Kitchen Encounters

~ Thanksgiving to Tailgate: Stuffing Stuffed 'Shrooms ~

For the family cook, entertaining for Thanksgiving is a labor of love, but, if he or she is a college football fan too, that can mean entertaining for a tailgate party as well, which can be overwhelming.  That said, if you've got a game plan in place in advance, transitioning your formal Turkey Day feast into a relaxing tailgate on your coffee table, can be almost effortless.  One of my gameday-after-the-holiday tailgate menus is:  stuffing stuffed mushrooms with turkey-club sliders.

Any leftover stuffing* recipe can be used to stuff mushrooms.  I Love My Mom's Cracker Stuffing Casserole.  It's lightly and nicely seasoned, and, crushed saltine crackers that have been soaked in milk replace the usual breadcrumbs. That said, when it comes to using leftover stuffing to stuff mushrooms, I try to avoid using any of the crispy browned outside edges

Note:  Typically, uncooked stuffing is a bit too loose to stuff into mushroom caps -- you can't pile it high enough, and, even if it is of a more viscous consistency (sticky or gluelike), in the time it requires to fully-cook the stuffing to a food-safe temperature (most recipes contain raw eggs), the mushroom caps tend to get overcooked.  I recommend using leftover, cooked stuffing. 

Any size mushrooms can be used, but, the larger the mushroom cap, the more stuffing you'll need, and, the cooking time will be a bit longer too.  I like to use 1 1/2"-2"-size white button mushroom caps, and, I choose even-sized ones to insure they cook evenly.  I serve them as appetizers.  That said, larger caps easily turns these two-bite snacks into a fun and filling side-dish to an open-faced turkey sandwich.  

Transitioning a Turkey Day side-dish to a tailgate appetizer:

~Step 1.  Using a damp paper towel, gently wipe any dirt from caps.  

Note: Never wash or soak fresh mushrooms in water as they absorb moisture like a sponge and will become mushy.  Using your fingertips, remove the stems, being careful not to break or crack the caps.  Using a sharp paring knife, trim the perimeter of the caps. Place caps, side-by-side, on a baking pan that has been generously sprayed with no-stick cooking spray.

Using an appropriately-sized ice-cream scoop (1 1/2" scoop was used today), place a generous scoop of stuffing into each mushroom cap.  Bake on center rack of 325º oven, 18-20 minutes.

Remove 'shrooms from oven & place on serving platter:

Drizzle w/turkey gravy & top w/a dollop of cranberry sauce:

What a yummy transition from Turkey Day to tailgate:

Thanksgiving to Tailgate:  Stuffing Stuffed Mushrooms: Recipe yields instructions to make as many mushrooms (appetizer- or side-dish-sized) as you have stuffing for.

Special Equipment List:  paring knife; appropriately sized baking pan; appropriately-sized ice-cream scoop

Cook's Note: Stuffing waffles. Made on the waffle grids of my Cuisinart Griddler, waffles made from leftover stuffing and topped with reheated thanksgiving leftovers (sweet potatoes, pulled turkey breast, gravy and cranberries sauce) is:  The breakfast of champions, and, I've got a family full of them.~ The Morning After: Thanksgiving Stuffing Waffles ~ are the best Turkey Day leftovers.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ Confessions from an Instant Ramen Noodle Junkie ~

While watching a late-night episode of "Locked Up" on some obscure channel last night -- yes, channel surfing is a favorite sport of mine -- I learned an interesting fact about those super-curly square-block instant ramen noodles:  They are the #1 selling item in prison commissaries.  That didn't surprise me as much as the reason:  Prisoners buy them for the seasoning packets, not the noodles.  It seems that prison cafeteria food is so lacking in salt, those packets get sprinkled on or stirred into almost everything.  Get in my my soup!  I learn something new every day (or night).  In my kitchen it's the opposite, we use the noodles, not the seasoning packets.

Amongst other things, in the course of a year, I make several soup stocks:  beef, chicken, Thai chicken, veal, shrimp and vegetable.  They're carefully-simmered, seasoned to suit my palate, portioned into containers and stacked neatly in my freezer.  As every well-seasoned cook will tell you, homemade stock turns an ordinary meal into an extraordinary one.  There's more:  If I get a soup craving, I thaw a 2-cup container of stock, simmer it with a handful or two of frozen mixed vegetables, then, I drop a square block of ramen noodles into the saucepan.

  2 cups soup stock + 2 handfuls of frozen mixed vegetables +

a block of instant ramen = (3 minutes later), a luscious lunch. 

Perhaps it's because I never had to live on instant ramen noodles in college that I agree with a Japanese poll done in 2000:  They voted "dried noodle blocks" their best invention of the 20th century -- noodles that simply need to be cooked or soaked in boiling water before eating.  The main ingredients used in dried noodles are usually wheat flour, palm oil and salt.  The ingredients in the seasoning packets are salt, monosodium glutamate (MSG), seasonings and sugar.  

Invented by Momofuku Ando of Nissin Foods in 1958, these inexpensive (cheap) dried noodle blocks are created by flash-frying cooked noodles (the main method used in Asian countries), and, air-drying (to sell to Western countries).  Both types have a shelf-life of well over a year, and, while they might not look like it in their dry state, they have higher elasticity than other types of noodles (like udon or flat noodles).  They cook up perfectly in a short 3-4 minutes too.

Instant Ramen Trivia includes: When first introduced, instant ramen was considered a luxury item in supermarkets.  It's the #1 selling item in prison commissaries, and, guards are permitted to provide hot water to cook them in the cells. Only "Oriental" and "Chili" flavors of Nissin ramen are vegetarian.  David Chang, founder of the Momofuku restaurant empire, reminisces about uncooked ramen sprinkled with seasoning as an after-school snack. "Ramen" is the Japanese word for the Chinese word "lo mein".  China consumes more instant ramen than any other country.  The Japanese consider ramen their best invention. It would cost about $150 to eat instant ramen for every meal.  There is a museum in Yokohama, Japan, dedicated to the history of "cup noodles", called The Cup of Noodles Museum.  The first noodles eaten in space were instant ramen noodles.

Three minute instant ramen noodles...

... sans the seasoning packet:  Get in my soup! 

Confessions from an Instant Ramen Noodle Junkie:  Recipe yields 2, 2 cup servings.

Special Equipment List:  2-quart saucepan; colander (optional); soup ladle

Cook's Note:  Much like learning to make sushi, learning to make real-deal ramen noodles is a highly-respected art form in Japan.  I consider myself very lucky to have had the opportunity to experience both of them on a trip to Tokyo back in the 1990's.  To learn a bit more about the rich history of real-deal, scratch-made ramen, read my recipe for ~ Cooking 101 for One: Asian Ramen & Steak Salad ~. This cold salad is another one of my favorite quick-to-make lunches (when I've got some leftover steak).

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ Dare to be a Square: Individual Breakfast Frittatas ~

As an egg lover, for me, a frittata is a relatively-easy quick-to-make hunger-satisfying meal any time of the day -- for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or late night snack.  It tastes great served hot, warm, at room temperature or cold, and, leftovers reheat beautifully in the microwave.  A bit of slicing, dicing or chopping is typically required, but it's minimal, and, since frittata can also be a tasty way to use up leftovers from a previous meal, in some instances, no knife is required.  In my food world, making individual-sized frittatas, a perfectly-portioned quick-as-heck protein-packed meal or snack that I can reheat and eat in seconds, is an efficient use of my time. 

My girlfriend Elaine was a Pampered Chef representative. Over the years, I've purchased gadgets and specialty items (from her and others), and, I've never been disappointed in the quality.  A few years ago, while browsing through the catalog, when I came across these "individual brownie pans", with shallow, "square cups" (for folks who want four crispy sides on each and every brownie), I ordered two -- glad I did too.  

That said, I didn't buy them with the intent of baking brownies.  I bought them to make small-sized individual frittatas because:  the size (2 1/2" x 2 1/2") and depth (1") of each cup makes for perfect portions that cook up evenly each and every time.  If you've ever baked individual frittatas in traditional muffin tins, you know that the depth and shape of that cup is not exactly ideal for this eggy concoction -- centers undercooked, perimeters overcooked.

To know a traditional frittata, is to love any frittata.

Commonly referred to as "the Italian version of an omelette", a frittata is a concoction of whisked eggs and real-deal cream, sliced, diced or chopped always-previously-cooked vegetables, meat or seafood and/or grated cheese.  I prefer to compare it to a custard-like quiche without a crust rather than an omelette because, like a quiche, a frittata is traditionally round and rather thick -- not at all elongated and comparatively flat (like the French and American omelettes I've encountered).  There's more.  I think of an omelette as something that goes from stovetop to table in a few short moments -- that's not the case with a frittata, which takes 30+ minutes.

The egg mixture is poured into the same oven-safe (usually cast-iron) skillet the vegetables and/or meats have been cooked or placed in.  The Frittata is started on the stovetop for a few moments, just long enough to allow the bottom of the mixture to solidify a bit, then finished in a moderate oven for 30-45 minutes depending on its size and the recipe.  That said, a frittata can be prepared in the skillet entirely on the stovetop, or, in a casserole entirely in the oven (usually to make a large-size frittata).  Frittata can be served directly from the pan, but, family-friendly-sized frittata is often inverted onto a platter, to reveal its golden crust, then sliced into wedges.

Sautéed vegetables or a medley of vegetables, any kind you like, can be added, as long as they are cooked in some manner first.  Why? Vegetables, particularly those that contain lots of liquid, unless cooked first, will render the frittata watery. Root vegetables, like potatoes and carrots, won't fully-cook if not given a head start on the stovetop. Onions and/or garlic are almost always added. Other options include asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers, spinach, peas, and/or mushrooms. They all work great.  Extremely watery vegetables, like tomatoes, summer squash and and zucchini work well too, but the extra step of seeding prior to sautéing is recommended.

When it comes to meat or seafood, the same rules apply:  if it's cooked first it can be added. Leftover diced porcine, like ham or sausage crumbles, along with crispy-fried bacon bits are my three meaty favorites, and, crab meat or shrimp, or both, are divine.  My teenage boys liked frittata made with diced salami or pepperoni as a late night snack.   That said, if you like to eat steak with your eggs, by all means, throw in slivers of that leftover roasted or grilled red meat. Feel free to disagree, but, for my taste, poultry has no place in a frittata -- there is just something about chicken or turkey in an egg dish like this that I find unappealing (save it for a sandwich).

Making individual frittatas is efficient & just plain smart.

The Italian word "frittata" derives from the word "friggere", which roughly means "fried".  This is why frittata is traditionally associated with a skillet, namely a cast-iron skillet.  If a casserole dish is more convenient, by all means use one -- simply season and sauté your fillings ingredients in a skillet, and toss them into the bottom of a casserole that has been sprayed with no-stick spray, add the whisked egg and cream mixture and bake as directed.   Making individual-sized frittatas is not much different than making a frittata in a casserole, but, you've got to know the capacity of the cups in the pans, and, shorten the cooking time, to accommodate the smaller size of each one. Each square cup in this Pampered Chef pan holds slightly less than 1/2 cup, so, to fill all twelve, I need 6 cups total filling -- the same amount used for a frittata baked in a 1 1/2-quart casserole.

1  cup diced, previously cooked meat or seafood, or, 8-ounces uncooked ground beef or sausage (Note:  I'm using sweet sausage today.)

1/2  cup diced sweet onion

1 1/2   cups diced, cooked vegetables or a combination of vegetables, your choice (Note: I'm using green bell pepper, red bell pepper and mushrooms today.) 

sea salt and coarsely-ground black pepper, for lightly seasoning vegetables 

3/4  cup grated melting cheese (Note:  I'm using yellow cheddar today.)

6  extra-large eggs

3/4  cup cream (Note:  You can substitute half and half or whole milk, but anything less than full-fat dairy renders a rubbery rather than an unctuous frittata.)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt and coarsely-ground black pepper, for seasoning egg mixture

no-stick cooking spray, for preparing pan

sliced or diced tomato, cilantro leaves & your favorite hot sauce, for garnish & accompaniment

~ Step 1.  Using an old-fashioned hand-crank egg beater, whisk the eggs, cream, salt and pepper together.  Set aside.

~Step 2.  Place the sausage in an appropriately sized skillet over medium-high heat.  Sauté, using the side of a spatula to break the meat into small bits and pieces, until cooked through, about 6 minutes.  Turn the heat off.  Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the sausage from the skillet to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain, allowing the flavorful drippings to remain in skillet.

~Step 3.  Adjust heat to medium.  Add onion, bell peppers and mushrooms.  Lightly season with salt and pepper.  Stirring almost constantly, sauté until vegetables have lost about half of their volume and are starting to show signs of browning (which means they are becoming flavorful), 5-6 minutes.  Stir in the sausage.  Remove from heat.

~Step 4.  Spray the inside of each "square cup" with no-stick spray. Portion some of the vegetable/meat mixture into the bottom of each one, about 3 tablespoons in each. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon grated cheese over the top of the vegetable meat mixture.  Using a fork, briefly rewhisk the egg mixture, and, slowly, in a thin stream, gently fill cups to just short of the top.  Bake on center rack of 350° oven 16-18 minutes, until puffed up in centers. Remove from oven and cool in pans about 5 minutes prior to using a thin spatula to serve. Frittatas deflate and firm up as they cool.  Garnish w/tomato, cilantro & your favorite hot sauce.

Bake on center rack of 350° oven, 16-18 minutes:

Cool in pans 5-6 minutes prior to serving:

Frittatas will deflate a bit & firm up as they cool:

Garnish w/tomato, cilantro & serve w/your favorite hot sauce:

Dare to be a Square:  Individual Breakfast Frittatas:  Recipe yields 6-12 servings/1-2 per person.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; hand-held box grater; 2-cup measuring container; old-fashioned hand-crank egg beater (optional); appropriately sized oven-safe skillet or casserole of choice; thin spatula

Cook's Note:  In the event you need to feed a lot of people for breakfast or brunch, an eggy casserole is always a crowd pleaser.  ~ My Big Baked Denver Omelette Brunch Casserole ~, which is in actuality a frittata disguised under a different name, is an example of a frittata baked in a casserole dish.  It contains ham (in place of sausage) and has a distinctive Southwestern flair.  It's been a favorite of our tailgate group for years.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ My Mom's Old-Fashioned Home-Canned Peach Pie~

The Summer peach season is long over, but, in my kitchen, that is not a reason to not bake a peach pie.  Yes, you can use canned peaches to make a peach pie, and, if the peaches are home-canned with love, the pie is just as good, if not better, than a pie made with fresh peaches. I'm not joking.  Women have been doing it for generations.  They water-bath-canned large quantities of fruits and vegetables so the family could enjoy them during the cold weather months.

My mother's pantry was never without home-canned peaches.  My grandmother had a green thumb, and, in her smallish, in-town back yard, for as many years as she lived there, her peach tree gifted us with some the best peaches I have ever tasted -- I'm not just saying that because she was my grandmother. The peaches were exquisite, and, she did a stunning job of canning them.  They were pretty as a picture and tasted even better -- "to the tooth" (not at all mushy) and pleasantly, not cloyingly, sweet.

I do not know if it was my grandmother, mother, or someone else of their time who came up with our family's canned peach pie recipe.  What I do know is there isn't much to it.  After all, the hard work was done up front in the canning.

Every slice is plump w/peaches, nicely-spiced, & ...

... a canned-peach pie is one of the easiest pies to make too.

