Raspberry Pie and Pumpkin Pie

December 30, 2016December 31, 2016 / featherheadlady / 2 Comments

Every Thanksgiving I make a raspberry pie because it is both my Dad and my daughter’s favorite. And I make a pumpkin pie because I happen to like pumpkin pie and because I just think pumpkin pie is mandatory at Thanksgiving. The pie on the left was amazing! The pie on the right. Well that’s another story. But I need to backtrack a bit to the crust. A good crust is the secret to a good pie. The crust recipe I have is from a dear family friend, Peg Johnson. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Home Economics. She has passed away but she lives on in the margins of my Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book. Penned on page 230, at the top of the Pastry section, is her recipe for Never Fail Pie Crust.

Remember this book? I see it in antique stores all the time. I got mine as a gift in 1971. It has a burn mark on the back cover and some of the pages stick totgether but I still use it.

Never Fail Pie Crust

3 cups AP flour

1 1/4 cups shortening

1 tsp salt

1 egg well beaten

5 T cold water

1 T white vinegar

Cut the shortening into the flour. Peg used a pastry cutter. I use my food processor.

Combine the beaten egg, water and vinegar. Pour liquid into flour mixture all at once. Blend with a spoon until flour is well moistened.

Divide the dough into 3 equal discs. The dough can be rolled out immediately or can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

You might be able to get four crusts from this recipe but I give myself a little wiggle room for bad edges or other rolling difficulties. Roll the crust out on a lightly floured surface and line the bottom of the pie pan with the crust.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Raspberry Filling:

6 cups raspberries

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 T cornstarch

2 T tapioca

2 T butter

Combine the raspberries, sugar, cornstarch and tapioca in a large bowl and gently stir. Allow them to sit for 10 minutes or so. Pour the berries into the prepared pie crust. Cut butter into small pats and put on top of the raspberry filling.

Roll out the top crust, cut slits with a paring knife, and crimp the edges. Sprinkle with a little white sugar. Bake for 50-55 minutes until the fruit is bubbly and the crust is golden brown. To avoid drips in your oven put the pie on a cookie sheet lined with foil.

Mmmmmmm. This pie was great! Served with a little whipping cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Now let’s talk about that pumpkin pie. I had purchased a couple of little sugar pumpkins that I used for fall table decorations and decided to make them into my traditional pumpkin pie. Waste not, want not.

As I was seeding these little babies and getting them ready to roast to fork tender goodness in the oven my dad said, can’t you buy pumpkin in a can? I said, of course I can but this will be homemade. From scratch. It will be better than pumpkin in a can! I should have listened to my dad and retrieved a can of pumpkin from my pantry. Mistake number one.

Preheat oven to 400.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

2 cups pumpkin

12 oz can evaporated milk

2 beaten eggs

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp ginger

1 1/2 tsp nutmeg or mace

1 tsp cloves

1 T flour

Quarter the pumpkins, scrape the seeds and arrange on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until fork tender. Once the pumpkin is done scrape the meat into a bowl and discard the skins.

Purée the pumpkin in a food processor.

Doesn’t this look beautiful!?? Mistake number two. I should have tasted the pumpkin at this point. But I did not.

Combine the pumpkin with the egg, evaporated milk, brown sugar, flour and spices and whisk together until well combined. Pour into the prepared crust.

I had scraps of crust left over so I copied a friend’s idea and cut little leaves out with a cookie cutter and lined the edge. I actually had to add the fancy crust pieces part way through the baking process because the filling is too runny initially. Bake for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted 1 inch from the crust comes out clean.

There is no picture of this pie on a plate with whipping cream. I ate a small slice and proclaimed it too awful for human consumption. However, this is a good recipe for pumpkin pie provided that you use 2 cups of canned pumpkin. Next year I’ll listen to my Dad.

NOTE: In the future I will use my little sugar pie pumpkins for table decorations only and I will use Libby’s pumpkin for my pie.

Sugar and Cinnamon Glazed Nuts

December 19, 2016 / featherheadlady / Leave a comment

My friend Georgia and I have gotten together in December for a baking marathon for over 30 years. We have several cookies and candies that are staples each year. Friends and family have their favorites and we try to keep everyone happy. But we also like to change things up a little. Try something new. This year we decided to omit one of our standard cookies (thumb prints) and make these candied nuts. We are both very glad that we did! They are easy to make and the house smells amazing while they’re in the oven.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews)

2/3 cups of melted butter

2 cups sugar

3 T cinnamon

2 tsp salt

4 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat your oven to 250. Beat the egg whites with the salt until they are frothy. Gradually add in the vanilla and sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the nuts and the cinnamon. You can use a wooden spoon or your hands making sure that the nuts are all coated. Add the melted butter and stir to coat. It will look like a mess. And you’ll wonder if I omitted an essential ingredient or a step in the process. Have faith.

