PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

FROM KARENFISCHER, PRESIDENT, PASIFIKA ARTISTS NETWORK

“An Hawai’i-centric recipe!”

— Karen Fischer

SERVES:
8

PREP TIME:
30 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
1 HR 15 MIN

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INGREDIENTS FOR THE TOPPING

½ fresh pineapple, peeled*
½ to ¾ stick butter
½ to ¾ brown sugar
**use butter and brown sugar amount according to taste, balancing ratio of butter and brown sugar

DIRECTIONS FOR THE TOPPING

1. Cut pineapple in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4 in-3/8 in thick slices; remove core.

2. Melt butter in a skillet. Stir in brown sugar and simmer over moderate heat till well-combined, about 4 min. Remove from heat and spread mixture evenly over bottom of skillet.

3. Layer pineapple on top of sugar mixture, overlapping pieces in concentric circles. If you are using thinner slices, use greater overlap.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAKE BATTER

1½ C all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¾ stick butter, softened
¾ C granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp dark rum or ½ Tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ C pineapple juice or orange juice
Need a 10-inch enameled cast-iron skillet (my preference) or well-seasoned cast iron skillet.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE CAKE BATTER

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Sift together flour, spices, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

3. Beat butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in granulated sugar. 

4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Beat in vanilla and rum or balsamic vinegar.

6. Gradually add in half the flour mixture, and beat at low speed until just blended.

7. Beat in juice, then mix in remaining flour mixture, beating until just blended.

8. Spoon batter over pineapple topping and spread evenly. 

9. Bake until golden and the tester comes out clean, about 45 min.

10. Let stand in skillet for 5 min. Then invert a plate over the skillet – make sure its diameter is bigger than the skillet diameter – hold skillet and plate together tightly, and invert cake onto the plate. Replace any sugar or pineapple left in the skillet.

11. Serve at room temperature. Can be served a la mode.

**Preparing fresh pineapple. Slice off top and bottom with a sharp knife. Stand pineapple vertically, and slice off peel (2-3 inch width at a time), turning till completely peeled. For this recipe, slice in half vertically, place flat side down, then slice crosswise to desired thickness. Once each crosswise pineapple slice is cut, remove the semi-circle core with a paring knife.

RACH’S SHELTER COVE COCONUT THAI SOUP

FROM RACHEL COHEN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CADENCE ARTS NETWORK

“Shelter Cove, CA is located on the Lost Coast in Southern Humboldt County. It’s a little drinking village with a fishing problem.”

— Rachel Cohen

SERVES:
4

PREP TIME:
30 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
1 HR

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INGREDIENTS

ADD to the chicken/broth:
2-3 Jars of Trader Joe’s or other Thai Green Curry sauce
green onion to taste
pickled (preferred) or fresh or powdered ginger to taste
red sriracha to taste
soy sauce to taste
fresh lime to taste
fresh cilantro (or basil)
Add broccoli, celery kale, peas, asparagus...whatever greens or veggies you have in the house, whole cashews work great too

DIRECTIONS

1.  Instapot or boil a whole organic chicken, debone, and strain broth, or if you are a lazy ass, you can use Chicken Broth and Chicken pieces.  Whatever, just get your base…chicken/broth.

2. Drink a shot of vodka...forget that wine shit you are seeing everywhere. …I infuse a split vanilla bean in mine for 3 weeks.

3. ADD ingredients to the chicken/broth

4. Drink another shot of vodka.

5.  Heat it up altogether, or save it for the next day and reheat portions as needed.  

6. Drink another shot of vodka...this time add Square One organic Bergamot Vodka to your vodka, who needs a dairy creamsicle!

7. Reconsider what you said about the wine.

8. Drink a glass of dry white wine

9. Oh yeah, and eat the soup!  The soup compliments the wine.

RECIPE FOR GEMÉIS

FROM EDWARD SCHOELWER, PRINCIPAL, RED SHELL MANAGEMENT

“This dish would be called a ‘folkway,’ you are likely to find it coming out of the kitchens of Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky. In my childhood, we ate a lot of geméis, but you would never find it served in a restaurant. It is too humble. Like many peasant dishes, it is very savory, maybe a guilty pleasure. It is a remnant of the large settlement of German immigrants to the Ohio Valley in the mid-19th century.

