Lilies of the Kitchen

Text and Photos

By:

Füsun Atalay ~ Copyright 2004

"Onions may be among the vegetables that will be prized not only for their addition to our cuisine, but for their value-added health characteristics."

~ Irwin Goldman, Associate Professor of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison ~

Can anyone picture a kitchen without the distinctively pungent aroma and taste of onions complementing the flavours of almost every international cuisine imaginable? They may bring a tear to your eye, and a pungency to your breath, but onions will almost invariably delight your tastebuds in whatever form they appear.

Christopher Columbus is the one to be credited with bringing onions to the West Indies, and from there, their cultivation spread throughout the Western Hemisphere. Today China, India, the United States, Russia, and Spain are among the leading producers of onions. Yellow storage onions are available throughout the year, but sweet varieties have a much more limited growing season and are available only a few months out of the year.

The word onion comes from the Latin word unio for "single," or "one," because unlike its cousin, the garlic, that produces many small bulbs, the onion plant produces a single bulb. The name also describes the union (also from unio) of the many separate, concentrically arranged layers of the onion.

Onion is a member of the Lily Family of which here are about 4000 species including edible plants such as asparagus, onions, garlic, leeks, and chives. Low in calories yet abundant in flavour, onions are sodium, fat, and cholesterol free; and they provide dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, and other key nutrients.

Onions have been around for a long time. Translation of Babylonian cuneiform tablets at Yale University Library reveal recipes using onions, leek and garlic. Cooks over much of the world would be lost without the onion because onions are one of the most versatile vegetables. They are eaten raw in salads, are cooked or pickled in a variety of ways, and are used as a flavouring or seasoning.

Dehydrated onion products provide popular flavourings for soups and stews.
Higher intakes of fruits and vegetables have, for quite a while, been associated with a variety of health benefits. Research shows that onions may help guard against many chronic diseases because they contain generous amounts of a flavonoid called quercetin as well as a variety of other naturally occurring chemicals known as organosulfur compounds which have been linked to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

In addition to quercetin, onions contain the phytochemicals known as disulfides, trisulfides, cepaene, and vinyl dithiins. These compounds have a variety of health-functional properties, including anticancer and antimicrobial activities.

Onions produce the chemical irritant known as syn-propanethial-S-oxide which stimulates the eyes' lachrymal glands so they release tears. Scientists used to blame the enzyme allinase for the instability of substances in a cut onion. Recent studies from Japan, however, proved that lachrymatory-factor synthase, (a previously undiscovered enzyme) is the culprit for the inexplicable tears.

Onions range in size, color and taste depending upon their variety. There are generally two types of large, globe-shaped onions classified as spring/summer or storage onions. Spring/summer onions include Vidalia and Maui Sweet onion that are grown in warm weather climates and have characteristic mild or sweet taste.

Storage onions are grown in colder weather climates and, after harvesting, are dried out for a period of several months. Generally they have a more pungent flavor and they are named by their color: white, yellow or red. In addition to these onions, there are smaller varieties such as the green onion (scallion) and the pearl onion.
------
Maple Baked Onions
6 large sweet onions, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup butter or margarine

Layer onions in a flat greased baking dish.
Combine syrup and butter; pour over onions.
Bake, uncovered, at 425F for approximately 45 minutes or till tender.

Serve with meat, poultry, rice or potatoes.
-----------
Vichyssoise (Leek and PotatoSoup)
6 leeks
2 medium-sized onions
1/2 cup butter

8 litres chicken broth

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup half and half

1/4 cup chopped chives

Clean leeks and peel the onions. Chop leeks and onions and saute lightly in butter, watching that they don't brown. Add chicken broth and potatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook slowly until potatoes are soft. Press through a sieve or blend in a blender. Add cream. Chill in the refrigerator. Serve with a sprinkling of finely chopped chives. Serves 6.
---------------
French Onion Soup
750 g sweet yellow onions
250 g small red onion
4 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 15-ounce cans beef broth

Peel and slice onions; separate onions into rings. In a large Dutch oven, saute onions in butter over low heat until caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add honey, Worcestershire sauce and sprinkle in flour and pepper. Stir and cook for 1 minute over medium heat. Stir in beef broth. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve on toasted French bread in bottom of soup bowl. Reheat soup and ladle over bread. Top with grated Jarlsberg, Gruyere, or Swiss cheese. Place under preheated broiler until cheese melts.
---------------
Onion Pie
3 cups sliced onions
2 Tablespoons butter
1 pound cottage cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 - 9 inch pie crust
salt
pepper
cayenne

Saute onions in butter until soft. Blend cottage cheese with cream and season to taste.
Pour into pie shell. Spread onions over cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
-------
Sweet Onion Relish
3 cups finely chopped Vidalia Onions
1/2 teaspoon oregano, crushed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 Tablespoon water
1/2 cup tomato sauce
3 Tablespoon ketchup
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

