A Pot of Chili for a Day That's Chilly

For a hearty and satisfying dish to heat things up, a piping hot bowl of chili crowned with a blanket of melted cheese and a dollop of sour cream, and flanked by a pile of crisp tortilla chips, fits the bill.  Chili is requisite winter fare; and if you’re planning a Superbowl party, chili is a must at your halftime buffet.

The Spanish nomenclature of chili con carne translates to chili peppers with meat.  All chilies traditionally contained chili peppers, beef, onions and spices.  Variations of chili have evolved to include beans and tomatoes, chicken instead of beef or no meat at all.  These varied ingredient listings have led to heated controversy, each camp emphatically denouncing the next.   Chili’s United States debut transpired in Texas.  The Texas-style ‘bowl of red’ contains no beans and only chunks of beef are utilized as ground beef is forbidden.  If your tendency is to avoid controversial subjects of conversation such as religion, politics or taxes, either steer clear of big belt buckle, ten-gallon hat and cowboy boot clad individuals or else add chili to that list of taboo topics.  If, however, you are one of those brave gluttons for punishment, there are chili cook-off competitions that take place annually throughout the United States, where each participant firmly stands their ground as they boast to making the best “real” chili of all.

I find that such stringent rules of cooking accomplish little more than to stifle creativity and these ingredient police a threat to the inventions of new and exciting variations.  Luckily for us epicureans, they are in the minority.  Vegetarians now indulge in the spicy stew by omitting the meat and adding more beans and vegetables.  Green chili, or chili verde, is a very spicy Mexican version incorporating several varieties of green chilies including jalapenos, poblanos, serranos and even habaneros when an extra kick is desired.  Chili verde typically contains pork rather than beef, and no tomatoes.  White chili is a nice change of pace, substituting white beans for the usual red kidney and/or pinto beans, and containing chicken instead of beef; once again, no tomatoes.

Chili is usually presented with toppings and accompaniments.  Toppings can include cheese such as cheddar or Monterey Jack, sour cream, sliced jalapenos or chopped scallions.  Accompaniments usually come in the form of chips for dipping, tortilla chips or corn chips being the most-desired dippers.

I have finally come up with the perfect quick combination for a stellar chili, using two kinds of beans, two cheeses and chipotle chili powder.  It is very quick and easy to prepare, and it can stand alone as a one-dish meal washed down with a good beer or margarita.

Chili (6-8 servings)

Ingredients:

2 onions, chopped

2 lbs. ground beef

4 cloves garlic, chopped

½ cup orange juice

½  cup tequila

1 cup beer

2 4-ounce cans diced green chilies

2 15-ounce cans chopped tomatoes, undrained

1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese

Sour cream, for serving

Tortilla chips or corn chips, for serving

Cook onion, garlic and ground beef in a stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until all of the meat is browned.  Add the orange juice, tequila, beer, chilies, tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, and the spices.  Stir to combine and then bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine the two cheeses in a serving bowl.

Ladle chili into soup bowls.  Top each serving with cheese.  At the table, serve with a dollop of sour cream if desired, and serve chips alongside for dipping.

Chili, like most stews, tastes better the next day.  This is a perfect meal to prepare ahead for a busy evening later in the week.  Next time it’s blustery outside, start simmering the pot of chili on the stove just before your family is due home.  From the first spoonful, the heat as well as the spicy kick will instantly warm up everyone at your dinner table, because nothing chases the chillies away like a bowl of chili!

This Month's Flavor: Moroccan

As we continue to embrace the Mediterranean diet for all of its healthful and flavorful properties, Moroccan cuisine has seen a surge in popularity in recent years.  Spice blends now adorn the gourmet market shelves alongside jars of preserved lemons; tagine pots are now readily available for purchase in most upscale cookware shops and culinary magazines showcase recipes for this North African fare.

Scent is one of the first senses to detect a Moroccan dish being prepared, as the cuisine is loaded with spices which can include saffron, turmeric, cumin, ginger, cinnamon and paprika.  Ras el Hanout is a blend of spices, which is commonly used to season Moroccan dishes.  Herbs typically used in Moroccan cooking include cilantro and parsley.

