Something Sweet...

Banana Cupcake with Honey Cinnamon Frosting


Linzer Cookie with Raspberry Preserves


Chocolate Cupcake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

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Cookies in Class

Have you ever been sitting in class, wondering what your professor is like in their everyday life? Have you ever wondered what they like to eat and what their cooking skills are? I have been lucky to take some courses where teachers would bring delicious food on the last day of class and have a relaxed discussion with us. One of those professors is Margreta de Grazia, who teaches in the Department of English.

Professor de Grazia specializes in Renaissance Literature and particularly Shakespeare, so she is probably the best instructor you could get on Renaissance poetry – the class I took with her in my sophomore year. She has written award-winning books of criticism and won several fellowships and prizes for distinguished teaching. I can see why – she genuinely cared about our performance, so every class she would assign one homework question to each of us. In this way, everyone had a chance to participate. I do not usually come up with brilliant interpretations on the spot, so having extra time to think made me much more active and engaged with the class.

On our last day before break, Prof. de Grazia brought us a basket of beautiful clementines and a tray of small brown homemade cookies. As I bit into one of those, the crumbly, walnutty goodness of the cookie swept me off my foodie feet. I instantly knew I had to have the recipe. So in the interim between the last day of class and the final exam I wrote a couple of emails to my professor almost imploring her in Renaissance verse to end my suffering and reveal the delicious cookie recipe. And she did! It turned out that it belongs to one of her grad students, still known to me only by the name of “Cathy from the cookie recipe”. I have decided that I should try to find Cathy and thank her for bringing these amazing cookies into my life.

And here is the recipe! When you bake the cookies, make sure you take them out of the oven as soon as their edges begin to turn light brown, or even earlier than that (if you have made them regular cookie size). Otherwise they get too crumbly and fall apart when you try to pick them up. Luckily, I figured this out from the very first batch. So later, when my professor wrote a study abroad recommendation for me, I was able to give her a delicious thank-you present!

Cathy’s Cookies (courtesy of professor Margreta de Grazia)

Sift together 2 cups of flour, 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix the dry ingredients with 1 cup of creamed butter, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, and 2 1/2 cups of ground walnuts.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
While the cookies are still quite warm (but not so hot they burn you or fall apart when you try to pick them up – I usually let them cool a couple of minutes), roll them in very fine sugar. Very fine sugar is sold either in the baking aisle or with cocktail/drink supplies, but you can also make it yourself by pulverizing regular sugar in the food processor or blender for a minute or two.
So far, I have only used powdered sugar and it has worked perfectly. Since it tends to get soggy when you roll warm cookies in it, I wait until they are completely cool.

Enjoy!

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An Apple a Day...

These days farmers markets are few and far between, and in a world filled with artificial everything, the freshness of farmers market produce is hard to pass up. Just simply standing at the corner of 36th and Walnut on a Wednesday afternoon among the tomatoes, grapes, and, of course, the apples, it was easy to forget that I was in a big metropolis.

Being from Miami, I especially couldn’t get over all of the different varieties of apples that I don’t get to experience at home. I was overwhelmed and baffled because most of my life I grew up with a very narrow apple frame of mind, only ever enjoying the juicy goodness of Red Delicious and Granny Smiths. So, in that moment, I couldn’t contain my apple curiosity.

For all you other apple lovers out there, here’s a brief list that’s sure to tantalize every taste bud:

For those with a sweet tooth check out Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, and Sundowner varieties.

For those who are looking for a more sour bite, explore Jonamac, Jonagold, Sierra Beauty, and Winesap varieties.

And for all you Penn farmers market lovers, be sure to check out the market in front of the bookstore (at 36th and Walnut) on Wednesdays from 10-2 pm. A little farther away is the Clark’s Park farmers market on 43rd and Baltimore that’s open Thursdays 3-7 pm and Saturdays 10-1 pm. Enjoy!

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Double Squash Stuffed Squash

Double Squash Stuffed Squash
2 Small Acorn Squash
½ Zucchini
1 Box of Couscous (I like olive oil and garlic)
4 Strips of Bacon
A couple pinches of Nutmeg
Salt
Pepper
Scallion for garnish

Halve the squash and season with salt and pepper, then roast in a 350 degree oven until soft (it really depends on how big your squash is, so check it every 5 minutes after 30 minutes have passed).
While the squash is roasting, make the box of couscous following the box instructions and fry up the bacon. Take the bacon out of the pan and chop roughly. Then put the bacon back in the pan with the couscous and zucchini over low heat and mix well.
Once the squashes are roasted, remove from oven and scrap out most of the center and add to the couscous mixture. Add the nutmeg and then mix well.
Fill squash with the mixture and return to the oven for about 10 minutes until the top is browned. Add garnish if you're dressing to impress or dig in.
If you want you can add breadcrumbs to the top that will make a crispy crust.

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To buy the crust or not to buy: that is the question.

