"quince" news and stories

Fall is all about apples, but why not try baking with the "golden apple," quince?

Quince, a firm, chartreuse-skinned fruit that looks like a combination of an apple and a rather knobby pear, is an oft-overlooked fall fruit. Unlike apples and pears, it's too hard and astringent to eat raw, but a little TLC can transform it into a sublime autumn dessert.

Poached quince pairs perfectly with a heady blue cheese, making for a bright, crisp ending to a massive Thanksgiving dinner. Try warm quince with honey as an ice cream topping, or served with a scoop of fresh sweet cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Chocolate and Zucchini has a simple, delightful recipe for vanilla-poached quince, which would make a lovely, unusual addition to a table already loaded with pies.

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• For quince lovers out there, the coming of fall means their favorite fruit is finally available in the farmers markets. Make sure to scroll down to the end of the article to check out both sweet and savory ways to prepare quince.
  
• Baltimore finally has an all-vegan bakery, whipping up such things as oatmeal cookies and chocolate cakes. The Chocolate Layer Cake cost $40 and can serve up to 30 people.
• Marcella Hazan takes a few minutes to chat with Rob Kasper about her life, her cooking and the circuitous route she took to become the nation's foremost expert in Italian cooking.
• This week, Elizabeth Large names the Top Ten Best Crabcakes with a Fancy Twist.
• For the Baltimore-area football fan who is also a wine lover, try the 2004 Ravens Run Red.

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Martha Stewart has pages and pages of luscious fall dessert porn up right now, just in case you're looking for inspiration. They're arranged by ingredient, which is helpful. Some of the highlights:

Apples - Apple pie with cheddar crust; vanilla bean-baked apples; cranberry, apple and maple phyllo; apple-cinnamon upside down cake.

Pears - Salt-roasted pears with caramel sauce; pear pavlova; honey cake with spiced pears; saffron-scented pear upside-down cake.

Pumpkin and Sweet Potatoes - Pumpkin-swirl brownies; mini pumpkin whoopie pies; sweet potato pie with pecan topping.

Other - Concord grape sorbet; Concord grape pie; wine maker's grape cake; quince Tart Tatin; spiced cider soup with sweet potato dumplings, quince and dates.

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Living in Argentina during high school, I ate dulce de membrillo many times before I had a clue what the sugary, dark orange paste was. I later learned that membrillo is Spanish for 'quince,' and dulce de membrillo (literally, 'quince sweet') is simply a dense quince jelly.

The quince, which resembles an overgrown chartreuse pear, is a fruit native to Asia, now grown all over the world. Unlike pears, however, quince are not eaten raw (I've tried - they're sour and astringent and hard as rocks).

In Spain and Argentina, dulce de membrillo is sold by the slice from massive bricks and generally served with nutty, salty Manchego cheese or on buttered toast. I've also run across it in Israel, served for breakfast with thick, sour yogurt. Here in the US, you can find it at Spanish specialty stores, and some Hispanic markets and regular gourmet shops. It's got an interesting grainy texture and a somewhat floral, apple-like flavor. It's quite sweet - sweeter than most jams and jellies - which is why it's so good paired with cheese or plain yogurt. Try it with slices of Manchego on crackers, or slip some inside a wheel of brie and bake until gooey.