Book Nook: Music, cooking strike a chord
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Cooking infused with music is told through the inspirational cookbook, "Meals, Music, and Muses: Recipes From My African American Kitchen" by Alexander Smalls (Flatiron Books, $35.)
Smalls, the former chef owner of Cafe Beulah, the Cecil and three other New York City restaurants, as well as a James Beard award winner and a world-renowned opera singer, winning a Grammy and a Tony, combines both of his passions in one book.
He divides his book into chapters of food inspired by a different kind of music.
Jazz includes starters like Deviled Eggs and Deviled Crab Cakes with Spicy Creole Mayonnaise.
Spirituals has rice, pasta and grit recipes like Charleston Spicy Red Rice, Savory Chicken Bog and Macaroni Vegetable Salad.
Gospel has field greens and green things recipes like Carolina Cabbage Slaw with Roasted Sweet Corn, Stewed Okra with Corn and Tomato and Fresh Creamed Corn Garnished with Crispy Leeks.
Opera has fish and seafood recipes such as Seared Grouper with Spicy Gumbo Sauce, Frogmore Stew and Sherry She-Crab Soup.
Divas has meat and chicken main dishes like Southern Fried Chicken Plate, Citrus-Glazed Pork Loin roast with Corn Cream Sauce and Prime Rib Roast with Crawfish Onion Gravy.
Jukebox Music has bread, biscuit and muffin recipes like Buttermilk Corn Bread Biscuits, Sage Sausage Biscuits and Angel Yeast Rolls.
Serenades finishes things with Cakes, Pies and Puddings like Bourbon Pecan Pie, Southern Pound Cake and Bourbon Chocolate Praline Truffles.
I made Dunbar Pie one night for the family, which as he says in his introduction, is basically mac and cheese with a ground beef tomato sauce. And it really is – ground beef is sauteed with some spices and tomatoes, pasta is made on the side, then both go together with some cheese and bake in layers. It is very cheesy and oh so good! If you would like to try it too, the recipe follows.
And if you want music to go along with your meal, Smalls includes a playlist in the back of the book for inspiration.
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Excerpted MEALS, MUSIC, AND MUSES: Recipes From My African American Kitchen by Alexander Smalls with Veronica Chambers. Copyright ç 2020 by Alexander Smalls. Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books. All rights reserved.
Dunbar Pie
(Macaroni with Meat Sauce)
In South Carolina, we do a Dunbar pie, which is basically mac and cheese with a ground beef tomato sauce, kind of like a lasagna with beef ragu.
As a caterer, I created a concept for my clients that I called "Macaroni and Cheese Night." This was a theme party that consisted of as many as five or more different types of mac and cheese. The offerings ranged from the traditional pie to versions with spinach, shrimp and crabmeat gravy, lamb ragu, truffle and chanterelle mushrooms, and gumbo with crispy okra. It was always a hit.
Makes 6 servings
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons olive oil
11/2 pounds ground beef chuck
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
3 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup unsalted chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
3 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
In a medium stockpot, bring 8 cups water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350∂F. In a large saucepot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and season with salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking the meat into crumbles as it cooks, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Add the red pepper flakes, garlic, onion, and oregano. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, bell pepper, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, stock, and cream. Season with salt and black pepper. Bring to a light boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Stir in the parsley and mint, then stir in the pasta.
Spoon half the pasta mixture into a 3-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese, then spoon in the remaining pasta. Top with the remaining cheese.
Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is browned, 35 to 40 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
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Contact Amy Phelps at aphelps@newsandsentinel.com