AN EDGAR ALLAN POE GOTHIC FEAST
“The wine sparkled in his eyes and the bells jingled. My own fancy grew warm with the Medoc. We had passed through walls of piled bones, with casks and puncheons intermingling, into the inmost recesses of the catacombs.”
-Edgar Allan Poe, The Cask of Amontillado
Step into the pages of Edgar Allan Poe and you enter a dark and shadowy realm, one in which the hairs along your neck and spine remain upright, your flesh persists in a constant state of chills, your pulse quickens and deadens, your breathing shallows, and the uneasy pit in your stomach grows stronger with each passing syllable. Never has another author been as effective at eliciting a corporeal response from his readers than Poe. From his word choice to his characterization, he is a master of mystery, expertly crafting the most spectral of atmospheres.
It was Poe who initiated my wicked obsession with the macabre. In fact, his ghostly tales stirred within my youth a delightful fascination with gothic fiction, dark mythology and occult literature that has only fortified with age. My affinity for ghastly content is broad, indeed – scary novels, haunted houses and hayrides, ghost stories by the campfire, midnight graveyard tours, horror films in pitch black rooms, and the most frequent indulgence of them all – supernatural television shows. It will come as no surprise, then, that each year I await Halloween with bated breath. Vampires, werewolves, ghosts, zombies, monsters – you name it, I’m in. And it’s all Poe’s fault.
Poe is and will always remain in my highest regard among the Romantics. While his most popular and commercialized works tend to be The Raven or The Fall of the House of Usher, my personal favorite among his short stories is The Cask of Amontillado. If you haven’t read it yet, you simply must. I believe it to be a true showing of his literary virtuosity.
The simplest of plots, the obscurest of motives, an arcane narrator of questionable veracity, a vengeful story told shrewdly – just over 2,000 words – and yet all components meticulously converge to produce the most deliciously diabolical story. And what’s most interesting about it? He crafted it in response to his literary rival, Thomas Dunn English, who had parodied him in one of his novels. Poe’s draconian theme of revenge in this story takes on a whole new level of subversion when read in this light.
Only two characters are involved in The Cask of Amontillado. There is the modest and insidious Montresor, whose perfidy knows no limits, and the pompous and impetuous Fortunato, whose bravado is ill-boding. They are, of course, a pair of opposites. Every line of dialogue drips judiciously with irony and symbolism.
As in all of Poe’s works, the setting is highly effective and crucial to the tale. Set in a nondescript Italian town during the Carnival festivities, when the streets above are filled with merriment and debauchery, the story takes the two men lower and lower below the city into the catacombs. The dank walls covered in asphyxiating nitre, the foul air, the damp cold, the piles of bones, both men are surrounded by death and darkness as they descend deeper and deeper into the recesses of the crypts.
At the center of this web of deceit is a cask of wine – Amontillado - a rare sherry from Spain. As a wine enthusiast, I find it greatly amusing that Poe uses wine as both an object of entrapment and a source of nourishment. Fortunato blasphemously gulps down bottles of Medoc and De Grave to ward off the ill effects of the nitre. But it is the prospect of tasting Amontillado that lures him farther and farther into the vaults and right into the machinations of Montresor. Far be it from a connoisseur to pass up the chance of earning bragging rights for tasting a rare vintage! I won’t give away any further details of the plot except to say that the motto on the Montresor family crest says it all: “Nemo me impune lacessit.” No one attacks me with impunity!
In true Edgar Allan Poe style, this gothic feast is heavily inspired by wine. Every one of these dishes has wine incorporated in it. From chianti to sherry to a dry white wine - this is a feast for the vinophiles. It’s the kind of meal I can imagine eating on Halloween night in a dark wine cellar lit by candles as the ominous sound of organ music wafts in the air. Cook it with impunity, if you dare!
ROASTED RED BEET SALAD WITH CRISPY GOAT CHEESE & SHERRY VINAIGRETTE
Ingredients (serves 4):
3 large red beets, washed
5-ounce log of goat cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup sherry wine
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 shallot, peeled and diced
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400˚. Remove leafy stems and roots from beets, wash and wrap with aluminum foil. Place on baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes until tender. Remove beets from oven and let cool. Once cooled, peel skin from beets and slice into thin discs. Set aside. Place ¼ cup olive oil and almond flour into two separate small bowls. Cut goat cheese log into 6-7 discs. Use a spoon to dip goat cheese discs into olive oil, then almond flour, and tap away excess flour. Set coated goat cheese discs on plate and chill in fridge for 15 minutes. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in nonstick pan and sauté goat cheese logs on one side for 5 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook on other side until golden brown. Place discs in fridge to firm back up a little. Meanwhile, whisk together in bowl ¼ cup olive oil, sherry, balsamic vinegar, shallots and salt and pepper. Assemble beets on serving platter, drizzle with sherry vinaigrette and top with goat cheese fritters. This recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.
