Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar
The updated version of the late Edna Lewis’ classic cookbook is a must-have for fans of Southern cooking. Long ago, Miss Lewis cooked a meal for me—lucky me. And lucky you, to have the opportunity to learn from one of the greats. There are charming stories and helpful tips woven into the book, including how her aunt removed the shells from black walnuts by placing them in the driveway and running over them with her car. There is an illustration of her setup for making spun sugar, by suspending a broom between two chairs. And of course, the recipes: from cheese custard to green gage plum preserves and roast stuffed duck to grits. Go in the kitchen and cook!
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Cheese Straws
Cheese straws are common throughout the South, served with cocktails, soups, sandwiches, and salads. I like to make mine very peppery and use a good extra-sharp cheese for flavor. The straws are not yeast raised and when they’re baked, they are flat and very crisp. I often freeze the dough so all I have to do is cut off what I need as I want it.
MAKES ABOUT 4 DOZEN
1 2⁄3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup (1 stick) butter
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne
7 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons water
Put the flour, salt, butter, and cayenne in a 2-quart mixing bowl. Blend well until the texture is that of cornmeal. Add the grated cheese, and blend in well. Add the egg plus the water and mix well with a mixer or by hand, until the dough is free of dots of cheese. Knead the dough into a ball or flat cake. Let rest for 15 minutes. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate until ready to roll out. Roll the dough out 1/8 inch thick. Cut into strips 1⁄4 inch wide and 4 inches in length. Cook in a preheated 400°F. oven for about 25 minutes, until golden and crisp. Remove and serve hot.
Excerpted from IN PURSUIT OF FLAVOR by Edna Lewis. Illustrations by Louisa Jones Waller. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Tracey Zabar's Chocolate Chip Sweets: Celebrated Chefs Share Favorite Recipes is available here.
A delectable collection of innovative chocolate chip recipes by world-renowned chefs, pastry chefs, and bakers
Tracey Zabar's One Sweet Cookie Cookbook is available here.
A delicious collection of cookie recipes from extraordinary chefs, pastry chefs, and bakers. A great gift sure to delight anyone who loves to bake.
