Almost every culture has dumplings as a staple. Usually, the dumplings are stuffed with some savory ingredient or other. In our culture we have domplines (pronounced “dom-plee-ness), which are our version of dumplings, except, they are not stuffed. It’s more like deep friend dough, which is a common staple in the Caribbean. Other places have it such as in Indian cuisine where they deep fry the dough and call it poori.

In our family, domplines have been with us forever. I remember my grandmother making them for breakfast with eggs, or at lunch or dinner with codfish. They are deceptively easy to make, and quite tasty. Given below is the basic recipe for domplines. If you want to liven up the recipe even more, you can add one or two minced cloves of garlic to the dough. This will give it an extra tang (if desired).The recipe is from my first cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America (Perseus Books Group: Running Press).

DOMPLINES (Puerto Rican style dumplings)

4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup lukewarm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil for frying

1. Combine flour, baking powder and butter in a bowl.
2.Add salt to water and add to flour, a bit at a time, while mixing with a wooden spoon until it forms a doughy consistency.
3. Remove this dough to a lightly floured surface and knead continuously with hands until soft.
4. Form kneaded dough into a horseshoe shape and set aside.
5. Fill a cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet halfway with vegetable oil (usually about an inch). Heat until oil is very hot. Break off a small piece of dough and shape into a flat round patty. Drop patty into skillet and stir-fry until golden (about 5 minutes). Repeat until dough is all gone. Remove and drain on absorbent paper towels.
    Yield: about 20 dumplings
Note: If a little color is desired, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of  ground turmeric to the flour during the first step. This will render truly golden-yellow dumplings.

Halloween is upon us yet again. And the jack-o-lanterns are out. Anybody ever consider cooking those suckers? I would not recommend it. The traditional pumpkin used as a jack-o-lantern motif makes for a flavorless, insipid dish. That’s why they are used for decorations. In my culture, pumpkin are prized as bianda or cooked root plants that we use to enhance a meal. Traditionally, our favorite pumpkin dish is very simple: slice a piece of pumpkin, peel, remove seeds, and boil until tender. Then serve with olive oil and vinegar.

But I’ve experimented with pumpkin dishes and found that they make a great gratin. A gratin (pronounced grah-tan) comes from French cooking. It is a dish prepared with a brown crust. My pumpkin gratin is quick and easy to make, and it’s tasty to boot. Again, use small available commercial pumpkin, not the Halloween type or, better yet, you can use winter squash or butternut squash.

So, here goes Le gratin de Courge, as our French brethren would say. It makes a fabulous side dish or accompaniment to any meal.

PUMPKIN GRATIN

2 to 2 1/2 pound pumpkin, butternut, or other winter squash, halved, seeded, peeled, and cut
into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup olive oil
8 garlic cloves (yes, 8), finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (or pinch dried)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Toss the pumpkin or squash cubes in the flour until they are evenly coated.
3. Generously oil the bottom and sides of an ovenproof casserole, Dutch oven, or cast-iron pan (you will have some oil left over). Fill the casserole with the pumpkin or squash. Then scatter the garlic and parsley over it, and season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Sprinkle the remaining oil over the pumpkin or squash.
4. Place in oven and bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the top has formed a rich dark crust. Note that it’s not necessary to add water during cooking since the pumpkin or squash produces enough liquid on its own.
Yield: 4 servings.

Saint Patrick’s Day is here again. According to legend, Saint Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland. My father use to say use that, after hoisting a few drinks, all the snakes came back. Be it as it may, it’s time for festivity, joy, green beer, green hats and all that goes with this glorious holiday, at least on this side of the pond.

The traditional dish for Saint Paddy’s day is, of course, corned beef and cabbage. However, there is another Irish treat that I myself am partial to: Colcannon. This is a country dish that’s right up there with Irish stew and Irish soda bread; and it can be served on Saint Paddy’s day or any other day of the year. It’s a homey, delicious dish. Some would call it mashed potatoes plus. But that doesn’t do it justice. It’s far tastier and richer than ordinary mash potatoes. It goes great with a few rashes of Irish bacon or a few slices of smoked ham. Add a pint, and you’re in heaven.

COLCANNON

8 large mealy potatoes
8 small white onions, peeled
3 scallions, washed and trimmed
1 cup half and half milk
1 1/2 cups boiled, chopped Savoy cabbage
3 tablespoons melted butter
Pinch of grated or ground nutmeg
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

1. Boil potatoes, peel and mash. Place in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Put the half and half in a small pan or skillet. Add onions and scallions and cook over medium-low heat until tender. Strain, reserving liquid. Mince onions and scallions.
3. Add the onions, scallions, and the half and half liquid to the potatoes. Mix well and whip until fluffy. Add more half and half milk if needed. Stir in all other ingredients and blend well.
Yield: 6 servings.

Eggplant is one of those things that you love or hate. Either you like it or you don’t. I’m in the former category. I love eggplant; mainly for its versatility. It can be boiled, fried, baked, grilled, whatever. Most people just dip it in bread creams or flour and fry it, using egg yolks as a binder. One of the easiest way to prepare it, I’ve discovered, is to layer slices of eggplant and tomatoes in a casserole. Then pour sour cream over the layers and bake. Easy, quick and delish.

But my all time favorite eggplant dish is the one listed below. This recipe was given to me 100 years ago by an old friend. Where she got it from I don’t know. It could have been a family recipe, maybe not. All I know is that it’s the most delicious eggplant preparation I’ve ever taste. It can be served an an appetizer or an entree as is. Or you can serve it with rice. It’s Moroccan so I assume it’s got a long pedigree, and it uses items such as cilantro and cumin. And it’s a great vegetarian dish for all you vegans out there.

MOROCCAN EGGPLANT

2 eggplants (approximately 1 pound each)
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 small piece of fresh ginger (about 1-inch long), minced
1 teaspoon fresh hot pepper, minced
5 cups tightly packed cilantro leaves
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt to taste
2 lemons, thinly sliced

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prick the eggplant several times with a fork, and rub the skin of each thoroughly with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
2. Bake on oven rack for about 1 hour, or until soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
3. Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade, process 3 tablespoons of olive oil with garlic, ginger, and hot pepper until smooth. Continue processing while adding cilantro leaves, lemon juice,cumin, salt, and the remaining olive oil. Process until smooth.
4. With a pairing knife, peel the skin from each eggplant, starting from the stem end and pulling the skin downward, leaving the stem attached. Starting just below the stem and moving down, slice peeled eggplant lengthwise into three strips. (Keep attached to stem.) Lay eggplants on a platter and slightly fan out the three sections. Spoon cilantro sauce over fleshy part of eggplant. Garnish with slices of lemon.
Yield: 4 servings.