In 2 quart pan combine onions and water. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Add tomato sauce, ketchup, sugar, oregano, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Simmer 20 minutes or until onions are just tender. Serve hot or cold with meats, great with hot dogs or burgers. Stores in the refrigerator up to two weeks.
~~~~~~~~~~

Copyrighted Material ~ Copyright © 2006 ~ All Rights belong to Füsun Atalay

Condiments of the Season

Text and Photos by : Füsun Atalay ~ Copyright © 2005

Pickling is defined by most culinary sources as one of the oldest methods of preserving vegetables, as well as some kinds of fish, in salt and/or vinegar to provide a bacteria-free environment that prevents spoiling.

Yet to many of us who love colourful jams and savoury pickles, the art of preserving food seems like a highly demanding culinary alchemy.

I fondly remember my mother and grandmother turning fruits picked at their perfection, or seasonal vegetables, into shimmering preserves and mouth-watering pickles and chutneys.

Although I have not been diligent to follow in their footsteps, I’ve come to realize over the years that preserving or pickling doesn’t have to be intimidating if one follows a few steps and pays attention to some important points.

With that in mind, I recently started taking baby steps towards making my own pickles and preserves.

Once I decided to try my hand at pickling, I thought I should keep a journal to record what worked and what did not, in order to chart a few rules for success.

The most important rule for me, (needless to say, after a few trials and errors) is to follow a recipe exactly, without altering the types and amounts of salt or vinegar.

Then, just as important as the first rule, is the next step, which is starting with crisp, blemish-free produce. To ensure freshness, use the vegetables within 24 hours after washing them under lots of cold, running water.

There is a difference between pickling salt and table salt — the latter contains iodine which can darken pickles. Anti-caking agents in table salt can cause cloudiness in your brine. Therefore, do not compromise and use one for the other.

Use only soft water because it has low levels of minerals and chlorine. Hard water is high in mineral levels and therefore can lower brine acidity, jeopardizing food safety.

That explains why Mom used to boil water for 15 minutes, then allowed it to stand covered until next day. She would remove any surface scum that formed and ladled the water from the pot without agitating the sediment settled at the bottom. It was just something that one did when one made pickles — no questions.

But I feel knowing the reason for doing things helps to understand the chemistry of ingredients. The boiling process kills some of the minerals, and consequently softens hard water.

My mother used commercial white vinegar with at least five per cent acidity, or "pickling vinegar" (7 per cent acidity), over malt or cider vinegars which had their use for salads only. She said salad vinegars darkened light-coloured vegetables such as cauliflower or celery.

When it comes to spices, it’s best to use fresh, whole, crushed or ground spices, because powdered spices can turn the pickling liquid dark and murky. Pickling spices are available at the supermarket, but we always made our own by combining black peppercorns, fennel seeds, celery seeds, dill seeds, bay leaves, chili peppers, yellow mustard seeds, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and coriander seeds in a small bag made of cheesecloth.

Finally, use heat-proof glass, stainless steel or hard-anodized aluminum pots and pans. We preserved our pickles in glass or ceramic bowls until they were ready to serve.

Cooked Antepasto
An old family recipe, it is as easy as it is delicious. Start with the freshest vegetables you can find.

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced carrots
250 g fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 large green pepper, chunked
1 large red pepper, chunked
1/2 cauliflower head broken into small florets
375 ml jar pickled onions, drained
1 cup white wine
1 cup vinegar
1 small can tomato paste
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 bay leaf
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 - 170-g cans white chunk tuna, drained
1/2 cup dill pickles, sliced and drained
3/4 cup pimento stuffed olives, drained

Heat oil in pan and saute celery, carrots mushrooms, peppers, pickled onions and cauliflower. Cover and cook with lid on for 5 minutes.

Add the white wine vinegar, tomato paste, bay leaf, garlic and brown sugar. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes to allow some liquid to evaporate.

Stir in tuna, dill pickles and olives. Cover and cook 10 minutes more. Remove bay leaf, cool. Spoon into sterilized jars, cover and store in the refrigerator.

Pickled Crunchy Vegetables

All or any combination of:
small cauliflower broken into florets
carrots, sliced diagonally
celery stalks sliced diagonally into 3 cm pieces
celery leaves
fresh green beans
snow peas
large red pepper cut into 2 cm strips
Along with
garlic cloves, peeled
Kosher salt
white vinegar
pickling spices
water

Boil 12 cups of water and allow to cool to lukewarm. Wash and prepare vegetables. Place them tightly into prepared jars. You can use Mason jars or sterilized old pickle jars, as I do.

For each cup of water add:
1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
4 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. pickling spice

Stir and pour into vegetable packed jars.
Cover jars with plastic wrap. Place covers on and leave upside down at room temperature overnight. Next day, place jars in the refrigerator and keep refrigerated for 10 days before serving. Store in the fridge.

Pickled Salmon Chili
This appetizer or first-course recipe comes from my dear friend, Phyllis Levitt

5 lb. Atlantic salmon, cut into 4-oz. portions
4 cups boiled water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper corns
2 cups white vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. pickling spices
5 bay leaves
1 10-oz. bottle Heinz chili sauce
1 Spanish onion, sliced thickly

In a large pot, place hot water, vinegar, salt, pepper corns, bay leaves, oil, spices and chili sauce and bring to a boil. Lower heat, gently place a few portions of salmon. Steam portions, turning once until they are opaque but still raw inside.

Remove salmon portions carefully and place in a large glass or ceramic dish to cool. Add sliced onions between layers of salmon and on the top. Pour sauce over the layers, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 3-5 days before serving, basting once a day. When ready to serve, strain sauce to remove most of the spices.

This will keep a long time in the refrigerator — if it lasts.

Copyrighted Material ~ Copyright © 2005 All Rights belong to Füsun Atalay

World on a Plate

Text and Photography

by

Füsun Atalay © 2004

Culinary enthusiasts could easily munch their way from one county to another, as they create tantalizing menus named after places!

If you think of geographical locations which have lent their names to foods, you can easily make a whole meal out of places. How about starting with a steaming Manhattan clam chowder followed by a smoked Turkey and Cheddar Sandwich with Dijon? Skip the mayo; it has too much Greece.

A cup of Java with just a Cuba sugar served in fine China would wash it down. After a baked Alaska with a glass of Champagne, you can ask the waiter for the Czech; Taiwan on for the road, and then go on your merry way.

Many dishes are named after places - everything from Lancashire Hotpot (a casserole of meat and vegetables topped with sliced potatoes) and Dundee Cake (a rich fruit cake) to Anglesey eggs (a dish of leeks, mashed potatoes, hard-boiled eggs and cheese sauce), baked Ulster ham, and Bath buns (a sweet bun containing spices and dried fruit, originally made in Bath, western England). And did you know that HP sauce is thus known as it was created by the chef at the House of Parliament?

Boston cream pie
Boston Cream Pie consists of layer of fluffy, rum-laced custard sandwiched between a moist, light sponge cake topped with chocolate sauce. It is more like a cake than a pie. What is known about its origin is that someone, most likely from Bosto wanted to replace the pie crust as the standard foundation for a creamy filling, and baked a cake batter in a pie pan, creating a totally new and instantly popular dessert.

Cornish pasties