Pour the nuts out onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. I used a large jelly roll pan with sides. Place in the oven and bake for one hour stirring every 15 minutes. This is when the kitchen starts to smell really amazing.

Pour the nuts out onto parchment paper or foil to cool. Store in zip lock bags or sealed containers. Enjoy!

We used almonds and walnuts because that is what we had but I think pecans and cashews would also be excellent.

NOTE: Recipes for most all of our standard cookies are on my blog under Christmas Cookies.

Cauliflower Soup with Cudighi

December 14, 2016 / featherheadlady / 2 Comments

It’s very cold in Michigan. Perfect weather for soup. The secret ingredient in this soup is cudighi. Cudighi is Italian sausage that originated in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Most specifically it is said to have been invented by Italian immigrants in Ishpeming Michigan which happens to be where I was born. Cudighi is made using pork butt and dry red wine, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and allspice. The cudighi I used came from a little Co-op in my hometown of Chatham Michigan. This sausage is very versatile. It is excellent in spaghetti sauce or lasagna, formed into paddies and fried for a sandwich, mixed with ground beef for meatloaf or meat balls, as a pizza topping. Your only limits are you imagination and, of course, your ability to access cudighi in the first place. It might just be worth a trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to score a few pounds. Or Vollwerths cudighi can be shipped from U.P. Foods in Lake Linden (info@upfoods.com). If a trip to the UP or waiting for a sausage shipment seems like too much trouble, substitute with a good Italian sausage available closer to home.

Ingredients:

1 pound cudighi (or Italian sausage of your choosing)

1 head of cauliflower

3-4 stalks of celery rough chopped

2-3 carrots sliced

3 leeks, white and light green parts, sliced

4-5 cloves of garlic diced

2 medium russet potatoes rough chopped

1 poblano pepper seeded and rough chopped

4 cups chicken broth

4 T flour

4 T butter

2 cups half and half or whole milk

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

In a dutch oven cook the Cudighi over medium heat until it is no longer pink. Drain and set aside.

While the meat is browning prep all of the vegetables. Slice the leeks and soak them in water. Leeks tend to hold sand and you don’t want grit in your soup.

Wash and cut up the poblano, celery and carrots.

Peel and dice the potatoes and cut the cauliflower into flowerettes.

Once the cudighi has been browned and set aside add the carrot, celery, and leeks to the drippings and sweat the vegetables over medium heat 3-4 minutes. Add in the leeks and garlic and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. If necessary add a little olive oil.

Add the potato, cauliflower and broth to the kettle. Season with salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a slow simmer, cover the kettle and cook until the vegetables are all tender, 30-40 minutes.

While the vegetables are simmering make a white sauce in a heavy sauce pan. Melt 4 T of butter and whisk in the flour over medium heat. Slowly add the milk continuing to whisk until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove from the heat and whisk in the shredded cheese.

Once the vegetables are fork tender purée using an immersion blender. The consistency is a matter of personal taste. You can leave some chunks in the soup or purée until smooth. Once you’ve done the blending add the cheesy white sauce to your dutch oven as well as the sausage. Add salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Stir and bring to a simmer.

Garnish with additional shredded cheese, green onions and cilantro. And homemade garlic croutons.

Ladle into serving bowls and enjoy!

NOTE: Fresh parsley or basil leaves sliced, shredded Parmesan or Asiago cheese, or some chopped roasted red pepper would all make excellent garnishes for this soup. Great served with a slice of good sourdough bread that you can use to clean your bowl.

I happen to think that soups are one of those things that taste a little better the second day. We will be eating this soup for lunch tomorrow.

Pumpkin Cake

October 29, 2016October 29, 2016 / featherheadlady / 5 Comments

Halloween costume parties at our house are a tradition that we all enjoy. The past few years my friend Jane and I have baked and decorated a centerpiece cake. And we have such a good time doing it. This year we used a recipe for a Pumpkin/Carrot/Spice cake from Women’s Day to make our pumpkin. This pumpkin required two bundt cakes. And a LOT of cream cheese icing…1 cup of butter and 4 8-oz packages of cream cheese. Each of us used the recipe and baked a cake the day before we put them together.