Moroccan food makes use of nuts and such fruits as raisins, dates, apricots and preserved lemons.  Preserved lemons are simply lemons, usually Meyer lemons, which have been cut, heavily salted and then jarred with their own juice for four to six weeks.  Once rinsed and added to various dishes such as tagines, they impart a distinctive flavor that melds well with the spices.

The tagine has two definitions.  It is a thick pot, traditionally clay or earthenware, in the form of a base with a conical lid.  The ingredients simmer within the vessel, the condensation sliding down the interior of the lid to return to the pot, thus keeping the food moist.  It is traditionally used to make, well, a tagine, which is a Moroccan stew of meat or poultry, spices, preserved lemons and vegetables.  The stew is typically served with couscous, semolina pasta shaped like small granules.

Couscous is a staple throughout North Africa.  Ingredients added to the couscous vary from country to country, Moroccans favoring the use of saffron.  You can add any Mediterranean flare to season couscous, from chopped tomatoes to almonds and golden raisins to saffron and diced zucchini.  Couscous is a quick side dish that can be made as simply or as exotic as you crave.

Other Mediterranean touches to Moroccan cooking include olives, sun-dried tomatoes and olive oil.

Originating in neighboring Tunisia, harissa is a hot sauce made from hot chili peppers, spices and olive oil and is used as a condiment at the Moroccan table.

If you don’t have a tagine pot, a heavy Dutch oven with a lid will work just as well.  If you become completely taken with Moroccan food and wish to add to your cookware collection, Le Creuset now makes a tagine.  Alternatively, some shops have beautifully designed tagines in exotic patterns.  For my fellow Long Island foodie shoppers, one such store is called Loaves and Fishes, located in Bridgehampton, New York.  There are many recipes for chicken tagine, but they are all very similar, all using cilantro, parsley, onions, garlic, and the usual suspect list of spices and preserved lemons.  Some tagines add artichoke hearts, some call for olives.  Some include tomatoes and carrots, others throw chick peas into the mix. Some recipes call for both stovetop and oven cooking, others require no firing up of the oven at all.  The nice touch that I have come up with in my recipe is the addition of almond-stuffed green olives, which you can find at the olive bar of a well-stocked supermarket.

Chicken Tagine with Lemons and Almond-Stuffed Olives

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon paprika

1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

8 cloves garlic, minced

2 whole preserved lemons, rinsed

8 chicken thighs (bone-in, skins on)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 bouquet of parsley and cilantro (stems with leaves) tied with kitchen string

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed

1 ½ cups chicken stock

½ pound almond-stuffed green olives

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 cup couscous

1 1/3 cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

Combine the ginger, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, finely chopped onion, olive oil and garlic in a bowl or plastic sealable bag.  Add the chicken, mix to coat.  Marinate in the refrigerator over night.

Preheat oven to 400-degrees.  Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a tagine pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the contents from the marinade bowl or bag into the pot, scraping as much of the marinade spices into the pot as possible.  Stir for about two minutes, add the second chopped onion and stir for another minute.  Add the bouquet, saffron and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil, cover, and place into the oven for 50 minutes.  Remove the pot from the oven, remove the chicken and arrange on a platter.  Add the lemons to the pot and boil the mixture over medium-high heat until reduced slightly.  Remove the bouquet, then stir in the olives and chopped cilantro and parsley.   Allow to cook for another five to ten minutes. 

Meanwhile, place the 1 1/3 cup chicken stock, 1 teaspoon olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in couscous, remove from heat, cover and allow to sit for five minutes.

Pour sauce over the chicken and serve with couscous.

The flavors of the sauce will permeate the couscous nicely, but again, you can make couscous interesting by adding any stir-ins that you come up with.  Dice some zucchini and allow it to steam with the couscous; or stir in some chopped sun-dried tomatoes.  Stir in some golden raisins and slivered almonds.  Whatever you choose, I personally am a big fan of saffron so I use it with any of these combinations.  Saffron is expensive, but it goes a long way.  You only need about a quarter of a teaspoon for the above couscous recipe.  It is easily found in thread form in the spice section of well-stocked supermarkets.  Now that you’ve been inspired, warm up your next dinner table with the aromatic and colorful palette that Moroccan cuisine has to offer.

