SPORK
W A IUNT TU E MRN 22001154
Already a few weeks into the cold season, the frigid temperature hovers below freezing, snow blankets the ground, and ice creates invisible patches of peril on sidewalks and pavement. Getting out of our toasty, snug beds becomes increasingly difficult each morning, but nonetheless we bundle up in our cold gear and brave the frosty weather to go about our days. On the bright side, winter is also the season of crackling fireplaces, bowls of steaming soup, and mugs of soothing hot drinks that keep us warm and cozy as we await the signs of spring. This Winter 2015 issue of Spork embraces all of the wonderful aspects of this often bleary time of year. With the best recipes of classic comfort foods, suggestions on how to continue eating sustainably in the winter when fresh produce seems to be lacking, a quiz to point you to the perfect food TV show for you to curl up by the fire, and much more, we hope this issue inspires you to make the most of what this season has to offer! You can also now follow us on our new Instagram account @sporkphs and submit food photos to be featured on the account by direct messaging us on Instagram or messaging our Facebook page! Enjoy!
Janie Kim
SPORK Princeton High School 151 Moore St Princeton, NJ 08540
Editor-in-Chief Janie Kim Staff Emma Bezilla Grace McGuirk
Caroline Smith Eliza Wright
Contributors Noelle Anglade Clara Bazarko Beth Blizzard Annie Dobler Nikita Khatri Angela Kim Emma Leuchten Marie Louise James
Jacob Middlekauff Kelly Qiu Cara Straus Rinat Tal Dorothy Weiss
Within
04 06 08 12 14 New Year, New Food
Classic Comfort Foods
Winter Sustainability
Homemade Bread
Food TV Show Quiz
We'd love to hear from you! Email us with any questions, comments, suggestions at:
sporkphs@gmail. 2
15 Spring Street Princeton, NJ (609) 454 -5627
New Year, New Food 2015 is a new year: be bold and try these new, unexpected, yet simple flavors. by Marie Louise James
Beets and Cocoa
Cooking with Tea While tea infusions and lattes may be wonderfully comforting during the cold season, using tea as a cooking ingredient can really enhance the flavor of a dish. Lapsang souchong, a smoky black tea prepared by heating black tea leaves over burning firewood, is inexpensive yet can luxuriously elevate common recipes. It can be rubbed on a pan-fried duck breast or boiled with potatoes for a smoky, aromatic potato puree. Matcha green tea, on the other hand, is a more expensive and finely powdered green tea with a grassy taste. Though nowadays popular as a latte with milk and sugar, matcha can also be used to flavour cakes, icings, savory noodles, Japanese mochi rice pastries, and ice cream.
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The combination of beets and cocoa in a dessert may seem odd, but it is very often used in healthier recipes for red velvet cakes, since both red beets and cocoa powder are “superfoods,” or foods rich in minerals and vitamins. The red beets in the batter can naturally color the cake, eliminating the guilt of adding a large quantity of red food coloring. Julia Mueller, creator of the blog “The Roasted Root,” suggests this combination in a smoothie made of cocoa powder, steamed and frozen beets, bananas, cranberry kefir, and almond milk. A more savory option for this pairing could include a roasted beet salad with cocoa balsamic dressing.
Watermelon and Feta Cheese Watermelon paired with feta cheese is a refreshing combination, especially during the warmer seasons. The two flavors best complement each other in an arugula salad, where the coolness of the watermelon balances the feta’s salty tartness and provides sweetness against the peppery taste of the arugula. To finish the salad off, drizzle olive oil and add a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Watermelon and feta can also be paired with mint leaves or black olives in a summer salad.
Olives and White Chocolate Together, the saltiness of green olives and the richness of cocoa butter in white chocolate has the same effect as salted dark chocolate, a popular flavor pairing in which savory fleur de sel cuts through the sweetness of creamy, velvety chocolate. For a simple take on this duo, grate white chocolate over olives when serving them with a cheese board. Chocolate company Vosges Haut-Chocolat suggests a bolder version of this pairing: a white chocolate, green olive, and mozzarella panini, drizzled with olive oil.
