Spiced Brandy Peach Jam

Tillamook Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Peach Jam and Blueberries

As summer draws to a close, most of my jam has been made. So far this year I have made strawberry, marionberry, raspberry, and blueberry jams. My job is not yet done, however, for it is now peach season and peach jam is one of our absolute favorites!

Unlike the berry jams, which are all about the flavor of the particular berry being used, my peach jam recipe adds in layers of flavor that work to bring out and highlight the peach flavor. Brandy is exceptional for this purpose, as are spices like cinnamon and allspice. It is important not to overspice the jam as you do not want to cover the taste of the peaches. I also will often use a little bit less pectin than normal so that the jam does not firm up too much. I've found this jam to also make a wonderful sauce for pork or chicken, or to be served over ice cream. Leaving it just a little on the runny side, thick but not too thick, gives the jam an ideal consistency. 

As with most of my jam recipes, there is no predetermined amount of fruit being used. For this batch I had about a half case of peaches, which I allowed to fully ripen. This is important! As the fruit ripens, it develops it's own sugars and becomes sweeter. Allow them to ripen as much as you can, even if you have to cut away parts of a few peaches or even toss a couple out. The sweetness is worth it and allows you to make the jam without adding too much extra sugar.

I begin by taking my largest stock pot and combining in it:

approz. 20-24 ripe peaches (15 c or so), peeled, pitted and chopped

3 c granulated sugar

2 c brown sugar

1 c brandy

1 T cinnamon

2 t ground allspice

1/2 t nutmeg

1/2 t ground clove

2 whole vanilla beans, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out

When halving the vanilla beans, scrape the seeds or they won't all come out. Then add the seeds and the pods to the jam. Bring the combined ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring regularly. Allow the jam to cook for 10-15 minutes to burn off some of the alcohol and give the flavors time to combine. If you feel at this point that the jam is too chunky, you may use a potato masher to mash some of the peach chunks into a smaller size. For this job, I usually use my immersion blender and pulse the jam so as not to overdo it. I like the finished jam to have some chunks left in it. NOTE: If you use an immersion blender, remove the vanilla bean pods first! Believe me, the last thing you want is to have to fish  chunks of tough pod out of your jam! This is generally a good time to remove the vanilla pods anyway, even if you are using a potato masher. Allow the pods to cool a bit and give them one last scraping to remove any leftover seeds and add them to the jam. Discard the pods.

Increase the heat on the stove to high and add in:

4-5 T low or no sugar pectin

Use your own judgement on the best amount to use, based on the amount of fruit used and desired thickness. On this particular batch, I used 4 T and it worked just fine. Stir the jam constantly at a rolling boil for 1-2 minutes, then remove the jam from the heat. Ladle the jam into your jars and process them for 10-15 minutes each. Allow them to cool and you're done! With this batch, I ended up with about 10-1/2 pints of jam. You can also jar them in smaller half pint jars and give them as gifts for the holidays. The spicy flavor of this condiment goes well with any number of holiday dishes and homemade jam makes a wonderful gift!

Cheers!

Low-Sugar Blueberry Jam

I love jam.

If I could fill my basement shelves with delicious sweet jammy goodness, I would! So far this year, I have made strawberry, marionberry and raspberry jams. Later this week, I will make peach jam. Today, I'm going to make blueberry. Did I mention that I love jam?

The thing about jam that has always vexed me, and still does, is the pectin. Pectin has never been my friend. Time and time again I have had my jams come out way too runny. My wife loves this as she prefers jam to be on the runny side. Me, I like a jam that is thick but not too thick, with chunks of fruit. Neither of us likes too much sugar and generally I make my jam with much less than most recipes call for. This, I think, has been one of my issues when making the stuff. Too little sugar, often times coupled with the wrong kind of pectin. What I've ended up with on more than one occasion is little more than syrup. Once I way over-compensated and ended up with something akin to cement. When making low- or no-sugar jams, it is vital to use the correct pectin. Regular pectin is only good for jams that contain lots of sugar. I went through many batches of jam before I figured this one out.

Even with all the jam I've made, I'm still experimenting and every batch of jam is a new adventure. I still haven't gotten it mastered and my pectin still gives me fits on occasion. Today I will boldly try again.

Yesterday, I happened to luck my way into a great deal on a flat of blueberries. I froze a few of them for smoothies and the rest went into the jam pot.

I started by sterilizing my Ball jars. In the biggest pot I have, I boiled the jars for 10-15 minutes. I boiled the lids as well in a separate smaller pan. In my jam pot I combined:
18 c (9 pints) fresh blueberries, washed and picked through

4 c sugar

1/3 c lemon juice

I used a potato masher to mash the berries a bit and heated them over medium-high heat until they began to boil, stirring the pot frequently. By this point, my jars and lids were ready so I removed them from their bath, keeping the large pot of water ready to process the jars. I increased the heat on the jam to high and added:

5 T low or no sugar pectin

I cooked the jam at a rolling boil for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. I then removed the jam from the heat and carefully ladled it into the jars. I covered the jars with their lids and securely tightened them before placing them back into the boiling water, making sure there was enough water to cover the jars by an inch or two. I processed the jars for 10 minutes, then set the jars on a rack to cool completely before storing them.

