Sloppy Joes

There's something incredibly satisfying about a good Sloppy Joe. It elicits memories of the high school cafeteria, right up there with grilled-cheese-and-tomato-soup day.

This recipe comes from one of my favorites, the Food Network's Ellie Krieger. She has a talent for taking traditional comfort foods and making them healthy. She sneaks in fiber in undetectable ways. She's stingy on fat but adds a punch of flavor with peppers and barely-noticeable beans. She captures the savory-sweet balance we all remember so well from our lunch-room days, and serves it all up on whole-wheat burger buns. You can't help but enjoy this recipe. Try to dislike it, you can't!

I LOVE Sloppy Joes, and the first time I made this, I knew it was a keeper.

Ellie Krieger's Sloppy Joes

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, minced

1 red pepper, diced

1 can small red beans or pinto beans, preferably low sodium, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups no-salt-added tomato paste

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon molasses (use 2 tbsp. packed brown sugar if you don't have this)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon mustard powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 Whole-wheat burger buns

Directions

Brown the meat and the onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, breaking up the meat into crumbles as it cooks. Pour the drippings out of the pan and discard. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and red pepper and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Place a half-cup scoop of the mixture onto each bun and serve.

Photo credit: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://img.foodnetwork.com/FOOD/2008/07/21/EK0505_Pulled-BBQ-Chicken-Sandwich_lg.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/pulled-bbq-chicken-sandwiches-recipe/index.html&usg=__i0wpVlSX0MUjrTxFZ7ky268W0zM=&h=462&w=616&sz=135&hl=en&start=5&tbnid=y0Qza4O0Z20d9M:&tbnh=102&tbnw=136&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSloppy%2BJoes%2BEllie%2BKrieger%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

Creamy Spinach and Tortellini

This recipe might be categorized as Extreme Comfort Food. It’s warm and creamy with a stick-to-your-ribs heartiness, all true earmarks of comforting foods. This cozy recipe, from the talented chefs at Skidmore College, brings in a healthy portion of vegetables to boot. I found it in that note pad I love, the one that’s interspersed with recipes every five pages or so.

Creamy Spinach and Tortellini

1 pound fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
½ cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil or oil
1 nine-ounce package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed
1 cup seeded, cubed tomato
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 cup whipping cream (forgive me!)
¼ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Cook tortellini to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain; rinse with hot water. Meanwhile, in large skillet over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in oil until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add spinach, tomato, basil, salt, and pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in whipping cream and Parmesan cheese; cook until mixture just comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Add tortellini; mix well. Cook an additional 4 to 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Photo credit: http://www.recipeshare.ca/html/images/regular/creamy-spinach-and-tortellini.jpg

Homemade Applesauce

First of all, I must say I'm sorry to see the end of Gourmet magazine. Conde Nast has lost advertising revenue and is shutting down Gourmet and a number of other publications. I've enjoyed it and its editor Ruth Reichl and they will be missed, though I'm sure we'll hear much more from Ruth in years to come. If you haven't had a chance, pick up a copy of Tender at the Bone and its sequel Comfort Me With Apples. These two books join to create her memoir laced with recollections of times in the kitchen with her friends and family.

Now, on to more optimistic things. Since I’m overrun with just-picked apples, and Henry was out of applesauce, I just had to make it. The little guy can’t go a day without his dose. Won’t he be happy when he tastes Grandma’s home-made concoction rather than the ready-made version in single-serving cups, the ones with the pull-off lids!

I made applesauce last night, after dinner.I referred to a recipe in Katie’s Joy of Cooking but altered it to suit the ingredients on hand. It’s all very simple, really. I used Honey Crisp apples from our day at Hicks Orchard (I’ll be using and eating them for months!) water, a little bit of sugar, some apple pie spice, and at the end a dab of butter and vanilla for a smooth, silky finish . Once the major job of peeling, coring, and dicing the apples was over, it practically made itself. I just watched and stirred now and then for about half an hour. The aroma was beautiful, filling the apartment with the scent of warm apples and autumn spices. Son-in-law Bill couldn’t wait so he had a spoonful over Philadelphia Vanilla ice cream, which he shared with Henry. Those were two happy Hofmann men.

I packed a small container of applesauce for today’s lunch.

APPLE SAUCE (about a quart)

A dozen (plus or minus) of your favorite apples, peeled, cored, and diced

½ cup water

½ cup sugar (depending on tartness of apples – more for tart, less for sweet)

1 tsp. apple pie spice (or 1 tsp. cinnamon and a pinches of nutmeg and ginger)

In large, heavy sauce pan, bring all ingredients to a boil and let simmer, covered, for about half an hour, stirring occasionally.

