Apres-ski> Warm, hearty supper fare required after a long day on the cold slopes

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My skiing life began in the early 1960s in central New Hampshire, on the cusp of the White Mountains. Our family’s 1871 colonial home, surrounded by snowy foothills, was only three miles from the closest ski area.

When the roads were covered with mounds of snow and the buses couldn’t run to take us to school, someone always managed to negotiate my father’s International truck up the mountainside road to Tenney Ski area. Our famiy had season passes, and every time we skied, our father would track the cost as if we had bought a lift ticket. One year, my brother and I skied enough to pay for five season passes.

On Saturdays, our ski outing was a family affair. In the morning, we would pack our lunches while my mother prepared a pot of baked beans for supper. The quarters we had earned during the week from shoveling snow were tucked in our pockets for steamy cups of hot cocoa between runs. By 9 a.m., with our leather lace-up boots secured in wooden skis with cable bindings, we jostled in line for rides up the lift.

The bunny slope and rope tow were short-lived as we conquered the T-bar and chairlift. Fearlessly we swooped down the tree-lined trails, stopping only for quick warm-ups and sustenance. I remember feeling quite cosmopolitan eating tangy, fruit-flavored yogurt, a food discovery introduced to me by the ski resort owner’s son.

In the 1970s, while in college, my soon-to-be husband and several friends would rent a ski chalet for the season at Squaw Mountain. On Friday afternoons when classes were over, we would drive in caravans to the mountain. We would ski all day and return to the chalet and party all night.

Chocolate was our energy food, and I learned to savor the differences between bittersweet and semisweet chocolate.

My husband and I still love to ski. But at this point in our life, swim meets and other family demands make it impossible to make the trek to the mountains as frequently as we’d like. Usually, we escape for a few days in March, while the snows are still deep and the days are getting longer. After an invigorating day on the slopes, we like hearty fare that refreshes our culinary souls. After eating, we adjourn to relax in front of the fire and savor the memories of the day.

The supper-after-skiing menu is an easygoing meal that can be assembled in advance. With a little prior preparation, the hors d’ouevres course can be ready just moments after the crowd returns from the slopes. The zesty flavors of the sesame cumin pita chips whet the appetite. The intense flavors of smoky and hot permeate the earthiness of chilly bean soup. A divine chocolate dessert, three chocolate pate, completes the spirited day.

Supper After Skiing Menu Sesame Cumin Pita Chips Carrot and Celery Sticks with Dip Chilly Bean Soup with Sour Cream Topping Skillet Corn Bread Three Chocolate Pate with Raspberry Sauce

Action Plan

Before going to the slopes:

1. Buy carrot and celery sticks and dip.

2. Make pita chips and store in sealed container.

3. Make chilly bean soup.

4. Make skillet corn bread mix.

5. Make three chocolate pate and raspberry sauce.

After skiing on the slopes:

1. Turn oven to 375 degrees F and put soup into oven.

2. Spread pita chips on cookie sheet and bake. Set out veggies and dip.

3. Mix and bake skillet corn bread.

4. Enjoy supper and the fire!

Sesame cumin pita chips

Four 6-inch pita pockets

2 tablespoons Oriental sesame oil

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin

Salt to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together oils and cumin. Split the pita pockets and brush the oil mixture on the rough side. Cut each round into 3/4-inch triangles. Triangles may be stored in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator for several days. To bake, spread triangles on cookie sheet and bake until golden and crispy in preheated 375-degree F oven, about 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and more cumin to taste.

Chilly bean soup

1 pound pinto beans

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

1 teaspoon each thyme, marjoram and celery salt

6 cups boiling water

2 cups salsa

2 dried smoked jalapenos, chopped fine

Sour cream for topping

Wash and sort beans. Cover with water and soak overnight.

Drain and empty beans into crockpot. Add water, onion, garlic, salt and herbs. Cook on low heat until beans are just tender, about 3 hours.

Drain beans. Remove three cups of beans and mash with food processor.

Add mashed beans, salsa and dried chiles to beans in pot. Cook for 1 hour or more to blend flavors. Serve topped with sour cream.

Use gloves when handling chilis, which are available in the produce section of your supermarket.

Skillet corn bread

For the dry mix:

1 cup flour

1 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

For the liquid mix:

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 cup sunflower oil

Whisk dry ingredients in bowl and store in sealable plastic bag. Whisk liquid ingredients in bowl and store in jar in refrigerator.

To prepare, mix dry and liquid ingredients in a medium bowl. Spoon batter in greased skillet pan or bread pan. Bake in preheated 400-degree F oven until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Three chocolate pate

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate

8 ounces white chocolate

12 ounces semisweet chocolate

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

3/4 cup heavy cream, divided

Grease an 8 1/4-by-3-inch loaf pan.

Melt bittersweet chocolate in double-boiler or in microwave on low heat. Whisk in 2 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Spread in bottom of greased pan. Chill to set in freezer.

Melt white chocolate. Whisk in 2 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Spread over bittersweet chocolate in loaf pan. Chill to set.

Melt semisweet chocolate. Whisk in 2 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Spread over white chocolate in loaf pan. Chill to set.

Unmold pate from pan by setting in pan of warm water. Wrap pate tightly and store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve small slices at room temperature with raspberry sauce.

Raspberry sauce

In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Stir in one 10-ounce package of frozen raspberries, thawed. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly, and cook about 1 minute. Cool, press through sieve to remove seeds.