Sugar Pie Pumpkins
About mid-October I start to think about my costume for Halloween (it’s usually something food-related, what a surprise) and the amount of candy I need for the trick-or-treaters (and myself of course). This year I pondered the idea of a pumpkin to sit on my front porch and scare away the goblins. Instead I wound up with two
sugar pie pumpkins and an open list of options for using them.
Most people are familiar with Jack O’Lantern pumpkins or the stuff out of the can for pies. The Jack O’Lantern variation is great for carving but not so good for eating because they are fibrous, bland (I’m told) and have a “low flesh to cavity” ratio. Although I might add here that the Seattle Woodland Park Zoo has found their inhabitants (in particular the hippos) don’t seem to mind.
While my pumpkins are ultimately destined for ravioli in a sage browned butter sauce there is the matter of my favorite part…the seeds. We opted to use a light coating of oil, a dusting of 9-spice curry and a sprinkle of salt. Toasted in a 350 degree oven for about 30-45 minutes (test for doneness) the result was a deliciously crunchy snack or quite possibly an addition to a salad or bowl of soup.
Toasted, Curry Pumpkin Seeds
- 1 cup seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon 9 – spice curry (or curry powder)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes to coat.
Hope you have a happy – and safe – Halloween!
Toasted Curry Pumpkin Seeds
Asian apple pears are a welcome farmer's market surprise!
During a walk through the local farmer’s market this weekend I came across a vendor selling Apple Pears. I picked up a few because he seemed quite genuine in his enthusiasm for the fruit, telling me to refrigerate for optimum taste before cutting.
Upon returning home I followed his instructions by placing the fruit in the “crisper” section of my refrigerator. A few hours later I returned to retrieve one of these beauties was quite impressed when it was cut open. The Apple Pear is like a cross between an apple (in texture) and a pear (hence, the name!) Best of all, there’s a nice hint of sweetness balanced by a slightly floral flavor.
If you find these available in your area pick up a few and try them. They seem to be perfect for snacking and could substitute nicely in an apple tart. Enjoy!
This is one perfect bite!
Kecap Manis, what is it you ask? It’s a thick soy sauce sweetened with palm sugar from Indonesia. This ingredient came to my attention via an older version of Saveur magazine and I knew instantly that I had to try it. Problem was once I got it home I didn’t really know what to do with it.
My initial reaction: it smelled like a cross between soy and molasses. Not surprisingly I learned you can make your own “kecap” version at home by using, you guessed it, molasses (my nose rarely lets me down, except during cold season!) plus a few other ingredients.
My significant other’s reaction: smells hoppy and a bit like malt. Frankly, I think he was craving a beer although there does seem to be a slightly malty essence contained within.
Because I felt like this was one of those things like fish sauce which adds a subtle nuance when blended with other ingredients, I kept trying to crack the kecap code. I finally asked a friend what to do with the stuff and she said it makes a killer marinade. So I created a test batch, attacked a flank steak with a fork and then marinated it for 24 hours. Guests unanimously rated the kecap flank “super tasty” and I hope you will too!
Kecap Manis Marinade
- ½ cup soy (dark is preferable)
- ¼ cup kecap manis
- 3 Tbs. vinegar (unseasoned rice or cider)
- 2 tsp. garlic, minced
- 1 Tbs. ginger (fresh or jarred)
- 1 – 2 Tbs. sesame oil (add to your taste – sesame oil can be quite strong)
- ½ c. sherry or white wine
Optional:
- Lime juice
- Lemongrass (about a half stalk – cut)
Mix together all ingredients. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Cook’s notes:
- This recipe will make enough marinade for 3 lbs of flank steak. Before marinating pierce all over with a fork (both sides). Pour the marinade into a flat pan or plastic bag and add the meat. Marinate up to 24 hours.
- I also used to flavor a basic stir fry near the end of cooking. Delish!
Crockpot Chili
So my mother will probably delight in the fact that something she bought on sale “for herself” (most likely circa 1970) and then gave to me is still in use and a valuable part of my kitchen equipment today. It is, of course, the classic Crock-Pot. And although there were years where I questioned whether this item was worth packing and unpacking each time I moved to a new place, I eventually came to appreciate it as much as the recipes in the accompanying cookbook.
One of the recipes included in that cookbook for Favorite Chili is also listed on the Crock-Pot website but with slightly different ingredient proportions. I am going to assume that either recipe will do, but in case you want the original in all it’s glory, try the version below. I am also including another family favorite – Minestrone – which doesn’t seem to bear much resemblance to the real deal (but is really delicious!)