2   9" pie pastries for a double-crust pie, preferably homemade pie pastry (pâte brisée)

7  cups sliced or chunked, very-well-drained canned peaches (Note:  If using store-bought peaches, drain 3, 29-ounce cans packed in light syrup.  Once I drain the liquid, I put the peaches on a paper-towel-lined plate for a few minutes, to remove as much excess liquid as possible.)

2  teaspoons lemon juice

2  teaspoons pure peach extract (optional)

1/2  cup granulated sugar

5  tablespoons minute tapioca

1  teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4  teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4  teaspoon sea salt

1  tablespoon salted butter, softened

1  large egg white, ideally at room temperature

additional granulated sugar, for sprinkling on top of pie prior to baking

~Step 1.  Roll and fit one 9" pie pastry in the bottom of a 9" pie dish.  Using a pair of kitchen shears, trim it to hang slightly over the perimeter (about 1/8").  Set aside.  Thoroughly drain the peaches, placing them in a large bowl as you work.  In a medium-bowl, stir together the sugar, tapioca, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  Add the lemon juice and peach extract too.  Using a rubber spatula, gently toss to thoroughly combine the peaches with the tapioca/sugar/spice mixture.

~Step 2.  Spoon the peach pie filling into the pie pastry, mounding it slightly towards the center. Dot the top of the pie filling with the softened butter.  Place the second pie pastry over the top, and, using the kitchen shears, trim it around the perimeter to match the overhang of the bottom pastry (about 1/8").  Using your fingertips, seal the two crusts together and form a decorative edge all the way around perimeter.

~Step 3.  Using a fork, whisk egg white until frothy.  Using a pastry brush, paint the smooth surface of top crust (not the decorative edge) with egg white, then, using your fingertips, sprinkle a light coating of sugar over the glossy top.  Using the sharp tip of a knife, poke a few small holes in the top pastry (to allow steam to escape as pie bakes).  Bake on center rack of 350° oven until golden brown and bubbly, 50-55 minutes, stopping to give the pie a quarter turn every 15 minutes, to insure even browning.  Place on wire rack to cool completely, about 3-4 hours, prior to slicing.

Bake on center rack of 350° oven, 50-55 minutes:

Place on a wire rack to cool completely, 3-4 hours:

Slice & serve ever-so-lightly warm or at room temperature:

And enjoy a peachy-keen taste of Summer all year round:

My Mom's Old-Fashioned Home-Canned Peach Pie:  Recipe yields 1, 9" double-crust pie/8-10 servings.

Special Equipment List:  pastry board; rolling pin; 9" pie dish, preferably glass; kitchen shears; cutting board; vegetable peeler; chef's knife; large rubber spatula; fork; pastry brush; sharp paring knife; wire cooling rack

Cook's Note:  Back in the 1990's, I was given this recipe, ~ Alice's Super-Simple Georgia Peach-Pie Cobbler ~, from a tailgating girlfriend.  Alice hailed from Atlanta. She made no secret of the fact that she detested the sport of cooking -- which complicates things for a woman in a tailgate group like ours. That said, she participated and prepared something good each week, and, this recipe is even easier than making a canned-peach pie!

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ The Ideal Cubano: La Ideal's Cubano Sandwich ~

Almost all famous sandwiches got their iconic status thanks to the working class people -- Cuba's Cubano is one such sandwich.  In the early 20th Century, vendors who were stationed inside the workplaces, sold hot meat and cheese sandwiches to the workers.  When these workers made their way to the USA, usually to regions in Southern Florida, they, like all immigrants, brought their recipes and traditions with them -- that included their institutional but beloved Cuban sandwich.

A bit about the Cubano:  Like all sandwiches, it starts with the bread. Cuban bread is light and crusty -- alot like a French bread loaf.  Cuban bakeries baked through the early AM hours and delivered the bread to customers by hanging it on a nail outside their door.  Because Cuban bread had a short shelf life, Cuban sandwiches were typically made within a few hours of receiving it.

The Cuban bread gets sliced down the middle hoagie- or submarine-style, then slathered with yellow mustard.  Thinly-sliced deli-style dill pickles, Swiss cheese and ham get layered on, followed by shards of mojo-marinated Cuban-style pulled pork roast.  Traditionally, mustard is the only condiment added (although after-the-fact, it's not unusual for some folks to add mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato).  While a Cubano can be served cold, it's almost always heated in a sandwich press (a panini grill) until the cheese is melted and the bread is grilled to golden.

A panini press is basically a double-sided appliance that cooks both sides of a sandwich at once. Much like a grill pan, the grids of a panini press give these sandwiches their signature grill marks.  There are several good brands, in all price ranges, on the market.  My Cuisinart Griddler is about 5 years old.  It doesn't take up too much space, controls heat perfectly, and, I love it. This gadget has earned its rightful place on my kitchen counter. 

Much like the Philadelphia cheesesteak, Cubano enthusiasts say the most authentic version is found in the Tampa, Florida region, where the Americanized version of the sandwich is said to have originated.  Today I'm featuring the Cuban Sandwich recipe from my favorite Cuban cookbook:  Eating Cuban, written by Beverly Cox and Martin Jacobs, copyright 2006, and, published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang.  As the cover says, "120 Authentic Recipes from the Streets of Havana to American Shores".  As I say, "120 Authentic, Spot-On Cuban Recipes that Work in the American Home Kitchen".  The photography is super-gorgeous as well.

While Eating Cuban is my favorite Cuban cookbook --

Thanks to great recipes in all seven of the cookbooks I purchased in Florida, I've been able to bring the unique taste of Cuban spice into my home kitchen. Because my experiences with Cuban cuisine are limited to trips to Miami, without them, how would I learn that "mojo (MOH-hoh)" means "sauce" in Spanish, and, in Cuban cooking, it's a sauce made with olive oil, garlic, cilantro, mint and oregano leaves, cumin and bitter orange juice.

La Ideal's Cuban Sandwich.  As per Eating Cuban:

Located in what was once an old grocery store, La Ideal is a favorite neighborhood hangout for members of Tampa's Cuban-American community.  The scene is animated and relaxed.  Regulars chat from table to table, but the feeling is inclusive, with visitors made to feel like members of the family.  A dynamic force behind the atmosphere at La Ideal is Majito, Mario Aguila Jr. Majito's dad.  Mario Sr. moved his family to the United States from Cuba in 1966.  After ten years in New York City, the family settled in Tampa, Florida and opened La Ideal.  In 2005, Mario Sr. sold La Ideal to Luis and Juanita Tejada.  The ownership has changed, but Mojito has stayed on at the front of the house, and with Juanita in charge in the kitchen, the food is still great. Cuban sandwiches (Cubanos), toasted in a large sandwich press, are a specialty of their house.

For each sandwich (which can be assembled and wrapped in plastic wrap 1-2 hours prior to grilling, which is convenient if you're making them for a crowd):

1  4 1/2"-5" section of a loaf of very fresh French bread that has been trimmed of ends then cut into lengths that will accommodate panini press (Note: La Ideal's recipe uses an 8"-9" section of bread.  That said, in the home kitchen, I find a 4 1/2"-5" section to be more manageable.)

1  tablespoon yellow mustard

1  tablespoon mayonnaise

1  dill pickle, cut into 2 long, thin strips, or, 2-4 dill pickle chips

2  thin slices deli-style Swiss cheese

2  thin slices deli-style ham

1/2  cup pulled and diced or thinly-sliced mojo-marinated Cuban-style pork roast (3-4 ounces)

no-stick cooking spray, for preparing grill grids on panini press

~Step 1.  To assemble sandwiches, trim ends from bread, cut into desired sized sections, then split sections in half lengthwise.  Spread mustard on cut side of each bottom half and mayonnaise on each top half.  Layer pickle slices on top of mustard, then add 2 slices Swiss cheese, 2 slices ham, and finally, a generous pile of pulled pork.

~ Step 2.  Preheat the grill press to medium-high and when light goes on, spray grids with no-stick.  Place assembled sandwich on hot grill grids.  Place top of press directly on top of sandwich.  Firmly, but gently, using the press's handle, press down on the sandwich for 45--60 seconds.  You are NOT trying to squish the sandwich to oblivion.  You ARE trying to put just enough pressure on it to steam and crisp the bread a bit.  Let go.  Continue to cook until crisp, golden and cheese is melted, 4-6 minutes.  Use a spatula to remove sandwich from grids and allow to rest 1-2 minutes prior to slicing and eating.

The only thing more beautiful than an assembled Cubano...

... is a grilled Cubano.  Patience -- let it rest a minute or two.

And every bite of a Cubano is an absolute delight: 

The Ideal Cubano:  La Ideal's Cubano Sandwich:  Recipe yields instructions to assemble and grill as many Cubano sandwiches as desired.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; serrated bread knife; panini press; spatula

Cook's Note:  Those of you who know me know I consider a high-quality, well-constructed sandwich to be the perfect, well-balanced, portion-controlled meal.  For me, a sandwich is much more than just putting a few ingredients between two slices of bread to stave off a hunger attack.  Like meal making, sandwich making requires thought, and, I consider myself to be a very thoughtful sandwich crafter.  For my own famous grilled-sandwich recipe, I invented this one just for me.  Try my recipe for ~ Roasted-Chicken Caesar-Salad Focaccia Panini ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ Mojo-Marinated Cuban-Style Pulled-Pork Shoulder ~

My experiences with Cuban food, all good ones, are limited to a few trips to Miami.  I know that "mojo (MOH-hoh)" means "sauce" in Spanish, and, in Cuban cooking, it specifically applies to a sauce made with olive oil, garlic, fresh cilantro, mint and oregano leaves, cumin and bitter orange juice.  I also must say that without more than a few well-written recipes in the seven Cuban cookbooks, that I purchased during my visits to Florida, I'd stand little chance of bringing the unique taste of Cuban spice into my home kitchen -- they've all contributed to my recipes:

Pulled pork is popular in many parts of the Caribbean, and, when cooked in the traditional manner, just like throughout The Barbecue Belt here in the USA, they go:  whole hog, low and slow, over carefully-tended wood-fired heat sources for a long period of time.  That said, depending on where you are in the Caribbean, it is seasoned and/or sauced differently.   The first time I ordered Cuban-style pulled pork, which arrived in the form of their signature Cubano sandwich, I ordered it because I like pulled pork.  What I didn't know was how uniquely-different it would be from the Southern-style barbecue I was used to.  The difference between a Carolina-style pulled pork sandwich and a Cuban-style pulled pork sandwich is astounding -- the bold citrus (in place of vinegar) and herb flavors were right up my alley. I knew I needed to figure out how to make it at home -- in a manner that didn't require an entire hog or building a barbecue pit.

A bit about the pork:  "Boston butt", is a bone-in cut of pork that comes from the upper part of the "pork shoulder" from the front leg of the hog.  It got its name in pre-Revolutionary War New England:

Butchers in Boston left the blade bone in this inexpensive cut of pork shoulder, then packed the meat in casks called "butts". They sold the pork shoulders individually to their customers, and, when they got popular, they began shipping "the butts" Southward and throughout the Colonies. Simply stated:  the way the hog shoulder was butchered, combined with "the butt" they arrived in, "the butt's from Boston", evolved into the cut's name "Boston butt".

For the meat and marinade:

1  7-8  pound bone-in Boston butt pork shoulder roast, untrimmed (do not remove fat cap)

3/4  cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably Spanish

3/4  cup orange juice, preferably freshly-squeezed with the zest from 1 orange stirred in 

1/2  cup lime juice, preferably freshly-squeezed

1  cup minced, fresh cilantro leaves, some stem included is fine

1/4  cup minced, fresh mint leaves, leaves only

2  tablespoons minced, fresh oregano leaves, leaves only, no woody stems

8  large garlic cloves, run through a press 

1  tablespoon ground cumin

1/2  teaspoon dried Mediterranean oregano leaves

1  teaspoon sea salt

1  teaspoon coarse-grind black pepper

~ Step 1.  Prep ingredients as directed, placing in a 2-gallon Ziplock bag as you work.  Briefly toss marinade to combine, then, add pork to bag.  Seal and marinate in refrigerator overnight, stopping to flip bag over (to turn roast) as often as possible/whenever convenient.  Overnight is best.  Remove the bag from the refrigerator and return the roast and marinade to room temperature 1-2 hours.  Preheat oven to 320º-325°.

~Step 2.  Remove roast from bag and place it, fat-side-up, on a rack in a roasting pan.  Reseal bag and refrigerate remaining marinade until roast is out of the oven and resting.  Roast meat, uncovered on center rack of preheated oven, 7-8 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer placed several inches into the thickest part of the meat in 2-3 places reads 190°-195°.*  Remove from oven, seal pan with foil, and allow roast  cool enough to be manageable to pull with your fingertips (about 1-1 1/2 hours). Reminder from Mel:  Remove the marinade from the refrigerator during this rest period.  

*Note:  After the first 60-75 minutes of roasting, loosely place a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the fat cap (after it is nicely-browned).  This will shield it from over-browning or burning.

~Step 3.  Remove and discard the foil and transfer the roast to a large carving board.  Pour the drippings from the bottom of roasting pan into a fat/lean separator.  Add the lean portion of the drippings, about 1/4 cup, to a 1 1/2-2-quart saucepan.  Add 2 cups diced yellow or sweet onion to the saucepan, adjust heat on stovetop to medium- medium-high and cook until there is almost no liquid left in the bottom of the saucepan and onions are beginning to caramelize, 10-12 minutes, stirring constantly, to avoid scorching, during the last 3-4 minutes.  Add all of the marinade to the onions.  Adjust heat to a steady, rapid simmer and cook, stirring constantly for 4-5 minutes.  Remove mojo from heat.

~ Step 4.  Using your fingertips or a pair of meat claws designed to pull or shread meats (available on Amazon), do as follows:  Begin by pulling the roast into 5-6 large chunks and pieces that have naturally formed during the lengthy cooking process, meaning, if you tried to pick the entire roast up, it would almost naturally fall apart into 5-6 pieces.  Next, pull each chunk into large, succulent, strands, doing your best to keep them bite-sized (not small and stringy).  Some folks prefer to use a cleaver to chop the meat into pieces -- the choice is yours.  While working remove and discard any pieces of gristle, but, hang onto all the caramelized, crispy, full-flavored and fatty brown exterior bark.

Drizzle w/mojo sauce & serve w/mojo black beans & rice:

Side-Dish: Cuban-Style Mojo Black Beans & Rice:

Mojo-Marinated Cuban-Style Pulled-Pork Shoulder:  Recipe yields 8+ cups pulled pork/8 servings/8 pulled-pork sandwiches/16 Cubano sandwiches.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; microplane grater; citrus juicer; garlic press; 2-gallon Ziplock bag; roasting rack; roasting pan; instant-read meat thermometer; aluminum foil; carving board; fat/lean separator; 1 1/2-2-quart saucepan

Cook's Note: The Carolinas hold a unique position in terms of Southern barbecue because theirs is believed to be the oldest form of American barbecue.  For a period of time I had family who lived in both North and South Carolina, so I became familiar with "their many styles" of pulled pork.  There's more.  No two cook's make their sauce the same and everybody is a critic.  ~ My Carolina-Style Pulled-Pork BBQ (Oven Method) ~ is:  my recipe, the way I like it.  It's been tailgate tested and tailgate accoladed too.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ Nothing Fancy: Old-Fashioned Autumn Apple Pie ~

The best apple pie recipes aren't fancy -- they're special.  Just put one in the oven and see what happens.  Word travels fast.  Everyone wants a slice of old-fashioned appleiscious goodness. "It's as easy as apple pie."  Truth told, that's a kind of misleading statement.  Baking a really good apple pie is not as easy as "A, B, C", "one, two three" or even "snap, crackle, pop".  Too many people think that just because they've baked an apple pie it automatically qualifies for awesome apple pie status.  It does not.  I have encountered more than a few nasty renditions:  from overcooked to undercooked, sickeningly sweet to vapid, and, soupy to pasty -- anything but the "pleasant and accommodating" experience Mark Twain painted in his 1885 novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (the sequel to his 1876 novel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer).

