It’s Halloween on Monday so what better way to get into the holiday than learn some history about Washington Irving, Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. My friend Chef Mark Vogel wrote this article about these guys and finishes it off with a recipe for Peach Pie to “honor Ichabod and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” I hope you enjoy both. - RG

The Gourmet & the Goblin

Washington Irving, (1783-1859) was an American writer, historian, biographer, and diplomat, (he served as the minister to Spain from 1842-1846). He loved the town of Tarrytown, NY and took up residence there in a home that he called Sunnyside. Irving was enthralled by the region’s folklore, particularly its abundance of ghost stories. The nearby village of Sleepy Hollow was forever immortalized in his most famous work: “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

In this iconic tale published in 1819-1820, the protagonist, Ichabod Crane, is pitted against two nemeses. The first is the rugged and Herculean Brom Bones, Ichabod’s rival for the affections of the town beauty, Katrina Van Tassel. The second, and far more sinister, is the Headless Horseman. Reputed to be a Hessian soldier decollated by a cannonball in the Revolutionary War, his decapitated spirit gallops through Sleepy Hollow at night in quest of its lost head.

In the story’s denouement Ichabod is chased and apparently murdered by the horseman who hurls a pumpkin onto his cranium. Interestingly, Irving insinuates that Brom Bones may have been the culprit, thus leaving the reader to draw his own conclusions as to the actual cause of Ichabod’s demise. Of course the tale is rendered more intriguing by attributing the treachery to the headless ghost. Otherwise it’s just another humdrum example of a local bully victimizing the weak.

Formerly known as North Tarrytown, in 1996 the residents voted to change the name to Sleepy Hollow to honor Irving’s tale. Visitors can take a guided tour of the famous Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and view Washing Irving’s grave. Many other notables have been laid to rest there as well.

For the history buff or simply those with a morbid curiosity, it is a worthwhile endeavor. Be sure to stop by the Old Dutch Church, a reputed haunt, (pardon the pun), of the headless horseman.

Overshadowed by the more pertinent, and often lurid aspects of Irving’s story is Ichabod’s love of food. Irving makes numerous references to his gastronomic passions. Ichabod is depicted as a “huge feeder” with the “dilating powers of an anaconda.” He frequently accompanies students home at the conclusion of the school day, particularly those whose mothers were “noted for the comforts of their cupboard.”

His mouth “watered as he looked upon the sumptuous promise of luxurious winter fare.” Irving further characterizes him as a man “whose spirits rose with eating as some men’s do with drink.”

Irving also describes the charms of the Dutch country table which included cakes, crullers, and pies made of apples, peaches and pumpkins. Then there was the ham, the smoked beef, roasted chickens, broiled shad, pears and quinces. Ichabod “could not help rolling his large eyes” at the sight of these delectable offerings.

I’ve chosen one in particular, namely peach pie, as our recipe to honor Ichabod and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Peach Pie

For the crust:

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 2 ½ sticks (10 oz.) cold butter, cubed, or a combination of 5 oz. butter and 5 oz. shortening
• Ice water as needed, about 5 tablespoons

Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and give it a quick whiz just to mix the ingredients. Add the butter/shortening with the processor running just until it’s incorporated. A coarse meal is the target consistency.

Add the water in tablespoon increments, pulsing the processor just enough to incorporate it until a loose, crumbly, dough is formed. Use as little water as possible to bring it together.

Scoop out the dough onto a floured board and knead it briefly to bring it together, adding a little bit of extra flour if the dough is too sticky. Separate the dough into two pieces. The first should be 2/3 of the total, to be used for the bottom crust, and the other third will form the top crust. Roll each into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for an hour.

For the filling:

• 9 medium-large peaches, peeled, sliced into ½-inch wedges
• ¾ cup light brown, granulated sugar
• Juice of half a lemon
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small dice
• 1 egg beaten
• Granulated white sugar, as needed

Assembling the pie:

Place a baking sheet on the lower rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out the bottom crust on a floured board until it will fill a standard glass pie plate with about an inch or so overhang around the rim.

