Caramel Apple Pie with Streusel

This was my first attempt at working with dough, and it turned out fantastic. That's right, I said fantastic. It's super easy, makes the kitchen smell amazing, and, added bonus: people actually find the act of making pie crust from scratch more impressive than the pie-making overall. True story.

Ingredients:

Pie Crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup butter
1/3 cup ice water
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 egg, beaten

Filling:
6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter

Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter
4 ounces of toffee
4 ounces of chopped pecans

Directions:

Pie Crust:
Chill all ingredients, including the flour and vinegar. Combine the flour, salt and sugar. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles cornmeal. In another bowl, mix water and vinegar with the beaten egg. Add the liquid mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, to the flour mixture, tossing with a fork to form a soft dough. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 10 minutes.

To turn into pie shells, cover a surface with plastic wrap and lightly flour. Slightly flatten the dough out with your hand before rolling the dough out with a rolling pin. Working quickly, roll the dough into a circle ¼-inch thick or smaller. The size of the dough round should be about four inches wider in diameter than your pie pan. Gently fold the dough in half, and then into quarters. Carefully pick it up and place it into the pie plate so the center point of dough is in the center of the pan.

Carefully unfold the dough: it should be centered in the pan. Without stretching the dough, press the pastry firmly into the pan and trim any excess dough from the edge.

Filling:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Peel and slice apples. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl and add apples. Toss to mix. Add vanilla and cream. Melt butter in heavy skillet. Add apple mixture and cook approximately 8 minutes, to soften apples. Turn into pie shell.

Streusel Topping:

Combine the flour and sugar. Mix in butter with fork until coarse crumbs. stir in the toffee bits and pecans. Sprinkle over pie. Add top crust. Seal, flute edge and vent top. Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake 45 minutes longer.

Alternately, you can opt out of the top crust since the streusel does a pretty good job, and fill two 9" pie pans instead. I would suggest throwing in an extra apple for the two pie plan.

I didn't get a chance to take any pictures of my pies... but here's some Christmas cheer, until next time.

Paris

Maastricht

Prague

...home.

Wishlist:

A collection of really great stuff to give and receive, at Christmas or any other time ever, assuming that you have more money to your name than I do. so...about $223 dollars in your bank account, 1 miniature piggy bank, and 1 ziploc bag of pennies.


Top Row: Handpainted Suede Journals by Kreativlink $44 >> A Year of Mornings photo collection through Amazon and others $19.95 >> Icon Watch by & Design $89 >> Tord Boontje Garland Light $65 & up

Second Row: Rob Brandt Crushed Cup at Horne $10 >> Brooklyn Square Plate at Fishs Eddy $24.95 >> Hawthorne Chateau Bud Vase by KleinReid $88 >> Float Liqueur Glasses by Molo Design $69 (set of 2)

Third Row: Woodsland Bracelet by Lealand Eve $265 >> digital watch by Furni x RbW $28 >> Milky Major and Sugary Soldier by Jorine Oosterhoff $370 >> LEMONSTORY blouse by kimenna
(one of a kind and sold, but just go and see how pretty it is)

Last Row: Shot of the Day Pocket Polaroids Series #003 which can be found on Lord of the Lens $28.50 >> Snail Topiary by Todd Oldham $60 >> Wallpaper* City Guides box sets $49

Brandy Alexander

I've been meaning to make this since I started listening to Feist's "The Reminder" in Maastricht. I'm not a huge fan of any opaque cocktails, but "Brandy Alexander" has spent a noteworthy amount of time as Favorite-Song-of-the-Moment, so I needed to pay due homage.

True to form, I had 2 sips of my drink and finished off a whole pot of spiced cider with rum (recipe also to follow) instead, but it ended up being a big hit with the rest of the family.


Ingredients for a Brandy Alexander:
1 1/2 oz brandy
1 oz dark creme de cacao
2 oz half-and-half
a pinch of grated nutmeg

In a shaker half-filled with ice cubes, combine the brandy, creme de cacao, and half-and-half. Shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with the nutmeg. Serves 1.

Bonus!

