SPANISH TORTILLA

FROM MATTHEW NEENAN, CHOREOGRAPHER & CO-FOUNDER OF BALLETX

“Not to be confused with a Mexican corn tortilla.”

— Matthew Neenan

SERVES:
4+

PREP TIME:
20 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
1 HR 10 MIN

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INGREDIENTS

2-3 medium potatoes
2 onions
3-4 eggs
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Find a nonstick pan that’s not too big, 6-8 inches in diameter. Choose two or three medium potatoes and 2 onions.  In a small bowl whisk 3-4 eggs. Set aside.  Peel and slice potatoes into thin coin-like pieces, boil them in a pot of water until they soften.  Remove them, drain, and pat dry.

Cut onions into thin pieces.  Heat up olive oil in the pan. Place onions and potatoes in the pan and brown them, turning over often.  Add salt and pepper.

Pour egg mixture over potatoes and onions in the pan. Use a spatula to keep edges clean and push the potatoes and onions away from the edges. When the egg mixture is hardened on the edge (but probably still liquid in the center), take a large plate, and carefully place it over the top of the pan, like a lid. THIS IS THE SCARY PART.  Holding the plate and the handle of the pan, flip the pan over onto the plate, hopefully, you reveal the golden brown side of your tortilla.  Then slide the whole thing back into the pan to cook the uncooked side. 

Brown the second side of the tortilla for a few minutes.  Use a clean plate to flip it the same way you did with the first flip. Allow it to cool and then slice like a pie.  Some people enjoy a tortilla still warm, others prefer it cool/refrigerated.

RUM CAKE RECIPE

FROM DIANA BYER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF NYTB/CHAMBERWORKS

“This recipe is from my childhood friend Joan Brame.... for curing the annual Nutcracker cold.”

— Diana Byer

SERVES:
6+

PREP TIME:
5 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
2 HR 5 MIN

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INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAKE

1 cup chopped pecans
1 -18.5 oz box yellow cake mix
3.75 pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup dark rum (80 proof)
1/2 cup canola oil

DIRECTIONS FOR THE CAKE

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray or grease a 10” or 12-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts over the bottom of the pan. Mix all cake ingredients together. Pour batter over nuts. Bake 1 hour. Cool and invert on a serving plate.  Prick top with lots of holes.  Drizzle and smooth glaze evenly over top and sides. Repeat several times, allowing the cake to absorb glaze. Repeat till all glaze is used up. Do not forget to lick the glaze bowl!

INGREDIENTS FOR THE GLAZE

1 stick of butter
¼ cup water
¾-1 cup granulated sugar
½ to ¾ cup dark rum (80 proof)

DIRECTIONS FOR THE GLAZE

For the glaze, melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum.  Lick the spoon.

APPLE PIE

FROM ANA MARIA ALVAREZ, FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF CONTRA-TIEMPO

ADAPTED FROM ACLEANBAKE.COM’S APPLE PIE RECIPE

“No gluten, no refined sugar, no dairy, and lots of deliciousness!”

— Ana Maria Alvarez

SERVES:
6+

PREP TIME:
45 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
2 HRS

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INGREDIENTS FOR THE PIE

1 gluten free crust*
7 semi-tart apples peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (Granny Smiths are my favorite)
½ cup monk fruit sugar replacement
1/3 cup chopped dried apples or apple chips
2 tbsp tapioca flour (or arrowroot flour but I prefer tapioca)
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 pinches of fine sea salt

*This busy mama usually goes for the store bought gluten free crust or if I’m feeling really inspired I do an almond flour crust.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE FILLING

In a large mixing bowl, toss together all of the ingredients until well combined. Place, slice by slice, the filling into the pre-baked and cooled pie shell – stacking the apples and use a spatula to spread it into an even layer. Set aside.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING

1 cup blanched almond flour
3 tbsp Swerve brown sugar / sugar replacement
½ tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp coconut flour
1 pinch fine sea salt
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
¼ cup honey or molasses (or coconut syrup)

