Carrying a plate of chicken adobo, dancer Sean Omandam looks more like the Pied Piper than a character from “The Nutcracker” as ballerinas follow the aroma of his Philippine food, pausing to plié and check their reflections in the studio mirror.
“So we get to eat this after we shoot?” asks Janelle Cooke, whose turquoise harem pants and halter top show off a flat stomach.
In answer to the question “What do ballet dancers really eat?” six members of the cast of “The Nutcracker” have made family dishes for our story and photo shoot.
“I love food! What are you talking about?!” says Omandam, who plays the naughty little brother Fritz.
“We exercise eight hours a day. And we actually eat really healthy,” says Cooke, an “Arabian” dancer.
Full-time dancers with the Colorado Ballet rehearse all day for most of their 33-week contracts, so it should come as no surprise that ballet dancers actually do eat. “They cook a lot for each other, especially because they’re in the theater 24/7 during ‘The Nutcracker,”‘ says company manager Kristina Sablatura, who helps the dancers do everything from zipping up costumes to cooking some of their recipes for our story.
In the ballet, young Clara, perhaps suffering from indigestion after a Christmas Eve party, dreams that her toy nutcracker battles giant mice and she helps the soldiers win. The nutcracker turns into a prince and sweeps her off to the Kingdom of the Sugar Plum Fairy, where desserts come to life and dance for Clara.
The prince takes Clara home, where she stirs from the couch, not sure if it was all a dream.
For these dancers, who make dreams come true onstage, the reality is in the kitchen.
“The Nutcracker”
BALLET | Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets | Based on choreography
by Martin Fredmann, music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, costumes and scenery by José Varona | THROUGH DEC. 24 | matinees and evenings | $19-$105
| 303-837-8888, ext.2, or coloradoballet.com
RECIPES
Chandra Kuykendall’s
Light and Spicy Pumpkin Bars
Kuykendall’s mom lightened up her rich recipe so her ballerina daughter would eat these bars. It’s now a holiday tradition at her parents’ house in Parker. Makes 40 to 48 small bars.
Ingredients
BARS
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup apple juice
1 16-ounce can pumpkin
2 eggs
FROSTING
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons margarine, softened
1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2-3 teaspoons plain yogurt
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a 15-by-10-by-1-inch or 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan.
Bars: In a large bowl beat all bar ingredients on low speed until moistened and then beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Spread into baking pan.
Bake 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.
Frosting: In a medium bowl combine all frosting ingredients, adding enough yogurt for a desired spreading consistency. Beat until smooth.
Spread frosting on the cooled bars. Sprinkle with nutmeg if desired. Refrigerate to set frosting.
Wine ideas: Spiked apple cider or mulled wine would make a festive accompaniment to these spiced bars. To make mulled wine, simply take a soft, easy, affordable red wine (no need to spend more than $10) and heat it gently on the stove (don’t boil!) with some cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, sugar, quartered oranges and a hefty splash of brandy. When it’s fragrant and seasoned to your liking, ladle into mugs and serve, garnished with a cinnamon stick or candy cane. -Tara Q. Thomas
Sean Omandam’s
Chicken Adobo
This dish is a Filipino and Omandam family tradition. Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 large gloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a medium simmer. Stirring occasionally, cook until chicken is tender and most of the sauce is evaporated, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve with white rice.
Wine ideas: Beer lovers will find this a terrific dish for a spiced holiday brew (not those pumpkin ones, but the darker, drier, spicy ones); wine lovers will find a German Riesling to be just as refreshing, with the hint of sweetness that will perfectly balance the sour-salty balance of this dish. Check out Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt’s RK Riesling at $13, or Zilliken’s Butterfly version at $11. -Tara Q. Thomas
Sharon Wehner’s Pizzelles
“Grandpa Prioletti loved these cookies, which were holiday treats when he was growing up, so he bought Grandma Prioletti (who was not Italian) a pizzelle maker as a gift. The recipe is from Grandma’s Italian sister-in-law, so proportions are large enough to satisfy an Italian extended family gathering. You need a pizzelle maker, which is similar to a waffle iron, and is not as extravagant an appliance as it may seem. You can bake two embossed 5-inch cookies in 60 seconds. Pizzelles can be shaped into ice cream cones or turned into variations such as Scandinavian krumkake, French gaufrette or Chinese almond cookies.”
Ingredients
6 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons vanilla or anise
4 teaspoons baking powder
Directions
Combine ingredients in order listed. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto center of preheated pizzelle grill. Close lid and immediately clip handles together. Allow to cook until steaming stops (about 60 seconds). Remove with a fork.