Cornwall in south-west England is famous for its Cornish Pasties - a pastry case filled with meat, potatoes and vegetables, which was the traditional midday meal of workers in the region. The compactness of the pastie, resembling the Italian calzone with its various fillings, made it a harty and convenient item for the lunchbox.

Bakewell tart
The town of Bakewell in Derbyshire, England, has a rich pastry tart named after it. The Bakewell pudding ( the British call all dessertsincluding cakes and pies 'pudding' ) or Bakewell tart was said to have been created by accident. When a cook forgot to put jam over the custard filling of a pudding, she spread it straight onto the pastry case and poured the custard on top. Thus a new dish was born!

Welsh cakes
Welsh cakes, a kind of sweet cake cooked on a griddle, were originally served to hungry travellers when they arrived at an inn for the night while they waited for their supper to be cooked. The dough is rolled and cut into shapes which then are cooked on both sides on a hot griddle.

Frankfurters were named after Frankfurt, Germany, where these sausages were first made in the Middle Ages, as experts believe . About 1900, an American vendor selling cooked hotdogs called them "hot dachshuns" and since then, because of the sausage's resemblence to the long-bodied dog, the nomeclature 'hot dog' came to be used.

Baked Alaska
The name Baked Alaska originated at Delmonico's Restaurant in New York City in 1876, and was created in honor of the newly acquired territory of Alaska. Supposedly, it was later popularized worldwide in 1895 by chef Jean Giroix of the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo.

Also known as the Norvegian omelette, Baked Alaska consists of hard ice cream on a base of sponge cake. It is then covered with uncooked meringue and kept in the freezer until serving time, when it is placed under a broiler just long enough to brown the meringue. The combination of the ice cream and the broiled sweet meringue create a wonderful sensation on the palate and combine the two opposites of ice and fire in this showy dessert.

The gastronomical delights, named after places go on and on. Here I have covered a few. And for the last selection, I'll let William Makepeace Thackery describe in his own words the nature of Bouillabaisse.

" A Street there is in Paris famous,
For which no rhyme our language yields,
Rue Neuve de petits Champs its name is-
The New Street of the Little Fields;
And there's an inn, not rich and splendid,
But still in comfortable case--
The which in youth I oft attended,
To eat a bowl of Bouillabaisse.
This Bouillabaisse a noble dish is--
A sort of soup, or broth, or brew,
Or hotchpotch of all sorts of fishes,
That Greenwich never could outdo;
Green herbs, red peppers, muscles, saffern,
Soles, onions, garlic, roach, and dace;
All these you eat at Terre's tavern,
In that one dish of Bouillabaisse. "
~ excerpt from The Ballad Of Bouillabaisse ~

Easy Baked Alaska
8 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 quarts vanilla ice cream, softened
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
1 cup white sugar

Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round mixing bowl with foil. Spread ice cream in the bowl, packing it firmly. Cover and freeze for 8 hours or until it is firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8x8 inch round cake pan.

Prepare cake mix with egg and almond extract. Pour into the prepared cake pan.

Bake in the preheated oven according to package instructions, until the centre of cake springs back when it is lightly touched.

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar, salt and sugar until stiff peaks form.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place cake in the centre. Turn frozen moulded ice cream out onto the cake.

Quickly spread meringue over the cake and ice cream, all the way to the bottom to seal the ice cream. Return to the freezer 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Bake the Alaska on the lowest shelf, 8 to 10 minutes, or until meringue is lightly browned. Serve at once.

Boston Cream Pie
Eggs contribute to the airiness of this sponge cake. Therefore, it's essential that the eggs be room temperature in order to whip to their best volume.

Milk Sponge Cake
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons unflavored vegetable oil
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 egg yolk, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
powdered sugar for decoration

Adjust rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment or waxed paper; do not grease. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl add the the milk and oil; do not be concerned that they do not blend together.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, yolk and sugar to combine. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, whip the egg mixture until it is light ivory in color and very fluffy, about 6 minutes.

Add the vanilla toward the end of whipping. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture in two additions. Pour the milk mixture down the side of the mixing bowl. (It will sink to the bottom of the bowl under the batter.)

Gently fold until the milk mixture is thoroughly incorporated. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until the cake is golden on top and it springs back when lightly pressed in the center. Remove pan from oven to a wire rack until cool.

Boston Cream Filling
Only half of this rich, thick pastry cream, lightened with whipped cream is needed for the dessert. Enjoy the remaining filling with fresh fruit.

1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar, divided
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon each dark rum and vanilla
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped

In a small bowl whisk to combine the egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar, then the flour. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and 1/4 cup sugar and heat just until it comes to a boil. Remove, and pour half of the hot liquid over the yolk mixutre, stirring to combine.

Pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan, and bring it to a boil again, stirring constantly. When it is thick and smooth, remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture into a large bowl to cool. Cover surface with plastic and refrigerate. When ready to assemble the dessert, stir in the rum and vanilla until smooth, then fold in the whipped cream.

Chocolate Sauce
This is the creamiest chocolate sauce you'll ever taste -- and there's no cream in the recipe.
1/2 cup each water and light corn syrup
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

In a small saucepan over low heat, bring the water and corn syrup just to the boil. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and stir constantly until the chocolate melts and the sauce is smooth and glossy. For best results, reheat in a double boiler.

To assemble the dessert, split the cake into two layers. Spread half the filling evenly over the bottom cake layer. Center the other layer on top. Place the cake on a serving plate, cover with plastic and refrigerate.

Before serving, sprinkle top of cake with powdered sugar. Spoon warm chocolate sauce onto individual plates.

Using a serrated knife, slice dessert into "pie-shaped" wedges and center each portion on the sauce. Yield: 8 servings

Copyrighted Material ~ Copyright © 2004 All Rights belong to Füsun Atalay

The Anatomy of Food

Text and Photography

by

Füsun Atalay © 2004

As long as food has been a fascination with mankind, so has been the search for creative, humorous and often unusual nomenclature for concoctions to please or tease their palate.

Anyone who has read Macbeth will remember, with a good measure of trepidation, the scene of the three wicked witches circling the cauldron chanting spells and adding bizarre ingredients to their stew—

"eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog."

Fortunately, we don't consume such unappetizing items; however, even among the delightful menus of the world, there are a good number of food names which may cause a few seconds of apprehension and curiosity before trying them.

Names of foods we take for granted as part of food culture travel long and far, bearing names of people, places, and even parts of the anatomy- be it man or beast. Many of us can easily come up with elbow macaroni, angel hair pasta, buffalo wings or damper dogs as a case in point. Yet there are other gastronomical entities out there which may be less well known by name, appearance or taste.

