{"id":119901,"date":"2018-01-05T11:00:05","date_gmt":"2018-01-05T16:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theparisreview.org\/blog\/?p=119901"},"modified":"2018-01-05T12:08:11","modified_gmt":"2018-01-05T17:08:11","slug":"cooking-sylvia-plath","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theparisreview.org\/blog\/2018\/01\/05\/cooking-sylvia-plath\/","title":{"rendered":"Cooking with Sylvia Plath"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Valerie Stivers\u2019s<\/em>\u00a0Eat Your Words<\/a>\u00a0series,\u00a0she cooks up recipes drawn from the works of various writers.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In her diaries, Sylvia Plath (1932\u20131963) liked to boast about her \u201cdamn good\u201d lemon-meringue pie, which she was able to produce even under difficult\u00a0conditions. She once wrote\u00a0that she \u201ccooled lemon custard and crust on cold bathroom windowsill,\u201d presumably due to lack of refrigeration at a rental apartment at Smith College. Pie-making enthusiasts will know that keeping the dough cold, cold, cold<\/a>\u00a0is the<\/em> trick, and also that the fridge is pretty essential for setting a lemon curd. They will marvel, as I do, at Plath\u2019s excellent domestic skills.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Plath was committed to perfection both as a writer and as a woman of the 1950s, a work-life dilemma that still resonates with\u00a0women today. In her stories, she tends to distill the nightmarish aspects of the feminine. In \u201cMothers,\u201d for example, Esther, a character trying to fit into small-town life, cooks a giant rutabaga, which looked \u201cstorybook\u201d at the market but \u201cafter two minutes in the pressure cooker \u2026 shrank to a wan, orange mash that blacked the bottom and sides of the pot with a slick, evil-smelling liquor.\u201d Later, Esther dines at a buffet containing \u201ca startling number of cakes, all painstakingly decorated, some with cherries and nuts and some with sugar lace.\u201d There\u2019s a sense of time wasted, of an intelligent person confronted with the absurd that I, who once set off for my Manhattan office job still wearing my apron, recognize myself in.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In Plath\u2019s diaries, however, the quotidian is mostly a source of joy. She loved to eat and cooked maniacally for dinner parties. In The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath<\/em>, she calls the author of the cookbook The Joy of Cooking<\/em>, \u201cmy blessed Rombauer,\u201d and reads the book \u201clike a rare novel,\u201d full of \u201cdelectable recipes \u2026 with all the right touches of seasoning.\u201d She laments that instead of \u201cstudying Locke, for instance, or writing – – – I go make an apple pie.\u201d But the pie makes her happy.<\/p>\n

I made a breakfast mentioned in her journals of saut\u00e9ed cabbage on toast with bacon and potatoes, based on a technique found in the cabbage section of The Joy of Cooking<\/em>. That \u201cright touch\u201d of seasoning is paprika. Though Plath loved coffee (\u201cwe sipped scalding coffee, felt gray and diffuse as the wet weather\u201d), I paired the toast with her husband\u2019s preferred morning drink of\u00a0 \u201cbrandy milk.\u201d Then, influenced by the scene in the movie Sylvia<\/em> where Gwyneth Paltrow bakes all the cakes\u2014itself based on a story idea noted in Plath\u2019s diary \u2014I tried to produce \u201ca startling number\u201d of desserts. I did Plath\u2019s lemon-meringue pie and then,\u00a0through a tantalizing mention of an \u201cangel topping\u201d in her diaries, made two more curds, of lime and orange, and two curd pies with \u201cangel\u201d crusts. I also made a loaf cake with a fancy decoration of nuts and cherries.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Plath committed suicide in her kitchen in 1963, at the age of thirty, carefully taping off the room her children slept in before turning the gas on and putting her head in the oven. Her diaries are full of the fight between her \u201cgood self, that loves skies, hills, ideas, tasty meals, bright colors\u201d and the \u201cdemon [that] would murder this self.\u201d Yet as bad as it got, she always felt that \u201cdusting, washing daily dishes, talking to people who are not mad \u2026 helps.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, we cook in honor of that.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ted Hughes<\/strong>\u2019<\/strong>s Morning Brandy Milk
\n<\/strong>Makes 1 drink. <\/em><\/p>\n

1 cup milk
\n1\/4 cup brandy
\n3 tbs sugar syrup
\nnutmeg<\/p>\n

Mix all ingredients together except for the nutmeg.<\/p>\n

Add ice.<\/p>\n

Sprinkle the top with nutmeg, and serve.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Blessed Rombauer Breakfast Toast
\n<\/strong>Inspired by recipes from <\/em>The Joy of Cooking\u2019<\/em>s 1975 edition. Serves two.<\/em><\/p>\n

1 medium potato
\n1 tbs olive oil
\n2\u20134 slices of bacon, depending on size
\n1 clove of garlic, minced
\n2 cups of cabbage, shredded
\n1\/4 tsp paprika
\n2\u00a0slices of good-quality sourdough bread
\n2 eggs
\nSalt and pepper to taste<\/p>\n

