Last night I cooked for girls. Three girls – women, I should say; lovely women and me. Okay. I can cook girl food with my eyes closed; I’ve done it for years – light on the meat, light on the wheat, heavy on the greens – no problem. The problem is what the hell am I going to eat?
Girls go for fish. Even when there’s great meat to be had, often as not they’ll opt for the fish. I don’t know what that’s all about. Maybe they want a protein of their own? I don’t know. But last night it was imperative I cook fish for the girls. If I served meat, it would have been taken as a hostile act. So the trick was to find a fish that tastes a little like meat – so that we could all be satisfied. I opted for sea scallops, which when properly seared in brown butter can be the next best thing to steak. Then I had to frou-frou up a vegetable so that it looked pretty on the plate and we’d be in business. And I’d sneak some potatoes in. Not just for me — girls love potatoes; they don’t just admit it.
– as in,
“Where did you find this recipe?”
“The Girls.”
Rose died last year at much too young an age, but her
legacy lives on – certainly in my kitchen – with her and Ruth’s exceptionally simple and perfect
recipes. They, of course, know how to cook boy food, too. This recipe is on page 184 and it’s called Stuffed Pumpkin. It calls for small pumpkins. I used acorn squash, which worked beautifully – hollowed of seeds, baked and then stuffed with potatoes, pancetta and herbs; then baked again until, as Ruth and Rose say, “the flesh should be soft and almost
falling apart” and the bacon and herb-infused potatoes are crunchy on the outside, creamy in the middle. It turned out to be one of the most delicious things I’ve popped into my mouth all year – albeit the year is young. And it’s beautiful on the plate
- stunning – sitting next to my caramelized scallops, glistening with butter and some simply cooked French beans for the obligatory green. It was all so good that I completely forgot to take a photo. Instead I just took a picture of the picture in the cookbook.
A cheap shot, but effective.
Girl Food that even a man can enjoy:
Stuffed pumpkin, the Ruth & Rose way.
STUFFED PUMPKIN
(from Italian Easy)
1. small pumpkins (or squash – I prefer acorn squash because it’s one perperson, which makes a great presentation on the plate)
2. potatoes – 1 ½ lbs.
3. dried chiles – 2
4. pancetta – 5 oz.
5. garlic cloves – 3
6. thyme leaves – tbsps
7. olive oil
Heat oven to 425; Peel potatoes and cube them. Crumble hot chiles; cut pancetta into matchsticks; finely chop garlic; Cut off the top quarter of the squashes; scoop out the seeds; season with salt and pepper and chiles; put in a roasting pan covered with aluminum foil; drizzle them generously with olive oil; bake for 15 minutes;Boil potatoes for 8 minutes; drain, place in a bowl with the pancetta, thyme and garlic and toss; salt and pepper; drizzle with oil; Heap the potato mixture into the squashes and return them to the oven for 30 – 40 minutes; test the outside with a fork for tenderness.
The perfect winter meal! How lucky the Girls are to have such a chef around!
How lucky the Girls are to have such a cook around! Love this recipe–Grazie!
Silly me, I’ve been making Pumpkin Coconut Curry. So much easier to do this!
Love to be one of the lucky Girls again. Looking forward to it one day. Much love to you all!
Hey Mike. I know you are moving fast but let me know if you got my explanation of the pig roast on Take Out. Hi to Jill.
I know fish is a challenge when you are hankering for some lamb fat…
BUT…as long as you can wield the butter, I know you are a happy man…
You make your readers salivate…it’s a perk!
xoxoxoxox
Ooh, this looks good. Have you tried it with pumpkin to make a taste comparison? It seems like pumpkin would have a more robust flavor than acorn squash. Either way, I’m trying it! Cheers!
@ Susan – Let me know how it comes out.
@ Genie – The curry sounds great – and you’ll always be one of girls I cook for.
@ Anne – I will try it with the pumpkin – another reader tried and said it was even better.
@ Cynthia – When’s the last time you tasted lamb fat?
@ Jim – I loved your description – you should write it up as a story.
Thanks Michael I am glad you enjoyed it. Maybe a story about people who enjoy great food but rush through the meal to get to the after dinner drink. A sweet,intoxicating nectar seldom talked about. The origins are obscure but it is called Old American Power. I believe it is also served in New York so you may have heard of it.