That's it! The result? This batch came out just a teensy bit runnier than I would have preferred. I think 7 T of pectin might have worked a little better. I should mention here that the pectin container recommended 1-1/2 T of pectin for every 1-1/3 c of fruit - a whopping full cup of pectin! Not wishing to repeat the cement experience again, I chose to use much less. Even though it was a tad runny the flavor was wonderful and the jam wasn't overwhelmingly sweet!

Later this week I'll try my hand at the jam game again with the box of peaches we have. My tummy is giddy with anticipation!

Cheers!

A Food Tour of Portland - N. Mississippi Avenue

Yesterday my wife Kat and I had the opportunity to go on a tour of local restaurants in the Mississippi neighborhood in North Portland. I had encountered Forktown Food Tours through an offer on the internet and thought it would be a good way of sampling some of the many restaurants in the Portland area that I might not get a chance to try otherwise.

The tour was scheduled to take about 3 hours and we were warned to come with our appetites because we would be eating quite a lot as the tour went on. We met up with our guide and 6 other "tourists" at The ReBuilding Center on N. Mississippi Avenue at around 2:00. After brief introductions and a little history of the neighborhood from our tour guide Jessica, we began our walk to the first restaurant.

Cheese Plate at Sidecar 11.

The first stop was Sidecar 11, a quaint little spot that specializes in prohibition-era drinks with a modern twist. The menu consists mainly of smaller, tapas style dishes. The atmosphere was wonderful, the owners going for more of a speakeasy feel. They started us off with samples from their cocktail menu. First a traditional whiskey sour, shaken with egg white to create a frothy head. This was followed by a delicious drink called a Gin & Gin, containing gin and ginger. This one was my favorite. About this time they brought out a plate of local Oregon cheeses, all of which were fantastic! We were each then treated to their house recipe Sangria. We really enjoyed our experience at Sidecar 11. It's a great date bar or place to go for appetizers before heading out to other places. Thumbs up!

Garden State: Portland style Italian street food.

Next, we headed further up the street to N. Mississippi's famous food cart pod. Here we had an opportunity to try one of the top rated food carts in the entire city (which says quite a lot - there are currently over 600 food carts in the city of Portland!), Garden State. Run by Chef Kevin Sandri, Garden State bills itself as "Italian Street Food from Oregon's Willamette Valley" and features wonderful local meats and vegetables. Most of the recipes are from the chef's Sicilian family, however our food was a bit more fusion. We were brought a large platter of grilled basa (catfish) sandwiches with a generous side of chick pea fries. I don't even know where to begin in describing this dish. The sandwich was amazing! The catfish was cooked perfectly, each topped with cabbage, caperberries and an orange slice which turned out the be the ideal flavor compliment. This is one of the tastiest sandwiches I've had in a while! What added to its incredible flavor were the fries, not made of potato, but of finely ground chick peas. They were like hummus fries, if such a thing can be imagined. They were actually creamy when you bit into them! They were a bit more fragile than a regular french fry. Just when we thought it couldn't get any better, we were all given samples of their Italian ice. Made by Oregon Iceworks, this is pure fruity, icy yumminess! I cannot recommend Garden State highly enough. This was the high point of the tour and I will make every effort to return. 

Grilled Basa on Ciabatta with Chick Pea Fries.

Following our feast at Garden State, it was time to walk off the of the food we had gorged on. This part of the tour took us through the local neighborhood where we had a chance to see some of the historic houses that are so common in this part of Portland. Many of the buildings are on the National Historic Register and there are several wonderful examples of Victorian architecture throughout the neighborhood.

Eventually we wound our way to N. Williams Avenue. It was a beautiful day in Portland and by the time we got there, we were hot and thirsty. It was a perfect time to stop at Sidebar (not to be confused with our first stop, Sidecar 11. Just a coincidence.). Sidebar is the official specialty tasting room for Lompoc Brewery and is only open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Often times the beers and ales found at the Sidebar are brewed in very limited quantities and are available nowhere else. We were offered samples of a few of their current choices, my favorite being a dark ale based on a recipe by Benjamin Franklin called Cider Plank. It had delicious molasses undertones, with hints of coffee and even tobacco. It was a little sweet but not too much and lighter on the hops.

Pix Patisserie

Our next treat came to us courtesy Pix Patisserie. With a team of pastry chefs, Pix makes some of the sweetest and most incredible desserts in town. Seriously, check out their website if you don't believe me! We got to try the pistachio macarons. Unrelated to macaroons, which have coconut, French macarons are an experience for the mouth! Made with ground almonds, they are simultaneously light and fluffy and creamy and crunchy and chewy. Pure happiness!