Ingredients for Spiced Cider with Rum:

1 apple
2 teaspoons whole cloves
1 orange, thinly sliced
2 quarts apple cider
1/4 cup light brown sugar
Pinch grated nutmeg
1/2 - 1 cup dark rum (preference)
Cinnamon sticks, garnish

Stud the apple with the cloves. In a medium pot, combine the studded apple and remaining ingredients except the rum. Slowly bring to a simmer over low heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the rum. Discard the apple. Ladle into mugs and garnish each with a cinnamon stick. Serve immediately.

Banana Cupcakes with Honey-Cinnamon Frosting

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4)
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting:
1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar (I used about 1 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

To make the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottoms of a muffin tin. In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add in the butter, bananas, eggs, and vanilla and mix well. Divide batter evenly between the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

To make the frosting, beat all ingredients in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.

Spread the tops of cupcakes with the frosting and serve. Makes 24 mini-muffins.

Maple-Roasted Turkey with Sage Butter

Let it be known that I trussed and cooked my first turkey, Thanksgiving 2008, and it turned out to be honestly the best turkey I've ever had. This is not quite as impressive as it sounds, since my family is one of those that usually opts out of the whole dinner thing. We went to Marie Callender's last year. But all that is beside the point. This recipe really does make a moist (and I don't use that word lightly; it's on a short list of words I find very distasteful) and flavorful turkey. It would have been great for some cold turkey sandwiches, had my family spared me any leftovers at all.

(Recipe from Tyler Florence)...put it in your pocket for next year.

Ingredients:
1 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/4 bunch fresh sage, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (12 to 14-pound) fresh turkey, giblets, neck, and liver discarded
8 strips bacon
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons hot water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and remove the top rack of the oven.

Put the butter and sage in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork or spoon until the sage is well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.

Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water, and pat dry with paper towels.

Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the turkey breast and slip the remaining seasoned butter under, massaging the breast meat as you go (It sounds unpleasant, but I found it to be a oddly soothing experience). Truss the bird by crossing the legs over one another and tying with a piece of kitchen twine. Shingle the bacon strips over the breast so it's totally covered.

Put the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan, cover the turkey with aluminium foil, and place in the oven.

In a small bowl, stir the maple syrup with 2 tablespoons of hot water to thin. Roast the turkey for 2 hours, basting with the maple glaze every 30 minutes. Continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F. The thigh juices will run clear when pricked with a knife, about 3-4 hours total.

About 1/2 hour before you think the turkey is done, remove the foil so that it can brown. When done take the turkey out of the oven and put the roasting pan on the stovetop. Transfer the turkey to a serving tray to rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

Thanksgizzle

My family continued our annual tradition of going to Vegas for the holidays this year. While my mom and I hit the tables to imbibe some free and delicious Bloody Marys and lose our money quick, my dad and sister got to enjoy our spectacular suite (The economic recession has resulted in, at the very least, some really great hotel deals). $99 per night. And a 2-for-1 special on "Mamma Mia!" tickets, which unfortunately also meant that I was forced into watching "Mamma Mia!" Discounting that musical fiasco, it was a successful little trip. Gave my dad a crash course in card games, did a little outlet shopping, and even made home in time to make a full Thanksgiving dinner.

Quick Cook Thoughts

Two things have become apparent to me at the outset of my cooking adventure:
1. i need ramekins.
2. i need tumeric.

What kind of a spice is turmeric? What does fennel taste like? Where do you buy monkfish? How is caster sugar different from regular sugar? Where can i buy morels or cremini mushrooms?

so many questions, but seeing that it's 4 AM, i might give my wiki endeavors up for the night and continue tomorrow. I also need a set of ovenproof bowls, primarily for the purpose of making my own French onion soup, so I can have it for breakfast, lunch, and (1st, 2nd, sometimes 3rd) dinner every day. Exciting prospects.