DIRECTIONS FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the oil and maple syrup. Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture and stir to combine. Use a spoon or your fingertips to drop dollops of crumble all over the top of the pie, covering all of the apples. Note: the crumble will be wetter than you may expect before it has baked! That’s normal. Optional step: Whisk an egg with 1 tbsp of water to create an egg wash. Brush the edges of the crust. This will produce a golden brown crust, but will also make it crisper. For a more tender edge, skip this step. Bake for 30 minutes. Then loosely cover the edges of the crust with tinfoil (or a shield) and bake for another 30 minutes or so, until the top is golden. Cool before enjoying :)

CARROT GINGER SOUP

FROM MILA THIGPEN, CHAIR OF DANCE BOSTON CONSERVATORY

SERVES:
4+

PREP TIME:
10 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
45 MIN

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INGREDIENTS

1 lb of carrots cut into chunks
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cups of water
1 tsp. salt
1 (½ to 1 inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled
1 tsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. cinnamon (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Add carrots, onion, then water to a pot.  Add the salt, and bring the water to a boil on high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until carrots are soft (10-15 minutes).  Add the ginger.

Puree with an immersion blender until ginger is well blended.  Add more water if needed to get a think, creamy consistency.  Add one teaspoon of lemon juice, as well as a dash of cinnamon (optional) and salt (optional) per serving. Top with desired herbs, seeds, spices or cheese.

FRANCO’S MACARONI

FROM CAROLELINDA DICKEY, CO-DIRECTOR OF AMERICAN DANCE ABROAD

“In 1985, I was Executive Director of Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane & Co. We had a new project planned and Bill and Arnie desperately wanted to collaborate with composer Conlon Nancarrow.  The beloved Betty Freeman, who supported many of the legendary contemporary composers of her time as well as commissioning music for contemporary dance companies, suggested that Arnie and I attend New Music America in LA.  Betty arranged for us to meet Conlon at one of her legendary Sunday Salons.  With 50 people sitting around, John Adams played piano in her living room and her husband, Franco Assetto, cooked in the kitchen.  We sealed the deal with Conlon sitting around Betty’s pool and I learned this recipe from Franco while hanging out in his kitchen.  Three years later I found myself as Director of the Pittsburgh Dance Council and reinvented Betty’s Salon and Franco’s macaroni into a regular post-performance party for visiting companies.  Always serving the same menu, I figure I made this dish 150+ times.

Franco had no measurements so the amounts here are fluid.  One pound of pasta plus a green salad and bread feeds about 10 dancers.  For more people, multiply accordingly.”

— CAROLELINDA DICKEY

SERVES:
10

PREP TIME:
10 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
30 MIN

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INGREDIENTS

1 lb of good tubular, ridged pasta (preferably bronze cut) – dried rigatoni or ziti works best
1 tbsp. butter
2 cups broccoli florets cooked until still a slight crunch
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese or other piquant blue cheese
1 cup sun dried tomatoes softened in hot water or white wine and chopped
2 tbsp. finely chopped garlic
½ - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. butter
1 - 2 tbsp. light or heavy cream
Good virgin olive oil
Course ground black pepper
Salt, if needed
Couple of pinches of crushed red pepper (optional)

Note: Except for the pasta, everything can be prepped ahead of time, but keep in separate prep bowls.

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta in salted water until al dente.  Retain 1 cup of pasta water before draining.

Remove and drain pasta, then return to empty cooking pot.  Add a swirl* of olive oil, butter and big pinch of black pepper and stir until butter has melted.  Mix in the broccoli, crumbled cheese, tomatoes, and garlic.  Add a generous swirl of olive oil; add grated cheese (start with ½ cup) and a pinch of red pepper. Mix. Add 1 or 2T of cream.  Mix.  At this point, taste and adjust seasonings (grated cheese, salt and pepper) and liquids (oil, cream and pasta water).  Serve immediately.

