St. Louis Post-Dispatch Let's Eat sections

WEDNESDAY • 03.14.2018 • L

PHOTOS BY AUSTIN STEELE • asteele@post-dispatch.com

SPREAD THE LOVE Versatile peanut butter can be used in savory dishes, too

BY DANIEL NEMAN St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Peanut butter is my religion. George Washington Carver is my prophet.

I think we can all agree that peanut butter is the most perfect food ever invented. It is the ultimate expression of man’s genius, a spreadable utopia that covers our sins, brings happiness to all and goes as well with jam as it does with jelly.

Though peanut butter is the nectar of the gods, we mortals can enjoy it, too. And it doesn’t have to be in a sandwich. Surrounded by chocolate, it is one of two great tastes that taste great together. It is an excellent choice in a cookie. Few things go as well with apples, and nothing tastes as good on a banana.

And if you haven’t had a peanut butter pie, now is the time to try it.

But what about using peanut butter in dishes that are not sweet?

Can peanut butter be used in savory dishes, too?

Of course it can. It’s peanut butter. It can do anything.

Instead of my usual three or four dishes for a story, I decided to use peanut butter to make six recipes (I really like peanut butter. Perhaps I wasn’t clear about that).

I’ll get to the recipes in a minute, but first I want to talk about the peanut butter that I used. I used the natural peanut butter that has to be See PEANUT BUTTER • Page L4

SIX RECIPES • Cold Noodles with Chicken and Peanuts (top); Peanut Butter Hummus (left); Scallops with Snow Peas, Cauliflower and Peanut Panade (top right); Peanut Butter-Tofu Stir Fry (middle, right); African Sweet Potato Peanut Stew (bottom right); and Cauliflower-Lime Curry (inside). PAGE L4

Colonel Mustard. In the kitchen. With a pickle.

DANIEL NEMAN St. Louis Post-Dispatch

I suspect it was the pickle.

Last night (as I write this), I made hamburgers for dinner.

And before you say anything, yes, food writers eat hamburgers. It’s not all foie gras-crusted lobster tail, you know, though foie gras-crusted lobster tail sounds like it could be really good, or really awful.

So: Hamburgers. Two patties of lean ground beef, two slices of multigrain bread, some Dijon mustard, a couple of squirts of sriracha and that pickle, sliced.

I was glad when I found the pickle, alone and forlorn in the back of the fridge. It wasn’t an ordinary dill pickle, it was a half-sour pickle. That means it tastes more like cucumber, less like pickle, and I was eagerly anticipating the flavor of it on my burger. Few things go better with a hamburger than a cucumber, unless perhaps it is

a pickle.

So eager was I that, while the burgers cooked, I cut off a slice of the pickle and sampled it.

It had no flavor at all.

Well, I thought, it was the last pickle in the container.

Maybe it was a little old, though I had only purchased it a month and a half before.

Besides, I had just had a sample of something else that was spicy, probably the sriracha, and perhaps my taste buds were a little overwhelmed.

So I sliced the pickle, put it on the Dijon-spread bread, and topped it with the burger and hot sauce. It was, at the sake of sounding immodest, delicious.

It was a lovely, if not unfamiliar, combination of flavors: bread, mustard, burger and sriracha, plus the texture of sliced pickle.

And everything was fine. For, oh, maybe half an hour.

I was in the midst of doing dishes when I suddenly realized I would have to stop doing dishes for a short while.

Something I had eaten had not See NEMAN • Page L5

TOMATOES REPLACE PEPPERS IN CLASSIC STUFFED DISH ASSOCIATED PRESS

BY MELISSA D’ARABIAN Associated Press

Does your meatless Monday game need an overhaul?

As a meat-eater myself, I find that the trick to meatless meal-making is to have a

SOUTH AMERICAN CHARDONNAYS PAIR WELL WITH SEAFOOD. PAGE L2

small repertoire of recipes that can work as a side dish or first course, or be eaten in larger quantities as a vegetarian main dish. This is the same strategy I use when hosting a vegetarian in my home.

Today’s Quinoa-Stuffed

Tomatoes fits the bill perfectly.

Serve one tomato as a tasty and toothsome side along some roasted chicken or sliced beef tenderloin, or double up for a vegetarian meal that will fill you See TOMATOES • Page L3

DEVILED EGGS FROM GRACE MEAT + THREE COMBINE SOUTHERN FAVORITES. PAGE L3 LET’S EAT

1 M

L2 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

ON OUR RADAR

LET’S EAT

AMY BERTRAND Let’s Eat and features editor • abertrand@post-dispatch.com • 314-340-8284 DANIEL NEMAN food writer • dneman@post-dispatch.com • 314-340-8133 DONNA BISCHOFF vice president of advertising • dbischoff@post-dispatch.com • 314-340-8529

BEST BITES: KELLOGG’S CHOCOLATE FROSTED FLAKES

WINE FINDS

Chardonnay from South America

BY GAIL APPLESON • Special to the Post-Dispatch

When I think of South American wines, reds are the first that come to mind. After all, Argentina is famous for its malbec and Chile is known for its robust cabernet sauvignon and as home to most of the world’s carménère. However, these neighboring countries produce a variety of delicious whites including the following two chardonnays. Both have received high praise from wine critics, including 90 plus scores, but they are very different in style.

DOMAINES BARONS DE ROTHSCHILD (LAFITE) LOS VASCOS 2016 CHARDONNAY, CENTRAL VALLEY CHILE

VIÑA COBOS FELINO 2016 CHARDONNAY, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA

Bought • Schnucks, 10275 Clayton Road, in February for $9.99 Description • This lively, beautifully balanced chardonnay comes from the famous French Bordeaux producer Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), which took over the Los Vascos estate in 1988. Light- to mediumbodied, the Los Vascos is an unoaked chardonnay that tastes of pure fruit: clean, crisp green apples with a refreshing citrus finish. It’s a very easy-to-drink wine with lots of snap. It’s delicate enough to be sipped as an aperitif wine or a pair with seafood and other light fare.

M 1 • WEDNESDAY • 03.14.2018

Bought • Schnucks, 10275 Clayton Road, in February for 15.99 Description • The Felino is an impressive, rich chardonnay from Viña Cobos, which is owned by well-regarded California-based importer and wine producer Paul Hobbs. A small amount of this wine has been aged in French oak, and it’s bigger in body and more complex than the Los Vascos. Creamy and buttery, this elegant, well-balanced white tastes of ripe, juicy apples and tropical fruit complemented by hints of toast and vanilla. Best enjoyed with food, it would go well with rich cream sauces, fish and poultry.

Ordinarily, I’m not a big believer in chocolate in your cereal. But Kellogg’s Chocolate Frosted Flakes may make me a believer. The cocoa flavor is front and center but not overwhelming, and there is enough of the crunchy corn in the background to remind you that you are eating breakfast cereal, not dessert. Unless you eat cereal for dessert. I’ve been known to do that.

Size • 13.2 ounces Price • $3.34 Available • Grocery stores everywhere, including Schnucks — Daniel Neman

PREP SCHOOL

Quick, healthy kale chips Want a snack that is as healthful as it is fast?

In a new Prep School video, Daniel Neman demonstrates how easy it is to make crispy, crunchy kale chips in a microwave.

stltoday.com/food

Follow Gail on Twitter @GailAppleson.

Boost your weekday routine with Tuna Super Slaw

DINNER IN 30 MINUTES

Satisfy your craving for spaghetti and meatballs

BY BONNIE S. BENWICK The Washington Post

As the name suggests, 30-Minute Spaghetti & Meatballs is no substitute for the kind of meatballs simmered for hours in your nonna’s Sunday gravy. Strangely enough, the recipe doesn’t even include oregano or basil or a dry Chianti. And yet, I think this is a meal you’ll be happy to produce on a weeknight or any time you are craving tomato-y comfort food.

The meatball mixture is basic but does the trick: ground turkey, parsley, garlic and panko, plus salt and pepper. The meatballs brown in a skillet and finish cooking in the sauce, which is even simpler — canned tomatoes, pureed in a blender. When you drain the pasta, save a little of its cooking water; it contains some starch that will help bind the sauce and spaghetti together. (If you want to geek on this, check out the experimentation at SeriousEats. com.) Add the cooked pasta and a splash of water to that pot of sauce and meatballs, then let it cook for just a minute or so. It makes a difference.

I’m a big fan of cold spaghetti for breakfast, and rate this dish two snaps up, leftoverwise.

THE WASHINGTON POST The meatball mixture is basic but does the trick: ground turkey, parsley, garlic and panko, plus salt and pepper.

30-MINUTE SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS Yield: 4 servings

ASSOCIATED PRESS

BY MELISSA D’ARABIAN Associated Press

One of the best pieces of advice I have read about promoting healthy eating is to make your own food.

We live in a world of shrinking attention spans, immediate gratification and moving quickly from one activity to the next, margin-less and rushed. Preparing our own food requires slowdown. Even a quick meal takes 30 minutes of our time.

So when corporate America offered to relieve us of that duty starting in the 1950s, giving us processed, instant food, we jumped in with both feet, congratulating ourselves on finding an extra half hour in the day. I am certain that we miscalculated the impact of this shift in the food landscape.

When we make our own food, we do more than just control the ingredients. We connect with the source product, brushing the dirt off of a potato instead of seeing it already sliced thin, fried, crisp, greasy and salty in the form of a chip. Buying processed food is like hiring a sous chef you’ve never met, and who may not prioritize your health as much

as you do.

Of course, we all crave drivethru sometimes, and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a chip now and again, or having some pre-prepped convenience foods in the house.

But if your weekday lunch has become a trail of fast-food or preservative-filled meals, allow me to encourage you to reconsider brown-bagging it, even one extra day a week.

You’ll save money, but I bet you’ll also eat a lot healthier.

You may have more energy.

And so you don’t lose a ton of time to the project, I’m sharing one of my brownbag favorites, Tuna Super Slaw, which can be whipped up in about 10 minutes.

Raw cabbage is incredibly healthy, and it’s hearty enough to hold up texture-wise, even if you make it a day or two in advance. Feel free to sub in a sturdy green, if you prefer, like chopped kale. Tuna is a fantastic protein source, and keeping a few cans of it on the shelf as a sort of healthy convenience food. The dressing is lemony and light, with just a tiny touch of mayo, or use olive oil if you prefer. Main dish slaws may be just the lunch boost your weekday routine was missing.

TUNA SUPER SLAW Yield: 2 servings 3 cups chopped red cabbage (about ¼ large cabbage) ¼ medium avocado, cut into small (½- inch) cubes 2 green onions, chopped 2 tablespoons chia seed (or sunflower, pumpkin or other seed) 1 5-ounce can of light tuna in water, drained Dressing 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon mayonnaise 1 teaspoon smoked ground turmeric (or use ½ teaspoon regular ground turmeric) ½ to 1 teaspoon chipotle powder (or use half chili powder and half smoked paprika) 2 teaspoons dried dill (or 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped) 1. Place the slaw ingredients, except the tuna, into a medium bowl.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss to coat. Add the tuna and stir well.

Serve immediately, or keep covered in refrigerator for up to two days.

Per serving: 269 calories; 14g fat; 40mg cholesterol; 384mg sodium; 17g carbohydrate; 10g fiber; 5g sugar; 21g protein.

Kosher salt 6 stems fresh parsley 2 cloves garlic 2-ounce piece ParmigianoReggiano cheese, for serving 8 ounces dried spaghetti 1 large egg 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

cup panko (bread crumbs) 1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, or more as needed 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, plus their juices 1/3

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add a generous pinch or two of salt.

2. Meanwhile, mince the parsley leaves and the garlic. Use a Microplane grater or box grater to grate the cheese.

3. Add the pasta to the boiling water; reduce the heat to medium-high and cook according to the package directions, until al dente.

4. While the pasta cooks, combine the parsley, garlic, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper, panko and ground turkey in a mixing bowl. Use your clean hands to gently mix, until thoroughly incorporated.

5. Form the meatballs; I like to do this in two steps, which won’t add extra time to the clock and eliminates the guesswork involved in making them all the right size: First, divide the meatball mixture into 16 equal portions, placing them on a piece of parchment paper or on a cutting board. Then, wet your hands and roll them into balls.

6. Drain the pasta, reserving 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water.

7. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning as needed to brown evenly. (They won’t be cooked through.)

8. Pour the tomatoes and their juices into a blender. Cover and puree until smooth, then transfer the sauce and the meatballs to the same pot you used for the spaghetti (which should at this point be cooked and drained, in the colander). Once the mixture starts to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, which will finish cooking the meatballs.

9. Add the pasta to the pot, tossing gently to incorporate; add the pasta cooking water and let the whole thing cook for another minute or two; this will help thicken the sauce. Divide among bowls; drizzle with a little more oil, if desired, and scatter the parm on each portion.

Serve warm.

Per serving: 530 calories; 20g fat; 135mg cholesterol; 170mg sodium; 52g carbohydrates; 3g fiber; 5g sugars; 30g protein Adapted from “Martha Stewart’s Newlywed Kitchen: Recipes for Weeknight Dinners and Easy, Casual Gatherings,” by the editors of Martha Stewart Living

03.14.2018 • Wednesday • M 1 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • L3 LET’S EAT

GRACE MEAT + THREE’S COUNTRY HAM DEVILED EGGS

SPECIAL REQUEST

Yield: 15 servings (30 halves) For the Everything Seasoning: 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds 1 tablespoon poppy seeds 1 tablespoon dried minced garlic 1 tablespon dried minced onion 1 tablespoon sea salt For the eggs and deviled ham 15 large hard boiled eggs 2 tablespoons Creole-style whole grain mustard 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon Crystal hot sauce, divided 1 cup mayonnaise, divided ½ cup diced country-style ham Pinch of cayenne pepper Salt to taste 2 to 3 sprigs fresh parsley, leaves only 8 to 10 chive stems, cut in 1 ½ inch pieces 5 to 6 large leaves basil, stemmed and torn in quarters Notes: Grace Meat + Three makes their own Creole mustard and cures the country ham, but both are easy to find at local grocers. The country ham brand used for the test was by Burger Smokehouse, found in the cold case at a local grocer. Zatarain’s makes a Creole mustard, but there are other brands as well at specialty stores and at some grocers in the condiments aisle.

• Grace chefs use Duke’s Mayonnaise for this recipe.

• The sesame seeds may be toasted to bring out their flavor and add texture.

• Grace uses a small dab of the egg yolk mixture to seat each egg to the plate.

• The egg yolks may be mixed by hand with a fork and a whisk, but the deviled ham must be made in a food processor.

1. Mix all ingredients for the Everything Seasoning in small bowl. Set aside.

2. Peel, then cut each egg in half lengthwise. Gently remove egg yolks and place in the bowl of a food processor.

Lay out the egg halves on a baking sheet and set aside.

Pulse yolks until pureed.

3. Add mustard and 1 teaspoon of Crystal hot sauce to eggs and pulse until smooth.

4. Add ½ cup mayonnaise and pulse until incorporated.

Don’t overwork this step or the mayonnaise may separate.

Remove egg mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

5. Clean and thoroughly dry the bowl and blade of the food processor. Attach bowl and blade to machine, then add diced ham, remaining tablespoon of Crystal hot sauce and pinch of cayenne pepper. Pulse until the ham turns into a paste.