From here, we walked back through the neighborhood to Mississippi and made our way to the next stop on the tour, Mr. Green Beans. This place is a haven for those who wish to roast their own coffee beans, make their own cheese, learn how to make soap, and many other DIY projects. In other words, this was a store they had to drag me out of! We sampled some of their house roasted coffees, which were delicious.

The Wall of Salt at The Meadow.

Our next stop was a specialty boutique called The Meadow. This store specializes in wine, chocolate and salt. Mainly salt, and they have the largest selection of salts harvested from locations around the world that you are apt to find anywhere. A whole wall of salts of different colors, different mineral makeup and different flavors if your palate is sensitive enough. This was one of the more exotic stops on the tour but also, I felt, the low point. Nothing against the store itself, which was interesting and a great place to stop if you happen to be in the area. I felt, however, that as we were out to sample local cuisine we should have stuck to that. Pointing out the place as we passed as a spot to check out after the tour would have been more appropriate.

Tour guide Jessica serves up ice cream sandwiches.

Our final stop on the tour was the Ruby Jewel Scoop Shop, serving small batch artisan ice cream cones, sundaes and (best of all) ice cream sandwiches - all made fresh with local ingredients. We sampled some of the ice cream sandwiches, each made with homemade cookies. This was the perfect way to finish the tour! Ruby Jewel's ice cream is not only damn tasty, but their recipes are bold and, some might even say, cutting edge. Kat tried a sample of their apricot ginger ice cream which she said packed a punch on the taste buds! I tried a sample of the lavender honey ice cream which was subtle and smooth and left me wanting much, much more!

It was a great day and Kat and I had lots of fun. Out tour guide Jessica was knowledgeable and friendly and did an excellent job of leading the tour. I didn't feel it was the greatest value however, and the stop at two boutique shops in a row definitely detracted from the tour. I was also surprised at the amount of alcohol served. Personally, I enjoyed it but there were people on the tour who did not partake and ended up missing out on quite a bit. We got our tickets at half price and I don't think I would have wanted to pay more for them. But then, we live here and can go do this stuff anytime we like. I would recommend Forktown Tours if you're coming to Portland and would like to sample some of the incredible cuisine this town has to offer. I give Forktown Tours 3-1/2 stars out of 5.

Dutch Apple Pie

Apple pie is awesome. There's no getting around it. In whatever form it appears, whether old fashioned double crust American apple pie or German strudel, apples it seems were meant to be baked into a pastry of some sort with cinnamon and sugar.

My wife and I recently obtained an entire box of Granny Smith apples. I feel like a kid at Christmas! Oh the possibilities! One of the first things I wanted to make was an old favorite, Dutch Apple Pie. I've always loved the crumbly top on this classic and it requires the making of one less crust, or gives you an extra crust to make something else - like quiche!

Because I used half the pie dough for a savory quiche, I cut back on the sugar by about half. I used a very basic two-crust recipe. Begin by sifting together:

2-1/2 c all purpose flour

1 T sugar (the normal amount would be 2 T)

1 t salt

In a food processor or by hand, gently mix in:

1/2 c frozen shortening, cut into small pieces

Mix until the flour takes on a grainy texture. Add in:

1-1/2 c frozen butter, cut into small pieces

Gently mix together, being careful not to over handle the dough, as this will make it tough. The flour should take on the texture of small peas. Slowly, a tablespoon at a time, add in:

6-8 T ice water

Gently mix water into the dough until it's just moist enough to stick together when pinched. Split the dough into 2 even pieces and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate the dough for at least 15 minutes or for up to 2 days. It may also be frozen for a week or more, if properly wrapped.

Once the crust is ready, roll it out and line your pie dish. If you like, you can cover this in plastic and put it back in the fridge until you're ready for it.

The filling is real simple. Peel, core and slice enough apples for about 5-6 cups. I used 4 Granny Smiths and a small Fuji. The tarter the apple, the higher the pectin. Pectin is important because, just like in jellies and jams, this is what makes the filling set up and not be too runny. I also add a little flour which, combined with the pectin, helps hold the filling together.

Begin by preheating your oven to 375°. Take a large bowl and combine:

5-6 c sliced apples

1 T lemon juice

Toss together until the apples are well coated, then add:

1/2 c granulated sugar

1/4 c packed brown sugar

3 T flour

1 t cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

Toss apples until they are completely coated with sugar and spices. Pour the apples into the pie crust. In a small bowl, whisk together:

3/4 c flour

1/4 c granulated sugar

1/4 c packed brown sugar

When combined, add:

1/3 c soft butter

Mix together until the texture is crumbly. Cover the apples with the topping. Bake pie for 50 minutes, turning about halfway through to insure even baking. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Outstanding! Pie that makes you thankful for bad weather - a great excuse for staying inside with a fresh pot of tea. There is nothing better!

Cheers!

