Sweet and savory Thanksgiving pies
Q: Many years ago the Sun Sentinel published a recipe from Flavors of Italy restaurant in Coral Springs for their signature appetizer. It looked like a birthday cake but was comprised of stacked layers of roasted vegetables, cold cuts and cheese separated by crepes with the bottom crepe being a zucchini crepe “iced” with a mayo-gelatin mixture, which was cut into thin cake-like slices to serve. I would love to get that recipe. — Kathleen Keleher, Oakland Park
A: We had to dig deep into the Sun Sentinel archives for Kathleen’s request. Yes, it was many years ago, 27 to be exact. The recipe was featured in “Countertalk,” written by columnist Elizabeth Rahe. At the time, owner and chef Guido Barisone was four years into his 20-year run with Flavors of Italy, now closed. Nowadays you can find him at La Nouvelle Maison (455 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, 561-338-3003, lnmbocaraton.com) as partner and general manager.
The signature appetizer, named after the restaurant, was a multilayered antipasto “pie” stacked with an assortment of Italian meats, cheeses and vegetables separated by crepes, covered with a chaud-froid (aspic/ mayo) and sliced in wedges to order.
The Flavors of Italy recipe isn’t difficult to make, just time consuming. To simplify the process, Rahe suggested substituting tortillas for the homemade crepes. This may do in a pinch, but the delicate nature of the crepes would be lost and add heaviness to an already hefty dish. Store-bought crepes are now available at most grocery stores today making the recipe less daunting.
All this talk about the savory Italian “pie” made me think about the sweet variety and what I might make for Thanksgiving. The standards were a given. I was searching for something new. When I asked Barisone what La Nouvelle’s most popular dessert is, he said without hesitation, “our classic French soufflés – truffle chocolate, Grand Marnier and bananas Foster, but a close second is our Tarte tatin.”
Knowing soufflés wouldn’t last long on a dessert table, I spoke with pastry chef Stephanie Steliga about her apple tartlettes. “This is the best time of year for this dessert when apples are at their peak,” she said. “It’s my interpretation, but not a classic Tarte tatin, with whole caramelized apples made in a cast iron pan. I layer flavors and textures of vanilla pastry cream, apple brandy compote, and cinnamon spiced fresh apples in individual vol-auvents, a puff pastry shell.”
She had me at vanilla pastry cream. Steliga’s recipe and love of pastry was inspired by her mother, Gail, also a great baker and cook. “Mom always had a cooking channel on the TV and loved to experiment with different recipes. Every holiday she would make something new for us to try.”
You may remember Steliga’s majestic Key lime pie recipe from Luff’s Fish House (390 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, 561-609-2660, luffsfishhouse.com), which we featured in March. She also makes the Black forest cake at Biergarten (309 Via De Palmas, Boca Raton, 561-395-7462, biergartenboca.com), another location in restaurateur Arturo Gismondi’s portfolio.
If you’re planning on staying out of the kitchen this holiday season, 6, 9 and 12-inch whole French apple tarts can be ordered on La Nouvelle’s online bakery at lnmbocaraton.com. A big thank you to Chef Steliga for sharing her Apple tartlette recipe and suggesting this delicious addition to traditional pumpkin and pecan pies. Happy Thanksgiving!
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