Let’s start with four evangelists: onions, celery, carrots, and parsley. They are the very foundation for cooking food with the best flavour, and as this foursome cook together in a finely diced assembly, they lose their individuality to take on a single flavour essence. When that is achieved, the dish is said to be in harmony.

Similarly spiritual harmony of being at one with the universe and the creator of such a universe was the inspiration for what, ironically in modern times, has become associated with beer and partying rather than praying. Pretzels were first made by monks in Southern Europe as a reward for students who learned their prayers. The crossed ends of the pretzel represent praying hands crossed over the chest.

People throughout history have also expressed their spiritual devotion, religious beliefs and appreciation of good food by celebrations and feasts. How many of us, for example, are familiar with red-eye gravy, fish eye pudding, nuns’ tummies, ladies’ thighs or Santa Lucia’s eyes ?

Saint Lucia was an Italian Christian who lived in Sicily in the 4th century. She was a very kind person. There was a man who loved her very much but she didn't like him. What this man loved most about Saint Lucia were her eyes; so she gave him her eyes. Then a miracle happened and she grew back her eyes which were even more beautiful then ever. The man asked for those eyes too, but she refused to give them so he killed her with a knife into her heart.

Thus the name Occhi di Santa Lucia (Eyes of St. Lucy) was given to fried cookies made on December 13 every year to celebrate her life and kindness.

According to legend and not necessarily facts, the 7th President of the United States, Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), who was an American General at the time, called his cook over to tell him what to prepare for that evening’s meal.

The cook had been drinking moonshine whiskey the previous night, so his eyes were blood-shot red. General Jackson told the cook to bring him some country ham with gravy as red as his eyes. Nearby, some men heard the general and from then on, ham gravy became red eye gravy.

Hushpuppies, also know as corn dodgers, are very popular throughout the Southern United States. These finger-shaped dumplings of cornmeal are deep-fried and served with fried catfish.

Among the many interesting stories, the oldest one attributes its origin to a group of Ursuline nuns from France who had settled in what was called New Orleans shortly after 1727. The nuns called their concoction croquettes de maize.

One of the stories for naming these corn fingers, hush puppies goes to the confederate soldiers. While they were preparing their meals beside a campfire, if they detected Yankee soldiers approaching, they would toss their yapping dogs some of the fried cornmeal cakes with the command "Hush, puppies!"

Another culinary delight, ladyfingers, seem to have earned their name by their shape and delicacy reminiscent of a gentlewoman's fingers - These oval-shaped cookies or cakes are also known around the world as Boudoir biscuits, sponge biscuits, sponge fingers, Naples biscuits, Savoy biscuits and interestingly langue de chat (cat’s tongue).

The cuisines of the world seem to have taken a particular interest in naming certain delicacies after female the anatomy. Another example of this practice shows itself in a naughty name given to a pastry in Southern Italy. Zinne de monaco (nun’s thighs) are round cakes topped with a white icing and a cherry in the middle.

Another sweet named after nuns, nuns’ tummies, originates in Portugal. However, these sweet egg puddings may be named not so much because of their appearance but rather because of the appearance of the person who may end up like a fat nun after eating too many of these tasty treats.

Kadin budu köftesi which translates as ladies' thighs meatballs, hails from Turkey. In this case, the dish is named so because of its delicate texture and delectable taste which result from the right combination of herbs and seasonings. Perhaps the smooth, oval shapes of the meatballs also contribute in conjuring up the image suggested by the name.

Bear paw bread is an impressive looking Pueblan bread. Crusty, delicious and easy to make it is named after what it looks like: the paw of a bear. Its origins is known to be in the Rio Grande area of New Mexico.

Last but not least are the unusual to look at but delicious to eat ossi dei morti (bones of the dead), so named because they are dry and brittle like old bones. Italians bake these unusual sweets every year on All Souls' Day in November in remembrance of their dead relatives .

So, whether it is ladies' fingers, nuns' tummies, St. Lucy's eyes, Pope's nose or bones of the dead you're eating, if you stop for a second and think of its origins, you may smile with delight and nostalgia, or chuckle with the humour and appreciation that go into the name.
---------
Occhi di Santa Lucia (St. Lucy's Eyes) ~ Makes approximately 60

~ Source: Mary Ann Esposito, PBS Ciao Italia

4 2/3 to 5 cups all-purpose lour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

In a bowl, mix together 4 cups of the flour, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Stir the mixture into the flour mixture, adding enough additional flour to make a soft ball of dough.

On a floured surface, knead the dough until smooth and no longer sticky. Divide the dough in half. Roll out each piece into a rectangle about 15 by 12 inches. Sprinkle each rectangle evenly with half of the remaining sugar and roll up tightly like a jelly roll. Cut the rolls into ½-inch-thick slices.

In a deep-fryer or deep heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil to 375ºF. Fry the cookies, a few at a time, until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to brown paper to drain. Sprinkle the cookies with confectioners' sugar and serve.

Fish Eye Pudding

Source: Marcia Adams
1 cup large pearl tapioca (not instant)
4 cups of water
3 cups brown sugar
pinch salt

Soak tapioca in water overnight in a large crock pot container. Next morning, add brown sugar and pinch of salt. Cover and cook on low setting for 12 hours.
Before serving, add:
1.5 tsp vanilla
1 cup walnuts

Stir, turn into bowl, and cover top with whipped cream. The large pearls of tapioca are the "fish eyes".

Bear Paw Bread

This recipe can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to three months.
1 cup hot water
1 teaspoon solid vegetable shortening, butter, or margarine
1 teaspoon honey
pinch of salt
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
5 cups all purpose flour

Place the hot water, shortening, honey, and salt in a large bowl; stir to melt shortening.

Dissolve yeast in the warm water in a small bowl. When liquid in the large bowl has cooled to room temperature, stir in the yeast mixture. Add flour 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. After 4 cups have been added to the dough, place the remaining 1 cup on a board and turn out dough over flour. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, 10 to 15 minutes.

Place dough in a lightly greased very large bowl, turning to grease top of dough. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise about 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk. Turn out on a floured board and knead again for about 3 minutes.

Grease 2 (9-inch) pie pans or 2 baking sheets. Divide dough in half and form each piece into a flat circle about 8 inches in diameter. Fold each circle almost in half, allowing the bottom to extend about an inch beyond the top. With a sharp knife, slash the dough twice, cutting through both layers of dough, about halfway back to the fold. This will form three separated sections - the bear's paw. Place each loaf in a greased pie plate, or on a baking sheet, curving the folded side in a crescent shape. Separate the slashes. cover loosely with a towel and let rise until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place a shallow pan of hot water in the center of bottom rack of the oven. Place loaves on the top rack. Bake about 1 hour, or until lightly browned and bread sounds hollow when tapped. ~ Makes 2 loaves.

Copyrighted Material ~ Copyright © 2004 All Rights belong to Füsun Atalay

Names in the Baking

Text and Photography

by

Füsun Atalay © 2004

From Graham Crackers and Garibaldi Biscuits, to Beef Wellington and Reuben Sandwiches, many of the foods we see in respectable restaurant menus or try in our own kitchens are named after people who are credited by either inspiring, or creating them.



