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CHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Squash and pumpkins have tough skins - and also come pureed, frozen or canned.
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Fall squash, collateral damage-free

I can't imagine how much I would have to love a man to dice kabocha squash for his dinner.

Along with "clean the squid" and "open the coconut," cooking instructions that involve reducing the size of roly-poly winter squash are easier said than done.

This is the time of year when commands such as "cut the butternut squash into 1-inch-thick slices" fall into the lives of home cooks as frequently as autumn leaves. Such recipe directions in no way hint at the battle that must be engaged to do so.

This is unfortunate, because nothing says October and November like the warmly orange and comforting dishes that may be made from these sturdy members of the gourd family.

Unlike the zucchini, a summer squash with thin and edible skin, winter varieties like the butternut, acorn, turban, Hubbard, kabocha, and pumpkin wear thick, hard suits that require considerable upper-body strength to pierce. In addition, their pulp is solid, making them more rocklike than the watermelons of summer.

The outer layer, of course, makes them much easier to buy ahead - they don't require refrigeration. And they're loaded with beta-carotene and antioxidants. But preparing winter squash for cooking is not for sissies; bravery, a sharp knife, and elbow room are necessary.

Although many people mention bagels when talking about kitchen knife mishaps, I think of squash.

A dozen years ago, I was greeted at the door by a friend whose right hand was wrapped in a kitchen towel. The kitchen looked like a crime scene, what with blood on the floor and a lovely Hubbard squash sitting on the granite countertop with a chef's knife stuck in it.

Instead of sitting around drinking cocktails, we spent the evening in the emergency room nursing her gashed hand and awaiting stitches.

We never did get to eat the soup she had planned to serve (the recipe is below). And to this day, she buys only lovely varieties of green, white, and orange-streaked squash to use whole as fall decorations for her dining-room table and fireplace mantel.

There are several ways to avoid such a fate.

The first, which is the path I favor, is to mainly make winter squash dishes that require mashed or pureed pulp.

Modern technology has given us frozen blocks of cooked and mashed butternut squash. This is generally sold in 10- or 12- ounce packages. Whoever came up with the idea to offer it, and canned pumpkin puree - with all the dirty work done - is on my list of domestic heroes.

These can be transformed quickly (and safely) into soups, pies, cookies, and more with the addition of spices and/or broth. (Note: One pound of winter squash, after cooking and mashing, yields about 1 cup. One 12-ounce package of frozen winter squash, defrosted, yields about 1½ cups.)

Also increasingly available are bagged, frozen chunks of peeled squash. And many supermarket produce sections now offer uncooked, precut fresh squash.

Many of us have no complaints about these shortcuts. But some cooks feel there's a certain sweetness and flavor that cannot be achieved unless fresh winter squash is transformed a la minute.

So, for those of you who think no pain in the kitchen is no gain, consider taking winter squash out to the woodpile to attack it with an ax, or dropping it from a tall building.

No, wait. There are other ways to go.

First - just as you might prefer to parallel park without witnesses - send everyone out of the kitchen.

Then sharpen a good chef's knife. Use a counter or tabletop that is low enough so your elbows bend only slightly as you place your hands on the table. This gives you more leverage.

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Comments   
Posted 12:27 PM, 10/31/2009
anniedolores
Joyce-Thank you for the humorous look into winter squash-I laughed out loud a few times! I have had great success microwaving acorn & spaghetti squash; in addition to a green & white one that was sweeter & creamier than acorn. Place in heavy glass dish & cover with wax paper-cook on HI 20 mins-turning every 5 minutes on all 4 sides NOTE:IT WILL BE EXTREMELY HOT!!!Use oven mitts. Place on cutting surface-slice in half stem to stern-remove seeds & fibers. Scoop out pulp & use in any recipe-can't wait to try the mac & cheese. I have "Nutty Stuffed Acorn Squash" recipe. Let me know if you would like it. Ann D 856-816-5346
Posted 08:31 AM, 11/04/2009
ratbag
Winter squash is not in my genetic culinary vocabulary, so, boy, was I shocked the first time I encountered these beasts. It's hard to believe that we're expected to handle them with our usual equipment. I just kinda figured that the next time I needed to use a winter squash, I would start by throwing it out a window onto the pavement below. But Ann D seems to have it nailed. Maybe I'll try again.
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