Stonebow Inn Recipe Blog

Thanksgiving Menu 6: Desserts

2010-11-19T18:20:00.003-05:00

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake
16 servings
3 doz. ginger snaps, finely crushed
1/4 c. pecans, finely chopped
1/4 c. butter, melted
4 x 8oz. pkg. good quality regular (not low-fat) cream cheese, softened
1 c. sugar
1 c. (15 oz.) pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 T. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
Heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg (preferably fresh ground)

Equipment: 9-inch springform pan, standing mixer.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix crumbs, nuts and butter in a medium bowl; press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan. Beat cream cheese and sugar in bowl of standing mixer until blended. Add pumpkin, spice and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each until just blended. Pour into crust. Bake 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until center is almost set (it may crack in the center slightly, this is OK). Loosen crust from rim of pan; cool on rack before removing rim. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Just before serving, whip heavy cream until firm peaks form. Serve cheesecake slices topped with cream and a dusting of nutmeg.

Chocolate Walnut Tart
A riff on the classic pecan pie, this is rich and chocolaty. It goes without saying that the better the quality of the chocolate, the better the result. Use 60% chocolate liquor brands - but not higher (e.g 72%) otherwise the chocolate may separate.
12 servings
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
2 T. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. light-colored corn syrup
2 T. butter, room temperature
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 c. walnut halves
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 large egggs, lightly beaten

Fool-proof pie dough (recipe follows)
cooking spray (if using metal pie plate)

Equipment: 9-inch glass pie plate (such as Pyrex) or metal removable-bottom tart pan.

Fool-proof pie crust dough
(for one 9-inch single crust pie)
1 1/4 c. (6.5 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. sugar
6 T. (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 c. chilled soild vegetable shortening (Crisco), cut into 4 pieces
1/8 c. vodka, cold*
1/8 c. water, cold* (in other words 1/4 c. water/vodka mixture)

* gluten is both essential and a problem in pie crusts. Too much makes the crust tough. Gluten forms readily in water but not in alcohol. Replacing some of the water with vodka (40% ethanol, only 60% water) allows us to add enough liquid to make the dough soft and pliable without it turning tough. (P.S. The alcohol burns off in the oven, without adding any flavor.)

Process 3/4 c. flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogenous dough just starts to collect in uneven lumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up- 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into a medium sized bowl. Sprinkle water/vodka mixture over dough. With a rubber spatula, use a folding motion to mix, pressing down on the dough until it is slightly tacky and sticks together. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a 4-inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes and up to 2 days.

Walnut-chocolate filling

While dough is chilling, prepare the filling. Combine brown sugar, flour, and salt in a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in corn syrup and bring mixture to a boil. Cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add butter and chocolate; stir with a whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature and stir in the walnuts, vanilla and eggs.

Bake the pie

Place rack on bottom shelf of oven; preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Roll out the chilled pie dough until it forms a round 4 inches larger than the pie plate. Carefully transfer the dough to the pie plate (spray tart pan first if using metal) and gently press it into the plate so that the crust overhangs the edges; trim to 1/2 inch overhang. Roll overhang under to flush with lip of pan; crimp border to suit (either with tines of fork or fluting edge with thumb and index fingers). Spoon walnut mixture into the prepared crust. Bake on bottom rack of oven at 350 degrees for 33 minutes or until set. Cool for 20 minutes on wire rack. Serve cut into wedges.

Thanksgiving Recipe 5: the Turkey and the gravy

2010-11-18T16:39:00.001-05:00

Maple Glazed Turkey with Mushroom Gravy
If you like a crisp skin on your turkey this glaze is very good indeed.
8 servings with leftovers

1 (14lb) turkey at room temperature 1 hour; neck and giblets removed (reserve if desired)
2 to 2 1/2 c. water, divided
1 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns
2/3 c. maple syrup (grade B)
1/2 c. malt vinegar

Equipment: kitchen string, 17x14-inch flameproof roasting pan with a flat rack, fat separator (optional)

Make turkey: preheat oven to 425 degrees with the rack in the lowest position. Rinse turkey inside and out, then pat dry. Put turkey on rack in pan and sprinkle cavities and skin with 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Fold neck skin under body, then tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and tuck wings under body. Add 1 cup water to pan and roast, without basting, 1 hour (if you have purchased a self-basting turkey, omit water).
Prepare glaze: place peppercorns in a small sealable bag and crack them with a rolling pin or small heavy skillet. Transfer to a small saucepan and add maple syrup. Cook over medium-low heat until just heated through. Remove from heat and let syrup steep until ready to glaze turkey.
Glaze turkey: After turkey has roasted 1 hour, rotate pan and add 1 cup water. Roast, without basting, 45 minutes more. Just before 45 minutes is up, pour syrup through a small fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl; discard peppercorns. Brush all over turkey and continue to roast (if bottom of pan is dry, add remaining 1/2 cup water) until instant-read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of thighs (test both, close to to but not touching bone) registers 170 degrees (approximately 2 hours total roasting time for 14 lb turkey - see roasting guide on packaging for other weights). Carefully tilt the turkey so the juices from inside large cavity run into the roasting pan, then transfer the turkey to a platter and let it stand 30-45 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 175.)

Mushroom Gravy
Sage gives this gravy a more traditional Thanksgiving flavor, but you can also try rosemary, tarragon, thyme or parsley.
Reserved fat and pan juices from roasting above (see step 1 below)
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 1/2 T. chopped fresh sage
1/4 tsp salt
1 8 oz. package sliced mushrooms (I like baby bellas)
1/4 c. Madeira or dry sherry
3 c. low-sodium chicken stock
1 1/2 T. all-purpose flour, or cornflour, or arrowroot
2 T. water
2 T. butter
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Step 1: Straddle the roasting pan across two burners, then add the malt vinegar and deglaze the pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, say 2 minutes. Strain the liquid through a cleaned fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup or separator and let it stand until fat rises to top. Skim or pour off the fat and reserve it and the pan juices separately.
Step 2: Heat 3 T. reserved fat in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute 1 minute. Add sage, salt and mushrooms; saute 11 minutes or until mushrooms are browned. Add wine or sherry; cook 30 seconds or until liquid almost evaporates. Stir in chicken stock and pan juices. Boil, cooking until reduced to 2 cups. remove from heat.
Step 3: Combine flour and water in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Add thickener to pan stirring to avoid lumps, and return to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes or until desired thickness, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in butter, I T. at a time until melted. Stir in pepper and taste.

Thanksgiving Menu 4: 2 veggie sides and Framboise Cranberry Sauce

2010-11-17T15:01:00.003-05:00

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

Can be prepared ahead, but don't add the vinegar until just before serving because it will discolor the beans.
8 servings
8 slices bacon, chopped
2 T. olive oil
4 c. sliced onions
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 lb. fresh green beans
2 T. water
1/4 c. cider vinegar

Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp, stirring frequently. Drain on paper towels. Discard drippings in skillet and wipe with paper towels. [Bacon may be cooked 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate]
Heat olive oil in same skillet until hot. Cook onions, salt and pepper, covered, for 10 minutes over medium-heat. Stir occasionally and adjust heat as necessary to prevent burning. Uncover and cook 5 minutes more or until golden brown and very tender; stir frequently. [Onions can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate]
Cook beans in a large pot of lightly salted water until crisp-tender- approximately 6-8 minutes (longer for larger quantities). Darin and rinse under cold running water. [Beans can be made 2 days ahead. Wrap in kitchen towel; refrigerate in reseable plastic bag.]
Just before serving, heat onions, beans and 2 T. water in a large skillet until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in cider vinegar. Meanwhile, spread bacon on a paper-towel lined plate; microwave 1 minute to re-crisp and then crumble over the beans in the serving dish.