Blueberry and Brie The tart sweetness of blueberries combined with rich brie cheese seems a like natural choice. This duo takes its ultimate form in a grilled cheese sandwich, since the naturally subtle sweetness of bread easily complements any sweet and savory combinations. In a recipe from Driscoll’s, the blueberries are boiled with lemon zest and thyme before being added to a mascarpone and brie grilled cheese sandwich. Another suggestion, to elevate the standard cheese and fig jam pairing, is to bake brie and top it with blueberry pie filling to then serve on crackers.
photo by Caroline Smith
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BNLENQ
Many foods can conjure up memories of fun times shared w sert like Black Forest cake. Black Forest cake is a tradition moist and rich chocolate cake topped with silky whipped c taste to this decadent dessert that is sure to recapture th comfort!
by Noelle Anglade and Kelly Qiu AK@BJ ENQDRS B@JD Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker
Macaroni and cheese has long been a favorite comfort food. In fact, pasta and cheese casseroles have been around since the 14th century! This recipe, originally from the side of a Mueller’s pasta box, creates a creamy, cheesy dish that melts in your mouth. The simplicity of the recipe allows it to be made easily and quickly for dinner or just a snack and opens the door for all kinds of savory experimentation, such as using various cheeses and meats in the dish. One delicious combination is cheddar jack cheese and smoked turkey, but no matter what you use, this timeless classic will turn out wonderfully.
by Beth Blizzard L@B@QNMH @MC BGDDRD Adapted from Mueller’s Pasta 8 ounces elbow pasta 2 tablespoons cornstarch ½ teaspoon dry mustard ¼ teaspoon pepper 2 ½ cups milk 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1. Cook pasta according to instructions on the box and drain. 2. Preheat oven to 375°F. 3. In large saucepan, combine cornstarch, dry mustard, and pepper. Stir in milk over low heat. Add butter, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. 4. Stir in 1 ¾ cups cheese until melted. Add the drained pasta and pour into greased casserole pan. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. 5. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
2 cups sugar 1¾ cups all-purpose flour ¾ cup cocoa powder 1½ teaspoons baking powder 1½ teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1 cup milk ½ cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup boiling water 1 can (20 ounces) cherries 1½ cups heavy cream, chilled ½ cup powdered sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Preheat the ove pans. 2. Mix together the and salt in a large 3. Add eggs, milk, while mixing (the b pared pans. 4. Bake 30 to 35 m clean. Cool 10 min 5. To make the wh and vanilla extract whipped cream unt 6. Once the cakes platter. Spread a la place half of them over cherries. 7. Place the secon remaining whipped
QS ENNC
with family and friends, especially a decadent, classic desnal German dish that brings many families together with its cream. The cherries on top add a perfect garnish and tangy he memories of past family gatherings and bring a sense of
en to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking
e sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, bowl. oil, and vanilla extract and beat. Stir in boiling water slowly batter will be thin). Divide batter between the two pre-
minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out nutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. hipped cream, combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and whip until soft to almost-stiff peaks form. Refrigerate til ready to use. are cool, level the tops and place one layer on a serving ayer of whipped cream on the cake. Drain the cherries and on top of the whipped cream. Spread more whipped cream
nd layer of cake on top, and frost the entire cake with the d cream. Decorate as desired.
This hearty chili is flavorful and comforting, especially on a cold winter day. It is very simple to whip up and does not disappoint with regard to quantity or quality. This is the perfect recipe to make, with hardly any effort needed in the kitchen to create a dish packed with flavor. The chili tastes great with toasted bread or polenta, and it really warms you up!
