My friend Mat says this baked apple dish reminds him of an old folk recipe.<\/p>\n
When he was little and had an upset tummy, his Russian grandmother would cut up an apple and leave it out on the counter for a few minutes, until it began to brown. Then his grandmother would say, \u201cCome eat, tatellah\u201d (\u201clittle man\u201d in Yiddish). Lo and behold, a few minutes later his stomach felt better.<\/p>\n
He always figured it was love at work (and, of course, it was), but now we know there\u2019s also some science involved: As they brown\u2014or cook, in this case\u2014apples release pectin, which naturally soothes the belly. Here, the apples are complemented by a whole host of tasty morsels and spices\u2014toasted pecans, dates, orange zest and cinnamon.<\/p>\n