A Word from Bert Greene

"'Does it taste good?' is the only prerequisite for a dish's inclusion in my books. If it does not, I pass it by - no matter what vitamin valhalla is promised as my just reward. For food, like love, must never be a joyless experience." Bert Greene

Bert Greene is not well known here in Australia. He was American and he is long dead. I have just two of his cookbooks but they are two favourites, particularly Greene on Greens. And if anyone wants to search for others for Christmas presents - go ahead. The only other one I have is The Grains Cookbook. Neither of these two books is exclusively about its titular subjects - vegetables and grains, although, of course, every recipe includes some form of vegetable or grain. Each book is divided into sections on the particular vegetable or grain and each section includes, as well as a huge variety of recipes from all over the world, personal anecdotes, so that you get to know the man. These are very loosely connected in some cases to the subject in hand. They also include facts about the ingredient's history, its usage, how to choose it, store it and cook it in its most basic form - as well as the more elaborate recipes. But I hasten to add that none of the recipes are difficult and they are no fail affairs. Of course I have not tried all of them but I have tried many and a couple are now firm house favourites - Curried Winter Squash Bisque and Amish Carrot Dumplings. Two may not sound a lot but in comparison to some other books I have, it's a lot. Here's the soup recipe.

CURRIED WINTER SQUASH BISQUE

2 tbls. unsalted butter - OK, I use salted. margarine for vegans 6 whole scallions, bulbs and green tips finely chopped - OK, I use whatever onion is in my Fridge. 1 clove garlic, minced - I probably use more 1 small green pepper, seeded and finely chopped- I use Red, probably large 1/4 cup fresh parsley,plus extra for garnish -seldom use it 2 tsps. fresh basil 1 - 2 lb. butternut squash, peeled seeded and cubed - OR, buttercup squash, baked in the oven - way better 1 ham bone or 1/2 lb. chunk of smoked ham-I don't use it 1 14 oz. can of plum tomatoes 4 cups Chicken Broth, or veggie broth 1/2 tsp. ground allspice 1/4 tsp. ground mace pinch of freshly grated nutmeg 2 tsps. ground curry, choose your desired level of heat salt and pepper to taste. If you use fresh spices, it's much better! Mace is unavailable - doesn't seem to matter. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat; add scallions/onions for 2 mins. Add the garlic, green pepper, 1/4 cup of the parsley and the basil. Cook, stirring occasionally on med-low for 5 mins. Add the squash to the saucepan. Toss to coat it with the scallion mixture. Add the ham bone or meat, tomatoes, broth, allspice, mace and nutmeg. Heat to boiling, then reduce to simmer. Cover and cook 1 hour. Remove ham bone and meat.

Blend/puree the soup in small batches, being careful of the hot liquid. Add the curry, return to boil, then simmer for 10 mins., stirring frequently. Add Salt and Pepper. Garnish with parsley.

I actually pull the meat from the ham hock, shred it a bit and return it to the soup. It adds a bit of extra flavour. It's a meal in a dish - all you need is bread and salad.

Virtually all of his recipes also have a little introduction. Many of them are gleaned from friends and other sources, and he is always generous in acknowledging this. Some of them are even acknowledged in the name of the recipe. They are such readable cookbooks. Yes, I suppose they are a little bit folksy American, but this is charming. Warm is a word that was used a lot in the many obituaries that I read and warmth and home is the flavour that you get from his works. Like virtually all of my favourite cooks he takes something well-known or simple and adds a twist that makes it special.

"If Bert had one particular gift, it was making people feel comfortable with food that challenged them. They sensed his contagious enthusiasm and warmth and were encouraged to cook - the best reward for a food writer." Barbara Kafka

I think all of his books are out of print now but you still seem to be able to get some new copies of some at Amazon and there are lots of used copies out there too. So do yourself a favour and buy one.

And whilst he points out all the healthy things about the ingredients he is dealing with he is certainly not a health fanatic. He illustrates this with one of his grandmother's sayings:

'"Things that are supposed to be good for you,' I recall her saying, 'should keep the secret of their good intentions strictly to themselves!'"

To further illustrate this he recounts a story of attempting to change his unhealthy eating habits by joining a commune for a while, but it was such a joyless and tasteless experience that he left. And yes he was overweight and his death from a hear attack in his late 60s was probably, at least in part, caused by this, but just because he was overweight, you don't have to be too. He was American after all. Most of his recipes are actually pretty healthy.

“Cooking fame does not last forever. With luck, recipes do!”

Bert Greene