As history shows, some of the gastronomic creations that conquer our tastes as well as our fancy are results of either pure coincidence or sheer luck. Often times, what we have come to taste and love is the outcome of an error, forgetfulness or outright dare peppered with a sense of culinary adventure. Yet, whatever the origin and whoever the person that created gastronomic history, these foods have managed to captivate our senses and immortalized their creators by honouring them in the most respected manner.

For instance, fettuccine, a type of flat, thick noodle and Alfredo sauce are a pair of inseparable twins. Although earlier semblances of this sauce existed in Italy for many years, the version created in 1920's by the restaurant owner Alfredo di Lello became very popular. Many celebrities were attracted to Alfredo's restaurant. Among these were Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks who were honeymooning in Rome, and fell in love with Fettuccine Alfredo. When they returned to their native US, they asked for the same recipe and thus popularized it in the new world.

A basic white sauce used as the base for other sauces, the Bechamel Sauce was named to flatter Louis de Bechamel, marquis de Nointel (1603-1703) and a courtier to King Louis XIV. Made with butter, flour and milk, Bechamel can change into Mornay to accompany fish, or cheese sauce to enhance many vegetables dishes.

Considered to be the king of salads, Caesar Salad was created not by a Roman king, but by a restauranteur and chef named Caesar Cardini in Tijuana, Mexico. Today, almost eight decades after its creation, it is served in many restaurants and homes as a traditional salad. The original version of Caesar salad did not have anchovies as an actual ingredient. They came from the Worchestershire sauce that chef Cardini added to what he had in his kitchen to offer to the Prince of Whales who was stuck in Tijuana due to weather.


Another popular dish and comfort food by many is the Chicken Tetrazzini. Made with egg noodles, mushrooms and cubed chicken pieces in a cream sauce topped with cheese, it was named after the Italian soprano Luisa Tetrazzini who lived from 1871 to 1940.


Could anyone have guessed that Melba Toast a crisp, dry and thinly sliced toast served with soups or salads or topped with various toppings, was named after Dame Nellie Melba, which was the stage name for Helen Porter Mitchell? It is believed that the toast dates back to 1897 when the singer was very ill and this type of toast became the main staple of her diet.


Another food created by the renowned French chef Auguste Escoffier in honour of Dame Melba is the Peach Melba, a dessert made with vanilla ice cream, peaches and a sauce raspberry sauce.

In the late 1800's Escoffier created this luscious dessert for the popular Australian opera singer. It's made with two peach halves that have been poached in syrup and cooled. Each peach half is placed hollow side down on top of a scoop of vanilla ice cream, then topped with Melba sauce made with raspberries, redcurrant jelly, sugar and cornstarch and sometimes crowned with whipped cream and sliced almonds.

Dame Melba was not the only inspirer of heavenly desserts. Pavlova, a light and fluffy meringue dessert was named after the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova. The sweetened meringue is baked at a very low heat for a long time, not to brown but to dry out and become very crsipy before it becomes an edible vessel for whipeed cream and fruit. Although it is named after the famous Russian ballerina, the originator of the dessert is not known for sure because of the great rivalry between Australians and New Zealanders who both claim that the recipe was born in their countries.

Not all famous dishes were born to a life of established glory. Some, like Sacher Torte, came to being under stress. Recognizable by the name of its creator written on a rich chocolate ganache cover, the famous torte is the creation of Franz Sacher (1816-1907) who, in his second year of baker's apprenticeship concocted this chocolate cake for the Lord of Metternich, because the latter commanded, "For ye shall not bring shame on me tonight !"

In talking about foods inspired by eclectic characters, who can leave out the 1700 century

English nobleman who ordered his servant to bring him two slices of bread with a piece of roast meat between them, so that he would not have to disrupt his card came? And the result? You guessed it. Today, we have the Earl of Sandwich to thank for this ingenious creation which fills millions of lunchbags.


Last but not least, Tarte Tatin, a product of serendipity, is an upside down apple tart with a layer of caramelized sugar which distinguishes it from other types of upside down pastries. The result of an almost cooking disaster, this tarte became a signature dish at the Hotel Tatin, run by the sisters Stephanie and Caroline Tatin, in Lamotte-Beuvron, France. The lasting fame ofthe pastry is attributed to the restauranteur Louis Vaudable who, after tasting the the tart on his visit to Sologne, made this dessert a permanent item in his restaurant, Maxim's of Paris.


As we see, the food origins that provoke the deepest interest are the ones that fascinate our imaginations the most. So next time you order a Ceasar salad with fettuccine Alfredo, and ask if there is a tarte Tatin or peach Melba on the menu, remember the fascinating origins of these dishes and thank, within, to their inspirers or creators who are now part of culinary history.


Pavlova ~ Yield: 12 servings
Source: The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Book of Desserts

Begin 3-1/2 hours before serving or early in day
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
5 kiwi fruit
1-1/2 cups heavy or whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Line the cookie sheet with foil. Using a 9-inch round plate or cake pan as guide, with a tooth pick, outline a circle on foil on cookie sheet.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. In a small bowl, with an electric mixer at high speed, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form. Beating at high speed, gradually sprinkle in sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition until sugar completely dissolves and whites stand in stiff, glossy peaks.

Inside circle on cookie sheet, spoon meringue mixture, shaping meringue into a nest about 1-1/2 inches high around edge. Bake 1-1/4 hours or until the meringue is lightly browned and crisp.

Cool meringue on the cookie sheet on wire rack 10 minutes. With a metal spatula, carefully loosen and remove meringue from foil to wire a rack to cool completely. When meringue is cool, place on serving plate.

With sharp knife, peel off skin and thinly slice kiwi fruit.

In a small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat heavy or whipping cream and almond extract until stiff peaks form.

To Serve: Spoon two-thirds of cream into meringue; reserve a few kiwi fruit slices; arrange remainder on cream. Top with remaining cream and reserved kiwi fruit.

Copyrighted Material ~ Copyright © 2004 All Rights belong to Füsun Atalay

Tantalizing Tapas

Story and Photos

by:

Füsun Atalay Copyright © 2004

Called by any other name, such as the French “hors d’oeuvres,” Chinese “dim sum” or Turkish “meze,” tapas are small portions of food served as appetizers in a social setting.

Spaniards go to bars to join friends, converse, argue, joke and flirt. Tapas keep them going, but they are rarely eaten in place of a main meal.

“Tapa” finds its origin in the verb “tapar” which means “to cover.” The first tapa, as the story goes, was a thin slice of ham served on top of a sherry glass, intended to keep the flies out. Once barkeepers discovered that the saltiness of the ham spurred beverage sales, a tradition was born and tapas, served in bars and cafes throughout the country, became an integral part of the Spanish lifestyle.

Today, every glass of sherry bought in a local bar comes covered by a “tapa,” the Spanish word for “lid.”

It could be anything from a slice of bread topped with ham, cheese or tomatoes to a small dish of tapenade with a piece of bruschetta.

Tapas come in cold and hot varieties. The cold dishes on the tapa bar are comprised of various exotic salads such as Salpicon with chopped tomatoes, onions, peppers, shrimp and other shellfish. Remion is a salad of oranges, codfish, onions and olives which is — strange as it sounds — delicious. Same goes for the roasted pepper salad, ensalada campera, a lemony potato salad and cooked fish roe dressed with olive oil and lemon.