The Orange Blossom Special

It's New Year's Eve. Having had my fill of both 2010 and drunken New Year's celebrations, I am staying home tonight. A dear old friend is in town and will be stopping over for a visit with his new wife and I am looking forward to a calm and relaxing evening!

When Grant first mentioned that he was coming to town, I (half-jokingly at the time) said "Since I know that you're coming I can bake a cake!" As he and Nicole are newlyweds, a cake seems appropriate for their visit. As fate would have it, there just happens to be a cake I've been just dying to make ever since the first time I experimented with the recipe. It's a very simple Mandarin orange cake. The thing that makes it special is the orange blossom frosting!

The first time I made this cake, I was in someone else's kitchen. One ingredient they happened to have on hand was Orange Blossom Water, an item usually found in Middle Eastern Halal markets. It's got a very strong and wonderful flavor and just a little goes a long way. I added a teaspoon or so to the cream cheese frosting I was making and discovered one of the most amazing flavored things I'd ever tasted! It wasn't exactly orange tasting though it had that quality. It was kind of flowery and was just different enough to make your taste buds really sit up and take notice!

I also recommend using a real vanilla bean, if you can. I actually got mine on the internet. There are several places to get them and remember, they're cheaper if you have friends to split the order with!

Note: the following recipes are the high-fat, high-calorie versions of the recipe. If you would like the low-fat version, go look on another blog. That ain't how I roll.

Mandarin Orange Cake
Preheat your oven to 350°. Grease and lightly flour a 9"x13" pan and set it aside. Take out two large mixing bowls. In one, combine:
2-1/2 c all purpose flour
1-1/2 t baking soda
1-1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
Whisk everything together and set aside. In the second bowl, mix:
1-3/4 c sugar
1/2 c softened butter
1/2 c vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 t vanilla extract
Beat together on medium speed until combined. Add:
1 15 oz. can Mandarin oranges, drained, liquid reserved
1/2 c reserved orange liquid
Mix on medium to combine and, in 2 or 3 increments, add the flour mixture. Beat at medium speed until well combined. Pour into pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. I find it is always best to spin the pan 180° about halfway through the cooking process to insure even baking. The cake will be done when it is golden brown and spongy, and pulls away from the sides of the pan. You may also test it by inserting a clean toothpick into the middle. If it comes out clean, it's done! Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely before frosting.

So far, so good. Make sure you don't throw out the reserved orange liquid yet - you're going to need it for the frosting! Usually, about the time you put the cake into the oven it's a good idea to set out the cream sheese and butter for the frosting, giving them ample time to soften. The last thing you want to deal with is cold butter and cheese! Once the cake has completely cooled, you're ready for the next step.

Orange Blossom Frosting
In a large mixing bowl, combine:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
6 T butter, softened
Beat at high speed until light and fluffy. Add in:
3 c powdered sugar (one cup at a time)
2 T reserved liquid from oranges
Beat until the desired consistency is obtained, adding a little more orange liquid if needed. Add:
1 t orange blossom water
the seed paste from 1 vanilla bean (or 1 t vanilla extract)
a dash of salt
Mix well. Spread on the cake and merrily consume!

Remember, when dealing with orange blossom water - it is very strong stuff! Don't use too much or it will overpower the other flavors! You may of course substitute vanilla extract for a bean if you can't get one but if you can, it's well worth the effort. In addition to a cleaner vanilla taste, the visual effect of the specks of vanilla throughout the frosting is very appealing!

Happy New Year everyone!

Apple Cranberry Pie

Winter Solstice is officially taking place on Tuesday the 21st but, seeing as how it is the weekend, the party at Sekhet-Ma'at Lodge will be held tonight. We will all be gathering for a ritual celebration followed by a pot luck feast. This means I'm going to have to cook something and, after waking with a slight hangover from last nights birthday festivities, food was not exactly high on my list.

By this afternoon, however, I was feeling much better and that's when I got the inspiration to bake a pie for the party. Reviewing what I had on hand, I decided to make an apple pie. I remembered that I had some cranberries stored in the freezer and opted to throw them in as well.

I started by making my favorite pie crust, a recipe I got from America's Test Kitchen for all butter crust. It always comes out wonderfully flaky and delicious so I've never felt the need to make a different crust. Here is the double crust recipe.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together:

1/3 c ice water

3 T sour cream (I always use plain yogurt)

Set this mixture aside. In a food processor combine:

2-1/2 c flour

1 T sugar

1 t salt

Pulse to mix and then add:

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and frozen for 10-15 minutes

Pulse several times until texture looks crumbly. Add the water/yogurt mixture and continue to pulse. You may have to add a tablespoon of ice water though I usually don't. The crust should not be over-mixed or over-handled. It is done when you pinch a small amount and it sticks together. When it is done, pour it out of the processor bowl onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Gently press the dough together into a flat disc, wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Once the dough has cooled down a bit, remove it from the fridge and split it into 2 batches. Roll out one half into a disc about 10 inches across and carefully place it into the pie dish. Roll the other half out into a 9 inch disc and place it on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover both halves with plastic and return them to the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

As I mentioned, this crust is incredibly flaky and tender. If you were using it for a prebaked pie crust, you would bake it at this point. Since I'm not doing that, I put it back in the fridge so the butter could harden back up.