Borders society

Not everyone goes to Borders to browse or buy their next bit of romanticized erotica from the bargain section or the stale chocolate-filled Koala snacks from the manga aisle. Some go for the express purpose of pickin' up chicks. I was sitting alone at a table for a good portion of the evening, with a pot of Earl Grey tea and 4 enormous cookbooks which I had picked based on two things: one, my hardcover requirement, and two, the attractiveness of the chef pictured on the cover. A winning smile and some honey-colored highlights makes me believe in your unparalleled excellence at cooking spicy Thai cuisine. From behind my tower of books, I glanced up occasionally to see a man, mid-forties and dressed entirely in khaki, staring at me over the pages of his automotive magazine. This presents an always uncomfortable situation, but unfortunately, my arms are in the beginning stages of muscular atrophy from lack of use besides when resting on a keyboard, so moving willy-nilly about the store with forty pounds of book was not an option.

He followed me through the store on my way out. We played hide and seek through two or three aisles before I figured I had lost him, but the tricksy bastard managed to disappear and reappear as I walked out the door, confident of my success. "Hey, what's your name? What were you reading? What'd you buy? Oh fiction? You like fiction?" His overeagerness, stalker tendencies, plus the fact that he was walking with me towards my car did not sit well. I turned around with an idiotic grin plastered on my face, and responded with "Sure, sir, I'm here buying some required reading for school. My high school. Have you ever read Hamlet?"

I've never seen a line work so quickly. And it wasn't entirely a lie... I picked up both Brave New World and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead tonight. I'm attempting to catch up with the high school schooling I glossed over the first time around.

Equally exciting in the way of book purchases: I bought my first ever cookbook. Applause!

Paper Cuts

selected works of Peter Callesen:

the delicacy of these blow my mind.

Cuban Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/4 cups diced tomatoes (canned works)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 cups water
1 cup white wine or apple juice
2 cups long-grain rice (I substituted purple rice)

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chicken breast halves and sauté a few at a time until lightly browned on all sides. Remove chicken and set aside. Drain excess fat, leaving 1 Tbs. in the skillet.

Sauté the onion, garlic, pepper, and potato for 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables are soft but not burnt. Add in the remaining ingredients, aside from the wine. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the wine, chicken, and rice. Stir well and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes more.

Mulled Wine

(Cheater's recipe)
Ingredients:
750 mL of a dry red
500 mL of apple cider
a teaspoon of cinnamon
1/3 - 1/2 cup of brown sugar
5 oz Cointreau
1 orange

since i drink much more often than i have fresh spices on hand, this recipe comes in pretty handy when i want to pretend that i'm back at a Christmas market in Prague.

Pour the wine and apple cider into a large pot and keep over medium heat. Zest the orange peel, and cut the orange into slices. Combine the rest of the ingredients in the pot and stir occasionally. Warm the wine without letting it boil, and simmer for 20 minutes. Serves 1.

the Mad Hatter.

today's efforts.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

Filling:
4 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup melted butter

Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped pecans
mini marshmellows

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Fold the first 6 ingredients in together in a large bowl. Pour into a buttered 2-quart casserole dish. Mix remaining ingredients together in a separate bowl and spread over the top of the sweet potato filling. Sprinkle the top with mini marshmellows.


Put the casserole into the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the topping is browned and slightly crunchy, and the marshmellows are all melty and toasted. and delicious. I've never seen my dad enjoy a sweet dish so much.
Serves 6 to 8.

warm, sweet autumn you can eat with a good cup of coffee.

Cloudberries

"The cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus) is a slow-growing alpine or sub-Arctic species, producing amber-colored edible fruit. In Europe and Asia, they grow in the Nordic countries; sometimes in the moorlands of Britain and Ireland, and across northern Russia east to the Pacific. Small populations are also found further south, as a botanical vestige of the Ice Ages. The cloudberry can withstand cold temperatures down to well below -40°C.

The ripe fruits are golden-yellow, soft and juicy, and are rich in vitamin C. When eaten fresh, cloudberries have a distinctive tart taste. When over-ripe, they have a creamy texture and flavor somewhat like yogurt. They are often made into jams, juices, tarts, and liqueurs. In Finland, the berries are eaten with "Leipäjuusto" ("bread-cheese"), and lots of cream and sugar. In Sweden, cloudberries are used as topping for ice cream or waffles. In Norway, they are eaten with whipped cream and lots of sugar. In Canada, cloudberries are used to flavour a special beer. In Alaska, the berries are mixed with seal oil, reindeer or caribou fat (which is diced up and made fluffy with the seal oil) and sugar to make "Eskimo Ice Cream" or Agutuk."

this is officially my new favorite fruit.
mostly because they're called cloudberries.
i must try it.

