Max Out Your Nom this Holiday with Original STC Recipes

Foods of North America

“You certainly should have non-colonial food on your table,” advises Nadia Casaperalta, instructor for the American Regional Cuisine course.

A favorite dish for the culinary connoisseur is succotash, a medley of corn, squash and beans. Traditionally referred to as “the three sisters” and planted together, these veggies protect each other as they grow.

“If we’re eating more of these vegetables that are native and do well in our soils, then we’re essentially practicing giving back to the earth that continues to give us substance,” says the chef.

Gratitude Succotash

• 1 cup lima beans soaked overnight, or canned and drained
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 slices of bacon cut into ¼” pieces
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 zucchini chopped
• 6 cups of canned corn kernels
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• Kosher salt to taste

Method:

1. If using dried beans, place in a large pot and add water to cover by 2”. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer. Stir occasionally, adding more water as needed, until beans are tender, 1½ hours. Season with salt. Let cool, drain.
2. Heat oil and butter in medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring often, until brown and crisp, 8-10 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft, 5-8 minutes. Add zucchini and corn and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.
3. Add cream and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer. Stir often until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add beans and cook until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy!

“Turnip” the Roots

According to Casaperalta, chefs have a habit of “turning up” at holiday gatherings, and this culinary artist likes to bring… turnips! And don’t forget rutabagas, celeriac, beets and sweet potatoes.

“These tuber-like root vegetables that we’ve kind of forgotten about, I think need to be showcased on our table,” says the rootsy cooker. In particular, don’t leave out the parsnips this year: “They are the artsy carrot, the one that wants to go to New York to study film.”

To give your holiday table a little extra yum, try going back to roots.

Gratitude Turnips

• 4 large turnips
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1-2 tablespoons of kosher salt
• Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Peel and cut the turnips into medium- to large-sized cubes. Toss with salt, paprika, cayenne, sugar and olive oil.
3. Place on large baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 25-30 minutes, until fork tender. Serve and enjoy!

Sweet, Simple… and Twice as Good as Pumpkin Pie

For STC student Pablo Rodriguez, this Thanksgiving, he’s tackling the challenge of carving an entire turkey out of cake. On top of getting the turkey body shape down and matching the color to a convincing shade of roast bird, he says the project has been pushing his culinary can-do and confidence to the next level.

But for his holiday dessert, Rodriguez likes to keep it super simple.

“Sweet potato pie with marshmallow fluff on top is like pumpkin pie but two times better, in my opinion,” shares the Baking and Pastry student.

For a totally sweet pumpkin pie alternative, try Rodriguez’s fool-proof recipe.

Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue

Crust

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tsbp sugar

6-7 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling

3 lb medium red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams)

14 oz sweetened condensed milk

¼ cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp salt

Marshmallow Meringue

7 oz melted marshmallow

3 large eggs whites

1/8 tsp salt

¼ cup sugar

Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix graham crackers crumbs and sugar in medium bowl. Add 6 tablespoons melted butter and stir until crumbs feel moist when pressed together with fingertips, adding 1 tablespoon melted butter if crumb mixture is dry. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch diameter glass pie dish, building up sides ¼ inch above rim of dish.
3. Bake crust until set and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Cool on rack. DO AHEAD. Pie crust can be made 2 days ahead. Cover pie crust and let stand at room temperature.

Filling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pierce sweet potatoes all over with fork; place potatoes on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are very tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
3. Cool slightly. Cut potatoes open and scoop out pulp.
4. Transfer pulp to processor and puree until smooth. Set aside 2 cups sweet potato puree for filling; cool completely (reserve any remaining puree for another use.) DO AHEAD. Can be made I day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Combine 2 cups sweet potato puree, sweetened condensed milk, and all remaining ingredients in large bowl; whisk until well blended and smooth.
7. Pour filling into crust. Bake pie until puffed around edges and set in center, about 50 minutes.
8. Transfer pie to rack and cool. Refrigerate pie at least 4 hours or overnight.

Marshmallow Meringue

1. Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
2. Using rubber spatula, scrape marshmallow into large bowl.
3. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt in another large bowl until foamy. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff and glossy peaks form.
4. Add ½ cup beaten egg whites to marshmallows and stir with rubber spatula or spoon just until incorporated to lighten (marshmallows will be very sticky and will be difficult to blend at first, but blending will become easier as remaining whites are folded in). Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions just until incorporated. Spread meringue over top of cold pie, mounding slightly in center and swirling with knife to create peaks.
5. Bake pie just until peaks and ridges of marshmallow meringue are lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
6. Let stand at room temperature until meringue is cool. DO AHEAD. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Let pie stand at room temperature 30 minutes.