The German word for vegetable is gemüse. The main vegetables in this boiled meal are green beans and potatoes. I cannot tell you why the Low German pronunciation (i.e. geméis) was agreed upon as the name for the dish.

A one-pot meal, everything about geméis is very easy-going. You can add or subtract to it to taste. The proportions listed below are how I like to do it. Although this recipe calls for kielbasa, the more typical type of sausage used is mettwurst (specifically ‘Hamilton Metts’) or my Irish grandmothers (showing you how common the dish is) would make it with a small ‘cottage’ or ‘butt’ ham.”

— Edward Schoelwer

SERVES:
4

PREP TIME:
15 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
1 HR

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INGREDIENTS

1 lb kielbasa sausage cut into 2 inch sections
1/3 of a small green cabbage, chopped
1 lb of green beans, stems removed and cut into bite size
½ a medium sized yellow onion coarsely cut
6 small or 4 medium sized new potatoes. Make it easy on yourself, just cut out the eyes and the gnarly parts, but leave most of the peels on, and divide the potatoes into good sized chunks
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp black peppercorns
½ tsp salt
4 cups water
2 tbs cider vinegar
Dress with olive oil or butter, add salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Into a 4 quart pot (or larger) put all of the dry ingredients except seasonings.  Stir it around so everything is mixed.   All the parts are pretty big so you don’t have to be too precious about it.   Add the peppercorns, coriander and salt.  Add the water.  Put the pot on the stove and bring it to a boil.  Then turn down the heat and let it simmer for 45 minutes, keep the lid just slightly so ask to retain the maximum amount of water.   The beans and the potatoes should be soft enough to eat, the meat cooked.

Before serving, add the vinegar, and stir it around.  Ladle into bowls.  Let individuals season as they like with butter or olive oil and additional cider vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with crusty bread to soak up the de-licious broth.

LAMB SHANKS

FROM BRENT BELSHER, DIRECTOR, BELSHER ARTS MANAGEMENT

“One of my favorite things is lamb shanks. It’s been something we’ve been making for years when we have guests over and now that COVID is ending (GOD I HOPE!) that’s the recipe that is on my mind.”

— Brent Belsher

SERVES:
4-6

PREP TIME:
30 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
3 HRS

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INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
4 - 6 lamb shanks trimmed of excess fat
1 large white onion diced
6 cloves garlic minced
2 large carrots sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 pinch coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 cups beef stock
1 1/2 cups red wine like Merlot Pinot Noir, or a Chianti -- optional. Substitute with extra stock).
14 oz (400 g) passata (tomato puree or American tomato sauce)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 beef bouillon cubes crushed
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped (divided
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to season

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Wash and pat dry lamb shanks with a paper towel.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. Sear two shanks in the hot oil until browned on all sides. Repeat with remaining shanks and oil. Transfer to a plate, tent with foil to keep warm, set aside.

To the pan juices, sauté the carrots and diced onions until softened, (about 3 minutes), then add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Return the shanks back into the pot; season with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper. Sprinkle with flour, toss well and cook for 4-5 minutes to brown the flour. Add stock, wine, puree, tomato paste, bouillon, and herbs. Bring to a simmer on the stove.

Cover, transfer to the lower part of the oven and cook for 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is falling apart, tender (adjust the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly). Gently transfer the shanks onto a plate; tent to keep warm.

Discard the bay leaves from the sauce and place the pot onto the stove. Simmer sauce over medium heat until thickened to your desired consistency. OPTIONAL: skim off any additional fat which rises to the surface.

You should be left with about 3 cups of sauce thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. *If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock. If the sauce is too thin, boil it over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until reduced to the right consistency. (See notes about thickening.) Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper, if desired. Add the shanks back into the pot of sauce.

Garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta. To serve the following day, allow the casserole to cool completely, cover and refrigerate. The day of serving, remove from refrigerator for at least an hour before reheating. Place over medium-low heat and let simmer gently for about 10 - 15 minutes, basting the shanks and vegetables with the sauce

TANAQUILL LE CLERCQ'S CELERY ROOT SOUFFLÉ FROM THE BALLET COOK BOOK

FROM THE BALLET COOK BOOK

“Note from Ed: Ms. LeClerq’s The Ballet Cook Book was a significant inspiration in making this blog. Although I never knew her personally, I was always in admiration of her ability to make important contributions to the world of ballet in spite of her physical challenges. And you can see, she raised the standard for cooking, too.”

