BRATTLEBORO — My immediate response to bad news is to cook. The comfort of the kitchen has always soothed me, and I like to imagine that through its refuge I have sometimes soothed those around me who are in pain. The kitchen is one of the few places where I can maintain the illusion that I have some control over my life.
It is estimated that more than 700 families in Vermont lost their homes through the effects of Hurricane Irene. Many still in their homes are surrounded by devastated communities, wrecked roads, and unbelievable destruction.
The world at large doesn't seem too stable these days, either, and our own community has lately dealt with more disaster than just Irene.
This month also happens to be the 10th anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. In addition, September is National Hunger Month.
There are an awful lot of people in pain right now, and I cannot feed them all, nor would that act dispel their heartache or anxiety. I can only try to give solace to my own grieving soul.
Here is a meal made from foods I find comforting, combined in a menu that might possibly give a short reprieve from sorrow and a means to reconnect with the joys of life.
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My meal starts with bacon. Add a plump dried date, some soft, rich cheese, and perhaps a crunchy almond, and you can magically craft a sweet, salty, savory, luscious nugget of solace.
Stuffed dates wrapped in bacon
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
For two people, take 8 dates and cut a slit in the side and pit them.
Stuff them with an almond and 1 tsp. of blue cheese or soft goat cheese.
Press the date together to seal.
Cut 4 pieces of bacon in half lengthwise and wrap each date securely with a half slice of bacon.
Place the wrapped dates on a baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes, then turn carefully with tongs.
Cook another 10 minutes or until the bacon is crispy. Let them cool off a little before serving.
There is something so appealing to me about the texture and flavor of soft, sweet, slightly unctuous dates offset by the crispness of the almond, the piquancy of the cheese, and the salty and meaty crunch of the pork. It is a comfortable flavor combination, yet at the same time slightly edgy.
After this rather unconventional beginning, I would indulge myself with a very small serving of an extremely creamy and buttery soup. One of my very favorites is butternut squash and apple.
Butternut squash and apple soup
This recipe will make enough for six people, so if you are feeding two, freeze the leftovers for a rainy day.
Using a heavy medium saucepan, sauté a chopped onion in 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium heat.
Peel, seed, and chop into 1-inch chunks a small butternut squash weighing around 1 pound.
Add the chunks and 1 can of chicken or vegetable broth and 1 1/2 cups of apple cider, bring to a simmer, and cook until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes.
Add two Ginger Gold apples, peeled, seeded, and diced, a healthy pinch of saffron, and a grating of fresh nutmeg.
Simmer until the apple is tender, about 15 minutes.
Pureé the mixture in a food processor until very smooth.
Return to the saucepan and add 1 cup of heavy cream.
Cook until warmed through, and add salt and pepper to taste.
I suggest a scant 1-cup serving of this soup. I eat it very slowly, one small spoonful at a time. It is very rich and very satisfying.
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There is no doubt as to the main course: simple roast chicken, braised chard, and corn pudding. I think a good roast chicken is one of the most basic and soothing meals in the world. The corn pudding is the real star of this dinner, food at its comforting best.
Dessert - yes, we will have dessert!– - is a 1970s classic: Julia Child's chocolate mousse.
Roast chicken
Preheat the oven to 450 F. Take a 2 to 3 pound locally raised chicken and dry it very well, inside and out, to keep the bird from steaming in the oven. (You do not want steaming, you want crisping.)
Put the chicken in a roasting pan or an ovenproof sauté pan. Salt the chicken well. I use about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt sprinkled evenly over the skin.
Tuck the wings under the bird, and bring the legs close to the body. Trussing that bird is too much bother for me with not enough reward.
When the oven is preheated, put the pan with the chicken in the oven and just leave it there for 45 to 55 minutes until the leg joint moves easily and the juices run clear when the thigh is pricked with a knife.
No basting, no stuffing butter under the skin, no shoving lemons and rosemary in the empty cavity. Just roast it.
When done, take the chicken out of the oven, cover with a sheet of aluminum foil, and let it sit for 10 minutes. This is really important. The juices run back into the meat, and the whole thing relaxes - and that makes a big difference.
Chard
The chard is easy.
Just wash a bunch, slice it into ribbons, and sauté it in olive oil until it is silky and tender. The water left on the leaves from washing should provide enough moisture, but add more if it evaporates before the chard is done.
I put a cover on the pot and stir it up from time to time while the leaves break down and become creamy. If there is water left over in the pot, just turn the heat up and it will quickly evaporate.
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The corn pudding recipe will make more than two servings, but think about leftovers for breakfast with maple syrup. Corn pudding is just custard with corn, but when made well is simple yet perfect.
Corn pudding
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and butter an 8-cup baking dish with high sides.
In a stick of unsalted butter melted in a medium saucepan over medium heat, sauté the kernels from 5 ears of corn and a diced onion for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix 2 cups of heavy cream, 3 egg yolks, plus 2 whole eggs, 3 tablespoons of ribboned fresh basil, salt, and pepper.
Add 1/4 cup of unbleached white flour and 1/4 cup of sugar, then whisk until smooth.
Pour this mixture into the baking dish and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the center is set and the top is golden brown.
Serve immediately with the chicken and chard. Relax and take a deep breath before you start to eat.
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It seems to me no one makes chocolate mousse anymore. That is too bad, because it is a great dessert that has withstood the years. And that's what I want to do as well, which is perhaps one reason why I love it.
Chocolate mousse
For 6 servings, place a bowl over, not in, a pan of barely simmering water.
In the bowl, put 6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate and 6 ounces of unsalted butter cut into chunks.
Add 1/4 cup of strong brewed coffee or espresso. Stir occasionally until all is melted and very smooth.
Remove the bowl and set aside. Replace with another bowl placed over the simmering water. Add more water to the saucepan if it evaporates away.
In that second bowl, place the yolks of 4 eggs. Save the whites in another bowl.
To the yolks, add 2/3 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of rum, and 1 tablespoon of tap water. Whisk and cook gently for about 3 to 4 minutes, until thick like runny mayonnaise. Remove from the heat.
Fill the sink with cold water and throw in a handful of ice cubes. Put the bowl with the yolk mixture into the sink and beat until cool and thick. Gently fold in the reserved chocolate mixture.
In a separate bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer, beat the whites of those 4 eggs with a pinch of salt until frothy.
Speed up the mixer and gradually add 1 tablespoon of sugar, then beat until the whites are thick and shiny. Add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Fold one third of the whites into the chocolate/yolk mixture to make it less stiff, then fold in the remaining whites until just incorporated. Streaks of whites and streaks of chocolate should remain.
Divide the mixture into wide wine glasses or dessert dishes and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve with a spoonful of just-barely-whipped, lightly sweetened heavy cream.
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If you don't feel better after eating this meal, I am at a loss to help you. This is a dinner not made to please your cardiologist, unless she or he is filled with stress as well, in which case I highly recommend it to her.
This is not a time to worry about the occasional overload of butter, cream, and carbohydrates. This is a dinner made to fill your body with warmth and pleasure and fill your heart with the love of life.
I know it has done me the world of good to describe it. I just wish I could cook it for you.