6. Add remaining ½ cup mayonnaise and pulse a few times. Scrape down sides and pulse again just until the mayonnaise incorporates. Take care not to overwork this step or the mayonnaise may break. Remove to a small mixing bowl.

7. To assemble the eggs, pipe in or fill each egg hollow with a dollop of the yolk mixture and place on a tray or plate.

8. Pipe or top each filled egg with a small amount of deviled ham. Store leftover deviled ham in a tightly closed container and refrigerate. Use within a week.

9. Lightly sprinkle the eggs and the plate with Everything Seasoning. Store leftover seasoning in a tightly covered jar.

Top with prepared chives, parsley and basil on both eggs and plate. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 190 calories; 17g fat; 3g saturated fat; 193mg cholesterol; 8g protein; 1g carbohydrate; no sugar; no fiber; 636mg sodium; 43mg calcium

Grace Meat + Three deviled eggs combine Southern favorites

JERRY NAUNHEIM JR.

GRACE MEAT + THREE

BY PAT EBY Special to the Post-Dispatch

Q • Grace Meat + Three has not only the best fried chicken in St. Louis but also the best sides and starters.

Would owner and chef Rick Lewis share his recipe for his deviled eggs?

— Trista Hahn, Tower Grove

A • At Grace Meat + Three, the country ham deviled eggs rank high on the list of customer favorites for good reason. Chef Rick Lewis combines two of the South’s favorite condiments: Creole mustard and Duke’s mayonnaise in the egg yolk filling.

He takes things over the top with a dollop deviled country-style ham and a sprinkle of Everything Seasoning. “Like you have on bagels,” he says. Then he adds the lagniappe, a generous sprinkle of fresh chives, parsley and basil.

4270 Manchester Avenue 314-533-2700;’ stlgrace.com

Grace specializes in Southern comfort with its smoked meats, inventive seasonal sides and classic desserts. Even though guests order at the front counter, meals are delivered to the table by friendly and attentive staff.

The restaurant space showcases Elisa Lewis’ design talents. The décor has touches of Southern traditions like cabins on the river, gardening, hunting and fishing. She has a knack for finding just the right statement pieces, like her newest find, a Quick-Meal stove, a classic in pale green and cream enamel.

“The stove is an early one from the same company that eventually made the Magic Chef stove,” Rick Lewis says. “Have you seen the logo for

these early stoves? It’s a chicken — going for a bug — a really quick meal.”

The chicken came first, a clear reminder of spring on the sunny Saturday we stopped in, and led to a discussion of classic Easter favorite foods, including deviled eggs, which will brighten many brunch tables on that special day.

If making the eggs at home won’t work, Grace has got you covered. In fact, they offer ready-to-serve Easter dinner dishes this year. “We’ll have our 8- to 10-pound honey glazed smoked hams, and house buttermilk biscuits with seasonal jam,” Elisa Lewis says. “Sides will be grilled baby carrots with sunflower seed pesto, stewed green beans with bacon, tomatoes and onion, and of course, our country ham deviled eggs.” Customers can order online or by phone.

Orders will be ready to pick up March 31 at the restaurant.

To request a recipe • Would you like to request a recipe from a restaurant that is still open in the St. Louis area? Send your request along with your full name and the city you live in to reciperequest@post-dispatch.com.

QUINOA-STUFFED TOMATOES Yield: 8 servings 8 medium-sized tomatoes 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 small yellow onion, diced (about ¾ cup) 1 small eggplant, cut into small dice (½ inch), about 2 cups 3 cloves garlic, minced

MARCH 14, 2018 @ ST. LOUIS SCIENCE CENTER PRESENTED BY

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Enjoy complimentary tastings from the top restaurants in St. Louis, including: Annie Gunn's • Beast Craft BBQ Co. Bogart's Smokehouse • Brasserie by Niche Byrd & Barrel • Clementine's • Cleveland-Heath Comet Coffee & Microbakery • Edibles & Essentials Elaia • Farmhaus • Frankly Sausages • Gioia's Deli Grace Meat & Three • Guerrilla Street Food Hiro Asian Kitchen • Juniper • Kitchen Kulture Lona's Lil Eats • Mai Lee • Mission Taco Joint Nixta • Nudo House STL • Olio • Olive + Oak Pappy's Smokehouse • Parigi • Pastaria • Pho Long Pi Pizzeria • Pint Size Bakery • Porano Pasta Privado • Publico • Quincy Street Bistro Reeds American Table • Retreat Gastropub Salt + Smoke • Sardella • Sister Cities • Smoki O's Southern • Sugarfire Smoke House • Taste The Palm Trees • Veritas • Vicia • Yolklore

Notes: The recipe works well with up to a half pound of cooked ground meat added to the filling if desired.

• Crinkle up foil into a ball if you need to secure tomatoes in baking dish so they don’t slide around.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice off the top of each tomato, reserving the tops.

2. Run a paring knife around the inner rim of the tomato, loosening up the flesh on the inside of the tomato. Use a small spoon and scoop out the flesh, juice and seeds of the tomato.

(Either discard or pulse in blender to use later in a tomato sauce.)

3. Sprinkle the insides of the tomatoes with half the salt and set aside. In a large saute pan, cook the onion and eggplant in the olive oil over medium high heat until vegetables start to soften, about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms soften, about 5 more minutes.

4. Pour in the wine and stir to let it evaporate. Add the basil, quinoa, remaining salt and pepper and turn off the heat. Stir in the parmesan cheese. Gently spoon the filling into the empty tomatoes, and top each one with a reserved tomato top.

5. Place the tomatoes in a baking dish sprayed with a little olive oil from a mister (or nonstick spray). Mist the tomatoes with a quick spray of olive oil from a mister. Cover the dish with an oven-safe lid or foil. Bake until the tomatoes are tender and quinoa mixture is hot, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Per serving: 115 calories; 3g fat; 2mg cholesterol; 176mg sodium; 19g carbohydrate; 5g fiber; 6g sugar; 5g protein.

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1 cup roughly chopped or sliced white mushrooms 3 tablespoons dry white wine 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 1 ½ cup cooked quinoa ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper

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Cooked ground meat can be added to filling for stuffed tomatoes TOMATOES • FROM L1

up, even if you aren’t vegetarian. These tomatoes can be made in advance, so they are equally brilliant for both company dinners and weeknight family suppers.

Tomatoes, a culinary favorite source of lycopene, are stuffed with quinoa and sauteed eggplant and mushrooms, both hefty, meaty vegetables. But, swap out the quinoa for brown rice, and use whatever veggies you find in the crisper drawer, or even in your freezer. Baking tomatoes is an excellent strategy for using up the lessthan-perfectly-sweet ones that winter can bring. A big bonus: roasted tomatoes are simply gorgeous, appealing to our farm-to-table sensibilities.

While I don’t think you’ll miss the meat, if you must, feel free to add in a little cooked ground meat right into the filling. Either way, you’ll have a healthy and hearty dish that is a nice change from the classic stuffed pepper.

And as for the pulpy, fleshy middle of the tomato that you’ll remove to stuff it: don’t throw it out! Blend it up — juice and seeds and all — with a little garlic and onion and then mix it into your next tomato-based pasta sauce, or use it as part of your liquid next time you make rice.

Who’s hungry? • Looking for a new favorite restaurant?

Check Ian Froeb’s STL 100, our critic’s updated guide to the best spots in town. stltoday.com/stl100

LET’S EAT

L4 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

M 1 • Wednesday • 03.14.2018

PEANUT BUTTER HUMMUS Yield: 4 servings 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, preferably natural

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon cumin 1 clove garlic, mashed 1/3 cup warm water ¼ teaspoon salt

Combine chickpeas, peanut butter, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin and garlic in a food processor. Add water and salt, and process until smooth.

Per serving: 227 calories; 11g fat; 2g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 10g protein; 25g carbohydrate; 5g sugar; 7g fiber; 365mg sodium; 45mg calcium Adapted from Men’s Health

PEANUT BUTTER-TOFU STIR FRY Yield: 4 servings 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 1 pound tofu, drained, cut into cubes Cornstarch, for tossing tofu 1 yellow onion, sliced 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced PHOTOS BY AUSTIN STEELE • asteele@post-dispatch.com

The lime rice served with Cauliflower Lime Curry makes a great dish even better.

Peanut butter works well with many ingredients PEANUT BUTTER • FROM L1

stirred the first time you open the jar, not the more familiar, homogenized type. The more popular peanut butters are sweet, and I wanted my dishes to be completely savory.

But if you make them, feel fry to use whichever peanut butter you choose. Nobody will complain, and I mean nobody. It’s peanut butter; it will be fine.

I began with the best version I know of the first dish I ever had to make savory use of peanut butter: Cold Noodles with Chicken and Peanuts. The dish comes from Beijing, where cold noodles are something of an obsession. Unlike some, this recipe is neither too dry nor too oily.

It’s all about balance in cooking, and Chinese cooking in particular.

This dish, which is an appetizer, mixes a fairly large amount of noodles with a relatively small amount (but just the right quantity) of sauce: peanut butter, peanut oil, red rice or wine vinegar, soy sauce and water, flavored with a bit of sugar and sesame oil. Add cooked chicken, chopped peanuts, a sprinkling of sesame seeds and an all-important dash of green onions, and you have a savory dish that instantly expands your peanut-butter horizons.

I next turned to hummus, despite loud protests from the peanut (butter) gallery insisting that true hummus can only be made with tahini.

Tahini is made of crushed sesame seeds. Peanut butter is made of crushed peanuts. The flavors are different, but complementary. So complementary, in fact, that hummus made with peanut butter tastes every bit as great as hummus made with tahini. A bit of garlic, a hint of cumin and a healthy dose of lemon juice put it absolutely over the top.

The peanut gallery would have concurred, but her mouth was stuffed too full of hummus made with peanut butter.

My next dish brought the peanut back to its roots, so to speak. Though peanuts are apparently native to South America, they are closely related to the Bambara groundnut of West Africa. So they were a natural in an African Sweet Potato-Peanut Stew.

This is a hearty, vegetarian stew that masterfully blends the flavors of sweet potatoes, peanut butter and chickpeas, which are also called garbanzo beans. These ingredients are lightly simmered together for hours in a slow cooker, along with cumin and cinnamon — because nothing

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over mediumhigh heat. Toss cubed tofu in cornstarch to lightly coat. Cook tofu until golden and crispy, about 5 minutes, then transfer to a plate.

2. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in skillet and add onion, pepper and cabbage. Cook until soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Add bok choy and cook until wilted but still crisp-tender, 2 minutes.

Return tofu to skillet.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce and sesame oil. Pour into skillet until completely coated.

Per serving: 384 calories; 28g fat; 5g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 21g protein; 21g carbohydrate; 8g sugar; 7g fiber; 1,004mg sodium; 687mg calcium Recipe from delish.com

AFRICAN SWEET POTATO PEANUT STEW Yield: 6 servings 3 cloves garlic 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves and stems 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes ½ cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky) 2 teaspoons ground cumin ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Hearty, vegetarian stew blends the flavors of sweet potatoes, peanut butter and chickpeas.

goes better with sweet potatoes than cumin and cinnamon — and a bit of cayenne pepper for heat.

Green beans are added at the end for the perfect fresh counterpoint that binds the flavors together.

I next turned my attention to Peanut Butter Tofu Stir-Fry, because it’s peanut butter tofu stir-fry. Right?

Why more stir-fries are not made with a combination of soy sauce, peanut butter and sesame oil, I do not know. Now that I’ve had it, I can say that it’s a natural.

This version is vegetarian — hence the tofu — but you could easily make it with chicken or pork, or even scallops, as we shall see. All you need is some onion, a yellow pepper for color and flavor, a bit of red cabbage (which may turn unnervingly purple) and a couple of heads of baby bok choy, and you have a delicious Asian treat.

Yes, Asian. The biggest producer of peanuts in the world is China.

I was a little hesitant to make my next dish, but I’m glad I did. The cauliflower part of Cauliflower Lime Curry made perfect sense to me; even before trying it I could imagine the successful blending of cauliflower, curry, coconut milk and peanut butter.

These are ingredients that were born to co-exist. But lime? Where would the lime fit in?

As it turns out, lime is the ingredient that is essential to elevating this dish into the culinary stratosphere.

It cuts through the umami headiness of the other flavors and makes them soar. The best part is actually

the lime rice that you serve it on. It’s just lime zest mixed into rice, but it is essential. It takes a great dish and makes it even better.

My final dish came from chef Grant Achatz, and his name was the only reason I would make something called Scallops with Snow Peas, Cauliflower and Peanut Panade.

Achatz, of Chicago’s famed Alinea and other restaurants, is often called the best chef in America. So if he says that peanut butter goes on top of scallops, then peanut butter goes on top of scallops.

And boy, does peanut butter ever go on top of scallops. When mixed with crunchy fried breadcrumbs, chopped peanuts and a bit of oil flavored with curry, peanut butter brings out the best in scallops.

It shows hidden depths; it reveals flavors that are usually masked; it makes scallops more scallopy.

Considering the Grant Achatz pedigree, the dish is not even particularly hard to make. And it is as spectacular as it is unexpected.

Author’s note: Yes, I know that peanut butter was invented not by George Washington Carver but by John Harvey Kellogg, the cereal guy. But Kellogg was a definite weirdo (a little research yields a wealth of bizarre beliefs that do not belong in a family newspaper), and Carver did so much to promote the peanut and other foods. So Carver is still my prophet.

Daniel Neman • 314-340-8133 Food writer @dnemanfood on Twitter dneman@post-dispatch.com

SCALLOPS WITH SNOW PEAS, CAULIFLOWER AND PEANUT PANADE Yield: 4 servings 2 teaspoons madras curry powder ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil, divided 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice Salt and pepper ½ pound cauliflower florets 4 ounces snow peas

1½ tablespoons salted peanuts, coarsely chopped 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs 16 large sea scallops Cilantro sprigs

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, stir the curry powder into ¼ cup of the oil and let stand for 15 minutes.

Let the spices settle, then pour the oil into another small bowl, stopping before you reach the solids. Whisk the lime juice into the curry oil and season this vinaigrette with salt and pepper.

2. In a small baking dish, toss the cauliflower with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt. Roast on the top rack of the oven, stirring once, until the cauliflower is tender and lightly browned in spots, about 18 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the snow peas and cook for 1 minute, until crisp-tender and bright green. Drain, cool under water and pat dry.

4. In a skillet, toast the bread crumbs in 1 tablespoon of the oil until golden, 1 minute. Transfer the bread crumbs to a small bowl and let cool. Stir in the peanuts and peanut butter and season this panade with salt.

5. Preheat the broiler. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large, ovenproof skillet until nearly smoking. Season the scallops with salt and pepper, add them to the pan and cook over high heat until well-browned and crusty on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the scallops and continue to cook 1 minute while you spoon a dollop of the peanut panade onto each one.

Broil for 10 seconds, until the panade is heated through.

6. Transfer the scallops to plates and arrange the cauliflower and snow peas around them. Drizzle the curry vinaigrette all around, garnish with cilantro sprigs, and serve.

