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Around these parts, Mario Batali is a little bit of a hometown here: He was born in Seattle, and his family runs the popular Pioneer Square sandwich shop/cured meats emporium that is Salumi. 

Obviously, Batali has made a name for himself far beyond his humble origins, but I was disappointed to see that there weren’t more Seattle-specific recipes (or, really, any) in his new cookbook, Big American Cookbook. There’s a whole chapter dedicated to the Pacific Coast, but it covers a lot of ground, from California-style tacos to Hawaiian fish dishes. Though the following dish falls in the Mid-Atlantic section, one could argue that apples are one of the things Washington does best. And it’s certainly the season for them.

Batali and his signature orange Crocs will be at Salumi (Pioneer Square, 309 3rd Ave. S; 206.621.8772; salumicuredmeats.com), now run by his sister Gina, tomorrow (Oct. 25) from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. to sell and sign cookbooks. Go for the signature—stay for the porchetta sandwich.

Apple Dumplings (pg. 112)

Ingredients

Basic pie crust (Use your favorite recipe, or pick one up ready to roll at Grand Central Bakery)
6 medium cooking apples, such as Granny Smith or Braeburn, peeled and cored, but left whole
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup raisins
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
½ cup cream

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Roll the pie dough out to about ½ inch thick and cut into six 6-inch squares. Place one apple in the center of each square.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Divide the sugar mixture, raisins, and butter among the apples, stuffing them into the core of the apple and allowing it to generously overflow. Bring the corners of the dough to the top of each apple and pinch the edges together. Place the apples in the pan, at least 1 inch apart. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is golden. Serve warm with cream.

Makes 6 dumplings.