To me, rolling out a pie-crust ranks as one of the most domestic activities a person can partake in, right up there with churning butter and starching shirts. Making dough puts me in the mindset of Donna Reed and hoop skirts and an earlier, simpler time both in the kitchen and out of it. But in the modern kitchen, convenience and efficiency take center stage, to the detriment of slow food—which is why, when presenting one of my favorite-to-bake berry pies to a friend or hostess, there is often considerable surprise at the revelation of a homemade crust. However, the time intensive crust is a myth. While it’s obviously not as easy as purchasing the grocery store version, the effort it takes is more than worth the reward. The homemade crust tastes better and tastes fresher, and best of all, it is neither difficult nor painstaking to get it right.

Pastry for Double Crust Pie
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
cold water (about 10 tablespoons)

1. In a medium bowl, stir together flour and salt. Use a pastry blender or fork to cut in shortening until pieces are pea-size.
2. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the flour, use a fork to toss it into a small ball of dough. Push this to the side of the bowl and repeat, until all the flour is moistened. Use your hands to form a ball, and divide dough in half.
3. Flour a large surface for rolling. Flatten and use a rolling pin to create a circle wide enough to cover your pie pan.
4. Wrap the dough carefully around the rolling pin and unroll it over the pie plate slowly and without stretching it. Trim the edges, and pour the filling into the pie.
5. For the top, roll out another 12 inch circle. You can either transfer it whole to the top of the pie, trimming the edges and tucking them under the crust. Cut slits in the top. For a lattice top, cut the dough into ½ inch strips. Then, starting in the center of the crust, lay down one strip, and three more on each side. Fold alternate strips back halfway, and lay one more strip in the opposite direction across the center. Unfold the folded strips, fold back remaining strips. Place another pastry strip across the first set, parallel to the center. Repeat the weaving until complete.

Best Loved Berry Fruit Pie
1 recipe Double Crust
5 cups blueberries, raspberries or strawberries
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
milk

1. Stir together sugar and flour. Add in berries and cinnamon, and gently mix until the berries are coated with sugar.
2. Pour filling into pie crust and place the pastry top on the pie, sealing the edges with your fingers.
3. Brush the top of the pastry with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
4. Bake in 375 degree oven for 50 minutes. Pie is done when the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.

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Andddd......

We're back!

The Penn Appetit Blog, after a summer of R&R, is tan and ready for some fall semester posting action. So be sure to check the blog daily for a new post from our Penn community.

If you are interested in becoming involved in the blog please email us at pennappetit.blog@gmail.com

Happy blogging,
Alex and Marianne

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First Blog Meeting of the Year - TONIGHT!!

Hi folks,

Just a friendly reminder that the first Penn Appetit Blog meeting of the year will take place tonight, Thursday, September 23rd, at 7:00 pm. We'll be meeting at the Kelly Writers House in Room 209, which is on the second floor and all the way in the back of the house.

Everyone is welcome, whether you've got ideas for blog posts, questions, or just a passion for food and writing!

See you tonight,

Alex and Marianne
Blog Editors

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General Body Meeting - Tuesday, 8:00 pm - SHDH 351

Hi Foodies,

Welcome back to Penn and a to new semester of Penn Appetit! We'll be having our semesterly GBM (General Body Meeting) this Tuesday, September 14 at 8:00 PM. The meeting takes place in Steinberg-Deitrich Hall (SHDH) Room 351. Enter on Locust between 36th and 37th Streets, and we'll have signs directing you to the room. Please note that a valid PennCard is required for entry to the building.

Whether your interest is in writing, photography, layout, or business--or even a combination of those--we'll be covering it all. We'll also be giving a greater introduction to the magazine. So if you're wondering whether or not you should come to this meeting, the answer is--you should!

Email pennappetit@gmail.com with any questions, and we'll see you at 8:00 on Tuesday!

Oh, and we almost forgot the most important part--refreshments will be served. (And a little birdie told us it might be chocolate fondue!)

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A shrine of sinful goodness: The Museum of Chocolate in Barcelona

During my spring vacation in March, I spent four scrumptious days in the enchanting atmosphere of bustling, bohemian Barcelona. The seaside beauty boasts the world-famous masterpieces of architect Antoni Gaudí, fine modern art, several stunning parks, sultry nightlife and, of course, delicious local and international cuisine.

My first couple of days were spent rambling around the touristy places, but the third had me eventually straying away from the path of inedible culture into the welcoming warmth of the Museum of Chocolate, cozily nestled off a busy street near the Park of the Citadel in Barcelona. My pleasant anticipation went through the roof as, after paying for my (presumably paper) ticket, I was handed a minibar of 72% fine dark chocolate! This was surely a promising start.



The museum, owned by the city's pastry-makers guild Gremi de Pastisseria de Barcelona, contains an impressive exhibition of printed materials, utensils and informational panels tracing the history of chocolate from the Mayan cultivation of cocoa to the present. The pleasant ambience was complete by the various chocolate replicas of famous buildings and figures from popular culture, placed along the exhibit windows.



