Recipe Corner Rides Again: Geaux Saisonelle en Orange
I’m not even going to ask if you missed me. I choose to think that you’ve been so wracked with angst about the slowdown in posts here, that you just shut down and couldn’t even send me an email or comment or whatever. You’ve been beside yourself with bloglonging and I’m not going to draw any more attention to it. We all have periods of weakness. You, especially, apparently. But I’m nothing if not forgiving so let’s just move on. It’s time to unchain the portcullis and re-stoke the ovens for a thanksgiviing airing-out of the ever-lovin’ Recipe Corner!
Given that this is a blog, after all, it seems appropriate to mention in passing that thanksgiving has been thanksgiven. For us it was a really excellent evening marked by the return, after many years, of some dear friends whose paths had temporarily diverged from ours. In our hosts’ gracious new home in an old Palo Alto neighborhood, we easily numbered upwards of thirty, what with extended families and neighbors caught short and all the people I count on seeing every year and many I’ve missed for too long. Sorry was played, fingertip flashlights were frantically waved in a dark backyard, approximately 20 pies and tarts were unbelievingly faced down by bloated and tipsy gastronauts.
And as it turns out, three bowls of orange goo graced our tables, for only one of which was I responsible. However, at the gorging’s end and after all the tupperware had been filled with afterfeasts to be hauled home, I believe that only my bowl of geaux saisonaille en orange had been emptied. And I’m informed by a correspondent that it’s been successful elsewhere this year too. So I might as well just teach the world how to make it next year, turn it into a meme or something, and then cash in by journaling and then novelizing my year’s journey getting America to embrace this delightful new dish. But I’ll let you in on the ground floor, right here and now, because frankly I’ve been overwhelmed with things I’ve considered writing about but have not written down, and damned if I can remember any of them. Something about public art, and nice people at the playground, and a bunch of cool stuff I’m thankful for… but I really can’t even concentrate on that right now. What I can concentrate on is geaux en orange. So here you go.
Because, what says “mid-to-late autumn” more than orange goo? Nothing. Nothing! It is decided! So, I wanted to make one of those seasonal gooey orange things, one that could hold its own on a table full of orange items of various consistencies, and goos of various colors. And goddamn it that’s what I made. This goo rocks, as only goo can. Make it for people who deserve the best. Such as yourself.
We - that is to say, I - started with a sugar pumpkin, a butternut squash, and about two pounds of garnet yams. I roasted all the vegetative matter in foil at 350 for 90 minutes; everything comes out totally creamy cooked that way. (Hints: to roast pumpkin, cut it into four football-shaped pieces; cut the ends off each piece to make two triangles, and set those down over the main piece that’s now sort of square-shaped. That configuration is easy to wrap with foil. With yams, cut them in half and then in half again, so they really cook through.) After everything comes out of the oven, let it cool to the touch, carefully open the foil and use a spoon to scoop the flesh (flesh!) from the rinds and skin and stuff.
Then - here’s the pain in the ass part - press it all through a strainer. Work in batches and rinse out the strainer frequently. If you can find them, get one or two of those nice mushy persimmons that are really ripe; mince them up and stir them in. Better to leave them out than to use ones that aren’t ready. Put them in a bag with a ripe banana overnight, that might help. Helped me, anyways. Moving on:
In a separate saucepan, heat a cup of cream, three tablespoons of bourbon, and six tablespoons of maple syrup - also toss in a smashed cinnamon stick and a vanilla bean, split in half with the seeds scraped out (use the back of a butterknife, if you feel like it). Simmer it on a low boil, stirring constantly, for about five minutes. Stir in some allspice, powdered ginger, salt, and an eighth of a teaspoon of powdered cayenne. Yeah, that’s nice. When it’s all nice and hot, pour it through a sieve into a bowl containing four tablespoons of butter and let it all melt and blend. Then stir it into the veggies and you’re basically done. My mom suggested pomegranate seeds as a garnish and that turned out pretty well; I’ve heard rum substitutes just fine for the bourbon but I put no stock in such apostasies. Anyway, it rocks, as has previously herein been intimated, and you should enjoy it in good health.
I guess I’ll be back later with more stuff written up but honestly I’m just trying to finish book 5 of Game of Thrones and get my damn life back. There has been a lot going on, at work and at home, and I’ve put a lot of effort into catching up with my recorded television. Oh, and let me share my thanksgiving CD mix list with you in the extended entry, so you can record it for yourself and listen to it while you eat your geaux, or if you really need to you can send me a note and I’ll burn one down for ya like teh internet pirate I always knew i was. Or were, as the case may be. Fight the power, and all, eh wot. Smell ya later.
So, every year I make a mix of music to enjoy for thanksgiving, and other times I enjoy music. It used to be a major undertaking but computer technology has taken some of the artistry and anguish out of the process. Regardless, nonetheless. Etcetera! and with no further ado, here is P.A. Pilgrimage - Thanksgiving 2011:
Help Yourself - The Devil Makes Three
End of the World Dance Party - Medeski Martin & Wood
On Main Street - Los Lobos
Iron City - Grant Green
Prince of Peace - Leon Russel
Cleaning My Gun - Mark Knopfler
Hittin’ on Nothing - Southern Culture on the Skids
Filthy Teddy - Roy Buchanan
California’s Burning - Dave Alvin
Jungle Soul - Dr Lonnie Smith
Arriba Tipo - Enrique Olivarez Y Los Vampiros
Rated X - Neko Case
Might Find It Cheap - Blitzen Trapper
Seven Angels on a Bicycle - Carrie Rodriguez
Insomniac Olympics - Blockhead
The King Knows How - Over the Rhine
Politician Rag - King Solomon
Repo Man - Ray LaMontagne
Black Coffee - Les Brown & His Orchestra