Favorite chili
- ½ pound dry pinto or kidney beans
- 2 – 14 ½ oz. cans tomatoes
- 2 pounds coarsely ground chuck, browned and drained
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- green pepper, chopped
- cloves garlic, crushed
- to 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Salt, to taste
Completely soften beans before adding to the crock pot (sugar and acid have a hardening effect on bean and will prevent softening.) Put all ingredients in the Crock-Pot in order listed. Cover and cook on low 10 to 12 hours.
Cooks notes:
- You can substitute 2 – 16oz. cans of beans, drained.
- Green pepper – I can take or leave (usually leave) without drastic results
- Ground turkey is, of course, a good alternative to the chuck
Minestrone
- 3 cups water
- 1 ½ pounds beef shank
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery with tops, sliced
- 1 – 14 ½ oz. can tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 10-ounce package frozen vegetables
- ½ cup shredded cabbage (optional, in my opinion)
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ cup vermicelli or garbanzo beans
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 zucchini, sliced
Place all ingredients in Crock-Pot except zucchini and pasta. Stir to mix thoroughly. Cover and cook on Low 10 to 16 hours. During the last hour, remove meat from bones. Cut meat and return to soup. Add the zucchini. Turn Crock-Pot to high and cook one hour. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty French bread.
Basil
I spent the summer fixated on my herb garden or to be more precise, the basil growing in front and cordoned off with a small trench containing snail-discouraging material (ok, slug and snail bait.) Sorry if I just ruined the visual here but past experience has taught me this is one necessary step. And yes, I could eat them – the snails – since someone published an article about cleaning the pests last year but basil is so much tastier when it becomes PESTO!
By late August my work paid off and I had enough basil to start my annual pesto assembly line. First, I gently toasted the pine nuts so as not to burn them, and then set up the garlic, basil, nuts, salt, pepper, cheese and oil all in a line on my dining room table. I assigned a friend to be the food processing engineer and quality assurance taster (not too much salt or oil) and with a push of the pulse button we whirred our way to pesto production. While the entire process always seems a little labor intensive, most of the work is in the ingredient preparation stages. Once we swung into action the whole process took a fast hour to complete.
Many tubs of pesto – lodged securely in my freezer – later, we participated in the ultimate taste test. We whipped up a batch of fusilli pesto and marveled at the activity of the day. For me, it’s another annual food ritual which captures a bit of summer to save for a rainy, cold Northern California day (and yes, it DOES get cold in California!) Next up, chili and pumpkin ravioli – yum!
Pesto
3 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano, coarsely grated (about 2/3 cup)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups loosely packed basil
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
With food processor running, drop in garlic and finely chop. Stop motor and add nuts, cheese, salt, pepper and basil then process until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil, blending until incorporated.
Cooks’ notes:
For pasta with pesto: put 2/3 cup pesto in a large bowl and cook 1 pound linguine or spaghetti until al dente, then whisk about 1/3 cup pasta cooking water into pesto. Add drained pasta to thinned pesto with salt and pepper to taste and toss well. Serve with additional grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Pesto keeps, its surface covered with plastic wrap, chilled, 1 week.
Fusilli Pesto and Tomato Pasta
Golden Delicious Apples
It takes a two-hour plane ride to Seattle and then another 2+ hours to drive east of the mountains (Cascades) for the annual Apple Cider party our friends have each year. And every year I think how crazy it is to travel so far for this fall ritual which involves a decent amount of sweat equity and the ability (this year) to brave the cold. My attitude seems to change midstream once I have my first glass of freshly pressed, unfiltered sweet – but tart – cider. It’s the best ever and at that point I am one happy camper (or worker, in this case.)
This year we used a blend of apples; Golden Delicious, Reds (not related to Goldens) and Granny Smith which, according to reports, the Beatles Apple records adopted as their symbol. Really? In any case, the combination of apples used for our cider produced a sweet flavor which was infused with a decent “bite” of sour (probably the Grannys) for a totally delicious, refreshing treat.
It’s hard to convey just how good fresh cider is but suffice it to say I’m quite bitter that I can’t bring it on the plane ride home. In past years I would bring a few gallons home despite the odd looks from the other passengers (how do you explain “I’ve got two gallons of cider here – but don’t worry, they’re in the overhead and oh yeah, your seat is right below…”)
While you probably won’t be setting up your own cider processing line soon, you might want to try the apple dip recipe below. It was provided by the “cook” at the cider party who said it’s her son’s favorite. Enjoy!
Ardie’s Apple Dip
- 8 oz. cream cheese (low fat is ok)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix ingredients together and add 3/4 cup toffee bits. Dip tart apples!
- Pressing the apples
- The filling station
- The finished product (86 gallons!)
The perfect bite
It’s tough to secure a reservation for an oyster feast at Hog Island in Marshall, California these days especially after a feature on the Food Channel’s The Best Thing I Ever Ate (thanks a lot, Tyler Florence!) I called and requested a picnic table a few weeks out (“no”) then a month (“sorry”) and finally almost 2 months before landing an open spot late September. Although our reservation seemed like forever into the future, before I knew it we were ready to go with briquettes in hand (for grilling along with the “raws”) and a bevy of homemade mignonettes.
So here’s the deal: you get to Hog Island and find your picnic table. Then, you figure out how many to buy, light the coals and secure your “stash”. After many trips to Hog Island we’ve got a system: 50% Sweetwater (small or medium) and 50% Kumamotos or a total of about 100+ oysters (for, um…5 people.) The Sweetwaters we grill and apply a “farm BBQ sauce” (found in the Hog Island cookbook) and the kumies or kumos we shuck and slurp. While all the oysters are amazingly briny and fresh, it’s really the deep-cupped, buttery Kumamotos I await with foodie anticipation each and every time.
A native of Ariake Bay in Kumamoto Prefecture on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, post WWII the Kumamoto was thought to be a good alternative to the Olympia which was in danger of disappearance due to over-fishing and pollution. Oystermen were less enamored of the Kumamoto due to it’s long growing period (3 years). An effort to cross breed the Kumamoto with a faster growing variety ended up with something described as “a watery blob”. The resulting hybrid quickly spread to the rest of the stock and resulted in a scramble to find genetically pure stock to replenish the original Kumamoto stock.
With much of Japan’s original oyster beds (Hiroshima) in ruins, Kumamotos were in danger of disappearing altogether but were rescued from oblivion by seed found in a few places, namely Shelton WA (Taylor Shellfish) and Tomales Bay. As is the case with many trends “what’s old became new” and oysters – especially Kumamotos – rode the wave to popularity again starting in the 80’s.
To me, Kumamotos are special not only because of their unique taste but the dedication of many to preserve the legacy of this delicacy. As I attempt to slowly savor each bite my enthusiasm takes over and soon I am quickly – and happily – slurping oysters while enjoying a view of beautiful Tomales Bay with glass of wine in hand.
Buttermilk cupcakes
Last week as I was looking through my semi-empty refrigerator I spotted a rather large, unopened container of buttermilk I purchased some time ago. With the expiration date looming I realized I was in a race against the clock before I would be forced to throw it out. The challenge? Find recipes using one ingredient – buttermilk – but NOT introduce new ones into the mix. It was a challenge I accepted (although only the cat was around to witness and she’s keeping quiet for now.)
After scouring recipes, sites and my cupboards I found a few options, one being a Devil’s food buttermilk cake recipe printed on the side of an unopened box of cake flour. A friend recently mentioned that the recipes on boxes of products (eg., cake flour, chocolate chips) are somewhat foolproof because they’ve been thoroughly tested by the manufacturer to ensure a quality outcome.
The outcome of my leftovers was a tasty batch of cupcakes and the satisfactory feeling that something so good isn’t all that bad (except for the buttercream frosting piled on top.) Despite it’s name, buttermilk is lower in fat and calories than regular milk and high in potassium, vitamin B12 and calcium. It’s also more easily digestible than whole milk and contains more lactic acid than skim milk.
All good news given the amount still left in the rather large carton in the fridge. If I’ve learned anything here it’s to buy the smaller carton next time or give the cat a treat!
Deluxe Devil’s Food Cake/Cupcakes
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- 1 t clear vanilla
- ¾ t almond extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups Pillsbury softasilk cake flour
- 1 cup dutch processed cocoa powder or unsweetened cocoa powder (valrhona)
- 2 t baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ cups buttermilk
Heat oven to 350 F. Place paper cupcake fillers in a pan (approx. 24-30)
Beat sugar, 1 cup butter, 1 t clear vanilla and ¾ teaspoon almond extract in a large bowl with electric mixed on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat eggs on at a time. Mix cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl; beat into creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk on medium speed. Beat 1 minute longer. Pour into cupcake liners.
Bake 18 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely.
Makes approx. 24 – 28 cupcakes.
Recipe courtesy of Pillsbury.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 8 ounces unsalted butter (1 cup) cut into cubes, room temperature
- 2 pounds powdered sugar (8 cups)
- ½ cup milk (start with ¼ cup, add more until desired consistency)
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 oz. melted bittersweet chocolate, cooled
In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and milk, alternately then add vanilla and salt. Mix on low speed until fluffy and smooth. Melt chocolate until smooth. Cool. Add to the buttercream.