Butter-Roasted Carrots and Parsnips

A great version of roasted root vegetables courtesy of Cook's Illustrated
8-12 servings
2 lb. carrots, peeled, halved crosswise and cut into even length pieces
1 lb parsnips, peeled, halved crosswise and cut into even length pieces
4 T. unsalted butter, melted
salt and pepper to taste
4 tsp fresh parsley, chopped fine

Adjust oven rack to middle position and pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine carrots, parsnips, melted butter and seasoning in a large bowl; toss to coat. Transfer vegeta\bles ton a foil or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and spread in a single layer.
Cover baking sheet tightly with foil and cook for 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue to roast vegetables stirring twice, until they are well browned and tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Toss with chopped parsley before serving.

Framboise Cranberry Sauce

Belgian Framboise Lambic beer (such as Lindemans) adds an underlying sweetness that complements the cranberries
9 servings
1 12 oz. bottle Framboise Lambic beer
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. grated orange rind
1 12 oz. package fresh cranberries

Bring beer to a boil in a medium suacepan over medium heat. Add sugar, rind, and cranberries; bring to a simmer. Cook 18 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature. Spoon into a bowl; cover and chill (Sauce will thicken as it chills).

Thanksgiving Menu 3: Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes

2010-11-10T20:32:00.001-05:00

I love sweet potatoes! Okay, so not the cut-into-chunks-and-microwaved-until-half-cooked variety, but definitely mashed, pureed, souped, fried (oh, sweet potato fries, yes!) etc. So this year, although I also love my garlic mashed potatoes, I am going with this side starch instead.

6 servings : doubles well
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 T. fresh rosemary, finely chopped (do not use dried)
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Place diced sweet potatoes in a pan, cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, approximately 8 minutes. Drain. Place potatoes in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Add rosemary, salt and pepper to taste; beat until blended.

Optional topping: caramelized shallots
3/4 c. shallots, thinly sliced.
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. brown sugar
Heat 2 T. oil in a medium skillet over low heat. Add shallots and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with sugar, cook a further 20 minutes until shallots are golden. Top the potatoes with the cooked shallots and drizzle with a little more olive oil

Thanksgiving Menu 2: Italian Sausage and Sourdough Bread Stuffing

2010-11-06T17:49:00.001-04:00

I am skipping the salad course as I assume we all know how to put that together :)
For the past 2-3 years my favorite stuffing has been Italian sausage and bread; this is a new version of that which I have not yet tried, but I trust Cooking Light and I love sourdough, so here goes:

14 servings (leftovers are so great, why make less?)

10 c. sourdough bread, cut into 1/2 cubes (about 1 pound)
3 T. unsalted butter
2 c. onion, finely chopped
1 c. celery, finely chopped
15 oz. hot Italian sausage, casings removed
3 T. fresh thyme, chopped
3 T. fresh sage, chopped
3 T. flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 c. fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 c. water
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on 2 jelly-roll pans. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until golden, rotating pans after 10 minutes. Turn oven off, but leave pans in oven for 30 minutes or until the bread is crisp.
(this can be made 2 days ahead and stored in zip-log bags)
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl. Add (crumbled) sausage to pan; increase heat and saute 8 minutes or so until browned, stirring and breaking up the lumps of sausage. Remove the sausage using a slotted spoon and add it to the vegetable mixture. Stir in bread, herbs, and pepper; toss. Combine broth, water and egg in a large measuring cup or medium bowl, stirring well. Drizzle broth mixture over bread mixture and toss well.
(this can be prepared one day ahead and stored in the refrigerator)
Spoon stuffing into a 13x9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish, coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 2 5 minutes. Uncover and cook 20 minutes or until browned.

Notes: there is an interesting take on baked stuffing in the Nov/Dec issue of Cook's Illustrated (another favorite of mine) in which they place sautee'd turkey or chicken wings (separated and pierced with a knife to release juices) on top of the stuffing before baking. The idea is that the released juices will permeate the stuffing and replicate the flavor and texture of stuffing actually cooked inside the turkey (something we don't recommend any more for health safety reasons). I may actually try this.

Thanksgiving Menu 1: Roast Chestnut Soup

2010-11-05T16:01:00.001-04:00

Roasted Chestnut Soup with Thyme Cream
10 servings
3 c. whole roasted bottled chestnuts
2 c. yellow onion, chopped
3/4 c. carrot, peeled, sliced thin
1 T. olive oil
6 c. fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt (preferably kosher), divided
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/3 c. heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place chestnuts on a jelly-roll pan and bake them for 15 minutes. Put them in a large bowl to cool to room temperature.
Combine onion, carrot and oil on the jelly-roll pan; toss to coat. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add to the chestnuts; stir in broth.
Blend the mixture in batches and pour into a Dutch oven. Stir in 1/2 tsp salt and the pepper.
(This can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator)
To serve: Reheat soup in Dutch oven over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. meanwhile, place cream in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 tsp of kosher salt; beat until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat). ladle about 3/4 cup of soup into serving bowls, top with 1 T cream and sprinkle with chopped fresh thyme.

Thanksgiving Menu 2010

2010-11-01T17:16:00.000-04:00

Here is my menu for this year's Thanksgiving dinner party. I will post the recipe for each dish between now and Thanksgiving. Some I have made before, but most of them I have not. If anyone tries a recipe I would be interested to get your feedback (no pun intended!) on the results.

Stonebow Inn Thanksgiving Dinner Menu 2010

Roasted Chestnut Soup with Thyme Cream
Arugula Salad with Firefly Farms Goat Cheese and toasted pine nuts
Warm dinner rolls
Champagne Cocktails

Maple-glazed Roast Turkey with Mushroom Gravy
Italian Sausage and Sourdough Bread Stuffing
Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Bacon
Butter-Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
Framboise Cranberry Sauce

J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon
Casa Lapostelle Sauvignon Blanc

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake
Chocolate Walnut Tart with Bourbon Whipped Cream

Raspberry Almond Coffeecake

2010-10-06T13:35:00.001-04:00

Late September bumper harvest of raspberries at the inn was a nice surprise! In the previous five years we have only had a crop in July; this year for the first time the canes bore a second cluster of buds and ripening berries. What else to do but make coffeecake? Two versions below.

Raspberry Almond Coffeecake

1 c. fresh raspberries

3 T. brown sugar

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. sour cream (light)

2 T. butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/4 c. sliced almonds

Glaze: 1/4 c. sifted confectioners' sugar, 1 tsp. milk, 1/4 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 inch round cake pan with cooking spray.
Combine raspberries and brown sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl combine sour cream, egg, butter, and vanilla; add to the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.
Spoon 2/3 of the batter into the cake pan and spread it around to cover the bottom of the pan (I use an offset spatula for this). Spread the raspberries carefully and evenly on the batter and spoon the remaining batter on top of the berries. Scatter the sliced almonds over the batter.
Bake for approximately 40 minutes in the center of the oven, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, Let the cake cool on a rack for 10 minutes.
Combine the confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl and stir well to form an icing glaze. Drizzle it over the coffeecake. Serve warm or at room temperature. This is especially good with a mug of hot chocolate!

Raspberry Coffeecake 2
I have also used raspberries instead of blueberries in the coffeecake recipe in my cookbook The Stonebow Inn Cookbook, with excellent results.

Make the topping:
2/3 c. brown sugar
2 T. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 c. walnuts, broken into pieces
2 T. butter, melted

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Make the coffeecake:
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 lg. eggs
1 1/2 c. milk

3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, sifted

1 1/2 c. sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Canola oil cooking spray

1 1/2 c. fresh raspberries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13x2 inch baking pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs and milk. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined. Pour half the batter into the pan and spread it evenly; top with 2/3 of the raspberries. Add the remaining batter on top of the berries, then scatter the rest of the raspberries on top of the batter. Sprinkle the streusel topping over everything and bake the cake for 25-30 minutes. Serves 12.

Hooray for Bollywood!