First step after baking is to cut each of the cakes in half horizontally. And start stacking and icing.

We used some long toothpicks to secure the layers.

The top is on and you’re thinking it looks nothing at all like a pumpkin! We put the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so to help set the icing up. With the pedestal plate and 2 bundt cakes stacked it required a bit of refrigerator rearranging but I think the chilling helped. We covered it with a light base coat and, once again, returned it to the refrigerator for another 30 minutes.

A second coat of icing and it’s starting to look like a pumpkin. We used the stem from a real pumpkin supported by a couple of small dixie cups stacked in the center and held in place by icing.

And there you have it. Ta Da!! A perfect pumpkin. Two years ago we did a caramel apple.

Last year we made a brain. That was great fun to do as well!

But I think this year our guests will find the pumpkin much more appetizing. Happy Halloween.

Chicken Soup with Vegetables and Orzo

October 22, 2016 / featherheadlady / Leave a comment

I baked a roasting chicken one night and used the rest of the chicken for soup the next. You could also shred half of a grocery store rotisserie chicken. In less than an hour you will have a perfect comfort food that is hearty and full of vegetables and chicken. And it can be easily modified based on your personal preferences and/or what you have in your refrigerator. We all know that chicken soup cures what ails you no matter what’s in it.

Ingredients:

1 cup of onion rough chopped

1 cup of celery rough chopped

1 poblano pepper diced (seeded if you want to keep the heat down)

1 cup of carrots sliced

2 cloves of garlic minced

2 T olive oil

6 cups of chicken broth

1 can hominy drained and rinsed

2 cups baby spinach

1/2 cup each of fresh parsley and fresh cilantro

zest and juice of one lemon

1/2 cup uncooked orzo

salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy kettle or dutch oven heat the olive oil over medium high heat and sweat the celery, onion, carrots and pepper for about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic. Reduce the heat, partially cover the kettle and cook until the carrots are tender.

While the vegetables are cooking bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the orzo according to package instructions.

Drain and rinse the hominy.

Add the broth to the vegetables and bring it to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Drain the orzo reserving some of the pasta water. Add the orzo, chicken and hominy to the soup. Simmer until the chicken is heated through.

Stir in the lemon zest and juice, parsley and cilantro and the spinach.

Stir until the spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper. If the soup needs more liquid add in some of the pasta water.

Ladle into bowls and serve with toasted tortilla strips.

Enjoy!!

NOTE: I love the lemon in this soup but it’s really a matter of personal taste. You could substitute peas and mushroom for the pepper and hominy. Serve with a good crusty bread or your favorite crackers. Cooking the pasta (or rice) prior to adding it to the soup helps to avoid pasta that is overcooked and absorbs all of the broth.

Broccoli Cauliflower Soup

October 17, 2016 / featherheadlady / Leave a comment

A couple weeks ago I experimented with new concoctions for dinners several nights in a row. The first night that my husband dished up seconds was when I made this soup. That was a good sign for the soup. Not so good for the other dishes which I will probably not make again. Originally I made this soup with just broccoli. The second time I added cauliflower and made the soup for our good friends. It was a hit. ‘Tis soup season now and I’m sure I will make this often using both broccoli and cauliflower.

Ingredients:

2 cups sliced leeks

2 cups of broccoli flowerettes

2 cups of cauliflower

broccoli and cauliflower stems diced

6 cups of chicken broth

6 T butter

6 T flour

3 cups of whole milk

3 cups shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar and smoked gouda)

1 cup shredded carrots

grated nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Slice the leeks and broccoli and cauliflower stems. Rinse them well, especially the leeks which tend to store up a lot of sand.

Put the leeks and the vegetable stems in a heavy kettle or Dutch oven with about a cup of the broth and cook over medium high heat until they are softened, 10-15 minutes. Once the vegetables have softened use an immersion blender off heat and purée. Add the remaining broth and bring to a simmer.

Blanch the broccoli and cauliflower flowerettes. Drop them into ice water to stop the cooking and set aside. Grate the carrots.

Next make a cheese sauce. Melt 6 T of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a couple minutes whisking constantly.

Slowly whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer. Gradually add the cheese whisking until it melts.

