What's Cooking (Take Two!)

Thanks, Jenise!

Did they have bottom crusts?

Nope. Because I bake apples in liquid, I didn't think a botton crust would hold up. I probably should try that, though, leaving out the liquid and seeing how it goes. Great idea - thanks!

If you look at the pic of the pie I made on my blog, you'll see there's a layer of reduced apple compote under the apple wedges. I often "paint" the bottom pastry with something like that or thick jam to create a barrier against moisture that leeches out of the apples as they heat (I don't like pre-cooking apples for pie, although it does have the advantage of cooking up drier). I'm thinking maybe I should paint the pastry this way also if I use it to fully bard a baking apple. Hmmmmm....the wheels keep turning.....

(Stupid K-Mart! I was first!!)

[Jenise]

Tom, since you're into baking apples right now, take a look at this recipe I posted after a friend and I did them for a dinner about a year ago. I'm not a big Cooks Illustrated fan, but they have a winner with this recipe for "apple dumplings".

http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=47142&p=386947&hilit=+apples#p386947

Hey, I like that. Thanks very much, looks like it's going on The List. (I take the line "Whole apples are barely cooked when the pastry is done" as a challenge though )

[Jenise]

Tonight, our little neighborhood wine club is rolling out our new name, the Birch Bay Wine & Food Society, and to celebrate we're doing a complete multi-course dinner. It's an Old vs. New World comparison. Our guests will taste two sparkling wines to start, a California and a Cava, and then sit down to:

Garden Bisque with lime-butter poached shrimp on a skewer
Crevelle de Canut (a cheese and herb spread made with homemade ricotta on grilled bread)
Two viogniers, one Provence and one Amador County California

Citrus Arancini
Mussels Provençale
Two sangioveses, one Chianti Classico and one Washington state

Pate de Campagne with mustard cream and cornichons
Two cab francs, one French and one Washington

Tarte de Champignon avec Roquefort
Two Cab blends, one Margaux and one Washington

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake
1995 Vintage Port

I made the bisque. The mushroom tart is my creation as well, but since I'm the emcee and sommelier on top of everything else, I've recruited assistants to pull the pieces together that we'll assemble for service.

Because Fall has arrived, and our Dogwoods are a brilliant burgundy, the Japanese Maples are starting to show their colors, and the Birch right outside my dining room window is turning to a vivid gold, and my herb garden is out of control, I felt like doing colorful Autumnal dinner.

Thick, bone-in pork chops marinated in olive oil, pepper, fresh oregano and sage leaves, grilled. Mahogany Field Rice cooked in a tea infusion (Cinnamon Cardamom and fresh orange zest. Crimini and oyster mushrooms are sautéed in garlic, smoked salt, pepper, and white wine, until almost crispy. Baby radishes with a drizzle of olive oil, smoked salt and pepper, then roasted. Mushrooms and radishes are added to the rice.
I picked up beautiful purple and green kale leaves at the Farmer's Market. These will be braised with onion, red pepper flakes, garlic, and chicken stock with a splash of apple cider vinegar the last minute of cooking. Homemade applesauce with warm spices, too.

[Jenise]

Karen, that sounds like a truly perfect autumn dinner, bravo.

Have you ever roasted daikon radishes? I have not, it occurs to me, though I love the Chinese radish cakes and occasionally sauté regulation little red radishes. Must try!

Karen, that sounds like a truly perfect autumn dinner, bravo.

Have you ever roasted daikon radishes? I have not, it occurs to me, though I love the Chinese radish cakes and occasionally sauté regulation little red radishes. Must try!

I have not roasted the daikon. I grow radishes of all types, but they usually get too big and mealy on me before I can to them justice. Years ago, Weight Watchers came out with a veggie soup that was delicious and had sliced radishes in it. It was my first experience with cooking a radish. I was amazed at how good they were in that soup. A friend told me about it and it prompted me to check in to a few of their cookbooks. I refer to them now and then, when I am needing to tone down my calories, and am never disappointed.

Tonight it is Chicken Chili with White Beans and Cactus. Two skin on, bone in chicken breasts are rubbed with cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper, then roasted. Meat is cut off the bone and skin taken off. Chile has onion, garlic, Nopalitas, Knorr Suiza Chicken bouillon powder, cannelli beans, salsa verde, roasted Hatch chiles and Hatch Green Chile Sauce.
Served with warm flour tortillas and green salad with greens from our garden, tomato, avocado and hearts of palm, with garlic-oregano vinaigrette.

[Jenise]

You are so much more organized than most of us, Karen. No idea yet re dinner, but might turn some leftover roast turkey into pot pies.

You are so much more organized than most of us, Karen. No idea yet re dinner, but might turn some leftover roast turkey into pot pies.

Comes from my working days I suppose. I knew what dinner was going to be when I got up, and I got the stuff out and did some dinner prep before getting to work. I still do this. I have all my prep work done, put it in the refrigerator, if necessary and cook it at night. I hate cooking in the evening while Gene is watching local news. I want to be able to put it to the heat and let the stove do the rest. Tonights dinner is basically done, the chile just needs to be reheated, salad and vinaigrette are made and tortillas warmed in the microwave. A few nights ago, I did have to do all the cooking the last minute, but it was all prepped and ready....just had to stand at the stove to sauté, boil rice, etc. Before I became a supervisor and had to work until 5 pm, I would walk out of the building with my co-workers and everyone was wondering what to have for dinner. I always kept my mouth shut cause I knew they would be all over me when they found out I was the organized one. Then I made my own hours, went to work at 6:30, came home at 3:30, which meant I had to get up at 4:30 am to do dinner prep...I still did it, so I could have the late afternoon to garden or play.... or go see a kids game or our daughter skate. loved it! Of course the police department never shuts down so no matter what time I went to work, there was always a full building!

[Jenise]

I'd like to suggest it's just your highly organized nature. I had different habits when I was a career girl but few of them stuck--once I got time to play, I played.

Tonight's dinner is pad prik kai bai krapao (Thai stir-fried chicken with chiles and holy basil), served with jasmine rice.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Paul, I could eat that!

3:30 and still no plans. Problem is, I have leftover corned beef that should be eaten, but I'd rather have something else.

So what did you end up making, Jenise? (Send me the corned beef. I'll dispose of it properly.)

Apple pie with crumb topping.

Pie 005.JPG

[Jenise]

So what did you end up making, Jenise? (Send me the corned beef. I'll dispose of it properly.)

The pot pies won! I have these adorable little individual-serving All-Clad pots that are so cool looking that I almost want to think up pies to make just to use them.

Last night we had a tiny rack of lamb (I'm cutting back on meat, so just one double-ribbed chop apiece) with butternut squash tossed with EVOO and chopped garlic after a green salad with chimichurri vinaigrette.

Tonight we're having company. Dinner will be a lobster and mizuna salad on a slice of cauliflower-chive mousse, followed by garlic studded slices of roast rack of veal with a salsa fresca of fresh tomato and rosemary with pave potatoes and topped with a bit of Brussels sprout slaw. For dessert, two local cheeses and some fresh local grapes and apples. A long ago friend, who found me when someone mentioned my first name in a tasting note posted on another board is going to be in the area. We'll be meeting his new wife. She owns a pilates studio in Burbank so I'm scared to death she's the type who only eats bird seed!

She owns a pilates studio in Burbank so I'm scared to death she's the type who only eats bird seed!

Not to worry Jenise, if that is all she eats, she will be starved and show a healthy appetite at your lovely dinner. Although, I have a beautiful dil who is at the gym 5 days a week and very disciplined, plus she eats no meat, except for fish and a little chicken....she will eat bacon. When she comes here, she manages to stay very controlled. She is amazing!

Tonight we are grilling our very first skirt steaks. I've had them marinating is olive oil, a little vinegar, and a little soy....I don't want them to be tough. They are sliced very thin, so I am sure they will be OK. Served with a red wine, butter, onion, garlic, oregano reduction. Along with....we will share an Oriental Yam, with truffle butter, and fresh green beans dressed with sautéed shallots, garlic, and fresh lemon juice.

[Jenise]

Karen, sounds delicious. If you like the skirt steak, consider in the future grinding fresh jalapenos and garlic together in olive oil with salt to season. Generously spread on the skirt steak--the crevices will take in all those bits of pepper and garlic, then sprinkle with a little sugar (to attract flame) and grill them off rare. To die for just like that, or slice thinly and treat like a taco filling, but skip the usual lettuce/tomato/cheddar in favor of cabbage sliced as thinly as you can get it seasoned thinly sliced sweet onions (think shaved, you want THIN), chopped cilantro, lime juice and salt.

I'm salivating just talking about it. Rarely see skirt or hangar steak up here, so it's been a long time since I've had the pleasure.

Skirt steak, known to my family as "Roumanian Steak", is one of my favorite things. While I like chimichurri (and parillada and all the other ways skirt steak is used), I go for a simple but umami-ish prep: garlic, cayenne, thyme, s + p, and Worcestershire.

[Jenise]

Jeff, it's a fantastic cut, isn't it? But did you regard what I described as a chimichurri? To me it's not, though I can see why you went there. It's a chunky paste--I call it Garlipeno--that I didn't invent, though I can't remember where I saw it or what it was prescribed for originally; I just love the way the solid bits imbed themselves in the meat.

[Jenise]

Tonight Supper Club is celebrating the life of Marcella Hazan.

I'm doing a fish course/appetizer of roasted tomatoes stuffed with salmon, capers, crumbs and parmesan paired with a thin, no-yeast, onion-rosemary Ligurian focaccia made of chick pea flour and water. I'll also make some polenta shortbread, though it's not a Marcella recipe like the others, for a light and simple dessert.

Karen, sounds delicious. If you like the skirt steak, consider in the future grinding fresh jalapenos and garlic together in olive oil with salt to season. Generously spread on the skirt steak--the crevices will take in all those bits of pepper and garlic, then sprinkle with a little sugar (to attract flame) and grill them off rare. To die for just like that, or slice thinly and treat like a taco filling, but skip the usual lettuce/tomato/cheddar in favor of cabbage sliced as thinly as you can get it seasoned thinly sliced sweet onions (think shaved, you want THIN), chopped cilantro, lime juice and salt.

I'm salivating just talking about it. Rarely see skirt or hangar steak up here, so it's been a long time since I've had the pleasure.

This is right up my alley! Thanks for the suggestion....I will certainly try this flavor combo. Just picked up huge fresh limes from the Farmer's Market this morning. It seems our almond grower has gone into the citrus business, as well! Yea!

Tonights dinner is a prime boneless beef chuck roast, tied. Browned on all surfaces, then slow cooked with leeks, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, canned plum tomatoes, home made chicken stock, two cups of Shariz,, thyme and rosemary sprigs. At the end, half the sauce is removed and run through the food processor. Flour is mixed with a little butter, then this all goes back into the pot to simmer and thicken. Meat is sliced and served with the veggie juices and vegetables. I am making an oven pilaf, with shredded carrots, fine chop celery, onion, chicken broth, fresh parsley bay leaf. With this, I am having a very simple salad with greens from our garden. Anything that has a nice soft leaf from basil to parsley, is getting plucked. If I get ambitious, I may make some biscuits, because I know Gene would love them with the pot roast.