Squash: http://www.sallys-place.com/food/columns/ferray_fiszer/squash.htm



Winter Squash
by Jeannette Ferrary & Louise Fiszer 
 

In Alexander Dumas's distinguished Grand Dictionary de Cuisine, he includes directions on how to cook an elephant. For many people, elephant cookery is less daunting than dealing with the mammoth category of winter squash. Not only do winter squashes come in quite a few major varieties, but they all differ in shape, size and color: long pale boomerang shapes, golden yellow footballs, grooved orange spheres and multi-colored turbans. There are even quarter-ton pumpkins that take blue ribbons at pumpkin festivals. But the strangest aspect of winter squashes is that, with few exceptions, they are all handled alike for cooking purposes. 

They can be baked whole and peeled for purees and soups; or cut in half, scooped of their seeds, stuffed and baked. In the Philippines, thick slices of peeled, firm squash are fried with garlic and onion. Latin Americans use the sweetest varieties in their confections. Italians use pumpkin puree as a filling for ravioli. In Japan, kabocha squash symbolizes good health and luck. Spaniards mix sugar with the pasta like strands of spaghetti squash and boil it to make a sweet called "cabello de angel." 

If a vote were taken to select the most unusual member of this large, ancient family of vegetables, the winner would probably be the spaghetti squash, the only type that calls for its own distinct cooking treatment. 

Everybody's favorite would be the one winter squash that people buy in great numbers, but may never eat. One that is prepared for the front porch with a candle inside. This Halloween favorite has been named for the occasion: some of the pumpkin types are Spooky, Triple Treat and Jack Be Little (which fits neatly on the end of a broomstick). 

 


Consumer and Cooking Guide 

Market Selection
sweet varieties include acorn, butternut, hubbard, delicata, kabocha, and sweet dumpling. Pumpkin, banana, golden acorn squash are more fibrous in texture and milder in flavor. Spaghetti squash differs from the others in that the flesh separates into strands when cooked (hence its name). Select firm, thick shelled squash. If you plan to cook pumpkins, select small ones, but not miniatures. 

Availability
peak season: September through March. 

Storage
whole squash may be stored in a cool dry place up to 2 months. Cut squash should be wrapped in plastic and stored in the refrigerator up to one week. 

Flavor Enhancers
nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, curry and sage. 

Nutritional Value
good source of vitamin A and beta carotene; 80 calories per cup 

Cooking and Handling
to make squash puree, cut squash in half and bake, cut side down in preheated 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until tender. Remove the skin and seeds, scoop out the flesh and puree.