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By Noelle Carter Maybe it’s the sense of danger that reels you in at first. The crazy name, the wild picture slapped on the bottle. Before you know it, you’re on for the ride, and the best ones leave you reduced to a sweaty and speechless mess. When it’s finally over, you can’t help but want more.I’m talking about hot sauce, a virtual thrill ride for the taste buds. And for fans, nothing beats the feeling.So what makes hot sauce so attractive? Blame it on the capsaicin, the chemical behind a chilli pepper’s heat. When you eat hot sauce, or any chilli pepper-spiced foods, your mouth reacts to the capsaicin as if it’s in pain, signalling the brain. Your body responds by releasing endorphins, much like it does with laughter, chocolate, stress and sex.Pleasure and pain, conveniently packaged in a bottle. All I know is I can’t get enough of the stuff. I have a collection at home and drizzle at least one sauce — more often two — over everything. A sure sign of a junkie, lately I’ve even taken to making my own.It’s amazingly simple. A puree of chilli peppers and salt, thinned perhaps with vinegar or water, maybe a secret ingredient or blend of spices thrown in for good measure. Voila.For a quick Sriracha-type sauce, take a pound of fresh red chilli peppers — red Fresnos and jalapenos can generally be found year-round — and mash them with fresh garlic and salt, a touch of sugar and vinegar. A little love on the stove-top — simmering the mash helps to marry the flavours — then blend and strain the sauce, thinning as desired with water. The sauce literally comes together in minutes (as opposed to fermented hot sauces, which can take days, or more, to make). And while it tastes good right away, it gets even better after a day or two in the fridge.Play around with the sauce to personalise it to your tastes, changing up chilli peppers and flavourings. For a Caribbean jerk-inspired hot sauce, use the same method but switch out the Fresnos for Scotch bonnets or habaneros, rounding out the flavours with fresh ginger and green onion, lime, a blend of spices and a touch of dark rum. Playfully sweet and fruity at first, the heat will sneak up on you in the most wonderful way.The variations are endless. Probably the hardest part to a great homemade hot sauce is giving your wonderfully potent creation a fitting name. I simply call mine “Shock in a Bottle.” Four-Pepper Hot SauceTotal time: 1 hourServings: Makes about 1 quart hot sauce. This sauce should be prepared in a well-ventilated area. Ingredients3 ounces dried New Mexico chilli peppers1 ½ ounces dried ancho chilli peppers1 ounce dried arbol chilli peppers½ ounce dried pequin chilli peppers8 to 12 cloves garlic¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cloves2 teaspoons dried oregano2 teaspoons toasted whole cumin seeds, ground2 teaspoons salt, more as desired1 cup vinegar¼ cup olive oil Method1. Bring a kettle or large saucepan of water to boil.2. Meanwhile, heat a large comal (ceramic or metal hotplate for cooking tortilla) or skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Place a few chilli peppers on the comal at a time, gently pressing to flatten. Leave the chilli peppers just until aromatic, a few seconds, then turn them over and heat again until aromatic, careful not to burn (burning the chilli peppers will make them bitter). Repeat until all of the chilli peppers are heated; for the smaller chilli peppers, shake them briefly in the comal to warm.3. Stem the chilli peppers and place them in a large bowl. Pour over boiling water to cover. Weight the chilli peppers with a plate to keep them submerged, and set aside for 15 minutes until they are softened.4. Remove the chilli peppers from the soaking water (reserve the water) and place them in a blender. Add the garlic, cloves, oregano, cumin seeds and salt, along with the cider vinegar, 2 cups soaking water (taste the soaking water before using, and if it tastes bitter, use plain water) and the oil.5. Puree the sauce until it is completely smooth, adding water as needed to thin. Taste the sauce — the flavours will vary with each batch of chilli peppers — and adjust the flavourings and seasonings to taste (sweeten if desired with a little sugar).6. Using a very fine mesh strainer or chinois, strain the sauce into a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Whisk in additional water to thin as desired. Bring the sauce to a simmer and stir frequently for 3 to 5 minutes to marry the flavours, then remove from heat. Pour the sauce into a glass jar or bottle, cover and refrigerate. Caribbean Jerk-StyleHot Sauce Total time: 30 minutesServings: Makes about 3 cups hot sauce. The sauce should be prepared in a well-ventilated area. Wear gloves while chopping the Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers because the heat in the oils can sting your hands. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the peppers. Ingredients1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper¾ teaspoon grated nutmeg1 ½ teaspoons ground allspice½ teaspoon ground cinnamon¼ teaspoon ground cloves2 tablespoons salt¼ cup muscovado or dark brown sugar6 to 9 Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, stemmed and chopped4 teaspoons minced garlic1 tablespoon minced ginger2 bunches scallions, chopped (green and white parts)Zest and juice of 4 limes¼ cup distilled white vinegar¼ cup oil½ to 1 cup water Method1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the pepper, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, salt, sugar, peppers, garlic, ginger, scallions, lime zest and juice, vinegar and oil. Pulse a few times to form a coarse paste.2. Transfer the mixture to a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, to marry the flavours.3. Remove from heat. Place the mixture back in a food processor or blender and blend to form a smooth sauce, thinning as desired with one-half to 1 cup water. Strain if desired. To store, refrigerate the sauce in a covered glass bottle or jar. Sriracha-Style Hot Sauce Total time: 25 minutesServings: Makes about 1 ½ cups sauce This sauce should be prepared in a well-ventilated area and is best prepared at least 1 to 2 days before using. Ingredients1 pound mixed fresh red chilli peppers (such as red Fresnos or jalapenos), stemmed and chopped2 to 4 cloves garlic¼ cup vinegar1 ½ teaspoons sea salt, more if desired2 tablespoons palm or light brown sugar, more if desired Method1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the chilli peppers, garlic, vinegar, salt and sugar to form a coarse paste.2. Transfer the mixture to a non-reactive saucepan and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the aroma softens or mellows a bit, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.3. Blend the sauce again to form a smooth paste, thinning as desired with water.4. Strain the sauce, pressing the solids through a fine mesh strainer with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Taste the sauce, and tweak the flavours as desired with additional salt, sugar or vinegar. Remove the sauce to a glass jar or bottle and cool completely. Refrigerate until needed. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

You can keep a New Year’s resolution by eating healthy even when you have waffles. At least you can when you’ve packed them with toasted oatmeal, buttermilk and a hint of cinnamon.By Jackie Burrell If the healthful hopes of January 1 included such resolutions as “eat a healthy breakfast” and “more whole grains, baby,” here’s some happy news:You can have your waffles and eat healthfully, too.At least you can when you’ve packed them with toasted oatmeal, buttermilk and a hint of cinnamon.Packed with antioxidants, high-fibre oatmeal fills you up, warms your soul and makes your heart (and other body parts) happier and healthier. Just go easy on the syrup. Toasted Oatmeal Waffles Makes 9 standard-size waffles Note: If you’re watching your weight — or planning to add butter at the table — you can reduce the amount of butter in the batter. Ingredients6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats1 ¾ cups water2 tablespoons packed brown sugar1 cup buttermilk1 cup all-purpose flour1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder3/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon cinnamon1/4 teaspoon baking soda2 large eggs, beaten Method1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add oatmeal; cook, stirring frequently for 8 to 10 minutes, or until browned with a deeply rich, toasty fragrance.2. Off heat, carefully pour in water; mixture will steam and sputter. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat; lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until water is absorbed and oatmeal is thick and creamy, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; stir in remaining butter and brown sugar, mixing well. Stir in buttermilk. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.3. Preheat your waffle iron.4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and baking soda.5. Whisk beaten eggs into the oatmeal mixture. Pour oatmeal mixture into dry ingredients; fold gently with a rubber spatula just until batter is evenly moistened.6. Pour a generous 1/2-cup batter into the centre of the waffle iron. Use the spatula to spread the batter to about 1/2-inch from the edge. Close lid; bake the waffle to desired doneness. Repeat with remaining batter. Baked Oatmeal Serves 6 generously Ingredients2 cups rolled (not instant) oats1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted, divided1/3 cup natural cane sugar or maple syrup1 teaspoon aluminium-free baking powder1 ½ teaspoons cinnamonScant 1/2 teaspoon salt2 cups milk1 large egg3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, divided2 teaspoons vanilla extract2 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2-inch pieces1 ½ cups mixed berries Method1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter an 8-inch square baking dish.2. In a bowl, mix together the oats, half of the walnuts, sugar (if using), baking powder, cinnamon and salt.3. In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup (if using), milk, egg, half of the butter and vanilla.4. Arrange bananas in a single layer in prepared pan. Sprinkle with two-thirds of the berries. Cover with oat mixture. Drizzle with milk mixture. Scatter remaining berries and walnuts on top.5. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and oat mixture has set. Let cool for a few minutes. Drizzle the remaining melted butter on top and serve with more sugar or maple syrup, if you wish.  Chai Oatmeal Serves 2 Ingredients1/2 cup soy milk1/2 cup milk2 tablespoons honey2 cinnamon sticks1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground1 star anise5 to 8 green cardamom pods, unopened1 cup whole rolled oats Method1. In a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 cup water, the milks, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise and cardamom. Bring to a simmer; turn off heat and steep for 10 minutes.2. Strain out the spices, then return the milk to the same pot. Add oats; bring to a simmer over medium heat.3. Reduce heat to low; cover loosely. Cook without stirring for about 10 minutes, or until the oatmeal thickens to desired consistency. Serve with milk and sweetener of choice, if desired. Banana-Ginger Oatmeal Serves 3 to 4 Ingredients1/4 to 1/2 cup crystallised ginger1 cup whole rolled oats1 cup milk or soy milk1 medium banana, peeled and sliced1 tablespoon flaxseeds, optional1 tablespoon honeyPinch salt1 tablespoon sugar, optional Method1. Chop the ginger into small pieces.2. Put all the ingredients into a 1-quart saucepan with 1 ¼ cups water; stir to combine. Cook over low to medium heat until oatmeal simmers lightly, about 15 minutes. Serve with strawberries and honey, if desired. — Contra Costa Times/MCT

By Sarah GishIn the autumn of 2011, cookbook author Judith Fertig took on an ambitious assignment: Write a book of cinnamon roll recipes in 60 days.Fertig loves cinnamon rolls, and she’s authored more than 20 cookbooks on everything from bread to barbecue. Still, this was no easy task.The expert baker holed up in her Overland Park, Kansas, kitchen with colossal amounts of flour, butter, and sugar. She gathered four kinds of cinnamon and started rolling it into swirls of every shape and size. Her overworked oven churned out all kinds of crave-worthy creations: Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls with Pineapple-Cream Cheese Frosting. Mexican Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls spiked with ancho chile. Moroccan-inspired crescents filled with black pepper and rose petals.Fertig would taste each one, then hand out leftovers to neighbours, friends and family members. “I was very popular for a while,” she says.At the end of those two months, Fertig had lots of new friends and another cookbook: I Love Cinnamon Rolls! (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2012).The book has everything from traditional sticky buns to gluten-free rolls. The recipes are customisable, so you easily change out the dough, filling, pan sauce or topping.As for the cookbook author, she’s a native Midwesterner, so it’s no surprise she likes cinnamon rolls that are soft and gooey, filled with lots of mouth-watering brown sugar and warm cinnamon.“If you’re going to have a cinnamon roll,” Fertig says, “have a cinnamon roll.” Traditional Cinnamon  Roll Dough Makes 6 jumbo, 12 large, 16-20 medium, or 48 mini rolls Ingredients1 cup whole milk4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened1/3 cup granulated sugar1 teaspoon salt2 large eggs3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and dusting2 ½ teaspoons instant or bread machine yeast MethodIn a 4-cup measuring cup, combine the milk, butter, sugar and salt. Microwave on high for 1 minute or until warm (Careful: Exceed 130 degrees and you’ll kill the yeast). Whisk in the eggs.Place the flour and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the liquid ingredients. Mix on low speed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl from time to time, until the dough forms a soft mass and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, 5 to 6 minutes.Remove the paddle attachment and switch to the dough hook. With the mixer on low, knead the dough with the dough hook. Sprinkle the dough with a tablespoon of flour, if necessary, to keep it from sticking to the sides of the bowl. When the dough is smooth, not sticky, and springs back when you press it with your finger, you’ve kneaded it enough (4 to 6 minutes). Place the dough in a large, oiled mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place (about 85 degrees) for 45 to 60 minutes, or until it has almost doubled.Proceed with a cinnamon roll recipe. Swedish Cinnamon Rolls Makes 48 mini rolls Ingredients1 recipe Traditional Cinnamon Roll Dough (see above)Flour for dusting½ cup granulated sugar1 tablespoon cinnamon1 teaspoon cardamom4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted2 large egg yolks, beaten with 2 teaspoons water¾ cup Swedish pearl sugar or coarsely crushed sugar cubes MethodLine 48 muffin cups with cupcake liners.Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Cut the dough in fourths. Roll each fourth out to an 8-by-12-inch rectangle.For the filling, combine the sugar, cinnamon and cardamom in a small bowl. Brush a fourth of the butter over the dough and sprinkle with a fourth of the spice mixture.Roll up the dough and form it into a tight 12-inch-long cylinder. Cut each cylinder into 12 slices. Place each slice, spiral side up, in a paper-lined muffin cup. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cover the pans with a tea towel and rest in a warm place until almost doubled, 45 to 60 minutes.Brush the tops of the rolls with egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until lightly browned. Classic Cinnamon Rolls Makes 12 large rolls Ingredients1 recipe Traditional Cinnamon Roll Dough (see above)Flour for dusting8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided and softened1 cup packed dark brown sugar2 ½ tablespoons cinnamon2 cups confectioners’ sugarPinch of salt1 tablespoon whole milk1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted2 tablespoons strong brewed coffee½ tablespoon maple syrupFor the pan sauce, spread 4 tablespoons of the butter into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan. MethodTransfer the dough to a floured surface and roll out to a 16-by-20-inch rectangle.For the filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread the dough with 4 tablespoons of the butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Starting with the shorter side, roll up the dough to form a tight 16-inch cylinder. Cut the cylinder into 12 rolls. Place in the prepared pan, spiral side up. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, 45 to 60 minutes.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until lightly browned on top.For the glaze, whisk the remaining ingredients together in a medium bowl. Drizzle over the warm rolls. — The Kansas City Star/MCT

Any way you serve it up, alone, with a side dish or flat bread or add your favourite meat, soup is unbeatable as comfort food.Sharon K GhagThey couldn’t get enough mulligatawny. The soup party wasn’t for another day, but the appetites of the guests for saying the mouthful of mulligatawny couldn’t be satiated.The Seinfeld episode on Kramer’s favourite soup by the Soup Nazi obviously had a lot to do with it, but curiosities and appetites were piqued.Here was everyone’s chance to try the exotic mulligatawny.What is it? Where’s it from? What’s in it?Truth be told, they didn’t really want to know that it’s an Indian soup with curry paste. Those with the biggest appetite for saying mul-li-ga-tawny aren’t adventurous eaters and wouldn’t touch it if they knew what was in it.But even these professed blandies lined up for a bowlful when a double batch of soup emerged from the kitchen. They finally got a taste of mulligatawny — and they liked it!Soup is universal. Spice it up, tone it down, keep it simple or load it with ingredients. The results are the same: Warm or cold, it’s comfort in a cup.It’s delicious and nutritious whether slurped from a cup or savoured with a spoon. You could say soup is giving — and forgiving. Throw in anything. Thicken it in so many ways: cornstarch, pureed cooked beans, cooked mashed potatoes, 2 tablespoons of almonds or cashews soaked in hot water and pureed, barley, a flour slurry, with potato starch or semolina flour.The other wonderful thing about soup is that it swings both ways.All of these soups can be made with vegetable broth — with meat added after the soup is done. So the newly minted vegetarian at one end of the house and the lifelong meat eater at the other end can both be happy without stressing the cook. Mighty Mulligatawny Serves 6 IngredientsOlive oil8 ½ ounces quality ground beef1 red onion, peeled2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced1 red pepper, deseeded and finely choppedA 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped1 or 2 chillies, deseeded and choppedA small bunch of fresh cilantro1 heaped tablespoon Madras curry paste1 tablespoon tomato pureeSea salt and ground pepper1 heaped tablespoon HP sauce5 cups organic beef stock1/2 a butternut squash (roughly 12 ounces)A couple of sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves pickedA couple of pinches of garam masala1 cup basmati ricePlain yoghurt, to serve MethodPut a large pan on a high heat and add a splash of olive oil and the ground beef.Cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the beef, until it starts to turn golden and caramelise. Stir in the onion, carrot, garlic, red pepper, ginger and most of the chillies, and add a splash more oil, if needed. Cut the top leafy section off the cilantro and put aside in a cup of cold water for later. Finely chop the stalks and add to the pan. Cook and stir for around 10 minutes on a medium heat, or until the veggies have softened.Stir in the curry paste, tomato puree, a good pinch of salt and pepper and the HP sauce. After a few more minutes, when it smells fantastic, pour in the stock. Leave to blip away with the lid on over a medium heat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.Meanwhile, cut the butternut squash into 1/2-inch chunks, getting rid of any seeds and gnarly bits (there’s no need to peel it). Put a smaller pan on a high heat. Add a lug of olive oil and the squash. Stir in the thyme leaves and the garam masala. Pop a lid on the pan and cook for around 10 minutes on a medium heat, stirring every few minutes, until softened and golden. Add a cup of rice to the pan with 2 cups of water and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Replace the lid and cook for around 8 minutes on a medium heat, then turn the heat off and leave to steam for 8 minutes with the lid on.Fluff up the rice and tip it into the soup. Have a taste, and season if needed. Gently mix together, then divide among your soup bowls with a good dollop of plain yoghurt. Scatter over the cilantro leaves and add a sprinkling of fresh chilli, if you like. Roasted Carrot Soup Serves 4 Ingredients6 to 8 large carrots (about 1 ¾ pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices1/4 cup olive oilSalt6 cups vegetable stock, or as neededA 1-inch-long piece fresh ginger, peeled1 fresh thyme sprig, plus chopped thyme for garnish1/2 large sweet onion, chopped2 large garlic cloves, choppedFreshly ground black pepper MethodSet an oven rack 6 to 8 inches from the heat source and turn on the broiler. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the carrots with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Broil the carrots until they brown and soften, turning them over with a spatula every 5 minutes or so; this should take 15 to 20 minutes.Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the ginger and sprig of thyme, turn down the heat, and simmer gently for 15 minutes.Just before the carrots are done, put the onion in a large saucepan with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and brown over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, then add the carrots.Remove the ginger and thyme from the stock and add the stock to the onions and carrots. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the carrots are very soft. Use an immersion or a standard blender to puree the soup until smooth. If the soup seems too thick, add more stock or water and reheat gently. Add salt and pepper to taste.Serve garnished with chopped thyme. Boskos Minestrone Serves 15; yields approximately 1 1/2 gallons of soup Ingredients1/2 cup oil (canola or a non-extra-virgin olive oil)2 tablespoons chopped garlic1 pound yellow onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice1 large carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice1/2 bunch celery, leaves removed, stalks cut into 1/2-inch dice2 leeks, white part only, cut into 1/2-inch dice1/2 head green cabbage, chopped into 1/2-inch dice2 tablespoons salt3/4 teaspoon white pepper3/4 teaspoon red chilli pepper flakes3/4 teaspoon paprika1 tablespoon dried oregano1 tablespoon dried basil1 ½ cups crushed tomatoes1/8 cup beef base3 quarts chicken stock or water1 cup dry (or 2 cups cooked) cannellini beans1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice3/4 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice1/4 bunch (approximately 1 ½ cups) fresh Swiss chard or spinach1/2 pound shell noodles, uncooked MethodStart with a large stockpot over medium-high heat; add oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Once the garlic starts to brown slightly, add the diced onions, diced carrots, diced celery, sliced leeks, and diced cabbage; cook for about 5 minutes, still over medium-high heat. Add the salt, white pepper, pepper flakes, paprika, oregano and basil during this first saute process — adding dry seasonings early helps create layers of flavours in a dish. Be sure all the vegetables become translucent before adding the water or stock. Add tomatoes, beef base, and water or stock to the pot with the vegetables; bring entire mixture to a simmer.Meanwhile, if using dry cannellini beans: Cook the cannellini beans in boiling, salted water with a bay leaf until beans are soft (approximately 20 minutes). Once beans are done (or if starting with cooked beans), set half aside. Puree the other half. Add the whole, cooked beans and the pureed beans to the soup.When the soup comes to a simmer, add the potatoes. Let the soup continue to boil for 5 minutes, then add the zucchini and chard to the pot. Cook mixture for another 5 minutes.Add the shell noodles and cook for a final 5minutes. Adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. — The Modesto Bee/MCT