Making the pie filling is simple enough. Once the crusts are back in the fridge, peel, core and slice:

8-10 medium apples

Granny Smith are always best for pie but I did not have any. Instead I used Fujis and a couple of Cameos. Place the apples in a large bowl. Add in:

1 c fresh or frozen whole cranberries

1 T orange juice

Combine and set aside. This is a good time to get your oven warming. Place the oven rack on the lowest setting, put an insulated cookie sheet on the rack and set the temperature to 500°. (Be careful using non-insulated cookie sheets as they may cause the bottom of the pie to burn.) In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together:

1 c sugar

2 T flour

1 t cinnamon

1/4 t allspice

1/4 t ground clove

1/4 t nutmeg

1/4 t salt

Add the above ingredients to the apples and combine until the fruit is well coated. Remove the pie crusts from the refrigerator. Carefully transfer the fruit into the bottom crust, mounding the fruit to get all of it into the dish. After the apples cook and cool, they will shrink a bit. Cover the apples with the top crust, rolling it out a little more if needed. Pinch the edges of the crust together and, if you like, make a decorative edge by either scalloping the dough with your fingers or pressing down on the dough with a fork around the edge of the dish. Brush the top of the crust with:
1 egg white, lightly whipped
Make a few slits in the top of the crust to allow for venting. Place the pie on the hot cookie sheet and reduce the temperature to 425°. Bake the pie for 25 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheet, reduce the temperature to 375° and bake for another 30-35 minutes. Allow the pie to completely cool before cutting.

The pie, as you can see from the picture, came out wonderfully! The crust was crispy (as the butter crusts always are) and the cranberries added a delightful dimension to a classic favorite. The comments from the party-goers seemed to agree. This is quite definitely a pie I will make again. And again.

A Happy Solstice to you, one and all!

Pecan Pie vs Pumpkin Pie

Photo by Kat

 Today begins the cooking and preparation for tomorrows big turkey feast. And when I say "big turkey," I do mean it! We've got a 24 lb. free-range turkey, giving us something to be mighty thankful for this year!

I will be doing most of the cooking this year, though not all. My dear friend Mae will be playing hostess after we made a deal that if she had everyone over, I would do most of the work. I would like to have hosted myself but Kat and I only have room in our tiny house for about 3 guests. At last count, we're expecting 15 or so for Thanksgiving and that number may still rise! A few other friends will be pitching in on the cooking and bringing dishes. There will be absolutely no shortage of food!

Here is a brief rundown of this years menu:

Roasted Turkey, brined in apple cider with oranges and spices

Tofurkey (not mine, I promise!)

Polenta Giblet Stuffing

Gluten-free Vegetarian Stuffing

Garlic Mashed Potatoes with gravy

Orange Spice Cranberry Sauce

Waldorf Salad

Green Bean Casserole

Ginger Carrots

Homemade Whole Wheat Rolls with butter

Gluten-free Pecan Pie

Bourbon Pecan Pie

Scratch Pumpkin Pie

I'm fairly sure no one will go hungry tomorrow. I will be preparing all but the gluten free stuff, Waldorf Salad, the carrots and green beans. At the last minute I decided to make a Pumpkin Pie. That's a desert that seems to be falling out of favor more and more as people begin exploring more non-traditional Thanksgiving ideas. Some people are pumpkin pie aficionados. Others are not and most of those seem to downright hate the stuff. Myself, I've never been the biggest fan. This may be entirely to having spent my life eating pumpkin pie from a can. Tonight, I'm going to make a pie from scratch. I'm certain someone will eat it!

Now pecan pie, well that's a whole different story! Pecan pie is, hands down my favorite and I look forward to Thanksgiving just so I can make one. Chess pie, a corn syrup based custard of which pecan pie is but one variety, is a Southern specialty and there are endless ways to make it. Add pecans, buttermilk, maple syrup., whiskey, vanilla. The flavor combinations are endless and everyone has their favorite. Make a cornmeal crust and it will take you to another world!

Today's cooking begins with the rolls. These I made completely by hand, not even using a spoon! While the dough was rising, I set to work on other things, like getting the turkey into the brine. This year I took a tip from Pure & Yummy on making apple cider brine. I did mine a little differently, using the following recipe:

3 quarts apple cider

6 cinnamon sticks, broken

about 10 whole cloves

1 t allspice (I would have used whole if I had it)

2 bay leaves

2/3 c kosher salt

2/3 c sugar

I mixed all these together in a stock pot and brought the mixture to a boil in order to dissolve the salt and sugar. Once done, I set the pot out on the front porch to cool (it's about 31° outside right now). Once it had cooled, I took our turkey and cleaned it out real good, washing it and patting it dry. I put it inside a large 5 gallon bucket, adding ice and cold water to finish filling the container. I sealed it tight and put it in the shed out back until tomorrow. It will only get down to the mid-20's tonight, not enough to freeze the brine (the salt will see to that!).