Pastry, apples, sugar & cinnamon & into the oven it went.

The phrase "it's as easy as pie" originated over a century ago when almost every American homemaker baked pies several times a week.  It was a task so familiar, it was done without any real effort.  When it came to apple pies, they used the apples that grew in their climate and adapted the recipes of their family's heritage to suit those apples.  More often than not, they picked them off of a tree in their backyard or bartered for a basket from their neighbor.  They did not have the luxury of walking into a market and choosing from five or six varieties (from the hundreds of varieties mass produced in the world today).  It really was a kinder, gentler time and "as easy as pie."  Pastry, apples, sugar and cinnamon and into the oven it went.  No complaints.

An apple a day might keep the doctor away, but, according to the experts, all apples are not created equally.  

"Because an apple tastes good doesn't make it pie-friendly."

Nowadays, everybody is a critic. Experts will tell you, "just because an apple tastes good does not make it pie-friendly."  For example: My favorite eating apple is the soft-fleshed, creamy McIntosh, and, while I use them to make pies (because my grandmother made great pie with them), a quick internet search will tell you they're not ideal. My husband grows Fugi, Macintosh and Granny Smith's in our backyard -- they all taste great and do well in our Central PA climate.  Fuji's are relative newcomers to America's apple scene.  They're crisp, sweet and, similar to the Red Delicious, are best eaten raw in salads and slaws.  As for the Granny Smith, originally from Australia, with its bright-green skin, tart taste and crisp texture, not only is it pie friendly, it is wonderful when cooked with savory foods (like onions) or served with salty foods (like cheese). I could go on -- and on -- there are hundreds of varieties of apples in the world, with about 60 of them mass grown in America.  My point is:  before you put an apple in a pie, try to find out if it is pie-friendly, or, find a recipe that makes it pie-friendly.  I'm using freshly-picked Macintosh apples today.

2   9" pie pastries for a double-crust pie, preferably homemade pie pastry (pâte brisée)

7  cups peeled and thinly-sliced Macintosh apples, from 7-8 apples

1  tablespoon lemon juice

1/2  cup granulated sugar

1/2  cup lightly-packed light brown sugar

4  tablespoons unbleached, all-purpose flour

1  teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8  teaspoon ground cloves

1/4  teaspoon ground ginger

1/4  teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4  teaspoon sea salt

1  tablespoon salted butter, softened

1  large egg white, ideally at room temperature

additional granulated sugar

~Step 1.  Roll and fit one 9" pie pastry in the bottom of a 9" pie dish.  Using a pair of kitchen shears, trim it to hang slightly over the perimeter (about 1/8").  Set aside.  Peel and slice the apples, placing them in a large bowl as you work.  Add the lemon juice to the bowl and toss to coat the apples.  In a medium-bowl, stir together the sugars, flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and salt.  Add the sugar mixture to the apples and toss to thoroughly combine.

~Step 2.  Spoon the apple pie filling into the pie pastry, mounding it slightly towards the center. Dot the top of the pie filling with the softened butter.  Place the second pie pastry over the top, and, using the kitchen shears, trim it around the perimeter to match the bottom pastry.  Using your fingertips, seal the two crusts together and form a decorative edge all the way around.

~Step 3.  Using a fork, whisk egg white until frothy.  Using a pastry brush, paint the smooth surface of top crust (not the decorative edge) with egg white, then, using your fingertips, sprinkle a light coating of sugar over the glossy top.  Using the sharp tip of a knife, poke a few small holes in the top pastry (to allow steam to escape as pie bakes).  Bake on center rack of 350° oven until golden brown and bubbly, 55-60 minutes, stopping to give the pie a quarter turn every 15 minutes, to insure even browning.  Place on wire rack to cool completely, about 3-4 hours, prior to slicing.

Bake on center rack of 350° oven 55-60 minutes:

Place on wire rack to cool completely, 3-4 hours:

Slice & serve ever-so-slightly warm or at room temperature:

Take a bite of old-fashioned appleicious goodness:

Nothing Fancy:  Old-Fashioned Autumn Apple Pie:  Recipe yields 1, 9" double-crust pie/8-10 servings.

Special Equipment List:  pastry board; rolling pin; 9" pie dish, preferably glass; kitchen shears; cutting board; vegetable peeler; chef's knife; large spoon or spatula; fork; pastry brush; sharp paring knife; wire cooling rack

Cook's Note:  The Pennsylvania Deutsch are famous for their streusel-topped pies, and one of my all-time favorites is their Dutch Apple.  Click on the link to get my recipe for ~ Dutch Apple, Sour Cream & Walnut-Streusel Pie ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ Quick & Easy Bread & Butter Refrigerator Pickles ~

When I was a kid, during the late Summer and Fall, my grandmother, my great aunt, and my mother used to can -- a lot.  There were days when one of their respective kitchens was filled with boxes of fresh fruits or vegetables and huge pots, and, the dining room table was lined with neat rows of freshly-sterilized mason jars -- dozens and dozens of them.  They'd start at sunrise and wouldn't stop until each one of those jars was filled.  I enjoyed those nights, snuggled in my bed, forcing myself to stay awake to hear "the pop" of each jar lid (the indicator of a proper seal).  We would crunch and munch on those pickles through to the following season when they got made all over again -- I loved them atop my cheeseburger and in place of relish on my hotdog.

As a kid, those were fun times for me.  I found the process fascinating, but, I wasn't the one doing the work.

As an adult, while I do can a few fruits and vegetables in the traditional manner (peaches and red beets to name two), I honestly do not love the exhausting, time-consuming process -- I also do not have a sister and/or a daughter to stand by my side and help.  I much prefer quick-pickling in small batches or freezing in large quantities, if or when either process can be applied without compromise (peaches do not freeze well, and beets are best pickled or canned in the traditional manner).

What's the difference between pickling & quick-pickling?

Pickle comes from the Dutch=Deutsch=German word "pekel", which means "brine" (not "cucumber" as is easy enough to assume).  A brine is nothing more than a mixture of vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and usually, some dry spices or fresh herbs. Depending upon the solution, pickled foods can take on all sorts of colors and flavors.  Pickled foods can be sweet, sour, sweet and sour, or spicy.  At the the whim of the cook, any of them can be piquant or pedestrian.

Pickling per se is canning.  It's easy but time consuming.  Get out the big canning pot and special utensils, boil the mason jars to sterilize them, add the appropriately-prepped fruit, vegetables or food to the jars, add the brine, immerse jars in boiling water for a designated amount of time, then, remove from the water bath and let cool until the lids "pop", which means they are properly sealed.  In the case of water-bath-canned anything, if stored in a cool, dry place, the food can last for a year or two. Pickling/canning dates back to medieval times and is how our ancestors preserved all types of food prior to refrigeration. Without refrigeration, food spoiled quickly and pickling was a means of preserving it for out-of-season use or transporting it for a long journey.

Quick-Pickling is considerably easier than traditional pickling and almost any raw or blanched vegetable can be quick-pickled.  All that's needed is a saucepan, any type of clean jars, vinegar, sugar and a few herbs and/or dry spices.  The prepped vegetables get placed in the jars, the seasoned vinegar-sugar mixture gets simmered in the saucepan for a few short minutes, then the solution (sometimes boiling hot, sometimes completely cooled, so follow the recipe on this point) gets ladled over the veggies in the jars.  The lids get placed on the jars and the quick-pickled food gets stored in the refrigerator until they get eaten or up to two weeks.  Because the shelf-life is short and the jars take up refrigerator space, quick-pickles are usually made in small batches.

What are bread & butter pickles?

Bread and butter pickles, also known as sweet and sour pickles are on the sweet end of the pickle spectrum, but not quite as sweet as sweet pickles, and, decidedly different than the sharp bite of dill pickles.  They're typically crinkle-cut sliced, which makes them ideal for topping hamburgers and a variety of sandwiches.  I often serve them as a side-dish, and, occasionally, dice them to add to salads or mince them to add to relishes.  Interestingly enough, my family never made homemade bread and butter pickles.

We lived in Eastern Pennsylvania, the land of the Pennsylvania Deutsch (the German-speaking people who immigrated to PA and surrounding areas, along with their many, many, pickle recipes).

In the tradition of Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, the Wos-Wit brand has been canning delicious relishes, dressings, preserves and various garden vegetables. Beginning in the 1940's, as a small farm producing Pennsylvania Dutch products by canning the excessive vegetable bounty, the Pennsylvania Dutch label "WOS-WIT" ("what do you want") has a rich and extensive history. Originally owned by John and Dorothy Kresge, in 1983 the business was sold to Paul Zukovich, a long time farmer who now operates the canning facility on his 80 acre farm: Grouse Hunt Farms. His family continues to use all of the Kresge's original recipes. 

Wos-Wit Bread & Butter Pickles contain all the traditional ingredients and no artificial preservatives:  sliced cucumbers, vinegar, sugar, onions, red peppers, salt, tumeric and spices.

For the brine mixture:

1  cup distilled white vinegar (5% acidity)

1  cup distilled apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)

2  cups granulated sugar

1/4  cup pickling or Kosher salt

1  tablespoon mustard seeds

1/2  teaspoon each:  celery seeds, dry mustard, red pepper flakes and ground turmeric

8  whole allspice berries

8 whole cloves

~ Step 1.  To prepare brine, stir all ingredients together in a 2-quart saucepan.  Bring to a boil over high heat, adjust heat to a steady simmer and cook 3 full minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly while prepping vegetables:

For the cucumber mixture:

3  pounds cucumbers, 1/4"-thick sliced into coins, preferably crinkle cut

1/2  pound small-diced yellow or sweet onion

1  cup small-diced red bell pepper

~ Step 2.  Prep vegetables as directed placing them in a large bowl as you work.  Add all the warm-hot brine and stir.  Refrigerate for 6-8 hours, stirring frequently.

~ Step 3.  Remove bread and butter pickles from the refrigerator.  Using a slotted spoon transfer pickles to desired-sized, mason-type jars (although any type of lidded jar will work just fine), lightly-packing them into each.  Using a small ladle, add brine to the neck of each jar of pickles.  

Seal jars & keep stored in refrigerator for 7-10 days:

Quick & Easy Bread & Butter Refrigerator Pickles:  Recipe yields enough pickles to fill 40 total ounces/8, 5-ounce mason jars were filled today.

Special Equipment List: 1-cup measuring container; 2-quart saucepan; large spoon; large slotted spoon; small ladle; desired sized mason-type jars with tight-fitting lids

Cook's Note:  When I was growing up, there was almost always a jar of pickled eggs in our refrigerator.  If there wasn't, it was time to make more.  To this day, my mother's recipe for   ~ Pretty in Pink: Pennsylvania Dutch Pickled Eggs ~, is one of my favorite snacks. They are made via the quick-pickling method too, and, here in my Happy Valley kitchen, I make them with our own home-grown home-canned red beets.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ Amish Honey-Mustard & Pickle-Relish Pasta Salad ~

Walk into any Amish or Pennsylvania Dutch grocery store or a market that caters to a region with a large Amish population, then, walk up to the refrigerated deli-case.  There you'll find several traditional, high-quality side-dishes:  eggy-rich macaroni- and potato- salads, creamy cole slaw, sweet 'n sour slaw and pepper-cabbage.  Next, take a stroll down the condiment isle and gaze at the array of honey-mustard- and sweet and sour- salad dressings, dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, vinegar-marinated vegetables or mustardy chow-chows (a crunchy vegetable medley in mustard sauce).  Lastly, check out the sweet treats:  streusel-topped Dutch-apple, rhubarb-streusel and shoo-fly pies, crumb cake and coffeecake, apple dumplings, and, sand-tart or snickerdoodle cookies (to name a few).  Eat your sweet and savory heart out.

If you "shop Amish", you know what to expect.  If you're a tourist, be prepared to break your budget, but not because the food is over-priced -- it's not.  You are simply not going to be able to resist wanting to take a taste of everything home with you.  Lucky me.  Not only did I grow up in the Lehigh Valley region Eastern Pennsylvania where a lot this wonderfulness takes place, I married into a family where Nana (grandmother) was Pennsylvania Deutsch.  She, like all women of her persuasion, was an incredible cook.  I was in my late teens and early twenties at the time, but even back then, I was a smart enough cookie to "take advantage" of time spent with her in her kitchen, and enjoyed learning many of her recipes.  I've done very little to make them my own.

Amish macaroni salad recipes are all on the sweet side.

There are plenty of recipes for Amish macaroni salad in cookbooks and on-line.  They're all good, they're all a bit different, but, they're all similar on one point:  Amish macaroni salad is on the sweet side. Nana's recipe contains all the traditional ingredients (macaroni, celery, onion and bell pepper).  That said, she didn't add diced, crunch-tender blanched carrots  (as most traditional recipes do).  She used pimentos instead.  I can only assume for their sweet, tangy flavor and pretty red color.  There's more. Nana's secret was to add honey-mustard salad dressing into the mix, and, it adds absolutely delightful flavor.  This macaroni salad is so delightful, I'm always asked:

"This macaroni salad is special." "What's your secret?"

1  pound medium pasta shells

1  tablespoon sea salt, for adding to boiling water for pasta

6  large eggs, hard-cooked 

1  3-ounce jar chopped pimientos

1  cup each:  medium-diced green bell pepper, celery and onion

1/2 cup well-drained and diced bread and butter pickles, preferably homemade, or, high-quality store-bought 

1 1/2  cups mayonnaise

1/2  cup sour cream

1/2  cup honey-mustard salad dressing (not honey-mustard)

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2  teaspoon each:  celery seed, garlic powder, paprika, sea salt and coarse-grind black pepper

~Step 1.  In an 8-quart stockpot bring 5 quarts of water to a rolling boil and add the 1 tablespoon salt.  Add the pasta and cook until al dente.  Do not overcook.  Drain pasta into a colander and begin adding very cold tap water to cool it to room- or below-room temperature.  Give the colander a few good shakes, to remove excess moisture, then, spread pasta out on a baking pan that has been lined with a few layers of paper towels.  Set aside to "dry", meaning, not dry out, just dry of all moisture.  In a 2-quart saucepan, hard-cook the eggs -- no green rings please.  Drain the pimentos onto a small paper-towel-lined plate too.

*Note:  When chopping eggs for salads like egg, tuna- or pasta-, both of my grandmothers taught me to chop the yolk separately from the white.  It's not necessary, but it does look prettier.  

~Step 2.  Transfer pasta to a large bowl.  Dice eggs, celery, bell pepper, onion and pickles*, placing them in the bowl as you work.  In a medium bowl, stir together the mayo, sour cream, honey-mustard dressing, celery seed, garlic powder, paprika, sugar, salt and black pepper.

*Note:  Because almost all Amish and Pennsylvania Deutsch women make homemade bread and butter pickles, also known as sweet and sour pickles, there's no need to purchase sweet pickle relish.  Finely-diced bread and butter pickles are the best sweet pickle relish you will ever taste.