2010-08-15T13:58:00.000-04:00

Just watched a "Bollywood" musical which was delightful ("Bride & Prejudice") and a quirky independent film ("Mistress of Spice"), both starring the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai ("spices, speak to me!). Now I need some Indian food! So here is a simple but flavorful side (or vegetarian entree). Two choices for the garam masala, depending on the availability of cardomom pods in your area- both are delicious.

Benares-style Cauliflower and Potatoes
1 c. water
1 lg. onion, peeled and chopped
6 cloves of garlic, peeled (have courage!)
1 1/2 inch piece ginger root, peeled and chopped
1 T. coriander seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1 T. Garam-Masala (see below)
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 lg. head of cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 lg. potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt to taste

Place 1/4 cup of the water, the onion, garlic, ginger and coriander seeds in a blender (or mini coffee grinder)and puree (this is called a slurry). Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the cumin and caraway seeds and fry over medium heat for 1-2 minutes (careful not to burn them or it will taste bitter). Add the slurry (careful it will spit!), stirring for 6-8 minutes until the oil separates. Mix in the garam-masala and turmeric; stir 30 seconds (you will now be salivating from the amazing aroma!). Add the cauliflower, potatoes, salt to taste and remaining 3/4 cup water. Cover pan and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are done, stirring occasionally to prevent the sauce from sticking or burning on the bottom. Serve hot with Naan bread or rice, dal, and mango chutney.

Basic Garam Masala
1 c. black cardamom seeds, pods removed and discarded
5 cinnamon sticks, broken into small pieces
1/4 c. black peppercorns
1/4 c. caraway or cumin seeds
2 T. whole cloves
1/4 whole nutmeg, grated (you can use powdered nutmeg from the spice aisle but this is SO much better)

In a small heavy-bottomed frying pan, roast all the ingredients over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the spices become a shade darker. Remove from heat and transfer the spices into a spice or mini coffee grinder (I keep one just for grinding spice, pepper and garlic). Grind to a fine powder. Store in an airtight jar (I save an empty spice jar from the store). makes 1 cup and will last 3 months ina cool dark cupboard.

Mughal-style Garam Masala
Similar to above, but if green pods are easier to find than black, go with this. More cloves and nutmeg but no cumin or caraway in this regional version.
1 c. green cardamom seeds, pods removed and discarded
2 cinnamon sticks, broken into small pieces
1/4 c. black peppercorns
1/4 c. whole cloves
1 T. whole nutmeg, grated
Follow the technique described above .

Roasted Corn and Tomato Tart

2010-08-04T16:32:00.000-04:00

Summer is for fresh corn and ripe tomatoes and bunches of pungent fresh basil, especially from the Saturday Amish farmers' market in Springs, PA, just a short drive up the road from the Stonebow Inn. If you ever get tired of just shucking and grilling and slicing, here is a stand-out tart from the Stonebow Inn cookbook (page 88).

Note: taking the time to make the crust from scratch is definitely worth it; but if you are pressed for time a store-bought roll-out crust is OK; just sprinkle a little yellow cornmeal on it. The 10 inch tart pan with a removable bottom is very useful for this; if you don't have one use any pie dish you do have, but slicing and serving will be trickier.
For the crust:
1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 T. yellow stone-ground cornmeal
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt (sea-salt preferably)
5 T. cold water
1 1/2 T. olive oil (not extra-virgin)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spoon floor into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the water and oil. Stir until well blended. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes. Slightly overlap two lengths of plastic wrap on a slightly dampened surface (so it doesn't slide around). Gently press the dough into a 4-inch circle on the plastic wrap. Cover with 2 additional lengths of wrap ands chill the dough for 15 minutes. Roll the dough, still in the wrap, into an 11-inch circle (yes, use a ruler to measure it-sheesh!). Freeze for 5 minutes or until the plastic wrap can be removed easily. Remove the top sheets of wrap, let dough stand for a minute or two until pliable. Coat a 10-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray and fit the dough, plastic wrap side up, into the pan. Remove the plastic wrap and press the dough against the bottom and sides of the pan. Pierce the dough several times with a fork. Bake the crust for 15 minutes or until lightly browned; cool it on a wire rack. Can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.

For the filling:
1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 c. shredded smoked mozzarella cheese
3 T. fresh basil, chopped
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1-2 large tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 T. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Add corn and saute for 5 minutes until the corn is lightly browned. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of mozzerella over the crust (this helps hold the veggies in place) and top with the corn, basil, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of mozzarella and arrange the tomato slices over the cheese like the spokes of a wheel. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarellla and the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake for 15 minutes (place a crust shield over it if needed near the end of the baking time). Cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Serves 4.

Chocolate Mousse

2010-08-02T14:55:00.000-04:00

Have you noticed that suddenly all the chocolate in the baking section at the supermarket is emblazoned with the percentage level of chocolate in the bar (60%, 72%, 80% etc.) as well as the old descriptive terms semi-sweet, bittersweet, etc? This is actually a very helpful trend when making desserts and frosting and so on as the higher chocolate content bars are definitely worth the purchase price in the appropriate recipe.

This is my new absolutely favorite chocolate mousse; simple, quick and stunningly deep. It comes from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard, which is in itself a drool-a-page volume; this however is possibly the easiest recipe in the entire book.

I like Green & Black's Organic 70% Bittersweet Dark Chocolate mixed with a couple of ounces of Ghiradelli semi-sweet 60%, but use your own favorite- as long as it is at least 70% rated.

1 3/4 cups heavy cream
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
10 ounces 70-72% chocolate, melted
Note: this doubles and quadruples very well for larger quantities

Pour the cream into a large bowl and whisk until it holds soft peaks (I have two electric mixer bowls so I use one for the cream, with the whisk attachment, and the other for the next stage). Set the whipped cream aside.
Place the eggs and egg yolk into the (second) bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on high speed until fluffy.
Put the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. After the syrup has boiled for 1 minute, pour it into the eggs in a slow stream, with the mixer running, down the inside of the bowl. Continue whipping the eggs until they have doubled in volume and are cold (feel the bottom of the bowl to check). They will will be pale yellow.
Melt the chocolate in glass bowl in the microwave; chop or break the chocolate into medium-size pieces, microwave on high for 30 seconds or so and then stir with a dry spatula; repeat in 15 second intervals with a stir at each stage, until the chocolate is smooth. Let it cool slightly. With a silicone spatula, fold the melted chocolate into the egg mixture, then fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Refrigerate the mousse until ready for use, for up to 1 hour.

Note: if you leave the mousse longer in the refrigerator it will set and become denser. I prefer it like this as you can then spoon it into ramekin and mold it (see serving suggestions). It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Frozen mousse (which will keep for up to a week) will become very heavy and handles like ice cream.

Serving suggestion: scoop mousse into small ramekins, smooth level with the top using a spatula; pipe or spoon whipped cream on top and decorate with fresh raspberries. Accompany with a sugar cookie or hazelnut biscotti and coffee. Then go and lie down for an hour.

Red Wine Reduction Sauce

2010-08-01T15:35:00.001-04:00

I had the pleasure of cooking a meal for my friend Carol M (and 20 of her family members) for her 70th birthday in July. I needed a sauce for the roast Cornish Hens and this caught my eye at allrecipes.com. I had to ramp it up several times in terms of quantity but here is the original version that will easily serve four people. The prep time is totally worth it and the sauce is richly flavored. This would be great on any game bird or red meat dish.

Tip: reducing the sauce will probably take longer than stated, but keep an eye on it or it may suddenly burn in the saucepan.

3 T. butter
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 large shallots, chopped
2 T. minced garlic
1 Roma (plum) tomato, chopped
1lb carrots, peeled and chopped
3/4 lb fresh baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
1 (14 0z.) can beef broth
1 1/4 cups Merlot wine, divided

Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat; cook the onions, shallots, garlic, tomato, carrots and mushrooms, stirring until the onions are translucent and the carrots have softened (the recipe says 10 to 15 minutes, but it could take longer - go by the carrots). Pour in the beef broth and 1 cup of Merlot, and bring to a boil, scraping and dissolving any browned bits ("fond") from the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are very soft and the juices have reduced by half (again, the recipe says 20 minutes; it could take longer).