By Bill Daley George Washington Carver was a scientist who did more to raise the peanut’s public profile than any other figure in American life, with the possible exception of former farmer-turned-president Jimmy Carter and Planters’ Mr. Peanut. Carver’s work with peanuts and other crops at Alabama’s famed Tuskegee Institute benefited millions of farmers in the first half of the 20th century. “The primary idea in all my work was to help the farmer and fill the poor man’s empty dinner pail,” he once said. “My idea was to help the ‘man farthest down,’ this is why I have made every process just as simple as I could put it within his reach.” Food science is a field viewed with mixed feelings by many these days. But Carver’s research was seen at the time as a blessing for farmers, especially for African-Americans struggling to make a living across the rural South. Cotton was king, or so the old saying went, but cotton also robbed the soil of all nutrients. Carver promoted peanuts, soybeans and sweet potatoes as crops that could restore farmland to productivity. But he didn’t stop there. Carver realised farmers wouldn’t grow these plants unless there was a strong enough demand for them. So he created uses for these crops that extended far beyond the kitchen — some 285 uses for peanuts alone, according to a 1941 Time magazine article. “He gave black farmers a means of staying on the land. We all couldn’t move north to Chicago and New York,” said Michael Twitty,  food historian and blogger at afroculinaria.com. “Carver knew the value of working the land, of being with the land, of working with each other.” Carver cared not just for the health of the land but the health of the farmers, Twitty added, noting that the diet of poor African-Americans at the time was often referred to as the “Three M’s”: Meat, meal and molasses. Carver promoted crops designed to enrich the diet. A man of faith as well as science and a very talented artist, Carver took a green approach to life that many would recognise today. “I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting system, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in,” he once said. Besides championing farmers, Carver promoted natural medicines and believed in recycling. He was “a pioneer of the green manure movement,” said Gary R Kremer, author of 2011’s George Washington Carver: A Biography and executive director of the State Historical Society of Missouri. Kremer said Carver was ultimately unsuccessful in his dream to transform the South and its economy, largely because so many farmers didn’t own the land they worked. But the author said Carver transformed the lives of so many others by inspiring and empowering them. Born a slave in the last years of the Civil War, Carver became one of the most prominent African-Americans in what was then a legally segregated United States. Henry Ford was his friend. Time lauded him as the “Black Leonardo.” So potent a symbol did he become that eight years after his death in 1943, the federal government issued a commemorative half dollar honouring him and Booker T Washington, Tuskegee’s founder and first president. Carver’s birthplace in southwestern Missouri was also turned into a national monument and park. For Twitty, the attention and respect paid to Carver by whites during the Jim Crow era had a double edge. “Here’s a shining example of the Negro thriving under segregation,” he said. “If they stay in their own place, build their own bricks and don’t ask us for anything, then everything is OK. We can deflect all the tensions and all the negative.” Yet Twitty noted that Carver’s work has a “subversive” element; many who studied with him went on to build the civil rights movement. Take 88-year-old Eliot Battle of Columbia. He went to the Tuskegee Institute so he could study under Carver. What struck him most about Carver? “His brilliance, and his ability to talk and visit with anybody and not make them feel he was as brilliant as he was or that we were as average as we were,” recalled Battle, who went on to a career as an educator and civil rights leader. “He always gave time to anyone who approached him. … He was a positive man with such strength of character.” Given the growing interest in the agricultural topics Carver was exploring a century ago, there’s been a resurgence of interest in him. “A lot of people writing cookbooks focusing on natural, healthy foods are following in his footsteps,” Twitty said. “Peanuts and sweet potatoes wouldn’t have been emphasised if not for Dr. Carver.”   