E2 EZ EE THE WASHINGTON POST.WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 , 2019
afternoon snack. I have them
ready for the upcoming holidays,
perfect to take along for Rosh
Hashanah lunch or for breaking
the fast on Yom Kippur. Just tell
the hosts you’ll be bringing pie.
[email protected]Barrow is a Washington cookbook
author; her new book, “When Pies Fly”
(Grand Central Publishing) was
released this week. She’ll join
Wednesday’s Free Range chat at
noon: live.washingtonpost.com.sible to crimp the top closed. Be
careful not to compact the potato
filling too much, as it expands
during baking and will either vol-
cano o ut of the top o r bust through
the sides.
I love to bring t hese knishes to a
party. They’re surprising, light,
crispy and satisfying. Easy to
serve as a finger food, these knish-
es will put to rest any thoughts of
the belly bombs that lurk in deli
cases. Make a double recipe and
stash some away for brunch or anwhisper thin. There is no need to
flour the counter; this oily dough
will n ot stick. I place a log of filling
near the edge of the square and
roll it up like a fat cigar, pinching
the edge to seal.
Shaping the knish is like form-
ing sausage; use a sharp knife or
scissors to snip the long cylinder
into six even pieces. Shape the
knish by lifting and pinching to-
gether the edges of the dough. I
like to leave the tops open so the
filling is exposed, but it’s also pos-flavor to stand out when sur-
rounded by dough, so use salt and
pepper liberally, and then taste.
The dough is reminiscent of
strudel dough, but is even more
elastic. It can be pulled to size like
strudel, but it’s bouncy and resis-
tant, so a rolling pin is easier. I
mark off a 12-by-12-inch space on
the counter using painters’ or
masking tape, so I can aim for the
correct size and s hape. It w ill seem
as if the dough will not fill that
space, but it will, and it will beBY CATHY BARROW
My husband has a theory:
When y ou decide to buy a new car,
everywhere you look, you see that
particular model. I don’t know if
that’s true, but I can say with
confidence that once you make a
few hundred pies, everything be-
gins to look like a pie. And that is
how I came to define a knish as a
kinda-pie, a pastry wrapped
around filling. In fact, I put em-
panadas, calzones and samosas in
the same category. It’s all pie to
me. And every iteration is deli-
cious.
The deeper my dive into pie —
using this new, expanded defini-
tion — the more I’ve come to
understand pie can b e a way to use
up extra food. What home cook
doesn’t appreciate a new and cre-
ative way to reimagine those few
ounces of leftover roast chicken, a
meager bowl of last night’s chick-
peas, or the remaining blueberries
languishing in the refrigerator?
With flaky pastry, from pie dough
to phyllo, puff pastry to strudel,
tuck in those bits and bobs and
feed the family one more time, i n a
new and reimagined form.
A knish (the K is voiced: ka-
nish) is a classic filled pastry.
While potato knishes are most
common, there are other fillings,
too, and the Internet shows a few
versions of the pastry. When I
decided to include a recipe in my
new book, “When Pies Fly” ( Grand
Central Publishing, 2019), I
searched through the cookbooks
my g randmothers passed down to
me — a Hadassah collection that
was a gift to my g reat-grandmoth-
er Agatha and “The New Settle-
ment Cook Book,” inscribed to
Mary with love from Aunt Sophie
of Yum-Yum Coffee Cake fame.
But it was in Mary’s recipe cards
that I found inspiration and a
version of the recipe printed here.
Mary was Lithuanian by birth,
and I believe this method, and
most particularly the dough, was
a product of that upbringing. A
knish recipe often calls for dough
that is both dairy- and meat-free,
avoiding butter or animal fat, and
using oil instead, which permits a
kosher household (where dairy
and meat are not mixed) to stuff
the pastry with either filling. The
recipe card had the rough o utlines
of the dough with a potato filling;
admittedly, I added some person-
al flourishes, such as fresh herbs
and creme fraiche. My grand-
mother did not know from creme
fraiche.
The dough, whisked with a
fork, comes together quickly, and
I’ve learned to love the kneading,
feeling the dough turn silky
smooth under my hands. A re-
quired one-hour rest for the
dough allows plenty o f time to stir
together the filling, particularly if
reimagining last night’s leftovers.
Here, I’ve taken mashed potatoes,
generously seasoned and studded
with fresh chives. Whatever filling
you choose, it must have a strong
Some recipes
designated as
“skinny” will
swap more-
caloric
ingredients for
ones that are less
dear, and from
my testing trials,
I can say it’s an
approach that
does not always
deserve a starred rating.
