The idea for The Comfort of Apples came to the authors (professional caterers by trade) when, after an afternoon spent picking apples at a local orchard, they looked at each other and wondered, "What do we DO with them?" Anyone who lives in an apple-growing region can relate. With the abundance of apples filling farmer's markets, supermarket produce sections, and orchards every fall, it is a rare soul who doesn't wind up with a veritable bounty of apple varieties filling their larder for at least several months out of the year. Many cooks don't realize that apples have infinite cooking applications beyonds sauces, crisps, and pies: They can be julienned raw in a salad; poached whole in wine; dried or fresh as a garnish for cocktails or as a canape base; simmered into a compote; used in cider form as a deglazing or braising liquid; fermented into warm drinks; juiced and reduced into a glaze; and the list goes on.