Strain the mixture into a bowl; discard the solids. Return the sauce to the pan and boil over medium-high heat, stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of Merlot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Reduce the sauce until it is the desired thickness and approximately 1/4 of it original volume. At this point, I taste it for seasoning, adjust with salt and pepper, and add a little more butter to smooth out the flavor. Keep it warm until needed.

Apple Tart Challenge results -sensation!

2010-06-30T17:00:00.000-04:00

Okay well maybe not a sensation, but certainly a surprise. Firstly though an apology for the long silence on this blog - weather, life, more weather, more life (and some major technology melt-downs- don't get me started) have interrupted this conversation for too long. So, here it is at last (roll of drums) - my verdict on Jacques Pepin's mother's apple tart technique, which breaketh all the rules amen.

I followed the recipe and instructions to the letter for tart number 1: odd but have faith. Result - Burnt crust and under-cooked apples with burnt tops (see pics). Yikes!!

Undeterred I tried again, this time reducing the oven temperature to 350 degrees and extending the cooking time by almost 30 minutes - but keeping an eye on the tart during that time and placing a tart crust shield on the pie for the last part of the baking time. Result - OMG! buttery, melting short pastry topped with soft caramel apples.You go Jacques Pepin's Mom!

Rule-breaking Apple Tart Challenge

2010-04-14T17:03:00.000-04:00

My friend Bruce sent me a copy of Jacques Pepin's autobiography recently (The Apprentice: my life in the kitchen, published by Houghton-Mifflin.). At the end of each chapter is recipe (my kind of book!). One of these is his mother's apple tart recipe - and it has me captivated. As Jaques says in the introduction, this dough recipe "breaks all the rules that I learned professionally"- and yet it apparently works! And so here is my challenge- make this recipe (as I will) this weekend and report back on the results here! Was it successful? Easy? A disaster? Inquiring minds want to know...
Maman's Apple Tart (as served at Le Pelican)
4-6 servings
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg, beaten
3 T. unsalted butter, softened
3 T. vegetable shortening (Crisco)
pinch salt
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
2 T. hot milk
4 Golden Delicious apples
3 T. sugar
2 T. cold unsalted butter, broken into pieces

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Put the first 7 ingredients (flour through baking powder) into a large bowl. Stir well with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to combine. Add the hot milk, and stir until well mixed. Do not overwork the dough. It will be very soft. Place it in a 9-inch pie plate and, using your fingers and a little extra flour to keep them from sticking, press the dough into the pan until it covers the bottom and the sides.
Peel, core and halve the apples. Cut each into 1 1/2 inch wedges. Arrange on the dough in spokes like a wheel. Sprinkle with sugar and top with the butter pieces.
Bake the tart for approximately one hour, or unitl the crust is golden. Serve it lukewarm.

Almost Hands-Free Risotto

2010-04-06T16:57:00.000-04:00

I don't know what I would do without CooksIllustrated.com! Any of you who have been channel-flipping and stopped on your local PBS station when "America's Test Kitchen" has been airing will know what I mean. It is as attention-grabbing for cooks as Antiques Roadshow is for.. well, everyone. CooksIllustrated.com is their magazine and their web site. This recipe caught my eye this month and as I happened to have a jar of Arborio Rice in the cupboard I thought I would try it out - and I should mention that I have never made Risotto before, having been put off by the demands of standing and stirring etc.
This was delicious (although as I have not much previous experience of eating risotto I can't compare it to other recipes and techniques so comments and opinions are welcomed). I grilled/oven-baked chicken thighs and put them on top of the rice, with steamed asparagus spears on the side. Oh boy! And the next evening I used up the left-over risotto with baked salmon fillet and a green salad. It was a good couple of nights.

Recipe: serves 2 with leftovers
2 cups low-sodium or fat-free chicken broth
1 cup water
2 T. unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped fine
Salt to taste
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 generous cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional but makes a difference. If omitting use 1/2 cup more broth)
1-2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 T. chopped parsley (Italian)
1 T. chopped chives
Black pepper to taste

Bring broth and water to boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to maintain gentle simmer.
Melt 1 T. butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat, add onion and pinch salt; cook, stirring frequently until onion is softened but not browned. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around edges, about 3 minutes.
Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed. Stir in 2 1/2 cups of the hot broth/water mixture; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until almost all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is al dente, 16-19 minutes. Stir this twice during cooking.
Add the remaining 1/2 cup broth mixture and stir gently and constantly until risotto becomes creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in Parmesan. Remove pot from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 T. butter, lemon juice, parsley and chives; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Spring Crustless Quiches (1 vegan)

2010-03-22T17:50:00.000-04:00

The spring is sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder where the birdies is?
Some say the birds are on the wing but that's absurd-
the wings are on the little bird!

We are often thinking lighter and healthier in the spring, so here are two recipes for crustless quiches, one of which is a great vegan option. The recipes come from Cinnamon Mornings & Savory Nights, a compilation cookbook available from us by email. (Buy a Stonebow Inn Cookbook and get the Cinnamon Mornings for only $10, a 50% saving).

Crustless Artichoke Heart Quiche

1 12oz jar marinated artichoke hearts
½ cup onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced
4 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup dried bread crumbs, crushed
½ tsp oregano
8 oz white cheese, grated (see note)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Drain artichoke hearts, reserving 2 tablespoons of liquid. Sauté onion and garlic in the reserved liquid over medium heat until soft.
In a large bowl combine eggs, bread crumbs, seasoning and oregano. Coarsely chop the artichoke hearts and add them to the egg mixture with the grated cheese and onion/garlic mixture. Stir until combined and spoon into a 9x9 baking dish sprayed with canola oil spray. Sprinkle with minced parsley and bake in center of oven until set, approximately 30 minutes. Cool and cut into squares to serve.
Yield: 9 servings
Note: Use any firm white cheese or a combination. Cheddar, Gruyere, Jarslberg, Swiss, Parmesan are all good in this.

Vegan Veggie Quiche

13 oz frozen shredded potatoes
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
½ cup green onions, choppe
1 tsp minced garlic
1 ½ cups mushrooms, thinly sliced
¾ cup broccoli, chopped
1 cup zucchini, sliced
1 lb. extra firm tofu, drained
3 tablespoon oil, separated
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a glass pie plate with canola oil and spread the potatoes in the bottom. Season with salt and pepper and bake the potatoes until slightly browned, stirring occasionally (about 25 minutes). Spread the potatoes around the bottom of the pan evenly.
Sauté green and yellow oinions and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil until tender. Add broccoli, zucchini and mushrooms. Continue cooking until vegetables are tender. Drain and set aside in a large bowl. In a blender or food processor, blend tofu, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, flour and salt until very smooth. Add to the vegetable mixture and combine well. Spread mixture over potatoes in pie plate, sprinkle with paprika and bake in center of oven for 45 minutes until firm and lightly browned on top.
Yield: 12 servings

Note: As you will be blending the tofu there is no need to press it to remove most of the liquid, as I recommend in earlier recipes involving tofu.

While the cat's away...

2010-02-25T14:24:00.000-05:00

Cathy and I are heading off for a short break (our first vacation in six years!) and so no posts until mid-March here. In the meantime why not try our Goat Cheese and Spinach Frittata, as featured in the B&B Cookbook compilation Cinnamon Mornings and Savory Nights?

3 T. olive oil
8 thin slices of pancetta
1 small leek, sliced and chopped fine
1 1/2 cups baby spinach
12 large eggs, beaten
5 oz Firefly Farms Allegheny Chevre or your favorite goat cheese
Dash of hot sauce to taste, salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. heat the olive oil in a medium skillet and cook the pancetta until crisp. Drain on paper towels and crumble. Add the leek to the pan and cook until softened; add the spinach and cook until wilted, stirring. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.

