Arts & Entertainment

All About Apples, Apple Pie, The Best Pie Crust Ever, And The Pink Pearl (With Video)

Amy Traverso, the author of The Apple Lover's Cookbook, shares her secrets with us.

Empire used to be my favorite apple.

But that was before I had a bite of Amy Traverso's Apple Dumplings with Cider-Rum Sauce, made with Pink Pearl apples. The Pink Pearl is a little homely on the outside, as Amy will tell you. But the delicious, firm, sweet-tart flesh has a delicate pinkish hue that made it look like there was a little sunset going on in my bowl.

That was just one of several revelations Amy shared with us, when she visited R. J. Julia Booksellers in Madison recently to talk about her new book, The Apple Lover's Cookbook. She brought the freshly baked apple dumplings, several varieties of heirloom and exotic apples to sample, and her mom and dad, who helped Amy serve her goodies. They then looked on proudly as we raved about Amy's cooking and her new book.

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Calville Blanc, Roxbury Russets, and Ashmead's Kernel

In addition to the Pink Pearl, we learned about Calville Blanc d'Hiver apples, a firm-tart variety, perfect for rich, baked desserts, which hails from France and was a chance seedling from the late 1600's; Roxbury Russets, also a firm-tart variety, which has its roots in Roxbury, MA and is believed by some to be one of the oldest cultivars in the United States; and Ashmead's Kernel, another one of Amy's favorites, a firm-tart variety that originated in England in the 1700's, with a flavor that someone Wednsday night described as like "honey stirred into champagne."

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Jocelyn Ruggiero, a food writer and blogger who came to the talk at R. J. Julia, said she loves many things about Amy's new book, including the recipe for apple-stuffed pork loin, and apple-stuffed biscuits. But one of her favorite things about the book is an easy-to-read chart that lists a wealth of apples and categories them by firm-tart, firm-sweet, tender-tart, or tender-sweet.

Jocelyn, who blogs on http://foodiefatale.com/, said she took a picture of the chart on her cell phone and refers to it when she goes apple shopping, so that she can pick the right kind of apple for the recipe she plans to make.The firm-tart are good for rich, baked desserts; the firm-sweet are best for lighter baked desserts; and the tender-tart and tender-sweet for fresh preparations, sauces and eating out of hand.

Best place for heirloom varieties in Connecticut?

Before the night was over, Jocelyn was talking with food writer Lee White, who also attended, about embarking on a hunt for heirloom apple varieties in Connecticut or nearby.

One great source for heirlooms in Connecticut is the 18th Century Purity Farms, which has more than 88 varieties available. They sell their apples at the Hall Homestead in Plainfield Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Call first to make sure they are open and to see what's currently available, at 860-564-8733 or 860-564-2154. The 18th Century Purity Farms at the Hall Homestead, is located at 156 Plainfield Pike Road (exit 88 off 395), Plainfield, CT, 06374. Varieties on the shelves as of Thursday included Esopus Spitzenburg, Northern Spy, Roxbury Russet, Calville Blanc d'Hiver, Winter Banana, Westfield Seek-No-Further, Newtown Pippin, and many, many more, including some that are almost extinct, says Jo-Ann Desrochers, who owns the farm with her husband.

Best apple pies often made up of a variety of apples

Alas, no Pink Pearl, but the wide variety of apples available are sure to keep any apple lover who loves to cook busy for some time. Amy says the best apple pies are often made up of a variety of apples, and many of the varieties available at 18th Century Purity Farms are ideal for baking.

Amy said that some of the more exotic varieties also can be obtained by mail order, and she provides sources in the book. But, if you want to be sure the apple you're using is fresh, she said, your best bet is to buy local.

Stayman Winesap and Jonagolds available at Bishop's Orchards

To help with that, John Wackman, who organized the event for R. J. Julia, gave out discount coupons to nearby Bishop Orchards at 1355 Boston Post Road in Guilford, which currently has Stayman Winesap apples, a firm-tart variety ideal for cooking, and Jonagold's, which is excellent eaten out of hand. People who like Honeycrisps will like Jonagolds, the folks at Bishop's say. And the Stayman Winesaps also are great for salads, since they don't brown quickly, Amy says.

To find out more about the cookbook, and to check out some recipes, visit The Apple Lover's Cookbook webpage at http://appleloverscookbook.com/. You can also follow Amy on Twitter @amytraverso. If you want to buy the book, R. J. Julia has several signed copies left, as of early Thursday. Or you can buy it online.


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