Cooking my way through the last issue of Gourmet, second batch.

I am cooking my way through every recipe in the last Gourmet magazine, which folded last November and sent out a final issue to faithful subscribers.  In case you missed them, you can read more of why I am doing this, and the first batch of recipes I prepared.  In this batch, I finally get through that delectable and high calorie dessert section and move on to some "everyday" and "quick kitchen" dishes. 

The last two recipes in the section of elaborate and rich desserts are Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle and Fig Crostata, which is pictured to the right.  The fig crostata is like a fig newton all grown up. The fig filling is rich and subtle, the pastry flaky and delicious, and mascarpone cheese on top sets it off with a perfect creamy accent.  Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle is ethereal, a new take on the traditional trifle with autumn flavors.  I did make a change in the recipe the second time around – yes, I've already made it twice.  I whipped the pumpkin and gelatin mixture with beaters before folding in the whipped cream, to make it fluffier.  Digging into the layers of moist  gingerbread, pumpkin mousse and sweetened whipped cream is a dessert experience made in heaven.

The following recipes are all from the Quick Kitchen section, and are billed as 15 minute recipes.  Don't believe it – it takes 15 minutes just to chop up the ingredients for some of them.  Maybe if you have all your prep done ahead of time, you can cook some of these in 15 minutes.  Portugese Kale and Potato Soup took at least 15 minutes just for the cooking.  This is a nice, hearty soup for a light supper. 

Smothered Pork Chops with Mushrooms wasn't such a big hit.  I bought pork shoulder chops as the recipe called for, but even with all the braising, they were still a bit tough.  I have much better pork chop recipes, so I wouldn't make this dish again.  Again, I don't see anyone preparing this dish in the 15 minute time frame. The Apple Noodle Kugel I served for dessert made up for the subpar pork chops.  My family isn't so familiar with kugels, and the sweet apple pairing with the noodles and topped with sour cream was an unusual taste.  By the way, the kugel did not reheat well, so try to eat it all up on the first serving.

The next three recipes were in a 25 minute section, which is a much more reasonable estimate of the time it takes to pull these recipes together.  Stewed Potatoes and Green Beans with Tomatoes is a delicious vegetarian recipe, which can be served as a rather hearty side dish, or topped with a fried egg and feta cheese as the entree.  We did the cheese and egg thing, which was delicious.  Leftovers were just as good the next day. 

I'm not a huge fan of veal, but I gamely cooked the Veal Cakes on Silky Eggplant.  The eggplant lived up to its name, with a smooth and rich texture, and I think someone who liked veal would really appreciate this dish.  Spanish White Beans with Spinach turned out to be a very thick, hearty stew, which paired perfectly with homemade french bread.  It's a meatless meal packed with nutrition that can be pulled together in about half an hour, perfect for a weekday family dinner. 

I made the Cafe au Lait Puddings on the night of the Super Bowl, but decided that it would be a mistake to serve the equivalent of a strong cup of coffee with sugar and cream to my family that late at night.  Instead, I put them in the fridge overnight and we ate them for breakfast the next morning.  They are a sweet breakfast treat, even if they do tend to make teenage boys a bit silly.  If you've ever eaten Coffee Nips, these puddings taste exactly like that.  They are everything a coffee lover could want.  There are lots more recipes to go, including a couple of full Thanksgiving dinners, so stay tuned for more Gourmet meals.