When we lived in Vermont my family used to often take Sunday drives. It seems that the art of the Sunday drive has been lost. Who can blame people, seeing what the price of gas is nowadays, but I can’t help but feel saddened. People don’t know what they are missing. I loved those Sunday drives, at least in hindsight. I’m not so sure that I particularly enjoyed them at the time, but now I look back on them with fondness. Sunday drives are about the trip and not the destination. Sometimes my parents had destinations in mind and at other times we’d just drive, look at the scenery, and if we happened upon something cool or a neat little store then it was a bonus. Most times I think my dad just pointed the car in a direction and just drove randomly, though I bet he’d never admit it.

I was always thrilled when our trips wound their way down to Waterbury Center, because I knew a stop at Cold Hollow Cider Mill was imminent. It might be a tourist trap, but I loved and still love that place. As a kid, I was fascinated by watching the giant cider press turn out gallons and gallons of cider from the apple pulp they’d load in to it. I could have sat there for hours watching them press that apple pulp into one of life’s greatest treasures-cider.

The other reason I looked forward to the trip was the hot cider donuts. Crisp on the outside, soft and moist on the inside. Colored a deep brown, these donuts were packed with the flavors of autumn, from the variety of warm, sweet spices they used to the rich cider reduction used to moisten the dry ingredients. With a bribe of a few hot donuts and a couple glasses of cider my parents were assured of a little piece and quite from my brother’s and my endless verbal barrage, and I believe they took full advantage. (continue reading…)

Back in 1993 I moved to Atlanta, a good 12 hour drive from Indiana and my family. Luckily, I wasn’t there long before I made many friends, many of them in the same position I was in with the holidays coming up and no family to spend it with. It was then that I decided that I would throw an annual Thanksgiving potluck get together. The premise was simple. I would cook a turkey, the dressing, and the gravy, and everyone else was to bring their favorite dish from their Thanksgivings at home.

The first year I did this we had a modest amount of people drop by. I think it was in the 12-15 person range but it quickly grew and by the time I left Atlanta I as hosting 30-40 people who would drop in throughout the day, with the main meal seating anywhere from 15 to 25 of my friends. Not only were friends with family far away attending, but friends with family right in Atlanta opted to skip the family drama and spend the holiday with us.

This was the start of my Bloody Mary holiday tradition. As the size of the group grew so did my cooking chores. I was still only doing the turkey, dressing and gravy, but now with so many people I was cooking 2 birds and numerous pans of dressing. Since all I had was a standard home oven I had to start pretty early in the morning to get everything cooked in time. I needed a way to help me pass the time and since I was, and am, a big fan of Bloody Marys, I figured they’d be the perfect diversion. I was right, they were the perfect diversion to the long hours of watching over the turkey as my friends slept in, fighting their hangovers from the pre-holiday festivities of the night before. And since I was usually suffering right along beside them, the drinks made a great “hair of the dog” cure to my self imposed ills.

Now, some of you might question the intelligence of consuming large quantities of alcohol while working around large pans of hot food and very sharp knives. While I don’t necessarily recommend this to everyone (I am a professional I will remind you) I can say I made it through all those holiday meals without any major scars. Nowadays though, I limit myself to just a few early morning Bloody Marys while preparing our Thanksgiving feast, and maybe just a few more if someone else is doing the cooking.

So I offer up my version of the Perfect Bloody Mary. I say “my version” because, for Bloody Mary aficionados, a Bloody Mary is a very personalized thing. Luckily this is my blog so I get to give you my favorite version. Feel free to offer up yours in the comments section.

Pete’s Perfect Bloody Mary

3 oz. Vodka (either plain or pepper infused-or create your own infused vodka)
6 oz. Tomato Juice
1/2 tsp. Horseradish
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. Dill Pickle liquid
2-6 dashes Hot Sauce (depending on the heat level you like, I usually go for 4-6)
2 wedges Lemon, cut into 1/8ths
Black Pepper
Celery Salt
1 each Celery rib, 1 1/2 – 2 inches taller than the glass

Fill a large glass with ice. Pour in the vodka. Add the horseradish, Worcestershire, pickle liquid, hot sauce, juice from one of the lemon wedges, and a couple of shakes of black pepper. Top with tomato juice. Pour entire contents between a cocktail shaker and glass a few times to mix, leaving drink the in the cocktail shaker. Use the remaining lemon to moisten the rim of glass. Pour some celery salt into a dish just large enough to accommodate the rim of the glass then crust the rim with the celery salt. garnish glass with lemon wedge and add the celery stick. Pour contents back into the glass and enjoy.