Per serving: 454 calories; 40g fat; 5g saturated fat; 12mg cholesterol; 13g protein; 14g carbohydrate; 4g sugar; 4g fiber; 361mg sodium; 54mg calcium Adapted from a recipe by Grant Achatz

¼ head red cabbage, thinly sliced 2 heads baby bok choy, roughly chopped ¼ cup peanut butter 3 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons sesame oil

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ¾ teaspoon salt 1 cup water 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) ½ pound green beans, trimmed

1. In blender or food processor, blend garlic, cilantro, tomatoes with their juice, peanut butter, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and salt until puréed. Pour into a slow cooker and stir in water. Add sweet potatoes and chickpeas; stir to combine. Cover and cook as manufacturer directs on low setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until potatoes are very tender.

2. About 10 minutes before sweet potatoes are done, pour just enough water to cover green beans into a skillet or pot; add a pinch or two of salt if desired. Heat to a boil and add the green beans; cook until crisp-tender, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Drain, and stir into the sweet potato mixture before serving.

Per serving: 370 calories; 13g fat; 2g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 14g protein; 54g carbohydrate; 13g sugar; 12g fiber; 653mg sodium; 125mg calcium Adapted from delish.com

CAULIFLOWER-LIME CURRY Yield: 4 servings 1 cup uncooked basmati rice 2 limes 1 can light coconut milk, divided 1 medium onion 1 teaspoon curry powder Salt

¼ cup chunky peanut butter ¼ cup water 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans)

1. Prepare rice according to directions. Finely grate lime peels into a small bowl. Squeeze 2 tablespoons lime juice into another small bowl.

2. In a 5- to 6-quart pot, heat ½ cup of the coconut milk on medium-high until bubbling. Add onion, curry powder and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook 5 to 6 minutes or until pot is almost dry and onions begin to soften, stirring frequently.

3. Into pot with onion, whisk peanut butter, water and remaining coconut milk. Heat to boiling on high. Reduce heat to medium. Add cauliflower and chickpeas; cover and cook 10 minutes or until cauliflower is tender, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Stir in reserved lime juice and ¼ teaspoon salt.

4. When rice is cooked, fluff with fork; gently fold in reserved lime zest. Serve curry with rice.

Per serving: 489 calories; 14g fat; 4g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 18g protein; 78g carbohydrate; 13g sugar; 12g fiber; 341mg sodium; 304mg calcium Recipe from delish.com

COLD NOODLES WITH CHICKEN AND PEANUTS Yield: 6 appetizer servings ¼ cup water 3 tablespoons peanut butter 3 tablespoons peanut oil 3 tablespoons red rice vinegar or red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 3 tablespoons light soy sauce 1 tablespoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil

1 pound fresh egg noodles, cooked and chilled 2 hours 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken ½ cup roasted peanuts, chopped 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds ¼ cup minced green onion or chives

Combine water, peanut butter, peanut oil, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil; blend well and set aside. Place chilled noodles on serving dish or bowl and top with chicken, peanuts, sesame seeds and green onions or chives. Drizzle with dressing and serve.

Per serving: 434 calories; 29g fat; 5g saturated fat; 23mg cholesterol; 18g protein; 29g carbohydrate; 2g sugar; 3g fiber; 605mg sodium; 31mg calcium Recipe from “Regional Cooking of China,” by Maggie Gin

03.14.2018 • Wednesday • M 1 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • L5 LET’S EAT

Steamed mussels are a perfect choice for a weeknight meal

Even a pickle can go bad bad. But not tasting like anything is, now that I think about it, just one step before tasting bad.

You might think that pickles never go bad. After all, that’s what pickling is all about — preserving the food. And I kept the pickles in the fridge, which is cool enough to discourage bacteria, particularly in a salty brine.

But then I remembered that it was a half-sour pickle, and the chief attribute of a half-sour pickle is that it is made in a weak brine. It doesn’t taste as strongly pickle-like as a regular pickle because the brine does not have as much salt in it, and it is the salt that preserves the food.

Half-sour means half-pickled and halfpreserved. And that, plus a few weeks in the fridge, led to my considerable discomfort.

I still like half-sour pickles, though. I bought another batch today. I’ll just have to eat them faster, before they can clobber me again.

NEMAN • FROM L1

agreed with me. Something I had eaten had not agreed with me rather violently, if you catch my drift.

I suspect it was the pickle.

It was a mild case, and I felt better very soon. None of that disagreeable lingering that is often the hallmark of foodborne illness.

And that’s what I’m writing about today, foodborne illness.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 48 million Americans suffer from some form of foodborne illness every year. That’s more than one out of every seven, assuming that everyone who gets it gets it just once in any given year.

Numbers can be tricky.

Most of the cases are like mine, fast and relatively painless, lasting no longer than a day or two. But 128,000 Americans suffer from a severe enough case to require hospitalization, and 3,000 die.

My pickle was not as green as it once had been.

That should have been my clue. It wasn’t slimy, and it didn’t smell or taste

Daniel Neman • 314-340-8133 Food writer @dnemanfood on Twitter dneman@post-dispatch.com

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BY SARA MOULTON Associated Press

Mussels are a terrific source of low-fat protein, they’re inexpensive, they cook up quickly, and as they cook, they automatically generate tasty juices to whichever sauce you’re making. Also, farmed mussels are pretty easy

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I’ve dressed the mussels in green for St. Patrick’s Day with a garnish of chopped scallions and cilantro.

Coloring aside, the flavoring of this dish, consisting of just six ingredients, is Thai. The key actors are coconut milk and Thai curry paste, which are combined.

(Don’t confuse coconut milk with cream of coconut, which has lots of sugar added.) I suggest using light coconut milk because it’s lighter in calories, but you’re welcome to opt for the full-fat version. Thai curry paste, now available in the international aisle of most supermarkets, is totally unrelated to the curry spice mix that you find in Indian or Pakistani food. It is, as advertised, a mixture of typical Thai ingredients: lemon grass, galangal (similar to ginger), chiles and makrut lime leaves. When added to a liquid, it makes an instant flavorful sauce. Once the jar is opened it needs to be kept in the refrigerator, but it lasts a long time and you can use it as the base of a sauce for other seafood dishes or for chicken or meat.

So how about trying this six-ingredient recipe the next time you want to mix it up a bit on a weeknight?

You’ll have a delicious dinner on the table in just 30 minutes. And don’t forget to put some bread on the side. It’s just the thing to sop up all those juices.

STEAMED MUSSELS IN SPICY COCONUT BROTH Yield: 4 servings ¼ cup Thai green curry paste 13.5-ounce can light coconut milk 3 pounds farmed mussels, scrubbed 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice or to taste 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1. In a large saucepan or stockpot whisk together the curry paste and coconut milk. Add the mussels, cover tightly and bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Stir often. After a few minutes, the mussels should start to open. Remove them as they open and transfer them to a large bowl. If any mussels do not open, discard them.

Add the lime juice to the saucepan and return all of the opened mussels to the saucepan and cook for a minute or two, stirring, to reheat them.

2. To serve, transfer the mussels to each of 4 soup plates. Pour ¼ of the cooking liquid over each portion and sprinkle ¼ of the scallions and cilantro over each one.

Per serving: 355 calories; 11g fat; 95mg cholesterol; 1,607mg sodium; 20g carbohydrates; 3g fiber; 2g sugar; 41g protein.

L6 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

M 1 • Wednesday • 03.14.2018

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STLTODAY.COM/FOOD • WEDNESDAY • 03.21.2018 • L

rasil B

PHOTOS BY AUSTIN STEELE • asteele@post-dispatch.com

Churrasco, a Brazilian dish, is grilled steak with chimichurri.

Vamos ao

Brazilian food is hearty and endlessly enchanting

BY DANIEL NEMAN St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Brazil: the land of nuts and wax, home to beautiful beaches and many beautiful people, where one of the world’s largest statues of Jesus looks out over great wealth and some of the world’s worst poverty.

Brazil is unique — it is the sixthlargest country in population, and the fifth largest in size, and it is the only country in North or South America where the official language is Portuguese.

The Portuguese influence is only part of the country’s culinary charms. The indigenous people who were colonized by Portugal in 1500 still leave their mark on some of the food, and so do the many slaves from Africa who were brought in for 200 years to work on the sugar plantations.

It is a history much like our own, and the food that resulted from this forced and often unhappy blending of cultures is wonderful.

I took a tour of the foods of Brazil with help from a friend, who spent her childhood there. I asked what her favorite dishes were, she told me and then I made them.

You can, too. There is a whole world of flavor that awaits.

I began with a true delight, an

SEE RECIPES INSIDE PAGE L4

CHURRASCO VATAPÁ PÃO DE QUEIJO QUINDIM

TOP: Vatapá, a Brazilian dish garnished with red pepper flakes and parsley.

RIGHT: Pão de queijo.

Quindim, a Brazilian dessert similar to flan.

See BRAZIL • Page L4

Processed foods will kill us all! Or they won’t.

DANIEL NEMAN St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Perhaps we don’t know as much as we think we do.

Well, maybe you do. But perhaps I don’t know as much as I think I do.

A reader in Urbana, Ill., sent me a couple of articles recently that had me mildly reeling. The first presented what seems to be

fairly clear evidence that highly processed foods may be even worse for us than we, or at least I, thought. And the second said that studies such as the first, while scientifically accurate, are often less meaningful than they seem.

Let’s start with the bad news first, which comes to us from the Feb. 14 issue of the BMJ, which I still think of as the British Medical Journal. And while we think of this bad news, let us also remember that it is not as bad as it sounds — at least to those of us

who are not scientists.

The peer-reviewed article by 10 French scientists looked at how eating highly processed foods — they call it “ultra-processed” — can increase the risk of cancer, including breast cancer.

Their study is important because it looked at an impressively huge number of people: 104,980 people participated, all of them over 18, over a period of eight years.

Admittedly, their idea of ultraprocessed may be more expansive than yours. Breakfast cereals of

all kinds are included, along with chocolate, candies and ice cream.

So are frozen pizzas and sausage and ham. So, for that matter, are hamburgers — though one assumes they mean highly processed hamburgers, not homemade patties.

One respondent to the survey suggested that, by their strict standards, a loaf of grocery-store white bread would be considered ultra-processed.

But even so, the results of the See NEMAN • Page L5

AT BOLYARD’S MEAT & PROVISIONS, THE GRAVY GETS ITS FLAVOR FROM HOUSE-MADE SAUSAGE, LARD. PAGE L3

HANDOUT

LOOKING FOR WINE FOR SEDER DINNER? PAGE L2 LET’S EAT

1 M

L2 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

ON OUR RADAR

LET’S EAT

M 1 • WEDNESDAY • 03.21.2018

AMY BERTRAND Let’s Eat and features editor • abertrand@post-dispatch.com • 314-340-8284 DANIEL NEMAN food writer • dneman@post-dispatch.com • 314-340-8133 DONNA BISCHOFF vice president of advertising • dbischoff@post-dispatch.com • 314-340-8529

WINE FINDS

BEST BITES

Wines for Passover Seders

Idahoan Cheesy Scalloped Homestyle Casserole

BY GAIL APPLESON • Special to the Post-Dispatch

Trying to pair wines at Seders, the ritual meals held the first two nights of Passover, is much like trying to find the perfect wines for a Thanksgiving dinner. Both are a challenge because they combine such a wide variety of foods and flavors. For example, a Seder might include the following: gefilte fish, chicken soup with matzo balls, brisket, asparagus and a sweet matzo kugel (casserole) made with fruit. That means the best plan is to offer guests a variety of red and white wines. The following are two dry kosher examples.

Baron Herzog 2015 Sauvignon Blanc, Clarksburg, Calif.

Bought • Wine and Cheese Place, 457 North New Ballas Road, in March for $11.99 Description • This white comes from the Herzog family, which has been in the wine business for more than a century dating back to Philip Herzog who made wine in Slovakia for the Austro-Hungarian court.

This medium-bodied white is a basic, everyday sauvignon blanc that’s a little grassy, herbaceous and citrusy with mild grapefruit notes. It would pair with gefilte fish, chicken and asparagus.

Tishbi 2016 Cabernet Syrah, Israel Bought • Wine and Cheese Place, 457 North New Ballas Road, in March for $15.99 Description • A blend of cabernet sauvignon and syrah, this is a fresh, fruity and flavorful red that’s very easy to drink. Although it’s medium-bodied, it’s lighter than you might expect from a combination of these two grape varieties. That makes it a more versatile wine, which is a good thing for a Seder since this red will go with a variety of foods including poultry, beef and salmon. Another plus is that it has only a 12.5 percent level of alcohol.

Follow Gail on Twitter @GailAppleson.

Scalloped potatoes aren’t that difficult a concept — thin-sliced potatoes cooked in cream and butter and calories. For people who don’t want the (relatively easy) work, Idahoan now has a boxed version that is wholly adequate, if decidedly soupy. With a little effort and a whole lot of ingredients (disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate are delicious, right?), you can cook up in just a half-hour a big pan of scalloped potatoes. Sort of.

Size • 4.94 ounces Price • $1.29 Available • Grocery stores including Schnucks

PREP SCHOOL

Prep School: Pico de Gallo Want to be the hit of any party? All it takes is a bowl of fresh pico de gallo, everybody’s favorite dip for (tortilla) chips. In a favorite Prep School video, Daniel Neman shows how to make a foolproof, delicious batch. stltoday.com/food

CRISTINA M. FLETES • cfletes@post-dispatch.com

Gotta love a brisket with matzo ball dumplings

DINNER IN MINUTES

With a tweak, comfort dish is more complete

BY BONNIE S. BENWICK The Washington Post

Americans love their macaroni and cheese and continue to find ways to tweak recipes for it. We’re blowing a timely kiss at this variation for several reasons: It is quick, its saucemaking has been simplified, and, by adding another beloved food to it, it offers more protein and less fat than a typical rendition.

Its half-cup of hummus can be almost undetectable when the pureed chickpea dip is plain. But we found in testing that a red pepper hummus lifted the flavor and enriched the cheesy color as well. Stirred in right at the end, the hummus adds body without disrupting the creaminess we crave. If you’re skeptical about this, start with a quarter-cup of it, and taste as you add more.

Its sauce promises to be smooth, because the cheese is gradually melted into a pan of warm milk. A small mixture of flour and milk (a slurry, in culinary terms) adds just enough thickening velvet to coat the cooked pasta.

Choose a pepper Jack instead of a simple Colby cheese for a further flavor boost.

RENEE COMET • Washington Post

BY SARA MOULTON Special to the Washington Post

Here’s a great stick-toyour-ribs meal that can also be modified to serve as a main dish for Passover.

Before we get to the brisket, let’s discuss the “flying disc” accompaniments, which are really flattened matzo balls. It was my husband’s Aunt Rifka who pinned the Space Age sobriquet on them. Actually, the discs are dense and heavy — not light and fluffy — which is why Bill’s Aunt Yetta described them as “sinkers” (rather than “floaters,” if you are familiar with matzo ball density).

Whatever, they’re delicious. And they’ll turn out just fine if you cook them in the water several days ahead, then park them in the refrigerator, covered, until it’s time to reheat them in the gravy.

I developed this recipe with the flat cut of brisket in mind because it’s widely available. Brisket of beef is a tough cut from the breast or lower chest of the animal. It has two parts: the flat, or first cut, and the point, or second cut.

The flat is evenly shaped.