— Edward Schoelwer

SERVES:
4

PREP TIME:
20 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
1 HR 30 MIN

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INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 lbs celery root
3 tbs butter
3 tbs flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp chicken stock base
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup light cream
3 eggs, separated

DIRECTIONS

Peel celery root, cut in pieces and boil in salted water until very tender, about 40 minutes. Purée in blender or force through a sieve.

Melt butter in a saucepan, add flour, seasonings, and chicken stock; cook over low heat 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, gradually blend in milk and cream. Return to heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Blend in celery root purée. Beat egg yolks and add a little of the sauce to yolks, beat with a wire whisk, return egg yolk mixture to the saucepan and stir constantly so the yolks do not set. Cook over low heat 1 minute, still stirring. Allow to cool while beating egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold egg whites into celery root mixture and pour into greased 1-quart soufflé dish. Bake at 350 degrees F. until firm, about 45 minutes.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES WITH HONEY-ROASTED ALMONDS AND CHILE

FROM ANDREA SNYDER, CO-FOUNDER/CO-DIRECTOR OF AMERICAN DANCE ABROAD

Original recipe from Laurie Ellen Pellicano, The New York Times

Mix until it is all pea size, then add water and mix until a little sticky, but can be rolled out on flour surface with out falling apart. Put into pie shell and bake for about 20 minutes or until brown.

SERVES:
8

PREP TIME:
30 MIN, plus chilling

TOTAL TIME:
1 HR 15 MIN

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INGREDIENTS FOR THE DOUGH

1 ¾ cups/225 grams all-purpose flour
¼ cup/30 grams whole-wheat flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
1 ⅔ cups/365 grams light brown sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
⅓ cup/80 grams unsalted creamy almond butter
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup/170 grams milk chocolate chips (or roughly chopped milk chocolate bar, disc or fèves)
1 cup/140 grams honey-roasted almonds, roughly chopped

INGREDIENTS FOR THE COATING
¼ cup/50 grams natural or organic cane sugar (or regular granulated sugar)
¼ teaspoon gochugaru (Korean red-chile flakes) or similar mild flaky chile, such as Aleppo or silk chile
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Flaky sea salt

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, light brown sugar and fine sea salt. Using the paddle attachment, cream for 3 minutes on medium until light and fluffy, scraping the mixer and bowl as needed to ensure the butter is well incorporated.

Add the almond butter and beat for 1 minute until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.

In a small bowl with a fork, whisk the egg and egg yolk to combine. With the mixer running on medium-low speed, stream the egg into the creamed butter until fully incorporated, followed by the honey. Stop and scrape, return to medium speed and beat for another minute.

Add the milk chocolate and almonds to the mixer and set to low speed just to combine. Turn off the mixer. Add the reserved flour mixture, then blend on low just until incorporated.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a spatula, fold the dough over in the bowl a few times.

On a parchment-lined baking sheet, scoop rounded tablespoons or 1-ounce scoops of cookie dough. (You’ll finish shaping them later.) Chill the scooped dough in the fridge for 1 hour until firm. (If baking later, freeze scooped dough on baking sheets, then transfer to a resealable freezer bag or container. When ready to bake, remove as many cookies as you intend to bake, let warm slightly, then proceed.)

When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees and arrange two racks in upper and lower middle positions. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Prepare the coating: In a small bowl, stir together cane sugar, gochugaru and cinnamon.

Remove chilled dough from the fridge and form each ball into a 1-inch-thick puck, rounding the edges and flattening the top and bottom. Drop each puck in the sugar mix as you go, flipping until fully coated.

Place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart (about 15 cookies per sheet). Sprinkle each with a pinch of flaky sea salt, crushing between your fingertips as you distribute it.

