The Catskill Chronicle

By Jude Waterston

One morning under a clear blue summer sky my sister, Janet, and I were sitting at the picnic table on the back porch having a breakfast of warm popovers with blackberry preserves; scrambled eggs mixed with chives, flat-leaf parsley and grated sheep’s milk pecorino romana cheese; and oven-roasted Yukon gold potatoes with fresh rosemary. Janet eats her spuds liberally salted, but I like a dip in ketchup so I had filled a little glass ramekin with Heinz’s best and placed it by the side of my plate. We were playing Scrabble as we ate and as I was contemplating a move a chunky tri-colored beagle clamored onto the table, dashed past, and licked my ketchup bowl clean. He was thus christened “Ketchup” and his visit was the beginning of our sharing our food (whether willingly or not) with a cast of country-dwelling critters so unlike their finicky, delicate city counterparts. They’ll eat virtually anything that drops at their feet.

For many years we were weekend babysitters for the loveliest chocolate brown hound. When we met Zuzite she was just a pup but could easily down a small deer or catch a possum between her sharp teeth. Once I watched in horror as she discovered a rabbit’s lair in our front yard and proceeded to systematically remove and devour five miniscule bunnies in the matter of minutes. Naturally, trying to call her off was a futile attempt, the laws of nature of very clear.

Zuzite enjoyed human food as well. We never fed her at the table, but she waited patiently, though expectantly, at a near distance while we ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At the conclusion of a meal the leftovers were scraped onto a plate and placed by her water bowl. She sampled everything from quiche to pasta to grilled fish and everything in between. A favorite treat was mid-afternoon coffee ice cream that we often had on the front porch after lunch on hot summer afternoons. Zuzite was given her own portion in the same size bowls as ours, but she always gobbled it down, just like an animal, then turned to us pining for the soupy remains of our dishes. These she would attack contentedly, the light-weight bowls sliding across the porch as she licked them perfectly clean.

I made only one food faux pas in all the years we cared for her. I had prepared a big bowl of vinegary potato salad with a tarragon dressing. There was plenty left over and I presented her with a bowl. She ate the bowl clean, but a few hours later it became evident that the sourness of French sherry vinegar wasn’t quite the thing for a dog and she threw up quite a few times, leaving little white mounds of barely chewed potato flecked with green around the house.

Over the years we have had many dogs visit our house. David’s mutt, Kumba, is a somewhat spoiled animal who has been brought up in a less than strict household. If I didn’t know better I would think she had her own place at David’s dining room table complete with placemat and personal water bowl, if not wine glass. She certainly is permitted onto his table and is not averse to helping herself to any morsels from his plate that she fancies. She has been to many intimate dinner parties at our place. These always begin with cocktails and an assortment of hors d’oeuvres. Kumba takes a quick study of the contents of the low-lying coffee table and, at an alarming rate, before any of us can grab her collar, makes her way through small dishes of smoked oysters and pickled herring; wooden boards laden with creamy Italian tallegio cheese and wedges of brie, and any number of exotic delectables not normally destined for canines.

Another friend’s dogs benefit from leftovers whenever we see them. Once, I mistakenly overcooked a couple of gorgeous bone-in pork chops and after dutifully picking at them awhile Janet and I spent the rest of lunch concentrating on the side dishes of oven-roasted green beans with freshly grated lemon rind, sautéed apples, and a spicy Asian-inspired coleslaw. Then off we drove around the corner to Marci’s house where Chloe and Duke were basking in the sun. As we emerged from the car they made a bee line for us, wanting to be pet and kissed and perhaps noting the Tupperware in my hand. “Sit!” we commanded, then Janet and I took turns feeding the pups the meat while Marci looked on bemusedly from her porch door. “Hey, I like pork too!” she called out, but by then our hands had been licked clean.

A few weeks ago, on a balmy night, we were once again on the back porch, this time having dinner. It had been so hot during the day that we could think of nothing more desirable to dine on than huge fresh salads. I’d done a take on horiataiki salata, a rustic Greek salad. I tossed romaine lettuce, juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, roasted red peppers, sliced red onion, kalamata olives, and crumbly feta cheese in a lemony vinaigrette laced with oregano and sumac. We  were enjoying our refreshing dinner, accompanied by a crisp and fruity white wine, when suddenly a small black and white cat ascended the steps and leapt onto the picnic table. In utter surprise, we watched as he stuck his face in Janet’s salad and nibbled furiously on a chunk of feta. “No!” Janet yelled while scooping him into her arms and giving him the mixed message of cooing over him immediately after a reprimand. Cookie (named for the big black and white iced bakery cookies of our youth) has now become a regular at our place. He shows up every weekend soon after we arrive. We set out some dry cat food and are trying not to fall deeply in love and to decide how to find this outdoor kitty a home. Until then, I’m thinking of making the little man a pate in the shape of a mouse. Naturally, I’ll use Fancy Feast’s tender beef and liver in gravy. He gobbled that up last weekend straight out of the can.

Classic Popovers

Makes 6 – 8 large popovers

I use a traditional six-cup popover pan, but I have heard good results can be had with a muffin pan, though they will be smaller in size. Use one with twelve cups. It is important to heat either pan in the oven for about 5 minutes before proceeding with the recipe. This recipe will make a little more batter than you’ll need. Discard any extra.

4 large eggs

1 ½ cups whole milk

½ cup water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (plus more for greasing pan)

1 ½ cups plus 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

Put a rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter popover or muffin cups and place in oven to heat through. Whisk together eggs, milk, and water in a medium bowl. Add the 2 tablespoons of melted butter, whisking. Add flour and salt and whisk until batter is well combined but still slightly lumpy. Remove pan from oven with mitts and place on stovetop. Divide batter amount popover or muffin cups, filling each ¾ full. Bake until puffed and pale golden, about 40 minutes. With a small sharp knife, cut a ½ inch slit in top of each popover to allow steam to escape. Continue baking until golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Serve immediately with butter or jam.

Thai Slaw with Spicy Vinaigrette

Serves 4

½ medium jicama, skinned and cut into matchsticks

½ small red cabbage

2 large carrots, skinned, cut into thirds, then cut into matchsticks

½ hot-house English cucumber or 2 Kirby cucumbers

1 orange, yellow, or red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into matchsticks

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

For the vinaigrette:

1/8 cup rice wine vinegar

1/8 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons water

¼ – ½ teaspoon Asian chili garlic sauce (available at Asian markets or through Kaluystan’s in Manhattan by mail order)

Slice the cabbage as thinly as possible. If using English cucumber, cut it width-wise into two 3-4-inch pieces. Using a vegetable peeler, slice off some strips of skin, leaving some skin intact. For Kirby cucumbers, snip off both ends and slice off some peel as with the English cucumber. One at time stand the cucumber chunks up and, rotating, cut off a long slice of cucumber without cutting into the seeds. Discard the center core of seeds and slice the cucumber into matchsticks. Place the prepared jicima, cabbage, carrots, and cucumbers in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the wine vinegar, sugar, salt, water, and chili garlic sauce. Stir until sugar dissolves. Pour the vinaigrette over the slaw. Add the cilantro and mint and toss well. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, tossing once or twice. Remove from refrigerator when ready to serve, taste for seasoning and serve.