Bar Nuts

Talkin’ Turkey
My favorite thing about Thanksgiving, honestly, is that I don’t have to make it. I am fortunate that my mother-in-law is more than willing to prepare the Thanksgiving feast, and I only need to show up. It’s not that I wouldn’t cook, if given the opportunity. Of course I would. It’s just that by the time Thursday comes around I’m a non-functioning, drooling fool.

To be fair, we are all busy at the holidays—but until you have spent the three days before Thanksgiving working at a grocery store, you haven’t experienced my kind of busy.

The hardest thing about Thanksgiving is the wait. We usually eat around 2 or 3 in the afternoon…there’s the dilemma. Do you have a big breakfast to hold you until the main event? Or do you have a light breakfast and hope for snacks? I’ve tried both ways, and I have yet to find the best answer. Too big a breakfast means less room for turkey and gravy goodness. If you eat a light breakfast, and hope for snacks, the potential for wanting to gnaw your arm at about 12:30 is high.

This year, I will be arriving later than normal, so I’m going the small breakfast and snack route. I plan on making these just in case. Always good to be prepared…

Bar Nuts
Adapted from Union Square Cafe via Food 52’s Genius Recipes
Makes approximately 5 cups Read more…

Caramel Nut Pie

The Life of PIE

To everything there is a season, and to every season…there is a pie.

Springtime means cherry, rhubarb, and lemon meringue. Summer is a pie-a-palooza with apple, peach, blackberry, blueberry, strawberry…and so on. Winter is reserved for the chocolates and for some interesting citrus versions, like this one.

Apple is really a year-round option. (‘Cause when is it not a good time for apple pie?)

But the Fall, it’s all about nuts and squash. There are some fruits thrown in for good measure. Apple, of course, Pear too…and both are often found mixed with cranberries. While Pumpkin and Pumpkin Spice seem to rule the month of November, for me the nut pies are the real stars.

Since November is Pie Month at Piedmont Grocery, I decided to get in the spirit and make a pie over the weekend—mainly so that I could eat it, but also to teach my daughter how to make her own. I have always been a big fan of Pecan Pie, but that’s what we will be having for Thanksgiving. I wanted to do something a different, and decided to try a Caramel Nut Pie recipe that I saw in the American Pie Council’s America’s Best Pies 2015-2014 cookbook my sister gave me last Christmas. I was a little concerned about letting my 9 year-old make caramel, but it turned out great, and we had it for dessert Sunday night.(And some of us may have had some for breakfast on Monday, maybe.)

This Caramel Nut Pie would make a great stand-in for pecan at Thanksgiving. It’s for anyone who loves nuts—especially if they are not a big fan of the gooey center. Fair warning, this pie is basically all nuts. It is as dense as it is rich. It is also very good.

Below is the recipe as printed in the book. If I were to make this again, and I definitely will, I would make some changes. (*See my notes.) For example, I added salt to the caramel because I thought the mixture was just too sweet and needed more of a buttery flavor. Second, next time I will bake this in a tart pan. It would make it easier to slice, and frankly, I think it works better as a tart. Third, I would get a little wacky with the mix of nuts…maybe add some hazelnuts or cashews to the mix. I also want to see what it would taste like with a little cayenne pepper added to the caramel. I left off the white chocolate because I didn’t think it was necessary, but a little melted semi-sweet chocolate could be tasty option too…

Caramel Nut Pie
America’s Best Pies 2014-2015 by American Pie Council
Christine Montalvo, Windsor Heights, IA Read more…

Beef Short Ribs Braised in Dark Beer with Bacon and Red Onions

Get Shorty

On Monday, November announced its presence with authority—some crazy rain, wind and even lightning. My first thought was…”Ooooh, short ribs.” (I know. Just go with it.)

Whenever the weather gets cold, I think of slow-cooked short ribs, my ultimate comfort food. (Though I have a long list of favorites.) My list of recipes I consider for short ribs is appropriately short. There are two.

The first is a classic bistro-style braised recipe that I serve with mashed potatoes. It combines Guinness, red onions and bacon. How can you go wrong with that? Don’t you just feel warm and comforted by the mere thought of that combo? Or am I just weird and hungry? I could die happy in a vat of this stuff.

The second recipe is perfect for mid-week, because it makes use of the crock pot. If you have ever heard the term “Sunday Gravy” used to describe a slow-simmered meat sauce for pasta, this recipe is a great example—except that it uses a crock pot instead of simmering on the stove. This rich sauce that gets even better after a day in the fridge. You can serve this over pasta or with cheesy polenta. Whatever floats your boat…

Either recipe is the answer to the colder weather and the arrival of El Nino.

Beef Short Ribs Braised in Dark Beer with Bacon and Red Onions
Adapted from Bistro Cooking at Home by Gordon Hamersley Read more…

Apple Cider Caramels

Apple Cider Caramels Apple of My Eye
Whenever I come across a Halloween themed article, show, display…whatever, it shows at least one (usually 3) caramel apples artfully arranged on a plate. I’m not sure why, but it seems caramel apples go hand-in-hand with Halloween. I have never received one while trick-or-treating, though. That would have been awesome—but kinda sticky.

I love caramel apples, however, they can be a pain to make and to eat. The caramel falls off when you try to take a bite. The effort to get the perfect caramel-to-apple ratio in one bite generally results in an excess of slobber and requires strange mouth acrobatics. Not something one would want to eat on a first date (or any date really), as it is not the impression you want to leave with anyone, let alone a future life partner.

I may have found the solution to all three problems. Apple Cider Caramels has all the flavor of real caramel apples without the drool. All you have to do is pop one in your mouth and chew. Brilliant! They are relatively easy to prepare, make terrific gifts, and would be way less messy to hand out than the standard version. Just wrap them in wax paper. and twist the ends.

The secret ingredient is Boiled Cider, which is apple cider that has been reduced to a concentrated syrup. It’s a great addition to any recipe with apples,—or anything you want to taste like apples. I have been known to use it in a pork chop brine.

We just got a shipment in the store, and the bottles are on the shelf. So come in and try it out…

Apple Cider Caramels
Adapted from King Arthur’s Flours
Yields 64 caramels
Read more…