Rick Podowski's Favorite Food--Donuts

At the end of Murder Before the Bell, Rick penned an essay on his favorite food. 

There are only two types of American donut eaters. The Neanderthal drives up to the local convenience store, goes over to the coffee machine and fills his Styrofoam cup with the artificially prepared cappuccino mix, and buys the first donut he sees. He grabs a donut off the counter, pays, runs to his truck and as he stuffs the treat in his mouth, the crumbs fall on his dirty T-shirt. The other type of American who truly understands the significance of donuts, engages in a three-step process to true ecstasy-mental vision, sensual delight, and reflection.

First, he envisions the type of donut he desires. Is it going to be a light sweet donut from Krispy Kreme or a heavy cake donut from Manley's? One word of caution, if the vision is one of a low fat donut from the boxes at Safeway, then the donut eater is in need of serious therapy. After envisioning the type of donut desired, the next step is to drive to the donut shop. I should add that under no circumstances should serious donut eater buy one from a convenience store and certainly not from the Central High School cafeteria.

Visual

The minute you enter a donut shop the sight of all the donuts overwhelm your visual sense and then the sense of smell kicks in as delicacies such as cake donuts covered with milk chocolate, maple bars bursting with custard, and apple fritters swathed with sugar toppings emit odors that pass through the air to your nose. Pick your favorite kind.

Sensual

The next step in this process is to pour a cup of black coffee in a paper or ceramic cup and to introduce a splash of cream. Lattes, cappuccinos, espressos, and specialty drinks are to be avoided since they destroy the flavor of the donuts.

Reflection

Finally, sit down and raise the donut to the mouth, and take a small bite. While chewing, reflect on the flavors of the topping, the texture of the donut, and the aroma. The true donut eater will remain in a state of ecstasy until finished. 
As Homer Simpson once said, "Donuts. Is there anything they can't do?"

Rick Podowski and the Hefty Trio a group of four middle-aged overweight high school English teachers fight to save their friend accused of murdering the school principal. The story begins when Rick arrives at Central High School and sees the administration building engulfed in flames. Later, the police discover the charred body of the principal and as the police start to gather evidence to frame the acting principal, Rick and the Hefty Trio start their own inquiry. They discover that their friend and the principal are both involved in illegal activities with a former South Vietnamese Colonel who runs a language school on the campus every Sunday. The community loves the Colonel and is unaware that he owns a house of prostitution in the neighborhood and employs a local Mexican gang for security. A rival gang wants part of the action. The excitement continues as Rick and the Hefty Trio while working to solve the mystery indulge in gourmet Mexican, Irish, Italian and Polish dishes from their ethnic heritages, paired with unique wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains of California.

The "Skinny" on Rick Podowski and The Hefty Trio

This blog is dedicated to publishing the recipes and wine pairings enjoyed by Rick Podowski and The Hefty Trio that are found in the five books of the mystery series. Exactly who are these people and how did they get such a stupid name?

The words, "English Literature and Composition" strike fear in the hearts of most students. At Central High School in San Jose, California the students have been blessed with four teachers that like to crack jokes and have a good time in the classroom. During the faculty scholarship fundraiser two years earlier, they had performed a parody of "Dawn", a Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons song. It was "Central, You're Too Thin For Me." Rick Podowski and the Hefty Trio had become an instant hit, and the group’s name had stuck.

The four had worked together teaching English for over twenty-five years and each one of them knew that keeping a sense of humor was the only way to survive. When they had started working together all of them had been thin, athletic, and single. Over the years, marriage and children had contributed to the weight gain and since, now that nights of hard drinking and dancing were in the past, all that was left was eating--their common bond.

Rick Podowski is not very tall and is upset because for some strange reason his suits keep shrinking, especially around the midsection. He knew, however, that in spite of the physical changes, the group still had the same dedication and love of teaching that had been present when they first met. Each of them is deeply involved in informal counseling, extracurricular activities and in making sure that each student obtains all the success of which they are capable. In terms of their relationship, each offers a different perspective. 

Leti Rios, a short, round-faced, second generation Mexican-American woman is extremely loyal to Rick and willing to do anything he asks.

Erin McGinty is the most imposing with long straight red hair, pasty white skin, and a large frame that made her look plump rather than obese. She is independent, and always ready to start trouble. 

Teresa Spinelli on the other hand is the Italian grandmother type--short, broad hips and a big smile. And the peacemaker when she is not competing with Erin and Leti to become the center of attention. The four of them are loyal to each other and they work together.

Roasted Asparagus and
Red Onion Quesadillas

Throughout the five novels Rick and the Hefty Trio indulge in some absolutely delicious Polish, Mexican, Irish, and Italian dinners pairing with boutique wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains. Recipes and information (including Internet sales) about the wineries and their owners are included in the books.

Italian Eggplant Rotini

Fans of Rick Podowski and the Hefty Trio will follow the recipes in the back of the books to make a pot of Bigos (hunter's stew) or an Irish Egg, Bacon, and Leek Pie, and then sit down with a bottle or two of a Burrell School Syrah or a bottle of River Run Vintners Cote D' Aromas to enjoy reading and discussing the novels.

Polish Nut Strudel

Irish Egg, Bacon,
and Leek Pie

Leti's Mexican Flan

The recipe for Leti's Mexican Flan can be found in Death of a Foster Child . This fifth book in the Rick Podowski and The Hefty Trio series explores the guilt felt when the foster placement of a teenage girl in the home of Rick Podowski and his wife failed.  To complicate matters, the foster child was brutally murdered and the authorities have accused her of selling drugs on the school campus and by implication asserted that the foster parents allowed this behavior.  Rick Podowski with the help of Leti Ramos, Erin McGinty and Teresa Spinelli, also know as The Hefty Trio, investigate what really happened.

In the process of investigating, they discover the world of drug sales on the high school campus, the underlying challenges facing students in a gang infested school, as well as the difficulties faced by special education students. The reader will experience the frustrations of foster parents when faced with a system that is designed to keep the children dependent. Suggestions to improve foster care and move the children towards independence are provided at the end of the book.  

Leti's Mexican Flan

Flan is a traditional Mexican dessert and there are many versions. Leti makes this one because it is easy to prepare.  If you don't have ramekins, you can use a glass pie plate.  There may be some custard left over and you can make a second flan.

1 1/2 cups sugar

6 large eggs

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

2 13 ounces cans evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. You will need 6 ramekins and a large baking pan to put them in. Pour 1 cup of sugar in a warm pan over medium heat. Constantly stir sugar until it browns and becomes caramel. 

Quickly pour approximately 2-3 tablespoons of the caramel in each ramekin, tilting it to swirl the caramel around the sides. Reheat caramel if it starts to harden.

Wisk the eggs together. Add each type of milk before slowly mixing in the 1/2 cup of sugar, and then add the vanilla blending smooth after each ingredient is added. 

Pour custard into caramel lined ramekins. Place ramekins in a large glass or ceramic baking dish and fill with about 1-2 inches of hot water. Bake for 45 minutes in the water bath and check with a knife just to the side of the center. If the knife comes out clean, it's ready.

Remove and let cool. Let each ramekin cool in refrigerator for 1 hour. Invert each ramekin onto a small plate; the caramel sauce will flow over the custard.

Serves 6