October 31, 2011: Just Another Day on Main Street

If you live in Sag Harbor, chances are good that you will run into some colorful characters on your way to the IGA for a can of chipotle chiles.

Congratulations, Kara!

I don't know whether Kara grew this pumpkin which is on display at The Country Garden or just guessed its weight, but congratulations to her either way. See you tomorrow on the Pumpkin Trail.

I had an hour to kill in Southampton yesterday, so I stopped by Sant Ambroeus for a cappuccino. What an oasis of civility! But why was it empty in the early afternoon? If Sant Ambroeus moved to Main Street in Sag Harbor it would be packed every day. On the way out I admired their Italian-style cookies, reminding myself to put a recipe for Brutti ma Buoni in my holiday cookies story for Newsday next month.

Last Night's Dinner: Roasted Mini Pumpkins

I bought these mini pumpkins at The Country Garden for a Newsday photo shoot last week (talented photographer Doug Young never accidentally gets the dog bed in his pictures). But in the back of my mind I new they were destined for the dinner table. Last night I roasted them and served them with some skirt steak and kale chips. Here's the recipe:

Roasted Mini Pumpkins
Serves 4

4 mini pumpkins
2 tablespoons butter
Salt
Ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty foil.
2. With a sharp chef's knife, slice away the top third of each pumpkin. Scrape the seeds and any stringy pulp out with a spoon.
3. Place a 1/2 tablespoon of butter inside the bottom half of each pumpkin, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and replace the tops. Roast until soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Instant Caramel-Banana Ice Cream

Last week I put four over-ripe bananas in the freezer, hoping that I'd get around to making banana bread in a few days but knowing that I'd probably unearth them in April and throw them out during Spring freezer cleaning. Yesterday, ahead of schedule, my daughter reminded me of what happens when you process frozen bananas in a food processor. They become a creamy ice cream-like semifreddo in seconds. For our banana semifreddo, we added a few spoonfuls (a tablespoon per banana) of Fran's Caramel Sauce from Citarella's, and were very pleased with caramel-flecked the results. Do I need to write out such a simple recipe? Here it is:

Instant Caramel-Banana Ice Cream
Serves 4

4 very ripe bananas, frozen
4 to 6 tablespoons best-quality caramel sauce

Peel the bananas and cut them into chunks. Place them in the workbowl of a food processor along with the caramel sauce and process until smooth. Serve immediately or scrape into an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 day before serving.

Literary Importance of IGA Discussed at Library Dinner

Last night I attended a One for the Books dinner at the home of a member of the Sag Harbor Oyster Club, so of course the appetizer was outstanding. The book we were all supposed to have read was Travels with Charley, but as dinner progressed the conversation turned to a Steinbeck novel I didn't know, The Winter of Our Discontent. I was thunderstruck when I learned that a fictionalized Schiavoni's IGA figures prominently in the story!!! I ran over to Bookhampton this morning to educate myself.

I Learn a New Word

In search of a use for a stale hunk of pane di casa from Citarella's, I stumbled upon a host of recipes for an Italian bread crumb topping, or pangrattato. Italians use it instead of grated cheese (it is also known as "poor man's Parmesan"), sprinkling it on pasta, gratins, and roasted or steamed vegetables. To make my pangrattato, I simply scooped the insides of the bread into a food processor and ground them into crumbs before sauteeing until crisp in a frying pan with some olive oil. I added some anchovies for flavor. You could also add hot red pepper flakes, minced garlic, lemon zest, and/or parsley. I used my pangrattato on a silky turnip puree. Here's the recipe:

Turnip Puree with Anchovy Pangrattato
Serves 6 to 8

3 pounds turnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
1/2 cup low-sodium canned chicken broth
2 cups stale country bread, torn into pieces
4 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Place the turnips in a large, heavy pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, turn down the heat, and simmer until tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
2. While turnips are cooking, combine bread and anchovies in the workbowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped.
3. Heat the oil over medium heat and add the bread crumb mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted. Remove from heat, stir in parsely, and set aside.
4. Drain the turnips and puree (in batches if necessary) in a food processor with the butter and chicken broth. Scrape into a serving bowl, season with salt, and sprinkle with bread crumb topping before serving.