~Step 3.  Fold the mayonnaise mixture into the pasta mixture.  Cover and refrigerate until well-chilled, several hours to overnight.  Overnight is best.  Keep stored in refrigerator for 7-10 days, adding additional honey-mustard salad dressing, in small amounts, if necessary, to enhance its sweet and savory flavor and creamy texture.  Keep stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Portion into 1-quart containers & store in refrigerator: 

Would you like a crostini w/bacon, bread & butter pickles, roasted chicken breast & honey-mustard w/your Amish pasta salad?

Amish Honey-Mustard & Pickle-Reslish Pasta Salad:  Recipe yields approximately 4 1/2 pounds/3 quarts/12 cups.

Special Equipment List:  8-quart stockpot; colander; large baking pan; paper towels; 2-quart saucepan; cutting board; chef's knife; large rubber spatula

Cook's Note:  Pennsylvania Dutch cookery does not belong solely to PA and it is not Dutch either.  The term "Dutch" was the early English settlers slang for the German word "Deutsch".  So:  When most people incorrectly say "Pennsylvania Dutch", they should be saying "Pennsylvania Deutsch", crediting the Germanic or German-speaking immigrants from Germany and Switzerland for this cuisine.  The majority of these people were either Amish, Mennonite or Brethren, all of which were considered "Anabaptist". They were fleeing the mountains of Switzerland and southern Germany to avoid religious persecution and established several communites in the Lehigh Valley.  Why? Thank William Penn for his free-thinking, open-door, equal-opportunity-for-all of any religion or race politics.  Pennsylvania set an example for the other colonies, who all had established an official "State" religion.  Pennsylvania:  The first to welcome people of all beliefs and walks of life.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ Chicken, Cheddar, Bacon, Apple & Honey Mustard ~

Write this list of five ingredients down.  Why?  Together, they are a stellar Fall sandwich (or salad) combination.  Piled high between two slices of bread or tossed together in a bowl, along with some thinly-sliced onion and a few greens, they constitute a complete and salivatingly satisfying meal -- savory, sweet, and ever-so-slightly-salty, with plenty of meaty protein, tangy cheese, tart fruit and crisp vegetables.  It all gets pulled together with a drizzly dressing made of honey, mustard and mayonnaise, which complements each and every component perfectly.  

I like to stuff everything into a pita pocket, but, I have been known to serve 'em up on homemade cheddar biscuits, when I've got time and am inclined to bake biscuits.  Served on either, it's an exquisite sandwich.  That said, I put some thought into the "construction", meaning:  the order in which the ingredients would be layered.  While sandwiches can be as simple as "catch-as-catch-can", "grab the stuff and out the door you run", all sandwiches are not created equal:  

Some are hot and some are cold.  Some need to be eaten ASAP and some can be wrapped and transported long distances.  Some are neat and can be picked up to eat, others are sloppy and require a knife and fork.  In the case of this sandwich, I wanted it layered in a manner that kept it from deconstructing itself as I ate it -- I wanted it to stay relatively intact to the very last bite.  

A great sandwich is a properly-constructed sandwich:

For each sandwich:

1  pita pocket, sliced in half to form 2 half-moon shapes

2-3  tablespoons honey-mustard dressing, a generous 1 tablespoon per half sandwich

2  slices sharp yellow cheddar cheese, sliced in half to form 4 triangles, 2 triangles per half sandwich

2  very-thin slices red onion, sliced in half to form 4 half-moon shapes, 2 half-moon shapes per half sandwich

12 thin slices poached or roasted chicken breast, 6 thin slices per half sandwich

2  slices oven roasted bacon or pan-fried bacon, each slice cut into 4 pieces per half 

6  crisp and crunchy, in-season, unpeeled and thinly-sliced, half-moon-shaped apple slices, your favorite Fall apple, 3 half-moon-shaped slices per half sandwich 

4-6 generous tablespoons shredded iceberg lettuce (or your favorite crisp greens), about 2-3 tablespoons shredded lettuce per half sandwich

additional honey-mustard dressing, preferably homemade, for dipping or drizzling

potato chips or potato salad, for accompaniment

~Step 1.  Slice 1 pita pocket in half and open each half up.  Using a teaspoon or a butter knife, slather the inside, top and bottom, of each pita half, with about 1 generous tablespoon honey mustard dressing.  Cut 2 slices yellow sharp cheddar cheese in half to form 4 triangles and layer 2 pieces of cheese in the bottom each pita half.  Cut 2 very-thin slices red onion in half to form 2 half-moon shapes.  Place/distribute 2 of the half-moons, atop the cheese in each half.

~Step 2.  Atop the onion, arrange 6 thin slices poached or roasted chicken breast meat in each pita half.  Atop the chicken, arrange 4 quarter-pieces bacon (1 slice bacon cut into 4 pieces).  In each pita half, arrange 3 thin half-moon shaped apples slices atop the bacon.  Atop the apples slices in each pita half, "stuff" 2-3 tablespoons shredded lettuce.  It's pretty as a picture:

Drizzle w/additional honey-mustard dressing & serve:

Absolutely fantastic to the very last bite: 

Chicken, Cheddar, Bacon, Apple & Honey Mustard:  Recipe yields instructions to construct 1 pita sandwich/2 halves per person.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; teaspoon or butter knife

Cook's Note:  Those of you who know me, know I love roasted chicken, and, I truly do roast two chickens almost every week, just to have the meat on-hand for sandwiches and salads.  It's so much better than salty, store-bought deli-meat chicken. During the Fall and Winter months, I love to bake focaccia too, to have on-hand for sandwiches.  Got roasted chicken and focaccia too?  Check out my recipe for ~ Roasted-Chicken Caesar-Salad Focaccia Panini ~. It's more than worth the effort.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023) 

~How to: Make Roasted Chicken Carcass Soup Stock~

As unappetizing as the two words chicken carcass sound, culinarily, those are the words that describe what's left of a boned chicken (what's left after the meat has been removed from the bones), and, truth told, whether the carcass is raw or has been roasted, there is a ton of flavor in those bones.  There's more, and this is important:  Discarding a chicken carcass without extracting the flavor from it is such a waste it should be a crime.  Whether I have raw ones (which I rarely do) or roasted ones (which I often do), even if I don't have time to "deal with them" immediately, I put them in a bag in the freezer and make a date with them for another time.  

One of the benefits of roasting two chickens each week, is my ability to make a lot of "roasted chicken carcass soup stock".  Yes, I really do roast two chickens almost every week.  Rotisserie chicken is not my "gig" -- I find it to be overly greasy and I don't feel well after I eat it. Instead, I choose to put two six-pound chickens on a rack in a pan in a 350º oven for two hours.  When they come out, we enjoy one hot meal (usually with gravy and mashed or roasted potatoes), and, for the rest of the week, I have leftovers for sandwiches and salads.

~ Step 1.  Carve and remove the white breast meat and dark leg/thigh meat from both roasted chickens.  Using your fingers, remove and discard as much of the roasted skin from the two carcasses.  Place the carcasses in a 16-quart stockpot.  If the chickens have been roasted as per my directions, there will be some flavorful dripping in the bottom of the roasting pan.  Pour the drippings into a fat/lean separator, add the lean portion only to the stockpot, then, discard the fat portion.

~ Step 2.  To the stockpot with the carcasses and drippings, add:

10  quarts cold water

1  1/2  pounds large whole, peeled yellow or sweet onions

1  1/2-2  pounds whole, peeled carrots*

3/4  pound whole celery stalks

4  tablespoons dried parsley

4  tablespoons sea salt & 1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely-ground black pepper

*Note:  If this seems like a case of "carrot excess", it is.  I love lots carrots in my soup, and, since I use this stock to make soup, I cook a lot of them, all at once.  When portioning the stock into containers for the freezer, I place a few whole cooked carrots in each container.

~ Step 3.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Unlike making soup with meat-on whole chickens or raw chicken carcasses, there will be very little of the whitish/gray foamy matter that floats to the surface.  That said, if some surfaces, use a large slotted spoon or skimmer to remove and discard it.  Adjust heat to a gentle ready simmer. Continue to simmer, uncovered for 3 hours.  The soup will have reduced quite and bit, which will render it tastily rich.  Turn the heat off, cover pot and allow soup to steep for 3 more hours.

~ Step 4.  There will be 7-7 1/2 quarts of perfectly-seasoned chicken-soup stock.  Ladle the stock through a fine mesh strainer into desired-sized food storage containers (for the freezer) or jars (for the refrigerator).  These are 2-quart sized containers into which some of the whole, cooked carrots have been placed.  Use immediately as directed in recipe, or, refrigerate stock for up to 1 week, or keep frozen for 6-8-12 months.

Loads of rich, roasted flavor from roasted chicken carcasses:

Liquid gold-- Perfect for an upcoming chilly day lunch: 

How to:  Make Roasted Chicken Carcass Soup Stock:  Recipe yields 7-7 1/2 quarts perfectly-seasoned chicken-soup stock.  Simply add some diced celery, onion, and/or potatoes and simmer until veggies are tender.  Add cooked homemade egg noodles and it's time to eat.

Special Equipment List:  16-quart stockpot w/lid; fat/lean separator; large slotted spoon or skimmer; soup ladle; fine mesh strainer

Cook's Note:   Making chicken stock to use all year long is a big event in my kitchen.  I usually make it on one of the coldest days of the year, so that I can use the great outdoors (a secure area on my patio), to refrigerate the entire 24-quart stockpot overnight.  To get my recipe for chicken stock made with whole, meat-on-the-chickens chicken-soup stock, click this link to read my post ~ It's National Chicken Stock Day -- In Mel's Kitchen ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~Grillmarked: Thai-Inspired Hot & Sticky Honey Wings~

Wings and tailgate.  Tailgate and wings.  If two words ever went hand-in-hand onto the gridiron, yep, it would be those two.  If I say tailgate, you say wings, and, if there is one thing we tailgaters can't resist, it's a new wing-flavor-profile to experiment with.  I came across this one in the Parade Magazine insert of my mom's local newspaper about a decade ago.  Parade credits the recipe to Michael Gulotta, chef-owner of MoPho and Maypop restaurants in New Orleans.  It's a keeper.

The moment I read through the ingredients list, I knew I was gonna love this recipe.  For starters the combination of Greek-style yogurt and honey is, um, the bees knees. It's divine.  Stir in some Thai seasoning soy, fish sauce and Sriracha.  What's not to love about that trio.  Personally, I'd be willing to drink the marinade -- it is that good. Chef Gulatta cooks his outside on a gas grill, turning them frequently, while keeping the grill covered in between turns.  I did mine inside, in my grill pan, on my gas stove, uncovered.  They cooked longer, 25 minutes, but came out perfect.

Hey, Honey!  I've got a hankering for some wings!

2  pounds, large, meaty chicken wings, about 20-24 wings (Note from Mel:  If you want to push the wing count to 3 pounds, about 30-36 wings, the marinade amount can handle it.)

1  cup plain yogurt, preferably Greek-style

1/2  cup honey

1  tablespoon Thai fish sauce

2  tablespoons Thai seasoning soy sauce

1-2  tablespoons Sriracha sauce, to taste (Note:  Chef Gulatta says Sambal chile paste can be substituted.)

no-stick cooking spray, for preparing grill grids or grill pan

lime wedges for garnish and for squirting lime juice on wings

2-3  tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves, for sprinkling on wings prior to serving + cilantro sprigs for garnish

~Step 1.  In a small bowl, place the yogurt, honey, Thai fish sauce, Thai seasoning soy sauce (not Chinese soy sauce) and Sriracha.  Thoroughly stir it all together.  Place wings in a 1-gallon ziplock bag.  Add all the marinade to bag.  Close bag, toss to evenly and thoroughly coat wings in marinade and place in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, turning/tossing occasionally.

Note.  Remove the wings 45-60 minutes prior to cooking them (so they are not ice cold going onto the hot grill grids).  Open the bag and using a pair of tongs, remove wings from the marinade, gently shaking all the excess marinaded off, allowing it to drizzle back down into the bag. Transfer marinade to a small bowl and set aside -- it will get used as a basting sauce.

~Step 2.  Liberally spray gill pan with no-stick, place on the stovetop and heat over medium- medium-high.  Add the wings to pan, as many as will fit without crowding the pan.  Cook, regulating the heat over medium- medium-high, using a pair of tongs to turn the wings four times, about every 5 minutes, for 20 minutes, until golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes, using a pastry brush to lightly baste (dab their tops) every time you flip them over.  After 20 minutes, stop basting and spend the next 5-6 minutes turning & flipping the wings constantly, until they are nicely-browned over their entire surface area.  The entire process will take 25-30 minutes.

Garnish w/cilantro & lime wedges.  Asian broccoli slaw anyone?

Simply & undeniably some of the best wings I've ever eaten:

Grillmarked:  Thai-Inspired Hot & Sticky Honey Wings:  Recipe yields 20-24 appetizers/4-6 servings/4-6 wings per person.

Special Equipment List:  poultry shears; 1-gallon ziplock bag; outdoor gas grill or grill pan on stovetop; tongs; silicon (high-heat safe) pastry brush

Cook's Note:  To make my Asian Broccoli Slaw w/Honey-Sesame Dressing, in a medium bowl, place:

1, 12-ounce bag store-bought broccoli cole slaw  

For the dressing, whisk together:

1/4  cup each: vegetable oil and white rice vinegar

1  tablespoon each: sesame oil and Thai seasoning soy sauce

2  tablespoons honey

Add all of the dressing to slaw, toss together and refrigerate until well-chilled  1-2 hours or overnight.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ My Thai-Inspired Sesame Chicken Thigh Paillards ~

Once upon a time there was a woman in Happy Valley Pennsylvania who was planning to make chicken Milanese for dinner.  "In the style of Milan", it refers to a thinly-sliced and lightly-pounded protein dredged in flour, dipped in egg, then coated with breadcrumbs.  It's quickly-sautéed in butter and/or olive oil until golden. It's crispy outside, juicy and fork-tender inside, and, after squirt of lemon and a parsley garnish it's served the moment it comes out of the skillet.  It couldn't be easier, especially when cooking for just two.  I refer to it as one of my flash-in-the-pan dinners.  

(Italian Chicken Milanese - top photo.  Thai-style Milanese - bottom photo.)  I cook several flash-on-the-pan meals just for us two, and, we adore classic Italian Milanese.

That said, as that day progressed, I wondered if I could fuse the concept of Milanese with another cuisine? Namely, Thai-Asian.  You betcha. After I pounded the chicken thighs, I started by substituting sesame and peanut oil for butter and olive oil.  I whisked Thai seasoning soy and fish sauces into the egg mixture, instead of adding salt and pepper to the flour dredge. The decision to use Japanese panko breadcrumbs in place of Italian-style breadcrumbs was a no-brainer.  A garnish of lime and cilantro, instead of lemon and parsley finished my new dish off, and, I served it atop freshly-steamed jasmine rice with a side of broccoli, instead of my saffron rice which contains peas.  When we sat down to dinner, we were thrilled with our Thai-style Milanese -- complete with my homemade Thai peanut sauce  for dipping and drizzling too.

A bit about paillard (PI-yahrd):  This fancy French word means "to pound", and, references a lightly-pounded portion-sized slice or medallion of meat, poultry or seafood that gets quickly sautéed. A paillard is not madly smashed to smithereens.  Pounding should make it wider and thinner, with the point being to pound it in a manner that makes it even in thickness --  to break down the fibers, to tenderize it, and, to make it cook evenly.  It's done with a flat-sided meat mallet, not a sharp, pyramid-toothed gadget guaranteed to pulverize.  To those who smack away using the back of a heavy skillet, while the bravado is amusing, it's less than affective, as you can't concentrate the necessary force directly on the places that need it to do a truly expert job.