A few words about garnishes. Just about anything goes when garnishing a Bloody Mary; celery, pickle spears, olives, pickled Brussels sprouts, pickled mushrooms, poached shrimp (nice in a Cajun Bloody Mary or in one using Clamato juice), lemons, limes, etc. In Wisconsin they even like to garnish them with beef sticks. Just avoid the temptation to turn your cocktail into a salad bar. 1 or 2 garnishes is sufficient. I hate getting a Bloody Mary that is so heavily garnished I have to eat my way through to be able to get a drink!

I can’t say that Whoopie Pies were commonplace in our household when I was growing up, but I do remember my mom making them on occasion. What I remember most is that she made them in the summer and froze them. They would then become a nice, cool treat for me and my brother. They’d last a long time as they were rock solid, when frozen, and we’d have to kind of scrape away at them with our molars until they thawed enough to really bite into.

For those of you unfamiliar with whoopie pies, they are a snack consisting of 2 very large, cake-like, chocolate “cookies” with a sweet, white filling sandwiched in between. They were, originally, a treat of the Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch but in the early part of the 20th century they found their way to New England where they have also become very popular, especially in Maine. While chocolate is the traditional flavor for the “cookies,” bakeries are now producing whoopie pies in all manner of flavors, of which pumpkin is probably the most favored seasonal rendition, after chocolate.

Whoopie Pies are not your “dainty” little snack, nor are they for the weak of heart, considering the hefty amount of vegetable shortening in the filling. It is said that a whoopie pie should be approximately the size of a hamburger, bun and all. Enough to feed 3 women or 1 growing boy.

I was thrilled the other day, when my wife said she wanted to make whoopie pies. Visions of my childhood flooded back and I couldn’t wait for them to get done. Neither could our daughter, who quickly swiped the paddle from the stand mixer and claimed it for herself.

(continue reading…)

In my last post, I said I wasn’t going to offer up any Thanksgiving recipes. Well, I lied…kinda…sorta. I am not going to offer up any recipes for dishes to be served during the holiday dinner, though I guess you could serve these then if you wanted to. They would make a great change from the standard dinner roll. But what I really wanted to offer up is a wonderful breakfast treat you could serve to any overnight guests you might have.

Let’s face it, we all try to avoid breakfast on T-Day, in anticipation of the huge, gluttonous feast we plan on consuming later in the day, but if you are like me there is no way you will make it until then without an sustenance, especially as all those heavenly aromas waft through the air, igniting your hunger. Besides, as a host to those overnight guests I feel bad if I don’t offer up something for breakfast.

These popovers fit the bill quite nicely. They are light, but flavorful. Just the thing one needs to just take the edge off of the hunger until dinner is ready. If you have a full house consider doubling or tripling this recipe as they go quickly. Also serve immediately as popovers are best when still steaming hot.

I chose to use sage in these popovers as a little preview to the dinner ahead, but you could substitute out any herb you like. Both rosemary and thyme make nice additions.

Not many people own popover pans any more so I made these in muffin tins. If you have popover pans feel free to use them though you might have to add just a few minutes to the final cooking and you might not get 12 popovers out of the recipe.

Sage Popovers

2 each eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp. melted butter
1 Tbsp. fresh sage, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt

Heat oven to 450F. Generously grease muffin tin. In medium bowl beat eggs slightly. Blend in remaining ingredients just until smooth. Fill cups about half full. Bake at 450F for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350F and bake for 15-20 minutes longer or until golden brown. Makes 12 popovers.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and the internet is loaded with recipes for every conceivable dish you could ever wish to grace your holiday table.  I have decided to buck the trend and not offer up any of my own takes on Thanksgiving recipes, at least this year.  Instead I thought I would offer up a number of great sites that have done an amazing job of creating recipes to help you set the perfect holiday table.  Some might say that I’ve taken the easy way out, and that may be true, but do you really need me to offer up yet another recipe for cranberry relish, stuffing or pecan pie, especially when these sites have done such a great job?

I have been following Elena over at Biscuits and Such for a number of months now and have been very impressed by her blog and recipes so I was thrilled when she created this index for Holiday Eats from recipes on her blog. I am especially intrigued by her Roasted Mango and Habanero Turkey. I won’t get a chance to try it for T-Day as I am not cooking this year (letting the in laws do that) but I will be trying it out sometime soon!