Next on the list today - making Orange Cranberry Sauce. I already outlined this process in an earlier post. The difference this time is that I did not use vanilla bean, preferring the taste without.

Next up, pie crust. The recipe I like the best is a butter crust from America's Test Kitchen. I've never gotten anything but rave reviews anytime I've ever made it. At first, I was only going to make the Bourbon Pecan Pie but, since no one had offered to bring a pumpkin and because we have 3 little pie pumpkins in the basement, I thought that it would be just as easy to make 2 pies as one. I roasted one of the pumpkins and pureed the meat to use later.

I made a 2 crust batch of pie dough and split it in two pieces. I wrapped each in plastic and put it in the fridge until later.

By this point the dough for the rolls had risen and could be rolled out into little balls about 1" to 1-1/2" in diameter. In retrospect, these were too small. I've only made rolls a couple of times and am still learning how big to make them. I placed the rolls on the parchment lined cookie sheets and let them rise until they had doubled in size. I then baked them at 350° for a half and hour or so.

Once I had finished with the rolls, it was time to start on the polenta. Since the oven was free for the time being, I decided to roast the seeds from the pumpkin. I cooked the polenta for a half an hour or so and poured it into a greased cookie sheet to cool overnight.

Photo by Kat

Now it was pie time. I started with the pecan. First, I preheated the oven to 400°. Taking one of the crusts out of the fridge, I rolled it out into a disc big enough for a 9" pie dish. I fit the crust into the dish, then covered it with foil, carefully pressing it down to cover the bottom and sides of the crust. Then I filled the foil with pie weights. You can buy these at a kitchen store if you like spending money. Or you can use rice or, as I did, pinto beans. I won't be eating these beans but I will keep them around for the next pie! I baked the crust for about 15 minutes. I set it aside while I made the filling.

Bourbon Pecan Pie Filling
Heat the oven to 275° and place the rack to the middle setting. Set up a double boiler or place a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of water. Melt:
6 T unsalted butter
Once the butter is melted, remove the bowl from the heat and stir in:
1 c dark brown sugar
Add:
3/4 c light corn syrup
3 eggs
1 shot Kentucky bourbon
1/2 t salt
Whisk everything together well and place bowl back over the heat. Continue heating, stirring regularly, until the temperature reaches 130°. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in:
2 c chopped pecans
Pour the filling into the prebaked crust and bake for 50-60 minutes until the custard jiggles. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack It is best to let the pie sit overnight, which is why I like to bake a pecan pie at least a day in advance.

Now that pie #1 was out of the way it was time for pie #2. This time there was no crust to prebake, and pumpkin is an easier pie to make than pecan.

From Scratch Pumpkin Pie
Heat the oven to 425°. Prepare a 9" pie dish with crust and refrigerate until ready for use. In a large mixing bowl, combine:
2 c pumpkin puree
1 c evaporated milk
1/2 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t cinnamon
1 t allspice
1 t ginger
1 t cardamom
1/2 t ground clove
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
Whisk everything together until smooth and creamy. Pour into chilled pie crust and bake at 425° for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350° and continue baking for another 45 minutes. If the crust starts to get too dark before the pie is finished, take a strip of foil and carefully cover the outer edge of the pie. The pie is done when a knife stuck in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

All right, that's it! I'm off to bed to rest up for tomorrow. Have a Happy Turkey Day everyone!

Photo by Kat

Orange Cranberry Sauce

I remember Thanksgivings when I was a kid. My mom would open up a can of cranberry sauce and my brothers and I would watch as it would wiggle its was out of the can and PLOP into the serving dish. It would be in the perfect mold of a can, including the rings around the middle. Nothing could look less appetizing and when I was young I did not like cranberry sauce. Of course, I had never actually tried it but I knew as all children know these things that if I were to put that jelly stuff on my turkey it would surely ruin it.

As a teenager, I decided to give it a try and discovered to my shock and amazement that I actually liked cranberry sauce. I tried a couple different types, including a homemade chutney that wasn't very good and decided that I liked the canned the best. 

I continued eating canned cranberry sauce for many years, I'm ashamed to admit. Fortunately, I finally had enough sense to get over the idea that fresh cranberry sauce was a bad thing and make my own. I've never opened another can of cranberry sauce and I never will.

Two of the flavors that I feel really bring out the best characteristics of fresh cranberries are clove and orange. At first I used orange marmalade but found I got a better flavor from grated orange peel. Tonight when I made some of this sauce, I decided to add a vanilla bean for no other reason than that I had one on hand. The taste was wonderful, the vanilla adding a nice tone to the sauce. I'm listing in the recipe below as an optional ingredient as it's not something I usually add though it is certainly worth trying. If you don't have vanilla bean, you can always try extract.