When hot, pizzelles may be rolled into cylinders or shaped into cones. Allow to cool on a wire rack or towels. Dust with powdered sugar. Store in airtight container. Recipe may be halved for smaller batch.
Variation: For chocolate pizzelles, mix in 3 tablespoons cocoa and 2 tablespoons sugar.
Wine ideas: Pizzelles are delicious dunked into vin santo, a sweet, caramel-hued wine from Tuscany. Check out examples like those from Granchiaia, Villa la Selva and Capezzana. They may seem expensive at $30 or more, but the wines are so intense and sweet that a little goes a long way.-Tara Q. Thomas
Hanae Seki’s
Christmas Milk Jellies
This is a popular Japanese dessert.
Ingredients
4 1/2 ounces gelatin powder
1 1/3 cup milk, divided use
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
GARNISH
Whipped cream
Strawberries
Mint Leaves
Sugar sprinkles (optional)
Directions
Sprinkle the gelatin in 1/3 cup milk and stir until it dissolves.
Place remaining milk, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan over low heat and simmer. Add the gelatin mixture and stir 3 minutes or until gelatin is dissolved.
Pour into small glasses or cups and refrigerate until the jelly has set.
Top each glass with whipped cream, a mint leaf and half a strawberry. Add sprinkles if you wish.
Wine ideas: This delicate jelly needs a delicate wine, like a late-harvest muscat, with its floral flavors of honeyed green grapes. Mount Horrocks Cordon Cut from Australia is a consistent favorite, or try Eos “Tears of Dew,” which runs about $25 a bottle.-Tara Q. Thomas
Janelle Cooke’s Lemon Meringue Pie
Cooke’s “grammy” always made this pie when her grandchildren visited, at first from scratch and later using pie filling. We have supplied a filling recipe from The Post archives. Makes a 9-inch pie.
Ingredients
PIE SHELL
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
2-3 cups ice-cold tablespoons
FILLING
3 egg yolks
Grated rind and juice of 2 lemons
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 egg whites at room temperature
MERINGUE
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Shell: Sift flour and salt into a medium bowl. Cut in the shortening using a pastry cutter until lumps are pea-sized. Sprinkle in water, about 1 teaspoon at a time, fluffing with a fork. Add water until mixture is moistened (you might not use all of the water). Do not overmix!
Ball up dough and transfer to a lightly floured cutting board. Roll out with a floured rolling pin until just slightly larger than the 9-inch pie plate. Fold in quarters and transfer dough to the pie plate. Unfold gently and press into bottom of pie plate. Roll under the extra around the edge and crimp with your fingers. Prick bottom and sides of pastry with a fork. (Use pastry weights if you have them.) Bake about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Filling: Beat egg yolks until thick and pale. Stir in lemon rind, juice, sweetened condensed milk and salt. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into yolk mixture. Pour into shell. Bake in preheated 450-degree oven about 30 minutes.
Meringue: Beat egg whites and cream of tartar on high until foamy. Sprinkle in sugar while beating, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is shiny and peaks form. Beat in vanilla. Spoon onto top of lemon filling, spreading all the way to the edges. Make peaks with a knife or spatula. Lower heat to 400 and bake 8-12 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely (about 2 hours) and refrigerate.
Wine ideas: It’s hard to match anything to the luscious-but-airy flavors of great lemon meringue pie, but if you need a pairing, try limoncello. A specialty of southern Italy, this intense, sweet lemon liqueur is like pie in a glass. You can buy a bottle or make your own by steeping lemon peel in vodka (about 12 lemons to 1 750ml bottle) for two to three weeks, then straining it and combining the vodka with sugar syrup until it’s sweet enough for your taste. Keep it in the freezer for a refreshing accompaniment to your pie. -Tara Q. Thomas
Maria Mosina’s “Medovik” Russian Honey Cake
Medovik means “honey” in Russian. This is a traditional Russian recipe from Maria Mosina’s family in Moscow.
Ingredients
CAKE
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
4 tablespoons honey, warmed to liquefy
2/3 cup margarine or butter
5-6 cups flour
CREAM FILLING
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 cups milk
2 eggs
4 tablespoons flour
DECORATION
1/2-1 packet crushed graham crackers for coating
Ground walnuts
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, beat eggs and sugar; add baking soda and honey.
