Apple Time

One of my mother's specialties was Weight Watchers baked apples.  I still remember those apples as though I had one yesterday.  She made them with diet black cherry soda and my mother being my mother, cooked them to within an inch of their lives.  To say they were mushy would have been giving the cooking process credit.

But I digress.  I had no idea that baked apples could be a thing of beauty -- a perfect showcase for all that is delicious about an apple.

Kate loves apples so every fall I try to find new apple recipes.  It was actually Kate who suggested that we give baked apples a try.  Since I had never actually had a good baked apple, I knew this was going to be a challenge.  But I was up for it.  I am a cooking machine.

My first step was to find a good recipe, one that didn't call for diet black cherry soda.  Do they even make diet black cherry soda anymore?  I wanted a recipe that depended more on the apple and less on the other stuff.  I looked at a lot of recipes and then decided that the best basting liquid for a baked apple would have to be apple juice or apple cider.  Makes sense.  A little cinnamon and sugar, just enough to highlight the apple, would finish it off perfectly.

After perusing dozens of recipes online, I decided that the way to go was with a Paula Deen recipe.  Come on.  How could her recipe not be good?  Sugar, cinnamon, apple juice, and just at touch of butter to richen things up a bit.

And boy were these apples good.  They would even be delicious without the dab or butter so if you feel you must, leave it off.  The apples were sweet and just melted in our mouths.

My mother would have loved these apples, even minus the diet black cherry soda.

Recipe:  Baked Apples
(Paula Deen)

Ingredients:



1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
6 same-size Granny Smith apples
2 tablespoons butter, cut into 6 teaspoon-size pieces
1 cup apple juice
6 sprigs fresh mint


Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.


Combine cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.


Core apples, making sure not to puncture the bottom of the apples so that the juices will remain. Remove skin from 1/2-inch around top of apples at the opening. Fill each cavity with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Top each apple with a teaspoon of butter. Place apples in casserole dish and pour apple juice around them. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from heat, garnish with fresh mint, and serve.

I Love You a Bushel and a Peck

I have no idea what we were thinking.  Or maybe we weren't thinking at all.  On Sunday, after Kate was done playing tennis, we decided to go over to Soergel Orchards.  It's five minutes from tennis, and I go all the time but usually during the week.

Fall is prime time at Soergel.  During October and through to Thanksgiving, they throw this huge Fall Festival, complete with pumpkins and gourds aplenty, and zillions of apples.  And that's not all.  There's face painting for the kids as well as hay rides and a bouncy house.  To be clear, it's an absolute mob scene, especially on weekends.

Everyone and their uncle schleps out to Soergel to buy their pumpkins and their apples.  This apparently includes Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, who brought Suri out a week or two ago.  (This was huge news at Soergel's.  It's not everyday that a celebrity brings his kid to have her face painted...)

But enough about TomKat.  After waiting forever to even get into the parking lot, we finally parked and waded our way through the throngs of humanity so Kate could get her roasted corn on the cob.  We were lucky enough to score a shopping cart so I felt obligated to stock up on my autumn decorations -- pumpkins, gourds -- and to buy enough apples to last me until the next time I feel compelled to brave the crowds.

I came home with the most delicious Honey Crisp apples, truly the grand daddy of all apples as far as I'm concerned, and some Winesaps, which I don't like as much, but Ted loves them.  I have now broken out the cookbooks and am planning to make apple butter this week.  Stay tuned for the recipe and details.   I am also planning to make baked apples, something I've never done before.  Check back for details.

If you are in the Pittsburgh area, take a trip to Soergel.  It's not nearly as crowded during the week, although you'll have to forgo having your face painted.  The good news is that you'll be able to buy the best apples you've ever eaten.

Soergel Orchards 

2573 Brandt School Road
Wexford, PA 15090
724-935-1743

Frosting for the Cause

Hi there,

On Monday, October 10th,  I'm doing a guest post at Frosting for the Cause. Click over and take a look.  This is an issue near and dear to all of our hearts.


Together we can bake a difference.

Love, Nadine

Crazy Cooking Challenge

The Crazy Cooking Challenge is a monthly blog posting that links up over 100 food blogs all searching for a great recipe in another blog.  This month's challenge is the chocolate chip cookie.   If you click on the Crazy Cooking Challenge button above you can peruse all the participating blogs and maybe you'll find a new recipe or two... or three.  Of course, give mine a try.  I think it's divine.


