Pots and Pins

Maple Sugar Pie...

It happens.  More often that you know.  Time and money down the drain because of bad recipes, stupid mistakes and clumsiness!  Three times last week - THREE TIMES - I ruined things.  Once was not my fault...I followed a recipe for Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Chipotle Peppers and Pumpkin Adobo Sauce...it sounded good to me - and harvest/autumn/halloweenie...it was HORRID!  I ended up throwing out $15 worth of tenderloin and about $7 worth of other ingredients - and I couldn't get the taste out of my mouth for hours - pure agony I tell you!  I assuaged my guilt (for having to throw out $22 worth of food) by making a no-fail, tried and true pasta salad...which turned out great, and then I dropped it on the floor - broke the bowl, pasta went flying and the only one who enjoyed it was Caesar Beezer the Wonder Dog, until he was banished from the kitchen.  I also ruined a perfectly good cake because I forgot the sugar...FORGOT THE SUGAR!!!  Sheesh!  So maybe I'm suffering from early menopause, dementia or the mental stress from years of living with the mister - which causes me to have little lapses...but whatever, when it comes to food...I don't give up.  Exercise?  Yes.  Housework?  Yes.  Gardening?  Yes.  Food?  Never.      

This is an irresistible dessert...it will have you hooked on the very first bite...saying it's smooth and silky is an understatement. Its a cross between the filling in a pecan pie, sans the pecans, and a rich creamy shake...pure and simple Heaven. I took the easy route and used refrigerator pie crusts...and I wondered why it is I don't use them more often?!  They are GREAT!            

This pie takes a while to cook...almost an hour or so, depending on your oven.  But it's SO worth the wait...if you can stand it, let it cool completely and then "frost" with whipped cream, although I've got to say that eating a slice warm, with whipped cream melting all over the place, was ever so delightful! 

I am going to add this pie to our Thanksgiving Day line-up...it's THAT good!  Make it, you'll see...one last thing...I used old-fashioned maple syrup, the kind with a little molasses added, and it gave this a little more depth, but pure maple syrup will perfect too...really, how can a pie that has SUGAR in the name not be the best thing you've ever tasted?!

Maple Sugar Pie - Adapted from Bon Appetit, December 1993

1 unbaked pie crust, either homemade or purchased

1 cup golden brown sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

3 large eggs, separated, room temperature

1 cup, plus 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup chilled whipping cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Using an electric mixer, beat sugar, butter and yolks in large bowl to blend.  Beat in 1 cup syrup and milk. Set aside.  In a separate bowl, using electric mixer fitted with clean dry beaters, beat whites in until stiff but not dry.  Fold into syrup mixture.  Pour filling into pie shell.  Bake until pie is set around edges but center still moves slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour.  If edges begin to brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil.  Cool completely.  Beat cream, powdered sugar, vanilla and the remaining 3 tablespoons syrup in medium bowl to medium-stiff peaks.  Spoon cream into plastic, Zip-lock type bag, and snip the corner.  Pipe cream around top edge of pie.  Serves 10.

     

"If God wanted us to bend over, he'd put diamonds on the floor."  - Joan Rivers

(PS...Still haven't got the new Typepad thing down...but I'm trying!!!)

Pasta with Mushrooms and Pumpkin-Gorgonzola Sauce...

Being a graduate of Oprah "U," I have diagnosed the mister with ADD.  7th Day ADD, it's a new form of ADD.  Six days a week he is perfectly normal, well, as normal as he can be, but then, on the 7th day, his behavior becomes erratic and disturbing.  He has all the classic signs, although they have just recently manifested themselves.  (I have an uncle who is quite famous in the ADD field...he's actually the Guru of ADD and invented the criteria used to diagnose this disorder...and although he would scoff at my "credentials" - Dr. Oz would not - I'm sure he would agree that something is wrong with the mister!)  These are the facts:  the mister watches three football games at one time, is incapable of watching just one...he can't sit still while watching - and he can't keep quiet...he yells at the TV, unaware that the players can't hear him...and he jumps up and down, seemingly spontaneously when irritated by the ref's calls...he fidgets and makes noise...he is unresponsive when spoken to, often mumbling and then when pressed he'll ask me to repeat the question...he refuses to go to church where sitting quietly is a requirement and although he is engrossed in his games, he often gets up and wanders around the manse, then raids the refrigerator, all in a dazed and confused like state.  Definitely 7th Day ADD.  The fact that Sunday is the ONLY day we are at HOME TOGETHER has nothing to do with his mental degeneration.  I'm sure there is a lethal drug out there that could cure his condition...or a "group home" where he would be able to receive some help...does anyone have any ideas?!?