The taste and texture of lightly-pounded paillards is an extra step well worth the effort. I find it to be a time-saver too.  The time it takes to pound six boneless skinless chicken thighs, including the time to get out a cutting board, the plastic wrap and a flat-sided meat mallet is about five minutes. Once done, cooking the paillards is considerably faster and easier, had I not taken the time.

6  large boneless, skinless chicken thighs (Note:  This is approximately the equivalent of 3, boneless, skinless chicken breast halves that have been butterflied to form 6 pieces/portions.)

~ Step 1.  Place the thighs between two large layers of plastic wrap and lightly pound with the flat side of a meat mallet to a thickness of more than a 1/4" and less than 1/2".

~ Step 2. Remove and discard the top layer of plastic wrap and lightly sprinkle the tops of the perfectly-pounded thighs with:

Wonder Quick-Mixing flour for Sauce and Gravy (a granular flour which doesn't clump),  or, ordinary all-purpose flour

~ Step 3.  Allow the chicken to rest 5-10 minutes, to allow the flour time to absorb moisture from chicken.  

During this rest time, sprinkle a light layer of flour in the bottom of a 13" x 9" x 12", 3-quart casserole, and, in a 1-cup measuring container, using a fork, vigorously whisk together:

4 large eggs with 1  tablespoon Thai seasoning soy sauce and 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce.

~Step 4.  Pick up each piece of chicken and place, floured side down in the lightly-floured casserole. Flour the second sides (now the top sides) and set aside another 5-10 minutes.  Add the whisked egg mixture to the casserole and allow the chicken to rest in the egg mixture, using a fork to stop and "flip-flop" chicken around in the eggs two-three times for 5-10 last minutes.

~ Step 5.  In each of two, shallow 9" pie-type dishes, place 1 cup panko breadcrumbs.  Place three chicken thighs in each dish and coat in crumbs, taking time, 3-5 total minutes, to stop and "flip-flop" them, 2-3-4 times, to evenly and completely coat.  Taking time to do this "right", insures the crumbs will stay in place as they sauté -- because they've absorbed lots of moisture from the egg mixture.

~Step 6.  In a 16" electric skillet over low heat (225°), heat 6 tablespoons peanut oil with 2 tablespoons sesame oil.  Increase heat to medium- medium-high (240°-250°). Add the cutlets to skillet.  Sauté gently until light-golden in color on both sides, turning only once, about 6-7 minutes per side, adjusting the heat as needed to prevent over-browning (which will dry them out). Season tops with freshly-ground sea salt and serve immediately.

Note:  If doubling or tripling the recipe to feed more people, transfer cooked cutlets to a wire cooling rack that has been placed on a 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking sheet lined with parchment in a modest 225°-230° oven (for up to 30 minutes) while continuing to dredge, dip, coat and dry.

Serve atop steamed jasmine rice w/Thai peanut sauce:

Garnished w/a lime wedge & a sprig of cilantro.

My Thai-Inspired Sesame Chicken Thigh Paillards:  Recipe yields 6 servings.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; plastic wrap; flat-sided meat mallet; 13" x 9" x 2", 3-quart casserole; 1-cup measuring container; fork; 2, 9" pie dishes; 16" electric skillet; long-handled fork and/or spatula; 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pan; parchment paper; wire cooling rack

Cook's Note:  For a similar dish (a variation of the same theme without the crispy breadcrumb coating), containing white wine, capers and lemon, click into Categories 12, 20 or 26 to read my recipe ~ For those Times When Ya Just Gotta Have Piccata ~.  In Italian, "piccata" translates to "piquant" or "tangy" or "zesty", and, in the case of this recipe, a few pats of cold butter are stirred into the pan-drippings to make a tangy sauce for drizzling over the top of the finished dish.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ Thai-Style Chicken-Tender Peanut-Butter Red Curry~

Peanut butter?  Yep.  Pulverized wok-roasted peanuts are commonly served with or in Thai food, and:  Oh my Thai -- if you love Thai food, as I do, you want this recipe in your recipe box.  If you cook Thai food, as I do, even if only on an occasional basis, I'm guessing you already have everything you need in the Asian section of your pantry and refrigerator to make this meal without making a special trip to your local Asian market.  Is this an authentic Thai recipe?  Yes and no. Yes, in that the flavors are authentic Thai.  No, in that I took a few shortcuts (mostly in the form of a can of store-bought red curry paste and some Jiff extra-crunchy peanut butter), but, nothing that a Thai cook would call me out on. Ok, perhaps a few Thai cooks would call me out, but, too bad. I'm an American gal in an American kitchen and I love Thai food.  To my Thai friends, be flattered.

In my food world, curries are comfort food.  Served steeping hot over or with freshly-steamed rice, they're perfect for the crisp, cold days of Fall and Winter.  Once the ingredients are prepped, which typically takes me about 30 minutes, Thai curries are relatively quick and easy to prepare. They can contain meat, poultry, fish or shellfish (never a combination, but, one can be substituted for another, so feel free to do so), and they range in texture from very soupy to very thick and stewlike.  That said, they differ from other curries (like Indian and Jamaican), in that they rely upon a variety of freshly-made pulverized "wet" curry pastes rather than "dry" curry powders.

Nowadays, busy cooks, even Thai cooks, purchase canned curry pastes, and, the ones sold in Asian markets are of high-quality. That said, savvy Thai cooks add a few things to store-bought curry paste to brighten and personalize the flavor -- which is exactly what I've learned to do.

Today's stewlike red chicken curry recipe is a dish I was taught to make back in 1993 by a Home Economist from Thailand living in Happy Valley with her husband Fu. Kanya and I became foodie friends fast, and, over the course of two years, I had the priviledge of learning how to combine Thai ingredients to properly balance the classic four Thai flavors -- hot, sour, sweet & salty -- and serve them in authentic Thai style too.

Two time-savers: canned curry paste & peanut butter:

2 1/2  pounds chicken breast tenderloins, sliced into 1"-1 1/2" pieces

1  8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, well-drained

6  tablespoons sesame oil

2  teaspoons curry powder

1  teaspoon powdered turmeric

1-1 1/2  4-ounce cans Thai red curry paste (Note:  Red curry paste is your heat gauge.  Use 1 can for less spice, 1 1/2 cans for medium spice, and, 2 cans for a lot of spice.  I use 1 1/2 cans.)

1 1/2  cups medium-diced red bell pepper

1  cup thinly-sliced green onion, white and light-green part only (diced yellow or sweet onion may be substituted

1  15-ounce can straw mushrooms, well-drained, 1 generous cup

1  13 1/2-ounce can coconut milk

1  tablespoon Thai fish sauce (Note: Thai fish sauce is the "salt" of Thailand.)

2  tablespoons Thai seasoning soy sauce (Note:  Thai soy sauce differs from Chinese soy sauce, so, make sure the label reads "seasoning soy" or "Thai soy" sauce.)

2  tablespoons Thai palm sugar or light brown sugar 

4  tablespoon crunchy-style peanut butter

3/4  cups chopped, wok-roasted peanuts, from 1 cup blanched, unsalted peanuts (Note: See Cook's Note at end of post.) 

4-6  fresh or dried kaffir lime leaves  (Note:  I keep fresh ones in my freezer and dried ones in my pantry at all times.)

1  cup minced, fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

6  cups steamed jasmine rice (Note:  This allows 1-1 1/2 cups steamed rice per person.)

~ Step 1.  Slice and place the chicken cubes in the work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade, along with the well-drained water chestnuts.  Using a series of about 20 rapid on-off pulses, coarsely grind the chicken and rough chop the water chestnuts.  Remove from work bowl and set aside.

~Step 2.  In a 16" electric skillet, heat 6 tablespoons of sesame oil over 250° (medium-high on the stovetop).  Add the red curry paste, curry powder and powdered turmeric.  Using a large nonstick spoon, work the wet curry and the dry spices into the sesame oil and cook until curry paste is bubbling and fragrant, about 30-45 seconds.  Add chicken/water chestnut mixture, bell pepper, scallions and straw mushrooms.  Stir until ingredients are evenly-coated in curry and spices.

Note:  I prefer to use a 16" electric skillet to prepare this type of Thai curry dish for my family. Why?  It has the capacity to make enough to feed 6-8 people + enough surface area to produce a rather quick evaporation of liquid, which thickens the curry, and, it controls the heat perfectly too (a 5 1/2-quart chef's pan w/straight-deep sides on the stovetop may be substituted).

~Step 3.  Sauté, stirring constantly, until chicken is cooked through, 6-8 minutes.  Add and stir in the coconut milk, fish sauce, seasoning soy, palm or light-brown sugar, peanut butter, kaffir lime leaves and 1/4 cup of wok-roasted peanuts.  Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly combined and curry sauce is uniform in color, 1-2 minutes.  Adjust heat to simmer gently but steadily, about 220°-225° (medium on the stovetop), until curry sauce is nicely thickened, about 15-20 minutes. Turn heat off, cover skillet and allow to steep while steaming rice and mincing cilantro garnish. 

"When in Rome."  A bit of Thai-style mealtime etiquette:

We've all heard the saying, "when in Rome, do as the Romans."  It means, when in a foreign country, or, being entertained by foreigners:  respect their customs.  In Thailand, meals are served family-style.  Each dish is served in its own vessel, and, after the food is on the table, everyone sits down together.  The food is passed and it's impolite to take too much of any one item at one time, but, it's very polite to go back for seconds or thirds.  There's more.  Because Thai food is bite-sized (sliced, diced, chopped, or pulverized), you will never find a knife on a Thai table.  For a proper Thai place setting:  a plate and/or bowl, a fork and a spoon, and, a water glass.

Portion some rice in a bowl, top generously w/chicken curry, then, garnish w/a sprinkling of peanuts & cilantro: 

Oh my Thai -- that very first Thai-licious forkful:

Thai-Style Chicken-Tender Peanut-Butter Red Curry:  Recipe yields 9-10 cups thick, hearty, stewlike curry/6-8 servings.  Leftovers freeze, thaw and reheat (in the microwave) really well.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; food processor; 16" electric skillet w/lid or 5 1/2-quart chef's pan w/straight, deep sides on stovetop; large nonstick spoon; electric rice steamer (optional)

Cook's Note: To wok-roast the peanuts, place a thin coating of sesame oil in bottom of a wok and swirl to coat the wok a few inches up the sides -- the amount of oil will vary depending upon size of  wok. Heat over medium-high, add peanuts and stir-fry, stirring constantly, until golden, 1-2-3 minutes.  Cool and chop the nuts.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~Grillmarked: Ground Chicken Caprese-Style Burgers~

Today is a glorious day in early-September, but unless we get a wealth of warm weather and sunshine for at least three more weeks, it's probable that I picked the last substantive batch of garden tomatoes this morning -- and it's been a banner year.  While walking my basket of dew-covered beauties back to my kitchen, I passed by my last full-leafed basil plant, the one I've been saving for that celebratory "last caprese day" of the season.  Today ended up being the day.

While I'm always, and I mean always, in the mood for a classic caprese salad (sliced same-day-picked garden tomatoes, fresh buffalo-milk mozzarella cheese, basil leaves, a drizzle of fruity olive oil -- occasionally a splash of balsamic vinegar too -- freshly-ground sea salt and pepper), I reminded myself how much Joe was looking forward to my thick, juicy chile cheddar cheeseburgers w/chile-lime mayo for an early dinner on our deck tonight.  A promise is a promise, and, when a man's got cheeseburgers on his mind, it's pretty hard to change it. Then it not only rained, it poured.

The move indoors opened the topic up for discussion, which was convenient because I'd had "this caprese thing" rattling around in my head all morning.  Very diplomatically, I said, "How about chicken-burgers done in the grill pan instead.  I've got all the stuff on-hand to make them caprese-style.  We can make cheeseburgers anytime."  Joe's response:  "Sounds like a plan."  Joe likes plans.  Dinner was divine -- Joe still got a great burger and I quelled my caprese craving:

A moist, juicy chicken burger full of caprese flavors + a drizzle of some awesome balsamic mayonnaise = a great burger.

For the chicken burgers:

2  pounds chicken breast tenderloins, sliced into 1"-1 1/2" pieces

1  medium yellow or sweet onion, medium-diced, 6-7 ounces, about 1 1/2 cups 

2  large garlic cloves

1/2  cup chiffonade of fresh basil leaves

1  extra-large egg

1/2  teaspoon dried basil leaves

1/2  teaspoon sea salt

1/2  teaspoon coarsely-ground black pepper

16  slices deli-style mozzarella cheese, or, 8 slices deli-style mozzarella cheese + 8 slices deli-style provolone cheese, your choice

no-stick cooking spray, for preparing grill pan

For the assembly and garnishes:

8  burger rolls of choice

2-3 cups shredded romaine lettuce, a generous 1/4 cup per sandwich

16-24 tomato slices, 2-3 per sandwich depending upon size of tomatoes

balsamic mayonnaise (Note:  See Cook's Note at end of recipe.)

16-24 large, whole, fresh basil leaves, 2-3 per sandwich

~Step 1.  Slice and place the chicken piecess in the work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade, along with the diced onion and basil chiffonade.  Using a series of 20 rapid on-off pulses, coarsely-grind the chicken, along with the onion and basil.  Add the egg, dried basil, sea salt and pepper to work-bowl of processor.  With processor motor running for 10-15 seconds, incorporate the egg and spices throughout the now finely-ground chicken.  Refrigerate 1-2 hours.

Note:  You will have a little over 2 1/2 pounds chicken mixture.  The mixture will resemble the soft "sticky" consistency of a meatloaf mixture rather than a typical burger mixture.  This is intentional. Because ground chicken is naturally dry when it is cooked, extra moisture must be added to the poultry mixture at the outset, and, it was done in the form of onion, garlic and fresh basil.

~ Step 2.  Line a 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pan with parchment paper.  Using a kitchen scale as a measure, divide poultry mixture into 8, 5-ounce portions, form the portions into 3 1/2"-round x 3/4"-thick discs, placing them side-by-side on pan.  While you can form the burgers, like you would less-sticky hamburgers, using your hands, if you have a 3 1/2" food ring and a tablespoon, it'll be incredibly easy (and you won't get "sticky chicken goo" all over your fingers and palms of hands).  Cover pan with plastic wrap and partially-freeze burgers for 55-60 minutes, no longer than that.

Note:  Partially freezing the burgers makes them easy to handle when it comes time to put them on the grill pan (or on the grids of a gas grill outdoors).  Do not freeze the burgers completely. You want them just firm enough to easily lift off the parchment while maintaining their shape.

~Step 3.  Spray grill pan with no-stick cooking spray and place over medium heat on stovetop. Place as many chicken burgers as will comfortably fit (without crowding pan) on the grill grid. Cook, turning only once, until burgers are golden on both sides, about 13-15 minutes per side, lowering the heat if and when necessary to keep them from over-browning or burning before they cook through to their centers. Safe temperature = safe-to-eat poultry:  use an instant-read meat thermometer to insure burgers have reached an internal temperature of 165°.  

Once an internal temperature of 162°-165º has been reached, adjust heat as low as it will go, top each burger with 2 mozzarella slices, cover the grill pan and wait for cheese to melt, 1-1 1/2 minutes.  

Note:  Grill pans don't come with lids.  The lid to my 16"-quart Cuisinart stockpot fits on my Cuisinart grill pan.  Can't find a lid? Cover the pan with a piece of foil.

