Open Sesame"

One thing I love about blogging is it satisfies my perpetual student desires.  After all, did you know that the term "open sesame", used in Arabian Nights, came from the way the sesame seed pod bursts open when ripe?  I can just envision some hungry desert nomad sitting alongside a sesame plant, imploring "open! sesame!" for tiny morsels of nutrient rich food.  I also just learned that African slaves carried benné seeds (their term for sesame seeds) to our shores, where it was readily assimilated into Southern cooking.  And, for a little pipsqueak of a seed, sesame packs a wallop in nutrients: manganese and copper, as well as calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc and dietary fiber.  Copper aids in the relief of rheumatoid arthritis by reducing inflammation.  For more info, check out whfoods.com.

and why did Southern Comfort change their logo?  I miss the Plantation!!!

These cookies are one of our favorite Christmas treats as much because of what they aren't as  what they are -  flavorful, delightfully crisp nibbles,  but NOT that sweet!  They're the perfect antidote to over consumption of sugar during the holidays.  We keep a tin full to nibble on.

My only negative comment would be the expense of sesame seeds - since this recipes calls for a cup (and you will want to make the entire recipe), I'd like to find a source for a cheaper purchase.  I actually ordered my pesto pine nuts through E-Bay and have enough pine nuts to last a year (another product I cringe at buying for their expense).

The critic really enjoyed these tasty cookies....a shot of bourbon helps, but next Christmas, I'll have to order the real stuff: Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon! 

Hardy Appetit!

Butter Tarts ...p108

Aside from meat pies, the week between Christmas and New Year's wouldn't be, well, the holiday culinary delight it is without baking tarts - butter, raisin, or pecan.

When we lived on the farm in Northern Ontario, our kitchen closet served as a refrigerator for the leftover turkey carcass and the tins of treats mom would prepare for just that one week of the year.  Freezing temperatures outside turned an uninsulated indoor closet into perfect cold storage.  I'm not sure what it was about the kitchen on the farm - so much of our growth happened there, not physically but spiritually, evident in the dynamic balance of joy and sorrow, love and hate, discussion and outbursts, fun and work. The uniqueness of that time for my family from 1969-1980 can't be overstated, though we've been told it greatly impacted many caught in the ebb and flow of the turning tide.  I remember feeling like Neil Young wrote the song  Helpless just for us: our own time of helplessness that sprung forth eternal hope.

There is a town in North Ontario
Dream comfort memory to spare
And in my mind I still need a place to go
All my changes were there....

...in that kitchen, toasty and warm from all the cooking going on, windows frosted over from the subzero temperature outdoors, a mature cattail left on the sink window ledge to explode into indoor snowflakes, cupboards festively painted red and white, people communicating, arguing, playing cards, eating....all my changes were there.

A wine glass ensured the perfect diameter for my little tart shells.

 I've always worked endlessly to flute tart edges, often resulting in tears that would cause the filling to seep underneath and make the tart difficult to get out.  But now,  I've discovered this perfect little edge maker from Pampered Chef which, trust me, makes the job so...much...easier! 

Another little trick I pulled this year, was to put the raisins and walnuts in the shell separately from the butter filling....that, too, made the preparation cleaner.

Remember to remove the brown sugar, butter combo from the heat before adding the beaten egg, which will quickly cook instead of blend with the combo.





...et VOILA!

 So if there's one food that affords me a flashback, it's mom's delicious raisin tarts.  I can pop one in my mouth and the taste unleashes a morsel of memory.  Years later, I discovered butter tarts through my sister Lisa.  When I asked her the recipe, she exclaimed they were just mom's raisin tarts minus the raisins!  While I'd like to state mine are good, hers are delightful.  I hope she'll comment on her secret!

Hardy Appetit!

Christmas Meat Pie ...p40

The month before Christmas sets off panic in my brain as I try to remember exactly how to make my Grandma Alma's traditional meat pie.  [no worry now!  you'll always find the recipe in our hard copy or right here] What cut of fresh ham do I need?  [picnic preferred]  How many pounds?  [1 lb per pie]  Does this include the bone?  [no]  Where did I buy it last year?  [Ainsworth]  Which grocery store would even grind pork anymore?  [not Walmart, not HEB, not Kroger]. 

For several years now I have been blessed to have the closest expert on hand - my mom who had to master the art in order to capture the heart of her husband (through the approval of Grand-mere!)  Every year was a ritualistic "does it need more sage?"  "how 'bout more allspice?" questioning of my father, who would dutifully taste and critique until it was just like his mother's.  I have no doubt mom outdid her in one area:  pie crust.

She's one who needs no recipe, goes totally by feel (she always tells me that's my problem, I'm afraid to touch the dough!) and always her pie crusts hold together and often outshine the filling they enclose.

Mom, remember when your pie crusts would mysteriously lose their fluted edge - it was I who would sneakily break off pieces to eat, leaving unfluted pies!  And, while we all love the meat pie, our favorite was her turning the leftover dough into the pastry delight of "puppy dog tails...."

Note the puppy dog tails on the tray!

 Truth be told, as a child I wasn't too fond of the meat pie filling.  Traditionally we'd come home after midnight Mass to eat a piece of meat pie, then on Christmas morning we'd top a piece with an egg, cooked over easy, and lots of salt and pepper.  If we were frugal, we'd have one pie every month throughout the rest of the year, finishing just in time to begin again....however, now, I cherish the meat pie tradition so much I wouldn't dream of not doing it as it has maturated into a strong sibling bond.  (Ok, my husband would be sorely disappointed to not have meat pie Christmas morning!  "Forget the presents!  Where's the meat pie?")  Now that several of us sisters are close, one massive meat pie making party in early December kicks off the season with us instructing the younger generations in the art of making pie dough (though none of us truly measures up to mom here!), tasting the meat filling for the proper seasonings, and showing how to put decorative touches on the crust.  Mom, bless her heart, though paralyzed on the left side, made the dough for 40 pies last season!

This year, many were traveling elsewhere for Christmas, so it was just us - mom and me.  Mom wore the appropriate "Canada, Eh?" t-shirt in honor of this French Canadian recipe and her boys Lou.  I think my hubby was so delighted that we were still going to make pies, he jumped at the chance to help us turn out a few.  Eight altogether.  One eaten Christmas morning, topped with eggs, coupled with coffee.  No other morning like it.

Hardy Appetit!

Spicy Pork Roast ...p49

Texting has done for typing what Gregg Shorthand did for writing, but painlessly as we all embrace this modern method of communicating.....what's this got to do with cooking?  Only this.  I just heard "I'm the DD" the other day and didn't know what it meant - turns out it's short for "Designated Driver."  Well I've come up with another one: "DC" for designated critic - which I am not for this blog, though I am apt to share my thoughts on the taste and appeal of what I cook....  My sister gave me this recipe long before the cookbook received it - I think she initially got it from her friend Margot. 

Spicy Pork Roast packs a punch to your taste buds.  I wouldn't exactly consider it "spicy," preferring tangy instead.  The combination of coriander and vinegar combines for a delicious sauce, especially good over rice.  During the last 30 minutes of roasting, I placed the roast on top of turnips (which acted like the rack) and poured the sauce over the turnips, frequently basting the roast during this time.  The turnips were great, soaking up the tang and crisping on the outside - yum.  I recommend doubling the sauce....trust me, you'll want more.

Hardy Appetit!