One last thing...
Comment, comment, comment.  Bloggers love to hear what you think of their recipes and their blogs.  (Is that a hint?  YES!  I love your comments!)  And, at the end of the challenge we'll all have an opportunity to vote on the "best" chocolate chip cookie recipe.  (Another not so subtle hint!)

I am very excited to be participating in this month's Crazy Cooking Challenge.  The "challenge" this month is to find the best chocolate chip cookie out there in the big, giant blogosphere.  Sounds simple?  Not so much.

We've talked about what is the "best" in the past.  Is there a best chocolate chip cookie?  I'm not sure but this recipe from Jacques Torres and Daily Salt could be pretty close to perfection.   Bittersweet chocolate and sea salt combine to make this one delicious and sophisticated cookie.  This is no Chips Ahoy knockoff.  This is a chocolate chip cookie on steroids, French steroids.

To be fair, I went looking for this recipe.  I had seen it several years ago in the New York Times and had made it just once.  But it stuck with me.  It was that good.  It didn't surprise me at all that one of my favorite blogs, :: Salt had featured this recipe several years back.  We "food professionals" think alike.

The key to success is refrigerating the cookie dough overnight

and then scooping the dough out and sprinkling it with sea salt before baking it.

I am going to ask you to do two things.  First of all, you should make these cookies.  And, second of all, you should take a look at :: Salt.  You'll be glad you did.


Recipe:  Chocolate Chip Cookies
(New York Times, July 9, 2008.  Adapted from Jacques Torres)

 *  Note:  You can substitute the same amount of all-purpose flour.

Ingredients:
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons
(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content
Sea salt.

Directions:

Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies. 

Really Simple Arroz con Pollo

Somehow I've ended up on about 10,000 daily RSS feed email lists.  Honestly, I can't recall signing up for even one but I guess I did.  They didn't find me on their own.  The problem is that I never actually get around to opening and reading most of them.  Needless to say, my trash file runneth over.  I know that I could "unsubscribe" myself from these daily emails but what if I missed out on something good?  You just never know where the next great recipe if going to come from.  So, I continue wading through my inbox in search of something great.

The other day I opened the Real Simple email and came across this recipe for Arroz con Pollo with Apples.  It sounded vaguely interesting so I thought I'd give it a try.

The recipe lived up to the "Real Simple" mantra.  It was really simple.  Simple is always a bonus as far as I'm concerned.  There was some chopping involved but nothing too laborious.  And some sauteeing.  Again, no big deal.  And I have to tell you, the end result was pretty tasty.  The addition of the apples to the rice and veggies was nice and added a nice tartness to the dish.

This was certainly something that I would make again for a weeknight dinner and aren't we all always looking for something quick and easy to make after a busy day?

So... a really simple weeknight dinner.  Now if I could just figure out a really simple way of wading through all the emails and culling out the worthwhile ones without devoting my life to it.  Now that would be a real simple solution.

Recipe:  Arroz con Pollo with Apples
(Real Simple.com)

Ingredients:



2 large tart unpeeled apples, such as Granny Smith
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 green pepper, coarsely chopped
1 yellow pepper, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup long-grain converted rice
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped


Directions:

Quarter, core, and slice the apples into 1/4-inch-thick pieces; set aside.


Season the chicken with the salt and black pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove the chicken and set aside, leaving the oil in the pan.


Add the green pepper, yellow pepper, onion, and garlic. Stir well and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and apples to the pan. Cook 8 to 10 minutes more. Stir in the paprika and red pepper.


Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, arrange the chicken on top of the rice mixture, and cover. Cook about 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with the parsley. Serve hot.

Are You "Kibbing"?

We all know what meatloaf is but do we all know about the Middle Eastern specialty, baked kibbe?  Baked kibbe is a lot like a meatloaf but is so much more fragrant and delicious than you could ever imagine.  This is not your mother's meatloaf.

I first had baked kibbe several years ago in a Middle Eastern restaurant here in Pittsburgh.   I really enjoyed it but didn't think of it again until recently when I saw this recipe for Baked Lebanese Kibbe in the New York Times.    This version called for ground lamb, bulgar wheat, cumin and lots of onion.  Simple enough.

This kibbe was very easy to make and was just as fragrant as I remembered.  Instead of it being loaf shaped, this recipe baked up into a flat cake smothered in caramelized onions and toasted pine nuts.  Delicious!  The only seasonings I used were cumin, salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne but it was so incredibly flavorful that I could have sworn that it had a spice shelf full of flavorings in it.

I served the kibbe with a simple salad and couscous.  It was a perfect dinner.  No kibbing.