Personally, I never tire of Thanksgiving leftovers. I could eat turkey sandwiches for a few weeks before tiring of them, but for many people the leftovers quickly become tiresome. Luckily the folks over at Texas Less Traveled have come up with a couple of wonderful recipes that help take the boredom out of T-Day leftovers.

Every once in awhile I come across an item and think to myself, “Why have I never thought of this?” The concept is so simple or so logical I can’t believe I have never thought of it before. Such is the case with the Cranberry Pie offered up by Colleen over at Souffle Bombay.

Finally, in an act of shameless self promotion I offer up this article I wrote for Chef Talk, on my favorite way to prepare my Thanksgiving turkey, grilling it.

Souffles have fallen out of fashion, at least in regards to home cooks. I have hundreds of cookbooks spanning back over 120 years. In many of those books, dated from the 50′s through the 70′s and even 80′s, you’d find recipes for all sorts of souffles from sweet to savory. In the 80′s their popularity started to wane and now it is rare to find a new cookbook with a souffle recipe in it. That’s too bad as I think every decent home cook should know how to make a souffle.

There seems to be a mystique surrounding souffles and how difficult they are to make. Most of it is a load of crap. I can’t begin to count the number of souffles I have made, in both professional kitchens and at home, and I think I have had only 1 turn out a failure. They really aren’t that difficult to make, and they most certainly are not nearly as tempermental to bake as the myth has it.

I want to share 4 tips that will allow you to serve a perfect souffle almost every time. There’s nothing secret about these, nor are they all that enlightening, but follow these 4 tips and your success rate will be like mine.
1. Don’t over whip your egg whites. Leave them just shy of stiff peak to get maximum rise out of them.
2. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into your base to lighten the base then gently fold in the remaining whites. It’s okay to leave a few streaks of white unincorporated. This is better than over stirring and deflating your whites.
3. Once in the oven do not open the oven door for the 2/3 of the baking.
4. Serve the souffle as soon as possible after coming out of the oven. Even the best made souffle will start to collapse as it cools down. Time is of the essence.

This recipe makes a great breakfast souffle that will serve 4 people when accompanied by toast, bagels or pastries.

Cheese and Bacon Souffle

1/4 cup Flour
1/4 cup Butter + more for greasing the mold
1 cup Milk
Fresh nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Dry Mustard
1/2 tsp. Granulated Garlic
3-6 dashes Hot Sauce
2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese, grated
6 oz. Cheddar cheese (sharp or medium)
3 sliced Bacon, thick cut
5 each eggs

Preheat oven to 375. Dice bacon and render until crisp. Pour off fat and reserve bacon. Grease a 2 qt. Souffle mold or high sided baking dish with butter and dust with parmesan cheese. Place in the fridge. Separate eggs with whites in 1 bowl and yolks in another. Meanwhile melt remain 1/4 cup of butter over medium heat. Combine flour, a couple grates of fresh nutmeg, mustard, and garlic and add to the butter. Cook for 2 minutes then add the milk. When thickened add hot sauce and stir in cheddar cheese. Continue to heat until cheese has melted. Remove from heat. Whip egg whites to a point just short of stiff peak. Temper cheese mixture into yolks, stirring to combine. Add bacon. Gently fold in 1/3 of the white into the yolk mixture then fold in the remaining whites. Pour into mold and bake for 25 minutes. After 20 minutes quickly check for doneness. To test a souffle for doneness test just like a cake. Insert a toothpick or small knife into the souffle. If it comes out clean then it is done. Serve immediately.

I will never be mistaken for one of the more prolific bloggers around, but this month, so far, has seen less than usual activity from me. I apologize, work and family has kept me pretty busy the last few weeks, and I haven’t had a chance to do much serious cooking, let alone writing. But I’m back now, though I never completely left, and hopefully I’ll have a chance to blog on a more regular basis.

In the last few weeks, we’ve been ordering in pizza quite a bit, eating leftovers and reheating homemade soup. I felt it was time I make a special dinner for my wife. She tends to eat a lot of pasta and noodles so I wanted to stay away from those, but I was craving carbs so I figured I do a rich, creamy risotto, and since my wife loves shrimp I would make a shrimp risotto.

This version of risotto is not for the weak of heart. It’s got plenty of butter, cheese and cream to stop a horse, but as long as you aren’t eating like this regularly, then this is worth splurging for. This recipe serves 2-3 people. Don’t be alarmed. The portions aren’t huge, but because this dish is so rich the servings are plenty big!