For each fritatta:
Whisk 3 eggs in a small bowl with a splash of hot sauce, salt and pepper and a tablespoon of water.
Wrap the handle of an 8-9 inch skillet in foil; heat over moderate heat. Spray with canola oil or vegetable spray and melt 1 tablespoon of butter in skillet until foam subsides. Pour in the eggs and cook, stirring, until curds begin to form. Scatter 1/4 of the pancetta, leek and spinach mix and crumbled goat cheese over the eggs and stir them in slightly. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the eggs set, about 5 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the oven and brown the top of the frittata with a chef's blowtorch until the top bubbles and browns in spots. Slide the frittata onto a cutting board, slice in half and serve with oven-roasted potatoes and toast. Yields 4 generous servings.

2 soups for National Soup Month 2: Moroccan Chicken soup

2010-02-03T17:15:00.000-05:00

An all-in-one pot soup, decidedly spicy (use less cayenne if you like). Try to find the large-grain couscous, sometimes called Israeli couscous.

2 T. vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into small strips
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp ground cumin
1 3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh-ground black pepper
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup tomato puree
1 quart (4 cups) water
2 cups low-soduim chicken broth
1/2 cup couscous
1/3 cup chopped parsley

Heat the oil over moderate heat in a large pot. Add the onion and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally. Increase the heat to moderately high and add the chicken, cayenne, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the sweet potato, zucchini, tomato puree, water and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are tender but not dissolving, about 10 minutes. Add the couscous to the pot; simmer for 5 minutes longer. Remove the pot from the heat and let it stand, covered for 2 minutes longer. Add the parsley, stir it in and then serve the soup.

2 soups for National Soup Month: 1. Mushroom Medley

2010-02-03T17:00:00.000-05:00

Did you know this was National Soup Month? No, neither did I. But how serendipitous is that; we have been looking at soups for the past few days, so here are a couple more to wrap things up soup-wise.

Mushroom-medley soup
Almost any combination of mushrooms will do, but of course I like my 3-mushroom mix (Stonebow Inn cookbook), but you choose.

This is a processor recipe, but chop the ingredients by hand if you prefer not to use a processor for that purpose.
1 pound mushrooms, wiped clean and stemmed (reserve stems)
2 T olive oil
2 T unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2 sprigs fresh lemon thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
3 cups beef broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
3 large egg yolks

Chop the mushroom caps in the processor, coarsely. Heat the olive oil and butter in a saucepan; cook the mushroom caps for 2 minutes; chop the mushroom stems and onions, and add them to the pan with the thyme and nutmeg. Cook until the mushroom juice has evaporated and the vegetables are lightly browned. Add the beef broth, salt and pepper; adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently, cover and simmer until the mushrooms are very soft, around 15 minutes.
Pour the mixture through a large fine sieve set over a heatproof bowl. Place the solids in the food processor or in batches in a blender and puree, stopping and scraping down the mixture with a spatula a couple of times. Puree until smooth. Scoop the mixture into the saucepan and add the liquid back in. Set the pan over moderate heat; quickly whisk the cream with the egg yolks, whisk in a little of the hot soup and then stir this mix back into the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until the soup is lightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not allow the soup to boil or it may curdle. Adjust the seasoning before serving.

Snow Days, Soup Days part 3

2010-01-26T10:55:00.002-05:00

Kale and Sweet-Potato Soup
Similar to a Caribbean soup called callaloo, this coconut-milk spiked soup can be made spicy or mild depending on your taste.

2 T. canola oil
1 onion or medium leek, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed, sliced thin
¾ pound kale, tough stems removed, washed well and shredded
1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾ inch cubes
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup unsweetened light coconut milk
1 cup long-grain rice, cooked

Heat oil in a large pot. Add the onion or leek and cook gently until translucent. Stir in the garlic and jalapeño and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the kale, sweet potatoes, broth, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 20-30 minutes. Add the coconut milk and just heat through.

To serve, place a mound of cooked rice in the center of each soup bowl and ladle the soup around the rice.

Notes: be sure to wash the kale thoroughly (and the leek, if using).
You can use any leafy greens for this soup - collards, large spinach leaves, or a mixture.
If you like it spicy, add some of the jalapeño seeds or a dash of hot sauce while simmering the soup.
For an even heartier main-course soup, add sautéed red bell pepper and drained chickpeas

Snow Days, Soup Days Part 2

2010-01-24T16:11:00.000-05:00

2. Roasted Tomato and Red Bell Pepper Soup

Cold, hot or room temperature, this soup is rich and satisfying year-round.
Serves 4
2 ¼ pounds Roma tomatoes, halved length wise
2 large red bell peppers, quartered, seeded
1 onion, cut into thin wedges
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves or ½ tsp. dried
¾ cup white wine
1 ¼ cup vegetable broth
4 T. ricotta or goat cheese, room temperature

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange tomatoes, cut side up, bell peppers, onio and garlic cloves on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until brown and tender, turning peppers and onions occasionally, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Mix wine and vegetable broth in a 2-cup measure.
Transfer vegetables (and juices) to food processor. Add thyme leaves. Puree mixture, gradually adding wine/broth to thin soup to desired consistency. Chill if serving cold.
Top soup with cheese when serving (great with garlic bread). This soup can be prepared 1 day ahead.

Snow Days and Soup Days

2010-01-22T19:01:00.001-05:00

This is decidedly soup weather, so here are some decidedly satisfying soups to try. Yes, you can just open a can, but these soups will persuade you to throw away that can-opener for good! A food processor and/or blender is very useful for these recipes. Here is the first of 5 soups I will post over the next few days...
1. Sweet Potato Soup Thai-Style
Serves 6
½ cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
6 large scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 garlic gloves, peeled
1-inch cube of fresh ginger, peeled
1 small jalapeño pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 T. peanut or vegetable oil
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubes
2 stalks lemongrass, smashed (see note)
2 15oz. cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 14 oz. can light coconut milk
2 T. fresh lime juice
1 T. Thai peanut sauce
Coarsely chop cilantro. Rinse under cold running water, drain on paper towels, rolling it up and wringing it out as dry as possible. Reserve.
Coarsely chop scallions, garlic, ginger and jalapeño.
Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan for 2 minutes, add the chopped scallion mixture, reduce the heat to moderately low and cook, stirring occasionally, until limp, about 5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, lemongrass, chicken broth, water, salt and pepper. Cover pan and simmer until “mushy” (you know what mushy is right?), about 30 minutes. Cool in the pan, covered for 30 minutes. Discard the lemongrass.
Puree the mixture in the processor or blender until smooth
Return puree to the saucepan and add the coconut milk, lime juice and peanut sauce. Stir well and reheat the soup to serving temperature. Adjust seasoning to tatse.
Stir in the reserved cilantro and serve.
Alternative: chill well and serve cold.
Notes: Use a rolling-pin or small heavy skillet to pound the lemongrass stalks; this releases the flavor (and is very satisfying!)
Recipe credit: Process This! Jean Anderson (adapted from White Dog Cafe, Philadelphia)

Two Desserts

2010-01-17T16:40:00.000-05:00

STONEBOW INN TIRAMISU
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 c. sugar
4 egg yolks
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
8 oz. cream cheese, cut into pieces, room temperature
1 ¾ c. chilled whipping cream
1 T. instant espresso, diluted in 1 ¼ c. hot water, cooled
1 (12 oz.) Sara Lee pound cake, sliced, cut into 1-inch strips

Finely chop the chocolate in a food processor or with a wide bladed knife. Set aside. Mix the sugar and egg yolks in a processor for 30 seconds. Add the vanilla and process until pale yellow, about 1 minute. Add the cream cheese in batches, blending until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover and chill for one hour. Beat the whipping cream until stiff. Fold into the cream cheese mixture, cover and refrigerate again until well chilled. This can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Next, pour the espresso into a large shallow dish. Dip the cake strips in the espresso, turning them to coat all sides lightly. Arrange strips on the bottom of a 10-cup shallow dish, smoothing with fingers to mold together. Sprinkle with half the chocolate. Top with chilled cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate on top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until firm (an hour or two in the freezer helps). The tiramisu can be prepared 1 day ahead. Serves 8.