Chop the potato into rough slivers, about 1\/4 inch thick and precook, either salted and tossed with olive oil in a 400\u00b0<\/b> F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or in boiling water for 5\u00a0to\u00a010 minutes until tender.<\/p>\n

While the potato is cooking, fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat.<\/p>\n

Remove bacon and drain off most of the grease, leaving about 2 tbs grease and all of the crunchy brown bits in the pan.<\/p>\n

Turn the heat to medium low, add the garlic, and stir until the raw edge is removed, about 1 minute.<\/p>\n

Add the cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally until it\u2019s wilted.<\/p>\n

Add cooked potatoes.<\/p>\n

Toss and season with paprika and salt and pepper to taste.<\/p>\n

Continue to fry on medium-low heat, 5\u00a0to\u00a010 minutes until the mixture is beginning to brown. Set aside.<\/p>\n

Toast the slices of sourdough bread.<\/p>\n

While the bread is toasting, fry two eggs until cooked on both sides but runny in the middle.<\/p>\n

Assemble the toast, layering on the cabbage-potato mixture, then bacon, then fried egg.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Marzipan-Apricot Loaf Cake, Painstakingly Decorated
\n<\/strong>Inspired by a recipe from <\/em>The Great British Bake Off: How to Bake cookbook. <\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

For the glaze: <\/strong>
\n1 cup powdered sugar
\n3 tbs milk
\n1\/2 tsp vanilla<\/p>\n

Mix all ingredients together and set aside, adding more milk if the glaze is too thick.<\/p>\n

For the topping:
\n<\/strong>Slivered almonds
\nMaraschino cherries<\/p>\n

For the cake:
\n<\/strong>1 cup of buttermilk
\n1\/3 cup salted butter, melted
\n3\/4 cup sugar
\n1 egg, beaten
\n1 tsp vanilla
\n2 tbs whiskey
\n1 tsp baking soda
\n1 1\/2 cups flour
\n1 cup of dried apricots, chopped
\n1 cup of marzipan, chopped<\/p>\n

Preheat the oven to 350.<\/p>\n

Butter a standard size loaf pan.<\/p>\n

Mix the buttermilk, butter, sugar, egg and whiskey in a large bowl.<\/p>\n

Sprinkle the baking soda over the top, then stir.<\/p>\n

Gently fold in the flour until combined, followed by the apricots and the marzipan.<\/p>\n

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 1 hour, then test. Cake is done when a tester stuck in the center comes out dry, which can take up to 90 minutes.<\/p>\n

When the cake is cool, pour on the glaze, then top with almonds and cherries.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n

Sylvia Plath<\/strong>\u2019<\/strong>s \u201cDamn Good\u201d Lemon-Meringue Pie
\n<\/strong>Adapted from <\/em>The Joy of Cooking, 1975 edition, by Irma Rombauer, and <\/em>The Cake Bible, by Rose Levy Beranbaum. Ideally, you would make the pie dough the night before and allow it to rest in the fridge overnight. <\/em><\/p>\n

1 pie crust, prebaked; I recommend the recipe<\/a>\u00a0and prebaking method<\/a> from Smitten Kitchen
\n1 cup lemon curd, preferably homemade
\n1 recipe of classic French meringue<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

For\u00a0the curd:
\n<\/strong>4 large egg yellows
\n1\/2 cup sugar
\n1\/2 cup lemon juice
\n4 tbs unsalted butter
\npinch of salt
\n2 tsp lemon zest<\/p>\n

In a coated saucepan, beat the yolks and the sugar until well blended.<\/p>\n

Stir in the remaining ingredients except the lemon zest.<\/p>\n

Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. The mixture will turn opaque and thickly coat a wooden spoon when it\u2019s ready. Do not allow the curd to boil, and briefly remove from heat, still stirring, if it begins to steam.<\/p>\n

When the curd has thickened, pour at once into a strainer and press through with the back of a spoon.<\/p>\n

Discard the residue.<\/p>\n

Add the zest and stir.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

For\u00a0the meringue:
\n<\/strong>4 large egg whites
\n1\/2 tsp cream of tartar
\n1\/2 cup sugar; use caster sugar if you have it
\n1 cup powdered sugar<\/p>\n

Using the balloon attachment of a stand mixer, beat the whites at medium-high speed until frothy.<\/p>\n

Add the cream of tartar and beat at medium speed while gradually adding 2 tbs of the sugar.<\/p>\n

When soft peaks form, add one more tbs sugar and increase the speed to high.<\/p>\n

Continue on high speed until the meringue stands up from the bowl in a stiff peak when you lift the beater.<\/p>\n

Gradually beat in the remaining sugar. Continue until the meringue is very stiff and glossy.<\/p>\n