Shrimp Risotto

1/4 cup Olive Oil
3 large cloves Garlic, minced
1 each Shallot, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio Rice
5 cups Stock (shrimp* or chicken) or water
1/2 cup White Wine
3/4 cup Peas
12 each 16/20 Shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into thirds
1/2 cup Cream
4 Tbsp. Butter
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 each Tomato, pulp removed and flesh diced
1/4 cup Green Onions, minced
Salt
Pepper

Bring stock or water to a simmer. Meanwhile in a large pot heat oil over medium high heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook until starting to turn translucent. Add the Arborio rice and cook 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Add wine and cook until fully absorbed. Start adding broth or water, about 1/2 cup at a time, and stirring until almost fully absorbed before adding more liquid. Continue this process until rice is al dente. This should take about 18 minutes. You might not use all the stock or water or you might need a bit more. The rice should be cooked but still firm, not soft, and it should be creamy but not loose or soupy. When the rice is about 3/4 of the way done add the peas. 2 minutes later add the shrimp. When the rice is done add the butter cheese and cream. Cook 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper and stir in the diced tomato. Divide among plates and garnish with the green onions.

*To make a simple shrimp stock. Reserve the shrimp shells from the shrimp you peeled to make this dish. Place them in a pot with 1/2 onion, diced and 1 rib of celery, diced. Fill with enough water to cover, bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 30 minutes. Drain off the stock, pressing on the solids to release as much liquid as possible.

In the last few years I’ve become a convert of Crock Pots and slow cookers. In my younger days, as a chef, the mere mention of a slow cooker would elicit derisive chuckles out of me and my cohorts. Slow cookers were tools for those who didn’t know how to cook properly, or for the “happy homemaker” who couldn’t master the art of braising. These were my younger, food snob days. I’ve since then changed my tune quite dramatically. Admittedly, I still prefer to create a braised dish on the stove top or in the oven, but those require that I be home for a considerable amount of time to watch over them. Sorry, but I would never leave my house for hours with the oven or stove on, but a Crock Pot is a different story. Plug it in, turn it on, go to work, and come back hours later to a warm, hearty meal.

Slow cookers aren’t the end all for braising though. There are too many dishes that require a more subtle touch than a slow cooker can achieve, or need a better mix of dry and moist heat that the humid environment of a Crock Pot just can’t achieve, but many dishes, such as stews, soups, pot roasts, etc. are perfectly suited for a slow cooker.

There are a couple of tips that I will offer up though to help you make your Crock Pot meal come closer to restaurant quality. The most important is browning your meat before you add it to the slow cooker. Most slow cooker recipes are created to be “dump and go,” but I beg you to take the time to brown your meat first. This is what really helps develop that deep flavor that is found in slow cooked meats. Take the time to brown all sides of the meat to a deep brown before adding it to your slow cooker. After browning the meat deglaze the hot pan with some kind of liquid, preferably a little wine or other alcohol and add this to the slow cooker also, making sure you scrape up any little cooked bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. The other tip I offer up, is forget that “high” setting on your Crock Pot. If you are putting something in the cooker before work and won’t be home until dinner time “low” will be plenty to cook just about anything. I don’t care what the recipe says, use the low setting or risk coming home to overly cooked, dry meat. Of course that high setting can be used for shorter cooked items or to reduce the braising liquid after the meat is done, but for any cooking of over 4 hours stay away from that setting.

Today, I created a great Crock Pot Sauerbraten dinner. It was based on a couple of traditional sauerbraten recipes I have. Traditionally the beef is marinated for 2-3 days before cooking. This helps to create a dish with lots of depth of flavor and it also helps to tenderize tougher cuts of meat. In this version I skip the days of marinating. The end product might not have quite the depth of the original but is so flavorful I don’t think you will notice.

Crock Pot Sauerbraten
3-5 pound Chuck Roast
2 each Carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ribs Celery, chopped
2 each Yellow Onions, peeled and chopped
1 cup Red Wine
2/3 cup Cider or Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
12 each Cloves, whole
12 each Allspice, whole
20 each Peppercorns, whole
2 each Bay Leaves
8 each Juniper Berries, crushed slightly (optional)
1 cup Water
10 each Gingersnap cookies

Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown both sides of the chuck roast in a hot skillet, until a deep brown. Place meat in a slow cooker. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of water, scraping up any bits stuck to the pan. Add to the slow cooker. Add vegetables, wine, vinegar and sugar to slow cooker. Place the spices in a coffee filter (for easy removal) and tie shut. Add to the slow cooker, cover, turn to low and allow to cook for at least 5 hours and up to 8. The meat should be fork tender when done. When meat is done crush up the gingersnaps and add to slow cooker along with the remaining 1/2 cup of water. Replace cover and cook 30 minutes longer. Gingersnaps will dissolve into the sauce thickening it. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

**Note** I use the term slow cooker and Crock Pot interchangeably. Crock Pot is a proprietary name for slow cookers though it has become a generic term referring to all slow cookers, in every day usage.