Bake the cookies for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, rotate each sheet tray and lightly rap it to force the cookies to settle. (You should see craggy eruptions on the surface.) Bake the cookies for 2 to 3 more minutes, until the cookies are just golden at the edges but still slightly gooey in the center.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for 1 minute. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

MOM'S SOUR CREAM APPLE PIE

FROM TONY WAAG, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF AMERICAN TAP DANCE FOUNDATION

“I am truly someone you would call a pie guy! I LOVE pie! My mom always made me a pie for my birthday. Not a cake. A pie! Actually, she would often bake TWO, one for me and then one for the rest of the family. Coconut Cream, Banana Cream, Chocolate Cream, Apple, Peach, Cherry, Lemon Meringue, Rhubarb, Pecan, Pumpkin, Peanut Butter, even Mincemeat. But my absolute favorite pie to this day is a Sour Cream Apple. In 1980 my mom (Norma Jean Dinkelman) sent me this recipe. (See original index cards for the crust AND the pie)

I have made dozens of these over the years, for birthdays, holidays, even for a pie ‘off’ once, which I won of course.”

— Tony Waag

SERVES:
8

PREP TIME:
30 MIN, plus refrigerating

TOTAL TIME:
1 HR 45 MIN

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INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING

2 tbsp flour
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 unbeaten egg
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp nutmeg

DIRECTIONS FOR THE FILLING

Beat all filling ingredients to thin batter.

Blend in 2 cups of diced apples, pour into the unbaked shell (see best pie crust below). Preheat oven to 400 degrees, for 15 minutes. 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven.
Note: I actually use 1/2 butter & 1/2 Crisco!
Note: And that’s 1/2 tsp of salt NOT 1 tsp!

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING
1/3 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup of butter (don’t melt, use cold butter)

DIRECTIONS FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING

Mix and sprinkle over pie. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE PIE CRUST
2 cups of sifted flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup of Crisco
1/4 cup of Water

DIRECTIONS FOR THE PIE CRUST

Mix until it is all pea size, then add water and mix until a little sticky, but can be rolled out on flour surface with out falling apart. Put into pie shell and bake for about 20 minutes or until brown.

Tony Waag’s mom’s original index card recipe

Sas Selfjord, Director of the Vancouver International Tap Dance Festival & Tony Waag at a “Pie-Off” in 2014

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH VEGGIE BASE - VARIATION 3

FROM IVAN SYGODA, FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF PENTACLE

“This homemade roast veggie starter base can dance off subsequently in several different directions. The key is to use a cast-iron skillet— versatility itself, happy under the broiler, in the oven (325° or thereabouts), or on top. Keep your oven mitts handy.”

— Ivan Sygoda

SERVES:
2-4

PREP TIME:
30 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
1 HR

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INGREDIENTS

Variation 3
1 lb. boneless/skinless chicken thighs
olive oil
breading - salt, pepper, flour, and either poppy seeds, coconut flakes, or panko bread crumbs

Veggie Base
Red bell peppers or orange and/or yellow. I don’t like green, but perhaps you do. Scoop out seeds. Cut in half crosswise, then julienne or cut into wedges.
Red onion(s). Vidalia or yellow would be fine, but I like the look of the red. Trim and peel. Cut in half crosswise, then julienne or cut and separate into wedges.
Mushrooms. Whatever kind you prefer, trimmed, sliced or halved, or quartered. Note: These cut-up ingredients might be harmoniously sized; juliennes/slices versus wedges/chunks.
Scallions, cut into 1” pieces.
Optional: zucchini or squash, sliced into rounds.)

DIRECTIONS

Veggie Base

Preheat broiler. Toss peppers and onions in some olive oil, grind in salt and pepper. I like to add some thyme, fresh or dried. Raid your spice rack for whatever else sounds good. Place under broiler flame. When peppers and onions have started to caramelize, add mushrooms, scallion, and whatever else. Monitor progress. I like a bit of a char. You may like more or less. Remove skillet from broiler, empty veggies into a bowl, and, depending on which phrase follows, either turn broiler off or set temp to 325° (My gas broiler also fuels the oven).

Variation 3

Set the oven to 325°. Place emptied skillet on medium-high heat. Add more olive or other oil. I like boneless/skinless chicken thighs because they are supposed to be more dietetic. Dredge the pieces in salt/pepper/flour. Sometimes I like to add some poppy seeds, coconut flakes, or panko bread crumbs. Sauté, turning until chicken is browned. Return skillet to oven until chicken is cooked through, then mix roasted veggies back in.