A new cookbook from North Carolina chef William Dissen offers inspiration for the season of giving
When it’s time to choose a gift for the kitchen aficionado who seems to have every gadget and ingredient, where do you turn? The secret is to not overthink it. I whittled my long list of gifts down to a single item: the perfect, practical and even nonperishable treat for everyone on my list. It was gifted to me, and now I intend to spread the joy. This stroke of genius came about by pure chance because when venturing out of Louisiana, everyone appreciates a taste of our farms and fields. Then, friends will reciprocate with unexpected surprises.
In the spirit of “giving is better than receiving,” between hurricanes and holidays, I packed some lagniappe (andouille, boudin and Louisiana rice) in an insulated bag and nestled it inside my suitcase to give to a friend in West Virginia. When I forked over the goods, he asked, “How much do I owe you?” and I responded, “Nothing. It’s a gift.” Sharing the bounty of Louisiana always makes me smile, and this cache of deliciousness was a belated congratulations to my friend Chef Paul Smith, who won a James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast in June. His restaurant 1010 Bridge is one of his many projects creating a culinary buzz in “the other Charleston.”
Without missing a beat, he handed me a signed cookbook penned by his friend Chef William Dissen, also an award-winning chef. The two are like brothers. After Chef Dissen’s restaurant in North Carolina endured the wrath of Hurricane Helene, Chef Paul—his beloved moniker across the Mountain State—hosted a weeklong fundraiser featuring a three-course tasting menu, all dishes from Dissen’s hot-off-the-press cookbook Thoughtful Cooking. Diners lucky enough to secure a table or seat at the bar during that week also received a signed cookbook, and their payment was funneled directly to Dissen’s temporarily shuttered The Market Place Restaurant in Asheville.
My timing was off by a day, and even though I missed the tasting menu, I was offered a serving of the second course: Mushroom Toast with Peppered Ricotta, which my daughter and I gleefully devoured with fork and knife. Imagine an open-faced sandwich on expertly toasted sourdough, topped with a pillow of peppery ricotta and a blanket of, dare I say, mushroom gravy. The top was embellished with edible flower petals and slivers of red-rimmed radish. Here and there, a pop of pickled ramps added a subtle tang to the earthy delicacy, a sourdough canvas-turned-showstopping starter course.
My love for West Virginia runs as deep as the New River Gorge, and I cherish every visit back. This one was short and sweet, and on my flight back to BTR, I immersed myself in the cookbook that was an unexpected gift souvenir. I noted the recipes I planned to make, beginning with Foraged Mushroom Toast. Who knew there was an art to toasting a slab of sourdough or that a half cup of bourbon deglazing a skillet full of mushrooms was flavor magic? I also discovered so many parallels of seasonal abundance to Louisiana, including oysters, shrimp, okra and everything citrus. The accompanying photographs make you want to savor every page.
My copy of this new book is already stained, and I bought a stack of copies ready to share with my cooking friends. For me, the holidays are all about giving. How appropriate that in the garden of my workplace is a quote from St. Francis: “For it is in the giving that we receive.”
Happy holidays and happy cooking!
Sourdough Toasts
Source the best sourdough boule you can get your hands on. Slice it an inch thick and toast as directed.
1 sourdough boule, sliced ¾-1 in. thick (8 slices for 8 servings)
1 Tbsp. canola or avocado oil
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Coarse salt for sprinkling
Preheat oven broiler with a rack in top-shelf position. Lay bread slices out in a single layer onto a rimmed baking sheet. Combine canola and olive oil in a small bowl, brush top of each slice with blended oil, and sprinkle with salt. Place under broiler until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes, watching closely. The goal is darkened edges and lightly crisped golden centers. Remove each to a plate for topping.
Peppered Ricotta and Topping the Toasts
1 cup fresh ricotta
¾ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
Sliced radishes, edible flowers, pickled onions,
chopped herbs for garnish
Combine ricotta with pepper and scoop about 2 Tbsp. onto each toast. Top each with a cascade of mushroom ragout and garnish to make it your own. Serve immediately.
Makes 8 servings.
Mushroom Ragout
In lieu of foraged mushrooms, button, shiitake or portobello will also be delicious. Louisiana has bountiful mushrooms at farmers’ markets and woodlands rich with edible varieties (a fun outing with an expert).
2 Tbsp. canola or avocado oil
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 lb. mixed mushrooms, rinsed/wiped clean of debris
and diced
4 medium shallots, sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly shaved
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus extra to taste
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
½ cup bourbon
½ cup vegetable stock
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup chopped herbs (parsley, chives and basil are nice)
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat canola and olive oil in large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add mushrooms and shallots, and cook until they begin to caramelize, about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic, salt and red pepper flakes, cook until aromatic, about 1-2 minutes.
Deglaze pan with bourbon and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid reduces to a glaze, about 1 minute. Add vegetable stock and reduce again until just a shimmer of liquid remains. Reduce heat to medium. Add butter, herbs, and pepper, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
Kumquat Marmalade
“Smoked Turkey Legs with Kumquat Glaze” caught my eye. Until I fire up my smoker, I’m happy with little jars of this delightful kumquat marmalade (with thanks to my neighbor for sharing his kumquat crop). It is a perfect topping for toast and makes a great gift on its own.
1 lb. kumquats, rinsed, quartered and seeds removed
2½ cups sugar
1½ cups water
Zest from 1 lemon
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 whole star anise
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
Place quartered kumquats in bowl of a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped, about 4 or 5 times. Transfer to a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add sugar, water, lemon zest and juice, thyme, star anise and cayenne. Stir to combine. Cover pan and allow fruit to macerate at room temperature for 2 hours.
Uncover saucepan and heat mixture over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until temperature reaches 215 degrees, about 40 minutes. Remove thyme and star anise after 20 minutes of cooking. Divide marmalade into sterilized glass jars and cool to room temperature before covering and refrigerating for up to 6 months, or process by canning in a hot water bath.
Makes about 4 1-cup jars.
*Recipes adapted from Thoughtful Cooking: Recipes Rooted in the New South by William Stark Dissen.