There is a fat cap on top, but relatively little internal fat. Shaped like a triangle, the point has lots of fat running through it.

As we all know, fat makes meat juicier. It’s also a conductor of flavor.

Accordingly, if you can find the point cut — it’s not so readily available these days — and if you’re in a damnthe-torpedoes, bring-onthe-saturated-fat mood, go for it. It needs to be cooked low and slow — and in advance, as it is here.

RED WINE-BRAISED BRISKET WITH AUNT RIFKA’S FLYING DISKS Yield: 10 servings For the brisket 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 4- to 5-pound beef brisket, cut crosswise in half Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 3 cups thinly sliced onions (from 2 large onions) 2 tablespoons minced garlic 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 cups dry red wine 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth, or more as needed 3 sprigs fresh thyme (may substitute 2 teaspoons dried thyme) 3 Turkish bay leaves

For the discs 4 large eggs ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup matzo meal For the sauce 6 to 8 tablespoons beef fat (skimmed from the top of the chilled brisket; may substitute 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or a combination of the two) 6 to 8 tablespoons flour (may use a Passoverworthy substitute) 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper

1. For the brisket: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Add it to the pot and cook for about 6 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Transfer to a plate.

3. Add the onions to the pot; reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover; add the garlic and tomato paste, and cook, stirring, 1 minute, then add the wine.

Increase the heat to medium-high; cook until the liquid has reduced by half.

4. Add the broth; once it has heated through, return the meat to the pot, fat side up, along with the thyme and bay leaves. Fit parchment paper directly on the surface of the meat and liquid, then cover with a lid. Transfer to the oven and braise (middle rack) for 3½ to 4 hours or until the meat is forktender. Uncover and let the meat and liquid cool for an hour or so, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

5. For the discs: Lightly beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the broth, oil and salt and beat well, then add the matzo meal, stirring until well incorporated. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to overnight.

6. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Use your wet hands to create 20 equal portions of the disc mixture (which should have thickened into a scoopable dough).

Shape each portion into an oblong disc, about ½-inch thick. Add the discs to the boiling water; they will soon rise to the surface. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 30 minutes. They should increase in size. Drain, cool and refrigerate until ready to use (up to a few days).

7. For the sauce: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

8. Scoop up and reserve 6 to 8 tablespoons of the fat that has congealed on the chilled brisket. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and then measure the cooking liquid (in a large liquid measuring cup); you should have about 6 cups. If there is more, pour that into a saucepan and boil it down to the right amount; if you have less, add enough broth to make a total of 6 cups. Discard the thyme and bay leaves.

9. Melt the congealed fat from the brisket (to taste, depending on how thick you like your gravy), in a Dutch oven, over medium-low heat. Add the flour (to taste) and cook, whisking, for 2 minutes, then gradually add the reserved cooking liquid while you continue to whisk. Increase the heat to mediumhigh and bring to a boil, at which time you will see the mixture thicken a bit, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes. Whisk in the mustard; season lightly with salt and pepper.

10. Trim and discard any remaining fat cap on the brisket. Slice the brisket thin, across the grain, adding it to the Dutch oven as you go. Cover the meat and gravy directly with parchment, as you did before, and cover with the lid. Bake for 40 minutes; during this time, the meat will become even more tender.

11. Uncover; transfer the brisket slices to a deep serving dish and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Add the cooked discs to the gravy in the pot; cover and cook over medium heat (stove top) for 10 minutes, turning them once.

12. Serve slices of brisket with the discs, pouring some of the gravy over each portion.

Ingredients too variable for meaningful nutritional analysis.

DEB LINDSEY • Washington Post

STOVE TOP MAC AND CHEESE WITH HUMMUS Yield: 4 to 6 servings Kosher salt 12 ounces dried elbow macaroni or other short pasta 1 ½ cups low-fat milk, or more as needed 2 tablespoons allpurpose flour

2 to 3 cups shredded mild or sharp cheddar, Colby or Monterey Jack cheese ¼ teaspoon powdered mustard ½ cup plain or red pepper hummus (homemade or store-bought)

1. Bring a large pot of water (about 4 quarts) to a boil over high heat. Add a generous pinch or two of salt, then the pasta. Cook according to the package directions, just until al dente.

2. Meanwhile, warm 1 cup of the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Combine the remaining ½ cup of milk and the flour in a liquid measuring cup, whisking away any lumps. As soon as you begin to see a little steam rising from the heated milk, whisk in the milk-flour mixture. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, to form a slightly thickened sauce that has the consistency of heavy cream.

3. Reduce the heat to low; begin stirring in the cheese (to taste), a cup at a time, letting each addition melt before adding the next.

Add ½ teaspoon salt and the powdered mustard, stirring to form a creamy, smooth sauce. Remove from the heat.

4. Drain the pasta and place in a mixing bowl. Pour in the warm sauce, then stir in the hummus. If the consistency seems too thick, stir in up to ¼ cup more milk.

5. Serve warm.

Per serving (based on 6): 440 calories; 19g protein; 52g carbohydrates; 17g fat; 7g saturated fat; 45mg cholesterol; 550mg sodium,; 3g fiber; 6g sugar Adapted from a recipe on TheKitchn.com.

03.21.2018 • Wednesday • M 1 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • L3 LET’S EAT

SPECIAL REQUEST

Gravy recipe is flavored with sausage from Bolyard’s, lard

CHRISTIAN GOODEN • cgooden@post-dispatch.com

Biscuits and gravy, as served at Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions.

BY PAT EBY Special to the Post-Dispatch

Q • We went into Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions on Saturday for their biscuits and gravy and it was so good. Is there any way you could get a copy of the gravy recipe for me? I’d love it at my Easter brunch. — Annie Meahl, Affton A • Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions offers two items from 10 a.m. to noon on their Saturday-only breakfast menu; the biscuits and gravy reader Annie Meahl requested, or a biscuit sandwich with house-smoked ham and white cheddar topped with apple raisin chutney. Savvy shoppers know to get to there early to grab a seat at one of the communal tables.

Monday to Saturday, Bolyard’s serves artfully crafted sandwiches as well from 11 a.m. until sell-out. Bolyard’s isn’t a restaurant, however. It’s a butcher shop with extras. The husband and wife team of Chris and Abbie Bolyard work oneon-one with farmers who raise animals humanely, on pasture, to provide topquality meat with superior flavor.

Both have deep ties in the restaurant industry and the necessary skills to meet customer demands for service and quality. Chris Bolyard’s earned a degree from the prestigious CIA at Hyde Park, then put in 10-plus years at Sidney Street Cafe, working alongside Kevin Nashan, the 2017 James Beard award winner for best Best

BOLYARD’S MEAT & PROVISIONS

BOLYARD’S MEAT & PROVISIONS SAUSAGE GRAVY

2810 Sutton Avenue, Maplewood 314-647-2567; bolyardsmeat.com

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Chef Midwest.

Abbie worked five years in front of house operations at Niche, a now-closed restaurant well known for its superior customer service. Bolyard’s Meat and Provisions extends warm hospitality, but in the confines of a butcher shop. Saturday breakfasts at Bolyard’s offers a unique experience in both the food and in the shop.

Both breakfast specials start with a flaky and light house-baked biscuits. The sausage gravy gets its unique flavor from Bolyard’s signature breakfast sausage, made in-house, and from the lard that flavors the roux for the gravy.

“The lard we use in the biscuits and gravy is a soft lard,” Chris Bolyard says.

“It has less cholesterol and saturated fat than butter and contains no trans-fats.”

Although lard wouldn’t be called a health food, used in moderation, lard adds more pork flavor to the gravy and a creates tender layered flakiness in the biscuits.

Biscuits with sausage gravy make a good addition to any Easter brunch, but cooks may want to shop Bolyard’s for the holiday dinner as well. “We bring in extra lamb over the Easter week, but people should place orders early to avoid disappointment,” Chris Bolyard says.

Bake bar cookies packed with pecans, toffee and chocolate

BY ELIZABETH KARMEL Associated Press

These bar cookies are everything. They are loaded with texture, flavor and just enough salt to make them addictive. They are packed full of pecans, toffee bits, chopped white chocolate and dried coconut, but the sprinkling of bourbon is what really takes them over the edge.

The flavors come together and deepen with the bourbon accenting and accentuating the buttery vanilla and caramel notes. This is a brownie for people who don’t like chocolate and that is how I came to make it.

My friend, David, was coming to dinner, and I wanted to make a homemade sweet to go with his favorite store-bought dulce de leche ice cream. Ordinarily, brownies of some sort might come to mind, but David is not a fan of chocolate so I thought about a blonde brownie filled with coconut—his favorite sweet ingredient, and pecans.

I added the toffee bits because I have had great success with them. They melt into the batter as it bakes, leaving behind a more complex sweet caramel flavor that elevates a simple butter, flour and sugar cookie. Finally, I chopped up a bar of good white chocolate to add more texture and another flavor to the bar.

The beauty of these bars is that you can add a different nut—toasted hazelnuts or walnuts would be great, and different chocolate—a combination of chocolates or even butterscotch morsels would work well.

I like to chop a high-quality chocolate bar into pieces instead of using morsels because the flavor melds into the bar seamlessly where the morsels are sometimes too much—too sweet and too large

PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH KARMEL • AP

which upsets the ratio of batter to addins.

The only add-ins that I wouldn’t change would be the toffee bits and the sweetened shredded coconut. The coconut makes the texture of the bar cookie so much moister and chewier while adding to the complex flavor. And, don’t omit the bourbon. That addition makes all the difference in the world. In the same way that a splash of bourbon or wine enhances savory foods, these bar cookies are so much better for the bourbon.

2 tablespoons lard 1 pound loose breakfast sausage from Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions ½ medium white onion, cut in an even ¼-inch dice ¼ cup all purpose flour

½ cup water 2 ½ cups heavy cream ¼ cup coffee ½ teaspoon ground black pepper Salt to taste

Notes: Any loose breakfast sausage may be used, but to get the flavor profile of Bolyard’s gravy, be sure to use their sausage.

• The recipe is easy, but cooks need to spend time making the roux and pay attention during the final cooking steps. The gravy needs to be monitored as it cooks.

• Be sure to taste before adding salt as the spices and peppers in the sausage give this dish a lot of flavor.

1. Melt lard over medium heat in a 10-inch skillet or sauté pan.

2. Add the loose sausage and brown, breaking up large clumps as it cooks, until the sausage is cooked through. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave the grease in the skillet.

3. Add diced onions and cook, turning as needed, until they are tender.

4. Sprinkle flour over the bottom of the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to make a roux.

5. Mix the water and the cream together. Add one-third of the cream mixture to the skillet and whisk into the roux until smooth. Repeat two more times, until all the cream is incorporated.

6. Stir the coffee, cooked sausage, and black pepper into the hot cream mixture and cook on a low simmer for 25 minutes, whisking periodically.

7. Taste. Add salt if needed.

Per serving (based on 6): 497 calories; 47g fat; 24g saturated fat; 140mg cholesterol; 11g protein; 9g carbohydrate; 3g sugar; no fiber; 598mg sodium; 65mg calcium

TIPSY TOFFEE BARS Yield: 20 to 22 bars 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ scant teaspoon finegrain sea salt 1 generous cup pecans halves ½ pound unsalted butter, melted 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 2 large eggs, mixed together 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 tablespoons of your favorite bourbon 2/3 cup toffee bits 1 generous cup sweetened dried coconut

½ 4-ounce bar of real white chocolate, chopped

Note: Use a 9-by-11-by-2-inch baking pan, the smaller version of the classic 9-by-13 pan. I think the 9-by-13 pan makes a bar cookie that is too thin, but if you use it, note that your cooking time will be shorter.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Toast pecans in a preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes at 250 degrees. When cool, chop the pecans and set aside.

3. Melt butter and pour into a bowl. Add sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add Bourbon and mix again. Stir in the flour mixture and mix well, turning the batter several times to make sure that all the flour is incorporated.

4. Add the chopped pecans, the toffee bits, coconut and white chocolate. Stir together with a blending fork to make sure that the add-ins are equally incorporated.

5. Prepare your baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread batter into the pan by dropping equal spoonfuls all over the pan and joining them together by spreading the surface with an offset spatula.

6. Bake for 20 minutes and check the bars. In my oven, the bars took a full 35 minutes, but every oven is different. I tested them at 20 minutes and every 5 minutes thereafter and they were perfect after baking for 35 minutes. The sides will be crisp and browned and pulling away and the top with be shiny and dry. You want the center to still be soft but not runny.

7. Let cool completely. I usually make these the night before or in the morning so they are completely cool. Remove the entire block of bar cookies and cut into squares with a dough scraper or serrated knife. Once the bar cookies are cut, they can be wrapped in foil and placed in a recloseable plastic bag and frozen for up to a month. Thaw before serving.

Per bar (based on 22): 320 calories; 18g fat; 46mg cholesterol; 134mg sodium; 38g carbohydrate; 1g fiber; 27g sugar; 3g protein.

L4 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

LET’S EAT

M 1 • Wednesday • 03.21.2018

Quindim is delicious, impossibly rich BRAZIL • FROM L1

appetizer called Pão de Queijo. Also known as Brazilian Cheese Bread, these are essentially the Brazilian version of French gougeres, those delectable cheese puffs that are the hit of every party.

Pão de Queijo are the same — same idea, same cooking method — with one big difference. Instead of wheat flour, they are made from tapioca flour.

Cassava, which is what tapioca comes from, is native to South America and grows easily there.

The tapioca flour makes for a crispier texture on the outside and a subtly different flavor. They are chewier than gougeres, and less hollow, but just as insanely addictive.

They were also somewhat cheesier than the gougeres I typically make, because I used a combination of parmesan and farmer’s cheeses. The farmer’s cheese adds creaminess, and you may be able to find it in a store, but I just made it myself because it is so easy and I’m a little obsessive. If you can’t find it and don’t want to make it, just use more parmesan. You won’t be disappointed.

For a main course, I made the dish that Brazil is most famous for, churrasco.

Churrasco is meat, usually beef, that has been grilled on skewers. It requires no seasoning except a fairly heavy dose of salt just before grilling.

In Brazil they use large, coarse salt called sal grosso, which is larger than kosher salt but smaller than rock. I used a Celtic gray salt that is about the right size, but you can just use kosher salt — or table salt, for that matter. Don’t overthink it.

The cut of meat Brazilians use for churrasco is called picanha, which we know as the top sirloin cap.

But just because we have a name for it doesn’t mean it is easy to find at a store. I used a sirloin, because the cap is just the top part of the bottom sirloin, if that makes sense. But you could also use skirt steak, as they do in Puerto Rico, flank steak, as they do in Argentina, or tenderloin, as they do in Nicaragua.

I topped mine with chimichurri, the all-pervasive sauce made from parsley, cilantro (in this case), garlic, oregano, red wine vinegar and oil. Nothing goes better on grilled meat, which is why it so frequently accompanies churrasco.

For another entrée, I used a recipe that combines the coastal country’s love of seafood with its African influences, Vatapá. This is a spicy shrimp stew, made with a surreal amount of onion that is pureed with raw shrimp, flavored with coconut milk and thickened with bread crumbs. Whole shrimp are then cooked into this sauce.

All in all, it’s a typical recipe for the tropical regions, until you get to this: It also has peanut butter.

