The Food Maven Diary
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Another Award, Another Babka
Arthur Schwartz's New York City Food , my latest cookbook, has been nominated for a second cookbook award, the James Beard Award as best American cookbook. The winner will be announced at the Beard Foundation's gala awards ceremony in New York on May 2. I was a friend of James Beard. In fact, you can read about my relationship with him in the book. I keep wondering what he would think of the recent scandal at the organization named for him. Some of us knew all along that the leaders of the Beard Foundation were corrupt. Now the former president, New Jersey resident Len Pickell, will probably be going to jail, after having pleaded guilty to stealing foundation funds. Dorothy Hamilton, the owner of the French Culinary Institute, has just been named the new president of the board of trustees, which has apparently been dismissed. I am assuming, knowing how upright Dorothy is, that the Beard Foundation will now be managed by honest people who want its charter as a tax-exempt educational foundation to be honored and its mission fulfilled.
Meanwhile, the International Association of Culinary Professionals, which nominated my book in the same category several weeks ago, will announce their winners next Saturday night at their annual conference, this year in Dallas. It's possible I could sweep the cookbook awards. It would be like winning both the Academy Award and the Golden Globe. Whew!
By the way, if you have not bought a copy of my about-to-be-award-winning book (perhaps I am over-confident) you can order from Amazon simply by clicking on the highlighted title at the beginning of this entry, or go to your local bookstore. Every Barnes & Noble and Borders should have it. And, of course, we love our local independent booksellers. If you go to a bookstore that doesn't have the book, it's only because it is sold out. Your asking for it will encourage them to reorder. So please do.
Williams-Sonoma is carrying the book now, too. I am particularly proud of that because Williams-Sonoma is very particular about the books they carry. I will, in fact, be doing cooking demonstrations at three New York metro Williams-Sonoma stores – Columbus Circle (in the new Time-Warner Center), Manhasset and Cederhurst. My new appearance schedule, which includes these, should be posted here on the web site any minute (by my trusty webmaster Ben McCullough), but meanwhile, the dates are respectively June 5, 11 and 12, all in the afternoon.
As I keep kvetching, I am busier than ever, even though I am on the radio only once a week. This week, for instance, and among other things, I will be conducting a class at Harriet Lembeck's wine studio on E. 29th St. and Third Ave. The subject is the history of drinking in New York, and to that end I will be mixing Manhattans and we will be tasting some of my favorite New York State wines. No joke. We have great wine in New York. Harriet is the premiere wine educator in our parts, and I am thrilled to be doing this with her in the historic building that houses her school – how fitting. We will all learn something from her as well: She's promised to give the entire low-down on rye whisky, which is the original main ingredient in a Manhattan. The class, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday evening, is given through the New School, and we still have a few spaces left. To reserve, call the New School office at (212) 255-4141. Naturally, I will bring copies of my book for purchase and signing. We'll also have some New York City foods to keep us sober. There goes the diet again.
Speaking of which, back at the ranch, which is to say my kitchen, home office, and now radio studio (actually the kitchen table) in Brooklyn, I have been trying to eat sensibly, but going out keeps getting in the way. Last Wednesday night I was a judge at a chocolate dessert contest and tasting at the Highlawn Pavilion in West Orange, New Jersey. The event benefited the Anita Kaufman Foundation, which aims to educate the public about epilepsy. The winner of the contest was Audrey Cohen's Chocolate Babka. I have what I think is a fabulous Chocolate Babka recipe in Arthur Schwartz's New York City Foodbut Audrey's is quite different, and absolutely fabulous. I'll tell you how fabulous: It was the only chocolate dessert out of 20 we judgted that we had put aside for the judges to take home. Did I say I was trying to diet when home? Oy vay!
Audrey Cohen's
Chocolate Babka
Makes 2 loaves
3 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
3 eggs, separated
½ pound butter (2 sticks)
1 package dry yeast
3 heaping tablespoons plus 1 level tablespoon granulated sugar
½ cup whole milk
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1½ cups Nestle semi-sweet chocolate bits
1 cup walnuts (optional)
Additional cinnamon, for sprinkling (optional)
Place the flour, salt, and 3 heaping tablespoons of sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse to blend.
Heat the milk to 120 degrees (Audrey does use a thermometer) and stir in 1 level tablespoon sugar and the yeast. Allow to stand 7 minutes, until bubbly.
Cut the butter into tablespoon-sized pieces and add to the flour mixture in the food processor. Pulse until crumbly.
Add the egg yolks and milk mixture and pulse until a ball is formed. Remove the dough and place in a bowl. Cover with a towel and refrigerate overnight.
Grease two 9- by 5-inch loaf pans.
Flour a wooden pastry board and rolling pin.
Divide the dough in half.
One half at a time, knead the dough and form into a circle. Roll the dough out, forming two 22-inch by 18-inch rectangles.
In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the1/2 cup of sugar and the cinnamon. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
Spread the dough with half the egg whites. Sprinkle evenly with half the chocolate, the walnuts, and then sprinkle lightly with more cinnamon, if desired. Turn in the outer edges of the dough rectangles and roll them up jellyroll-style. Cut each roll into 8 sections. Place the cut sections in a loaf pan, packing them next to each other with the cuts sides down and up. Cover with a towel and allow to rise at room temperature for 2 hours. The dough should come up higher than the sides of the pan.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bake the loaves for 35 to 40 minutes, until light brown. Cool the babkas in the pans for about 5 minutes, then invert them onto serving plates. Serve with the bottom side – the better-looking side – up.