As for the variety of hot tapas, some, such as prawns drizzled with garlic and oil or garlic- grilled pork loin, are cooked to order. Others — like meatballs in almond sauce, kidneys in sherry sauce, sauteed mushrooms and chicken fried with garlic — are dished out of a bubbling stew pot. Beans with ham, spicy snails, crispy fritters or croquettes, and tortilla, a thick round potato omelette, are all part of the endless variety of tapas.

Even though you’re thousands of kilometres away from Spain, you can create some of the sunny Spanish flavours in your own kitchen.

For a light summer fare or for great parties, tapas will show off your culinary talents. Here are a few recipes to get you started.

Spicy Almonds

1 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 cups whole almonds in their skins

Preheat oven to 350 F. Toss almonds with the egg white and the rest of the ingredients. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast almonds until golden brown and aromatic, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool before serving. Serves 4-6.

Fried Calamari

Sea salt

150 g prepared calamari, cut into rings
2 Tbsp. flour seasoned with salt and pepper
1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk
olive oil, for frying
lemon wedges

Dredge the calamari rings with the seasoned flour in a bowl. Whisk the egg and milk together in a shallow bowl. Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan.

Tip out the floured calamari rings one at a time into the egg mixture, shaking off any excess liquid. Fry in the hot oil, in batches if necessary, for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden.

Pat excess oil from the fried calamari with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and transfer to a warm plate. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4.

Spanish-style Bruschetta

12 slices of Italian or French bread
1 large clove garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ripe tomato cut in half
Salt and pepper to taste

Rub the bread with the whole clove of garlic to lightly flavour the bread.

Brush the bread with olive oil and place in a 325 F oven for 5 minutes or until toasted.

Remove from the oven and then immediately rub the bread with the inside flesh of the tomato in order to make the toasted bread moist with the fresh ripe tomato juices.

Carrots Seasoned with Herbs ~ Serves 8 to 10 as part of a selection of :
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp. ground coriander
3/4 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
3-4 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil, for the dressing, plus 2 tablespoons for carrots
1 kg long, tender young carrots cut diagonally into 2-cm thick slices
1/4 cup water (or as needed)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black
pepper
Pinch of sugar
Half of a small bunch flat-leaf
parsley, leaves only, finely chopped

In a mini-food processor or a blender, combine the garlic, oregano, cumin seeds, coriander and pepper flakes.

Add vinegar and grind to a paste. In a thin stream, drizzle in the olive oil and blend until the mixture is emulsified. Set aside while you cook the carrots.

In a medium heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add the water, sugar, salt and pepper; cover the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, for about 5 more minutes, or until the carrots are just tender but not mushy. Add a little more water to the pan if necessary.

Transfer the carrots to a serving bowl with a slotted spoon and immediately add the herb dressing. Toss together and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Leave the carrots to marinate for 2 to 3 hours, and when ready to serve, stir in the parsley. Serve at room temperature on small plates.

Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed with Spanish Olive Tapenade ~ Makes 8 to 10 servings
Source: Gourmet Magazine

For the tapenade:
1/2 cup Spanish olives with pimento
1 1/2 tsp. drained capers
1 tsp. brandy, preferably a Spanish Solera Gran Reserva
1/4 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
32 small cherry tomatoes
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Make the tapenade: in a food processor, pulse the olives until they are chopped roughly. Add the remaining tapenade ingredients and pulse until olives are minced.

With a sharp knife, slice and discard the stem end and the bottom from each tomato. Using a 1/4 teaspoon, remove the juice and seeds from each tomato half, leaving the outside shell intact.

Spoon a generous 1/4 teaspoon of the tapenade into each shell and garnish with the parsley.

Potato and Onion Tortilla ~ Serves 4 to 6
3/4 cup olive oil
5 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 onions, finely diced
6 eggs, lightly beaten in a large bowl
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the onions until soft. Add potatoes and cook over medium-heat about 10 minutes or until almost tender. Break up the potatoes slightly with a spatula.

Transfer the potatoes and onions to the bowl with the eggs. Stir the potatoes around to cover well with the egg, and season with salt and pepper.

Drain all of the oil from the pan except for 1 tablespoon. Add the egg mixture to the pan; reduce the heat to low and cook the omelet slowly until golden and firm enough to flip. Carefully flip the omelet, slipping it onto another plate if necessary, and cook until the other side is done. It should be about 1-inch thick and still soft inside.

Cut the omelet into squares and serve immediately hot, or let cool to room temperature and serve.

Garlic Shrimp ~ Serves 4.
Source: Casual Cuisines of the World

These shrimp — fragrant with garlic and olive oil — are brought to the table sizzling in a little metal pan. Have plenty of bread on hand to sop up the delicious pan juices. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

1/4 cup olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 lb, medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. dry sherry
1 tsp. paprika
Chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian
parsley for garnish

In a saute pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute. Raise the heat to high and add the shrimp, lemon juice, sherry and paprika. Stir well, then saute, stirring briskly, until the shrimp turn pink and curl slightly, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle with parsley. Serve hot.

Copyrighted Material ~ Copyright © 2004 ~ All Rights belong to Füsun Atalay

Clean Money

short story inspired by a real life experience
by:
Füsun Atalay © 2000
Dedicated to BILL S

Antonio Giuseppe Franco Delverde was an inconspicuous little man for his long, impressive name. So, he called himself Tony, and the simple sign outside his little shop read Tony the Tailor. His height was at the lower end of the average scale for men, and his weight competed with his height particularly around the waist line. He had dark hair, a small moustache which he kept neatly trimmed, and a nice row of teeth which enhanced his generous smile every time the little bell on the shop door announced a new customer.

Tony was a cheerful man by nature, blessed by a mellifluous voice. He would hum familiar arias or whistle merry tunes as he picked up his needle and thread and set down to his much loved vocation of altering and tailoring garments for men.

He never knew the complete lyrics of anything he sang, but whatever he did sing sounded so joyous that one could listen to him without getting annoyed at the repetition of the limited number of verses he knew. Sometimes Tony even took familiar melodies and made up his own lyrics. To a non-speaker, much of what is uttered in Italian sounds romantic and mirthful anyway. He could be singing, "O, go away and leave me alone, why don’t you?"— but it was unimaginable to think he would when his voice and the impish smile under his toothbrush style moustache suggested very much the opposite.

Tony enjoyed the good reputation he had worked hard to earn. Whenever a young man in town had a career promotion and needed the attire to reflect his new position, he would visit Tony to tailor fashionable suit. Aspiring junior executives could surely pick suits off the racks in the department stores but if they wanted a perfect fit, choice of fabric, unparalleled attention to detail and meticulous workmanship, Tony was their man. He would not dream of compromising his art and his integrity which assured that he would always have faithful patrons, but also that he would never be rich enough to retire to a life of luxury, sailing around the world on a cruise liner.