That’s the influence of Africa, where a similar dish would have been made with groundnuts. The peanut butter adds a singular flavor, a heady shot of umami that undergirds the entire meal. This is a hearty dish that’s remarkably satisfying.

Finally, I made dessert.

And I was wowed.

Quindim is just that kind of dish. It is a coconut custard, impossibly rich, that makes you stand up, take notice and pay it your respects. And I’m not even hugely fond of coconut.

The secret is the egg yolks. It requires eight yolks. It serves eight people.

The math is not difficult.

Obviously, it is a lovely shade of bright yellow. And there aren’t many ingredients beyond the yolks: a lot of coconut, a bit of sugar, a splash of coconut milk, a hunk of butter and just enough vanilla.

They are so rich — and good — that portions are intentionally small. Brazilians make them with molds like miniature bundt cakes, but any small ramekins will do. I used a muffin tin, and they came out perfect.

I may never use it to make muffins again.

PHOTOS BY AUSTIN STEELE • asteele@post-dispatch.com

PÃO DE QUEIJO (BRAZILIAN CHEESE BREAD)

QUINDIM Yield: 8 servings

Yield: 30 pieces 1 cup grated or shredded coconut, fresh or dry ½ cup coconut milk 8 egg yolks, pushed through a sieve

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon butter, soft

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place the coconut in a large bowl and pour the coconut milk on top. Mix well and let stand 5 minutes.

3. In a blender, add egg yolks, ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the melted butter, the coconut mixture and the vanilla. Mix for 2 minutes.

4. Rub softened butter thoroughly inside 8 small ramekins or 8 muffin tins. Coat bottom and sides with remaining ½ cup sugar, or as much as it takes. Pour the mixture into the molds and let stand 10 minutes at room temperature. Place molds or muffin tins in a baking dish and fill with water halfway up the sides of the molds (the water does not have to be hot).

5. Cook 40 to 50 minutes until the tops are golden and the custards are set — the centers jiggle just a little when the mold is tapped.

6. Allow to cool almost to room temperature before unmolding. To unmold, run a knife around the edges. Place individual serving plates or a platter on top of the molds, and turn both upside down; the custards should release easily. Refrigerate custards until chilled; this dessert is best served cold.

Per serving: 250 calories; 14g fat; 9g saturated fat; 200mg cholesterol; 3g protein; 29g carbohydrate; 28g sugar; 1g fiber; 14mg sodium; 54mg calcium Adapted from a recipe by 196flavors.com

CHURRASCO WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE Yield: 4 servings 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more coarse salt 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced or minced 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot 2 teaspoons finely chopped Fresno chile or red jalapeño, more or less if desired 3 tablespoons minced cilantro 1½ tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 pounds top sirloin cap, sirloin, flank steak, skirt steak or tenderloin

1. Combine vinegar, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, garlic, shallot and chile in a medium bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, parsley and oregano. Whisk in oil with a fork or whisk. Can be refrigerated overnight or up to 2 days; use at room temperature.

2. If steak is fairly wide, such as sirloin, flank or skirt steak, slice it in half lengthwise.

Liberally season with coarse salt. Skewer the steaks; traditionally, the meat is curved to form a ‘c,’ with each piece pierced twice. Grill on a medium-hot grill until cooked to your preference. Allow to rest 5 minutes before carving against the grain into thin strips. Serve with the chimichurri sauce.

Per serving: 618 calories; 49g fat; 3g saturated fat; 200mg cholesterol; 40g protein; 1g carbohydrate; 1g sugar; no fiber; 294mg sodium; 12mg calcium Adapted from Bon Appetít

½ cup whole milk ½ stick (¼ cup) unsalted butter 1½ teaspoons kosher salt 2 cups tapioca flour, see notes 2 large eggs 1 cup farmer’s cheese, optional, see notes

Notes: Tapioca flour (do not use tapioca) is available in the alternative grains section of many grocery stores, often in the baking aisle. Bob’s Red Mill is a popular brand.

• Farmer’s cheese may be available at some of the beststocked stores, or you could make it yourself with the recipe below.

1. Arrange racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven; preheat to 425 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Heat milk, butter, salt and ¼ cup water in a large saucepan over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and mixture begins to boil, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add flour all at once; vigorously stir with a wooden spoon until dough is dry and shaggy, about 10 seconds. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl. Let cool 5 minutes.

3. Beat mixture on low speed just until dough starts to come together, about 30 seconds (alternatively, vigorously stir with a wooden spoon). Add eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat on low speed until incorporated (dough will look broken at first, then come together). Continue to beat on low speed until dough is smooth, sticky and somewhat stretchy; do not overbeat or dough will lose its stretch. Add farmer’s cheese, if using, and parmesan and beat on low speed until evenly distributed.

4. Using a 1 1/3-ounce ice cream scoop or a large spoon, portion dough into 1½-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.

5. Bake 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake until pão are very light brown, with some darker brown speckles (that’s the cheese), and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, 20 to 25 minutes.

Halfway through baking, rotate pans top to bottom and front to back. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Per piece: 67 calories; 3g fat; 2g saturated fat; 20mg cholesterol; 2g protein; 8g carbohydrate; 1g sugar; no fiber; 139mg sodium; 46mg calcium Recipe from Bon Appetít

FARMER’S CHEESE Yield: About 3 cups ½ gallon whole milk, see note

VATAPÁ Yield: 6 to 8 servings 2 onions, chopped 1½ pounds raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, divided 2 to 3 cloves garlic 1 to 3 jalapeño peppers, chopped 1½ teaspoons ground turmeric 1 tablespoon minced ginger, optional 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1½ cups stock or water Salt and pepper ½ cup natural peanut (or cashew) butter 2 cups (1 can) coconut milk 1 cup bread crumbs

½ cup grated parmesan cheese (1½ cups if not using farmer’s cheese)

¼ teaspoon salt ¼ cup white vinegar

Note: Do not use ultra-pasteurized milk, which will have a long expiration date, perhaps 30 to 90 days from when you bought it.

1. Place the onion, ½ pound of the shrimp (about 1 cup), garlic, jalapeños, turmeric and optional ginger in a blender and purée well. Add a little water if necessary.

2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion-shrimp mixture and sauté until cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Stir in the stock or water and whisk in the peanut or cashew butter until smooth. Stir in the bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 pound shrimp and coconut milk and simmer another 5 or 6 minutes or until shrimp is almost cooked through. Serve over rice.

Per serving (based on 8) : 416 calories; 29g fat; 15g saturated fat; 106mg cholesterol; 20g protein; 22g carbohydrate; 7g sugar; 4g fiber; 804mg sodium; 101mg calcium

1. In a heavy-bottomed large pot, bring the milk and salt to a slow boil. Keep the heat at medium or medium-low, to avoid scorching the milk.

2. When small, foamy bubbles begin to form on the surface, but it is not yet at a rolling boil, turn off the heat. It should be about 190 degrees.

3. Add the vinegar and stir the milk; curds will immediately begin to form. Let sit for 15 minutes. At this time, you may add additional flavors, such as fresh herbs.

4. Place a colander over a large bowl or pot. Drape a dampened cheesecloth or dampened dish towel over the colander, and strain the mixture. Lift the cheesecloth and wrap it around the curds, twisting and squeezing to remove as much liquid as possible. The resulting curds will be dry and crumbly. If you want a creamier texture, mix a little of the reserved whey back into the curds.

5. To shape the cheese, keep it wrapped in cheesecloth and form it into a mound on a plate. Set another plate on top and press the curds into a flat disc that is 1 to 2 inches tall. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before removing cheesecloth.

Farmer’s cheese will keep up to a week in the refrigerator.

Use it as a spread, in recipes or as you would use cream cheese or cottage cheese.

Per (2 tablespoon) serving: 38 calories; 2g fat; 1g saturated fat; 6mg cholesterol; 2g protein; 3g carbohydrate; 3g sugar; no fiber; 44mg sodium; 69mg calcium

Adapted from whats4eats.com

Adapted from thespruce.com

03.21.2018 • Wednesday • M 1 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • L5 LET’S EAT

This mushroom risotto dish is feeling its oats

Processed food ups cancer risk NEMAN • FROM L1

MUSHROOM OAT RISOTTO WITH GRUYERE

BY ELLIE KRIEGER Special To The Washington Post

Yield: 4 servings (makes 5 cups)

This recipe applies the technique of making risotto to steel-cut oats, yielding a creamy, al dente dish that benefits not only from the grain’s unique, earthy taste but also from its whole-grain nutrition. Like all whole grains, oats are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber, but oats contain a particular type of fiber called beta glucan that research suggests may be especially good for heart health.

That soluble fiber is also a factor making oats a good candidate for “risotto,” because it lends a thick, creamy texture when dissolved in the cooking broth. In experimenting with the savory dish, I have found the deep flavor of the grain pairs best with ingredients you might

5 cups no-salt-added or low-sodium chicken broth 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large shallot, chopped (½ cup) 8 ounces sliced mixed mushrooms 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

½ teaspoon kosher salt, or more as needed ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 cup dried, steel-cut oats (not quickcooking) ¼ cup dry white wine ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons shredded Gruyere cheese 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

DEB LINDSEY • Washington Post

1. Heat the broth in a saucepan over medium heat; once it starts to bubble at the edges, reduce the heat to low, cover and keep warm.

2. Heat the oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat; stir in the shallot and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until softened. Add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and cook for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their water and begin to brown. Add the oats and cook for about a minute, stirring, until they are lightly toasted, then stir in the wine.

3. Add two ladles of the hot broth and cook, stirring frequently, until it is absorbed; then add one ladle of broth at a time, cooking until nearly absorbed each time, stirring frequently, until the oats are al dente; this will take about 25 minutes total. (You do not need to stir constantly.)

4. Stir in ¼ cup of the cheese until it is melted. Serve hot, garnished with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese and a sprinkle of parsley.

in the deep-flavor department for a profoundly tasty, intriguing and satisfying dish. Serve it as a starter or side for roasted poultry or meat, or swap in vegetable broth and serve it with a salad in a larger portion as a vegetarian main course.

describe as earthy, hearty or nutty. Winter vegetables such as beets, carrots and squash work well, as do hearty herbs and aged cheeses.

Here, sauteed mushrooms, shallot, garlic, thyme, parsley and Gruyere cheese amplify one another and the oats

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5 $ 99 Sandwich Pepperoni .......... 5 $ 29 Colby Jack........................ 6 $ 29 Horseradish Cheese .......... 6 $ 99 Chicken Salad ................... 4

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3 lbs. Pork Sausage 3 lbs. Beef Roast 9 lbs. Leg Quarters 3 lbs. Pork Roast 4 lbs. Chicken Wings

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9 lbs. Leg Quarters 5 lbs. Pork Steaks 2 lbs. Bologna 6 lbs. Chicken

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MEAT ORDER #35 PICNIC SPECIAL

2 lbs. Bologna 2 lbs. Cooked Salami 2 lbs. Turkey Breast 1 lbs. american

1 lb. Swiss Cheese 2 lbs. hot Dogs 2 lbs. Bratwurst 3 lbs. Ground Beef

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study were scary. It showed that for every 10 percent increase in the amount of ultra-processed foods we eat, we suffer 12 percent risk of getting cancer in general, and an 11 percent rise in the risk of breast cancer.

Breast cancer was singled out because there is a suspected correlation between increased weight and breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

The scientists factored in pretty much everything you could think of: amount of exercise, smoking status, occupation, number of children, family history of disease, hormonal treatments for menopause or oral contraceptives, even height and weight. And the numbers cannot be denied.

Certainly, we have heard news like this before. But according to the authors, studies have never been made on this kind of scale before, and the results have never been keyed to how much difference an incremental increase in processed food makes. That is, no one else has determined that for each 10 percent of our diet that is made up of highly processed foods, our risk of getting cancer increases by more than 10 percent.

This is only the first study of its kind on this scale, and the authors caution that it must be replicated in other cultures before generalizations can be made. But still, it’s scary.

Or is it? That’s where the second article comes in.

The second article comes to us from Inform Magazine, of which the reader who sent me the articles happens to be the managing editor. Inform is the magazine of the American Oil Chemists’ Society, a professional organization comprising people involved in the study of fats, oils and similar fields.

The article is actually a review of a book called “The Bad Food Bible: How and Why to Eat Sinfully,”

by Aaron Carroll, a professor of pediatrics at Indiana University and also, to judge by the title of several of his books, something of a contrarian.

According to the review, the point of the book is that the science reported in columns such as the one you are reading is far from settled, and that ordinary non-scientists who read it tend to freak out about it more than the situation warrants.

For instance, we all know that processed meats cause cancer. Right? The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer says so. Heck, even I said so a few paragraphs ago.

The cancer group estimates that eating one extra serving of processed meat each day would increase your chance of developing colon cancer by a frightening 18 percent.

But say a man who is in good health, relatively fit, relatively trim and relatively young were to eat three extra pieces of bacon every day for the next 30 years. His chance of getting colon cancer would only rise from 2.4 percent to 2.8 percent.

That is an increase of 18 percent, from 2.4 to 2.8 (actually, it is an increase of a little under 17 percent, but that’s close enough).

Carroll’s point is that the difference it makes is slim.

Twenty-four healthy men out of 1,000 can expect to come down with colon cancer in their lifetimes, and if those same 1,000 men were to eat an extra three slices of bacon every day of their lives for 30 years, only four more would develop cancer.

So what does all of this mean? It means you should not worry about every new study that comes out. It means you should relax and enjoy whatever foods you like, in moderation.

But just in case, maybe you should cut down on ultra-processed foods.

Daniel Neman • 314-340-8133 @dnemanfood on Twitter dneman@post-dispatch.com

L6 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

M 1 • Wednesday • 03.21.2018

Fd Pairg Spec & New Br WRITTEN BY Jordan Baranowski

This spring is the perfect time to try food pairings with our March wine specials, or a tasty new brew.

wine specials

COTTESBROOK SAUVIGNON BLANC MARLBOROUGH

DR HEIDEMANNS RIESLING QBA

MAILLY BRUT RESERVE GRAND CRU

This Sauvignon Blanc is balanced with bright citrus aromas. It pairs well with meaty fish like tuna, snapper or sea bass.

Light and crisp, this Riesling is excellent as a precursor to something spicy; it also pairs well with shellfish.

Wine Spectator – 91 This Champagne can stand up to many dishes. A long finish makes it excellent with fruity desserts.

New Zealand, 750 mL, $11.99

Germany, 750 mL, $9.99

France, 750 mL, $36.99

OLEMA PINOT NOIR SONOMA

DOMAINE LOUBEJAC PINOT NOIR WILLAMETTE 2016

TESORO DELLA REGINA CHIANTI CLASSICO

Flavors like cherry, spice and cocoa make this Pinot Noir a good wine to enjoy with grilled fish or hearty pasta.

Wine Enthusiast – 88 This Pinot Noir finishes vibrantly and is great with salmon, lamb, pork or filet.

This is a bold Chianti that stands up to hearty proteins, but it’s also a great choice to sip with friends on a warm spring evening.

California, 750 mL, $16.99

Oregon, 750 mL, $10.99

Italy, 750 mL, $11.99

TORIAL RED BLEND

CRUZ ALTA MALBEC RESERVE

MELT CHARDONNAY

Crafted by Joe Wagner, this decadent red blend is big and layered with flavor. Try with red meats and hard cheeses.