Note:  To cook on an outdoor gas grill, preheat grill to medium.  Place burgers, side-by-side, either over indirect heat or on the upper rack of grill (if you have one).  Close lid and allow to cook 13-15 minutes.  After 13-15 minutes, open the grill lid.  Using a long-handled grilling spatula, flip burgers over.  They will have firmed up and be golden brown on the first side.  Close the grill lid and continue to cook on the second side for 13-15 minutes, or, to an internal temperature of 165°.

Some assembly required:

Bun, shredded lettuce, burger, tomatoes, mayo & basil:

Pick it (or half of it) up in your mitt:

Savor each & every end-of-caprese-season bite:

Grillmarked:  Ground Chicken Caprese-Style Burgers:  Recipe yields 8 large, hearty caprese-style chicken burgers & 1/2 cup balsamic mayonnaise/1 tablespoon mayo per burger.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; food processor; 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pan; parchment paper; kitchen scale; 3 1/2" food ring and tablespoon; grill pan w/lid; instant-read meat thermometer

Cook's Note: To make 1/2 cup balsamic mayo, in a small bowl, stir together:

1/2  cup mayonnaise

1  tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/4  teaspoon each:  garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, coarsely-ground black pepper and sea salt

Refrigerate 1 hour prior to serving.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ Nice & Easy No-Nonsense Quick-Mix Apple Bread ~

Nice and easy, no-nonsense, quick-to-mix.  One bowl, a whisk and a spatula -- no mixer required. Yep.  Those words accurately sum up this recipe, and, the end more than justifies the means, meaning:  it's hard to believe something this easy can taste this divine.  While apple bread isn't the most photogenic (brown food in general isn't), don't let its monochromatic appearance fool you.  It's dense but not heavy, has a delicately-moist crumb, and, it's bursting with apple flavor -- perfect for any Fall breakfast or brunch buffet table.  Me?  I love it toasted (on the rack of my toaster oven, not a conventional toaster) and slathered with soft, creamy butter.

A bit about quick bread:  "Quick bread" is an American term that refers to bread that is quick to make because it doesn't require kneading or rising time.  It originated during the American civil war, when the demand for food and bread was high.  Innovative cooks began rapidly producing bread and baked goods that were leavened with baking soda rather than yeast.  Nowadays, the leavening agent is predominately double-acting baking powder, or, a combination of baking powder and baking soda.  In the case of baking powder, it is called "double acting" because the rising process starts the moment it makes contact with the liquids, and, gives a second burst of rising power when the bread enters the hot oven.  Typically, quick breads contain eggs, flour, salt and fat (butter, margarine, shortening or oil) and leavening.  That said, they can be sweet or savory and contain sugar, fruits, fruit purée, vegetables, vegetable purée and various liquids (milk, buttermilk, fruit juice or stock).  The wet and dry ingredients are mixed separately, in two different bowls, then briefly stirred together just prior to baking.  FYI:  Biscuits, cornbread, muffins, pancakes, scones, soda bread and waffles -- they all fall into the quick-bread category too.

Fall is in the air & that means apple season is here!

1  cup vegetable oil

3  large eggs

1  teaspoon pure apple extract (optional)

1  teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2  cups sugar

2 1/2  cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1  teaspoon baking powder

1  teaspoon baking soda

1  teaspoon sea salt

1  teaspoon apple pie spice

3 cups peeled and medium-diced apples, about 3, 8-10-ounce apples

Sugan 'n Cinnamon, for topping loaves

no-stick cooking spray, for preparing loaf pans

~ Step 1.  In a large bowl, whisk the oil, extracts and eggs together until smooth. Add the sugar and whisk again, to thoroughly combine.  Set aside 5-10 minutes, to give the sugar plenty of time to dissolve, then whisk again.

~Step 2.  While the oil mixture is resting, peel and dice the apples.  

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and apple pie spice.  Add half of the flour mixture to the oil mixture. Using a large rubber spatula, fold the flour into the oil.  Add the second half of the flour and repeat, folding until the ingredients are just moistened.  A thick batter will have formed.  Fold in all of the apples.

~Step 3.   Spoon and divide batter between two loaf pans that have been sprayed with no-stick. Generously sprinkle top of each loaf with Sugar 'n Cinnamon.  Bake on center rack of preheated 325° oven, 55-60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and place loaves, in pans, on a wire rack to cool for 15-20 minutes prior to inverting them out of pans onto rack to cool 1 1/2-2 hours, prior to slicing warm or at room temperature.

Bake in 325° oven, 55-60 minutes & cool in pans 15-20 minutes prior to inverting onto wire rack to cool completely:

Dense but not heavy, delicately moist & slathered w/butter:

Nice & Easy No-Nonsense Quick-Mix Apple Bread:  Recipe yields 2 loaves, approximately 10 slices per loaf, depending upon how thick or thin loaves are sliced.

Special Equipment List:  wire whisk; large rubber spatula; 2, 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 1/2", 1 1/2-quart loaf pans, preferably glass; cake tester or toothpick; wire cooling rack

Cook's Note:  Whether we want to admit it or not, Fall is just around the corner.  Pumpkins are synonymous with Fall, and, my husband Joe grows them in our backyard -- the little sweet "sugar pumpkins" as they are affectionately called.  If you're so inclined, check out my recipe for Joe's Favorite Roasted-Pumpkin Quick Bread.  Paired with today's apple bread, they're a dynamite duo on any breakfast or brunch table.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023) 

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~Oatmeal Peanut-Butter Milk-Chocolate-Chip Cookies~

At 4:30AM I took my poodle outside.  The sun wasn't up, but the dairy cows in the pasture next-door, affectionately referred to by me as the think-tank, were laying down on the ground, and, just as they often do, making snorting noises.  The thing about cows is, when they are laying down, whether you believe the "old wives tale or not, nine out of ten times you can expect rain or a rainy day.  While walking my pooch back to the house, I decided to bake cookies today.

Oatmeal, peanut butter & chocolate chip: 3 favorites in 1 cookie.

1/2  cup salted butter, at room temperature, very soft (1 stick)

1/2  cup lightly-packed light brown sugar

1/2  cup sugar

3/4  cup crunchy peanut butter

1  large egg

2  teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1  cup unbleached-all-purpose flour

3/4  cup old-fashioned rolled oats, not instant oatmeal

1  teaspoon baking soda

1/4  teaspoon salt

1  cup milk-chocolate chips

~Step 1.  In a large bowl, place butter, brown sugar, sugar, peanut butter, egg and vanilla.  On high speed of hand-held electric mixer, cream ingredients together, while scraping sides of bowl down with a rubber spatula, about 1 full minute.  Lower mixer speed to medium and incorporate the flour, baking soda and salt, followed by the oatmeal, scraping down sides of bowl as you mix.

~Step 2.  Remove mixer.  Using spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.  Using a 1 3/4" ice-cream scoop as a measure, place balls of cooking dough, well-apart, on each of 2, 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pans that have been lined with parchment.  Bake, one-pan-at-a-time on center rack of 340º oven, 12-14 minutes, until barely browned.  Remove from oven and cool, in pans, 3 minutes prior to using a spatula to transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely, 1-1 1/2 hours.

Bake in 340° oven, 12-14 minutes, remove from oven & cool in pans 3 minutes, transfer to wire rack to cool completely: 

Crispy outside & chewy inside w/a salty edge -- perfection:

Oatmeal Peanut-Butter Milk-Chocolate-Chip Cookies:  Recipe yields 2 dozen, 3"-round cookies.

Special Equipment List:  hand-held electric mixer; large rubber spatula; 1 3/4" ice-cream scoop; 2, 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pans; parchment paper; thin spatula; wire cooling rack

Cook's Note:  For generations, we Americans have had a love affair with chocolate chip cookies. Surveys unanimously and overwhelmingly place the chocolate chip cookie at the top of our all-time favorite cookie list for over three-quarters of our population, and, it all started with the all-American Toll House cookie.  Who do we thank for and what's the history behind this iconic cookie?  To find out, read my post  ~ The Original Nestlé's Toll House Cookie Recipe ~.  Trust me. I'm certain you'll find it fascinating.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ Creamy Old English and Pimento Cheese Crab Dip ~

During the college football season, I add a few staples to my pantry and refrigerator lineup.  When you live in a college town, you never (and I mean never) know when you're going to need to fix a quick appetizer.  I make sure I'm never without pasteurized crabmeat in my refrigerator and Kraft Old English and Pimento Cheese spreads in my pantry.  If the doorbell rings or the fans on the couch run out of wings, I can have crab dip on the cocktail table in about five minutes.

Give me five minutes, I'll make you some great crab dip:

1-pound pasteurized crabmeat, drained of any excess moisture

8  tablespoons salted butter, melted (1 stick)

1/4-1/2  teaspoon (a generous/heaping 1/4 teaspoon) garlic powder

1/4-1/2  teaspoon (a generous/heaping 1/4 teaspoon) onion powder

1  5-ounce jar Kraft Old English Cheese Spread, softened-slightly in the microwave

1, 5-ounce jar Kraft Pimento Cheese Spread

1/2  cup high-quality mayonnaise, preferably Duke's or Hellmann's

~Step 1.  In a 1-cup measuring container, place the butter, garlic and onion powders.  In the microwave, melt the butter and set aside.  In a medium bowl, place the crabmeat, Old English cheese spread and pimento cheese spread and mayonnaise.  Drizzle in the melted butter. Using a spoon, thoroughly combine all ingredients together.  Serve immediately and/or keep stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.  Serve at room temperature.

Got leftover crab dip?  Try it hot:  

Broiled atop toasted English muffins for breakfast:

Creamy Old English and Pimento Cheese Crab Dip:  Recipe yields 4 cups dip or spread.

Special Equipment List:  1-cup measuring container; spoon; 4-cup food storage container w/tight-fitting lid.

Cook's Note: When I was a kid, my mom kept the Old English next to the Pimento Cheese  -- on the door of our refrigerator.  I adored them, but, was a young adult when I learned pimento cheese was Southern.  I thought it was Kraft. Live and learn -- I learned how to make my own ~ Southern Comfort: Classic Pimento Cheese Spread ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ Old English Cheese Spread & Crabmeat Canapés ~

These appetizers were one of our Happy Valley tailgate traditions.  I fondly remember one of our members, Joan Reilly, making them for our early AM pre-tailgate tailgates -- prior to leaving for the stadium.  She and her husband Joe lived close to Beaver Stadium, and, it was not unusual for us to meet, as a group, on the cul-de-sac in front of their house, to wait for our friend with the RV to arrive from Harrisburg.  While we were all chatting and sipping Stan's Bloody Mary's, Joan would pass around a baking sheet full of her cheesy English-muffin-based crabmeat canapés.

Crab bites, crab melts, crab toasties, crab melt-a-ways and crabbys (or krabbys when made with imitation krab meat).  These are just a few of the names you'll find associated with this vintage (circa 1970's) recipe.

All recipes for  these rely on an English muffin base and a concoction consisting of pasteurized crabmeat and Old English cheese spread.  Some recipes are baked, and others are broiled.  Mine (actually Joan's) is a combination of both.  I lightly toast the muffins first, heap them with the crab mixture, then broil them for a few short moments.  Some folks claim they can be assembled and frozen, to be baked and/or broiled at a later date, but, these "crab thingies" are so gosh darned easy to make, I've never been willing to risk compromising them by freezing.  When I was a kid, my mother kept Kraft Old English cheese spread in our refrigerator right next to their pimento cheese spread.  I like to use 1, 5-ounce jar of each to make my crabmeat canapés -- that choice is yours.

Steaming-hot & straight-out-of-the-oven --

What a yummy little way to start game day.

1  1-pound can pasteurized crabmeat, drained of any excess moisture

8  tablespoons salted butter, melted (1 stick)

1/4-1/2  teaspoon (a generous/heaping 1/4 teaspoon) garlic powder

1/4-1/2  teaspoon (a generous/heaping 1/4 teaspoon) onion powder

2  5-ounce jars Kraft Old English Cheese Spread, softened-slightly in the microwave, or, 1, 5-ounce jar Old English + 1, 5-ounce jar Kraft Pimento Cheese Spread, which is my favorite

1/2  cup high-quality mayonnaise, preferably Duke's or Hellmann's

9  Thomas' English Muffins, split to form 18 pieces (Note:  I purchase 9-packs at our local Sam's Club.)

sliced grape or cherry tomato "coins", for garnish

~Step 1.  In a 1-cup measuring container, place butter, garlic and onion powders.  In the microwave, melt the butter and set aside.  In a medium bowl, place the crabmeat, Old English cheese spread and optional pimento cheese spread and mayonnaise.  Drizzle in the melted butter. Using a spoon, thoroughly combine all ingredients together.

~Step 2.  Using a serrated knife, slice muffins in half.  Don't split them with a fork. Slicing them will yield 12 even-sized halves.  Splitting them will not. In toaster or on rack of toaster oven, toast English muffin halves until nicely-browned.  Place toasted halves on baking pans that have been lined with parchment paper.  Using a spoon, scoop 3 tablespoons filling onto the center of each muffin.  Use the spoon to flatten and spread the filling out across the top. Place pan of muffins, 5 1/2"-6" underneath preheated broiler, for 3 minutes, watching carefully during the last 30 seconds, as they will go from nicely-golden to horribly burned very quickly.

It's ok eat one whole too, as a breakfast or brunch entrée:

It's just a bigger, yummier way to start game day:

Old English Cheese Spread & Crabmeat Canapés:  Recipe yields 4 cups crabmeat & cheese filling,  enough to top 18 English muffin halves, and, 6 dozen bite-sized appetizers/72 bite-sized triangular-shaped pieces.

Special Equipment List:  1-cup measuring container; serrated bread knife; toaster or toaster oven; 1, 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pan, or, 3, 12 1/2" x 8 3/4" baking pans; parchment paper

Cook's Note: As mentioned above, my mom kept the Old English next to the Pimento Cheese  -- on the door of our refrigerator.  I adored them, but, was a young adult when I learned pimento cheese was Southern.  I thought it was Kraft. Live and learn -- I learned how to make my own ~ Southern Comfort: Classic Pimento Cheese Spread ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ Southern Comfort: Classic Pimento Cheese Spread ~

When I was a little kid, pimento cheese spread was a staple in our refrigerator -- right next to the Old English cheese spread.  I had absolutely no idea it was Southern.  I thought it was Kraft. To this day, if someone puts a jar on of the store-bought stuff on the table next to a box of Ritz crackers, I'm more than happy to sit down and dig right in.  Slather it between two slices of white bread and make me a pimento-cheese grilled-cheese sandwich and I'll follow you anywhere.

Known as "the caviar of the South, or, "Southern pâté",

pimento (or pimiento) cheese is a Southern thing.

Throughout my adulthood, I've had occasion to travel to various destinations in more than a few Southern states, and, whether I'm looking for it or not, more often than not, pimento cheese appears on pub grub or restaurant menus in some fashion.  Sometimes I don't even have to look or ask for it -- it shows up as a complimentary snack.  No two cooks or establishments make it the same way, some versions are better than others (I'm not a fan of those containing cream cheese), but, rare is the person who doesn't take a liking to it immediately given the chance to sample it.  

