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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 16, 2019)
B Monday, December 16, 2019 The Observer & Baker City Herald Christmas Cookies From Around The World BETWEEN THE ROWS WENDY SCHMIDT Catalogs remind us that spring will come Last week I received three seed catalogs. The seed companies know that in spite of global warming and all the politics in the world, spring will come again. Seed catalogs to me mean there’s reason to have hope in the future. Spring is one of the certainties we can count on. There are a lot of other certainties. For instance: If I buy an- other book on organizing and cleaning my house, it’s certain that I will live in a house of whimsical chaos every day of my life. I always hope that even in the midst of chaos, cleanliness can sometimes prevail. The beautiful pictures in the seed catalogs are supposed to make me want too many things. I’m learning to exercise a bit of caution and think of the limited space in my small yard. I’m not always as wise as I wish, but ordering seeds is less expensive than ordering plants or buying them at a nursery. When the ground is covered in snow, the house cats can’t fi nd any of the grass they usually snack on, so it is now kitty grass season. Buy wheat seeds at a health food store and start a tablespoon of them growing, Soak them fi rst for 24 to 48 hours, then when you see signs of sprouting, plant them in a plastic cup of damp potting mix. In no time you will have your own kitty grass. Be sure to order seeds early. Some are limited in supply, and if you’re starting them yourself, you need to have seeds on hand so you can plant them in little cups by the end of March. (Peas can be planted outside in March or April. They get sown directly into the ground.) Garden chores • On cold nights, move houseplants back from icy windows to prevent chill- ing injury. • Overwintering geraniums like bright light and cool temperatures. Keep soil on the dry side. • Be sure newly purchased plants are well-protected on their trip home. Exposure to icy temperature for even a few moments can cause injury. Holiday poinsettia basics • Keep away from drafts, furnace registers and radiators. • Night temperatures in the 50s to low 60s, and days at around 70 degrees. • The soil should dry only slightly between watering. Discard the drain- age. • Be sure to punch holes in the decorative foil wrap to prevent soggy conditions. If you have garden questions or com- ments, please write to greengardencol- umn@yahoo.com. Thanks for reading! Hillary Levin//St. Louis Post-Dispatch-TNS Christmas Mailanderli. S HEET T REATS By Daniel Neman St. Louis Post-Dispatch I know a woman whose family always left out a shot of whiskey for Santa, along with cookies. In the morning, the glass would be drained, and there would be cookie crumbs on the plate. The booze, instead of the more traditional glass of milk, may say more about her father than the actual Santa Claus. But the important part of this story, for our current purposes, is the cookies. Cookies are as much a part of Christmas as candles and caroling. They are the gift that everyone loves, the holiday snack supreme. In many respects, they are the reason for the season. And it is not just in America, by any means. In other parts of the world, too, Christmas cookies are as part of the holiday tradition as whiskey is in certain neighborhoods of Chicago. So this year, I decided to make holiday cook- ies from around the globe. To be honest, most of them come from Europe, because many of the best cookies come from there. One batch was from New Mexico, because they seemed so intriguing. And after all, New Mexico is part of the globe. I’ll start with the New Mexico cookies fi rst. They are called Biscochitos, and they are liter- ally the state cookie of New Mexico. In the Land of Enchantment (which is to say New Mexico), they are typically served for big occasions and especially for the holidays. They turned out to be every bit as delicious as I had hoped from the description: they are crispy shortbread cookies infused with the fl avors of anise and orange, and topped with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar. There is, however, one thing about them that gave me pause: Traditionally, they are made with lard. Hillary Levin//St. Louis Post-Dispatch-TNS Finnish Christmas pinwheels (Joulutorttu) I just couldn’t do it. Lard cookies somehow seem ... wrong. So instead I used shortening, which is widely recommended as the second- best fat for biscochitos. It worked great, and the cookies turned out every bit as crisp as you could want them. I next turned to Finland to make Joulutorttu, which are Finnish Christmas pinwheels with a dollop of prune jam in the middle of each one. I know: A lot of people are vaguely repelled by the idea of prune jam. But the stuff is quite good, and if you don’t want to buy it at a store, it is ridiculously easy to make yourself. Still, if the idea of prune jam leaves you feel- ing clogged, you can always use raspberry jam. In fact, I’d recommend it if that is what gets you to try Joulutorttu. These cookies begin with the softest dough I’ve ever felt. That is because they are not only made with fl our, butter and a little baking soda, but also whipped cream. Not whipping cream. Whipped cream. The dough is folded over on itself a few times, too, like puff pastry. The result is a cookie that is almost like pastry in both taste and texture, marvelously fl aky and not too sweet. And it’s all topped off with prune jam. Or raspberry, if you insist. See Cookies/Page 2B HOME PANFORTE A Tuscan Christmas the ancient date- and nut- based confection popular in Christmas in Tuscany different forms in several would not be complete Middle Eastern countries without a slice of panforte — to this day, brought back to the peppery, dried fruit and Tuscany by medieval-era nut-based spice cake born in crusaders. According to local the central Tuscan hill town lore, Sienese soldiers won the of Siena in the Middle Ages Battle of Montaperti against — served with a glass of vin their rivals, the Florentines, santo, a sweet Italian dessert in 1260, thanks in part to the wine. spiced treat, which is not only Several legendary origin packed with protein-powered stories surround panforte. energy but also travels well. Some culinary historians In Siena, the cake was believe it was inspired by once considered a cure for a lokum, aka Turkish delight, variety of ailments and was By Amy Bizzarri Chicago Tribune originally prepared by spice merchants, the pharmacists of the Middle Ages. The traditional recipe calls for 17 ingredients, one for each contrada, or neighborhood, of Siena (the same contrade that compete against one another in the palio, a pas- sionate horse race held in the heart of the city, Piazza del Campo, twice every summer since 1633, with just one pause during the two World Wars). Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune-TNS The secret to making exceptional panforte is to use high quality ingredients, including See Tuscan/Page 3B freshly ground spices; organic, farm fresh nuts and dried fruits; and a top-notch honey.