The cold weather is slowly descending upon Wisconsin. While there have been a few days, so far, where we have seen snow in the air, I imagine that it won’t be long before that becomes a regular occurrence. Unlike so many others, I don’t mind the winter, and except for the long drive to work, I rather look forward to the season. I don’t understand people, here in Wisconsin, that spend so much of their time griping about winter. I just want to look at them and say, “You live in Wisconsin, what do you expect? If you hate winter so much then move south!” I guess it’s because I’ve moved around so much, that if I don’t like the weather in a place then I just pack up and move on. Life’s too short to be stuck living in a place you hate half of the year. That’s part of the reason I left the South. Being a Northern boy by birth, I missed the 4 seasons, and hated the hot, humid summers.

As I was saying, before I went off on my rant, winter is just around the corner for us in the North. One of the reasons I know this is the fact that my wife is in soup making mode. Much of it will be destined for the freezer, packaged into small individual portions that she can take to work with her. Her latest soup was a wonderful Split Pea with Ham.

Split Pea soup gets a bad rap, mostly thanks to the movie “The Exorcist.” That’s too bad as Split Pea soup is a hearty, soul warming dish full of flavor. The perfect remedy to ward off the chills and a great way to warm up after a chilly afternoon raking leaves. The other great thing about Split Peas soup is that it is so easy to make.

Split Pea Soup with Ham
1 each Onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 each Carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 Tbsp. Butter
1 pound Dried Split Peas
4 each Ham Hocks
Salt
Pepper

In a large sauce pot melt butter over medium high heat. Add the carrots and onion. Cook, stirring often until the vegetables are just starting to brown. Add the split peas and ham hocks then add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes or until the peas are soft and tender, adding more water if necessary to keep the peas just submerged. Remove the ham hocks and allow to cool. Puree the soup in a blender or better yet with an immersion blender (so much easier!). Thin with a little water if too thick for your liking. Season with salt and pepper and return to the stove, over low heat. Remove the rind (skin) from the hocks and cut away all the meat from the bone. Dice into bite sized pieces and return to the soup. To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with either more finely diced ham or croutons (small cubes of bread sauteed in garlic butter until golden and crispy).

If you haven’t realized by now that Fall is my favorite season and that apples are one of my favorite foods then either: 1. you haven’t been paying attention, or 2. you are new to this blog and haven’t yet read many of my previous posts. Either way I am not going to bore you today with a rehashing of my previous sentiments. Read a few earlier posts from the last few weeks and you’ll get the picture.

The only thing I will say, before moving on to the recipe for today is that this recipe rocks!!! I know I should be more humble but really, I really liked these when I came up with the idea. I’m sure there have been plenty of others who have thought of stuffing an apple with caramel before turning it into a dumpling, but I haven’t come across any recipes. Besides, this recipe gives you the best of both caramel apples and apple dumplings. What isn’t there to like? I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Caramel Filled Apple Dumplings

1 recipe Your favorite pie dough for a double crust pie
4 each Apples (choose a good baking apple such as Granny Smith, McIntosh or Gravenstein)
10-15 each Individual Caramels
3/4 cup Sugar, granulated
1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Cider or Apple juice
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Ground Ginger
2 Tbsp. Butter

Preheat the oven to 375F. Peel and core all the apples, leaving just a bit of the blossom end intact. Roll out the pie dough and cut into 4 7″x7″ squares. Pack the cored apple with the caramels, packing it in lightly. Wrap the apples in the pie dough. There are 2 ways you can do this. 1. Bring the corners of the dough up, over the apple and pinch them together in the center. Then pinch together the seams giving yourself an elegant little package, or 2. wrap the dough around and over the apple, forming it to the apple so that the package maintains an apple shape. I then use some of the scrap dough to form decorative leaves “glued” in place, on top, with a little water. Place in a 9×13 pan and bake at for 30 minutes. Meanwhile combine the remaining ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. After the apples have baked for 30 minutes pour syrup over dumplings and bake 20-25 minutes more, basting the dumplings with the syrup every 8 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-8 minutes before placing in a bowl with a little of the remaining syrup and a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream.