A HARTE APPETITE: WITH THIS COOKIE, APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEIVING

For centuries Italians have been making a chocolate meringue cookie whimsically dubbed "Brutti Ma Buoni." The phrase means "ugly but good" and the cookie is so named because it is, if not downright unattractive, on the homely side, chunky and irregularly shaped. But it is a delicious combination of chocolate and hazelnuts that, despite its looks, is quite sophisticated in taste.

These little cookies serve as a reminder of an important principle that operates just as often in the culinary world as anywhere else: appearances can be deceiving. Some foods don't look too appetizing, but one bite and you're hooked. Conversely, others tempt you with their beauty and invariably disappoint.

This truth was driven home to me many years ago the first time I galloped through a midnight buffet on a cruise ship. Arrayed before me were dozens of gorgeous cakes, pastries, and other concoctions all made in the tradition of French haute cuisine. They were works of art. But after tireless and repeated investigation I had to conclude that no matter how beautiful a dessert may be on the outside, it's the inside that counts.

Petits fours are perfect examples of this axiom. Maybe it's because as a rule it's easier to decorate a cake which is dry than one which is moist, but most of the time in my experience the stuff underneath all that beautiful icing is, well, just plain cake. I prefer a plebeian layer cake studded with fruits and nuts, oozing with filling and covered with a coating of frosting made bumpy by nuts, raisins, or other additions. Similarly, many true delicacies are a little alarming, or worse, at first sight. I remember well a plate of eels I was once served in a tiny restaurant in Bordeaux, France. Though initially startling, especially to my dinner companions, they turned out to be the highlight of the meal. Oysters, perhaps, are the classic example of this aspect of the "brutti ma buoni" principle. As Henry Ward Beecher observed, "The exterior is not persuasive." Yet many people find them delectable. But even devotees would have to admit that Thomas Fuller was correct when he remarked, "He was a very valiant man who first ventured on eating oysters."

Of course, personal tastes play a role in all of this. As the Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius noted, "What is food to one may be fierce poison to others." Thus, Ambrose Bierce could describe custard, my wife's favorite dessert, as "a detestable substance produced by a malevolent conspiracy of the hen, the cow, and the cook."

And surely cultural values are involved too. While the Japanese prefer their fish raw, as Jose Simon reminds us, "In Mexico we have a word for sushi: bait." Likewise a true Scotsman may actually find haggis appetizing, hard as that may seem to the rest of us. On the other hand, when it comes to cajun food, a favorite of mine, a Scotsman might agree with the comedian Steve Epstein that "some of the stuff that stares out of gumbo should not be allowed out except for Halloween."

But personal preferences and cultural norms notwithstanding, the fact remains that some foods taste better than they look, some infinitely so. If you have a favorite recipe that demonstrates this principle I hope you'll send it to me. In the meantime here are some recipes that are perfect examples of the dictum, "brutti ma buoni."

Brutti Ma Buoni Al Cacao

(Ugly But Good Chocolate Cookies)

While these cookies are not as chic as Florentines, biscotti, or pizelle, they are every bit as delicious. The recipe is from the International Cookie Cookbook by Nancy Baggett.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole, unblanched hazelnuts

1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate

3 large egg whites

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon instant coffee powder

2 3/4 cups powdered sugar

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Toast nuts separately in oven at 325 degrees, stirring occasionally; set aside to cool. (Almonds should take about 6 minutes, hazelnuts about 17.) Melt chocolate and set aside to cool until barely warm. Line baking sheets with baking parchment. Remove hulls from hazelnuts and chop along with almonds. Combine egg whites, salt, and coffee powder and let stand 5 minutes. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until frothy. Increase mixer speed to high and beat until well mixed and fluffy. Continue beating gradually adding sugar, cocoa, and extracts. Beat until stiff, smooth, and glossy. Stir in melted chocolate and nuts until incorporated. Do not overmix. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets spacing 1 and 1/2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees 11-13 minutes until almost firm to touch. (Underbake for chewy cookies; overbake for crispy ones.) Let stand for 1-2 minutes, then slide parchment from baking sheets and let cookies cool completely before carefully peeling off.

Biscuits and Shiitake Mushroom Gravy

I must confess that I have an aversion to biscuits and gravy even if it is a classic dish. But this upscale version made with shiitake mushrooms and Madeira wine is appealing. It's still not pretty to look at, but with an attractive salad it could even be served for supper. The recipe is from Bon Appetit magazine.

Ingredients:

1 tube (5 ounce) refrigerator biscuits

2 tablespoons butter

12 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed, caps sliced

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) vegetable broth

1/2 cup Madeira

Directions:

Bake biscuits according to package directions. Melt butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and saute until brown and soft, about 6 minutes. Add flour and thyme and stir 1 minute. Whisk in broth, then Madeira. Boil until mixture thickens to gravy consistency, whisking occasionally, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Split open 4 biscuits (save remaining for another time) place on 2 plates, spoon gravy over. Makes 2 servings.

Mississippi Mud Cake

This cake, made in an oblong pan, is too unpretentious to ever win a beauty contest, but what it lacks in looks it more than makes up for in taste. The recipe, from Darline Kaufmann, was published in the 1974 edition of the Evangelical United Church of Christ cookbook.

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

3 sticks margarine, divided

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa, divided

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/3 cups flour

1 1/2 plus 1/3 cups coconut, divided

1 1/2 cups nuts

1 pint jar marshmallow creme

1 box powdered sugar

1/3 cup evaporated milk

Directions:

Cream together sugar, 2 sticks margarine, and 2 tablespoons cocoa. Add eggs, vanilla, flour, 1 and 1/2 cups coconut, and nuts and mix. Bake in greased and floured 9x13 pan at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. While warm, spread with marshmallow creme. When cool spread with frosting made by combining powdered sugar, 1 stick margarine, milk and remaining cocoa and coconut.

Got a recipe you'd like to share with our readers? Are you looking for a recipe for something in particular? Send your recipes and requests to A Harte Appetite, c/o The Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO., 63702-0699 or by e-mail to tharte@semovm.semo.edu.

~Tom Harte is a professor at Southeast Missouri State University and writes a food column every other week for the Southeast Missourian.