A Treat to Jumpstart Spooky Season
Plus, win a copy of THE WHISPER SISTER
If you’ve been reading my blog for some time, you might have noticed that I have a book coming out soon. And boy, oh boy, are things ramping up! I’ve been updating my events list, developing pages on my website about the Sacro Bosco garden, and Salvador Dalí, meeting up with podcasters, working on the companion cookbook (SO many delicious recipes!), writing essays, and getting super excited about announcements like this highlight on Amazon (!!):
Next week, in particular, is loaded with many interviews, which I always love, but I think I will be even more excited this time because Dalí and the garden are both so over the top, and they’re great fun to talk about. More on that front as they hit the airwaves!
But since I’m so crazy busy, I’m going to share one of my favorite recipes, one that I’ll be making many times in the coming months!
Let’s Talk Pumpkin Spice…In the Renaissance
Pumpkin pie in the Renaissance? I hear you say. Isn't that a food from North America? Why yes, but let me explain. In renowned chef Bartolomeo Scappi's 1570 cookbook, he describes a pie that includes a recipe for a gourd that translates as the word "pumpkin." The word "pumpkin" has been used on various gourds throughout the centuries, dating back to ancient times. It's possible that the pie he describes was actually a squash pie. Still, with the influx of foods from the new world (Scappi also includes some of the first European recipes for turkey in his book), I like to think that perhaps the pumpkin that we know and love today might have been what Scappi was using when he created this recipe.
You'll notice that my version cuts a few corners. We have the luxury of canned pumpkin, of course, and that makes life a lot easier. The "creamy cheese" is somewhat ambiguous, so I went with what we know as cream cheese, although Marscapone would probably be a closer bet. I’ve tried it with Marscapone, but it doesn't have that extra little bite that cream cheese gives it. Note that the ricotta doesn't blend smoothly, but the flavor and texture are unaffected.
If desired, you can add this filling to a pie shell, store-bought or homemade. If making the shell, I recommend King Arthur Flour's classic single pie crust recipe. Use rosewater instead of water to bind the dough together to be more authentic.
And the spices? You’ll notice no clove, or nutmeg. It’s all about the cinnamon and ginger instead!
To prepare a tourte of domestic pumpkin without a shell.
Bartolomeo Scappi - L’Opera Book V. 108 (tr. by Terence Scully)When the pumpkin is scraped, cook it in a good meat broth or else in salted water and butter. Then put it into a strainer and squeeze the broth out of it. Grind it in a mortar along with, for every two pounds of it, a pound of fresh ricotta and a pound of creamy cheese that is not too salted. When everything is ground up, put it through a colander, adding in ten well beaten eggs, a pound of ground sugar, an ounce of ground cinnamon, a pound of milk, four ounces of fresh butter and a half ounce of ginger. Have a tourte pan ready with six ounces of very hot butter in it and put the filling into it. Bake it in an oven or braise it, giving it a glazing with sugar and cinnamon. Serve it hot.
Crustless Pumpkin Tourte
By Bartolomeo Scappi (interpreted by Crystal King)
Makes two 9” pies.
2 tbsp whole milk
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
4 oz. butter, room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, softened
½ c. ricotta cheese
3 tsp cinnamon
2-3 tbsp fresh ginger* grated on finest grate or a microplane
15 oz. of canned pumpkin
Preheat oven to 375°. Cream together milk, sugar, eggs and butter.
Add in cream cheese, ricotta, pumpkin, ginger and cinnamon. Blend until smooth. The mixture will be very liquid.
Pour into two heavily greased 9” pie pans.
Cook for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the pies pulls clear.
*Note that fresh ginger is better; dried ginger lacks the punch needed to spice this pie.
WIN A COPY OF THE WHISPER SISTER
I had a chance to blurb this book, and here’s what I thought: “Jennifer S. Brown's The Whisper Sister delivers an explosive blend of emotion and history, capturing the heart of an era and the soul of its heroine with sheer brilliance. This is more than a story about Prohibition or the immigrant experience; it's a celebration of resilience and a testament to the strength of the human heart.” (In other words, you have to read this book!)
The author of Modern Girls delivers an atmospheric coming-of-age story set in Prohibition-era New York, tracing one immigrant family’s fortunes and a young girl’s journey from the schoolyard to the speakeasy.
The streets of New York in 1920 are most certainly not paved with gold, as Minnie Soffer learns when she arrives at Ellis Island. Her father, who left Ukraine when Minnie was a toddler, feels like a stranger. She sleeps on a mattress on the kitchen floor. She understands nothing at school. They came to America for this?
As her family adjusts to this new life, Minnie and her brother work hard to learn English and make friends. When her father, Ike, opens his own soda shop, stability and citizenship seem within reach. But the soda shop is not what it seems; it’s a front for Ike’s real moneymaker: a speakeasy.
When tragedy strikes the Soffers, Minnie has no choice but to take over the bar. She’s determined to make the speakeasy a success despite the risks it brings to herself, her family, and her freedom. At what price does the American dream come true? Minnie won’t stop until she finds out.
Do you want to win this book?
To sign up for the giveaway, you can fill out this form. Your name will be thrown into the hat for a shot at a paperback copy. This giveaway closes at midnight ET on Wednesday, 09/11/24. Winners will be notified within 48 hours of the giveaway closing and announced in my next newsletter/post.
Important to Note: You must be 18+ and a United States resident (pesky international laws make it tricky to do giveaways worldwide). If you are someone who loves to read the rules, you can find the obligatory info here.
WHAT’S BRINGING ME JOY
Amanda Lear was discovered by Salvador Dalí (in a drag bar, if you believe the rumors (and some of the rumors include that he helped pay for her transition)). She went on to become a disco superstar and French television celebrity. This is a great read on
’s excellent substack.
Boston has changed a LOT over the centuries. The entire shape of the city is vastly different than it was several hundred years ago. This video explains why.
Looking forward to bingeing this at some point (maybe after my launch!).
If you love food and love Italy, and haven’t read THE CHEF’S SECRET or FEAST OF SORROW, click the links to learn where to buy your copy! And now you can pre-order IN THE GARDEN OF MONSTERS!
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In the Garden will fly. You can feel it. Luck Crystal
Thank you for sharing our Amanda Lear piece!