It was a lot of fun to read the short, yet informative panels about chocolate. Would you be surprised to hear, for example, that the Swiss lead the world rankings in average annual chocolate consumption per capita - 10 kilograms! Great Britain and Germany follow with 7kg, and only then comes the US with a "modest" 5kg. And how would you react on hearing that in ancient times, when cocoa beans were used as currency, a slave cost 100 beans, and some quality time with a prostitute - only 10 beans, the same as the price of a rabbit! Now, if that isn't sexist, I don't know what is...

The museum also has touch-screen computers where visitors can browse interesting cooking traditions from around the world. I decided to check out the list of traditional cakes from Catalonia - the autonomous Spanish community whose capital is Barcelona.

For example, have you ever heard of Mona de Pascua? It is one of the best-known Catalonian cakes - a circle of brioche dough, decorated with whole hard-boiled eggs. Godparents gave the cake to their godchildren every Easter, adding one more egg each year to match the age of the child until he or she reached the age of 13. At that point, the child was considered an adult and went to Church to receive their first Communion.



On a slightly weirder note, did you know that Catalonians indulge in crackling tarts? This happens on Jeudi Gras, the Thursday before Ash Wednesday. Originally, that was the last day when people could gorge on delicacies as much as they wanted before the start of Lent. Foods traditionally eaten on this day were omelettes and pork, which led to the invention of the crackling tart as an afternoon snack. It is made from puff pastry or brioche dough, covered with carved cracklings and pine nuts and slowly baked until crispy.

Or how about a scissors cake? Confectioners bake sponge cakes shaped like scissors and filled with cream to celebrate the day of Santa Llúcia, the patron saint of seamstresses. On this day, all seamstresses put on their best clothes and proudly walk along the streets, wishing everybody “God keep your eyesight!”

And how would you like a piece of "traditionally modern" steering wheel cake? People prepare it on the day of Saint Christopher, once the patron saint of mariners, but since the invention of the car - the patron saint of drivers as well. The cake is circular in shape, with a small porcelain figure of a car baked inside, which brings good luck to the one who finds it.

In short - do visit if you happen to be around! The Museum of Chocolate is open Monday to Saturday 10am-3pm, Sunday 10am-7pm, and closed on Tuesdays. And it looks like this:

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Vegan Cupcakes are Real Cupcakes

Vegan baked goods are one of those things that when you think about making them, you get a little scared. How will these cookies be able to stay together if I don't put egg in them? Will my icing be buttery and smooth without butter? Would these just be fake cupcakes, looking like a cupcake, but not tasting like one?

Or at least I got scared when I decided to try my hand at vegan cupcakes. I tried out two recipes from the book Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, the basic chocolate and the low fat vanilla cupcakes. The ingredients list for the vanilla cupcakes scared me immediately, as it asked for vanilla soy yogurt... and I had no idea one could make soy into yogurt, and I also didn't know where to find it (it turns out Whole Foods is your best bet). The chocolate cupcakes are slightly more familiar when looking at the ingredients list, just substitute wet ingredients for soy milk and canola oil.

Round One: Low Fat Vanilla Cupcakes with Butter Cream Frosting

I made a butter cream frosting for both of these cupcakes, but for the first round of cupcakes (the vanilla), I used another recipe I found online, which called for margarine shortening and granulated sugar. I should have stopped there and said, "Hold on a minute. That can't be right, you can't mix granulated sugar into shortening and make smooth icing!" But I didn't because I was so worried about messing up by not following the recipe... and so I made frosting that had the consistency of wet sand.

The vanilla cupcakes came out a little dense, probably because of the apple sauce and the yogurt. I thought they tasted a little like banana bread... despite not having bananas in them. I had others try them, and no one else thought they tasted like bananas, so it was just me. But they were still good. Not a cupcake I would want to eat every day, but good. The icing was indescribably weird, so I'm going to let you use your imagination with what the "sand icing" might have tasted like... or felt like on your tongue.

Round Two: Basic Chocolate Cupcakes

These cupcakes were not billed as low fat, and used canola oil and soy milk. And I will say right off the bat, these were some of the best cupcakes I have ever made. They were fluffy and moist, not overly sweet. Whenever I have made chocolate cupcakes in the past, they were always a little dense, and so this will be my go to chocolate cupcake recipe in the future.

For these cupcakes I made the butter cream icing from Vegan Cupcakes, which was also very good, but still what I would call, a sub par substitute for real butter cream frosting. If I were going to make these again for non-vegans, I would just put real buttercream on them. For the vegan crowd I would go for a simple confectioners sugar icing, rather than the fake buttercream.

That issue, of needing to find an adequate substitute for many things is one of the reasons I am skeptical of veganism. At some point you have to wonder if it is worth it, if you have chosen not to consume animal products, to go to such lengths to recreate the textures and tastes of, for example, butter. With that small criticism out of the way, I have to say, I am won over by vegan cupcakes at least, they are not fake food... but real food. There has got to be a better way to say that?

Photo credit: chowhound.com from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

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