This 100 percent Malbec comes from three vineyards in Mendoza.

This spicy wine is ideal alongside grilled meat.

Luxurious and smooth, this wine is named for its “melt in your mouth” flavor. Pear, apple and spice lead to a soft finish.

California, 750 mL, $29.99

Argentina, 750 mL, $10.99

California, 750 mL, $10.99

new beers ARNOLD PALMER SPIKED HALF & HALF

LEFT HAND JUICY GOODNESS

The nonalcoholic version of this drink is a combo of iced tea and lemonade; this boozy version is perfect for a day on the links.

This delicious dry-hopped beer uses Azacca and Ekuanot hops to craft a golden ale full of tropical and citrus flavors.

6-12oz cans, $7.99

6-12oz cans, $8.99

FOUNDERS SOLID GOLD

ABITA HOP ON

Lagers are sometimes overlooked, but Founders’ premium take on the classic is a delicious variation.

Abita’s full-bodied pale ale pours golden but kicks up a distinctive haze thanks to its brewing process; pair it with Cajun-style seafood.

6-12oz cans, $7.99

6-12oz cans, $6.49

Shop Missouri's largest selection of wine, spirits, beer and more online and pick up your order in store! Start filling your cart at TotalWine.com.

The Promenade at Brentwood 90 Brentwood Promenade Court Brentwood, MO 63144 314.963.3265

Manchester Meadows 13887 Manchester Road Ballwin, MO 63011 636.527.0482

Clarkson Square 1781 Clarkson Road Chesterfield, MO 63017 636.536.9869

Prices valid from 3/21/2018 through 3/28/2018 in Missouri stores only. Total Wine & More is not responsible for typographical errors, human error or supplier price increases. Products while supplies last. Total Wine & More reserves the right to limit quantities. Total Wine & More is a registered trademark of Retail Services & Systems, Inc. ©2018 Retail Services & Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Please drink responsibly. Use a designated driver.

STLTODAY.COM/FOOD • WEDNESDAY • 03.28.2018 • L

Almond Happiness Bar

PHOTOS BY J.B. FORBES • jforbes@post-dispatch.com

HOP TO IT FOR EASTER CANDY

We have a few ‘twicks’ up our sleeves: Homemade treats that are delicious RECIPES • L4

BY DANIEL NEMAN St. Louis Post-Dispatch

This Easter, why put the happiness and wellbeing of your loved ones into the hands of some dumb rabbit?

Chocolate is too important to entrust to a furry, big-eared bunny, no matter how cute. This is chocolate we’re talking about, not lettuce and carrots.

Fortunately, you can show your family and friends that you truly care about them by giving them your own homemade chocolate candy bars.

Just as a side note, of course, the happy recipients are certain to be impressed — stunned, actually — and grateful.

Kitty Kat Bars Nutterfingers Bars Peanut Butter Cups Resolution Breaker Bars (Snickers) Twicks Bars Almond Happiness Bars (Almond Joy) Why grateful? Because these things are truly, truly good.

“Your Snickers are better than actual Snickers,” said one taste-tester.

“Your Twix are better than actual Twix,” said

From the mouths of sixth-graders: some handy recipes for fake vomit DANIEL NEMAN St. Louis Post-Dispatch

At first glance, nothing seems amiss. It looks like an ordinary recipe with ordinary ingredients.

Two cans of black-eyed peas.

A half-cup of cornbread. Some ground beef.

But then you get to the three rotten eggs. And the two or three cups of cat food.

If you don’t have cat food, dog food will do.

My wife volunteers at a neighborhood school, helping sixthgraders with their reading. She recently read to them “Sick,” a poem by Shel Silverstein, about a girl who pretends to be too ill to go to school. It begins: “I cannot go to school today,” Said little Peggy Ann McKay. “I have the measles and the mumps, A gash, a rash and purple bumps.

My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,

I’m going blind in my right eye.

My tonsils are as big as rocks, I’ve counted sixteen chicken pox And there’s one more—that’s seventeen, And don’t you think my face looks green?

And then my wife asked if any of the students had ever pretended to be sick to get out of going to school. One boy immediately raised his hand. When she asked what he had done — he See NEMAN • Page L3

another.

For Easter, I made homemade knockoffs of several popular chocolate candy bars. As is so often the case, homemade is better than the commercial versions, or at least as good. But I have to admit that, in this case, homemade is also more expensive and more time-consuming than going to the local 7-Eleven and grabbing a Kit Kat bar.

Except Kit Kat bars. Making your own Kit Kat bars is surprisingly fast and easy and cheap.

There are two secrets. Secret No. 1 is important — nearly necessary — for making any candy bar at home: Don’t use regular See CANDY BARS • Page L4

TWO WINES PERFECT FOR YOUR EASTER MEAL. PAGE L2

PHOTO BY JERRY NAUNHEIM JR.

BROCCOLI SOUP AT LUMEN IS ACCENTED WITH GOUGERES. PAGE L3 LET’S EAT

1 M

L2 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

ON OUR RADAR

LET’S EAT

M 1 • Wednesday • 03.28.2018

AMY BERTRAND Let’s Eat and features editor • abertrand@post-dispatch.com • 314-340-8284 DANIEL NEMAN food writer • dneman@post-dispatch.com • 314-340-8133 DONNA BISCHOFF vice president of advertising • dbischoff@post-dispatch.com • 314-340-8529

WINE FINDS

BEST BITES

Wines fit for an Easter feast

Dove Chocolate Sea Salt Dusted Milk Chocolate Cashews

BY GAIL APPLESON • Special to the Post-Dispatch

Traditional Easter meals call for fresh, fruity wines, especially those that suggest springtime. A beautiful sparkling rosé is always a good way to greet guests when they arrive. These wines also go well with appetizers or light first courses and are a refreshing way to end dinner. If you’re serving red with the meal, look for wines that would offset the saltiness and fattiness of ham and would stand up to earthy, flavorful lamb, such as the following examples.

Bodegas Covides Elocuente Brut Rosé, Cava, Spain Bought • Wine Merchant, 7817 Forsyth Boulevard, in March for $8.99 Description • Cava is the Spanish term for sparkling wine made by the traditional méthode champenoise, the same process used to make real Champagne in which the wine goes through a second fermentation in the bottle. This Cava, which is a lovely deep salmon color, is made from trepat, a red grape indigenous to northeastern Spain.

It has tiny, exuberant bubbles and an inviting creamy mousse.

It’s dry, but not bone dry, with delightful bing cherry and watermelon flavors.

Charles Helfenbein 2015 La Syrah, Vin de Pays, Des Coteaux de L’Ardèche, France Bought • Wine Merchant, 7817 Forsyth Boulevard, in March for $13.99 Description • Coteaux de l’Ardèche, which is located in the Rhône region in the south of France, is known for its spicy reds and this wine is a fine example.

Made from syrah, this is a fresh and flavorful medium-bodied red that tastes of juicy ripe dark fruits, black pepper and savory herbs. Delicious and well-balanced, this is a wine that’s very easy to drink and ends with a long, peppery finish. It would pair very well with ham or lamb.

Follow Gail on Twitter @GailAppleson.

Sweet potatoes star in a simple holiday side dish

Here is the snack we did not know we were waiting for: silky Dove milk chocolate over cashews (cashews!), rolled in cocoa powder and topped with just enough, or nearly enough, salt. They are pretty amazing, and deliciously elegant, too. If those aren’t good enough, they also make cashews coated in dark chocolate and sea salt, and almonds in dark chocolate and cinnamon.

Size • 5 ounces (almonds are 5.5 ounces) Price • $3.99 Available • Grocery stores, pharmacies, etc.

— Daniel Neman

PREP SCHOOL

Blue cheese butter for steak It’s a steakhouse trick: Blue cheese butter makes steak taste better. In a new Prep School video, Daniel Neman shows how fast and easy it is to get a steak to taste like it came from a restaurant. stltoday.com/food

CRISTINA M. FLETES • cfletes@post-dispatch.com

DINNER IN MINUTES

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Shredding them speeds the time from stove to table

BY SARA MOULTON Associated Press

Spring is here, and you’ve likely already figured out the main dish for the feast accompanying whichever of the two big seasonal holidays — Easter or Passover — you celebrate. Leg of lamb and glazed ham are Easter favorites.

Braised brisket or roast chicken land on many Passover tables.

But no matter which way you roll, Shredded Sweet Potatoes with Dates and Pistachios is a tasty side dish that’s a great way to round out the menu.

The easy part of this recipe is that it takes just 5 minutes to cook on top of the stove. And because the oven is going to be hogged for hours by the main dish you’re roasting, on top of the stove is exactly where you want it to cook. But sweet

potatoes are dense, you say. How can they become tender in 5 minutes? Well, it’s a snap when you shred them before putting them in the skillet.

Like many of us with a food processor, you might have long ago stashed the box it came in — the one containing all the slicing and dicing blades — on the top shelf of a closet. Now’s the time to pull it down, dust it off and pull out the grating disk. Then simply peel the sweet potatoes, cut them into chunks that fit into the processor’s feed tube and grate away. You’ll be done in about five minutes.

The pistachios contribute crunch — and some complementary flavor — to the sweet potatoes, but feel free to use your nut of choice. The dates contribute a nice jammy sweetness, but if you’re not a fan, just leave them out. Finally, if you prefer basil or cilantro to mint, by all means, swap those in. Before the meal is over, you may find this side dish earning a place nearer to the center of the plate.

SHREDDED SWEET POTATOES WITH DATES AND PISTACHIOS‌ Yield: 6 servings ½ cup finely chopped onion 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely shredded, preferably using the grating disk of a food processor

Kosher salt ½ teaspoon smoked paprika 1/3 cup toasted chopped pistachios 1/3 cup chopped dried dates 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons shredded fresh mint

In a large skillet cook the onion in the oil over medium heat, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and a hefty pinch of salt, increase the heat to medium-high. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potato is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the paprika, pistachios, dates, lemon juice and mint; add salt to taste.

Per serving: 254 calories; 9g fat; no cholesterol; 167mg sodium; 41g carbohydrate; 6g fiber; 13g sugar; 4g protein.

STACY ZARIN GOLDBERG • Washington Post

These parcels deliver the flavor Chicken steams in pouches, and the cleanup is painless

BY BONNIE S. BENWICK The Washington Post

If the cleanup end of a weeknight meal is your least favorite part, this recipe’s for you.

It uses a time-honored technique employed by professional chefs and camping enthusiasts with equal aplomb: packet cooking, a.k.a. en papillote, al cartoccio, hobo packets and foil-packet dinners.

Foods enclosed in a parchment paper or foil pouch essentially steam as they bake in the oven or roast on the grill, holding in juices, flavors and aromas. To create that steam, added liquids are sparingly poured, and when the pouch is foil, some type of fat is included to keep the contents from sticking. The packets are typically done per individual serving, making them customorder for each diner at your table without extra steps or fuss.

Start with proteins that respond nicely to poaching, such as chicken or fish or tofu, and you can add on from there. For this rendition, chicken broth, lemon slices and a touch of honey do the trick; a dry white wine could stand in for the broth if you have that.

The small pile of vegetables and herbs underneath picks up flavor from the chicken on top as well. The chicken needs to be thin; pound or cut boneless, skinless chicken breast halves or buy cutlets that are ready to go.

You don’t have to fold the packets any particular way, as long as you (a) leave some head space for steam, and (b) make sure they’re sealed tightly. Pop them on a baking sheet, where it doesn’t matter how closely they sit. When you open them, keep your face just far enough away to avoid the rush of heat but close enough to inhale the goodness.

Once the packets are emptied, you can toss them — and have only the dishes to wash.

CHICKEN AND VEG PARCELS Yield: 2 servings 1 medium red bell pepper 4 to 6 stems fresh herbs, such as sage, thyme 1 celery rib and/or parsley 1 medium shallot 1 lemon Kosher salt 2 boneless, skinless Freshly ground black chicken breast halves pepper (6 ounces each) 3 tablespoons no-saltadded chicken broth Honey 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut two 12-by-17inch sheets of parchment paper, fold each one in half crosswise. Place on a rimmed baking sheet, side by side, and then open each one.

2. As you prep the next ingredients, you’ll be creating two equal piles, centered on one-half of each parchment paper: Cut the red bell pepper in half. Discard the seeds and ribs, then cut into long, thin strips. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the stringy bits from the celery. Cut the ribs lengthwise into ½-inch-wide strips, then cut them in half so they are the same length as the red bell pepper strips. Mince the shallot. Season each pile lightly with salt and pepper.

3. Pluck the leaves from the fresh herbs (to taste). Cut the lemon into very thin slices, discarding any seeds.

4. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the chicken breast halves and pound each one to a thickness of no more than ½ inch. Season all over with salt and pepper.

Place one atop each pile of vegetables. Arrange the herb leaves and lemon slices on each portion.

5. Drizzle the broth and a little honey (a few teaspoons each) over the piles, then fold over the paper and, starting at one corner, crimp and seal tight each packet.

Roast (middle rack) for 20 to 22 minutes; the paper packets should puff up a bit.

6. Place them on individual plates. Carefully tear open, avoiding the steam. Eat right out of the packet or empty the packets onto the plates.

Per serving: 290 calories; 40g protein; 21g carbohydrates; 5g fat; 1g saturated fat; 125mg cholesterol; 240mg sodium; 3g fiber; 17g sugar From Bonnie S. Benwick, Washington Post

FOOD FEEDBACK We love hearing from our readers. Here are a few of your latest helpful comments and questions. »» KEVIN BOSCH, on Daniel Neman’s column about two studies, one showing that eating processed foods is bad for us, and one stating that the numbers in such studies are often misunderstood by non-scientists: Please stick to what you know. There is overwhelming evidence on the effects of poor diet on health, including processed foods. It’s no coincidence that we have had a rapid increase in the amount of disease and cancers, and so much of that has been scientifically linked to our food, or lack of quality food, we’re eating. »» STEVE TOTH: Reading studies about the dangers of various foods increases the risk of depression by 25 percent over those that don’t. I read that somewhere. »» JERRY FAHEY: Now I want some bacon. »» TERRY CABRAL, on our story about Brazilian food: I’m ready for some picanha.

03.28.2018 • Wednesday • M 1 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • L3 LET’S EAT

SPECIAL REQUEST

Broccoli soup at Lumen has a surprise inside

JERRY NAUNHEIM JR.

LUMEN BROCCOLI SOUP WITH GOUGERES‌

BY ALANNA KELLOGG Special to the Post-Dispatch

Q • The creamy broccoli soup at a wedding reception at Lumen was wonderful. — Don Williams, St. Louis County A • Leave it to broccoli soup to illustrate what executive chef Nick Miller is doing for Lumen and other event spaces under the umbrella of 23 City Blocks Catering. “We’re bringing fine dining to banquets and events,” he says. “We cook at the same level as a quality restaurant, the same for 200 as for 25.”

Lumen is used for weddings, galas, fundraisers, corporate events and other gatherings. A former Packard showroom, Lumen is a blend of timeless beauty (think 20-foot floor-toceiling windows) and contemporary function (think casual pillow-cushioned ledge seating) and whimsy (a multicolor lighting system).