In a large bowl combine the peach wedges, sugar, lemon, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Then slowly add the cornstarch, mixing well until it’s fully incorporated. Place the filling on the bottom crust. Dot the top of the filling with the diced butter.

Roll out the top crust and place on the pie. Crimp the edge of the top and bottom crusts to seal the pie. Make a number of slits in the top crust to allow steam to vent.

Brush the top crust with some beaten egg, (known as an egg wash), and then lightly sprinkle with the granulated sugar. Wrap the edge of the pie with narrow strips of aluminum foil to prevent it from over-browning.

Place the pie on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and continue baking for another 30-40 minutes, or until the top has lightly browned and the filling is soft and bubbly. Allow the pie to cool before slicing.

by Chef Mark R. Vogel

Photo Credit

Here’s a new article and recipe from my friend Chef Mark Vogel. He gives a little history of the peach, where it came from, how it used and finishes with a classic Peach Melba recipe. I have never made this dish but I am going to give it a try after reading his recipe. Looks delicious and something I can recreate at home.

A Little Peach History

Peaches, native to China, have been consumed by man for at least 4,000 years.  The geographical itinerary that brought them to America is similar to other Asian fruits.  It goes like this:  From China they spread to Persia.  From Persia they went to the Mediterranean, (with a little help from Alexander the Great). The Greeks and Romans spread them throughout Europe while the Spanish explorers and English colonists introduced them to America.

Commercial production in America began in the 19th century.  California is the top US producer although they are grown in many other states.  China, Italy, Greece and India are the leading producers outside of America.

Medicinal Folk Lore

Like most other foods, peaches have been credited with all kinds of medicinal and mythological properties.  Man’s innate inability to accept his mortality generates a timeless quest for panaceas and potions.  Subsequently, peaches have been touted as a cure for stasis, inflammation, allergies, and many other conditions.

They are also associated with longevity.  Chinese folklore claims that peaches were consumed by immortals.  Oh, and they also ward off evil spirits.  This is very convenient because if you’re going to live forever, you don’t want your eternity plagued by malevolent entities.

Types of Peaches

Returning to reality, there are hundreds of varieties of peaches but most can fall into one of two bidimensional categories.  Yellow fleshed peaches tend to be more acidic and tangy.  White fleshed peaches, the most common in American supermarkets, are generally sweeter and lower in acidity.

Similarly, peaches are either freestone, (the overwhelming produce aisle favorite), or clingstone which are used almost exclusively for commercial production, such as canned peaches.  As their monikers imply, freestone peaches have pits that are readily detached from their flesh while clingstone peach pits tenaciously resist.

Photo Credit

What To Look For In A Good Peach

American peaches are available May through October.  Peaches from the southern hemisphere will keep you supplied in winter.  Select specimens that are fragrant, plump, and devoid of blemishes or soft spots.  When ripe they will yield to slight pressure.

They are best when ripened on the tree but if not, leave them out on the counter or place them in a paper bag to ripen.  Do not refrigerate peaches as the cold inhibits their flavor.  Peaches are a good source of potassium and vitamins A and C.

Peach Uses

Peaches can be poached, broiled or grilled.  They are used to make pies, jams, sorbets, soufflés and brandy.  They are sometimes employed as an accompaniment to savory dishes such as calves liver or duck.  Or, they can be the star of the show as in Peach Melba.

Peach Melba is a dessert consisting of vanilla ice cream, peaches poached in a vanilla flavored syrup, and a topping of raspberry sauce.  It was invented by the famous French chef Georges Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935), in honor of the popular opera singer Dame Nellie Melba (1861-1931).