Sift the powdered sugar over the meringue and fold in gently.<\/p>\n

To assemble: <\/strong><\/p>\n

Preheat the oven to 250.<\/p>\n

Pour the warm curd over the prebaked pie crust and smooth with a spatula.<\/p>\n

Top with meringue, making a decorative pattern with a spatula or knife.<\/p>\n

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the meringue begins to brown on top.<\/p>\n

Remove from\u00a0the oven, let cool, then chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably longer.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Chocolate-Orange Angel Pie and Lime Angel Pie
\n<\/strong>Inspired by <\/em>The Joy of Cooking, 1975 edition, by Irma Rombauer, and <\/em>The Cake Bible, by Rose Levy Beranbaum. <\/em><\/p>\n

Plath mentioned that her lemon-meringue pie is <\/em>\u201c<\/em>angel topped,<\/em>\u201d<\/em> but the only <\/em>\u201ca<\/em>ngel pie<\/em>\u201d<\/em> recipe in the Rombauer is this one, which uses meringue for the crust and is filled with a mixture of curd and whipped cream, topped with more whipped cream. The crust and curd can be made ahead of time, but the finished pie should be served shortly after assembly. The recipe provided below is for lime angel pie, with notes below on how to do the chocolate variation.<\/em><\/p>\n

1 recipe classic French meringue
\n1 recipe lime curd (1 cup)
\n2 cups heavy cream, whipped with 2 tbs sugar to make 4 cups whipped cream
\nlime zest or candied lime peel for garnish.<\/p>\n

For the French meringue: <\/strong><\/p>\n

See meringue recipe for \u201cDamn Good\u201d Lemon-Meringue Pie,<\/a> above.<\/p>\n

For the lime curd: <\/strong><\/p>\n

See the lemon curd recipe for \u201cDamn Good\u201d Lemon-Meringue Pie,<\/a>\u00a0above.<\/p>\n

Substitute lime juice and zest for the lemon juice and zest, and add 2 tbs cornstarch with the rest of the ingredients in step two to help the mixture set.<\/p>\n

For\u00a0the crust: <\/strong><\/p>\n

Preheat the oven to 200. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie dish.<\/p>\n

Spread the recipe of French meringue in an even layer along the bottom and up the sides of the dish, making a fluted rim, like a pie crust.<\/p>\n

Bake for 2 to 2 1\/2 hours until dried out and just beginning to color. If a knife inserted into the center comes out with the filling just slighly sticky, it\u2019s done.<\/p>\n

Cool completely.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

To assemble: <\/strong><\/p>\n

Take about half of the whipped cream (2 cups) and mix with the lime curd to make a lime cloud cream.<\/p>\n

Spread the cream in the baked crust.<\/p>\n

Top with the rest of the whipped cream.<\/p>\n

Garnish with grated zest or candied lime peel.<\/p>\n

Serve immediately.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Variation: To make a chocolate-orange pie, assemble as above, but using an orange cloud cream and a chocolate meringue shell, and unsweetened cocoa powder or candied orange peel to garnish.<\/em><\/p>\n

To make the orange curd, reduce the juice of an orange to 2 tbs and otherwise follow the lemon curd recipe for \u201cDamn Good\u201d Lemon-Meringue Pie,<\/a>\u00a0above.\u00a0Substitute orange juice and zest for the lemon juice and zest, and add 2 tbs of cornstarch with the rest of the ingredients in step 2 to help the mixture set.<\/em><\/p>\n

To make the chocolate meringue shell, make 1 recipe classic French meringue from\u00a0\u201cDamn Good\u201d Lemon-Meringue Pie,<\/a>\u00a0above, but whisk 2 tbs cocoa powder into the powdered sugar before folding it into the meringue. Spread the chocolate meringue in the pie dish and bake as above. Assemble as above.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Valerie Stivers is a writer based in New York.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read other installments of Eat Your Words\u00a0here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Valerie Stivers\u2019s\u00a0Eat Your Words\u00a0series,\u00a0she cooks up recipes drawn from the works of various writers.\u00a0   In her diaries, Sylvia Plath (1932\u20131963) liked to boast about her \u201cdamn good\u201d lemon-meringue pie, which she was able to produce even under difficult\u00a0conditions. She once wrote\u00a0that she \u201ccooled lemon custard and crust on cold bathroom windowsill,\u201d presumably due […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":669,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30795],"tags":[32401,31313,32405,32402,32399,32398,7481,32406,32400,7376,2704,6261,32404,12112,32403,32407],"class_list":["post-119901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-eat-your-words","tag-esther","tag-great-british-bake-off","tag-irma-rombauer","tag-johnny-panic-and-the-bible-of-dreams","tag-lemon-meringue-pie","tag-meringue","tag-mothers","tag-rose-levy-beranbaum","tag-smith-college","tag-smitten-kitchen","tag-sylvia-plath","tag-the-bell-jar","tag-the-cake-bible","tag-the-joy-of-cooking","tag-the-unabridged-journals-of-sylvia-plath","tag-valerie-stiver"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCooking with Sylvia 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