Why don't kids like brussel sprouts?

I was flipping through the vegetable section of my first cookbook when I landed on the section about brussel sprouts, and realized that I've never eaten them before. I've always assumed that that I hate them, based on the propaganda of children's books and television, but today I came to the startling realization that what I've always thought are brussel sprouts are, in fact, alfalfa sprouts (which i actually do hate) and that brussel sprouts are DELICIOUS.

I went to the market immediately and bought some because I think they're adorable. Like mini-cabbages. and well... because i've never had them before. Maybe my priorities are backwards.

so good. what is this myth that sprouts are terrible and children hate them?

My cookbook called this a "wilted salad", which sounds both exotic and repulsive at the same time, but regardless, a delicious way to eat sprouts:

Pull the leaves off of the individual heads and saute them with a couple slices of bacon and a little bit of rice vinegar.


surprisingly good, but without the surprise, because everything + bacon = gr8.

Potato Leek Soup with Bacon

(recipe by Emeril.)

Ingredients:
2 small leeks
2 bay leaves
20 peppercorns
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tbsp butter
2 strips bacon, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups chicken stock
1 - 1.25 pounds russet potatoes, diced
1 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 to 3/4 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream
2 tbsp snipped chives


Trim the green portions of the leek and, using 2 of the largest and longest leaves, make a bouquet garni by folding the 2 leaves around the bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme. Tie into a package-shaped bundle with kitchen twine and set aside. (Alternately, tie 2 leek leaves, bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme together in a piece of cheesecloth.)


Using a sharp knife, halve the white part of the leek lengthwise and rinse well under cold running water to rid the leek of any sand. Slice thinly crosswise and set aside.



In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter and add the bacon. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is very soft and has rendered most of its fat. Add the chopped leeks and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the reserved bouquet garni, chicken stock, potatoes, salt and white pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are falling apart and the soup is very flavorful.


Remove the bouquet garni and, working in batches, puree the soup in a food processor or blender. (Alternately, if you own an immersion blender, puree the soup directly in the pot.) Stir in the creme fraiche and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Serve immediately, with some of the snipped chives sprinkled over the top of each bowl of soup.

Suggestion: You can also make croutons easily by cutting up a few slices of bread (I used rosemary olive oil, and they turned out amaaaazing) into cubes, and pan-frying them over medium low heat in a small saute pan with 2 tablespoons of butter.

delayed victory.

i realize i'm a little bit late (or far too early), but i still wanted to celebrate Barack's presidency.

i've also eaten half a dozen cupcakes in his honor.

come on, California. let's step it up a little.

late October

Halloween is the best.

i am not an animal person

...but these bozos are just so damn cute.

Chicken Pesto Sandwich

Ingredients:
1 loaf of garlic focaccia bread
2 small chicken breasts, pounded
4 slices of mozzarella cheese
baby greens or spinach
1.5 oz sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil (not the dehydrated kind in a bag), julienne cut
1 large portobello mushroom, sliced
1/2 white onion, sliced
jar of garlic pesto
dried oregano
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by slicing the focaccia lengthwise (horizontally). Spread the garlic pesto on the top half of the loaf.

Season the chicken on both sides with a little bit of salt, pepper, and oregano.

in a medium skillet, saute the onion over medium heat in the olive oil until onion is translucent. Push onions to one side and cook the chicken, turning over occasionally until inside is fully cooked and both sides are golden brown. Set chicken aside.

Continue to saute the onion, adding in the sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for a couple minutes. Take the skillet off the fire, and layer the onion tomato mixture across the focaccia bottom. Place the chicken breasts as the second layer, and the mozzarella cheese on top of that.

Place the skillet back on the fire and saute the mushrooms for a few minutes, adding just a little bit of water. When the mushrooms are soft enough (and smell delicious), add these on top of the cheese. Finish off the sandwich with a layer of lettuce or spinach and the focaccia top; slice the sandwich into quarters. Serves 2.

Perfect for a picnic.