19 chef's corner NOBODY WANTS TO BE SEEN WITH A PUMPKIN One of the most iconic foods of the autumn season is the pumpkin. It’s one of our oldest food ancestors, who has been around for many centuries and recipes for pumpkin pies, stews, soups and roasts go back to the 1500s. Perhaps our love affair with the pumpkin has something to do with the fact that it is indigenous to the Western Hemisphere, it’s in the blood of our land, so to speak. According to most historical records, pumpkins were discovered by the French here in North America centuries ago, and brought back to Europe where, like many American food trends, it took off like wild fi re. With the Halloween season behind us, pumpkins are not all evil, it turns out most of them are full of Vitamin A and B, potassium, protein and iron. They are high in fi ber and low in calories, fat and sodium. This amazing fruit, yes it’s a fruit, has so much to offer and I encourage all you foodies and home cooks to experiment more with your recipes. Besides the beloved pumpkin pie on my menu at Bear, I also use all varieties of pumpkins and squashes in side and rice dishes and as snacks. Here are simple recipes that can make for a sweet or savory snack: Pumpkin Half-Moons recipe Cut the top and bottom of the pumpkin off, and then slice the entire pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds, wash and dry them and place the seeds on a baking sheet. You can season the seeds with cinnamon and nutmeg, or paprika and salt, roast at 325 degrees for about 40 minutes and then eat as a snack by snapping them the same way as sunfl ower seeds. Then: • Slice the pumpkin into wedges, same as you would a watermelon but much thinner, about 1/2 inch thick. • Place the wedges on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. • You can test if it’s done with a knife, if it goes in like butter, your pumpkin is done. • You can serve this hot or cold. You can refrigerate the baked pumpkin wedges up to fi ve days. The great thing about pumpkin is that you can make it sweet or savory depending on what you like: Sweet Pumpkin Wedges Mix a cup of shelled and toasted pumpkin seeds with cinnamon, brown sugar, and fi nish with a little honey. Spread on top of the wedges and serve. Savory Pumpkin Wedges Toast a cup of shelled pumpkin seeds in a teaspoon of butter, about a teaspoon of paprika, ground anise and caraway. Throw in a pinch of red pepper fl akes for heat spice. Spread on the wedges and drizzle with your favorite oil (try pumpkin oil). Crumble some goat cheese or blue cheese on top and serve. And here‘s a fun folklore story for all you Halloween fans: In the Ukraine, were I was born, pumpkins were believed to have superpowers of virility and hypnosis, but were also used as a tool to reject unwanted suitors. If you were in a Ukrainian village in the mid-1800s and saw a young man carrying a pumpkin, there’s a good chance he just asked somebody out and got a hard “no.” So according to folklore, families with many daughters grew large patches of pumpkins in preparation for when their daughters were ready to date. This didn’t necessarily work to kill romance, because in fear of being seen with a pumpkin during the day, most men proposed at night, under the moonlight, in a cherry grove, with a song. No one is sure why the pumpkin symbolizes rejection, but the next time you want to be nerdy, witty and subtle in your rejection, consider presenting your suitor with a pumpkin gift. Chef Natasha Pogrebinsky Executive Chef and Owner of Bear Restaurant 12-14 31st Avenue, Long Island City www.bearnyc.com CHEF NATASHA POGREBINSKY
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