Brooklyn Food Salon: Apple Turnovers

I started my love affair with Brooklyn as many do, without ever having been. There's something about the accent, the whole "fugghetaboutit" thing that makes me feel like I'm in a place where people shoot straight. I love all kinds (indulge me in some obvious stereotypes...)-- the French for their aesthetic, the Southerners for their charm, but Brooklyn always seemed like a good kind of New Yorker; a real person who tells you like it is. Maybe hasn't had the financial success of the Manhattanites, but they'll get there, and they are not in no rush to do so, know what I mean?

So I'm looking for a house in Brooklyn, a town house, something modest, a la the Bunkers (yes, I know they lived in Queens, but work with me). Something more like Moonstruck, but without actually having to be in Brookyn Heights, which, though lovely, offers little except a good commute. And if your key selling point is that you're easy to leave, well then, that's just not a neighborhood for me. I prefer immobility, like Staten Island.

It's very hard to find a modest three bedroom (planning ahead) for less than a million that 1) safe, 2) within 10 blocks of a subway, and 3) in need of *major repair*. That whole thing I said in the first paragraph about Brooklynites shooting straight? Well that straight quick become savvy...and if nothing else, they've become quicksmart to the world of realty. Which is good for Brooklynites (neighborhoods continue to be increasingly wonderful neighborhoods), and tough luck for us renters looking to move on.

So the only way I can rationalize a truly wonderful investment of a space is if I use it for work purposes as well. Though when I told my realtor that I wanted my home to be a work space, he immediately said, "What, a rent by the hour plastic sheet house?" See what I mean about Brooklyn people? That said, if I was a true entrepreneur, I could see my way to a pretty penny that way.

But I remain ethical, committed to deliciousness and all that, gosh darn it, and so I'm working to earn an income doing something I believe is important -- offering superb food fun, joy, and culinary information to those who seek it. Excellence and ease in home cooking and all that.

So how can I extend that to a home business? Well, if I find the right space, I'd like to offer incredible home cooking classes in it. Standing on the shoulders of giants, of course, as Peter Kump, James Beard, and Claudia Roden have all done this before me (to name a very few). But even better, how about a night or two a week of a different type of food conversation? A product review taste test (hot dogs? potato chips? beaujolais?), or having a variety of local chefs (and local home cooks) featuring their cooking skills? Or maybe just a place to throw a bris, or a shower, because seating 35 people in your home just isn't as easy as it should be.

I think it's time for Brooklyn to have it's own food space, and since Brooklyn is such a homey spot, why not have it be part of a home?

Mull it over and let me know what you think. And in the meantime, I made these killer Apple Turnovers with a client before Thanksgiving, and we're both in love -- with them. She calls these home made pop tarts, and I'm telling you, they do not dissapoint.

Enjoy!
Allison


Apple Turnovers

2 medium granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon1 frozen puff pastry sheet (from a 17 1/4-oz package), thawed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

1. Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray, or cover with a sheet of parchment.

2. Stir together apple, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a bowl.
Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 12- by 9-inch rectangle. Cut into 6 roughly 4-inch squares. Divide apple mixture among squares, leaving a 1-inch border, and dot filling with butter. Fold each pastry into a triangle, enclosing filling, and crimp edges with a fork. Cut 2 small steam vents in top of each turnover. Brush tops lightly with egg and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake on baking sheet until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes. Cool turnovers and serve.

NOTE: Try with a peach half, and fold all four corners of the puff into the center. Secure puff well by pinching. Serve with crème fraiche. Use vanilla, or vanilla bean instead of the cinnamon.