Guest Blog: Apple Crisp

It amazes me how different the food cultures of cities can be. Last year my friend, and guest blogger, Naomi visited Cleveland with her family. Naomi lives in the NYC area and has a diet that very different from my own. She ensures that she eats both Kosher and vegetarian. Let’s say that eating either of those diets in Cleveland is not easy and the combination of both is next to impossible. When we discussed this, she said that she knows of five Kosher Vegetarian Indian restaurants alone in NYC. Hmmmm….I think I can find five restaurants in Cleveland with home-made pierogi and kielbasa! Here’s Naomi…

When I was in high school I was obsessed with apples. I think it started when I got braces and took to heart the instructions not to bite into apples. So every day I would chop up a Golden Delicious apple (it had to be Golden Delicious!). Then came the apple yogurt, apple Danish, apple juice, dried apples. You get the point.

I went to college, with no braces, but still a love for apples. Starting sophomore year I lived with several friends in one of those beautiful old New England houses owned by the university. We had a communal kitchen and it was there that I learned to bake from my housemate Leah.

She taught me how to make apple pie, apple sauce, baked apples and my favorite … apple crisp. She also wrote all of the recipes down for me in a small spiral notebook of index cards. This was in the days before Paprika software and smart phones.

I’ve moved on from my initial devotion to Golden Delicious. I like to create a blend of tart and sweet flavors.

My favorite crisp was made from apples I had picked myself.

When I made apple crisp recently I used Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Fuji, Braeburn, Pink Lady and Granny Smith.

Apple Crisp

INGREDIENTS

12 Cooking Apples

1 cup of flour (or matzo meal)

¾ cup granulated sugar (or brown sugar)

1 stick butter or margarine

Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

• Mix 1 cup of flour (or matzo meal for a crunchier taste) with ¾ cup of granulated sugar (though I occasionally vary it and use brown sugar).

• Take 1 stick of butter or margarine (1/2 cup) and cut chips of it into the flour/sugar mixture.  Mix thoroughly. I like to use my hands for this part until it appears crumbly.

• Add lots of cinnamon

• Peel the apples (placing in water after peeled) and then cut into pieces that can be layered.

• Place and arrange apple pieces in a baking pan (for an event I once saw someone serve home made apple crisp in small individual serving tins)

• Pour water in, filling pan ¼ inch

• Add lots of cinnamon

• Using a spoon, top with the crisp

• Bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes

• Test by placing a knife in one of the apples

• Serve warm. Optional ice cream a la mode