A bit about pimento cheese:  In its basic form, it consists of few ingredients:  shredded and mashed or processed yellow cheddar and/or processed cheese (like Velveeta), a jar or can of diced or sliced pimentos (a small, 2"-3" wide, 3"-4" long, red, heart-shaped, sweet, succulent pepper), high-quality mayonnaise (Duke's or Hellmann's -- more mayo than you think is necessary), Louisiana-style cayenne pepper sauce and/or Worcestershire sauce, plus, seasonings (like garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.  Its consistency ranges from ultra-smooth to slightly-chunky. It can be soothingly mild or spicy hot.  

It can be used to make pimento cheese sandwiches or as a spread in all sorts of sandwiches or on crackers, a dip for vegetables (its especially good scooped into a stalk of celery), mixed into deviled egg filling, added to grits, or used as a yummy topping for hamburgers or hot dogs.  

Pimento cheese trivia:  Fancy pimento cheese, finger-food-sized tea sandwiches (with the crusts removed from the white bread) are a signature item served at the Augusta National Golf Club at The Masters Tournament every year.  Controversy arose in 2013 when the golf club switched food suppliers and the new supplier couldn't duplicate the previous supplier's recipe, resulting in sandwiches with a markedly different taste -- it didn't happen twice.  In an episode of AMC's Breaking Bad, Mike Ehrmantraut offers a pimento cheese sandwich to Jesse Pinkman on a stakeout together.  In an episode of AMC's Breaking Bad spinoff show, Better Call Saul, Mike (Ehrmantraut) brings a pimento cheese sandwich to a bodyguard job instead of a weapon.  After binge-watching Breaking Bad in reruns (for the second time) over the past few days, I've got pimento cheese sandwiches fresh on my mind.

6  tablespoons high-quality mayonnaise, preferably Dukes or Hellmann's with Dukes being the traditional and Southern favorite

1  teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2  teaspoon Louisianna-style cayenne pepper sauce, to taste (optional)

1/2  ounce diced yellow or sweet yellow onion

1  large garlic clove

1/2  teaspoon celery salt

1/4-1/2  teaspoon coarsely-ground black pepper

4  ounces shredded sharp yellow cheddar cheese

4  ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese, with or without Jalapeños, your choice

1  4-ounce jar pimentos, well-drained (Note:  Pimentos are sold sliced or diced, in 2-, 4- and 7-ounce jars.  A 4-ounce jar measures just shy of 1/2 cup, so, if you are measuring from a different size jar, use that amount.  A 2-ounce jar yields a generous/heaping 2 tablespoons.)

~Step 1.  In the work bowl of a small-capacity food processor, place the diced onion and garlic clove.  Using a series of 15-20 rapid on-off pulses, process to just short of a purée, stopping to scrape down the sides of the work bowl with a small spatula every 5-6 pulses.  Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate for a moment or two, to allow the paper towels to absorb excess moisture. You will have a generous tablespoon of onion and garlic mixture.  Place the pimentos on a paper-towel-lined plate to absorb excess moisture.  Grate the cheeses and set aside.

~Step 2.  In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, Worcestershire, optional cayenne pepper sauce, celery salt and coarsely-ground black pepper.  Add the grated cheeses and well-drained pimentos.  Throughly fold and stir the mixture together, using the side of the spatula to chop up the cheeses as you work.  Transfer to a 2-cup-sized food storage container, cover, and refrigerate, 2-3 hours or overnight, prior to serving as it is, slightly chunky, or, whirring it in the food processor for a few seconds to give it an ultra-smooth consistency.

Slightly-chunky or ultra-smooth -- it's your choice:

This Yankee gal likes hers smooth -- slathered on a Rtiz:

Southern Comfort:  Classic Pimento Cheese Spread:  Recipe yields a generous 1 1/2 cups.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; small-capacity food processor; paper towels; hand-held box grater; large rubber spatula; 2-cup-sized food storage container w/tight-fitting lid

Cook's Note:  Next to pimento cheese spread, there is only one cheese concoction that I can't live without.  It's another blast-from-my-past, but I think, ~ Confessions from a Port Wine Cheese Ball Lover ~, is a post you might enjoy reading. 

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ She's Gone Bananas: Banana-Walnut Bundt Cake ~

How many bananas can a gal put into a bundt cake?  Every time I bake this banana cake, I push the envelope a little farther, and, today I used the entire bunch.  Six bananas.  It yielded a total of 3 cups mashed bananas, and, the recipe, which started out using 1 3/4-2 cups, came out super-moist and full-flavored -- just perfect.  Often times, this is how recipes are developed or improved upon (by trial, error and gutsy experimentation).  That said, me thinks I'll stop improving this one.

The original recipe came from my mother's recipe box and I'm pretty certain she got it from her mother.  Why?  Because my grandmother, a woman who cooked her way through the depression, used oil instead of butter to bake most of her cakes (even after the depression, she still used oil). If you're thinking oil is a compromise, you're wrong.  It makes for a very moist cake.  My mom made banana cake often because dad loved bananas and all things bananas.  Mom made it in a 13" x 9" x 2" baking pan, so, if you'd rather a sheet cake than a bundt cake, it will work just fine.

Rather make a sheet cake?  Bake it in a 13" x 9" x 2" pan.

For the banana-walnut cake:

2 1/2  cups chopped walnuts, lightly toasted (total throughout recipe, 2 cups for the cake + 1 cup for the topping)

2 3/4  cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

2  cups sugar

2  teaspoons baking powder

1  teaspoon baking soda

1/2  teaspoon salt

3  large eggs

2 3/4-3 cups mashed banana purée  (from 5-6 large, very ripe, peeled and sliced bananas)

2  teaspoons pure banana extract

1  teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4  cup vegetable oil

no-stick cooking spray, for preparing bundt pan

For the cream cheese glaze & walnut topping:

4  ounces cream cheese, at room temperature, very soft

2  cups confectioners' sugar

2  teaspoons butter-rum flavoring

1  teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2  tablespoons milk, plus 1-2 teaspoons more, if necessary

1/2  cup lightly-toasted and finely-ground walnuts

~Step 1.  Coarsely chop the walnuts.  Place nuts in a small, shallow baking pan.  Roast nuts on center rack of 350° oven, until fragrant and lightly-toasted, about 5-6 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool.  While nuts are toasting, in a medium mixing bowl, on medium speed of hand-held electric mixer, purée the sliced bananas.*  Measure 3 cups of the bananas, then add and stir both extracts into the bananas.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, using a fork, whisk the eggs.

*Note:  Bananas don't need to be a smooth purée.  Small bits of fruit laced throughout is perfect.

~Step 2.  In a large bowl, using a large rubber spatula, place and stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the beaten eggs, followed by the banana purée, then, using the spatula fold the mixture together until roughly moistened.  On medium-high speed of hand-held electric mixer, add and thoroughly incorporate the vegetable oil, about 1 minute.

~ Step 3.  Using the rubber spatula, fold in 2 cups of the lightly-toasted chopped walnuts (set the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts aside and use as directed below).  Transfer/pour batter into a 12-cup bundt pan that has been lightly sprayed with no-stick.  Bake on center rack of preheated 350° oven 55-60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the thickest part of the cake comes out clean.  Remove from oven, place on a wire rack and cool, in pan, 15 minutes.  Invert cake onto wire rack to cool completely, 2-3 hours.

To prepare the cream cheese glaze & walnut topping:

~Step 1.  To prepare the cream cheese glaze and pecan topping, if you have a small, "mini" food processor, now is the time to use it.  Place the remaining 1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts in the work bowl and using a series of 25-30 rapid on-off pulses, process them to small bits and pieces.

~Step 2.  In a food processor fitted with steel blade, place confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, banana and vanilla extracts and 2  tablespoon milk.  Starting with 5-10 on-off pulses and then with the motor running, process for 25-30 seconds until smooth and drizzly.  If necessary, through feed tube, add 1-2 teaspoons additional milk, until desired consistency is reached.

~  Step 3.  When the cake has cooled completely, and with the cake still sitting on the wire rack: holding your hand 4"-6" above the surface of the cake and moving it (your hand) back and forth, in a slow, steady, stream, drizzle the glaze over the cake, while turning the wire rack about 1/4" with every back-and-forth drizzle, until all the glaze is gone.  While glaze is still moist/sticky, sprinkle the nuts evenly over the top.  Allow glaze to harden a bit prior to slicing cake, 1-2 hours.

Go bananas.  Banana-walnut bundt cake.  Simply irresistible...

... & scrumptious from first bite to last:

She's Gone Bananas:  Banana-Walnut Bundt Cake:  Recipe yields 12-16-20 servings (depending upon how thick or thin you slice the cake).

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; small baking pan; hand-held electric mixer; large rubber spatula; 2-cup measuring container; 1-cup measuring container; fork; whisk; 12-cup bundt pan; wire cooling rack; cake tester; mini-food processor; food processor

Cook's Note:  For another "fruity" cake recipe, this one containing pineapple, bananas and aromatic spices (cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg), check of my recipe for ~ Charmingly Southern: Hummingbird (Bundt) Cake ~.  Originating in Jamaica, this cake has got a fascinating history worth reading.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

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~ Spicy Avocado Crema: Avocado, Crema & Sriracha ~

If you like guacamole and crema Mexicana with or on your nachos, quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas, etc., whirring the two together in a food processor, along with a bit of Sriracha sauce to give it some cha-cha-cha, creates a creamy-dreamy condiment you'll be craving on a regular basis.  It's luxuriously smooth, refreshingly cool, and, there's just enough vinegary spice in the Sriracha to make it addictively interesting.  While Mexican crema is becoming easier to find, in the event your grocery store doesn't carry it, feel free substitute crème fraîche or sour cream.

I whip avocado crema up in small batches, in a small-sized food processor -- no more than my family will consume in one day.  Just like your favorite guacamole recipe, because it contains avocado, it will develop the same harmless discoloration.  That said, the vinegar in the Sriracha sauce, which replaces the citric acid in lime juice, does keep it fresh looking for up to six hours.

Mexican crema (& crème fraîche) vs sour cream:

Let's start with: All three are basically made the same way, by adding friendly bacteria to heavy cream, and, while the process yields three dairy products, all similar enough in taste and texture be used interchangeably in this particular culinary application, they are technically different.  

Sour cream has a rather low fat content (18%-20%) and added stabilizers (proteins like gelatin and/or animal or vegetable enzymes), which gives it a tangier, more acidic taste than crema and crème fraîche.  That said, its low fat/high protein content causes it to break or curdle when heated, so, sour cream is best used in cold applications, or, stirred into a hot dish at the end.  

Mexican crema is more akin to crème fraîche, having a higher fat content (28%-30%), which naturally gives them a richer, more buttery, slightly sweeter flavor.  That said, crema, depending on where you buy it, can be found in various forms, from very viscous and spoonable, to thin and drizzly (with my experience being that even in its thickest state, it is still thinner than crème fraîche and sour cream).  Because both crema and crème fraîche have a high fat/low protein content, they're ideal for adding to simmering soups and sauces because they won't break or curdle.

1  cup (16 tablespoons) avocado, scooped from the inside of 2 ripe Hass avocados

6  tablespoons Mexican crema (crème fraîche or sour cream may be substituted)

1  tablespoon Sriracha sauce, more or less, to taste

1/4  teaspoon sea salt

~Step 1.  In work bowl of a small food processor fitted with the steel blade, place the Mexican crema, the scoops of ripe avocado, the Sriracha sauce and the sea salt. 

Using a series of 15-20 rapid on-off pulses, followed by allowing the motor to run for 15-20 seconds, process to a smooth, creamy purée.

Use immediately or refrigerate up to six hours as directed below:

~ Step 2.  Line the inside of a 2-cup food storage container with plastic wrap, allowing it to overlap by several inches on all sides. Add the avocado crema and pull the plastic wrap up and over the top surface of the crema to form an airtight seal.  Place the lid on the food storage container and refrigerate up to six hours.

Terrific atop my Beefy, Cheesy, Mexican Tortilla Pizza: 

Spicy Avocado Crema:  Avocado, Crema & Sriracha:  Recipe yields 1 1/2 cups avocado crema.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; spoon; food processor; rubber spatula; 2-cup food storage container w/tight-fitting lid; plastic wrap

Cook's Note:  It's not always easy getting my family to eat their greens, but when our Happy Valley garden's cucumbers and tomatoes are ripe for the picking (like they are now), one of our favorite cool and creamy Summertime indulgences is ~ Tangy Avocado Salad Dressing a la Rick Bayless ~.  It requires a food processor and not much (but a little more) effort than avocado crema to make, but well worth it (as opposed to buying a store-bought brand).

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ Beefy, Cheesy, Fully-Loaded Mexican Tortilla Pizza ~

I haven't eaten at a Taco Bell in years, but, it's worth mentioning the first time I ate a Mexican pizza was the first time I ate at a Taco Bell -- and I liked it a lot.    My personal-sized snack pizza came as a pleasant surprise.  It contained refried beans, nicely-seasoned ground beef, cheddar cheese, a few small-diced tomatoes and red enchilada sauce -- all sandwiched between two slightly-crispy flour tortillas.  It wasn't my choice to stop at their drive-thru window on that day, but, I must admit, it indeed inspired me to make many a Mexican snack pizza for our three boys..

Mexican-style snack pizza -- Taco Bell made me to do it.

After a week of cooking and blogging about New Mexico-style red chile enchilada sauce, plus two recipes for the ever-popular kid- and tailgate-tested New Mexico-style spicy ground beef, lots-of-onion and green chiles enchiladas, and, Jack cheese, black bean and sweet corn enchiladas, I have just enough of yummy "this" and "that" leftover in my refrigerator to make a really tasty "snack pizza" -- just for myself.

That said, when it comes to Mexican-style flour-tortilla pizza in general, I've often made several of them (four will fit on a 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking sheet lined with parchment paper). Once they're cut into wedges, I place 'em all on a big plate and serve 'em up as super-wonderful appetizers at cocktail or tailgate parties. They're also a great idea for a kids party as all kids love getting a personal-sized pizza.

Use the following recipe as a template (a guide, a method).  Pick and choose your favorite toppings -- or use what you have leftover.  Taco Bell copycat recipes use all store-bought ingredients: ground beef seasoned with a Taco seasoning packet, a can of red enchilada sauce (or a jar of salsa), refried beans and sliced black olives, and, a bag of shredded cheddar.  Don't roll your eyes -- all kids love it, and, at midnight, in secret, most adults do too.

Think of it this way, anything that you would put in a quesadilla, will work in a tortilla pizza (and it doesn't have to be Mexican fare).  I just happen to have leftover homemade enchilada sauce, grated Monterey Jack jalapeño cheese, diced tomatoes and minced cilantro, plus, meat filling and cheese filling (from the enchiladas pictured above) -- it's going to be a great combination. 

For each 6"-round Mexican pizza (ingredients are in "layering order"):

1  flour tortilla

1/4  cup refried beans

1  tablespoon enchilada sauce

1/2  cup seasoned ground beef (Note:  I'm using 1/4 cup of both of my fillings today.)

1  flour tortilla

1  tablespoon red enchilada sauce, preferably homemade

1/4  cup grated jalapeño Jack & 2 tablespoons yellow cheddar

2 tablespoons diced tomato

1  tablespoon sliced black olives 

1  tablespoon minced, fresh cilantro or green scallion tops, for garnish after baking pizza

~ Step 1.  Spray an 8" nonstick skillet with no-stick cooking spray and place it over medium-high heat.  Place one flour tortilla in the skillet and spray the top of the tortilla too.  Cook, flipping the tortilla frequently (three-four times), until it is turning lightly-golden and puffing up in random spots across the surface, 1-1 1/2 minutes per side.  Repeat this process with second tortilla (or as many as you are making).

