Tuples and Attributes

Not every great meal requires a lot of cooking or ingredients. This weekend, for instance, featured hot dogs. Not just any hot dogs, however. My favorite dog up to this point has been any variety of Hebrew National. As many of you probably know, though, Costco is renowned for their $1.59 hot dog and drink deal. And it’s a very good deal because it’s a very good wiener! People are known to go to Costco just for lunch to get their all-beef hot dog.

When I was in Costco last month, I headed to the frozen section as they sometimes have very good deals on Hebrew National. For the first time I saw they carried their own, Kirkland, brand of beef hot dogs. I figured if they were the same as the ones they serve up, I couldn’t go wrong, and I was right. They are delicious. Highly recommended.

A good hot dog is only enhanced by a good bun, of course. And, wow, did I find one. I was in Albertson’s and was snagged as I walked in by a display that contained, among other things, fresh-baked, brioche hot dog buns. They were even split down the top, rather than cut through from the side. Just perfect for making a chili dog or the like.

The rolls were so good I went back and bought a dozen more this morning to have on hand in the freezer next to the Kirkland hot dogs.

I did do one bit of baking: a raisin pie. In the past, I have just bought pie crusts for any pies I’ve made as I had always heard how difficult pie doughs were. I have seen several recipes that purport to reveal the magic ingredient or technique that will assure perfect crust, but had not had the nerve to try them.

The other night, though, I was watching an episode of Milk Street that showed how to make a dough the actually looked quite doable and I tried it on Sunday. Making it was “a piece of cake”, so to speak!

I have a neighbor who knows a thing or two about pie crusts and I tried the pie out on her. She asked if I had used lard in it; her family had always used lard and she was very skeptical that any non-lard crust would be up to her standards. To her surprise, my pie crust met and surpassed them!

If you haven’t had raisin pie, it’s very simple and quite easy. Here is the recipe:

Raisin Pie

• 1 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 2 egg whites
• 1 unbaked pie shell

• Put raisins in sauce pan and cover with water. Cook until nearly dry. Cool slightly.
• Add remaining ingredients up through egg yolks and combine.
• Beat egg whites until stiff, fold into raisin mixture.
• Pour mixture into unbaked shell and bake at 350° for 45 minutes (may be done earlier than this, check it early on).

And here’s the recipe for the pie crust:

Milk Street Pie Dough

• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (159 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 10 tablespoons salted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
• 2 tablespoons sour cream

Don’t skip the sour cream; it’s key for a tender crust. And don’t skimp on the pie weights if blind baking; use enough to come 3/4 of the way up the sides.

01
In a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch. Microwave until set, 30 to 40 seconds, stirring halfway through. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes.
02
Once the cornstarch mixture has chilled, in a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt and process until mixed, about 5 seconds. Add the chilled cornstarch mixture and pulse until uniformly ground, about 5 pulses. Add the butter and sour cream and process until the dough comes together and begins to collect around the blade, 20 to 30 seconds. Pat the dough into a 4-inch disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 48 hours.

03
If blind baking, heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle position. On a well-floured counter, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle.

04
Hang the dough over the rolling pin and transfer to a 9-inch pie pan. Gently ease the dough into the pan by lifting the edges while pressing down into the corners of the pan. Trim the edges, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then tuck the overhang under itself so the dough is flush with the rim of the pan. Crimp the dough with your fingers or the tines of a fork, then chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

05

To blind bake, line the chilled crust with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until the edges are light golden brown, about 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Remove the foil and weights and bake until the bottom of the crust just begins to color, another 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before filling. Once baked and cooled, the crust can be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for up to 2 days.

I serve this appetizer whenever I throw a big party. It is easily the most requested recipe I have. I usually make it without the bacon just to keep it meatless and it is still raved about. You just can’t go wrong with this one!

• 11 ounce cream cheese, softened
• 2 t sour cream
• 1-1/2 t curry powder
• 1/2 c bacon pieces, optional
• 1/2 c chopped peanuts
• 1/2 c green onions, chopped fine
• 1/2 c raisins
• Chutney
• Crackers

Blend cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add curry and blend well. Add bacon bits, peanuts, green onions, and raisins. Mix well. Spread into serving dish or form into shape of choice and tops with chutney. Serve with crackers.

Note: All the favorite curry condiments combined in a single appetizing spread. May be topped with peach, mango, or apricot chutney (I’ve always used apricot).

This is another recipe from the Gourmet LA cookbook.

Years ago I picked up a cookbook called Gourmet LA: A Collection of Fresh and Elegant Recipes from the Junior League of Los Angeles. Over the years I have made a lot of recipes from it. Every single one has been outstanding. There are some I haven’t tried because there is something in them I don’t like, but every one I have made is a winner.

One of my favorites, and the one I made today, is “Spanish Soft Tacos”:

• 1 whole chicken, cut up (approximately 3 to 4 pounds) or 4 whole chicken breasts (thighs work, too)
• Salt
• Pepper
• 12 ounces white corn (I’ve also used hominy here)
• 8 ounces creamed corn
• 2 ounces diced mild green chiles
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup grated onion
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
• 12 flour tortillas
• Sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Place in a large glass baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until tender. Cool chicken. Skin, bone, and shred chicken. Combine chicken, white corn, creamed corn, green chiles, almonds, raisins, onion, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, sour cream, and Worcestershire sauce in a baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 45 minutes. Spoon onto warm flour tortillas. Top each with a generous dollop of sour cream. Serve folded over or rolled up.

Today I added halved cherry tomatoes; next time I think I’ll add olives.

If you have a chance to get a used copy of this book (it’s sometimes available on Amazon), do it! You won’t be disappointed.

I really, really miss having people over to dinner. I miss planning menus; I miss cooking big dishes, I miss the unexpected conversational pathways.

Since I can’t have real people over, I have been fantasizing about groups/pairs of guests I think would make for an interesting evening: sometimes the sparks might fly and other times mutual admiration might rule the night. Regardless, the entertainment value would be high.

Here’s a starting list:

• Ben Franklin and Mae West
• Captain James Cook and Admiral Zheng He
• C.S. Lewis, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and J.R.R. Tolkien
• Annie Oakley and Amelia Earhart
• Socrates and Confucius
• Newt Gingrich and Thomas Jefferson
• Shakespeare and Lin-Manual Miranda
• Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela
• Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Elizabeth II, Cleopatra, and Catherine the Great

I may add to this list as time goes on; meantime, let me know if you have suggestions of your own.