Of course there were Gino and Carmela to think of as well as his devoted wife Magda, who managed the dry cleaning store. Gino wanted to become an engineer, move out of the small town in which he was born and grew up, and discover life in big cities such as New York or San Francisco. He was keen, industrious like his old man, bright and blessed with a sense of humor and adventure. With the right schooling he would go places Tony himself couldn’t even dream of. His greatest legacy to his son would be to provide him with choices and opportunities only a solid education could ensure.

Carmela, with her Hungarian complexion and Italian passion was the joy of Tony and Magda. Tony was proud that she had inherited her artistic talents from him. She had an instinctive eye for harmony and color coordination as well as a propensity for the whimsical and the unusual. His hopes for her included carving a prominent niche for her in the world of design and fashion. When Magda nudged him to the reality that such endeavors required funds they did not have, Tony would look up and reply as if he were addressing an invisible being.

"You never know, mia cara," he would say. "When there’s a will, there’s a way. The Almighty up there sees how hard we work for the things we want."

Thus Tony continued his dreams of a brilliant futures for his son and daughter and kept on working hard stretching his early mornings into late hours of devoted labor. He counted his blessings for for having a loving wife, good children and a talent that was in enough demand to put bread and butter on the table and afford a roof over their heads with a little left over to save for the future of his loved ones. But just the same, at times when he was overworked and his shoulders ached with the tension of his trade, he could not desist the temptation of daydreaming.

It was always the same dream: Somehow, he’d won the jackpot in the lottery. He’d lock up his little shop, go straight to the florist and buy the most expensive, most beautiful, largest floral arrangement. At this point he’d smile at the thought of disbelief on Magda’s face when he’s show up unannounced in the middle of the day at the Dainty Cleaners , almost lost behind a gigantic bouquet of flowers and foliage. Then they’s both drive home and plan the rest of their life and the future of their children with plenty of financial resources to afford what they wanted.

Tony was in the middle of such a daydream one day when the jingle of the bell over the shop door announced a customer. Tony laid the charcoal gabardine trousers he was hemming on his work table and went to the front to greet the newcomer.

The man who stood on the other side of the counter had not been in his shop before. He was a burly chap in his late twenties or early thirties. He looked straight at Tony with piercing gray eyes and planted a heap of garments on the counter top.

"I want these laundered and pressed. How long will it take?"

"This is a tailor shop," started Tony, "the cleaners is down the street on. . . "but the young man cut him off impatiently.

Look— I’m new in town and I don’t have much time. A tailor shop must at least have pressing?"

"Let’s see," Tony looked like a doctor with his tape measure hanging around his neck like a stethoscope and his half-moon lenses low on his nose. There were two jeans, a pair of brown corduroys and three polyester shirts.

"If you’re in a hurry I can take them to the Dainty Cleaners myself this afternoon and you can collect them here again the day after tomorrow."

"That’s fine," the man replied curtly. "I’ll come for them after four o’clock, Thursday."

"I’ll need your name and phone number," Tony picked up the pencil that he always kept lodged over his right ear.

The young man seemed to be a bit fidgety all of a sudden. "The name is Harvey. Lou Harvey. No phone number yet!"

Have you checked the pockets, Mr Harvey?" Tony looked up, but the man had already vanished in a rush.

Tony shook his head in the manner older people do at the haste and the rudeness that is prevalent among younger people. He tagged each item to deliver them to the cleaners before he could return to the task that was interrupted by the strange customer.

The dry cleaners where Magda worked during the mornings was less than a ten minute walk away. She would be leaving in half an hour, and maybe he could take her out for a cappuccino before she went home to cook supper and he returned to the tailor shop. He locked up the shop door with the sign indicating he’d be back in an hour.

Magda was surprised to see him show up at the cleaners with a pile of clothes on his arm. As she took them from him, he explained the circumstances which brought him there. Whatever the reason, Magda thought it was a nice idea, impromptu as it was, to go for a leisurely coffee at midday with her Tony.

She stuffed the garments in her canvas bag to wash at home. (She had been doing that for the past week and bringing them back for pressing since the industrial washer had been taken out of the cleaning store for major repairs.) Then in the faltering autumn sunshine, the two of them sauntered, arm in arm to Café Ferento for their favorite brew.

She stuffed the garments in her canvas bag to wash at home. (She had been doing that for the past week and bringing them back for pressing since the industrial washer had been taken out of the cleaning store for major repairs.) Then in the faltering autumn sunshine, the two of them sauntered, arm in arm to Café Ferento for their favorite brew.

That evening when Tony closed up shop and went home just in time for their evening meal, Magda seemed to have a strange look about her. She asked him to wait until dinner was over and the two of them had some time alone after Gino and Carmela left to meet their friends at the movies. Now Tony was even more curious about her unusual secrecy.

Finally he was alone with is wife.

"What;’s up Magda? What’s the big secret?" He tried to make light of her serious appearance.

Magda seemed impatient to tell him whatever it was and get it off her chest.

You won’t believe it Tony, but I laundered twenty thousand dollars today !"

"What? Where did you get that kind of money? What d’ya mean you laundered it?" Tony was befuddled.

Magda went on to tell him how she noticed a bulge in one of the pants after it came out of the wash. She had presumed that the pockets were cleared when the garments were brought, so she didn’t check them herself. When she investigated, she found a worn out billfold in the back pocket of the brown corduroys .

She was so surprised at first, she did not know what to do with it. Then she decided to check if the contents were damaged. That’s when she found the folded thousand dollar bills— all twenty of them— in the wallet. There was nothing else- no driver’s licence, credit cards, anything to identify the owner. She had taken out the bills, which were all damp but clean, and laid them out to dry on the floor in their bedroom before placing them back in the wallet.

Tony was puzzled. He couldn’t make any sense of this either. But when he recalled the odd manner in which the man who brought the corduroys behaved, he began feeling uneasy. Who would keep so much money in his pocket and let it go so casually? Either he was hiding it from someone or he was truly absent minded ! Was he aware of missing his cash by now? Did he remember that he might have left them in the cords he gave for washing and pressing?

"The way I see it," started Tony after pondering a little on what he heard, "we have two choices.

One— we can place the money back where it came from and return his clothes to this Lou character on Thursday.."

"What’s the other choice?" Magda looked so sweet when she had that girlish curiosity on her face.

Tony chuckled. "The other is not really a choice, but it is a possibility. If we were not honest, we could keep the money and pretend we knew nothing about it I mean if it was so important how could anyone just leave it in his pocket?"

"Oh, Tony, you can’t mean that!" exclaimed Magda in earnest.

"Of course I don’t mean that, mia cara. I just like teasing you."