Notes: want to go for gold? Make it a double-layer Tiramisu by using 2 cakes and repeating the layers; you will need approximately half as much again in terms of cream cheese/whipping cream mix.

I do make a classic Tiramisu also, using the Cook's Illustrated recipe with ladyfingers and mascarpone cheese etc. It is also excellent, although my wife Cathy actually prefers our version. It's all a matter of taste.

Instant espresso does not dissolve easily I find; I usually end up straining it though a coffee filter before dipping the cake slices into it.

I also find that putting the dish in the freezer for a couple of hours first really helps it become firm, but then refrigeration is OK; just put it out on the counter during dinner to ease up a bit.

BOURBON SPIKED PECAN PIE
1 frozen 9-inch deep pie shell, prebaked
4 lg. eggs
¾ c. dark corn syrup
¾ c. sugar
6 T. unsalted butter, melted
6 T. bourbon
¼ c. molasses
¼ tsp. salt
1 ½ c. coarsely chopped pecans
1 c. pecan halves
1 c. heavy cream, whipped, flavored with 2 tablespoons bourbon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Beat together the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, melted butter, bourbon, molasses and salt. Stir in the chopped pecans. Spoon the filling into the pie shell and decorate the top with pecan halves, pressing them gently into the filling. Bake for 20-25 minutes until firm. Cool on a rack at least 45 minutes before slicing. Serve with bourbon flavored whipped cream. Serves 6-8.

Notes: I have used light and dark molasses for this; both are good. Of course dark molasses are more prominent in the taste.
This a relatively quick dessert; I also use a made-from-scratch pie crust (see earlier post) which is fabulous, but this is good too.

Cheesey potatoes to die for

2010-01-13T19:14:00.000-05:00

PARMESAN POTATOES
6 med. Potatoes, such as Yukon Gold
1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
4 T. butter
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel the potatoes and cut each into eight or more wedges. Combine the cheese, flour, salt and pepper in a large zip lock plastic bag. Place the potatoes in the bag, zip the top shut and shake to coat the potatoes. Put the butter into a 9x13-inch pan; pace in the oven until the butter melts, remove and add the coated potatoes. Toss lightly. Bake for 30 minutes. Use a spatula to turn the potatoes over, and then bake for an additional 40-50 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked, crisp and slightly browned. Serve hot. Serves 8. Good for breakfast or dinner as a side dish.

Memories of Summer

2010-01-13T19:07:00.007-05:00

ROASTED CORN, BLACK BEAN & MANGO SALAD
1 T. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
3 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
2 c. diced peeled ripe mango
1 c. chopped red onion
1 c. chopped red bell pepper
1/3 c. fresh lime juice
3 T. chopped fresh cilantro
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cumin
2 T. chipotle chili in adobe sauce, drained, chopped fine
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed, drained
8 c. gourmet salad greens
Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in the coen and cook 8-10 minutes or until the corn is well-browned, stirring occasionally. Place the corn mixture in a large bowl. Add the mango and all the remaining ingredients except for the salad greens, stir well. Arrange one cup of greens on each of 8 plates and spoon the corn mixture over the greens. Makes 8 servings.

Improving my baked apple recipe

2009-12-16T21:17:00.001-05:00

In the Stonebow Inn Cookbook there is recipe for baked apples stuffed with our own granola mix. It’s pretty good, but does suffer from one problem common to most baked apple dishes – occasional implosion! I warn against temperature variations in the recipe – the result may be apple sauce in the dish at unexpected moments. This is all too common apparently, but the good folks at Cook’s Illustrated have taken on the problem and solved it! So here is the definitive baked apple version- I have tried it several times in the past month (and tested its limits with regard to temperature and loose handling) and it has come out just fantastic every which way. This is the apotheosis of baked apples.
Serves 4
4 Granny Smith Apples
3 T. unsalted butter, softened
3 T. light brown sugar
½ cup granola (preferably Stonebow Inn Premium!)
Little less than ½ cup Maple Syrup
Equal volume of Apple Juice or Apple Cider
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut ½ inch top stem end off apples and trim base to allow apple to stand flat in the baking dish. Core the apples and peel them (see notes).
Put the granola, brown sugar and 2 T. softened butter into a medium bowl and blend it with your fingers (as if making a streusel topping mix). Set aside.
Melt the remaining butter in a large skillet; add apples, cut side down and brown them, about 3 minutes.
Flip the apples into a baking dish and fill the cavities with the granola/sugar/butter mix.
Top the apples with the reserved apple caps; add the maple syrup and apple juice to the baking dish. Transfer to the preheated oven, and bake for 35 -45 minutes, basting the apples every 10 minutes. Discard the caps (optional).
Plate the apples and spoon some of the thickened sauce over the tops before serving.
Notes:
Cook’s Illustrated hollows out the apples but does not cut all the way through the bottom; I do and it doesn’t seem to make any difference, except that you can then eat the whole thing!
You can fill the apples with a bunch of different fillings – figs and nuts, dried cherries and hazelnuts, raisins and walnuts, whatever. Be creative!
The science: why doesn’t the apple explode in this recipe? Apparently the key is in removing the peel! When an apple bakes it creates steam; if the peel is left on it forms an outer seal which prevents the steam from escaping; the steam rebounds into the cells of the apple and – well, boom. Peeling the apple allows the steam to escape through the side membranes. I know, I didn’t believe it either until I tried it.

Heritage-apple Pie

2009-11-18T14:01:00.004-05:00

Apple pie is a Thanksgiving staple and I suspect there are as many recipes as there are apples in the world; this version by Grace Parisi appeared in Food and Wine magazine in November 2008. It’s good, and it uses a mix of traditional American orchard grown apples, hence the name. The notes on pastry crust techniques are gleaned from Shirley O. Corriher’s Cookwise.

8 servings
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (see notes), plus more for dusting
½ tsp salt
2 sticks plus 1 T. unsalted butter, cube
½ cup ice-water
2 large Granny Smith apples
2 large Pink Lady apples
2 large Golden Delicious apples
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon

In a food processor, pulse 2 ½ cups of the flour with the salt. Add 2 sticks of cubed butter and pulse until mix forms small pea-sized lumps. Drizzle on the ice-water and pulse until evenly moistened crumbs form; don’t over mix (see notes). Turn out onto a cold surface and gently form mix into a ball; divide the dough in half, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Set a baking sheet on the bottom rack (this will catch any juice that drips from the pie during cooking).

Peel, core and slice the apples (or cut them into 1-inch chunks if you prefer). In a bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice, sugar, ¼ cup flour and the cinnamon.

On a floured surface, roll a disk of the pastry dough to a 13-inch round; fit it into a deep 10-inch glass pie plate (see notes) and brush the overhang with water. Spoon the apple mix into the crust and top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cubed butter. Roll out the second disk of dough to a 12-inch round and center it over the filling. Press the edges of the dough together and trim the overhang to 1-inch all round, fold the overlay under itself and crimp. Cut a few slits in the top crust to let steam escape.

Bake the pie in the center of the oven for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes, until the crust is golden. If the crust begins to brown too much cover it with a pie-crust protector or strips of aluminum foil. Let the pie cool for at least 4 hours before serving.

Notes:
If you can’t find Pink Lady apples, any locally-grown variety can be substituted.

