Well, it’s November 1st and I survived another Halloween, which is getting more difficult as my daughter gets older and becomes more of a force to reckon with when she’s hopped up on massive quanitites of sugar. She turned 5 on Halloween (and yes, sometimes I think she truly is the spawn of the devil!) and I’m glad I wasn’t her teachers that day. She must have told me 20 times that morning that it was her birthday and that she was a big girl now. I can’t imagine how many times her teachers had to hear that line. More power to them, as a full day of that would have driven me crazy, and we all know that I’m on the edge as it is! But I’m not out of the woods just yet. We didn’t have time for her birthday party this past weekend so we are having it next weekend. That means 20 kids running around hopped up on cake, ice cream and soda. My only consolation is fact that I can then send them all home to unsuspecting parents who will then have to deal with the sugar crash. And yes, I know I’m evil! It’s part of my charm. Just ask my wife.

While we were out this weekend, we stopped by the farmer’s market here in town as it was the last one of the season. I wanted to make sure we stocked up on winter squashes as I love playing around with them, and they make great, hearty, Autumn time meals. I picked up a few Butternut squash perfect for soup making. Adding just a bit of curry powder to the mix gives the soup a nice complexity but doesn’t overpower the flavor of the squash.

There are many ways to garnish this soup; bacon is one garnish I use regularly, but today I wanted to change it up a bit. We had gotten a loaf of pumpernickel bread with our last CSA share of the season so I diced them up into 1/4 inch cubes and sauteed them slowly, in butter, over medium heat until crispy. I also peeled and diced an apple which I dusted with a mixture of 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. ground chipotle pepper, but plain diced apple works well also.

Curried Squash Soup
serve 8-10

2 medium Butternut squash (about 4-5 pounds)
2 ribs celery
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 cup half and half
1 tsp. curry powder
1 Tbl. honey
salt
pepper

Peel, seed and dice the squash. Chop the celery. Peel and chop the onion. Peel the garlic. Place all the vegetables in a large pot. Add the half and half and then add water to just barely cover the vegatables. Add the curry powder and honey and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Puree the soup either in batches, in a blender, or in the pot using a stick (emersion) blender. Taste and adjust seasoning to taste. This version doesn’t have much sweetness which is the way I like it when using the curry powder. If you want it sweeter just add more honey. Garnish with your choice of toppings or see above for suggestions.

When I was first introduced to Mexican Chorizo I was very confused. What I knew as “Chorizo” came from Spain and it was a dried sausage, so the first time I ordered Chorizo and Eggs I was perlexed by what I received. My consternation didn’t last long, however, after taking my first bite. I immediately fell in love with this new (well at least new to me) form of sausage. And I’ve been in love ever since.

Chorizo is a great way to add a little spice and Southwest flair to just about any meat dish that calls for ground meat. I often like to add it to chili, use it to fill tacos and burritos, add some into fried potatoes, or a pot of refried beans, and, of course, in the ever popular Chorizo and Eggs, for breakfast. But one of my favorite things to do with chorizo is to make my Southwestern Chorizo Burgers. It’s a combination of chorizo and ground beef and it makes one of the best nontraditional burgers around. You can find the recipe on my blog here.

Making Mexican Chorizo is a pretty simple process, especially so since I find no need to stuff it into casings. The vast majority of uses requires it to be crumbled and browned so there is no need to bother with the hassle of stuffing. To be honest, as much as I love chorizo, it is a pretty spicy product and I’m not sure that I’d enjoy eating it as a link.

Mexican Chorizo

4 pounds pork butt
2 Tbs. paprika
1 1/2 Tbs. ancho powder*
1 Tbs. chipotle powder**
1/4 tsp. ground clove
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp. ground black pepper
5 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/3 cup cider vinegar

Cut the pork butt into 1 inch pieces, making sure to remove any glands you might come across (for a description is my post on making Italian Sausage). In a nonoreactive bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix into the pork.

Add the vinegar and mix well. Cover and place in the refrigerator for, at least 2 hours, or overnight. Before grinding place all grinder parts in the freezer to chill. Grind once using the coarsest die.

Mix the sausage to help distribute the seasonings even more then grind, again, through one of the smaller dies. Make a small patty and cook it up. Taste and check for seasoning. Adjust seasoning to your taste. This recipe makes a full flavored sausage with just a bit of heat. You can up the ancho and chipotle, or even add a bit of cayenne if you want more. I usually then package it into 1/2-1 pound packages that I freeze until needed. While this sausage is ready to go after grinding, I find giving it another day, for the flavors to meld, improves it even more.

*If you can’t find Ancho powder, take a couple of ancho chiles (the dried form of the poblano pepper) and roast them in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Allow them to cool completely, remove the stem and seeds (you can leave the seeds in if you want it hotter), crumble it up and grind in a spice grinder.

**If you don’t have Chipotle powder puree 1-2 chipotles en adobo as a substitute. You can find these in most Hispanic sections at the grocery store nowadays.

As a young kid I hated sweet potatoes. I had never tried one, but I just knew, deep down, that I’d hate it and so I did. I don’t remember when I got over this assumed hatred of them, but it wasn’t until I was at least 11 or 12, and even then I only learned to like them reluctantly. I look back at that time and wonder why. It made no sense as it combined 2 things I loved the most; potatoes and something sweet. While I may never understand why I didn’t like them, at least I got over it and now adore sweet potatoes. Not only are they great in their traditional uses but make a nice surprise when replacing normal potatoes in dishes where one doesn’t expect to find sweet potatoes such as in potato salads or a breakfast hash.

Today, many people like to play up their sweet side, but I often prefer to down play their sweetness and instead enjoy them for the subtle floral qualities that they possess. And while they are flavorful enough to stand up to the most complex of dishes, they also do wonderfully in simple preparations such as this wonderful gratin that I like to serve as a autumn or winter side dish.