by Nikita Khatri BGHKH Adapted from Real Simple 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion 2 garlic cloves 2 tablespoons chili powder 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin ½ pound ground beef 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes 1 15.5 ounce can red kidney beans 1 15.5 ounce can cannellini or Great Northern beans 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1. Finely chop onion and mince garlic cloves. 2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add beef, chopped onion, minced garlic, chili powder, and cumin and sauté until onions are soft. 3. Add tomatoes with juice and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer, partially cover skillet with lid, and cook 10 minutes. 4. Drain and rinse beans. Add to skillet and return to a simmer. Continue cooking, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until chili is thick. 5. Remove skillet from heat and stir in vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Local Frozen Fare By Clara Bazarko and Eliza Wright Photos by Caroline Smith
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Eating locally is a way for people to consume in-season produce while supporting businesses close to home. It is also good for the environment, as food that travels from far-off places generate massive transportation and energy tolls on the environment and producer, and may be produced by farmers who are not fairly paid. The average food item travels 1,500 miles from farm to plate, meaning it not only consumes an incredible amount of fossil fuels in transportation but also loses a great deal of its freshness and nutritional value. In the winter, this dependence on foreign goods only increases as many fresh fruits and vegetables are found in distant countries— for example, if you insist on eating blueberries in January, they will come from Chile. Eating locally during the winter is especially challenging. The frozen and unyielding ground makes growing fruits and vegetables in the northeast difficult, and in cold temperatures animals conserve their energy for heat instead of producing milk and eggs. To surmount these challenges, farmers turn to greenhouses and indoor gardening, and techniques such as pickling and preserving to maximize the winter harvest. Princeton is for-
tunate to have many ways for consumers to take advantage of the best local farms have to offer in the cold season. Many local farms aim to fill the gap of fresh winter goods. At Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse, a farm founded in 2002, the owners Jonathan and Nina White are committed to sustainable agriculture all year round. “We aim to serve the best product possible, to serve the environment, the health of the animals, and ultimately the health of the eaters,� said Jonathan White. There are other options available in the winter besides consuming preserved items or plants grown in greenhouses. This season, instead of resorting to hardy potatoes or jams made long ago, explore the variety of fresh and inspiring ingredients that can be found in Princeton all winter long, such as the high-quality dairy goods from Bobolink Farm and the incredible mushrooms from Shibumi Farms. These unique items can transform an ordinary meal into an extraordinary one without the negative effects of buying distant, processed food. The Whites opened Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse with the goal of producing full-flavored,
Many local farms aim to fill the gap of fresh winter goods.
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well-crafted cheeses from cows treated ethically and raised sustainably, with long-term gains taking priority over immediate benefits. Cows, chickens, cats, and dogs coexist happily outside, with the dogs protecting the chickens from foxes and the cats keeping the milking room free of mice. Here, strong, funky cheeses, crunchy breads, butchered meat, and other products are sold all year from farm to table. At Bobolink, farmers feed the cows a grass diet and milk them only once a day from spring to late fall, quite different from the exhausting life of a large-scale dairy farm cow. Because of this, a Bobolink cow can live to be 15 years old as opposed to the typical dairy cow lifespan of three years. The care and dedication shown towards each individual product is immense. Every item sold at Bobolink comes from the closest and best suited producer, resulting in Bobolink's “own dairy products, own bread, own beef, suckled veal, and pork, own eggs, and then a pretty substantial vegetable garden and a basement full of preserves and pickles,” as Jonathan White lists. Another local winter option is Julie and Alan Kaufman's Shibumi Farm, located in Princeton, where mushrooms are grown in all seasons. The farm supplies exotic varieties of mushrooms to both local home chefs as well as restaurants such as Agricola, Brick Farm Market, and Eno Terra. “I really love seeing them grow; I love the challenges of figuring out how to grow mwushrooms that no one else has grown before, or grow them better. Those are the parts I like the best,” explained Alan Kaufman. Part of what makes Shibumi Farms so unique is the incredible variety of mushrooms they sell. These include maitake, various types of shiitake, king oysters, lemon oysters, grey oysters, Italian brown oysters, coprinus, golden enoki, champignon de paris, redwine caps, cauliflower, lion's mane, and cinnamon caps. “Right now we have 35 different species at various times,” said Alan Kaufman. Worldwide, 98 percent of mushrooms sold are only of one kind: the white button mushroom, which contains only a
“It's not as much what local is, as what the intent is.”
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hint of the full-bodied flavor available in the 5,000 species that are considered edible. “In many cases [these varieties of mushrooms] are not grown because they don't ship well—they have a shelf life of five to seven days before they start decaying [which is] why what 'local' really means is access to foods that are valuable and worthwhile but don't work in the logistics of developed agriculture . . . Anything that could be harvested and at the market within one day of harvesting [could be considered local]," said Alan Kaufman. "It's not as much what local is, as what the intent is." Mushrooms are also unique in the incredible health benefits they offer. “Mushrooms are the best natural source of vitamin D . . . [They] are high in protein; they contain all eight essential amino acids, [and also] live in very hostile areas with decaying material. And so in order to protect themselves, they have novel antibiotics to fight off defenders . . . which we don't know a whole lot about yet, but that have powerful effects on our immunology,” explained Kaufman. These relatively unexplored health benefits have been attributed to things like preventing chronic disease—due to the presence of antioxidants and beneficial dietary fibers—and providing an immunity boost. Shibumi's mushrooms, along with Bobolink Farm's goods, can be found at the local Slow Food Central New Jersey winter farmers' markets, hosted in Princeton until March. Held some weeks at the D&R Greenway, the market serves as a friendly reminder that local food is always available so long as it is looked for. No matter how bleak the winter, there will always be fresh local foods available when there are people who are willing to buy them. Places like Bobolink and Shibumi farms work hard year round to ensure that they are able to produce healthy, sustainable, and delicious food regardless of the season. So instead of reaching for those tasteless January raspberries from Mexico, think twice, and remember that there are always better options grown right down the road.
