When Ugly is Beautiful
An ode to common objects. A forgotten American restaurant. A fabulous new one. And a recipe for my favorite dessert.
This morning, when I was spooning sugar out of my mother’s ancient sugar bowl, I looked down at that fiercely unattractive object and remembered that I’d once written an article about it. Hadn’t thought about it in years, but reading it now I’m happy to say it still rings true.
Richard Perry deserves to be better remembered. He was one of the important figures in the American food renaissance of the seventies and eighties, and I think I first met that genial man in 1983 at the Symposium on American cuisine in New Orleans. At the time I thought he looked a lot like a young James Beard, and I’m amazed at how closely he came to resemble the great man as he grew older.
And just look at how ahead of his time he was! Not only did he use seasonal, local products (much from his own large garden), emphasize American wines (great list!), offer vegetarian and low-salt menus as well as a tasting menu of tiny courses- but he also eliminated tipping. And this in a time when people were still smoking cigars in restaurants.
Why is he not better remembered? I suspect it’s because his eponymous restaurant was in Saint Louis, a sadly unsung food town. It is, for instance, the only American city that has had an excellent stand-alone local food publication, Sauce, for 24 years. The magazine’s motto? “Intelligent content for the food fascinated.”
Leaving Le B, Angie Mar’s small, romantic restaurant I was feeling so elated I blurted out, “Some people go to spas to feel good. I’d much rather come here.”
The meal was that good. A couple of highlights: lobster, scallops and oysters in butter/soy sauce. Angie said she invented this dish when the airline lost all the food she’d brought with her for the Cayman Cookout. “Luckily,” she said, “I’d carried the sauces in my carry-on bag, disguised as shampoo.”
This was the most astonishing concoction: layers of crab, cream and caviar that melted in the mouth. The crisp little cucumber coins cut right through the richness.
Angie’s idea of liver and onions involves foie gras, lentils and cipollini. The foie gras gives itself to the lentils, melting until the legumes have turned into an entirely new substance, all perfume and flavor with the slightest bit of crunch.
Smoked duck infused with orange. No bird ever tasted more delicious.
It’s been cold and gray for weeks here in New York. My remedy? This tart lemon confection, that brings a little sunshine into the house. It is, hands down, my favorite dessert.
TART LEMON TART
1⁄2 cup cashews (or unsalted almonds, hazelnuts or pecans)
3⁄4 cup flour
1⁄4 cup confectioners’ sugar
salt
10 tablespoons butter (divided)
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 large eggs, separated
4 large lemons
3⁄4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Begin by making a tart shell. If you have some nuts on hand—I like cashews in this crust, but unsalted almonds, hazelnuts or pecans are also excellent—carefully toast a handful, then grind them in a spice grinder or food processor with the flour, the con- fectioner’s sugar, and a pinch of salt. Put the nut mixture into a bowl and cut in 4 tablespoons of butter with two knives until it is the size of peas. Stir in the olive oil (if you’re use pecans, cut the olive oil in half), and 1 egg yolk.
Form the dough into a disk, put it between two pieces of plastic wrap, and roll it out to an 11-inch round. Press the dough gently into a 9-inch tart shell with a removable bottom, and chill for half an hour. Bake in a 400-degree oven for about 15 minutes and allow to cool on a rack.
To make the filling, grate the zest from 1 lemon. Squeeze all 4 lemons and mix the juice with the zest (you should have a cup of lemon juice). Put the lemon mixture into a heavy-bottomed non-reactive pot and whisk in the sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in 2 eggs plus 2 additional yolks.
Put the pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium high.Whisk constantly until the mixture begins to boil, then keep whisking for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth and thick.
Remove from the heat, add 6 tablespoons of butter (cut into pieces), and whisk the mixture until the butter has vanished. Spread into the tart shell and allow to cool. Put the tart in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.
Thank you for the sunshine dessert recipe and the rest of this lovely post.
The garnish of candied kumquat slices is superb. I bet recipes abound, but I haven’t seen kumquats so far this winter.
The sugar bowl is beautiful, not atrocious. And as a tribute to your beloved mother, have it re-plated. Do some research into its period in history, and perhaps you’ll gain some insight into your (lovely sounding) mother’s good taste.
One of my favorite wedding gifts is a silver plated pitcher from the Jubilee Period, signed and dated, 1927. It too is pot bellied, with ball feet, and has a single ‘arm’ handle much like your mother’s. Mine is delicately etched, and it is anything but ugly. Unfortunately I can’t attach an image. Yours may be from that era.
I’ve read everything you’ve ever written. I’m sad to say that your work has become less relevant for the disdain you show increasingly more often to your audience and even your peers. Your “word-smithing”may be clever, but it is not wise. To use a word coined by a younger generation, your snark is showing, and it is unbecoming of someone with your former stature.