By Faith Bahadurian
I blame my membership in The Cookbook Junkies (thecookbookjunkies.com), for a recent spending spree. Some of my new cookbooks have a tie to the Princeton area or my own heritage, so I thought I’d mention them here, including recipes that are loosely tied together by “interesting” spices or ingredients., First up is a rabbit curry from Colman Andrew’s “The British Table: A New Look at the Traditional Cooking of England, Scotland, and Wales.” This November release was beautifully photographed in Great Britain by the local Canal House Studio team of Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton. British cuisine has finally come into its own and the temptations throughout this book — from traditional countryside dishes to modern gastropub fare — will make it very clear as to why. Rabbit is so very English, and while the first curry house was opened there over 200 years ago, exotically spiced dishes have been popular there since at least the 1700s, contrary to the myth of bland English fare., Curry is usually served with rice, but the orzo recipe below caught my eye because of the colorful garnish of green pistachios and red grapes. You could even make a version with rice instead of orzo if you prefer. This recipe is from “Samarkand: Recipes & Stories from Central Asia & The Caucasus.” Author Carolyn Eden has traveled extensively in the remote areas along the spice route, including Armenia, which is of course close to my own heart. The recipes were perfected by her co-author Eleanor Ford, creating an exotic trip for armchair travelers and home cooks alike., If online buzz is any indication, “Dorie’s Cookies” has “award winner” written all over it. Ms. Greenspan has visited the Princeton area more than once; I wrote up her baking demo at Wegmans almost 15 years ago, and she did an event for the Princeton Public Library in 2014 that led to the recipe below for Princeton Gingersnaps. This book is packed with baked treats, meticulously rendered for the home cook, and, like all three books mentioned here, stunning photographs to bring them to life., Scots Rabbit Curry, Adapted from “The British Table,” Colman Andrews, Harry N. Abrams (2016). I wouldn’t hesitate to substitute chicken here if you prefer. — F.B., 3 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 2- to 3-pound rabbit, cut into 8 pieces, Salt and freshly ground black pepper, 24 pearl onions, peeled, 6 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into ½-inch cubes, 2 tablespoons curry powder, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon mushroom powder (optional, sold at Savory Spice in Princeton), 1 teaspoon cayenne, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 ½ cups chicken stock, Juice of 1 large lemon, Melt butter and oil in a Dutch oven or large skillet with cover. Season rabbit with salt and pepper. Add rabbit, onions, bacon to pan. Cook, turning rabbit regularly, until it’s browned, and onions are beginning to brown, 6-8 minutes., Reduce heat to low and add spices, stirring to coat everything well. Add stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until rabbit is done., Use a slotted spoon to transfer rabbit to warmed platter, then add lemon juice to sauce; raise heat to high and cook, stirring, until it’s slightly reduced and thickened. Pour over rabbit and serve., Grape and Pistachio Orzo, Adapted from “Samarkand: Recipes & Stories from Central Asia & The Caucasus,” Caroline Eden and Eleanor Ford, Kyle Books (2016). Pomegranate arils would make a lovely garnish for this dish. — F.B., 1 ½ cups orzo, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, 5 tablespoons olive oil, 3 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped, Juice of 1 lemon, ½ cup nibbed (slivered) pistachios (the greenest ones you can find), 1 ½ cups seedless red grapes, halved, ½ cup purple basil, sliced into ribbons, Cook orzo according to package instructions. Warm olive oil in small frying pan and sizzle garlic until cooked through but not browned. Remove pan from heat, add lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Drain orzo and immediately stir in the garlicky oil. Chill if not serving right away, but bring back to room temperature before adding the pistachio, grapes, and basil. Serve warm or at room temperature., Princeton Gingersnaps, Adapted from “Dorie’s Cookies,” Dorie Greenspan, (Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2016). Letting the chopped gingers sit with a teaspoon of sugar for 10 minutes makes a small amount of syrup which distributes flavor throughout the dough. — F.B., 2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon finely chopped soft crystallized ginger, 1 teaspoon plus 1 cup sugar, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, in chunks, ¼ cup unsulfured molasses, 1 large egg, lightly beaten, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, Sugar for dredging, Toss chopped gingers in small bowl with 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar and allow to rest for about 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ground ginger, and salt., In a food processor, process butter, 1 cup sugar, and molasses until fully blended. Add sugared gingers and pulse to incorporate. Scrape down sides of bowl and add the egg and vanilla, processing until blended. Add dry ingredients, mixing until combined, scraping bowl as needed. Remove dough from processor, form into ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours., Preheat oven to 350 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone. Pour dredging sugar into small bowl., Form dough into small balls, about 1-1/4 inches diameter, and roll in sugar, coating completely. Place onto baking sheets about 2 inches apart., Bake 14-19 minutes, depending on how soft or crisp you prefer, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. Allow to cool a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack. Be sure pans are cool before putting the next batch of cookie balls on them., Faith Bahadurian blogs at www.njspice.net (also Twitter @njspice).