No matter how bleak the winter, there will always be fresh local foods available
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No-knead Bread Adapted from New York Times 3 cups bread flour 1 packet instant yeast (¼ ounce) 1 ½ teaspoons salt Vegetable oil as needed 1. Mix flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 ½ cups lukewarm water and stir until blended; dough will be slightly wet and shaggy. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 4 hours at warm room temperature, about 70°F. 2. Lightly oil a work surface and place dough on it; fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes at room temperature. 3. At least 30 minutes before dough is ready, heat oven to 450°F. Put a 6 to 8 quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex, or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under dough and put it into pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed. 4. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
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French Baguette Adapted from Food Network 2 tablespoons honey 2 packets instant yeast (½ ounce) 3 ½ to 4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons of salt Canola oil for greasing the bowl Cornmeal for dusting the pan 1. Combine the honey, yeast, and ½ cup warm water. Stir to combine and let the mixture stand until the yeast is activated and begins to foam, 5 minutes. 2. Stir the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and slowly add in the yeast mixture. Gradually add 1 cup warm water and mix until thwe dough comes together into a ball that is not too wet (you may not need all of the water). If the dough is sticky, add a little bit more flour. 3. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 2 to 6 minutes. 4. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly-oiled bowl and cover with a dishcloth, so it doesn't dry out. Let rest in at room temperature until doubled in size, 25 to 30 minutes. 5. Preheat the oven to 450°F. 6. Punch down the dough and divide it in half. Shape into 2 baguettes by making a flat rectangle out of your dough, then folding and stretching the top and bottom towards the middle several times. Fold and seal either end to round. 7. Place on a sheet pan that has been dusted with cornmeal. Score the tops of the loaves, making diagonal slits about ½ inch deep, cover with a dishcloth, and let rise at room temperature until they have doubled in size, 25 minutes. 8. Place the sheet tray with the baguettes onto the middle rack. Bake the baguettes until golden brown, 15 minutes.
masterchef Junior SORTED FOOD
Good, considering neither of us knows much about cooking. It’s easier than we thought!
Terribly. Turns out neither of us knows anything about cooking. Oh, well.
Worst Cooks in America
My little sibling. And wow, I’m worse at cooking. Great.
My friend. We’re hungry and ready to try something new. How does it go?
Horribly. Two big egos in one small kitchen? Our meal went up in flames.
Lovely! We made a delicious boeuf bourguignon with fresh herbs. Yum!
WHAT S SHOULD
WATC
You are hungry. W
Hit the kitchen. Homemade food is the best! Who do you cook with?
My mom. Homemade food tastes so much better with her help. How does it go?
Great! We get along surprisingly well in the kitchen, and our steak turns out perfectly.
Hell’s Kitchen Barefoot Contessa
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Grill it! with bobby flay
SHOW D YOU
CH?
What do you do?
Eat out. Cooking takes too much effort. Where do you go?
My dad. There’s nothing like quality time in the kitchen. How does it go?
Uh oh. Things get really heated. Only one of us can be the best, and it certainly isn’t him.
The Great British Bake Off The Mind of a Chef A cute bakery. I’ve got a HUGE sweet tooth. The chef’s special. I always trust the chef. A nice restaurant. I want the whole fine dining experience. What do you order?
Whatever the server recommends. I want something that shows off the local cuisine.
Unborn chicken eggs and some fried bees. Yum.
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
Bizarre foods with Andrew Zimmermn Cutthroat Kitchen
by Emma Bezilla
graphic by Caroline Smith
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