Classic Apple Pie

Baseball v.s. El Nino

This past weekend was Opening Day for Little League. We’ve been waiting for this for months, and it’s not just about the baseball. Opening Day means a parade with the mayor, fire engines, and 1800 kids dressed in their uniforms marching down a spectator-lined street. It’s oh-so Mayberry, and it’s the very definition of Americana. You just don’t see this everyday—at least not anymore. I love it.

The parade kicks off an entire day on the diamond. Nine hours of baseball, hot dogs, seeds, and forced relaxation; not to mention hanging with friends. It is my highlight of Spring. (Or at least a reminder that Spring is almost here.) That is the way it was supposed to be, anyway.

This year, for the first time I can remember, we had rain. A lot of it. We were able to sneak the parade in before the rain got really bad. The best part? Everyone still came. Armed with umbrellas and rain boots they still came, which is good. I know I am not alone in my psychosis.

As you can imagine, all of the games were cancelled, and it looks like they will be cancelled until April. (Okay. That may be an exaggeration, sort of…) It’s killing us (well, maybe just me), and while I realize that reaction is beyond irrational, it’s where I am.

I know what you all are saying, get a grip. And I am trying…it’s a process. As part of that process I am now going to get a grip of this Classic Apple Pie ‘cause that’s as close as I am getting to baseball tradition at this point.

Classic Apple Pie
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

This recipe gives some great tips for working the dough, and recommends lightly greasing the pie plate for easy serving—brilliant! I find that King Arthur Flour makes fantastic crusts—it is a staff favorite. Read more…

Classic Cheese Fondue

Downhill Racer

When I was in grade school, we always got a week off in February. The school called it Presidents Week but we called it what it really was, Ski Week.

The concept of Ski Week brings to mind a lovely European scene complete with tall snow covered mountains, quaint Alpine lodge, mulled wine, schnitzel, cheese fondue and the always faithful St. Bernard. Reality is quite different.

I had the opportunity to ski a lot as a kid, and I have no idea how my mother did it. It’s one thing if you are an adult who presumably can manage to haul your gear and get yourself on the mountain. It is a very different (read: painful) thing entirely when you are dragging your children up the mountain, But Mom did it, often, and it was awesome. I have been semi-successful at getting my kids to ski. The biggest obstacle, of course, has been the lack of snow. This year was better, but our one outing was not that enjoyable do to blizzard-like conditions. Who knows when we’ll go back…

The best I can do is recreate that blissful scene from the Alps. As hard as it is to get in the mood with this unseasonably warm weather, it’s harder to pass up the opportunity for melted cheese.

Classic Cheese Fondue
Fondue possibilities are endless, and you can get pretty creative, so mix your cheeses and dippers. Try a gorgonzola fondue with cut up pears—the bomb!

Although it is great to have a traditional fondue pot, don’t let that stop you! What you need is a pot with a source of heat underneath so the fondue stays melted. You can even use a cast iron pot with sterno or a tea light underneath. Read more…

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce

Super Mardi Gras

The Super Bowl is this weekend, and if you read last week’s post you already know that I am indifferent. But there is something else coming up that I find I am excited about…Mardi Gras is Tuesday.

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler, Y’all!

I have never experienced a New Orleans Mardi Gras in person, and I am of split mind as to whether I would want to. It’s possible that I am just too old, and missed the opportunity when I was in my twenties. I would definitely do it for the food and cocktails, and I have no problem with people wanting to throw jewelry at me, but I do draw the line at flashing people to make it happen. Plus, that barely-controlled chaos vibe doesn’t appeal to me. (Unless it’s a stampede for beignets…that I can get behind.)

Making “theme dinners” mid-week can be challenging, so I’m combining Super Bowl with Mardi Gras to cover all bases. The hardest part is picking what to make. I love Cajun and Creole food. (Jambalaya, Gumbo, Crawfish, Muffaletta…yum!) But, I have to make something everyone will eat. If there is okra in it, my husband will have lawyers on the phone. Too spicy, and the kids won’t touch it—unless it has sausage, maybe. So I’m still brainstorming that one…

Anything sweet is eaten without complaint, so I will be making this dessert, a favorite of my sister’s. It calls for day-old French bread. I have made it with croissants as well—just that much more decadent. You could even do it with banana bread if you really like bananas (but expect it to be pretty rich). Feel free to nix the banana liqueur; you’ve gotta have the rum, though. You could even serve it buffet style for your Super Bowl crowd.

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse and the Food Network
Yields 10 to 12 servings Read more…

News From the Fancy Food Show & Quick Pickled Apples

Food Circus
The Fancy Food Show happened over the weekend. It’s one of my favorite things about January. Same goes for my kids—because at no other time during the year do I bring that much salt water taffy and random samples home.

It’s not just the taffy. I like to bring them interesting stuff to try. I unfortunately wasn’t able to get any of the “bug” products (crickets, cricket flour, chocolate covered bugs, Bugitos…you get the idea) ‘cause it would have been kinda fun to see their reactions. For the record, anything made out of bugs, chocolate covered or otherwise, is a no-go for me. Not saying they don’t taste good, or that they are bad for you but, no thank you. Just like my father’s philosophy on tomatoes, I will sell them but I don’t have to eat them.

I was not able to bring home any samples of the 100 or so purveyors of jerky either. But know this—jerky is a big thing. There was jerky everywhere, and in many forms: beef jerky, chicken jerky, salmon jerky even bacon jerky with Sriracha. (Which by the way was so good.) If you can dry it, season it, and use it as protein, chances are it was being shown at the Fancy Food Show. Also, if your company could possibly get away with putting Sriracha on whatever you were selling? You did…Sriracha everywhere.

The bone broth trend is still going strong. I was able to sample a really tasty chicken bone broth (they have a variety of broths to choose from) that comes as a K-Cup for your Keurig. Just make sure you are awake enough to realize what you’re brewing in the morning ‘cause that could be an unfortunate surprise…

Kale was in abundant supply once again. Even in frozen detox bar form with other greens. this is one of the items I wish I was able to give the kids. Just tell ‘em it’s melon-flavored and see how it goes…

Though I am not usually a fan of nut milks, I tried a Macadamia Nut milk that was fantastic especially in the latte that they gave me.

Staying with the nut theme for a moment, coconut anything was a big trend. The Coconut water thing has seemed to wane a bit but I did really enjoy a lemon coconut drink called Lemoncocco that was great, Not too sweet ad not too lemony it was really refreshing. Look for this to hit our shelves soon. Coconut as a replacement for sugar was big also.

And then there were the pickles. Pickled veggies and fruits were beyond popular and not just the obvious ones. I had some pickled fennel and some Brussels sprouts that were very tasty. For those who like their cocktails “dirty”, straight up pickle brine was available for mixing.

The highlight of the day was the tasting “flight” I did of Balsamic Vinegar. Phenomenal. Aged 6 years on up to 100 years. (Yes, you read that right.) If you ever have the chance to sample a 100 year old balsamic, please do. Your mouth will thank you.

At this point, my colleagues and I are sifting thru our materials and discussing the possibilities for our shelves, based on the products we all agreed were great. Be on the lookout in the store and on Facebook for any of the new items we saw at the show. They should be appearing soon.

Quick Pickled Apples
Adapted from Food 52 Read more…