       

Knowing that the mister was having an acute 7th Day ADD episode, I decided to make him some Autumnal Comfort Food...ACF.  ACF has been known to combat 7th Day ADD, it's warm and flavorful essence calms and restores sanity.  And it really did the trick with the mister.  He lapped this up...of course, I did not tell him the real name of this dish as he hates pumpkin in anything but a pie crust and he's not a fan of Gorgonzola either...don't ask, don't tell is our policy...all the mister knew was that it tasted great!

    

This dish takes as much time to prepare as pasta takes to cook.  The pumpkin is very mild, I don't think even I would have known it was in there if I hadn't been the one to make this...except for the color it gives - a soft peachy/orange - come to think of it, it's the color I'd like my family room painted!  The Gorgonzola cheese give this a little zing, and makes it smooth and creamy.  I used elbow macaroni because that's what I had on hand, but any small pasta would work. 

Pasta with Mushrooms and Pumpkin-Gorgonzola Sauce - Adapted from Cooking Light

1 lb. uncooked pasta, small shapes work best

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms, any variety

1 large onion, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground sage or fresh sage, chopped

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 tablespoons cold water

1/2 cup (2 oz.) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.  Keep warm.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms, onion and garlic; cover and cook 3 minutes.  Uncover, cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.  Combine sage and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a simmer.  Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Add cornstarch mixture and cheese to milk mixture; stirring with a whisk.  Cook 2 minutes or until thick and smooth, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat; stir in pumpkin, salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Add pasta to skillet.  Pour sauce over pasta and mushroom mixture, toss well to combine.  Serves 6. " Bittersweet October.  The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter."   ~Carol Bishop Hipps  

Baby Max in the Pumpkin Patch...

I guess I'm turning into "one of those grandma's"...one who brags incessantly over her grandchild, knowing in her heart he is the MOST adorable little person on the planet...however, in my defense, I'd like to point out that Baby Max IS the most adorable little person on the planet, therefore, I'm really not bragging, just stating facts!    

Zucchini and Tomato Tarts...

I did something that I've never done before...but something I'll probably do again and again...let me back up a bit...the Aussie happened to mention that she irons her sheets...oh wait, that's not true, she takes them to the DRY CLEANERS and has them washed and starched!  Of course, that set off all kinds of alarms in my head, I mean, she seems sooooo normal!  She went on to say that she loves the feel of crisp bed sheets..."the kind you find in finer hotels..."  Well, I certainly have never noticed the crispness of the sheets in any of the No-tel Motels that I've frequented!  Ironed sheets - it's just wrong!  And yet, there it was...this thought, tormenting me each night as I got between my not-so-crisp sheets...until I couldn't stand it any longer, I had to know what fresh, crisp, ironed sheets felt like!  I ripped the sheets from the bed and went into the laundry room to iron the clean sheets...but I struggled with this...there was no way I was going to iron the bottom sheet - that would just be foolish and a TOTAL waste of time...but the top sheet - did I have to iron the entire thing???  I didn't think so, that too seemed crazy...so I only ironed the top half...even using starch...I remade the bed and went about my business, made these fabulous tarts, and waited until Mr. Sandman arrived.

           

I like pretty food.  Of course, it also has to taste good - allow me to illustrate with a bit of math: 

Pretty + Good = Perfection...and, if I may take it one step further... Perfection + Easy = Utopia 

These are utopia tarts...both equally good and both made easy because of my very best friend in the kitchen, (and I hope yours too!) Frozen Puff Pastry.  The puff pastry is baked, according to the package directions, and then the toppings are put on.  I used both pieces of puff pastry, two come in a package, and made two tarts, but you could combine the pastry and make one big tart or just make one and save the other pasty sheet for another time.       

Zucchini and Tomato Tarts -Pots and Pins

(This recipe makes one Zucchini and Onion Tart and one Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Tart)

1 (1.1 lb.) box of Frozen Puff Pastry, thawed

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

3 to 4 medium Roma tomatoes, sliced

1 small zucchini, sliced

1/2 onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for finishing

1/4 cup Mozzarella, shredded

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

To make pastry crusts:  Thaw pastry sheets according to package directions.  Unfold sheets onto a rimmed baking sheet, crimp edges to form a rim.  Bake according to package directions.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

To make Zucchini and Onion Tart:  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil, zucchini and onion.  Cook until onion is tender and zucchini is starting to brown, about 8 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  On one baked crust, sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese, carefully place zucchini and onion mixture on top.  Season with salt and pepper. 

