A Real HalloweenTreat: The NYT Magazine Food Section

Foodies received a real Halloween treat today - the New York Times Magazine food issue. If you haven't received or bought it yet,HALT- go no further. If you're still curious , read on.It's one of the best compiled culinary centric so far. It's truly a goodie bag filled with yummy articles.

One of the best pieces was written by Francis Lam, who wrote about radical chef, Edna Lewis.Mr. lam himself, is pretty famous, having been a judge on Top Chef masters. Chef Lewis was an amazing woman, even  without the food aspect. She was part of the Harlem Renaissance ,along with being a seamstress to Marilyn Monroe and model Doe Avedon It is  her cooking and her quest for redefining Southern cooking that is her legacy. It is the cooking of both plantation and plantation kitchen, combining African vegan cooking with the elite French cooking that Thomas Jefferson brought from France.There are also good recipes that feature poached pears and biscuits It is  the fried chicken recipe though that sounds amazing. It involves frying the pieces with a slice of country ham for more flavor along with not frying in deep fat but rather a sautéing method  in which the pieces are piled on top of each other. Brown the breasts first and then lay on  top of the sizzling legs . Doing this will let the legs cook up evenly.

One of the most colorful is the reinterpretation of those wacky Betty Crocker recipes from the Fifties. Tamar Adler wrote the accompanying article but the real credit goes to photographers Maurizio Cattalan and Pierpaolo Ferrari, Their accompanying photo shoot is trippy and Fellinisque with gilded lobsters alongside a tongue in cheek made cheeseburger pie and chicken salad in melon rings.There is also a salute to fondues, from the original Swiss to a wild variation involving British breakfast meats. On the serious side there is also the story of food historian Barbara Ketcham Wheaton interviewed by Bee Wilson.MS Wheaton ,a former librarian , has quietly compiled a database entitled "The Cook's Oracle". Her goal is to catalog every recipe ever written along with every ingredient ever used and every technique that was ever employed. There are all sorts of interesting gems in this articles, such as food trends and long forgotten cooking methods. The issue also holds sweet personal essays on food that must be read as well.

Sit back, grab a handful of leftover Halloween candy and read this issue. This is New York Times Food reporting at it's best.It's definitely a yummy treat.

Struffoli That Neopolitan Christmas Treat

Italy has brought the world timeless culinary traditions for Christmas. there's panetone and pan d'oro from Piedmont . torrone from Florence and of course the much beloved struffoli from Naples.This last is a must in Neopolitan homes, capping off a sumptuous Christmas Day dinner. It's a fun dessert for everyone from kids to adults who enjoy this treat.

Struffoli is primarily a Southern Italian pastry made mostly for Christmas and Easter. It's similar to the French croquembouche which is a tower of cream puffs. Struffoli is smaller with the shape resembling a beehive or Christmas tree.Most families just use a simple dough made from flour, water, eggs and yeast. This is left to rise and then rolled into marble sized balls. The balls are then fried in extra virgin olive oil.and left to drain, Later they are then assembled into a pyramid and then coated with a honey -lemon syrup . Once this is set. the baker usually dusts on sprinkles , almonds or silver dragees. There are struffoli variations with the addition of limoncello or G rand Marnier in the dough and then after the shape is assembled dusted only with confectioner's sugar.

Struffoli is relatively easy to make. Beginners can have fun with it, especially shaping the balls in the palm of their hands. The dough requires a little effort with just rolling out. However, unlike cookies. there's no cutting or baking not to mention elaborate decorating. The assembly can be fun and again you don't have to be a grand baker to accomplish it. If you want you can make mini mounds which are easier to handle.

Struffoli is a great holiday treat. This traditional dessert is really a snap to make and assemble. Best of all its delicious and a good way to cap off a Christmas dinner.