We have this,” Suzen said to me. She was holding up my newly arrived copy of HOT!, the 1992 sizzler from Judith Choate.
“Had,” I said. “It was lost.”
“No, just wait.” Suzen marched off to the bookshelves. She claims she knows where every one of our two thousand cookbooks sit here in New York City. The other two thousand upstate? She hasn’t a clue.
And I won’t claim to know where every book is in either location. I gave up long ago trying to track the home bookcase and shelf of every volume. I haven’t given up search for HOT! I have spent the past few weeks going over each shelf and over again. And I failed. I don’t know where that slim, pink-covered volume can be.
And it’s October. And in October I need gingerbread, the Warm Gingerbread with Ginger Cream that is the premier recipe in this lovely book.
Judith Choate is described on Amazon as a writer, chef and pioneer in the promotion of American food. She has authored or co-authored over 100 cookbooks. I love HOT! If you are a pastry fan, then you might be interested in The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts by the French Culinary Institute and Judith Choate. She walks and writes in fine company.
HOT! is a perfect example of the style and precision that marks Judith’s work. It is a beautiful book in term of the photos and, at times, zany layout. The fonts and artwork bounce around each page as if each page is physically hot [see the example below of the Ginger Salmon Tartar].
If you enjoy heat, deep heat, then whatever course of the meal is critical to you, there are recipes here to fire your evening [or afternoon, or, heck, breakfast].
Hors d’Oeuvres and Appetizers include:
Ginger Salmon Tartar
Jalapeno Monterey Jack Rajas
Middle Eastern Spicy Walnut Spread [a classic but amplified by Judith]
Soups and Salads can continue a night of spice:
Curried Pumpkin Soup
Barbecued Chicken Salad
Szechuan Slaw
Corn Chowder with Jalapeno Corn Muffins
There is a bevy of Main Courses ranging from poultry to fish to beef to vegetarian:
Turkey Mole [ah, Thanksgiving approaches and …]
Tuna with Wasabi Hollandaise and Lotus Blossoms
Thai Sautéed Beef with Chiles, Peppers and Peanuts
Chile Cheese Strata
Side Dishes are full force chile power:
Grilled Cajun-Spiced Vegetables
Szechuan Squash
Jalapeno Jack Cheese Biscuits
When you get to Desserts, the heat does begin to mitigate:
Caramel Dumplings
Ginger Poached Oranges
Warm Gingerbread with Ginger Cream [no, unmitigated heat here]
Make that gingerbread and you will never, never forget it. I know, we all make gingerbread by opening up a cardboard box, adding water, maybe an egg, and giving a gentle stir. And some of those mixes do yield a good dessert. I don’t do that anymore. There is only one gingerbread and this is it. Yes, I’ll blog it soon.
Now that I have my second copy of HOT! Someday, I may find my first copy. If you don’t have a first or a second copy, you need to start.
HOT! is a book that will be one of your best sidekicks for the rest of your culinary life.