Add the cheese mixture to the broth and vegetables. Stir in the flowerettes, grated carrot and nutmeg. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer until the vegetables are thoroughly heated. Ladle up and enjoy! Great served with homemade croutons.

NOTE: I took all of my photos when I made the first batch of soup so you don’t see any cauliflower. But the cauliflower was a great addition. Also a little cayenne pepper or Frank’s hot sauce is a tasty add in. Any good melting cheese can be substituted for the sharp cheddar and smoky gouda.

Sauerkraut For Canning

October 15, 2016 / featherheadlady / Leave a comment

For the first time ever I turned cabbage into sauerkraut! I’ve wanted to do this for a long time but was apprehensive about safely fermenting anything. I must admit I was actually afraid. Like I was the first time I used my pressure cooker. This fermenting isn’t for the faint of heart. I have a bit of a weak stomach and every day, once the cabbage starts to ferment, you need to skim the scum from the top. I bought myself a special scum skimmer from Amazon to do the skimming.

Once during the fermentation process I was out of town for five days. I kept thinking about the I Love Lucy episode where Lucy puts too much detergent into the washing machine and it is overflowing everywhere. I had visions of scum and bubbles running over the sides of the crock and onto my kitchen floor. That did not happen. But fermenting cabbage was the first thing I smelled when I walked in the door. No doubt about what the smell was. I had to put Vicks under my nose and put on my heavy rubber gloves to do the skimming that day. But the longer the cabbage worked the less it smelled until finally, after nearly five weeks, there was no scum and virtually no smell at all. Today I took the towel off the top of the crock, removed the weight and the plate, and removed the cheesecloth. My five heads of cabbage have turned into a crock full of beautiful, perfect sauerkraut!

Making your own sauerkraut does not require any special skills, The only ingredients you need are cabbage and salt. The only tools you need are a very sharp knife or mandolin, a large glass or ceramic crock of some sort, a scale to weigh the cabbage to get the salt to cabbage ratio correct, and a scum skimmer. You have to be patient. And it’s probably easier if you don’t have a really weak stomach.

Ingredients:

Cabbage – the large heads you get at the end of the growing season

Kosher or Pickling salt

I used 5 large firm heads of cabbage. Peel and discard the outer leaves. Cut the cabbage in half and then into quarters and remove the core.

Using a sharp knife and or a mandolin shred the cabbage to about the thickness of a dime. Weigh out 5 pounds of shredded cabbage and, in a large bowl, add 3 T of salt to the cabbage. Let it stand until it starts to wilt and then pack it into the crock. While you’re waiting for the first 5 pounds to wilt continue shredding.

Continue shredding and salting until all of the cabbage is in the pickling container. Allow for 3-4 inches of headspace in your crock. Use your hands to press down on the cabbage until the juices flow and start to come to the top. If the juices don’t cover the cabbage make up a brine using 1 1/2 T of salt to a quart of water. Bring the salt water mixture to a boil. Allow it to cool completely before adding it to the cabbage.

Cover the cabbage in the crock with cheesecloth tucking the edges down alongside the cabbage. Put a plate on top of the cheesecloth and weigh it down to ensure that the cabbage remains immersed in the liquid. I used an 8 pound medicine ball (an exercise weight) but you can use a brick wrapped in foil or inside a zip lock bag.

Now the fun begins. Cover the crock with a towel, It’s best kept at 70-75 degrees. My house is never that warm but i kept it in the kitchen which is usually the warmest place and also most convenient for skimming. Every day I lifted the towel to see what was happening. It took several days but bubbles and scum began to form. Each day after that I removed the weight, skimmed the scum, washed off and returned the weight, recovered the crock and waited for another day. It took a couple days less than five weeks for the gas bubbles to stop forming. Interestingly a salty crust formed on the outside of the crock. It’s apparently very normal so don’t let it worry you.

Once the fermentation process is completed remove the sauerkraut to a large stainless steel pot or dutch oven. Heat the sauerkraut just to a simmer. Do not boil. Ladle the sauerkraut into hot jars leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace and process in a water bath of 15 minutes for pints, 20 minutes for quarts.

My 5 heads of cabbage made 23 pints of sauerkraut. I added caraway seeds to one batch.

Looking forward to some Reuben sandwiches, polish sausages or pork chops with homemade sauerkraut this winter. Or just a dish of kraut to satisfy a salt craving.