Peach Melba

• Vanilla ice cream, as needed
• Poached peaches, (see recipe below)
• Raspberry sauce, (see recipe below)
• Mint leaves for garnish

Poached Peaches:

• 2 cups water
• 1 ½ - 2 cups sugar (depending on how sweet you prefer it)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Half a cinnamon stick
• 3 whole cloves
• 3 peaches

Combine all of the ingredients except the peaches in a saucepan.  Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking as needed to melt the sugar.

Cut the peaches in half vertically, working you knife around the pit in the center.  Then you must remove the pit.  If the peaches are hard and unripe this can be tricky.  After cutting them, you may need to grab each side and twist hard to separate the halves.  I then take a small narrow knife and cut around the pit as much as possible.  Then with a teaspoon, or ideally a grapefruit spoon, I gently pry out the pit without breaking the peach flesh.  Of course you can escape all this drama by employing ripe peaches.

Add the peach halves to the poaching liquid.  Place a small plate or the lid from a small pot on top of them to keep them submerged.  Poach them until tender.  The time will vary on the ripeness of the peaches.  Unripe peaches will take about ten minutes, give or take.  Riper peaches will take less.  Periodically check for doneness by inserting a small knife or fork into them.

Remove the peaches and chill them or simply leave them in the syrup in the fridge to cool.  The syrup can be used for other fruit, ice cream, pancakes, etc.  You can simmer it further, sans peaches, to increase its thickness.

Raspberry Sauce

6 oz. fresh raspberries
¼ cup sugar
Splash of Chambord

Rinse the raspberries and whiz them in a food processor until pureed.  Scrape them out into a small saucepan.  Whisk in the sugar.  Bring to a simmer and cook for five minutes, a little longer for a thicker sauce.

Finish by whisking in a splash of Chambord and simmering briefly.  (Chambord is a delicious raspberry liqueur from France).  Work the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove the seeds.

Give it a final stir and cool.

Assembling the Peach Melba:

Add some vanilla ice cream to a bowl.  Place one or two peach halves on top.  Drizzle with some of the raspberry sauce.  Top with a mint leaf for garnish.

by Chef Mark R. Vogel

Yesterday my 12-year-old daughter decided she wanted to make a cinnamon coffee cake recipe she received at school from one of her friends. She loves to bake and is a big fan of the Cake Boss television series. I’m not a baker so it’s great having her in the kitchen to watch and learn from.

She prepared this recipe all by herself except for a little help from her mother getting all the ingredients together. Because she needed to use the oven, my wife supervised the preparing of the cake but other than that, Nell was responsible for the delicious result.

Kids Can Cook

If you’ve been following my blog or spending any time on my web site, you know I am a big fan of Cooking With Your Kids. I think it is a great way for them to learn how to think independently, understand measurement, practice safety as well as a great way to spend some quality time together.

Please be sure to read my blog post Teaching Your Kids To Cook – Developing Intellect -  as well as my Squidoo lens, Teaching Your Kids To Cook

Cinnamon Coffee Cake With Chocolate Chips

Ingredients

For the Topping

• ¼ cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt

Wet Ingredients

• ½ cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 cup of non-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup of chocolate chips

How to Make at Home

Preheat the oven to 350° F

Butter a 9-inch square cake pan. In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat means to mix the butter and sugar vigorously with a spoon, fork, or electric mixer.

Add the eggs, one at a time while being sure to blend the mixture well after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix all together.

Mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and then the yogurt. Be sure to mix everything until just combined. Finally, add the chocolate chips.

Spread the batter in the buttered pan and sprinkle the topping mixture of sugar and cinnamon on top. Press down lightly with your hand so the topping does not move when the cake rises.

Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes until done. My daughter used a toothpick to determine if the cake was done or needed more time. She stuck the toothpick into the cake and if it came out clean it was done, if cake stuck to the toothpick, it needed more time.

Baking has never been my strong suit but I’m loving how much my daughter is getting into it and becoming comfortable in the kitchen.