Omnivores who are intent on
health-conscious eating can
make peace with trade-offs in
lip-smacking satisfaction, but I
have yet to master the art.
Better for me to follow the
path set by Ellie Krieger, who
writes the Nourish column for
Food. She often blends those
caloric components in judicious
amounts, emphasizing other
ingredients that heighten
flavor.
That’s precisely what this
pantry-friendly recipe is about.
It calls for butter, umami-
blessed cheese and creamy
dairy, but not so much of any of
them. A tumble of fresh, finely
chopped herbs gives the dish its
essence even as it lightens the
overall effect. Sauteed garlic
and the starchy cohort of pasta
cooking water complete just
enough of a sauce to coat a
slightly thicker noodle like
fettuccine.
All the good stuff, for under
500 calories per serving.
[email protected]
Cheesy, creamy fettuccine delivers on the axiom: Everything, in moderation
His column will
return next week.TOM MCCORKLE FOR THE WASHINGTON POST; FOOD STYLING BY LISA CHERKASKY FOR THE WASHINGTON POSTCreamy Fettuccine With Garlic and Herbs
2 servings
Use any combination of herbs from the Dinner in Minutes Pantry or
your garden. I’m partial to chives, dill and parsley here.
If garlic is not your friend, you can use 2 tablespoons finely chopped
shallot instead.
Serve with a side of sliced ripe tomatoes, or grilled mushrooms and
peppers.
Adapted from “Skinny Pasta” by Julia Azzarello (Kyle Books, 2018).Ingredients
lKosher salt
l6 ounces fettuccine (may
substitute spinach fettuccine)
lOne (1-ounce) block
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
lLeaves from 6 stems parsley
(flat-leaf or curly)
lAbout 12 basil leaves (may
substitute 12 short stems
chives)
lLeaves from 2 stems thyme
(may substitute fronds from 2
large stems dill)
l1 tablespoon unsalted butter
l1 large or 2 medium cloves
garlic
l^1 / 4 cup half-and-half
l^1 / 8 teaspoon ground cardamom
(optional; may substitute small
pinch freshly grated nutmeg)
lFreshly ground black pepperSteps
lBring a pot of water to a boil
over medium-high heat. Add a
few generous pinches of salt,
then the pasta; cook according
to the package directions
(about 8 minutes), until al
dente.
lMeanwhile, grate the cheese.
Finely chop the parsley, basil
and thyme; gathering them to-gether is okay.
lMelt the butter in a deep skillet
or saute pan over medium heat.
Mince the garlic and add it to
the pan. Cook, stirring, until
fragrant and just softened, 1 to 2
minutes. Add the half-and-half
and the cardamom, if using.
Reduce the heat to medium-
low; gradually add half the grat-
ed cheese, stirring until it has
melted.
lDrain the pasta, reserving 1 cup
of its cooking water.
lAdd the pasta and chopped
herbs to the pan; toss long
enough to coat the fettuccine
and distribute the herbs evenly.
Return the pan to the stove and
cook over medium-low heat, for
about 1 minute. Add enough of
the reserved cooking water to
thin the sauce, or to create more
of it, and cook until creamy and
warmed through, about 30 sec-
onds or so.
lSeason generously with pepper,
top with the remaining cheese
and serve.
Nutrition | Per serving: 47 0 calories, 17 g
protein, 64 g carbohydrates, 14 g fat, 8 g
saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 360 mg
sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugar
Recipe tested by Bonnie S. Benwick; email
questions to [email protected]Bonnie
Benwick
DINNER IN
MINUTES
Joe Yonan
WEEKNIGHT
VEGETARIAN
FOOD To contact us: Email: [email protected] Telephone: 202-334-7575 Mail: The Washington Post, Food, 1301 K St. NW, Washington, D.C. 200 71BRING IT!
A use for leftovers isn’t pie in the sky. It’s a knish.
Classic Potato Knishes
Makes 18 knishes
The pastry dough will look odd and lumpy at first, but after a rest, it
comes together in a silky, stretchy, easy-to-roll dough. Do not
refrigerate or freeze the dough. Once cold, it is impossible to work. It is
possible to make the dough in a stand mixer using the dough hook, but
it is not necessary.
MAKE AHEAD: The dough needs to rest for 1 hour before rolling.
The filling needs at least 1 hour to cool, and may be made 1 day ahead.