CHIANTI BRAISED SHORT RIBS (For the Hunters)
Ingredients (serves 2):
4 short ribs (about 1.5-2 lbs)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 can beef broth
1 cup chianti
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 bay leaves
½ tsp tomato paste
2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, peeled and diced
½ onion, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
4-5 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
1/2 cup pearl onions, frozen
1/2 cup mushrooms, quartered
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325˚. Heat olive oil in large oven-proof pan. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Brown ribs in pan on all sides - get a good dark color on them. Transfer ribs to plate. Add celery, carrots and onions to pan and sauté for 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to pan and sauté 2-3 minutes. Add chianti and beef broth to pan, bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer ribs back to pan, bone side down, cover with aluminum foil and place in oven for 3 hours (check and spoon sauce over ribs every hour). During the last 15 minutes of cooking time for the ribs, heat olive oil in separate pan and sauté pearl onions and mushrooms, seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove ribs from oven. Strain braising liquid into onion/mushroom pan, simmer and reduce for 10 minutes, skimming fat off the top. Transfer ribs to platter and pour sauce over ribs. Garnish with fresh parsley, if you'd like.
CHIANTI BRAISED EGGPLANT (For the Gatherers)
Ingredients (serves 2):
2 Italian eggplant, halved
1 can veggie broth
Rest of ingredients are the same as short ribs recipe above
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325˚. Fill large bowl halfway full of cool water, add 1 tablespoon of salt. Cut stems off eggplants and halve them lengthwise. Put eggplant in bowl of water and place another bowl on top to keep them submerged (soaking will remove any bitterness). Meanwhile, sauté carrots, celery and onion in large oven-proof pan for 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to pan and sauté 2-3 minutes. Add chianti and veggie broth to pan, bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Place eggplant in pan, flesh side up, spoon some liquid/veggies over top, cover with aluminum foil and place in oven for 2 hours (check and spoon sauce over eggplant every hour). Remove eggplant from oven, transfer to plate and spoon sauce/veggies over top. Optional: serve with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. *This recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. Leftovers are great cubed up and tossed with pasta.
ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SAGE RISOTTO
Ingredients (serves 4):
1 butternut squash
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups brown rice*
½ cup dry white wine
4-5 cups veggie broth
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 large shallot, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 fresh sage leaves, minced
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400˚. Peel or cut pale skin off squash with peeler or sharp knife. Cut stem and end off squash and halve it lengthwise down the center. Scoop out seeds with large spoon. Cut squash into 1-inch cubes and transfer to lined baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over squash, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 25-30 minutes or until soft. Set aside squash.
Heat veggie broth in large pot. Melt butter in large pot and sauté shallots on medium low heat until tender. Add garlic and sage and sauté for 1 minute. Add brown rice and stir to coat with butter; sauté 1 minute. Add white wine and cook for 2 minutes. Use a ladle to add 2 full ladles of broth to rice. Reduce to simmer, stirring rice until broth is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Continue adding broth 2 ladles at a time, stirring rice every few minutes. When mixture seems dry, keep adding more broth until rice is cooked (but not overcooked), approximately 30 minutes total.
Turn heat off, stir in butternut squash and parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Microwave a few sage leaves for 2 minutes and garnish risotto with crispy sage, if you'd like. *This recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. I like to use brown rice and cut the butter in half to keep things a bit healthier, but you can certainly use traditional Arborio rice and double the butter if you prefer. Follow this easy Martha Stewart tutorial for cutting the squash.
BLACK FOREST BROWNIES WITH CHERRY-CHIANTI COMPOTE
Ingredients (16 brownies):
1 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
4 ounces baking chocolate (100% cacao)
7 pitted dates
3 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 tsp stevia
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cup cherries, pitted (fresh or thawed frozen cherries)
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup chianti
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 can coconut milk (13.6 oz)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚. In large bowl, mix together almond flour, salt and baking soda. Break up chocolate into pieces and add to food processor; pulse until ground and powdery. Add dates to food processor and pulse until ground together with chocolate. Add eggs and pulse together. Combine chocolate mixture, coconut oil, stevia, and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract with the dry ingredients, stirring until smooth (mixture will be very thick). With a spatula, transfer mixture to 8 x 8 baking dish and bake for 18-22 minutes. Set aside brownies and let cool.
Meanwhile, heat cherries, honey, cinnamon, and chianti in saucepan; mash up some of the cherries with back of fork; stir and simmer for 10-15 minutes; set aside. Open cold can of coconut milk, scoop out half (reserve other half in storage container in fridge), add to bowl, add 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract and whisk together until combined and thick. Serve brownies on individual plates, each topped with a spoonful of cherry compote and dollop of whipped cream, garnished with a whole cherry.*The brownie recipe and whipped cream (not the compote) are gluten-free/paleo - we don't follow the paleo diet, just trying to stick with healthier carbs whenever possible. Brownies adapted from Elana's Pantry; whipped cream adapted from Paleo30DayChallenge.
NOTES ON PREPARATION:
Every dish will require oven time, so it’s best to plan out the cooking sequence. First, if using frozen cherries for the brownies, set out on counter to thaw. Also, if using paleo whipped cream, shake up can of coconut milk and place in fridge. Next, I recommend starting with roasting the beets and butternut squash at the same time. Preheat oven to 400˚. Prepare squash and beets per recipe instructions and roast on two separate baking sheets, squash for 40 minutes, beets for an hour. Set aside beets and squash when done.
Next, turn down oven to 350˚ and make the brownies according to recipe; set aside when done to cool. Next, prepare the short ribs and eggplant according to directions. Finally, make the risotto during the last 30 minutes of short ribs/eggplant cooking time. Keep short ribs, eggplant and risotto warm in the oven. Prepare the crispy goat cheese and assemble salad with the beets according to recipe. Serve beet salad first. Serve short ribs, eggplant and risotto together. Prepare cherry compote and whipped cream according to directions and serve with brownies.