In a large saucepan, melt margarine/ butter over medium heat. Add sugar mixture and lower heat. Add the flour while mixing; be sure to get out all the lumps (the mixture will be very thick and very hard to stir). Remove from heat and cool.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Turn dough onto a floured surface. Divide dough into quarters and dip each in flour. Divide each quarter into 4 segments. Roll each segment into an 8-inch round, about 1/4-inch thick. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. Allow to cool.
Make cream filling: Over low heat, simmer sugar, milk and eggs. Slowly whisk in flour and continue to simmer until it achieves a custard-like consistency. Allow to cool.
Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Coat it with a generous spreading of cream; and continue to layer cake and cream. Coat the sides with cream and sprinkle cake with crumbs and ground walnuts.
Refrigerate 6 hours before serving.
Wine ideas: If ever there’s a reason to try a honey wine, this is it. Medovina in Niwot makes some of the most delicate meads in the U.S.; this cake would be delicious with either the semisweet Classic Mead or the honey-rich Sweet Melissa. Check them out at medovina.com. -Tara Q. Thomas
Chandra Kuykendall’s Light and Spicy Pumpkin Bars
Kuykendall’s mom lightened up her rich recipe so her ballerina daughter would eat these bars. It’s now a holiday tradition at her parents’ house in Parker. Makes 40 to 48 small bars.
Ingredients
BARS
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup apple juice
1 16-ounce can pumpkin
2 eggs
FROSTING
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons margarine, softened
1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2-3 teaspoons plain yogurt
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a 15-by-10-by-1-inch or 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan.
Bars: In a large bowl beat all bar ingredients on low speed until moistened and then beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Spread into baking pan.
Bake 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.
Frosting: In a medium bowl combine all frosting ingredients, adding enough yogurt for a desired spreading consistency. Beat until smooth.
Spread frosting on the cooled bars. Sprinkle with nutmeg if desired. Refrigerate to set frosting.
Wine ideas: Spiked apple cider or mulled wine would make a festive accompaniment to these spiced bars. To make mulled wine, simply take a soft, easy, affordable red wine (no need to spend more than $10) and heat it gently on the stove (don’t boil!) with some cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, sugar, quartered oranges and a hefty splash of brandy. When it’s fragrant and seasoned to your liking, ladle into mugs and serve, garnished with a cinnamon stick or candy cane. -Tara Q. Thomas
Sean Omandam’s Chicken Adobo
This dish is a Filipino and Omandam family tradition. Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 large gloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a medium simmer. Stirring occasionally, cook until chicken is tender and most of the sauce is evaporated, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve with white rice.
Wine ideas: Beer lovers will find this a terrific dish for a spiced holiday brew (not those pumpkin ones, but the darker, drier, spicy ones); wine lovers will find a German Riesling to be just as refreshing, with the hint of sweetness that will perfectly balance the sour-salty balance of this dish. Check out Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt’s RK Riesling at $13, or Zilliken’s Butterfly version at $11. -Tara Q. Thomas
Sharon Wehner’s Pizzelles
“Grandpa Prioletti loved these cookies, which were holiday treats when he was growing up, so he bought Grandma Prioletti (who was not Italian) a pizzelle maker as a gift. The recipe is from Grandma’s Italian sister-in-law, so proportions are large enough to satisfy an Italian extended family gathering. You need a pizzelle maker, which is similar to a waffle iron, and is not as extravagant an appliance as it may seem. You can bake two embossed 5-inch cookies in 60 seconds. Pizzelles can be shaped into ice cream cones or turned into variations such as Scandinavian krumkake, French gaufrette or Chinese almond cookies.”
Ingredients
6 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons vanilla or anise
4 teaspoons baking powder
Directions
Combine ingredients in order listed. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto center of preheated pizzelle grill. Close lid and immediately clip handles together. Allow to cook until steaming stops (about 60 seconds). Remove with a fork.
When hot, pizzelles may be rolled into cylinders or shaped into cones. Allow to cool on a wire rack or towels. Dust with powdered sugar. Store in airtight container. Recipe may be halved for smaller batch.
Variation: For chocolate pizzelles, mix in 3 tablespoons cocoa and 2 tablespoons sugar.
Wine ideas: Pizzelles are delicious dunked into vin santo, a sweet, caramel-hued wine from Tuscany. Check out examples like those from Granchiaia, Villa la Selva and Capezzana. They may seem expensive at $30 or more, but the wines are so intense and sweet that a little goes a long way.-Tara Q. Thomas
Hanae Seki’s Christmas Milk Jellies
This is a popular Japanese dessert.