Spoon Fed

There is nothing that warms the soul like the enticing aroma and taste of a piping hot bowl of soup when the wind is howling outside and the snowflakes are tumbling down like old man winter’s confetti.  From those first aromatic whiffs within the steam that swirls up from the simmering pot to that last spoonful from your dinner bowl, soup has the ability to envelope us in warmth.

Soup is essentially liquid, such as stock, in which vegetables are cooked, sometimes with meat or seafood, sometimes with pasta or rice.  The combination is ladled into bowls and often served with toppings such as croutons, shredded cheese, sour cream, etc.  Soup is often served as a first course, but can also stand in as a main entrée accompanied by a salad and/or bread.

A soup can be served in its basic form of liquid with the vegetables and other ingredients free-floating.  It can also be pureed in a blender for a thick consistency.  Some soups are silky smooth, such as bisques which are typically pureed seafood with cream.  Other soups are very chunky, such as chowders http://cattroianoathomeinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/10/chowder-house-rules.html While most soups are served hot and best enjoyed on a bleak winter’s day, some variations are served cold and can be a refreshing summer repast.  Examples of chilled soups include vichyssoise, a French style thick creamy potato and leek soup, and gazpacho, a chunky Spanish tomato-based vegetable soup.

There are probably as many soup recipes as there are mouths to feed; every nation around the world celebrates their specialty.  The French have bouillabaisse, a fish soup originating in Marseille; and also that favorite made with beef broth and caramelized onions, served over bread and topped with melted gruyere cheese. The Italians have their vegetable soup that we all know as minestrone, as well as ribollita, and my personal favorite from Tuscany: the garlicky cannellini bean and escarole soup ladled over toasty bread.  Callaloo is savored in the Caribbean, as gumbo is a favorite Creole soup; the Russians serve their borscht and the Hungarians partake in goulash.  When dining on sushi, we often commence the meal with a bowl of Japanese miso soup.  Mulligatawny is an Indian-influenced curried soup, often made with lentils.  The northeastern United States makes the most of their coastal bounty with clam chowders and Maryland crab soup.  Thai restaurants feature tom yum, and who hasn’t ordered wonton soup when Chinese food is the order of the day?  I have only begun to scratch the surface here, as there are many, many more.  An even greater plethora of variety can stem from your very own kitchen.  All you need to start with is a stock, and then what gets added to that stock is only as limited as your imagination.

Soup is perhaps the most forgiving, and therefore easiest, concoction to create.  I cannot fathom why anyone would pause at the canned soup aisle of the supermarket.  Once I made a few homemade soups, I tried to sample a once-upon-a-time favorite canned soup and was disgusted.  The flavor was so artificial, what little flavor I could detect beyond the saltiness.  Canned soups rarely taste like the flavors boasted on the labels, as the excess of added salt and monosodium glutamate overwhelm the small percentage of vegetables or garlic that are actually contained, leaving a very over-processed flavor that’s really not so comforting.  While making your own stock is best when preparing a pot of soup, using a quality store-bought carton of stock is perfectly acceptable if time is not on your side.  I like Kitchen Basics brand stock because its all-natural ingredient list contains only what you would likely use if you made stock yourself, and nothing that you wouldn’t.  So if you have a little downtime on a Sunday afternoon, make a big pot of soup and then refrigerate it once it cools.  You will have soup for later in the week when you come home from the daily grind in need of some winter comfort fare, without needing the time then to prepare it.

Mediterranean Roasted Eggplant Soup

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 red onion, peeled, cut into eighths

6 garlic cloves, peeled

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper*

½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Juice of 2 lemons

1 15-ounce can chick peas, drained and rinsed

1 32-ounce carton vegetable stock

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Arrange the eggplant, red pepper, onion and garlic cloves in a single layer over a cookie sheet.  Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables.  Sprinkle vegetables with salt, pepper and cayenne.  Roast in the oven for about 40 minutes, tossing once halfway through roasting time, or until the vegetables have started to brown and are soft.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature.  Transfer the roasted vegetables and any accumulated juices to a blender.  Add the lemon juice, half of the chick peas and the stock.  Puree ingredients until thick and well blended.  Pour into a pot over medium heat and warm through, stirring in the remainder of the chick peas.  Serves 2-3.

