I inherited my grandmother’s massive recipe box after her death in 2007. She was a prolific cook, using her joint Serbian-Southern heritage to dazzle and inspire. I love pouring through her recipes and notes to see just how meticulous she was in the kitchen, but one card has always puzzled me:
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Cinnamon Stars Salad
6 apples
1/2 cup red cinnamon candy
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups water
Cream cheese
Chopped walnuts
Chopped celery
Mayonnaise
Pare and core apples. Cook candies and sugar in water until dissolved. Add whole apples and cook slowly until translucent, but not soft. Chill. Cut apples in sixths to within 1/2-inch of bottom. Combine cream cheese with chopped walnuts and celery, and add enough mayonnaise to moisten. Stuff apples with mixture and top with chopped nuts.
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OK. Three things confound me about this recipe. First of all, the title. The “cinnamon” and “stars” I get, but can anything with candy dissolved in sugar-water really qualify as a salad? Second, neither my mom nor her three siblings remember this dish. Third -- and perhaps strangest -- this recipe does not show up in Google. Like, anywhere. I have exhausted all efforts to locate something similar.
Are there other folks out there searching for specific enlightenment? Has anyone heard of or (better yet) eaten it? Is anyone else picturing my grandmother looking down at me with a “joke’s-on-you” expression? Someone help me out, here!
Bryan Caswell and the Key to the City
Hip hop hooray for Bryan Caswell, who was just named a Best New Chef from Food & Wine Magazine! Though Caswell may not be “new” to the Houston food scene, his impact has certainly evolved over the last year. There’s so much to like about this unassuming guy who continues to wow critics with the far reaches of his influence.
TECHNIQUE-DRIVEN
Last Saturday at REEF I firstly fell in love with the tempura soft shell. Lightly fried with a batter rich on flavor, REEF’s version is exquisite -- not mealy, which is easy to do -- underscoring Caswell’s emphasis on technical perfection. The perennial favorite crispy-skin snapper over tomato brown butter only reinforces this idea.
INVENTIVE
Caswell’s menu is stylistic without trend. The tuna bacon with sour apple appetizer explores the reaches of our palates, combining sweet, sour, and savory into a combo that somehow clicks. The jumbo lump lollipops always impress, and last summer’s beet ravioli was certainly the talk of the Web.
FOR THE PEOPLE
Thank you, Bryan, for bringing us Little Big’s, the acclaimed slider joint in Montrose! It is just what we needed: A simple menu made from quality meats and veggies, all in a space that’s casual, welcoming, and fun. But please add more heat to the crispy chicken :)
Congratulations, Chef Caswell -- We are ever-impressed, excited, and appreciative! Don't. Ever. Change.
TECHNIQUE-DRIVEN
Last Saturday at REEF I firstly fell in love with the tempura soft shell. Lightly fried with a batter rich on flavor, REEF’s version is exquisite -- not mealy, which is easy to do -- underscoring Caswell’s emphasis on technical perfection. The perennial favorite crispy-skin snapper over tomato brown butter only reinforces this idea.
INVENTIVE
Caswell’s menu is stylistic without trend. The tuna bacon with sour apple appetizer explores the reaches of our palates, combining sweet, sour, and savory into a combo that somehow clicks. The jumbo lump lollipops always impress, and last summer’s beet ravioli was certainly the talk of the Web.
FOR THE PEOPLE
Thank you, Bryan, for bringing us Little Big’s, the acclaimed slider joint in Montrose! It is just what we needed: A simple menu made from quality meats and veggies, all in a space that’s casual, welcoming, and fun. But please add more heat to the crispy chicken :)
Congratulations, Chef Caswell -- We are ever-impressed, excited, and appreciative! Don't. Ever. Change.
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