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Casseroles: Comfort in Pyrex
Amid the shelves cluttered with tchotchkes and the Pepto-pink paneled dining room is a scent so familiar it conjures images of Mom in her floral apron. Who knew beef and cheese were such powerful forces?
Here, at La Casa Rosa in San Juan Bautista, they have been serving California Casseroles, a take on the tamale pie, since 1935, when a gallon of gas cost a dime and a loaf of bread was 8 cents.
But the Italian polenta, fresh herbs and delicate French ramekin it is served in elevate the dish from a childhood staple to edible elegance.
“There’s something special about the flavors,” owner Charlie Shockey says. “It keeps people coming back for generations.”
Rumor has it that James Stewart and Kim Novak, who filmed scenes from Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” nearby, both dug it. You don’t have to rewind to enjoy the classic joys of casseroles, that quintessential comfort food. It’s therapy in Pyrex, soothing the soul while satisfying even the fussiest eaters.
Lately, chefs have been infusing these lovingly baked one-dish dinners with modern flair by adding fresh herbs, exotic spices and local cheeses. But that doesn’t mean you have to toss your canned soups just yet. Retro is cool, after all, especially in the hands of Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, the popular self-styled Casseroles Queen from Austin, Texas. The pair jazz up meatloaf with hoisin sauce and mandarin oranges. They give tuna noodle casserole a kick with cayenne pepper.
In “The Casseroles Queens Cookbook” (Clarkson Potter, 208 pages, $17.99), Cook and Pollock share the recipes that landed them on the Food Network’s “Throwdown With Bobby Flay” and helped launch their casseroles delivery company. The book features 100 twists on classics such as beef stroganoff and turkey tetrazzini, desserts such as Clementine Cake and brunch ideas that include a Ham and Cheese Skillet Casserole.
Experimenting is part of the fun, they say. While their recipes are designed to add flair to old favorites, the Casseroles Queen, who deliver their made-to-order casseroles in full ’50s garb, say you don’t have to toss that cream of broccoli can.
“We’re not food snobs,” Cook says. “We realize some people don’t keep fresh herbs. So we’re not going to tell people they can’t use convenience products.”
But they do encourage sophisticated touches. The creamy sauce in their delicate Seafood Lasagne Rolls with Panko Crumb Topping gets a rich, nutty flavor from the addition of sherry. Fresh parsley adds color.
“You forget it’s a casserole because it’s not just a glob,” Pollock says. “These beautiful rolls are plated so nicely it could come out of any fancy restaurant.”
Ultimately, the Casseroles Queen believe these dishes will draw busy families back to the dining table.
Erin Wade and Allison Arevalo share similar values. The focus at their Oakland restaurant, Homeroom, is macaroni and cheese, the ultimate craveable one-dish wonder. They gussy up versions with Point Reyes Original Blue cheese and Niman Ranch hot dogs. They serve seasonal veggie sides and source organic ingredients when possible.
But, after a successful year of business, they can say with confidence that even in the ingredient-conscious Bay Area, people don’t care about that stuff — at least when it comes to mac and cheese.
“They don’t care,” Wade says, a bit surprised. “They just want their mac. It’s nostalgic. Like pizza.”
Nostalgia is powerful. Executive chef Kim Alter of Oakland’s highbrow Haven has a self-proclaimed obsession with one-pot cookery. She trolls flea markets looking for vintage Le Creusets.
“You should see my house,” she says. “They’re everywhere.”
Her love affair with these one-pot wonders started on a trip to Europe. Whenever hunger struck, Alter, formerly of Napa’s Ubuntu and Los Gatos’ famed Manresa, found herself popping into pubs for warm, gooey shepherd’s pie.
To create a shepherd’s pie worthy of Haven’s technique-driven menu, Alter brined pork butt for 24 hours before grinding it and cooking it down in a traditional mirepoix and thickening it with pig’s blood. Winter spices, fried garlic pieces and creamy potatoes completed the aromatic casseroles. She’s currently experimenting with a one-pot confit chicken spiked with smoked pimenton.
Haven isn’t the only upscale restaurant to offer shepherd’s pie. Brendan Collins’ Waterloo City in Los Angeles has its own elegant take. Collins combines parsnips with the potatoes, and tops his elegant take with buttered baby vegetables. The vegetables add freshness and a dash of horseradish adds bite, he says in “Made in America: Our Best Chefs Reinvent Comfort Food” by Lucy Lean (Welcome Books, 320 pages, $45).
The convenience of casseroles allows Alter to execute high-quality fare while keeping the kitchen running smoothly — and that makes everyone happy.
“It’s the type of cooking that you remember from home,” she says. “Mom put out a platter in the middle of the table and everyone had at it.”
Casseroles, Crockpot / Slow Cooker recipes with Bill & Sheila
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