Spicy Sweet Potato Gratin

4-5 pounds sweet potato
2-2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups Parmesan, shaved or grated
salt
pepper
ground chipotle pepper
2 Tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 350°F. Using the butter, generously grease a 9×13 baking pan. Peel the sweet potatoes and slice them about 1/8″ thick. Lay down a single layer of the sweet potatoes, overlapping them slightly. Season lightly with salt, pepper and chipotle pepper, then sprinkle with some of the cheese.

Continue layering the potatoes, with the seasoning and cheese, until all the potatoes are used up, and making sure that you have at least 1/2 cup of cheese left for the top. Add enough cream to just barely come to the top of the potatoes and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the sweet potatoes are easily pierced with a knife. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

I’ve been having fun playing with my new food dehydrator, thanks to Chef Talk. I don’t know that the infatuation will last but it is fun right now, and, at the very least, I think it is something that I will pull out occasionally and play around with, even if it never becomes a “vital” appliance in my kitchen.

This weekend I got a chance to play around with making jerky, and I have to say, I was rather pleased with the results. It sure beats out most of the big name brand jerkys out there and is a heck of a lot less expensive than buying any of those “gourmet” jerkys you see at fairs and festivals. I made both a Spicy Asian jerky, marinating it in soy sauce accented with Chinese 5 spice powder and Siracha (a spicy chile garlic sauce). I also made a Southwestern Chipotle Lime jerky, using ground chipotles to add a nice light smoky accent to the jerky. Of course you can always smoke your jerky before drying it in the dehydrator. I can be smoked afterwards but the meat will take up more smoke, more readily if you smoke it while still raw.

A couple of things to remember, if you are making jerky. First off you will yield about 1/4-1/3, by weight, of the original amount of meat you purchased due to the drying process so purchase accordingly. Secondly, it’s very important to remove as much outer fat as possible and choose meat with as little interior marbling as possible as the fat as a tendency to go rancid sometimes. For longer term storage I suggest placing in the refrigerator. I did not use any curing salts (nitrates or nitrites) in the making of these jerkys so long term storage, at room temp might be problematic. I wouldn’t worry about leaving it out for a day or 2 but for longer storage, play it safe and refrigerate.

Spicy Asian Jerky

1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. Chinese 5 spice powder
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp. Sriracha (chile garlic paste)
1 lb. lean beef (I used an Inside Roast roast)

Chipotle Lime Jerky

1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. chipotle powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. lime juice
1 lb. lean beef (see note above)

For each recipe, combine all the ingredients except the beef. Slice the beef so it is approximately 1/4″ thick then into strips about 1 1/2″ wide. Toss the beef in to the marinade and mix to coat. Because the Chipotle marinade is more of a paste you will really need to work at getting it distributed evenly. Tightly cover and allow to marinate for 10-12 hours in the refrigerator, stirring it every few hours.

Spicy Asian Jerky in marinade

Chipotle Lime Jerky marinating

Place meat in dehydrator, blotting off excess moisture from the Asian Jerky. Dry following the manufacturer’s directions. You will want to dry somewhere between 140F and 160F.

Drying time will be anywhere from 3 1/2 to 10 hours, depending on several factors, but if you made sure to cut your meat 1/4″ thick it should take 3 1/2 – 5 hours. To test for doneness remove 1 piece of jerky and let it cool to room temperature. It should crack along the grain when bent but it shouldn’t break apart. When done remove to a cooling rack, blot off any excess fat that rendered out and allow to cool completely before packing it way.

Halloween is only a few days away and I am excited!!!! Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays and now even more so since my daughter was born on Halloween. Our day will be booked solid with her birthday party in the morning and afternoon and trick or treating in the evening. Of course, party preparations started weeks ago as we finally cleaned and organized the garage, but last night was the start of the fun. It was pumpkin carving night. I only did 2 this year, while the wife carved one. Not as many as in some past years, but I still have time if I feel like carving a couple more. One of the benefits of carving pumpkins is the seeds. I really enjoy toasted pumpkin seeds. The problem is that I usually over do, snacking on them so by the end of Halloween I’ve seen enough pumpkin seeds until the following year.

I usually just make the regular, salted variety of pumpkin seeds but this year I wanted to spice it up a bit so I made three different flavors. Besides the regular pumpkin seeds I also made a Harissa inspired one, spiced with chile, coriander, caraway, garlic and cumin, and a Sweet, Smoky Asian one scented with Chinese 5 spice and chipotle pepper.

Over the years, one key I have learned to making good pumpkin seeds is a slow oven. I like to bake mine for almost an hour at about 275F. I think that it makes for a crisper seed that is less tough (an important consideration if using larger pumpkins with bigger seeds).

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups Pumpkin Seeds
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil

Preheat the oven to 275F. Clean all the pulp from around the pumpkin seeds, removing all the strings. Rinse and blot dry with a towel. In a bowl drizzle the oil over the pumpkins and toss to coat. Sprinkle on the salt while tossing the seeds, making sure the salt is evenly distributed. Spread seeds out, in a single layer, on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Stir the pumpkins seeds and bake another 20 minutes. Stir again and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Seeds should be crispy and just lightly browned. If not done place in oven for 10 more minutes.

Harissa Accented Pumpkin Seeds

1 cup Pumpkin Seeds
1/2 tsp. Coriander seed
1/2 tsp. Caraway seed
1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4-1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper (depending on how hot you like things)
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp. Vegetable oil

Grind the coriander and caraway seeds in a mortar or electric grinder. Add all other seasonings. Toss pumpkin seeds with oil then with spice mixture. Place on a cookie tray and bake like the Toasted Pumpkin Seeds above. (continue reading…)