A friend told me that his grandad used to make sauerkraut and when they were kids they would sneak a sip or two from the kraut crock. I wouldn’t recommend that.

Zucchini Fritters

October 5, 2016 / featherheadlady / Leave a comment

A fritter is a batter containing meat, fruits or vegetables that has been fried. So it has to be good, right? It’s fried! A friend gave me a recipe for zucchini fritters a few days ago and I decided to give them a try. When you don’t plan your menu ahead of time you frequently have to improvise ingredients. And sometimes the improvision is a great success. That was the case here. These fritters were an excellent side. Even someone who doesn’t like vegetables will like these.

Ingredients:

2 medium size zucchini shredded

2 garlic cloves minced

2 shallots minced (about 1/4 cup)

1/4 chopped fresh parsley

zest of one lemon

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded

1/2 cup flour

1 egg whisked

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Grate the zucchini and put it in a colander to drain for 10-15 minutes.

Dice the scallions, garlic cloves, and parsley. Zest the lemon.

Grate the Parmesan cheese.

In a medium bowl combine the zucchini, flour, cayenne and salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Stir in the garlic, shallots, parsley and lemon zest.

Stir in the cheese and the whisked egg. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a tablespoon or so of canola oil on a griddle or fry pan over medium high heat. Drop heaping tablespoons of the batter onto the hot griddle and cook 3-4 minutes per side until the fritters are golden brown.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and some applesauce. I served them as a side with a pork loin and asparagus.

NOTE: After draining the shredded zucchini you may still need to squeeze out any remaining liquid. You can do this with your hands or wrap the zucchini in a clean cotton dish towel and squeeze.

Zucchini is a very mild squash so feel free to experiment with different kinds of herbs like dill or cilantro or basil instead of parsley.

Chocolate and Salted Caramel Pudding Shots

October 3, 2016 / featherheadlady / Leave a comment

A few weeks ago we went to our favorite music festival and I made pudding shots. I made three different pudding shots – a caramel apple with Apple Pucker and Butter Shots, a coconut cream with Malibu Coconut Rum, and a chocolate and salted caramel with Baileys. The chocolate was the most popular and I just made another batch for a friend.

Ingredients:

1 4 oz. box instant chocolate pudding

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup strong coffee

3/4 cup Baileys Irish Cream

1/2 cup caramel topping

8 oz cool whip

salt flakes

In a medium size bowl whisk together the pudding, milk, coffee, and Baileys. Whisk in the caramel topping.

Fold in the cool whip.

Spoon into little cups with lids, garnish with salt flakes and enjoy.

Store the pudding shots in the refrigerator.

Smoked Fish Spread

September 26, 2016 / featherheadlady / Leave a comment

For those of you who have visited the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (the UP) you know that smoked fish is a “thing.” As soon as you cross the Mackinac Bridge you start to see little shops with signs hocking smoked fish. Smoked whitefish, Menominee, salmon, and my personal favorite, smoked trout. You can buy a whole fish or a slab. It’s great to eat just as is. Your fingers get a little greasy and they smell a little fishy but we don’t care. The fish also makes an excellent spread. Easy to make. And you won’t smell as fishy! My Dad used to make us smoked fish from his fresh catches and I will always remember his as being the very best. My very favorite. But Dad is nearly 89 and isn’t fishing much anymore. So when I visit the UP I frequently get fish for our family and for friends from one of the little shops.

Ingredients:

2 cups (approximately) of smoked fish flaked

4 oz cream cheese at room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

3-4 green onions sliced thin

2 T capers

2 T lime juice

2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (1 tsp if you want more kick)

Cracked pepper

Salt to taste

Use a hand mixer and beat the cream cheese and sour cream together until it is smooth.

Add the capers, lime juice, black and cayenne pepper, and paprika to the cream cheese, sour cream mixture and stir well to combine.

Slice the green onions and flake the fish.

Add the fish and onion to the creamed mixture and blend well.

Taste before you salt. Some smoked fish is saltier than others.

This spread is excellent on crackers or served with raw vegetable like celery and carrots. Great with bread and butter pickles. You’ll also love it served on another UP tradition. Finn Crisp. Rye bread is the most traditional bread in Finland and in some areas of Finland it is baked only a few times a year, then dried and enjoyed year round. It is baked with a hole in the center allowing the loaves to be hung on dowels to dry. I’m sure that Finn Crisp is modeled after those loaves.