Ingredients
4 1/2 ounces gelatin powder
1 1/3 cup milk, divided use
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
GARNISH
Whipped cream
Strawberries
Mint Leaves
Sugar sprinkles (optional)
Directions
Sprinkle the gelatin in 1/3 cup milk and stir until it dissolves.
Place remaining milk, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan over low heat and simmer. Add the gelatin mixture and stir 3 minutes or until gelatin is dissolved.
Pour into small glasses or cups and refrigerate until the jelly has set.
Top each glass with whipped cream, a mint leaf and half a strawberry. Add sprinkles if you wish.
Wine ideas: This delicate jelly needs a delicate wine, like a late-harvest muscat, with its floral flavors of honeyed green grapes. Mount Horrocks Cordon Cut from Australia is a consistent favorite, or try Eos “Tears of Dew,” which runs about $25 a bottle.-Tara Q. Thomas
Janelle Cooke’s Lemon Meringue Pie
Cooke’s “grammy” always made this pie when her grandchildren visited, at first from scratch and later using pie filling. We have supplied a filling recipe from The Post archives. Makes a 9-inch pie.
Ingredients
PIE SHELL
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
2-3 cups ice-cold water
FILLING
3 egg yolks
Grated rind and juice of 2 lemons
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 egg whites at room temperature
MERINGUE
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Shell: Sift flour and salt into a medium bowl. Cut in the shortening using a pastry cutter until lumps are pea-sized. Sprinkle in water, about 1 teaspoon at a time, fluffing with a fork. Add water until mixture is moistened (you might not use all of the water). Do not overmix!
Ball up dough and transfer to a lightly floured cutting board. Roll out with a floured rolling pin until just slightly larger than the 9-inch pie plate. Fold in quarters and transfer dough to the pie plate. Unfold gently and press into bottom of pie plate. Roll under the extra around the edge and crimp with your fingers. Prick bottom and sides of pastry with a fork. (Use pastry weights if you have them.) Bake about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Filling: Beat egg yolks until thick and pale. Stir in lemon rind, juice, sweetened condensed milk and salt. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into yolk mixture. Pour into shell. Bake in preheated 450-degree oven about 30 minutes.
Meringue: Beat egg whites and cream of tartar on high until foamy. Sprinkle in sugar while beating, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is shiny and peaks form. Beat in vanilla. Spoon onto top of lemon filling, spreading all the way to the edges. Make peaks with a knife or spatula. Lower heat to 400 and bake 8-12 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely (about 2 hours) and refrigerate.
Wine ideas: It’s hard to match anything to the luscious-but-airy flavors of great lemon meringue pie, but if you need a pairing, try limoncello. A specialty of southern Italy, this intense, sweet lemon liqueur is like pie in a glass. You can buy a bottle or make your own by steeping lemon peel in vodka (about 12 lemons to 1 750ml bottle) for two to three weeks, then straining it and combining the vodka with sugar syrup until it’s sweet enough for your taste. Keep it in the freezer for a refreshing accompaniment to your pie. -Tara Q. Thomas
Maria Mosina’s “Medovik” Russian Honey Cake
Medovik means “honey” in Russian. This is a traditional Russian recipe from Maria Mosina’s family in Moscow.
Ingredients
CAKE
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
4 tablespoons honey, warmed to liquefy
2/3 cup margarine or butter
5-6 cups flour
CREAM FILLING
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 cups milk
2 eggs
4 tablespoons flour
DECORATION
1/2-1 packet crushed graham crackers for coating
Ground walnuts
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, beat eggs and sugar; add baking soda and honey.
In a large saucepan, melt margarine/ butter over medium heat. Add sugar mixture and lower heat. Add the flour while mixing; be sure to get out all the lumps (the mixture will be very thick and very hard to stir). Remove from heat and cool.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Turn dough onto a floured surface. Divide dough into quarters and dip each in flour. Divide each quarter into 4 segments. Roll each segment into an 8-inch round, about 1/4-inch thick. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. Allow to cool.
Make cream filling: Over low heat, simmer sugar, milk and eggs. Slowly whisk in flour and continue to simmer until it achieves a custard-like consistency. Allow to cool.
Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Coat it with a generous spreading of cream; and continue to layer cake and cream. Coat the sides with cream and sprinkle cake with crumbs and ground walnuts.
Refrigerate 6 hours before serving.
Wine ideas: If ever there’s a reason to try a honey wine, this is it. Medovina in Niwot makes some of the most delicate meads in the U.S.; this cake would be delicious with either the semisweet Classic Mead or the honey-rich Sweet Melissa. Check them out at medovina.com. -Tara Q. Thomas