I recommend serving this soup with pita chips; and a light sprinkling of crumbled imported feta cheese, or a dollop of sour cream, on top will make it special.

* Brian and I love spicy food – really spicy food.  If you’re squeamish with the spice, I would recommend cutting back the cayenne pepper to ¼ teaspoon.

One Dish Wonder Saves the Day

Thanksgiving 2011 is now but a memory, the highlights of which we can always revisit through pictures and conversational exchanges next time around.  Now we move into the most bustling season of all.  Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or any other holiday that strikes around the turn of the winter solstice, life gets hectic.  No matter how much we insist that we are not going to overextend our time, our wallets and our energy each year, we just can't help ourselves.  We want to make every holiday the best one ever for our loved ones, and family is what the holidays really are about, right?


Let's examine a typical day of the average individual during the month of December.  You may have just stealthily crept out in participation of the end of day jail break from that daily grind called work.  All that's on your mind these days is that ever-growing to-do list of the season as you rush to your awaiting car to make every second count: got to get a tree, oh now you've got to trim the tree.  What's the weather forecast for this weekend? Can you put up the outdoor Christmas lights without being whisked off of the ladder by blustering winds; and shall you skip a shower that morning because you will likely be the recipient of a cold shower as you disentangle strings of lights out in the pelting rain?  Oh, better stop at the post office on the way home for stamps for all of those cards you haven't yet addressed.  Got to get the kids, the dogs, the cat, the hamster or the iguana in for pictures with Santa.  Oh, and you'd better get hubby or wifey's gifts wrapped up quickly, before your loving spouse starts snooping around!  Just when you thought you were done with gift shopping, yet another trek to the mall has been delegated your way for a last-minute recipient who decided that now would be an opportune time to pop back into your life after an eleven month hiatus.  The kids want to bake cookies this weekend - HOW many different kinds??  And the family wants WHAT tonight?  DINNER??! Who's got time for dinner?


Whoa, stop.  Stop right there.  You do have time to make a decent dinner.  The is where a culinary superhero, called one dish wonder, comes to the rescue.  One dish meals, in which most of your nutritional requirements cook together all in one pot, are the perfect dinners for a busy month such as this one.  Some which take a bit more time, such as a beef stew or a pan of lasagna, can be made ahead of time and heated through for serving later in the week.   Many others, from the first ingredient being chopped to the dish's final trek to the table, can be made in an hour or less.  All you need to make the meal complete is a salad and perhaps some warmed, crusty bread in the quest to fill up those with heartier appetites.


Pasta dishes in particular can be made in record time, especially if you have sauce on hand.  Whenever you make a pot of red sauce, or when making pesto, plan to end up with much more than you need for one meal.  Divide the rest into food storage containers and stash them into your freezer.  This is absolutely the best time saving advice I can offer anyone, it will save your hurried dinner plans every time.  Next time you need to throw together a quick meal, boil some pasta.  When it's al dente, throw in some shrimp and some broccoli flowerettes.  As soon as the shrimp has turned bright pink, drain it all and toss with some halved grape tomatoes and some pesto.  The tomatoes can be halved and a salad can be tossed together while the pasta cooks, you can buy the shrimp already peeled and cleaned and you can even purchase the broccoli already cut up.  This meal can be on your table in twenty minutes.  How's that for fast food?


Plan ahead for one dish dinners.  If you are making boneless chicken breasts on Sunday, roast a few extra ones and save them to cut into bite sized pieces for that pasta or rice dish, or to shred and stir into a pot of soup you might cook up later in the week.  Soups and chilis are also quick one dish meals when they contain a meat, a starch such as noodles, rice or beans, and vegetables.  Another great idea for the one dish dinner is the pizza.  Make some pizza sauce and, once again, make enough to freeze a few containers for future use.  Balls of pizza dough can now be purchased in many supermarkets.  All you need from there is some cheese, whether traditionally simple mozzarella or an interesting combination of other cheeses, a couple of other toppings, ten minutes in the oven and you are ready to dine.  Asian stir fries are also quick to leap from the pan to the plate.  The preparation of cutting the meat and vegetables takes a bit of time, but once that task is complete and your sauce ingredients are measured out and rounded up stove side, the actual cooking process is, to quote all of the nation's Chinese takeout owners, 'about ten minutes'.