Recipe:  Lebanese Baked Kibbe
(New York Times, September 21, 2011_

Ingredients:

1 pound lamb shoulder, ground fine

1/4 cup grated onion
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground, or 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for oiling the pan
2 cups sliced onions, 1/4-inch thick
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
Greek-style yogurt, for serving.

Directions:


Rinse the bulgur well, then cover with cold water and soak for 20 minutes. Drain well.

Put the drained bulgur, lamb, grated onion, cumin and cayenne in a large mixing bowl. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mix well with your hands to distribute the seasoning. With a wooden spoon, beat in about 1/2 cup ice water. The mixture should be smooth and soft.

Heat the olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and fry gently, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 5 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Raise the heat and add 1/4 cup of the lamb mixture. Continue frying, allowing the meat to get crumbly and the onions to brown nicely, another 10 minutes or so. Stir in the pine nuts and taste. Let cool to room temperature.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a shallow 9-by-13-inch baking dish, then press half the remaining lamb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Spread half the onion-pine nut mixture over the meat. Add the rest of the meat to the pan, patting and pressing it with wet hands to make a smooth top. If desired, score the top with a sharp paring knife to make a traditional diamond pattern at least 1/2-inch deep.

Bake uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden. Spread with the remaining onion-pine nut mixture. Serve warm, at room temperature or cool, with a dollop of yogurt.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Yankee Doodle Dandy

What exactly is Yankee Pot Roast?  Is it just pot roast with a cute name or is there something about this pot roast in particular that makes it different from all other pot roasts?

These are the kinds of things I ponder.  Scary, I know.  But I always kind of wondered about Yankee Pot Roast and its origins so I decided to (1) read up on the history of the Yankee Pot Roast, and (2) make one.

First for the history lesson.   We all know that those New Englanders were (and still have a reputation for being) a thrifty and practical bunch.   And what could be thriftier or more practical that cooking inexpensive ingredients over a low heat for a long time to bring our their best flavors?  Let's face it.  Chuck roast isn't sexy but cooked properly it can be quite delicious.  And, back in the day when the evening meal was cooked over burning wood, the cook could attend to other chores and still have dinner ready for the family at the end of the day.  You've just got to love those Yankees!

So, the long and short of it is that Yankee Pot Roast got its name from some of the virtues that New Englanders most value -- practicality and frugality.  Nothing wrong with that.

Yankee Pot Roast... Looks delicious even before it goes into the oven.

Now for making a Yankee Pot Roast.  There are a lot of recipes for Y.P.R. out there but they all rely on chuck roast, potatoes, carrots, and onions.  Some people like to add celery and some people use red wine instead of broth.  Some cooks prefer water in place of either broth or wine.  Most liked to use a little fresh thyme as well.

I decided to play around with a couple of recipes and see how my version of Y.P. R. stacked up.  That's the great thing about dishes like this one.  You can add whatever you like and see where it takes you.  Just cook it low and slow and you'll be just dandy.

Recipe:  Yankee Pot Roast


Ingredients:



1/4 cup pure vegetable oil
3 onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
One 3- to 4-pound chuck roast, tied
Flour for dredging
8  carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 ribs celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pound small red potatoes, halved
2 1/2 cups beef broth
1 1/2 cups hearty red wine
5 or 6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 rounded teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2 rounded tablespoons flour


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300.

In a large Dutch oven, over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and saute the onions until golden. Thoroughly dredge the beef in the flour, covering all the surfaces. Add to the pan and brown on all sides. The flour may cause the onions to burn slightly. This is good and will add lots of flavor.  Remove the beef from the pot and set aside for a moment.   Add the garlic and saute quickly, about 1 minute.  Add the carrots, celery, beef broth, wine, thyme, black pepper, and salt to taste. Return the beef to the pot and bring to a slow boil.   Cover and place the pot in the oven.  Cook for  3 to 3 1/2 hours, turning the beef occasionally. Remove the carrots, potatoes, and celery when they are cooked and reserve.


When the beef is falling-apart tender, remove the pot from the oven.  Remove the beef from the broth. Remove the thyme sprigs. Knead the butter and 2 tablespoons flour together until thoroughly combined. Over a low heat on the stove, add the mixture to the broth and stir with a wooden spoon until you have a sauce the consistency of buttermilk. Remove from the heat.


To serve, slice the beef and arrange on a platter. Cover with some of the sauce. Put the remaining sauce in a bowl or gravy boat. Arrange the carrots, potatoes, and celery attractively on the beef platter. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs, if you like. Serve immediately.