Yet how nice it would be if they had received a windfall like that just out of the blue ! It would not set them up for life, but perhaps they could afford a cruise after all and forget about their hard work for a couple of weeks. Or, they could pay off the remaining mortgage on their home and then have a couple of thousand left over for a frivolous shopping spree. The thought seemed to be mutually shared by both but neither dared to voice it to the other. Yet Tony could read the wistful expression in Magda’s blue eyes; and Magda knew what Tony’s involuntary deep sigh meant.

Next morning all the bills were dry and ready to be placed back in the wallet. Tony thought it would be best to keep the wallet locked up at home until Thursday when Lou Harvey said he’d come to pick up his clothes at the tailor shop. He was still unsure whether he should point out that the latter had left his wallet in his pants. There was something strange about this incident and the Lou character but Tony just could not put his finger on it.

On Thursday Tony closed his shop for lunch, made a special trip home and brought back the wallet. He picked up Lou Harvey’s garments from the dry cleaners - all washed and neatly pressed. As the clock on the wall ticked away, the small hand moving closer to four and the long one to twelve, Tony’s anxiety filled his chest. Had it not been for the inordinate amount of cash casually left in a pocket, he wouldn’t have thought much of Lou Harvey’s behavior. In the two dat time lapse however, Tony’s vivid imagination had presented him with so many scenarios and ‘what-if’s’ . Then reflecting back on the young man’s hurried manners and shifty eyes, little by little the honest tailor started losing his composure.

It was four-thirty-five but there was no sign of Lou. Tony finished sewing the last button on a jacket he had tailored. The suit was completed. It was very stylish and once again Tony fely proud of his work. There was no use starting something new now. It was five twenty and he wanted to close his shop soon. If it were not for Lou Harvey, Tony would have called it a day a quarter of an hour ago.

At six o’clock Tony phoned home to tell Magda that he was just leaving his shop so she wouldn’t worry. That’s all he could do for Lou Harvey— after all, he had a life and a family. Some people were so inconsiderate ! The Tony thought of the wallet and decide not to leave it in the shop overnight. He had to take it back home with him.

Magda was awaiting his return anxiously to hear what happened. She could not believe her eyes when Tony showed her the wallet.

An entire week had gone by and there was no sign of Lou Harvey. Every day Tony had taken the wallet full of twenty thousand dollars in cash and waited for its owner to show up. He was beginning to feel distraught with the burden of this money like the ancient mariner must have felt with the albatross hanging around his neck. There was no way of finding out where this man lived to get in touch with him.

After four torturous weeks of waiting without any results Tony declared to Magda that they had but only two options left.

"Didn’t we have two choices when this thing started?" asked puzzled Magda.

"Well, one of the choices is still the same, but we know we cannot keep this cash—it’s not ours.

Which brings us to the second option," Tony paused to see if Magda had caught on. She waited for him to continue.

You agree that it is the only other thing to do, don’t you, mia cara? The police will know what to do with it. Keeping it may bring us trouble we don’t need."

Once again he thought he saw that wistful look in Magda’s eyes. How good she would look stretched out on a chaise-long on the upper deck of a luxury liner, soaking in the sun and the sea breeze. A brief picture of them dancing cheek-to-cheek in the lounge after the sumptuous eight course meal flashed before his eyes. Then followed a snapshot of the sign on his shop window:

"Closed for two weeks - VACATION".

She thought she heard the familiar involuntary sigh she had heard when she first told him about laundering thousands of dollars.

Tony was right, but just the mention of police and trouble raised the blonde hairs on the back of Magda’s neck. The sooner they settled this, the better life would be. Sleeping with thousands of dollars under their pillows just wasn’t novel any more.

At the police station Tony recounted in the smallest detail hoe he came upon such a sum of money. Before he turned the wallet to the authorities, he read the written transcription of his statement and seeing that there was nothing else that he could add, he signed it.

When he stepped outside, he was met by a cool November drizzle. Faded orange and crimson leaves were swept to the trenches in the sidewalk and glistened with raindrops in spite of their parched skins. Tony put up the collar of his coat, hunched his shoulders forward and started walking towards his shop. He felt the lightness of a weight taken off his shoulders and his mind. It was still a mystery to him why Lou never returned to claim his garments or his money— but then, Lou was probably not even his real name. In any case, Tony hoped that was the end of this strange adventure and acknowledged to himself that both he and Magda had learned some lessons besides courting and resisting temptation.

It was Carmela who answered the phone and covering the receiver with her other hand she shouted, "Pa, it’s for you! Someone - a sergeant Conrad in the fifth prison?" Tony took the receiver. It was sergeant Conrad Barrymore from the Fifth Precinct. He wanted to know if Tony could drop by the police station tomorrow morning at nine.

Tony's heart started palpitating. It had been almost three weeks since he had turned in the money and signed his statement. Why would they want him to go back? Was he found guilty of something? Sergeant Barrymore assured that everything would be explained to him when he went to the station.

The sky was already turning dark at four o’clock . Magda found November days so dreary. She stopped pacing nervously when from the corner of her eye she saw Tony’s silhouette at the entrance. She ran to open the door, but he had already turned his key in the lock.

So?" Magda was dying of curiosity and anxiety.

Tony took off his trench coat and the brown woollen scarf Magda had knitted for him. He hung both on a wooden hanger; placed the hanger in the coat closet and turned around to his wife. Magda looked as if she were about to faint with anxiety.

"Well, I’m not going to jail," said Tony calmly. His face was beaming.

"Tony, what happened, tell me for heaven’s sake!" Magda begged. "I have been climbing the roof wondering why the police called you back— what did they want?"

"Ah mia cara, my darling.." Tony grabbed Magda by her waist and turned her around in a waltz step.

"Get ready to go out for Christmas shopping. We still have three hours before stores close."

"Antonio Delverde, stop kidding around with me and get to the truth !"

The truth was that Lou Harvey was a counterfeit money printer. His real name was Louis Desrosiers. He had no idea where the batch of twenty -one thousand dollar bills had disappeared , so he printed a set with the same phony serial numbers. The police had established that the money turned in by Tony was indeed counterfeit, but they were waiting to find the culprit behind the operation.

Louis Desrosiers was apprehended when he tried to pay cash for a fancy sound system he purchased on Saturday morning. After being detained all day, he finally confessed and that is why the police called Tony that evening to go the next day to identify Desrosiers in a line up of suspects.

"Oh, thank you, God !" exclaimed Magda. "I was so scared that they thought you were involved in a crime or something." Then, as an afterthought she added, "Can you imagine, Tony, if we hadn’t turned it in and started spending the money ourselves?"

By this time Gino and Carmela, in their benign curiosity, had surrounded them.

"Well my darlings, honesty always pays off— and in more ways than one." Tony reached into the breast pocket of his sharply tailored vest and took out an envelope. "Because we helped the police to catch the culprit and stop him from printing more fake money, we get the reward that was set for this. Look— Two thousand, crispy clean, unlaundered dollars !"

There was a joyful cheer from all three. Carmela and her brother applauded as Tony lifted his wife off her feet in a tight embrace. Then they all decided to go out to celebrate, and over a candle-lit dinner discuss what they would do with their reward..

All rights reserved ~ Copyright by Füsun Atalay - January 24, 2000 ©