There are a few small appliances in my kitchen which have seen very little use.  There is one item, however, which has been put to task on many an occasion and which I could no longer do without: the indoor grill/panini press.  Paninis are heaven-sent sandwiches in my humble opinion, basically grilled cheese sandwiches with some additional filling, pressed together for a cohesive, crisp, melted indulgence.  One of my favorite combinations for a panini is that of mozzarella, pesto and tomato.  Again, a quick dinner whose only necessary pairing might be a salad to round out the meal.


Heartier one dish dinners include stews, made with chicken or beef or even seafood.  There is probably an infinite number of recipes for chicken and rice combinations, which reflect a number of ethnic flavors to satisfy whatever you're craving.   One of the first dishes I ever prepared for Brian was a one dish Cajun entree called jambalaya.  I have tweaked the recipe several times over the years, and here is my own final variation; and yes, this is my final answer!


Jambalaya (4 servings)
Ingredients:   
4 chicken thighs
1 pound Andouille sausage, sliced into ½-inch thick slices
1 onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 cup white rice
2 cups chicken stock
1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 pound large shrimp, peeled
Bottled hot sauce to taste


Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then add to skillet.  Brown the chicken on all sides, then remove from the skillet and set aside.  Place sliced sausage into the same skillet and brown on both sides, then remove and set aside.  Add onions and garlic to the skillet, stir until onion is translucent.  Stir in the thyme and Cajun seasoning.  Add tomatoes and rice.  Stir to combine.  Add the chicken stock, stir to combine.  Return chicken to skillet.   Bring to boiling.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  After 40 minutes, stir in the shrimp, the peppers, and the sausage, adding a little more chicken broth only if all the liquid has been absorbed.  Replace cover and cook until shrimp have turned pink, chicken is cooked through, the rice is very tender and all broth has been absorbed.  Serve, passing hot sauce as a condiment for added heat.

I love this dish, it reminds me of two happy incidences in my life: one of the the first dishes I ever cooked for my future husband, and of our vacation spent in New Orleans where we dined on some of the best food we ever ate on any of our trips.  Start to finish, I can execute this dinner in forty-five minutes to an hour; and while it simmers?  Well that opens up a nice window of opportunity to wrap a gift, address a couple of holiday cards, and thus cross yet another task off of my to-do list.  Remember, it may have to be fast food for a few weeks, but it doesn't have to be corporate drive-through nutritionally devoid fast food.  You can make a warming, comforting and satisfying dish of fast food in the same amount of time as it takes to wait on that drive through line, and you won't have to check your order as you drive away.

The Fruits and Nuts Are Coming to Dinner

The fruits and nuts are coming to dinner.  Thanksgiving dinner, this week.  Yes, at your house, to your table.  No, we're not talking about your in-laws' quirky relatives or your second cousin twice removed who is only allowed out of the basement for special occasions.  We are talking about dessert!  No matter how much we doth protest and groan 'Oh, I'm so stuffed, I just can't fit in another bite or I'll explode...' everyone wants a piece of the pie.


As I have illustrated in the last couple of blogs in preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday repast, most courses of the annual autumnal feast have graduated from the basics to culinary presentations filled with creative new twists.  Dessert is no exception, as the timeless trio of Thanksgiving dessert traditions has evolved to incorporate further dimensions of texture, flavor and color.  Those desserts which have withstood the test of time are the apple pie, the pumpkin pie, and the pecan pie.


The apple pie, once a basic pie shell baked with a filling of apples, sugar, a little flour and some spices, has now benefitted from the additions of additional ingredients such as pears or cranberries.  A new twist of flavor can be imparted by using a touch of almond extract in the dough when preparing the pie crust.  A whole new look to strut down the runway of the dining table is the substitution of cinnamon streusel covering the apple pie in lieu of a top crust.  Other apple pies who go topless include the apple crostada; and my mother's apple pie in which, during the dessert's hot date with the oven, the apples caramelize on the edges for a nice presentation as they settle into a cinnamon-infused custard-like filling.  Two years ago I celebrated Thanksgiving with Brian's family, where one guest presented an apple pie which had been piled high with at least five different varieties of apples under the hood.  For those who may be pressed for time to prepare a pie in addition to an appetizer, a turkey, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, biscuits, vegetables, cranberry sauce - oh my, perhaps now is the time to start calling on other family members in the hopes of an invitation elsewhere - an apple crisp may be the easier alternative you are looking for.  Crisps do not involve making dough for pie crusts, because they require no crust at all.  A crisp is simply a similar combination of ingredients that would be used for the filling of the pie, the apples cut into chunks rather than sliced.  The mixture is placed into a baking dish and topped with a crumb topping, a quick alternative to the traditional apple pie.