Knishes may be formed and frozen for up to 3 months, before or after
baking.
From Bring It! columnist Cathy Barrow.Ingredients
For the dough
l^1 / 2 cup (120 milliliters) canola
oil, or another neutral oil
l^1 / 4 to^1 / 3 cup (60 to 80
milliliters) cool water
l1 large egg
l1 teaspoon white vinegar
l^1 / 2 teaspoon kosher salt
lScant 2^1 / 2 cups (300 grams)
flourl1 teaspoon baking powder
For the filling
l 13 / 4 pounds (800 grams) russet
potatoes (about 4 medium)
l^3 / 4 cup (180 grams) creme
fraiche or sour cream
l4 tablespoons (56 grams)
unsalted butter
l^1 / 4 cup (15 grams) snipped
chives
l^1 / 4 cup (15 grams) choppedfresh flat-leaf parsley
l1 teaspoon kosher salt
l^1 / 2 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
For the egg wash
l1 large egg
l1 tablespoon cool water
l^1 / 4 teaspoon kosher saltSteps
lMake the dough: In a medium
bowl, whisk together the oil,^1 / 4
cup water, 1 egg, the vinegar
and salt. In a large bowl, com-
bine the flour and baking pow-
der. Make a well in the dry
ingredients and pour in the
liquid ingredients. Using a
fork, stir until a rough ball is
formed. With your hands,
working in the bowl, knead the
ball of dough until smooth and
elastic, about 8 minutes. Cover
the bowl and let the dough rest
for 1 hour.lMake the filling: Preheat the
oven to 350 degrees with the
rack in the middle.
lScrub the potatoes and pierce
them with a knife in a few
places. Bake the potatoes di-
rectly on the oven rack for 55 to
60 minutes, until easily pierced
with a fork.
lRemove the potatoes from the
oven and, holding a hot potato
with a dry towel, make a verti-
cal slit across the top. Squeeze
at both ends to open the potato
and release the steam. Using a
fork, fluff the potato, then
scrape it out of the peel into a
large bowl. Repeat with the
remaining potatoes.
lAdd the creme fraiche, butter,
chives, parsley, salt and pepper
to the p otatoes and mash with a
fork, a potato masher, or a
sturdy whisk until the potatoes
are smooth and creamy. Cool
completely, at least 1 hour.lAssemble the knishes: Preheat
the oven to 375 degrees and line
a baking sheet with parchment
paper.
lKnead the dough, incorporat-
ing back into the dough any oil
that pools at the bottom of the
bowl. Divide the dough into
three pieces; cover two with
plastic wrap while working
with the first.
lRoll out one section of dough
into a whisper-thin 12-by-12-
inch square. The dough will
want to snap back, but use a
firm hand to stretch it to size.
lLeaving a border of about 1
inch, place 1 cup of the filling
along the length of the dough
in a long log. Lift the dough
edge closest to the filling and
stretch i t up and over the filling
snugly. Don’t fret if the dough
tears; just roll it up. Yo u should
have a 12-inch log of dough
filled with potato.
lPlace the log parallel to the
counter edge and use the side
of your hand to indent the roll
in 5 places, measuring for 6
knishes, each about 2 inches
long. Grasping the log, form
each knish by slightly twisting
at t he indents i n opposite d irec-
tions for 6 pudgy little knishes.
lUsing a sharp knife, scissors or
a pizza wheel, cut between each
knish. One e nd of the knish will
inevitably have more dough —
that’s the bottom. The other
end will have exposed filling.
You can either pull the dough
up and around the filling to
close the knish, pinching the
dough together, or leave it open
to expose the filling.
lWork this way to form 6 pas-
tries, setting each finished
knish on the baking sheet.
Repeat with the remaining two
pieces of dough. You should
have 18 knishes on the baking
sheet.
lIn a small bowl, lightly beat the
egg with the water and salt
until combined. B rush the sides
of the knishes with the egg
wash and bake for 30 minutes,
until deeply golden brown.
Transfer to a wire rack and let
cool slightly before serving.
Nutrition | Per knish: 220 calories, 3 g
protein, 23 g carbohydrates, 13 g fat, 5 g
saturated fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 130 mg
sodium, 1 g dietary fiber, 0 g sugar
Recipe tested by Cathy Barrow; email
questions to [email protected]TOM MCCORKLE FOR THE WASHINGTON POST; FOOD STYLING BY LISA CHERKASKY FOR THE WASHINGTON POST