Peanut cookies   Prep: 25 minutes Bake: 17-19 minutes per batch Makes: 72 cookies Note: This cookie, reproduced as worded in George Washington Carver’s 1916 bulletin, ‘How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing It for Human Consumption,’ has a delicacy, an elegance, not associated with the robust kids’ cookie made with peanut butter. “Sweet milk” is regular whole milk. We added ¾ teaspoon salt with the dry ingredients and used lightly salted nuts. The recipe calls for vanilla to taste; we used 2 teaspoons. Carver’s instruction to “bake quickly” today would mean baking the cookies in a 375 degree oven; we baked them 17-19 minutes. For ground peanuts, chop in a food processor until coarsely ground.   Ingredients 3 cups flour ½ cup butter 2 eggs 1 cup sweet milk 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 ½ cups ground peanuts (9oz) Cream butter and sugar; add eggs well beaten; now add the milk and flour; flavour to taste with vanilla; and the peanuts last; drop one spoonful to the cooky in well greased pans; bake quickly.   Nutrition information Per serving: 63 calories, 3g fat, 1g saturated fat, 9mg cholesterol, 7g carbohydrates, 2g protein, 44mg sodium, 0 g fibre. — Chicago Tribune/MCT        

By Bill Daley   Turkey. Let’s talk about it — honestly. Is it time to axe that big ol’ bird from your Thanksgiving feast? Even if you do have the free hours to roast it, a hungry crowd to feed and enough oven space to hold the monster, who these days has the carving skills to do the portioning at the dining room table? Indeed, who has a dining room anymore? As the Butterball people note, 80% of people will carve that whole turkey in the kitchen. What arrives at the table is not the golden fantasy of magazine covers but a platter of sliced breast meat and disjointed legs. That prompts a question: Has the whole turkey become “a 20lbs Yankee candle, good only for perfume,” Julia Moskin asks in CookFight, co-authored with her New York Times colleague Kim Severson. If your honest answer is “yes,” cut the whole bird from your Thanksgiving invite list. Go with turkey parts. Not only can they make for faster cooking, but you can enjoy the kind of meat you like best at its best. No need, say, to overcook the breast meat to ensure the legs are done. “Who has not had a dry turkey?” asks celebrity chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli, who will compete in this season’s The Next Iron Chef: Redemption on Food Network. “The advantage of breaking up the bird is you can roast the thigh and breast separately. Or braise the turkey thighs and roast the breast.” What matters in cooking turkey parts, says Guarnaschelli, executive chef at Butter and The Darby restaurants in New York City, is maintaining the “iconic flavours” of Thanksgiving. “I try to bring something to the parts that is iconic or sentimental. I don’t want people to feel they’re missing out,” she says. Guarnaschelli hits all those flavour memory bases with a turkey breast roasted with pearl onions, sage and Granny Smith apples. It’s fairly traditional. But the chef gets more adventurous in talking about the dark meat. “Braise turkey thighs like a stew until the meat falls off the bone, or roast at a high temperature for crispy skin and juicy meat,” she said. Virginia Willis, an Atlanta-based Southern food authority, also recommends braising for the breast; the technique ensures moistness, she says. A bonus? The Madeira-laced braising liquid can be spooned as a sauce over the meat, the mashed potatoes and the dressing or stuffing, she notes. Doing something different with the Thanksgiving turkey also appeals to Joanne Weir, a San Francisco-based television cooking show host. Her new book, Joanne Weir’s Cooking Confidence, offers a recipe for breaded turkey cutlets that puts a spin on the expected turkey slices. Whatever you do with the turkey, know you are not alone. “So many people are thinking in different directions for Thanksgiving and not just doing a plain turkey,” Weir said.   Winter Greens and Butternut Squash Gratin   Preparation time: 40 minutes Cooking time: 60 minutes Makes 8 to 10 servings   Ingredients 1 large or 2 small butternut squash, about 3lbs total, cut in half lengthwise, seeded 2 bags (10oz each) chopped kale 2 tablespoons olive oil 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg Pinch ground allspice Leaves from 4 sprigs thyme, chopped 1 to 1 ½ cups heavy cream 3 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs, plain or whole-wheat 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 teaspoons unsalted butter   Preparation 1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler; cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices. 2. Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the kale; cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander; squeeze out any excess water. 3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and greens. Cook until the greens are slightly wilted, 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 4. Place half the sliced squash in a large buttered gratin dish; season with salt and pepper. Combine the nutmeg, allspice and thyme in a small bowl. Spoon the kale over the squash; sprinkle with half the seasoning mixture. Top with remaining squash; sprinkle with remaining seasoning. 5. Pour 1 cup cream over the gratin; cover with foil. Bake 25 minutes. Remove the foil; press down on the squash with a spatula to compress. If it seems dry, add remaining ½ cup cream. Cover; bake until the squash is soft when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. 6. Meanwhile, combine the breadcrumbs and cheese in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Decrease the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Remove the foil from the gratin dish; sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the squash. Dot with the butter; bake, uncovered, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving, 10 minutes.   Lemon Turkey Cutlets   Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes per batch Makes 6 servings   Ingredients 1 ¾ pounds turkey breast, skin and bone removed 1 cup flour ½ teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper 3 eggs 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon each: fresh oregano, grated lemon zest 1 cup grated Grana Padano cheese or other grating cheese 2 tablespoons each: olive oil, butter Orange and lemon wedges   Preparation 1. Cut each turkey breast on the bias and on the diagonal into ¾-inch-thick slices. Place each piece between two pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Pound the turkey with a large flat meat pounder until slices are ¼- to 3/8-inch thick. 2. Place the flour in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Crack the eggs into a small bowl; season with salt and pepper; whisk well. Combine the panko, oregano, lemon zest and Grana Padano; season with salt and pepper in a third bowl. Dip both sides of the turkey slices in the flour, shaking off the excess. Next, dip the slices in the beaten eggs, letting the excess drain off. Finally, dip into the breadcrumb mixture; use your fingers to coat each side. Tap off the excess. Set aside in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. 3. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey in a single layer, in batches if necessary. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook, turning, until the pieces are golden brown on each side, 8-10 minutes. Serve garnished with orange and lemon wedges.   Slow Cooker Turkey Breast   Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 3 hours Makes 8 to 10 servings Season a 4- to 6-lbs boneless turkey breast with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. Place the turkey, skin side up, in a slow cooker. Add 1 onion, preferably Vidalia, sliced; 1 sprig thyme; 1 garlic clove; 1 tablespoon honey. Seal with the lid. Cook on high heat, turning once, until tender, 3-4 hours. Transfer to a cutting board; cover with foil. Let the turkey rest 15 minutes before slicing. Pour the broth into a fat separator or remove the grease with a spoon. Strain broth into a small saucepan; heat to a boil. Taste; adjust seasonings. Keep warm over low heat until ready to serve. Spoon broth over turkey slices.   Roasted Turkey Breast with Pearl Onions and Sage   Preparation time: 15 minutes Roasting time: 1 to 1 ½ hours Makes 8 to 10 servings   Ingredients 1 whole turkey breast, about 4 to 6lbs ½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 12 to 15 medium fresh sage leaves 2 Granny Smith apples, cored, cut into 6 wedges each 15 to 18 pearl onions, peeled 1 head garlic, separated into individual cloves but not peeled 1 small sprig fresh rosemary Juice from ½ to 1 lemon   Preparation 1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush turkey breast with some of the melted butter. Season with salt and red pepper flakes. Tuck a few sage leaves under the skin. 2. Arrange the apples, pearl onions, garlic cloves, rosemary and remaining sage in the bottom of a roasting pan with a fitted rack. Drizzle with remaining melted butter. Arrange the turkey breast on the rack above the vegetables. 3. Roast until the pan juices are clear (meaning free of any traces of blood) or until the meat registers 155 to 160 in the thickest part of the breast on a thermometer, 1 to 1 ½ hours. Remove from the oven; allow to rest 15 minutes. (The temperature will go up to a safe temperature, 165 degrees, while it rests.) Serve, sliced, on a platter with the vegetables and drippings. Squeeze the lemon juice over the meat just before serving. — Chicago Tribune/MCT