Miller says that today’s couples, especially, want weddings that reflect who they are, their history, their heritage, their vision. “If someone has an idea, we can make it happen.”

Lumen’s broccoli soup is a lovely spring-green, thanks to separate use of the stems and florets. “It’s a pretty soup,” says executive sous chef Brad Bardon who has a special fondness for broccoli stems. “The stems bring delicate taste, the florets the beautiful color.” At Lumen, the creamy but stilllight tasting soup is served tableside in small bowls with a surprise inside, a tiny bite of crisp gougere (pronounced goo-ZHARE), a savory French pastry.

Bardon laughs, “We know to bake off extra gougere because people don’t always realize and eat the pastries before we serve the soup.”

Another funny thing, the soup that’s served so dramatically for weddings and other events at Lumen goes back to Miller’s (and Bardon’s) as chef-owner of the acclaimed farmto-table restaurant Harvest — but as an amuse bouche, a little extra offered gratis to patrons.

Special Request is written by Town and Country resident Alanna Kellogg, author of the online recipe column KitchenParade.com and “veggie evangelist” at the food blog about vegetables, A Veggie Venture.

To request a recipe Would you like to request a recipe from a restaurant that is still open in the St. Louis area? Send your request along with your full name and the city you live in to reciperequest@ post-dispatch.com.

LUMEN PRIVATE EVENT PLACE 2201 Locust Street 314-615-2480; lumenstl.com

Yield: 10 cups soup and about 20 gougeres For the soup 3 stalks broccoli 2 tablespoons butter ½ large onion, sliced thin 2 ribs celery, diced small 8 medium cloves garlic, sliced thin 1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and diced 4 cups water 4 cups heavy cream 1 bouquet garni (see notes) ½ cup sour cream Kosher salt to taste, be generous

One serving is about 1 cup of soup, 1 gougere, 1 tablespoon of bacon dust, and 1 teaspoon of chives.

Recipe adapted for home kitchens by the Post-Dispatch.

wanted her to know that this was way back in first grade, by the way — he said he had pretended to throw up into the toilet and then showed his mother the evidence.

There are recipes for fake vomit, he said. Another boy said he knew of a recipe, too.

And so they eagerly wrote down their recipes for toilet-ready fake vomit. An impressive amount of thought went into them. I have no way of knowing whether the recipes had actually been field-tested, as it were, but they are certainly as creative as they are revolting.

With young minds like this, I am confident in the future of our country.

Kaleb’s recipe calls for you to smash the contents of two cans of black-eyed peas. Then, using any speed, blend together one pickle,

three rotten eggs and a half-cup of cornbread. Add two or three cans of “cat or even dog food,” and then blend together ground beef and 2-week-old cheese.

Mix it all together, put some in the toilet and, to use his spelling, “your ready to stay home.”

I like that. It’s concise and to the point, like any good recipe.

Taecoryion’s effort was markedly different, but it had the same effect.

Begin with one cup of cornbread, three-quarters of a cup of milk, a half-cup of corn, a half-cup of celery, a quarter-cup of water and two avocados mixed together by hand or in a blender. This mixture should then be warmed in the microwave “to make it seem like you just did it.”

Then you add two eggs, three cups of blue cheese and three sprays of “fart spray,” and mix well.

BY MELISSA D’ARABIAN Associated Press

Is there anything dreamier than the tender crumb of a light-as-air angel food cake? I’ve loved angel food cake ever since I first tasted it as a child. It reminded me of cotton candy. No wonder: Angel food cake is essentially a fluffy blend of a supersugary meringue laced with just enough flour to give it a little structure. In other words, there was very little to get in the way of the pure-sugar flavor that my childhood palate adored.

In the ’80s, low-fat became the “healthy” battle cry, and angel food cake came into vogue, with no fat weighing it down, but plenty of white processed sugar fluffing it up. In fact, fat-free-but-sugary baked treats were practically a diet fad unto themselves for well over a decade. Of course, modern science (and let’s just say it: common sense) tells us that we could all benefit from cutting down on processed sugar.

So how to bring back the flavor and texture of the angel food cakes I adored as a child without throwing our blood sugar levels out of whack?

Today’s recipe is the solution.

First, I cut the sugar down by about 25 percent over typical recipes, and it worked great. Secondly, I skipped purchasing “superfine” white sugar, and tried less-processed organic versions. I pulsed the coarser sugar in the blender myself to make it powdery-fine. (It’s still sugar, but even baby steps toward healthy eating count).

Instead of using super-starchy, lower-protein cake flour, I pulsed up regular flour in the blender to mimic the lightness. Also, I made the cake in a loaf pan, which resulted in us eating smaller slices versus tube pan versions by some visual trick of nature that I don’t fully understand but have proven multiple times with my own family.

For flavor, since I’m not a huge plain-sugar fan anymore, I added lemon zest and lovely-speckled vanilla bean. I served it with a quick lemony glaze made from Greek yogurt that my family loves but you can consider optional, if you are an angel food cake traditionalist.

To serve Bacon sand (see notes), reserved broccoli florets, gougeres and fresh chive

Notes: A bouquet garni (pronounced boo-kay gar-nee) is a bundle of herbs and seasonings used to gently season a dish. For this soup, Lumen wraps 2 bay leaves, a sprig of fresh thyme and a few pink peppercorns in cheesecloth and secures with kitchen twine. The cheesecloth can be skipped, just remember to remove everything before pureeing the soup.

• For bacon sand, cook bacon on a roasting rack at 350 degrees until crisp, about 25 minutes; let cool, then mince fine.

• A chinois is a conical metal strainer. When food is pressed through its tiny holes, the result is a velvety liquid. This step may be omitted although the soup will be less smooth.

1. Be sure to purchase broccoli with both heavy stems and crowns of florets, both are needed although will be cooked separately. To prep the broccoli, first cut the crowns off the stems with a knife; set the crowns aside. Use a vegetable peeler or sharp knife to remove the stems’ tough outer skins, then cut the remaining tender, light-green centers into thin rings. Cut the crowns into small florets.

2. In a large, heavy pot, melt butter on medium heat, then gently sauté onion, celery and garlic just until soft. Add broccoli stems (no florets), potato, water, cream and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a fast simmer and let simmer until stems and potato are fully cooked.

3. Meanwhile, bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice cubes and cold water. Cook broccoli florets in the boiling water for about 5 minutes, just enough to begin to soften but keeping their bright green color, then drop the florets into the ice water to stop the cooking process. Remove the florets from the ice water and let drain completely; if needed, pat florets with paper towels to remove any liquid. Reserve 2 small florets for each soup serving.

4. Remove and discard bouquet garni. In a blender, in batches, puree the milky liquid and partially cooked florets together until smooth. (Caution: To avoid spewing hot liquid, always puree hot liquids in batches, filling blender no more than half full at a time.)

5. Press soup through a chinois into a bowl, discarding the solids. Stir in sour cream.

Taste and add salt, be generous.

6. Soup may be made ahead of time, just keep refrigerated. Reheat before serving.

7. When you are ready to eat, make the gougeres. Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a mediumsize heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring water, milk, butter and salt to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, stir in flour, working batter hard and continuously with a wooden spoon until batter becomes slightly glossy and begins to stick to the pan’s bottom.

8. Mix in eggs one at a time, each time working batter hard to incorporate the egg until dough becomes glossy. Mix in cheese, nutmeg and pepper. Let cool to room temperature.

9. Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1-inch star tip. Pipe onto a parchmentlined baking sheet, creating dollops about an inch wide, lifting and twisting the piping bag to build height on each one.

10. Up to an hour before serving, bake gougere until crisp and golden, about 7 minutes. (Alternately, the gougere may be piped up to several hours beforehand and left at room temperature, then baked right before serving.)

11. To serve in dramatic Lumen-style, place small white asymmetrical bowls at each place setting. In the center, arrange a gougere and 2 small broccoli florets. Dust with bacon sand and sprinkle with fresh chive. Serve hot soup tableside into bowls from hammered metal pitchers.

Per serving: 475 calories; 46g fat; 28g saturated fat; 175mg cholesterol; 7g protein; 12g carbohydrate; 4g sugar; 1g fiber; 380mg sodium; 121mg calcium

Believe it: Fart spray is real NEMAN • FROM L1

For gougeres ¼ cup water ¼ cup whole milk 4 tablespoons unsalted butter ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt ½ cup all-purpose flour, fluffed to aerate before measuring 2 large eggs 1 ¾ ounces white cheddar, grated ¼ teaspoon black pepper Freshly grated nutmeg

Healthier angel food cake can still have flavor

A note advises that you can order fart spray from Amazon.

The recipe makes enough that you can “keep some for later on.”

That is an important point. The first recipe makes so much there is no way it could all have been produced by a single child, no matter how unwell. It might be too much for a single hippopotamus.

I have a couple of additional comments. First, apparently eggs and cornbread are essential to any batch of fake vomit. This is not something that is immediately intuitive.

Also, I did not believe the second recipe could be real because I did not believe fart spray was an actual product. Even if it were, there is no way Amazon would carry it.

Oh, me of little faith. Fart Spray is totally real; Amazon carries it for $5.98 for a .25-gram canister.

I did not get the spray, but I did make both batches of fake vomit. What is food if not science, and what is science if not

ASSOCIATED PRESS

LEMON AND VANILLA BEAN ANGEL FOOD LOAF CAKE‌ Yield: 12 servings 2/3 cup organic sugar ½ vanilla bean, grains scraped from pod 2 teaspoons lemon zest, finely grated ½ cup all-purpose flour 1 cup egg whites, from approximately 7 to 8 eggs ¼ teaspoon table salt

¾ teaspoon cream of tartar Glaze (optional): ¼ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt 1 teaspoon lemon zest 2 tablespoons lemon juice ¼ cup organic powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (310 degrees if using convection heat).

2. Place the sugar, zest and vanilla bean in a dry blender and pulse until well-blended and sugar is fine and fluffy. Pour about half the sugar into a small bowl and set aside. Add the flour to the remaining sugar in the blender and pulse again a few times to create a fine flour mixture. Pour into a small bowl and set aside.

3. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites, salt and cream of tartar on medium speed just until frothy (under a minute). While mixing, carefully add the fine sugar (without the flour) to the egg whites, a tablespoon at a time. Continue beating the eggs until soft peaks form. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, place a sifter or sieve over the bowl and sift in half the flour and sugar mixture, and fold gently 5 or 6 times with a rubber spatula.

4. Sift in the remaining flour mixture and gently fold until no flour streaks remain. Scrape batter into a standard sized ungreased loaf pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until top is golden.

5. Remove from oven and place the loaf pan upside down, resting on two cans on the counter to cool (upside down, not touching the counter) completely (45 minutes).

6. Once cooled, remove the cake by sliding a knife around the edges of the cake. Whisk the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and drizzle on the cake when serving, if desired.

Per serving: 84 calories; no fat; no cholesterol; 84mg sodium; 18g carbohydrate; no fiber; 14g sugar; 3g protein.

experimentation?

I also did not have the rotten eggs specified in the first recipe.

I can’t imagine where you’re supposed to acquire them (I just checked — they are not carried

by Amazon). But I did substitute some eggs that were fairly old, though not yet sulfurous.

What is cooking if not substitution?

The smashed black-eyed peas in the first recipe are pure genius; they set just the right tone and texture for the base. You could probably use them alone to good effect, but the other ingredients give the dish a certain depth and complexity.

I used most of one can of dog food and two cans of cat food.

The second recipe was somewhat greener in appearance, more representative of the diet of a vegetarian. Here, the texture comes primarily from the soggy melding of cornbread and milk, with blended corn and celery for

added fiber.

The greenish color comes from the avocados. I think you can imagine what the crumbled blue cheese brings.

Both of the recipes were gross and disgusting and seriously convincing, especially when a little was accidentally spilled on a linoleum floor. But it occurred to me that you could just sample either one and you’d wind up with a more natural version of the same effect.

Incidentally, a girl in the class, Angel, also wanted to get in on the act. But she is less inclined toward truancy than her classmates and has never had a use for fake vomit.

So she wrote a perfectly serviceable, and actually kind of impressive, recipe for pizza.

Girls. What can you do with them?

Daniel Neman • 314-340-8133 Food writer @dnemanfood on Twitter dneman@post-dispatch.com

LET’S EAT

L4 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

M 1 • Wednesday • 03.28.2018

Knockoffs are better than real versions CANDY BARS • FROM L1

chocolate; use chocolate candy coating. Chocolate, after it melts and hardens, turns brittle and fails to adhere to whatever you are trying to coat. Candy coating, on the other hand, is softer and makes the perfect exterior for any confection.

You can find chocolate candy coating, also called melting wafers, in the baking aisle of most grocery stores (Wilton and Baker’s are popular brands). You can get the same effect by tempering regular chocolate, but it takes a long time and requires a fairly high degree of precision.

For home cooks, I don’t recommend it.

Secret No. 2 only concerns Kit Kat bars: They are ridiculously easy.

You know those sugar wafers you can get at any store? Dip them in melted chocolate candy coating.

Congratulations, you have

Kitty Kat bars.

I next tried something much harder, faux Butterfingers bars called Nutterfingers. The hard part comes in creating that distinctive crunchy peanut-butter filling in the middle.

Even so, all it takes is patience, and then speed.

The patience part comes when you bring a boiling mixture of sugar, water and corn syrup to 300 degrees.

The temperature rises slowly, and it stops altogether at 220 degrees for a couple of minutes until it begins creeping upward again.

Then comes the speed part. When it hits 300 degrees, you immediately dump in a mixture of peanut butter, vanilla extract and baking soda, and quickly stir to mix.

Still acting fast, you spread this combination out onto a prepared baking dish before it can solidify and crumble.

I tried it twice, and both times I got some crumbling.

Then comes the patience part again. You have to wait at least four hours before you can coat the bars with chocolate. But it is definitely worth the wait. It is even worth the crumbling.

Homemade Almond Joy bars were next, which I am calling Almond Happiness.

Ordinarily, I am not a fan of Almond Joy bars, but these are not ordinary.

They are extraordinary.

The filling comes from a lot of sweetened, shredded coconut stirred into a mixture of condensed milk and powdered sugar, plus a hit of vanilla and salt. The only problem is that this filling is very tough to stir.

I’ve been working out.

You’re on your own.

You need toasted almonds, of course, for Almond Joy or Almond Happiness, and my almonds tended to fall off

into the chocolate. But that’s not too big of a problem. A few of my candies just became Hills bars.

I next made what I believe we can call Peanut Butter Cups. That’s chocolate on the bottom, a justright layer of peanut butter (mixed with powdered sugar and melted butter) in the middle and more chocolate on top.

These are slightly more difficult to make than they sound, but only slightly.

Very slightly. When you pour the chocolate in the bottom of the cup for the first layer, you have to spread it around the edges. That’s not hard, but the whole batch will take several minutes to do it.

Feel free to use your finger to help do the spreading, as long as it is impeccably clean. Then add chocolate on top.

They taste every bit as wonderful as the real thing. You can just imagine all those workers in

Hershey, Pa., using their impeccably clean fingers to spread chocolate around the edges.

Next, I made what are called Resolution Breaker bars, but which taste like Snickers bars (though, as we have seen, they are better). The trick here is to make a nougat, and the traditional way to make nougat is time-consuming and, frankly, a little annoying.