Remove lid and continue cooking until apples are very soft. Mash with a potato masher or push through medium-mesh strainer to desired consistency (that’s what I did). I like to leave a few lumps.

Remove from heat and stir in a dab (your dab might be smaller than mine!) of butter and 1 tsp. vanilla.

Cool to room temperature and chill.

Great as is or with pork chops, potato pancakes, or warm over vanilla ice cream!

Photo image: http://www.makingthishome.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/applesauce.jpg

Hicks Orchard, Granville New York, and a Celebrity Sighting

Yesterday my family and I drove to Hicks Orchard in Granville, New York, just a few miles from Vermont’s western border and an hour’s ride from Saratoga Springs. The orchard is celebrating its 104th season! Earlier in the day it was cloudy and cool but by the time we were in the orchard the sun was shining brightly and we were shedding our jackets and sweaters. We had a great time over-filling our bags with Honey Crisp apples. They were more expensive than the other varieties ($25 for a half-bushel) but well worth it. Henry had a great time toddling through the rows of trees and choosing his own apples from the lowest branches. His new teeth were put to the test! Last year, at five months, he was just a tiny little guy, and now he’s part of the action!

Before we started picking, we spent time in the orchard’s shops. The line for the cider donuts window stretched a very long way, so I assume they are terrific. I didn’t have the patience to wait, so I looked around at other options. There was a bouncy-bounce for the little ones. People were making their own scare crows at one station. Children wove their way through a corn maze. There were goats to see, and a live bee hive in the gift shop, its busy inhabitants visible through a pane of glass. The shop offered all things apple, including (for those who prefer not to pick) many varieties of the honored fruit, bagged and ready to go. Honey bees were flying everywhere indoors and out but no one seemed alarmed.

Among other activities, the orchard offered a wine tasting. There was a nice assortment and after the tasting (maybe because of it) I purchased a bottle of “Old Sin” whose label depicts Eve’s hand just about to pluck that famous apple from the branch! I especially liked this bubbly wine made from Macintosh and Golden Russet apples.

We had a celebrity sighting at this orchard, miles away from everything, in the middle of farm country. I noticed a cute Pit Bull decked out in a doggie sweater, pulling on its leash, and recognized the man at the other end of the leash as Rachael Ray’s husband, John. I looked up and saw her Mom and a number of other relatives. (Her husband and mother have been on television with her a number of times, thus the recognition). Then I saw Rachael herself, who seemed to be enjoying her day at the orchard. My daughter and her husband were showing Henry the goats, close to where R.R. and her contingent were gathered. Katie was nearby and said that some of the people recognized R.R. and were behaving in an annoying way, insisting on photos, etc., and I felt bad for her. She grew up in the Lake George area, and I imagine she comes “home” to avoid that kind of recognition. She's famous enough now that there are probably few places she can go and just “be.” I give her credit for continuing what I assume are her long-held family traditions, and doing the things she’s always done when she comes home. In some ways, she lives a life most of us can only dream of, but it certainly comes with a price. Anyway, she looked lovely and it was exciting to see her.

When we got home, Katie and I sliced up eight good-sized apples, and "Granny Syd" made a crust from the Joy of Cooking cookbook. Sydney is an accomplished pie baker, and she confidently tossed the sliced apples with unmeasured quantities of flour, sugar, and apple pie spice. I’d guess it was almost ½ cup of flour, ½ cup of sugar, 2 teaspoons of spice, but whatever they were, it smelled great. She poured the coated apples into the bottom crust. We tried to make a lattice for the top but it kept breaking. Instead, we re-rolled the dough and used mini-cookie cutters in the shapes of apples, acorns, oak leaves, and pumpkins and completely covered the pie with these little shaped bits of dough. We brushed the covered pie with an egg wash, sprinkled it with sugar and put it in a 400-degree F oven for 45 minutes, covering it with foil half-way through to keep the top from browning too much. The pie baked while we had dinner. After dinner we put it on the table. It was very pretty and we just sat and stared at it, waiting and wondering when it would cool off enough to slice! I finally blurted out "Cut the damn pie"! We broke down and cut in to it, and it was delicious! It wasn’t too juicy or loose, probably because of the flour. It cut into nice, neat slices. We served it still almost hot with icy cold Stewart’s Philadelphia Vanilla ice cream (just voted “World’s Best Vanilla”) and it was a winning combination.

It was a great day.

Photo Image and Hicks Orchard Website: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hicksorchard.com/back/photos/photo_93.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.hicksorchard.com/photos.php&usg=__gNE6luXEY225430PsSqQq3hCL6Y=&h=427&w=640&sz=165&hl=en&start=4&tbnid=_4t_BWIcrnFN4M:&tbnh=91&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3DHicks%2BOrchard%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

French Onion Soup

I've promised soups and here's a good one: French Onion. I love it at the Olde Bryan Inn in Saratoga Springs. I usually get the soup-salad-muffin combo and always choose French Onion. I love the way it bubbles over the edge and gets all crusty-stretchy. If I could order a serving of just that, I'd be happy. But once you break through the cheese to the broth-saturated croutons and the lovely soup, there's happiness.

Stonewall Kitchens has a nice recipe for F.O.S. so I'm posting it here. Just writing about it is making me hungry!

French Onion Soup
From Stonewall Kitchens

3 large sweet onions, sliced thin
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
5 cups (42 oz.) beef broth
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
¾ cup Stonewall Kitchen Roasted Garlic Onion Jam*
(probably a nice addition but if you don’t have it, use the equivalent of 3 cloves, minced. Then, add 2 tbsp. cornstarch, dissolved in cold water, to soup after you first bring it to a boil.)

1 loaf French bread, cut into 1” slices, toasted

4-6 oz. Gruyere, Swiss or Provolone cheese, grated

Directions:

Over medium heat, warm oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven.
Add onions and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.
Reduce heat to low and let simmer, stirring occasionally.
Cook for 35-45 minutes until onions are a deep golden brown.
Add Roasted Garlic Onion Jam, broth, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. *(If using minced garlic and cornstarch in place of the jam, add it now.)
Ladle soup into 4 heat-proof bowls. Top with toasted bread slices and grated cheese.
Broil 2-3 minutes until cheese is bubby and browned.
Garnish, if desired, with fresh chives, parsley, or thyme.

Photo credit: http://www.jammed.com/~mlb/blogpics/2008/10/onion_soup/onion_title.jpg

Anniversaries

Anniversaries are special. Ask someone who doesn’t have anniversaries anymore, and you realize just how special they are. They indicate commitment, common goals, cooperation, shared dreams, and adaptation. With marriage comes changes, some easier to weather than others. When I see a couple who have been married for decades, I’m filled with awe. How’d they get there? Did they just go with the flow or did they work hard to overcome divisive challenges? Are they stronger than I was and able to get through tough times? Or were their tough times faced in unison – that’d make a difference. Anyway, these are the things I think about when someone’s anniversary rolls around.

Today is a special day in my family. It’s Katie's and Bill’s fourth anniversary. They were married in a steepled church across from the Equinox Hotel in Manchester, Vermont. It was a beautiful ceremony on a beautiful day, October 1, 2005. The reception was in the Equinox's pavilion overlooking the Duck Pond in the hills behind the hotel. It was an ideal setting – not too fancy, rustic yet elegant. Their first dance was to Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic" which kicked off a lovely reception. The food was incredible. Little white lights, mums and carved pumpkins decorated the site. As evening fell, luminarias lit a path around the pond. Some of the guests mentioned that it was the nicest wedding they’d been to. I enjoyed being mother-of-the-bride but I enjoyed more the celebration of their intention to live life in unison, especially since both are children of divorce. Their decision to marry despite their family histories is a testament to their commitment to one another and makes me a proud mother and mother-in-law. And now I’m a proud granny to Henry. Life is good.

I made their wedding cake. It was three tiers of vanilla bean cake with sour cherry and cream filling and Hershey’s chocolate frosting swirled over all. It was decorated in fall flowers. I went a little baking-bezerk that week and also made the groom's cake (his favorite--pineapple upside down) and also decked out a dessert table with a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting , a double chocolate fudge cake, a lemon cake, and a pumpkin-swirl cheesecake with a gingersnap crust. Katie's brother Jeffrey baked his wonderful chocolate chip cookies. The Equinox added to the table with a very Vermont-y maple mousse in champagne glasses. Next to the table was a big tin tub filled with little containers of milk on ice to wash it all down. Katie says you can't have chocolate cake without milk.

For their anniversary every year I replicate their wedding cake. So last night I was up late making a small version of this special cake, but I had to substitute strawberry jam for the sour cherries. Oh well. It’s the thought that counts, and I hope Katie and Bill enjoy this litte token and have a wonderful anniversary today and many, more until they’re so old they can’t remember how many years have passed!

Photo by Jeannie Eddy of wedding cake for Bill and Kate Eddy Hofmann, Oct. 1, 2005, Equinox Hotel, Manchester, Vermont

Very Intense Chocolate Slab

This recipe comes by way of my friend Jody Witkop Shepson who makes it so often her friends refer to it as "Jody's Chocolate Slab." It's kind of a chocolate ganache loaf, similar to a chocolate paté.

Here's Jody's story:

"This recipe came from a great cookbook, and the great cookbook came from my sister, Cindy. She read a book years ago called “A Trip to the Beach” about (and written by) Melinda and Robert Blanchard, from Vermont. They took a trip to Anguilla, and ended up creating a restaurant, and a life, in Anguilla. Cindy was so taken with the book and the story, that when she and Barry planned a vacation, they included Anguilla and visited the restaurant, had wine with the Blanchards….and then went back the next year, I think. The cookbook is called “At Blanchard’s Table” and it’s one of those really pretty cookbooks with interesting notes about the recipes. They’ve since written a few other books, about doing what you love in life….I think you would enjoy them, and relate to them! Their most recent cookbook is “Cook What You Love” which pretty much sums up their philosophy.

Chocolate Slab was the first recipe I tried from the cookbook, and I couldn’t possibly count the number of times I’ve made it. It’s ALWAYS a hit, every time I serve it, and people usually call the next day begging for the recipe. I made it for the first meeting of my book club when I moved here, and when my turn to host rolled around again I made an Apple Crostini and the women said “Where’s the slab!? You were supposed to make the slab!!” When my friend Katrie had her second daughter, our other friends were making quilts and one painted a beautiful painting. I thought “Uh oh…I don’t quilt or paint….” So I made her a slab and she acted like I was handing her a gold brick. “My very own slab?!! I’ve never had my own slab before!” She made it last almost 2 weeks.

It’s just a great recipe. I’ve exchanged emails with the Blanchards, explaining that I feel guilty because people call it “Jody’s Slab” but I always give them credit, and often, when people ask for the recipe, I buy them the whole cookbook, so it’s not as if I’m not helping them sell books!!

I’ve tweaked it a little. I ladle some of the Kahlua custard sauce onto a plate and put a slice of slab on the pool of sauce. Then a dollop of real whipped cream and some fresh raspberries on the side. The recipe doesn’t call for whipped cream, but I like it and the raspberries go really well with the chocolate. I have lots of recipes I love, but this would have to be the all-time favorite. And I enjoy making it as much as eating it. It’s very simple and quick, but stirring that big bowl of warm, dark chocolate is one of the great joys of life! If anyone is home with me at the time I always bring the bowl over and let them stir a few times. I would feel guilty having all the fun and not sharing. "

Thanks for this, Jody!

VERY INTENSE CHOCOLATE SLAB
Bob and Melinda Blanchard
Serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces


DIRECTIONS
Cut a piece of parchment paper to line the bottom and long sides of a loaf pan. It should hang over the sides by a few inches. (You’re going to use this like a sling to remove the slab from the pan.) Don’t worry about the short ends of the pan.
In a large pot, bring the cream to a boil. Make sure to use a pot that’s large enough so that the cream does not overflow. Remove from the heat as soon as it boils. Whisk in both chocolates until they are completely melted. Add the almond, vanilla and butter and whisk until smooth.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, being careful to keep the paper in place. Chill in the refrigerator for at least six hours or overnight.
When the slab is very firm, run a knife around the ends to loosen and lift out by holding the ends of the paper. Slice into 3/4-inch slices using a long, thin knife. It will be easier to slice if you have a damp cloth or paper towel handy to wipe the blade clean in between slices.
Place each slice on a dessert plate and pour enough of the sauce around it to cover the plate. Grate or shave some semi-sweet chocolate onto the sauce and serve.


Kahlua Custard Sauce
Makes 2 cups
INGREDIENTS
½ cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup sugar
3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
Pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbl Kahlua

Put the milk and cream into a large saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in about half of the sugar. In a large bowl, combine the remaining sugar, egg yolks, and salt and set aside.
Return the cream mixture to the stove over medium heat. When the cream starts to simmer, reduce the heat, add the yolk mixture, and whisk for 3 minutes, or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the vanilla and Kahlua and blend well. Pour through a strainer into a shallow bowl and refrigerate until cold.
(I usually serve it with raspberries on the side and some real whipped cream. I put a puddle of the sauce on the plate, then a slice of slab, a dab of whipped cream, and some berries alongside. It’s a winner.)

Photo image: http://www.blanchardsrestaurant.com/images/books/AtBlanchardsTable250.jpg