Pasta should be lightly coated, but not dry or soupy.  If needed, add extra oil and/or cream, but the reserved pasta water can help if you get it too sticky.  Additional grated cheese can correct if too soupy.  Assembling should be brisk.  From the moment you drain the pasta to serving it should take 3-5 minutes.  

*A swirl of olive oil is defined as tipping the bottle followed by a fluid lift of the arm or a stirring action.  Probably around 2T.

SWEDISH GINGER COOKIES (PEPPARKAKOR)

FROM KRISTEN BROGDON, DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING AT NORTHROP

SERVES:
8+

PREP TIME:
20 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
1 HR 35 MIN

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INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar
½ cup shortening or butter
1 egg
½ cup molasses
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
2 ½ cups flour - may need more in humid climates

DIRECTIONS

Cream sugar and shortening/butter with mixer or by hand in a large bowl, then add egg and mix.  Add baking soda to molasses - it will froth to fill a cup measure - and add to the other wet ingredients with milk, mixing thoroughly. Mix spices, baking powder, salt and flour together in a small bowl (I use a 4 cup measure) and then add in thirds to the other ingredients, mixing until it forms a soft but not sticky dough.

Divide into 3 or 4 balls and refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Allow dough to warm up a bit and then roll out as thin as possible on a pastry cloth sprinkled with flour. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes, place on ungreased cookie sheet, and decorate with white or colored sugar.

Bake at 350° F for approximately 8-10 minutes, adjusting as needed based on thinness of dough. Finished cookies will lose their shine and get crisp but won't change color. Remove cookies from sheets to cool on a rack and enjoy!

CRANBERRY SCONES

FROM DEIRDRE TOWERS, DANCER, WRITER, ARTS ACTIVIST AND FILMMAKER

SERVES:
5-6

PREP TIME:
20 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
32 MIN

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INGREDIENTS

3 tbls. bee pollen
½ tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. baking powder
¾ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup unsweetened Swiss Muesli
⅛ tsp. sea salt
1 tbls. maple syrup (optional)
3 tbls. butter
Dried cranberries… as many as you'd like!
1/3 cup of milk

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

• Mix dry ingredients together.

• Cut up the butter and then mush it into the flour, etc. with your fingers.

• Add cranberries.

• Add milk and stir.

• Make 5-6 balls and place on buttered cookies sheet.

• Bake for 12 minutes.

ASIAN COBB SALAD

FROM VICTORIA MORGAN, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE CINCINNATI BALLET

“It contains things that don’t sound very sexy—the dressing is what really makes it!”

— VICTORIA MORGAN

SERVES:
2 - 4

PREP TIME:
20 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
1 HR 40 MIN

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INGREDIENTS FOR SALAD

1 cup shredded purple cabbage
1 cup shredded Napa cabbage
1 ½ cup spinach
16 oz extra-firm tofu cubed, drained & pressed
1/2 small turnip cut into thin strips
1 small cucumber cut the middle seeds out and then into quarter-rounds

INGREDIENTS FOR DRESSING

1 Tbsp peanut oil
2 Tbsp sesame seed oil
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
4 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp chopped mint
1 Tbsp grated ginger
Salt to taste
Chopped jalapeno peppers (seeds removed) to taste
1.5 Tbsp peanut butter - my favorite ingredient anytime anywhere
2 cloves chopped garlic
Handful of chopped up sweet basil

DIRECTIONS

Mix the peanut oil, sesame seed oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce and peanut butter in the food processor or whisk it by hand.  Add the mint, garlic, ginger, basil, jalapeno pepper to the liquid and stir.  Salt to taste.  Pour 2/3 of the dressing over the tofu and let it marinate for 1 to 15 hours. When ready, place vegetables in salad bowl, drain marinade from tofu and add to bowl with the remaining dressing and toss till everything is covered. YUM!