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HEALTHYISH
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When was the last time you made
applesauce from scratch? Get
ready to break out the cinnamon
by CARLA LALLI MUSICTO CALL MY METHOD FOR
applesauce a recipe would be
an overstatement. It’s more like
I create the ideal environment
for apples to transform from a
solid to a semiliquid state without
having to peel, core, or dice them
first. Whenever I have a few extra
apples—whether they’re new
crop, an ordinary supermarket
variety, or slightly bruised,
been-around-the-crisper-drawer
specimens—I halvethem, then
toss them in a pot witha stick of
cinnamon, juice from 1 lemon,
and a scraped-out vanilla
bean or 1 tsp. of vanilla extract.
I add about ¼ cup water to get
things going, then set the flame
to medium-low, put the lid on,
and walk away. As the apples
transform, their skins surrendertannins and color to the sauce,
and the fruit steams in its own
juices, concentrating in flavor as
the liquid simmers. When I start
to smell enticing aromas, I give
it a stir to make sure nothing is
sticking, add a splash of water
if it is, then forget about it again.
After about 45 minutes total
(or however long I nap for), the
flesh will be completely yielding.
I transfer the whole batch to a
food mill, which holds back the
seeds and stems. It’s an approach
that rewards the absentminded,
lazy, thrifty chef and works with
any type of apple variety or
combination. And you can eat it
warm right when it’s done, which
is enough of a reward for cooking
from scratch. Adults like it. People
with sore throats like it. Innocent
children can be convinced it’s
a type of dessert. It’s a breakfast
food; it’s a snack. Best is that it’s
a very good excuse to buy more
apples, which I probably would
have done anyway.GIVE IT
SOME SKIN
Unpeeled apples
in your sauce lend it
flavor, fiber, and a
pretty rose tint.TOOL WE LOVE
The good thing
about a food mill
is that it catches the
seeds and purées
the flesh. Use the
medium disk.PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEX LAU. FOOD STYLING BYREBECCA JURKEVICH. PROP STYLING BY EMILY EISEN.