The pumpkin pie is still served on many a Thanksgiving table and still prepared in its traditional incarnation, though many have sought new ways to prepare that sweet dining finale using the amber gourd.  Recipes are now widely available for pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin mousse trifles and parfaits,  and pumpkin roulades with cream fillings.  Last Thanksgiving I prepared Ina Garten's recipe for a pumpkin-banana mousse tart; the additional flavor of the banana was a wonderful fusing of flavors.  If you aren't so eager to stray from tradition however, there are many new presentations for the original pumpkin pie.  Two of my favorites include the addition of a hazelnut streusel topping; and also the cover of a cloud of fluffy sweet meringue which had a brief encounter with the kitchen blow torch.  I recently spied a recipe in a cooking magazine for pumpkin pie with a brulee top.  Whichever variation you choose, the pumpkin dessert remains the steadfast requisite for an all-American Thanksgiving menu.


Thirdly, we have the dessert pride of the southern United States, the pecan pie.  Several friends have made requests recently for pecan pie recipes, and so here I am to deliver.  As with the aforementioned desserts, there are many variations on the theme of pecan pie as well, including the maple pecan pie, the caramel pecan pie, and my recipe which satiates the chocolate cravers of your family.  This is one I have made year after year at Brian's requests.  The use of both bittersweet and semi sweet chocolate, plus the addition of instant espresso powder to the filling, really brings out the rich chocolate flavor.  Pecan pie is typically served with big dollops of whipped cream.  A nice alternative would be a scoop of homemade or high quality store-bought vanilla ice cream.


Chocolate Pecan Pie
Ingredients:   
6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into dice and chilled again
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/6 cup chilled vegetable shortening
1/4 cup ice water


3 tablespoons butter
4 ounces coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate
4 ounces coarsely chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup either light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cup pecan halves


In the bowl of a food processor with the steel blade, mix the flour, salt and 1/2 tablespoon sugar.  Remove the butter and shortening from the refrigerator from place into the food processor bowl.  Pulse ingredients until the mixture resembles small pea-sized pebbles.  Remove the water from the refrigerator and, with the processor on, pour it through the feed tube into the bowl.  Pulse the processor until the entire mixture begins to form one ball.  Turn out onto a floured surface.  Quickly form into a neat ball, pat down into the shape of a thick disc and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for about a half hour.


Return the ball of dough to a very well-floured surface, and begin rolling with a floured pin into a ten-inch circle, turning the circle one quarter turn every few rolls to prevent it from sticking to the surface.  Butter the inside of a pie dish.  Place the dough into the dish, and crimp or flute the extra dough along the edge decoratively.  Place pie dish into the refrigerator.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt 2 ounces of the bittersweet chocolate, 2 ounces of the semi sweet chocolate and the 3 tablespoons of butter, stirring frequently, until all of the chocolate is melted.  Add the brown sugar, espresso powder, eggs, corn syrup and vanilla and stir to combine.  Stir in the remaining chopped chocolates and the nuts.  Pour batter into pie crust.  Bake for about 55 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before serving.


For those who seek for something different, there is a whole world of sweet confections to offer up at your holiday table.  I do recommend however that you exercise the one tradition of Thanksgiving and stick to the concept of incorporating the season's bounty, which includes apples, pears, cranberries, pumpkin and nuts.  For those whose consumption of nuts is a medical faux pas, there are plenty of seasonal embellishments to enhance your fall baking endeavors, including the use of cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, ground ginger, chopped crystalized ginger, maple syrup,  caramel, dried cranberries and raisins.  However you choose to write the happy ending to your holiday spread, enjoy.  To all of my family and friends - all of my readers - I wish you a happy, safe and delicious Thanksgiving holiday.

Tempted By An Apple

A couple of weeks ago, my husband Brian and I took a short drive east along Long Island's north fork, the fall landscape peppered with signs beckoning visitors to come and 'pick your own' apples.  As with flame-hued pumpkins and jewel-toned mums, apples announce to us all that autumn has arrived on the scene.  Harvest time for apples peaks during the months of September through November.  While the slogan which boasts that an apple a day keeps the doctor away may be a bit too ambitious, apple consumption can only help as they are a good source of vitamins A and C as well as fiber.  So there really is no excuse not to take advantage of picking a peck or two of that not-so-forbidden fruit.


Apples have been cultivated for 3000 years, resulting in hundreds of varieties which treat us to a vast array colors,  from lemony yellow to yellowish-green to the deepest shade of crimson red, textures from tender to sharply crisp, and flavors from tart to sweet.  Some delicious apples for snacking on include galas, honeycrisps, ginger golds and winesaps.  My personal favorite is the Arkansas black, garnet in color and very crisp, tantalizing the taste buds with notes of wine in its complex sweet flavor.  I recently had the good fortune to try a mutsu apple, which was originally cultivated in Japan.  The greenish-yellow specimen rewards with a crisp bite and a tart flavor, and now also heads my list of favorites.  For cooking and baking, granny smiths and macouns are ideal choices since they are firm enough to hold up through the baking process and their flavors orchestrate the right balance of tart and sweet.


Once you have migrated to the nearest apple picking mecca and make your homecoming with all those apples in tow, what can you do with all of them?  Aside from the obvious choice of eating them au natural as a healthy snacking alternative, apples seem to have infinite destinations.  In the fall they are the number one choice for baked goods such as apple pies, crostatas, crisps and muffins.  They can be pressed into apple cider, or fermented into hard cider for your seasonal drinking pleasure; and speaking of imbibing, Calvados - an apple brandy - is something worth adding to your bar goods.  When made into jellies and butters, these can be used to season savory dishes of pork, poultry and salmon.  Apples can even be sliced and cooked right in the pan with pork chops and a fall vegetable such as fennel or acorn squash.  Slices of apple are a perfect pairing on a cheese platter, particularly with cheddars, aged goudas and blues.  They are enjoyed in salads for an added sweetness and crunch.  They can be cooked down with sugar on the stovetop until you have applesauce, and we all remember one traditional Halloween treat: the caramel or candied apple on a stick - the nineteenth century Welsh adage touting an apple a day wards off the doctor, not necessarily the dentist.  Lastly, apples in their various hues make for elegant decor as they fill a basket or a wooden bowl and grace your dining or coffee table.


To store apples, they keep best in a cool, dark place.  The coldest section of your refrigerator will do; or, if you stockpiled in case of a winter-long, blizzard-induced quarantine, keeping them in an unheated part of your basement will work as well.


Oh, so many choices!  I would suggest purchasing one variety with which you are already familiar and that you love, plus one or two new varieties that your taste buds have yet to embark on.  Lastly, pick up some macouns, since granny smiths are obtainable in any supermarket at any time of year, and try this simple recipe for a perfect fall dessert.


Cranberry-Apple and Pear Pie
Ingredients:  
2 pie crusts
1 ¼ cups sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg             

1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries
3 apples, cored, peeled and sliced
1 anjou pear, cored, peeled and sliced

1 tablespoon butter

1 egg white, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Turbinado (raw) sugar crystals

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Gently stir in apples, cranberries and pear.  Toss lightly until the fruit is incorporated into the sugar mixture.  Place mixture into one pie crust, then dot with the butter.  Cover with the second crust and cut four or five small slits into the top.  Seal and crimp the edges.  Brush the egg white mixture over the pie crust, then sprinkle with the raw sugar.  Bake for about 50 minutes.

So have you been inspired to take a bite out of your nearest apple orchard?  If there are none in your area, most farm stands and farmers' markets are brimming with a variety of the season's apple bounty.  If you happen to live on Long Island, however, I would highly recommend that during your next trek out to the east for all of its vineyard splendor and farm stands with their wagons overflowing with pumpkins galore, add one more stop to your itinerary. Woodside Orchards has two locations with apple picking opportunities: one in Aquebogue on route 25, and the other located in Jamesport on Manor Lane.