Q. Do you have a recipe for a grown-up version of onion soup dip? I’d like to take it to a New Year’s Eve party. The theme is retro.
A. In this recipe, from Food and Wine magazine, caramelized onions are mixed with sour cream. Don’t forget to take some potato chips.
CARAMELIZED ONION DIP
Makes 3 cups.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream, at room temperature
1/2 pound cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Potato chips, for serving
To caramelize onions: In large skillet, melt butter. Add onions. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes or until golden. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until water has evaporated. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool slightly.
To make dip: Transfer onions to cutting board. Coarsely chop. In large bowl, mix sour cream, cream cheese, parsley, onion powder and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Stir in chopped onions. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature with potato chips.
To make ahead: Onion dip can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Q. My son has a birthday coming up, and he asked me to make brownies instead of cake. Do you have a really good brownie recipe?
A. Try these dark, chewy, fudgy brownies from “Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Chocolate Desserts” (Alfred A. Knopf, 1980). They are so perfect on their own, they need no icing.
PALM BEACH BROWNIES
Makes 16 huge or 24 extra- large brownies.
8 ounces unsweetened chocolate
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
5 eggs (large or extra-large)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons dry instant espresso or other powdered (not granular) instant coffee
3-3/4 cups sugar
1 2/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
8 ounces (2 generous cups) walnut halves (optional)
To prepare oven, baking pan: Adjust rack one-third up from bottom of oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 9-by-13-by-2-inch pan as follows: Invert pan. Cover with long piece of foil. Using hands, press foil around sides and corners to shape it like pan. Remove foil. Turn pan right side up. Place shaped foil in pan. Working very carefully to avoid tearing foil, press into place in pan. Butter foil with soft or melted butter. Set aside.
To melt chocolate: Place chocolate and butter in top of large double boiler over hot water on moderate heat. (Or place chocolate and butter in heavy saucepan over very low heat, or in microwave on medium-low heat.) Heat, stirring occasionally, until chocolate and butter are melted. Stir to mix. Remove from heat. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
To mix brownies: In large bowl of electric mixer, combine eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, dry instant espresso or coffee and sugar. Beat at high speed for 10 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add cooled chocolate mixture. Beat until just mixed. Add flour. Beat until just mixed. Remove from mixer. Stir in nuts.
To bake brownies: Scrape batter into prepared pan. Smooth top. Bake, reversing pan front to back as necessary during baking to insure even baking, for 35 minutes. Cover loosely with foil during last half of baking time to prevent overbrowning. (Note: At end of 35 minutes, brownies will have thick, crisp crust, but toothpick inserted into middle will come out wet and covered with chocolate. Brownies are done; don’t bake longer.)
To unmold brownies: Remove brownies from oven. Let stand at room temperature until cool. Cover pan with rack or cookie sheet. Invert. Remove pan and foil lining. Cover with cookie sheet. Invert again, leaving brownies right side up.
To cut brownies: Refrigerate brownies overnight before cutting. Use serrated bread knife. (Note: It will be necessary to wash and dry blade several times while cutting.) If brownies were baked correctly, edges will be too dark and dry; trim 1/4-inch or as necessary from edge.
To store: Wrap brownies individually in clear plastic wrap or package in airtight container. Refrigerate and serve cold.
Q. My mother used to make pork stew that included sauerkraut. She served it with sour cream. Can you find a recipe like that?
A. In this pork stew, the sour cream is stirred into the sauerkraut right before serving. The recipe is from “America’s Best Lost Recipes” from the editors of Cook’s Country magazine (2007). They suggest serving it with spaetzle, boiled potatoes or buttered noodles.
SZEKELY GOULASH (PORK STEW WITH SAUERKRAUT)
Makes 6 servings.
2 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 large onions, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish
2 pounds sauerkraut, drained and rinsed (see shopper’s note)
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups sour cream
To brown pork: Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Pat pork dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Heat butter and oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until foaming subsides. Working in 2 batches, cook pork for 5 minutes or until browned on all sides. Transfer to plate.
To cook pork: Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot. Cook onion for 3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and paprika. Cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in pork, broth, dill, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to simmer. Cover. Transfer pot to oven. Cook for 1 1/2 hours or until meat is just tender.
To finish stew: Stir in sauerkraut and sugar. Cover. Return pot to oven. Cook for 45 minutes or until pork is fork-tender. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream.
To serve stew: Serve in individual bowls. Sprinkle each serving extra chopped dill.
Shopper’s note: Buy fresh sauerkraut or vacuum-sealed packages rather than canned or jarred cooked sauerkraut.
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