To make Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Tart:  On second crust, sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese, layer tomatoes on top, season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle basil and Mozzarella cheese on top. 

Bake tarts in 400 degree oven for 15 to 17 minutes, or until crusts are a deep golden brown and cheese has melted.  Remove from oven and drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top.  Cut and serve hot or let cool and serve at room temperature.

Did I mention that these are the last of my tomatoes from my garden?!?  Making this tart all the sweeter!  (This picture shows half of each tart.)

Oh...the Aussie was right!!  I LOVED the crisp half of my sheets...it made me feel, hmmm, what's the word?  Oh yes.... R I C H !!!!  It also made me feel a bit sad as I now know that I am going to have to IRON MY SHEETS from now on - and not just the top half either! 

 

Too Cute for Words...Almost...

     

Oh Baby Max!  Hasn't he got the most yummiest of legs?! 

He is modeling his new bathrobe, which he loves - and he's happy as usual...actually, all the men in my family are happy when they're in their robes!

I've been told he's busy working on growing some hair and some teeth...but you could fool me!

Pumpkin Chili Soup In a Pumpkin...

The nimrods who are "fixing" the road by our house accidently cut the cable line ... I guess the good news is they weren't standing around smoking and drinking coffee, per usual...but the cable was out for about 12 hours, including those PRIME TV viewing hours that the mister LIVES for!  When he came home and discovered there was no TV, I thought he was going to cry.  His face just fell...yes, Mom, further than normal; his shoulders slumped and his bottom lip was pushed out and quivering...the mister without TV is an ugly site.  He quietly went about his business, putting his pajamas on and then he climbed into bed at 8:15 and just layed there with the remote in his hand, clicking the ON button every few seconds in the hopes that there had been some miracle and he'd be able to see his Wednesday night line-up.  It was a pitiful sight...I got the boy to come and hook up the DVD player since it was beyond our technological capabilities - the boy plugged in two cords and we were in business - I popped in a movie and  it was as if happy gas had been pumped in through the heat vents...the mister perked right up...he fluffed his pillows, propped himself up and even kissed the dog!      

This is a fun recipe - kids love the pumpkin "tureen" and it doesn't need to be washed when empty!  Don't make the mistake I did...get a pumpkin with a stem - so when you want to lift off the lid you can do so easily!  I always forget about that!  After rinsing and drying the pumpkin, clean it out and save those seeds so you can roast them (unless they're the big fat seeds, they don't dry at all or taste nearly as good as the thin, flat seeds.) This is a chili soup that bakes inside the pumpkin and since there is a lot of water in pumpkins the baking time can vary - you just have to make sure you don't leave the pumpkin in too long or it will collapse and then you'll have a real mess on your hands!       

When you dish this up, be sure to scrape some of the pumpkin into each bowl - I found that if I broke up the pieces of pumpkin into smaller pieces that my kids would eat it - they thought it was some halloween treat and not a vegetable.  Test for doneness by gently pushing a spoon against the outside of the pumpkin - if it gives a little bit then it's done.  Again, if you get a pumpkin with a stem you won't have to use a fork to get the lid off!   

Pumpkin Chili Soup In a Pumpkin - Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, December 1996

1 medium pumpkin, with stem, lid cut off, trimmed, seeds and "guts" removed

2 lbs. ground beef

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 (4 oz.) can mild diced green chilies

2 cans (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, with juice

2 cans (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup fresh parsely, chopped

Optional toppings:  Grated cheddar cheese, green onions, roasted pumpkin seeds, sour cream

Prepare pumpkin and set aside.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and the onion in the olive oil. When completely browned, stir in the remaining ingredients.  Bring mixture to a boil and then remove from heat.  Place pumpkin on a rimmed baking sheet.  Carefully spoon mixture into pumpkin.  Put on lid and  bake in 350 degree oven for an hour and a half...checking the pumpking after an hour to make sure the outside is still strong.  After an hour and 15 minutes, check again, if the pumpkin is soft on the outside then it is done.  Carefully remove the baking sheet.  Scrape some of the pumpkin into the soup and serve.  Top with green onions, roasted pumpkin seeds and/or sour cream if desired. 

"I've always regarded Nature as the clothing of God."  - Alan Havhamess  (And isn't it beautiful clothing this time of year!)

Severed Fingers...

My second post on this blog featured this devilishous cookie...they are buttery, shortbread like, and the almond "nails" are perfectly toasted...most excellent!  So I thought they would be worth a second look...and they're super easy to make! 

Follow this link for the recipe:  Severed Fingers

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds...

Some of my young friends dropped by the other night, I think they like coming to the Slaughterhouse this time of year - could be the candy or the treats that lure them, but whatever it is, I'm so glad they come...it's frightfully fun for me!  They carved pumpkins - leaving me with a HUGE supply of pumpkin seeds - which is what I was hoping for!  I love roasted pumpkin seeds - they are great to eat hot out of the oven or in salads or in soups!     

 

 

 

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pumpkin seeds - about a cup - usually one medium pumpkin will yield that much

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Rinse pumpkin seeds in water, removing any bits of pumpkin and/or slime.  Let drain in a colander for a few minutes.  In a medium-sized bowl, combine all ingredients, stir in pumpkin seeds, making sure all are coated.  Spray a rimmed cookie sheet with a cooking spray.  Spread pumpkin seeds onto cookie sheet.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 12 minutes, then, using a spatula, stir seeds.  Continue baking for an additional 10 to 12 minutes or until seeds are a deep golden brown or until they are as crispy as you like them.   

What do you get when you take a Werewolf to a Party?  A  H O W L I N G  good time!

Orange Velvet Cupcakes...

What could be better than biting into an orange colored, chocolate tasting, velvety smooth cupcake with a mound of chocolate frosting?!?  Nothing.  Absolutely nothing.  I love Red Velvet Cake - it's my very favorite so I was thinking, what if I made Red Velvet cupcakes with orange food coloring instead?  And so I did...it's perfect for this time of year!  The mister, who does not really like chocolate...he only likes "white desserts"...ate several of these because he was intrigued by the color -and he loved them - claims he could taste the ORANGE FLAVOR...well - there IS NO orange flavor - it's chocolate!     

Here's a thought...if you eat bland food every day and wash it down with some sort of firewater, then your taste buds are apt to malfunction...case in point, confusing orange color with chocolate taste...again, just a thought. 

Orange Velvet Cupcakes...Adapted from Joni Hilton's Mother-in-Law

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vinegar

2 tablespoons cocoa

2 ounces orange food coloring

2 1/2 cups cake flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring, set aside.  Stir together soda and vinegar until dissolved, set aside.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar thoroughly.  Add eggs and beat well.  Add buttermilk, salt and vanilla.  Add red cocoa paste.  Add flour to butter mixture.  Beat all together.  Stir in soda-vinegar mixture, but do not beat.  Pour batter into cupcake tins, if not using cupcake liners then grease and flour the tins.  Fill 2/3's full.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool on wire racks, cool completely and then frost.

Chocolate Frosting

2 sticks butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup half-and-half or milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cocoa

6 cups powdered sugar

Beat butter until smooth, stir in remaining ingredients and beat until smooth and to the consistency you want.  For a thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar.  Thin with more milk. 

All summer I read about the "new Typepad" and how my blogging friends were having difficulty learning the new and "improved" version...yesterday the "new Typepad" arrived for me...and now I know what everyone was whining about!  Sheesh!  I only have so many braincells!!!  And I'm stretched to the limit with the few I have - so if my posts are a bit odd - throw me a bone - I'm trying!

Seattle's Saffron Grill...

To all of my Western Washington Peeps...they still say Peeps, don't they?  Or is it now Dogs?  I'm never on the cutting edge when it comes to this sort of thing...whatever, to all of you who love to eat in the Greater Seattle area...this is one restaurant you don't want to miss!  The Saffron Grill, located just west of the Northgate Mall at 2132 Northgate Way (175th Street off of I-5) is one of my better finds!  Some friends and I were out and about and we missed the turn that would have taken us to all the "formula food" restaurants - I was looking for a place to turn around when we spotted the Saffron Grill.  It was not busy, never a good sign, but that's only because it's new...the food was FABULOUS!  We sampled the tabbouleh, naan, samosas, mulligatawny soup, tomato basil soup and they were all great but the real winner was their signature dish...Butter Chicken...made without butter!  It's called Butter Chicken because it's....like BUTTAH...smooth and velvety - like nothing I've ever had before - and out of this world good!  Saffron is an Indian, Mediterranean and Continental Cuisine grill...the owner is also the owner of Taste of India, a landmark 5-star Seattle restaurant on Roosevelt...which I look forward to going to.  I don't normally write restaurant reviews...but this is one I couldn't NOT tell you about...go, and go soon - it's great....and if you're like the mister and have a ....ahem..."delicate constitution" there is no need to worry...every dish can be prepared without spice or you can have it as spicy as you want...they aim to please and they do! 

(To all of you Eastsiders...this may seem like a bit of a drive...but I assure you, it'll be worth it!)