I’ve never been a great fan of the food-processor method of making pie dough –it is quicker but it is also easy to over mix the dough, producing a tough crust. Blending the butter in to the flour with your fingertips is not only viscerally satisfying but the heat of your hands helps soften the fat (butter in this case) to better coat the gluten-forming proteins in the flour thus restricting the formation of gluten - a key to producing a tender crust. Using a pastry cutter or two knives (I was never any good at THAT) is also an option.

For a really tender crust look for a low-protein flour, or combine two parts bleached all-purpose flour with and one part cake flour. Try substituting sour cream for the water (gluten-forming proteins cannot join without water).

Cook’s Illustrated and America’s Test Kitchen found that glass pie plate produce more even baking and a browner crust than ceramic or metal. (They also recommend baking pies on the bottom rack of the oven for a better result; the baking time would be less of course as the bottom of an oven can be as much as 50 degrees hotter than the middle.)

“Green” Skillets- not so green.

2009-11-13T16:22:00.000-05:00

I get through a lot of skillets, especially non-stick ones. Wear and tear and scrubbing and washing take their toll. The September/October issue of Cook’s Illustrated carried an interesting article by Meredith Butcher describing tests the magazine had conducted on so-called “green” skillets now on the market. Unfortunately the results were not very good as you will see below.

So what’s wrong with regular non-stick - aka Teflon-coated? These pans and skillets use two controversial chemicals: PFOA and PFTE. While some “green” skillets have eliminated both from their coatings, some still us PTFE. What are they? PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid, is a processing agent widely used in manufacturing. It has been detected in water, food, wildlife and human blood samples. The EPA cites it for causing birth defects in laboratory animals and has urged companies to stop using it altogether by 2015. PFTE is polytetrafluoroethylene, a moisture repellent. Although inert, if it reaches temperatures above 660 degrees (say if you left an empty pan on the heat for a while) PFTE breaks down and releases toxic fumes that can kill birds (!) and cause flu like symptoms in people.

Cookware makers have launched a variety of nonstick pans claiming to be “green” and promising better performance: two of the new coatings (ceramic and silicone) have none of the chemicals described earlier, but a third, such as the Scanpan Professional, eliminates only PFOA. Performance and durability tests conducted by both Cook’s Illustrated and the Cookware Manufacturers Association showed that the “new” coatings did not stand up as well as traditional nonstick. Back to the drawing board people. Of course the original “green” skillet is still a favorite: the good old cast-iron skillet- chemical-free, inexpensive and lasts a lifetime with some care. It does need seasoning and is heavy however. I guess being green requires some commitment even in the kitchen.

If you have tried any of these new skillets, why not share your experience and opinion on them here?

Black Forest Baked Eggs

2009-11-04T11:43:00.007-05:00

By request from Alice W, who enjoyed these during a stay at the inn during the summer and cannot wiat for the cookbook reprint to arrive before trying them at home. Go Alice!

6 servings

¾ lb. mushrooms (see notes), chopped
¼ c. shallots or Vidalia onion, chopped (optional)
2 T. unsalted butter

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 T. sour cream

1 T. finely chopped fresh tarragon or 1 tsp. dried

12 slices Black Forest ham (see notes)
12 large eggs
Parmesan cheese, finely shredded

Parsley, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 400-425 degrees. Cook the chopped mushrooms (and shallots if using) in the butter, with salt and pepper, in a large skillet over moderately high heat. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking, but cook until the mixture is quite dry and the mushrooms have given up their liquid. In a medium bowl, mix the mushrooms with the tarragon and sour cream.

Spray regular size muffin cups with cooking oil and fit one slice of ham into each cup to form a “nest” for the filling (ends will stick up and hang over the edges of the cups). Spoon a little of the mushroom mix into each cup and then crack an egg into each cup on top of the filling. Bake in the middle of the oven until the whites are cooked but the yolks are still soft, about 15 minutes (see notes). Carefully transfer two cooked ham and egg “cups” onto each serving plate (they will be very hot!). Garnish with parmesan and chopped parsley. Accompany with toast points o r toast “fingers” for dipping.

Notes: You can use any single variety of mushrooms, but I like to use a medley of shiitakes, baby Portobello’s and white button mushrooms. I like Boar’s Head Black Forest ham for this recipe. The difficult part is training the deli counter staff to cut the ham to the right thickness; you want it thin enough to be flexible, but with no holes or tears (or the egg white runs through and cooks under the ham instead of in it). Don’t be shy about asking to inspect a sample slice and memorize the setting on the slicer for next time. Also ask to see the ham before it is cut - the cooked ham is round or oval in shape and you don’t want pieces from the ends, they will be too small to fit in the muffin cups.

The tricky part of this recipe is in baking th eggs until the are set without burning the edges of the ham slices; it helps to cover the pan with a loose tent of foil, which reflects heat onto the top surface of the eggs and protects the ham at the same time. Finally, keep checking the eggs near the end of the cooking time; shake the muffin tray gently to see if the whites are set but the yolk is not hard- that’s the perfect time to plate the dish.

Stonebow Inn recipes published

2009-11-02T12:41:00.000-05:00

Two events of note for the inn recently (well at least as far as food is concerned): the initial entry here in August about omelet technique was spotted by a staffer at BnBFinder.com and submitted (with photos we took of the step-by-step process) to RecipeLion.com, a large compilation food blog and recipe database. And we had our recipe for a frittata included in a new cookbook compilation by Pamela Lanier that is now available (through us if you like). It’s called Cinnamon Mornings & Savory Nights and we are featured on page 100 with a recipe for goat cheese, spinach and pancetta frittata using goat cheese from our near-neighbor Firefly Farms.

Cocoa Anyone?

2009-11-02T12:32:00.000-05:00

Does anyone have a favorite cocoa or hot chocolate brand? I am looking for a new individual-portion cocoa or hot chocolate to put out for our guests to use. We used Cocoa Amore’s double-chocolate sachets for a couple of years and it is very good, but very thick and difficult to mix completely in a cup – it tends to leave sludge in the bottom. I’ve been trying Swiss Miss now that they offer milk chocolate and dark and mocha-cappuccino (didn’t like that one much) and also Nestle, but the packets are a bit utilitarian and not attractive in the baskets in the guest rooms. Anyone sampled Ghirardelli?

Stonebow Inn Cookbook, 2nd Edition

2009-11-01T17:00:00.004-05:00

We are eagerly awaiting delivery of the second edition of the Stonebow Inn Cookbook, 150 of my favorite recipes (not just breakfast by the way). We will have them in good time to ship for Christmas, so if you don’t yet have a copy or would like to give one as a gift to a friend or loved one, just drop us an email and we will take care of it for you. Cathy is taking advance orders now, $20 a copy, free shipping for Christmas included. All copies are signed by yours truly (now I don’t want to see these on EBay in the New Year folks).

While I am blatantly advertising Stonebow Inn memorabilia I should mention that we have several goodies on offer that make great stocking-stuffers for the holidays- or how about bundling them together in a gift box for the cook in your life?

Stonebow Inn Granola: 1 lb bags are $6.00 each.
Stonebow Inn hand-made coffee mugs by Spruce Forest Artisan Village potter Lynn Lais are $20.00 each.
NEW: Stonebow Inn cook’s aprons are $20.00; sturdy white cotton full-length aprons with extra-long ties and our name embroidered tastefully on the bib.
We’ll even throw in a cute little teddy bear wearing his Stonebow Inn T-shirt - Awww.
As always email us at info@stonebowinn.com – but don’t put your credit card info in the email, we will call you for that.

By request: Hash Brown Egg Bake

2009-11-01T16:57:00.006-05:00

Here’s a recent breakfast favorite that is not in the cookbook (although similar egg bakes are).

Hash Brown Egg Bake
1 28oz bag frozen shredded hash browns
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
3-4 drained artichoke hearts
1/3 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes
1 ½ cups shredded Gruyere cheese
1 ¼ cups of milk (whole or 2%)
½ cup half-and-half
9 large eggs
½ cup ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ large yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced into rings (no seeds)

Stage one: preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Spray a 9” x 13” baking dish with cooking spray. Press the hash browns onto the bottom and sides of the dish to form a crust; drizzle with the melted butter. Bake for 20 minutes to dry out the hash brown crust. Let it cool (you can do this the night before and store the dish, covered with plastic wrap, in the fridge).