So I went with the nontraditional method featured in the recipe, which comes from Oh! Nuts. Timing is important here, too, because once you have a mixture of butter, sugar and evaporated milk boiling you quickly have to stir in a combination of peanut butter, vanilla and marshmallow creme.

Ordinarily, I stay away from marshmallow creme (or anything that spells it “creme”), but it makes sense when making nougat.

Resolution Breaker bars require several steps — nougat, peanut-filled caramel and chocolate — and so do bars I’m going to call Twicks. With Twicks bars, you begin with a cookie, but it is a fairly soft cookie so you use cake flour (a little less all-purpose flour will do, too).

A caramel layer is next, and although it involves melting and stirring and judging how much cream to add, the only hard part is unwrapping all those little caramels.

You have to refrigerate each layer as you make it, so it takes a little time. But anticipation only makes homemade candy bars better.

When you give them to your friends and relations, and their children, be sure to save a couple for yourself. But don’t give any to the Easter Bunny. The silly rabbit should know that Twix are for kids.

ALMOND HAPPINESS BARS Yield: About 14 servings 14 ounces shredded, 5 ounces (½ cup plus 2 sweetened coconut tablespoons) sweetened, ½ cup whole almonds, condensed milk toasted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 24 ounces chocolate candy ¼ teaspoon salt coating or tempered 2 cups powdered sugar chocolate 1. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray it with nonstick sprpay.

2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the condensed milk, vanilla and salt. Gradually sift in the powdered sugar, stirring, until it is thoroughly incorporated. Add the coconut and stir until the mixture is well-combined.

3. Press this mixture into the prepared pan in an even layer.

You may not use the whole pan if you prefer a thicker coconut candy. While the candy is still soft, press the whole almonds into the tops at even intervals to embed them slightly in the candy. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

4. Peel away the foil and use a sharp knife to cut the candy into small rectangles.

5. Melt the chocolate candy coating in a microwave or double boiler, stirring frequently, until smooth. Using dipping tools or two forks, dunk each coconut bar completely in the chocolate, allow excess chocolate to drip off, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate until set, 15 minutes.

These bars may be stored in an airtight container for 1 week.

Per serving: 542 calories; 30g fat; 24g saturated fat; 5mg cholesterol; 6g protein; 69g carbohydrate; 64g sugar; 6g fiber; 196mg sodium; 123mg calcium Recipe from thespruce.com

RESOLUTION BREAKER BARS (SNICKERS) Yield: 20 servings 24 ounces chocolate candy coating or tempered chocolate 1/3 cup peanut butter, creamy or chunky 1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow creme or fluff

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 tablespoons butter 1 cup granulated sugar ¼ cup evaporated milk 14 ounces soft caramels, unwrapped 1½ cups roasted, salted peanuts

1. Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with aluminum foil. Melt the candy coating and spread a very thin layer on the foil, perhaps ½ cup in total. This will keep the nougat from sticking and make the bars easier to dip. Refrigerate the pan to set the coating while you prepare the rest of the filling. The bowl of melted coating will keep at room temperature.

2. Combine the peanut butter, marshmallow creme and vanilla extract in a bowl, and set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter with the sugar and evaporated milk, stirring frequently until the sugar dissolves.

3. Bring the mixture in the pot to a boil, and boil for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. After 4 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and immediately add the peanut butter mixture, stirring quickly until thoroughly mixed; it should be light beige and fluffy.

4. Scrape the peanut nougat on top of the chocolate layer in the pan, and spread it into a smooth, even layer. Refrigerate the pan to cool the nougat while you prepare the caramel layer.

5. Place the unwrapped soft caramels in a microwave-safe bowl and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cream or water, depending on how soft the caramels are (use 2 tablespoons if they are fairly stiff). Microwave the caramels in 30-second bursts until melted, stirring after every interval. Add the salted peanuts and stir until they are completely coated with caramel.

6. Spread the caramel in an even layer on top of the peanut nougat. Refrigerate to set the caramel, about 45 minutes.

7. Remove the candy from the pan using the foil as handles.

Use a large sharp knife sprayed with nonstick spray to cut the candy into about 20 bars. Check on your candy coating: if it has started to set, microwave it again until it is smooth and fluid.

8. Use forks or dipping tools to dip each candy bar in the coating until completely covered, then tap the fork against the lip of the bowl so excess coating drips off. Set the dipped bars on a sheet of waxed paper to cool and harden completely, or put them in the refrigerator to speed the process. These bars will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 1 week.

Per serving: 428 calories; 22g fat; 13g saturated fat; 2mg cholesterol; 7g protein; 57g carbohydrate; 50g sugar; 3g fiber; 177mg sodium; 91mg calcium Recipe from ohnuts.com

Kitty Kat Bar PHOTOS BY J.B. FORBES • jforbes@post-dispatch.com

NUTTERFINGERS BARS

KITTY KAT BARS

Yield: 20 servings

Yield: 18 servings

1 cup chunky peanut butter ¾ cup light corn syrup 16 ounces chocolate candy ¾ teaspoon baking soda coating or tempered 1 teaspoon vanilla extract chocolate 2 cups granulated sugar ½ cup water

18 sugar wafers

1. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray. Combine the peanut butter, baking soda and vanilla in a bowl, and set aside.

2. Place the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over mediumhigh heat. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and stir in the corn syrup. Insert a candy thermometer.

3. Continue to cook the syrup, boiling without stirring, until the temperature reaches 300 degrees. Immediately remove it from the heat and quickly stir in the peanut butter mixture, mixing until it is smooth. Immediately pour into the prepared baking pan and spread it to the edges.

4. Allow to sit for 2 minutes, then use a large knife to score into about 20 candy bars. Allow to set at room temperature for 4 hours or overnight.

5. Melt the chocolate candy coating or tempered chocolate in a microwave or double boiler, stirring frequently until smooth. Cool slightly for 5 minutes; meanwhile, line a baking sheet with foil.

6. Using 2 forks or dipping tools, dunk each bar in the melted chocolate and place on the foil-lined sheet. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to set. Bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Per serving: 332 calories; 16g fat; 9g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 5g protein; 47g carbohydrate; 46g sugar; 2g fiber; 122mg sodium; 42mg calcium Recipe from thespruce.com

PEANUT BUTTER CUPS Yield: 24 servings 24 mini cupcake papers (the size of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup) 8 ounces (½ of a 16-ounce jar) peanut butter

¾ cup powdered sugar 24 ounces chocolate candy coating or tempered chocolate 2 tablespoons melted butter

1. Lightly coat cupcake papers with nonstick spray and set in muffin tins (you can use a baking sheet, but the bars won’t keep their shape as well). Put peanut butter in a bowl and sift in the powdered sugar; stir in the melted butter. Melt chocolate candy coating in microwave or a double boiler, stirring occasionally until smooth.

2. Spoon about half of the melted chocolate into the cupcake papers, coating the bottom and sides (you can use your impeccably clean finger to coax the chocolate up the sides). Refrigerate until set, 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Pipe or spoon about 2 teaspoons of the peanut butter mixture into the center of each chocolate cup, keeping each dollop away from the edges. Dampen your finger with water and press down on the peanut butter to flatten it a bit, keeping it away from the edges.

4. Spoon the remaining melted chocolate over each cup to cover the peanut butter. Refrigerate for 30 minutes until set. These candy bars can be kept in an airtight container for a week.

Per serving: 236 calories; 17g fat; 11g saturated fat; 3mg cholesterol; 4g protein; 22g carbohydrate; 22g sugar; 2g fiber; 55mg sodium; 42mg calcium Adapted from onegoodthingbyjillee.com

10 ounces chocolate candy coating or tempered chocolate

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Melt chocolate in a microwave or double boiler, stirring frequently, until smooth. Use forks or a dipping tool to dunk each wafer in the chocolate, covering it completely and place on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes. These bars may be stored in an airtight container for 1 week.

Per serving: 121 calories; 7g fat; 6g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 1g protein; 14g carbohydrate; 12g sugar; 1g fiber; 19mg sodium; 23mg calcium Recipe from thespruce.com

TWICKS BARS Yield: 20 servings 11 tablespoons (1 stick plus 22 ounces soft caramels, unwrapped 3 tablespoons) butter, 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy softened cream ½ cup granulated sugar 2 cups cake flour or 1¾ cups 16 ounces chocolate candy coating or tempered all-purpose flour chocolate ½ teaspoon salt 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray.

2. Beat butter and sugar together with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. And flour and salt and mix on low speed just until flour is incorporated.

Scrape dough into the prepared pan and use your impeccably clean hands to press it into a thin, even layer. Bake until lightly golden brown, about 18 to 20 minutes, turning pan halfway through.

Do not overcook. Allow to cool completely.

3. Combine caramels and cream in a microwave-safe bowl, using 2 tablespoons of cream if the caramels are soft and 3 tablespoons if they are stiff. Microwave until melted and smooth, stirring after every 30 seconds. Pour the melted caramel over the shortbread cookie crust and smooth into an even layer. Refrigerate to set the caramel completely, about 1 hour.

4. Melt the chocolate candy coating in a microwave or double boiler, stirring frequently, until smooth.

5. Remove the caramel-covered crust from the pan, using the foil as handles, and then peel off the foil. Use a large, sharp knife to cut about 10 finger-width strips along the long edge, then cut in half for a total of 20 bars.

6. Use dipping tools or forks to dip the bars in melted chocolate, covering them completely, and place on a tray lined with foil or waxed paper. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes. These bars may be kept for 1 week at room temperature in an airtight container.

Per serving: 460 calories; 21g fat; 14g saturated fat; 23mg cholesterol; 5g protein; 69g carbohydrate; 52g sugar; 2g fiber; 198mg sodium; 106mg calcium Recipe from thespruce.com

03.28.2018 • Wednesday • M 1 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • L5 LET’S EAT

Cheers to crowd-pleasing beer bread

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A larger-than-usual crowd meeting up at your house for dinner? This Onion Beer Bread would add a lot to the menu. It’s delicious, of course, but it’s also very easy to whip up. Unlike more conventional breads, this one doesn’t involve yeast or require multiple

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3 lbs. Cut Up 2 lbs. Wings 2 lbs. Drum Sticks

2 lbs. Thighs 3 lbs. Boneless Breast

25.99

$

12 pak var.

22oz btl.

WINE

Shed Horn

1699 St. Peyre $ 99 Picpouz.......................... 9 Smash Berry $ 99 Red Blend ...................... 9 Caricature $ 99 Cabernet Sauvignon......... 9 750 ml.

Chardonnay.................

$

750 ml.

750 ml.

750 ml.

SODA

99¢ 3/$ 7 Up/Dr. Pepper ............. 9 2 lt. Btl. 7 Up/Dr. Pepper .............

12 pak 12 oz. cans

Vincent’s Market Is Proud To Carry

— this dough is thick and sticky. It will look like nothing but a lumpy mess when you put it in the pan and spread it out.

Twenty minutes later, after it’s been baked, it will be transformed into enticing, golden, glistening bread.

The best gizmo for spreading the dough in the pan is a baker’s tool known as an offset metal spatula, but a rubber spatula will also get the job done. Whichever you use, grease it by dipping it into the onion butter mixture so that it won’t stick to the batter as you spread it. And, by the way, the surface of the bread doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth. This is rustic bread.

Onion Beer Bread will make your whole house smell heavenly as it bakes.

I recommend serving it right out of the oven, but it’s still darn tasty at room temperature or even cold.

ONION BEER BREAD Yield: 12 servings 1 stick butter 2 cups thin sliced onion rings (about 1 medium onion) 2 teaspoons minced garlic 360 grams (about 3 cups) unbleached flour 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon table salt 12-ounce bottle beer (your choice) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary 1. Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the butter, onion and garlic in a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish and set the pan in the oven while it is preheating (keep an eye on the butter; it might brown a little, which is fine, but don’t let it get too brown).

2. In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the beer and stir just until it is mixed.

The dough will be sticky and heavy.

3. When the butter is melted, pour the butter, onion rings and garlic into a bowl, leaving about 1 tablespoon of butter in the baking dish.

Using a pastry brush, coat the bottom and the sides of the baking dish evenly with the butter. Spoon the bread dough into the pan and spread it evenly. Divide the onions over the top of the dough and drizzle the melted butter and garlic over the onions. Sprinkle the rosemary evenly over the dough.

4. Bake the bread in the upper third of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer when inserted comes out clean. Cut the bread into 24 squares and serve right away.

Per serving: 201 calories; 8g fat; 20mg cholesterol; 394mg sodium; 26g carbohydrates; 1g fiber; 1g sugar; 3g protein.

L6 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

M 1 • Wednesday • 03.28.2018

BLOODY MARYS

buy this

or this

WRITTEN BY Jordan Baranowski

This week we want to help you mix an award-worthy Bloody Mary with a special offer. If a Bloody Mary isn’t your style, check out our highly rated wines and local beers.

HIGHLY RATED WINE

Tower Vodka 1.75 L

Two Founders 80 Acres Vodka 1.75 L

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MASCOTA VINEYARDS UNANIME 2013

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James Suckling – 94 A full-bodied wine with excellent length, it’s a steal at this value. You’ll want to try it again and again.

Argentina, 750 mL, $21.99

MAILLY BRUT RESERVE GRAND CRU Wine Spectator – 91 This bold Champagne starts with hints of toast and cherry before finishing with biscuits and jam.

France, 750 mL, $36.99 Barsmith Bloody Mary Mix 32oz

$6.99 TESORO DELLA REGINA PINOT GRIGIO 2016 Beverage Dynamics – 91 This Pinot Grigio is balanced, with peach and lychee on the nose and a distinct green apple flavor.

Italy, 750 mL, $12.99

Valid through April 1, pick up either one of these 1.75 L bottles of vodka and receive a Barsmith Bloody Mary Mix absolutely free, a $6.99 value!

This offer cannot be combined with any other coupons or discounts.

LOCAL BEERS Shop local with some great specials on our favorite beers.

SEXTANT CABERNET PASO ROBLES 2015 Beverage Dynamics – 91 Blackberry and dark cherry introduce this bold Cabernet, which is anchored by tannins and oak.

California, 750 mL, $19.99

OLEMA CABERNET 2014

BOULEVARD TANK 7 FARMHOUSE ALE

URBAN CHESTNUT URBAN UNDERDOG

6-12oz bottles, $12.49

8-16oz cans, $13.99

4 HANDS INCARNATION IPA

SCHLAFLY HEFEWEIZEN

6-12oz cans, $8.49

6-12oz bottles, $6.99

SHOCK TOP BELGIAN WHITE ALE

LOGBOAT SNAPPER IPA 6-12oz cans $8.49

12-12oz bottles, $10.99

James Suckling – 92 This wine is an excellent value; enjoy this medium-bodied Cab on a cool spring evening.

California, 750 mL, $26.99

Shop Missouri's largest selection of wine, spirits, beer and more online and pick up your order in store! Start filling your cart at TotalWine.com.

The Promenade at Brentwood 90 Brentwood Promenade Court Brentwood, MO 63144 314.963.3265

Manchester Meadows 13887 Manchester Road Ballwin, MO 63011 636.527.0482

Clarkson Square 1781 Clarkson Road Chesterfield, MO 63017 636.536.9869

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