To start the sauce, combine in a saucepan:

1 c water

1 c sugar

Stir to dissolve the sugar and bring the water to a boil. Add:

1 12oz package of fresh cranberries

1 T grated orange peel

1/2 t ground clove

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (optional)

When water begins to boil again, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and crushing the berries against the side of the pan with your spoon. Remove vanilla pods (if using) from sauce when finished, scraping out vanilla paste and adding it to the sauce. Pour into a bowl and allow to completely cool. Cover and refrigerate until it is served.

That's all there is to it! The orange and clove in this sauce are enough to win over anyone who claims to not like cranberry sauce, guaranteed! I can't tell you how many times over the years I've won converts. You will too - try it and see!

Cheers!

The Gentle Art of Ratio Cooking

Often as I have watched other more experienced cooks ply their trade, I have marveled at their freedom from using recipes, how they just seem to know how much of what to mix together to make a delicious moist cake or a creamy custard. Of course, experience has much to do with this skill but just as important is the understanding of cooking ratios - what they are and how to use them. This is where Michael Ruhlman's book Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking comes to save the day!

This might just be the most important book about cooking that I have ever read. Sure, there are some fun and interesting recipe ideas within its pages but the point of the book is to get you away from thinking in recipes and to get you to see why the recipes work the way they do. If you know, for example, that a basic cookie dough is 1 part sugar, 2 parts fat, and 3 parts flour, you can use this 1:2:3 ratio to make just about any cookie your imagination can come up with! When you understand that muffins are 2 parts flour, 2 parts liquid, 1 part egg, and 1 part butter, you will have hundreds of recipes at your fingertips and will have the freedom to improvise with whatever flavor combinations you might have on hand at the moment. That, I believe, is what this book is really all about - culinary freedom. As Alton Brown put it, "...having a ratio in hand is like having a secret decoder ring that frees you from the tyranny of recipes." So many cooks are slaves to the recipe to the extent that when they are forced to forgo a pre-written recipe, they are lost and their cooking suffers. Knowing what works and why it works is a big part of elevating your cooking from being just food to being art.

One of the best things about reading this book was that fact that I constantly found myself stopping and pondering the possibilities of the ratios Ruhlman discusses. I had never thought of using a Pâte à Choux (cream puff dough) as a base for dumplings in chicken stew but I can't wait to try! His explanation of the difference between a roux and a beurre manié has made me rethink the way I was making gravy, a basic sauce that I thought I had completely mastered.

The approach discussed in this wonderful book is so basic and yet is the foundation for literally everything else that happens in the kitchen. These are, as the title of the book claims, simple codes. With practice and technique, you will be whipping up handmade seafood sausages, fresh wild mushroom raviolis, and homemade butterscotch without ever cracking open a single cookbook. And that my friends is what the true Art of Cooking is really all about!

A Perfect Day for Ginger Snaps

One of the joys of marriage is sharing, the good along with the bad. Kat, in the spirit of love (I'm sure) has shared her cold with me, leaving me wondering what I might create in my kitchen that would help me feel a little better. Yes, I've already eaten the Garlic Soup and may make another pot before this is done. I have, however, other tricks up my sleeve and have decided to call upon another wondrously healthy ingredient - ginger!

There are lots of ways to take advantage of this delicious root but I know of nothing that highlights the flavor of this ingredient more than Ginger Snap Cookies. I have a recipe that I am still working on perfecting and today seemed like the perfect day to continue my experimentation.

When I first encountered a version of this recipe online, the thing that struck me was that, unlike most other Ginger Snap recipes, this one featured ginger in 3 different forms - ground, fresh and crystallized. The recipe was huge and made some 8 dozen cookies, a bit much for our household (according to Kat)! I decided to halve the recipe to a scant 4 dozen, at least until I got it just the way I wanted it.

My first batch was very tasty though there was one problem. The cookies were chewy, there was no snap to them at all. I tried to make them again, this time reducing the flour by about 1/4 cup and increasing the amount of sugar from just a cup of brown to also including 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. This resulted in a crispier cookie, but they were way too thin, almost wafer-like. In both trials, I increased the amount of ginger. Another thing I did to both recipes was to add the "super secret" ingredient, cayenne pepper! It took the cookie to a whole new level, elevating it from a "kid cookie" to an "adult cookie." The flavor is much more complex and the spiciness adds just the right touch.

Today my plan was to replace the butter in the recipe with vegetable shortening. I added back the 1/4 cup of flour that I removed last time and also increased the baking time from 10 minutes to 12. The result was exactly what I was looking for - a crisp ginger cookie that actually 'snaps' when you break it in half!

Today I am giving the recipes for both the crispy version, as well as the chewy version. The chewy version is obviously the healthier of the two. There are prices I'm willing to pay for a good Ginger Snap, however, and I am unrepentant! As for you, you may take your pick or even better, try them both!