Stage two: preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cover the hash browns in the dish with a layer of grated cheese. Top with the sliced mushrooms, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the milk, half-and-half, mustard and ricotta cheese until combined. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables in the baking dish. Top with the yellow bell pepper rings.

Cover the dish with foil and bake in the oven for 50 minutes; remove the foil and continue to bake until the center is set, about another 10-15 minutes. Let it cool for a few minutes before serving, sprinkled with chopped parsley. Good for brunch too.

Notes: The veggies in this baked dish can be varied to suit what you have or what you like; I sometimes leave out the mushrooms and substitute leeks and red bell pepper for instance. The foil helps reflect the heat and shortens the cooking time a little, but I find I need to remove it to finally “set” the top and center. Some people love the crust along the edges, if you don’t, slice it off before serving. As well as preparing the crust the night before, I do all my slicing and dicing then too and store the ingredients in the fridge; then it is just a case of assembling the dish and stirring the eggs and milk etc. next morning (when I am still brain-dead)!

I'm ba-aa-ack!

2009-11-01T16:51:00.002-05:00

Well here we go again. Clearly my timing was poor in starting this blog as we were about to begin our busiest quarter of the year! I am always surprised by how long it takes to do everything (an inveterate list-maker, mine are always longer than the day in question).

A few weeks ago Cathy and I were able to sneak away from the inn to see a movie (rare event). Naturally we saw Julie & Julia and I was astonished and impressed, not so much that Julie completed the marathon cooking task as that she was then able to sit down every night and write about it in her blog! I am usually so beat by 9 PM that I can’t even read a chapter of a book before slipping into the arms of Morpheus.

Anyway, apologies to those who were hoping for a daily dose of Stonebow Inn recipes this past two months; I promise to do better through the winter months, cook’s honor.

Change to Comment Permissions

2009-08-21T12:07:00.002-04:00

I have changed the settings today to allow all readers to post comments and feedback. You no longer need to register to do this. I had not realised that readers needed to have a Google or Facebook account (or one of several others that I have never heard of, being internet-challenged as I am) in order to post to the blog. Hopefully this will make it easier and more attractive for participation; however I will be monitoring the posts in case we get some spammers or pests.

Welcome to the Stonebow Inn cooking forum!

2009-08-15T20:00:00.000-04:00

I thought it was high time I created a blog for the inn but I wanted it to have some usefulness and interactivity and not just be chit-chat (although I am sure there will be the occasional Elliott-the-cat update from time to time). In the end I decided to focus on all things food as that is such an emphasis of our activities here at the Stonebow Inn.

In addition we recently sold out of the first printing of The Stonebow Inn Cookbook and as there are no immediate plans for a reprint (at least not until the economy improves) this blog is an opportunity to post some of those recipes with my updates and corrections and comments. And of course I hope to receive feedback from you my readers as we try out recipes together. I will also be posting tips and techniques as I discover them and invite similar insights in return.

Each week we will feature a new recipe (or two) and dissect a recipe from my cookbook. Plus whatever else seems interesting. So, let's get cooking!

Omelet Technique

2009-08-15T15:41:00.004-04:00

I once tried to calculate the number of eggs I have cracked since October 1, 2004 - the first day of our innkeeping odyssey here in the mountains of western Maryland - but I gave up at around 10,000. A good number of those have gone into the making of omelets, simple in conception and yet surprisingly tricky to pull off for a lot of people it seems.

Here is the method I learned (from Jacques Pepin no less), modified from my own experience. It will, with practice, give you a light tender omelet almost every time.

First though a word about organization. Your cooking experience will be a lot easier if you set up your mis-en-place (as the French say) before you start preparing ingredients. My typical work station for omelets for instance comprises two small stainless steel mixing bowls (as I usually make two omelets at once) a small cup measure containing water, a bottle of hot sauce, Canola Oil spray, a carton of eggs (naturally), a chopping board, whisk, medium spatula, small glass bowl, butter, grated cheese (either in a bowl or a plastic zip-top bag), salt and pepper and a plastic container with my chosen filling in it, in this case the mushroom-asparagus mix described below.

My microwave sits on the counter next to the stove and I have my non-stick 8" skillets ready to preheat on the gas burners (I have to use propane gas up here in the rural regions). If you have an omelet pan, well, good for you, I just use regular small skillets myself. Choose ones with a heavy base, the cheap thin ones heat too fast and burn the eggs too easily. NEVER put them in the dishwasher!

I always prepare my fillings the night before or well in advance of making the actual omelets; same for grating cheeses and finely chopping parsley (for garnish)

Mushroom-Asparagus Omelet

Filling: chopped mushrooms (I use a mix of thinly sliced Shiitakes, chopped baby Portobellos and chopped white mushrooms); fresh asparagus tips, washed well; grated Fontina or Fontinella cheese (not Cheddar, see notes below).

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet sprayed with canola oil and add the mushrooms; cook these well, until all the moisture has evaporated - this should be a fairly dry mix. Store or set aside.

TIP: I chop a large quantity of mushrooms and bag them in zip-top freezer bags and store them in the freezer compartment. Then they are available anytime. When you cook the frozen mushrooms (no need to defrost them first) they will render much more liquid. If there is a lot of liquid, drag the mushrooms to one side of the skillet, tip the skillet away from you so the liquid gathers in the far side, and using a pair of tongs to hold it, place a paper towel in the pan to soak up the liquid. Drop this carefully into the trash bin. Continue cooking until the remaining liquid evaporates.

Prepare the Asparagus tips by snapping off the base of each stalk; this will naturally remove the tougher base of each piece. Wash thoroughly (I chop the asparagus into half-inch pieces first and then rinse in a colander). bring water to a boil in a saucepan fitted with a steamer and cook the asparagus until crisp-tender (or however you like it). Drain, rinse with cold water and reserve

Making the omelets

I use 2 eggs per omelet. If you prefer a larger dish, use three. Crack the eggs into a small bowl, add a splash of water and a splash of hot sauce (not too much or your eggs will have a spongy texture- looks weird). Whisk lightly. You are not trying to beat air into the eggs here

Spray the skillet with oil, and add a piece of butter. The oil is to help release, the butter for mouth-feel. Preheat the skillet over a medium heat until the butter melts and the foam begins to die down. Put some of the mushrooms and asparagus in a small bowl and microwave for 15-20 seconds if they are cold - the idea is to have the filling at the same temperature as the eggs you are going to put them in. Pour the eggs into the skillet, there should be a very faint sizzle

Now for the important part: use your spatula to stir and lift the eggs as though you are making scrambled eggs. The omelet should be basically scrambled eggs enclosed in a thin envelope of cooked egg. When the eggs are almost set, tip the skillet to run the uncooked egg mixture around the edges of the pan, place your mushroom-asparagus filling on one side of the omelet - do not overfill it or it will be difficult to fold- and top with a little of the grated cheese. Use your spatula to carefully flip/fold the other half of the omelet over the top of the filling. Turn off the heat and let it sit for a few seconds while you get your plate. Slide the omelet onto a pre-warmed plate (if it is sticking use the spatula to ease it loose). Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and serve with toast and bacon or whatever you like.

Troubleshooting:
My omelet has brown speckles on the outside and is tough, what happened?The pan was too hot.

The cheese filling is running out of the omelet, what happened?

Either too much cheese or the wrong kind of cheese. Cheddar for instance does not melt well, but separates - I only use it in baked egg dishes.

My omelet is kind of orangy and has a spongy texture, what happened?

Too much hot sauce in the eggs- if you like it spicy, add more hot sauce after serving the omelet.