Ginger Snap Cookies

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium to large bowl, sift together:

2-1/4 c unbleached all-purpose flour

2 t ground ginger

2 t baking soda

1 t cayenne pepper

1/2 t salt

Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together with a wooden spoon:

3/4 c vegetable shortening (use softened butter for a chewy cookie)

1 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c granulated sugar (for chewy cookies, do not use)

When butter and sugar are fluffy, add:

1/4 c molasses

1 egg

Mix until smooth. Add flour mixture and:

1/4 c grated fresh ginger, squeezing and adding excess juice

1 c chopped crystallized ginger

Stir with spoon (or even by hand) until well blended. Roll the dough into little balls about an inch in diameter and place onto parchment covered baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Press down in each ball to flatten it just a bit. Bake for about 12 minutes, until tops of cookies are lightly golden and take on a cracked appearance. Remove cookies from the oven and slide parchment on to wire rack to cool for a couple of minutes, then remove cookies from the parchment and allow to completely cool on rack. To speed the baking process along, I generally use 2 pieces of parchment, so that one is ready to go into the oven when the other comes out. Typically, I get 4 dozen cookies with this recipe but today I got 54, meaning I had to eat 6 of them to make the numbers come out!

A couple of quick tips - first, regarding baking sheets. I cannot recommend strongly enough the use of insulated cookware. I have one old baking sheet that I bought because it was cheaper than the others that is just awful for baking. The bottom comes out burned every time! I baked these cookies on an insulated baking sheet and the bottoms are a beautiful golden brown, each one a perfect cookie. Spend a little more on your bakeware. Trust me, it's worth it!

Second, in regards to purchasing crystallized ginger. It can be very expensive when purchased from an American supermarket, which has put a lot of people off of buying it or trying these cookies. Fret not! Simply go to your neighborhood Asian market (if you have one) and you'll find it for about $5 or $6 per pound, as opposed to $5 for an ounce or two! A pound is way more than enough to use in this recipe, leaving you with extra ginger for nibbling (it's great for upset stomach, colds and a variety of other health issues, or for just snacking on when you have a sweet tooth) or for making more cookies! Don't be afraid to shop in ethnic food stores. True, the labels are harder to read but the folks who run these stores are very helpful and I think you'll find that the prices will blow your traditional American market out of the water! Here in Portland, we're lucky enough to have Asian, Russian, Latino, African, German, Carribean and other ethnic stores available to us. They are a veritable treasure trove of food wonders and challenges.

Lemons + Poppyseeds = Love!

"Do you know the land where the lemon-trees flower?"

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

When life gives you lemons...CELEBRATE! In addition to lemonade, these little fruits make some delightfully sweet and tasty treats! Like Lemon Poppyseed Bread, for example.

In preparation for the lecture and signing this Thursday, I made 2 of these wonderful loaves tonight. I'm making them early because it is best to let them sit for a day or so after applying the lemon syrup at the end. This will allow the syrup to really soak the bread and get all that lemony goodness spread around so that every single bite is tangy and mouthwatering!

Lemon Poppyseed Loaf

A little prep work is necessary before beginning. First, preheat your oven to 350. Make sure your rack is on the middle setting. Then grease and flour an 8"x4" loaf pan (or what I find to be much easier is to just spray the pan with non-stick spray and then flour it). Then take a small piece of parchment and cover the bottom of the pan. Grease and flour the parchment and set the pan aside.

Next, grate the peal of:

1 fresh lemon

You'll need about 1 T worth of zest. Remember - yellow part only, no white! After you zest the lemon, cut it in half and squeeze the juice. You will need 1/4 cup. Set the juice aside.

In a small to medium sized bowl, whisk together:

3 large eggs
1-1/2 t vanilla extract
1/4 c milk

Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, sift together:

1-1/2 c all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 c granulated sugar
3 T poppy seeds
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
lemon zest

When sifted together well, add half the egg mixture with:

13 T butter, softened

Mix on low speed until blended, then increase speed and beat for 1 minute. Add the rest of the egg mixture and beat for another minute. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-55 minutes. About 5 minutes before bread is done, combine in a small saucepan:

lemon juice
1/3 c sugar

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and simmer until the sugar completely dissolves. Set aside until bread is removed from the oven. Bread is finished when the top of the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the loaf from the oven and poke several holes through the top with a wooden skewer or long toothpick. Pour about half of the lemon syrup over the top. Cool the loaf in the pan for about 10-15 minutes, then invert the pan onto a wire rack (be sure to grease it first!). Using a pastry brush, apply the rest of the syrup to the bottom and sides of the loaf. Flip the loaf back over right side up and allow to cool completely before wrapping in wax paper. Like I said, it's best to let the loaf sit at least overnight, if not a full 24 hours.

The dangerous thing about this recipe is that it's so damned good and it's so easy to make! Bake it in the evening and have it with coffee the following day for brunch! Luckily, my wife Kat has more self-control and keeps me in line or I would be a lot bigger than I am!

Bon Appetit!