~Step 2.  Line a pie dish (or a baking sheet for multiples) with parchment paper.  Place one (or more) tortilla on the parchment.  Spread 1/4 cup refried beans across the surface, then spread 1 tablespoon enchilada sauce atop the refried beans.  Distribute 1/2 cup filling mixture atop sauce (I'm using 1/4 cup beef filling and 1/4 cup cheese filling, for a total of 1/2 cup filling).

~Step 3.  Place a second tortilla atop the filling and spread 1 tablespoon enchilada sauce across the surface.  Distribute 1/4 cup jalapeño Jack cheese atop the sauce followed by 2 tablespoons yellow cheddar.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons diced tomato atop the cheese.  Bake on center rack of preheated 350° oven 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Remove from oven and cool for 4-5 minutes prior to garnishing with minced cilantro, slicing and serving.

Bake in 350° oven 8-10 minutes & cool 4-5 minutes:

Garnish w/minced cilantro, slice & eat ASAP:

Beefy, Cheesy, Fully-Loaded Mexican Tortilla Pizza:  Recipe yields instructions to make 1, individually-sized, 6"-round Mexican tortilla pizza/1 serving/4 small wedges per person.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; hand-held box grater; 8" nonstick skillet; 9" pie dish (for 1 pizza) or 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pan (for 4 pizzas); parchment paper

Cook's Note:  Flour tortillas, along with most types of flatbread, make a delicious base for pizza.  When our garden tomatoes and basil are at their peak (which is just about two weeks from now) I make a fantastic tomato-basil pita pizza to snack upon on an almost daily basis.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ New Mexico-Style Cheese, Corn & Bean Enchiladas~

Whenever we traveled out of town for a few days, the moment we crossed the Centre County line and got within 20-30 minutes of home, we'd discuss what we were most hungry for (the food we missed the most on our trip always won).  We'd order it for pick up, from one of our favorite eateries. Typically, that revolved around a pizza shop, a Chinese takeout place, or, a Mexican joint.  When it came to the latter, I usually ordered up a plate of seriously cheesy enchiladas.

Enchiladas are one of those Tex-Mex specialties that taste a bit different everywhere you eat them.  In a Mexican-American restaurant or in the home kitchen, they are lightly-fried corn tortillas that have been dipped in a deep reddish-brown chili-powder-based sauce before being filled, rolled up and baked.  The filling can consist of a seemingly endless variety of meats (beef, chicken or pork), fish or seafood, cheese and/or beans and/or various other vegetables (for a vegetarian option).  In my Happy Valley kitchen, the two favorite kid- and tailgate-tested fillings for my New Mexico-style Red Chile Enchilada Sauced enchiladas are spicy beef, lots of onions and green chiles (pictured in the next paragraph), and, cheese, black beans and sweet corn (which I'm making today).  The two pair well together on the same plate too, so make 'em both.

The word "enchilada" comes from the Spanish word "enchilar" which means "to add chile pepper to" as well as "to season or decorate with chile pepper".  In English, the phrase "the whole enchilada" means "the whole thing" or "the entire situation".  In Mexico, they're sold by vendors in the streets, much like hot dogs are sold in the United States, and, the practice of rolling maize tortillas around other food dates back to Mayan times.  In their original form, enchiladas were simply corn tortillas dipped in chili sauce and eaten without fillings.  

There are many varieties of enchiladas, which are distinguished primarily by the sauce (most commonly a red chile and/or tomato-based sauce or a green chile and/or tomatillo sauce). That said, if you're not using corn tortillas to make your enchiladas, technically speaking, you're not making enchiladas.

Red enchilada sauce, or "red chile gravy", is said to be the soul of Tex-Mex cuisine, and, it isn't reserved solely for enchiladas -- it's often served with burritos, tamales and other Tex-Mex specialties.  As for its history, the rich, brownish-red flour-roux based gravy is described as neither truly Mexican nor American (it's Mexican-American).  It's said to have been invented by Anglo-owned Mexican restaurants in San Antonio, Texas.  Recipes for it have been in print since the early 1890's, and, by the 1900's "enchilada sauce" was being sold in cans. 

 Part One:  Making the Cheese, Black Bean & Sweet Corn Filling

Unlike making ground beef or other meat, poultry, fish or seafood enchiladas, the filling for the cheese version is quick to make because there's no cooking of the the protein involved -- it just get folded together.  That said, it happens to be sweet corn season here in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania, so, I've shaved the corn kernels off two cobs of previously-cooked corn, but, feel free to substitute well-drained canned corn, or, frozen and cooked corn with little compromise.

3  cups jalapeño Jack cheddar cheese (12 ounces)

1  15 1/2-ounce can black beans, well-drained and rinsed

1  4 1/2-ounce can green chiles, slightly- lightly- drained of excess liquid

1 1/4-1 1/2  cups sweet corn kernels, preferably shaved from 2 large previously-cooked or grilled corn cobs

1  cup small-diced yellow or sweet onion

1  cup minced, fresh cilantro, total throughout recipe (3/4 cup for filling recipe + 1/4 cup reserved for garnish)

~Step 1.  Grate  cheese and reserve 1 1/4 cups for topping the filled and rolled enchiladas.  In a large bowl, using a large spatula, fold together the black beans, green chiles, corn kernels, onion and 3/4 cup of the cilantro.  Add and gently fold in the 1 3/4 cups of cheese.  Set filling aside.

Part Two:  Assembling & Baking the Enchiladas

Before starting, it's worth mention that I use 2, 8" x 8" x 2" square casserole dishes, rather than 1, 13" x 9" x 2" dish, to make 12 enchiladas.  They fit in the two dishes perfectly without squeezing them to oblivion, and, they bake up perfectly.  Next.  I don't dip my corn tortillas in the sauce, which gives them a heavy coating, because, my homemade sauce is bolder-flavored than watered-down store-bought versions.  After frying the tortillas, I prefer to use a pastry brush to paint them, on both sides, with the sauce.  It works nicely.  One more item.  I fry my corn tortillas one-at-a-time in a small skillet, not all-at-once on a griddle -- it controls their texture better.

no-stick cooking spray

12  6"-round corn tortillas

1 1/2  cups my recipe for Easy New Mexico-Style Red Chile Enchilada Sauce (store-bought enchilada sauce will be a compromise)

all of the cheese filling (from above recipe) + 1 cup reserved cheese

an array of your favorite toppings (shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, scallion tops, cilantro, Mexican crema or sour cream and/or guacamole

~Step 1.  Spray the inside of 2, 8" x 8" x 2" baking dishes with no-stick cooking spray, then, add and evenly distribute 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of each dish.  Spray the bottom of an 8" nonstick skillet with no-stick spray and place it over medium heat.  Place one corn tortilla in the skillet and spray the top of the tortilla too.  Cook the tortilla over medium heat, flipping it over once or twice, until it is soft, pliable and starts to bubble up in random spots throughout its center, about 1 1/2-2 total minutes.  Transfer the tortilla to a plate and repeat process with remaining tortillas (spraying and cooking), stacking the warm tortillas on the plate as you work.

~Step 2.  Working one at a time, using a pastry brush, paint both sides of tortilla with sauce.  Next, distribute a generous (heaping) 1/3 cup of the filling mixture, lengthwise across the center.

~Step 3.  Roll the enchilada up and place it, seam-side-down, in baking dish.  Continue filling and rolling until six enchiladas are filled, rolled and placed side-by-side, seam-side-down, in each dish. Evenly drizzle and distribute 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce over the tops of the enchiladas in each dish.  Sprinkle a generous 3/4 cup of remaining grated cheese over the tops of the enchiladas in each dish.  Bake on center rack of 350° oven, until bubbling and cheese is melted, 18-20 minutes.

Bake on center rack of 350° oven, 18-20 minutes:

Scoop 'em out & serve 'em up (ASAP) w/your favorite toppings:

Go ahead, take a taste, they're scrumptious: 

New Mexico-Style Cheese, Corn & Bean Enchiladas:  Recipe yields 5 cups filling/12 enchiladas/4-6 servings/2-3 per person.

Special Equipment List:  hand-held box grater; colander; cutting board; chef's knife; large rubber spatula; 2, 8" x 8" x 2" baking dishes; 8" nonstick skillet; pastry brush

Cook's Note:  The tortilla is Mexico's everyday bread.  Corn tortillas are made from corn flour (masa) and flour tortillas are made from wheat flour (all-purpose flour).  Burritos, chimichangas, quesadillas, enchiladas and tacos are classic Mexican specialties prepared using a wide variety of fillings.  Tacos and enchiladas distinguish themselves by being the two dishes made with corn tortillas, so please, do not substitute flour tortillas when making my beef or cheese enchiladas. 

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023) 

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~ Spicy New Mexico-Style Ground Beef Enchiladas ~ - Kitchen Encounters

~ Succulent Crock-Pot Apple 'n Onion Pulled-Pork ~

~ Spicy New Mexico-Style Ground Beef Enchiladas ~

Enchiladas are one of those Tex-Mex specialties that taste a bit different everywhere you eat them.  In a Mexican-American restaurant or in the home kitchen, they are lightly-fried corn tortillas that have been dipped in a deep reddish-brown chili-powder-based sauce before being filled, rolled up and baked.  The filling can consist of a seemingly endless variety of meats (beef, chicken or pork), fish or seafood, cheese and/or beans and/or various other vegetables (for a vegetarian option).  In my Happy Valley kitchen, the two kid- and tailgate-tested favorites for my New Mexico-style Red Chile Enchilada Sauced enchiladas are ground beef, lots of onion and green chiles, and, grated cheese, black beans and sweet corn -- the two pair well together too.

The word "enchilada" comes from the Spanish word "enchilar" which means "to add chile pepper to" as well as "to season or decorate with chile pepper".  In English, the phrase "the whole enchilada" means "the whole thing" or "the entire situation".  In Mexico, they're sold by vendors in the streets, much like hot dogs are sold in the United States, and, the practice of rolling maize tortillas around other food dates back to Mayan times.  In their original form, enchiladas were simply corn tortillas dipped in chili sauce and eaten without fillings.  There are many varieties of enchiladas, which are distinguished primarily by the sauce (most commonly a red chile and/or tomato-based sauce or a green chile and/or tomatillo sauce). That said, if you're not using corn tortillas to make your enchiladas, technically speaking, you're not making enchiladas.  

Part One:  Making the Beef, Lots-of-Onion & Green Chile Filling

FYI:  I make 8 cups & freeze 4 for another meal.

For 8 cups of the meat mixture:

3  pounds lean ground beef (90/10)

12  ounces diced yellow or sweet onion

1  teaspoon garlic powder

1  tablespoon ground cumin

2  teaspoons sea salt

1  teaspoon coarsely-ground black pepper

4  4 1/2-ounce cans green chiles, slightly-, lightly-drained of excess liquid

~Step 1.  Place the ground beef in a 3 1/2-quart chef's pan with straight, deep sides.  Dice the onion and add it to the pan as you work.  Add the garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper, and, using a large spoon or spatula give the mixture a thorough stir (to incorporate the onion and spices throughout the meat).  Adjust heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until meat has lost its pink color, onions are very soft and there is almost no liquid remaining in the bottom of the pan, about 25-30 minutes.  Do not brown the meat -- cook it so it remains steamy and moist.

~ Step 2.  Turn the heat off.  Add and stir the slightly-, lightly- drained canned green chiles into the steaming hot meat mixture.  Remove from heat.  There's no need to cook the chiles, they were already cooked during the canning process.

Go ahead, take a taste, it's scrumptious:

Part Two:  Assembling & Baking the Enchiladas

Before starting, it's worth mention that I use 2, 8" x 8" x 2" square casserole dishes, rather than 1, 13" x 9" x 2" dish, to make 12 enchiladas.  They fit in the two pans perfectly without squeezing them to oblivion, and, they bake up perfectly.  Next.  I don't dip my corn tortillas in the sauce, which gives them a heavy coating, because my homemade sauce is bolder-flavored than watered-down store-bought versions.  After frying the tortillas, I prefer to use a pastry brush to paint them, on both sides, with the sauce.  It works nicely.  One more item.  I fry my corn tortillas one-at-a-time in a small skillet, not all-at-once on a griddle -- it controls their texture better.

For the assembly:

12  6"-round corn tortillas

1 1/2 cups my recipe for Easy New Mexico-Style Red Chile Enchilada Sauce (store-bought enchilada sauce will be a compromise)

3  cups grated habañero cheddar cheese

1  cup minced, fresh cilantro leaves

no-stick cooking spray

an array of your favorite toppings (shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, scallion tops, cilantro, Mexican crema or sour cream and/or guacamole)

~Step 1.  Spray the inside of 2, 8" x 8" x 2" baking dishes with no-stick cooking spray, then, add and evenly distribute 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of each dish.  Spray the bottom of an 8" nonstick skillet with no-stick spray and place it over medium heat.  Place one corn tortilla in the skillet and spray the top of the tortilla too.  Cook the tortilla over medium heat, flipping it over once or twice, until it is soft, pliable and starts to bubble up in random spots throughout its center, about 1 1/2-2 total minutes.  Transfer the tortilla to a plate and repeat process with remaining tortillas (spraying and cooking), stacking the warm tortillas on the plate as you work.

~Step 2.  One tortilla at a time, using a pastry brush, paint both sides of tortilla with enchilada sauce. Distribute 1/3 cup ground beef filling lengthwise across the center.  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of grated cheese on top of the meat, followed by "a pinch" (whatever you can pick up in your fingertips) of minced cilantro.

~Step 3.  Roll the enchilada up and place it, seam-side-down in baking dish.  Continue filling and rolling until six enchiladas are filled, rolled and placed side-by-side, seam-side-down, in each dish. Evenly drizzle and distribute 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce over the tops of the enchiladas in each dish.  Sprinkle a generous 1 cup of remaining grated cheese over the tops of enchiladas in each dish.  Bake on center rack of 350° oven, until bubbling and cheese is melted, 18-20 minutes.

Bake on center rack of 350° oven, 18-20 minutes:

Serve immediately w/your favorite toppings:

Go ahead, take a taste, they're scrumptious!

Spicy New Mexico-Style Ground Beef Enchiladas:  Recipe yields 8 cups filling (enough to fill 24 enchiladas (I freeze 4 cups for another meal)/12 enchiladas/4-6 servings/2-3 per person.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; hand-held box grater; 3 1/2-quart chef's pan w/straight, deep sides; large spoon or spatula; 2, 8" x 8" x 2" baking dishes; 8" nonstick skillet; pastry brush

Cook's Note:  The tortilla is Mexico's everyday bread.  Corn tortillas are made from corn flour (masa) and flour tortillas are made from wheat flour (all-purpose flour).  Burritos, chimichangas, quesadillas, enchiladas and tacos are classic Mexican specialties prepared using a wide variety of fillings.  Tacos and enchiladas distinguish themselves by being the two dishes made with corn tortillas, so please, do not substitute flour tortillas when making my beef or cheese enchiladas. 

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/2023) 

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~ Easy New Mexico-Style Red Chile Enchilada Sauce~

I'm not proclaiming this recipe "easy" because I have an easy or easier version of a hard recipe. I'm telling you it's "easy" because:  it is easy.  It's so easy, I don't understand why anyone who loves enchiladas with red sauce would purchase any of the brand name enchilada sauces (and there are plenty to choose from) -- unless they don't realize how easy red enchilada sauce is to make.  I know, because for a number of years I bounced around from label to label, sampling store-bought brands, trying to find "the one just for me" in which "the spice was right".

A bit about New Mexico-style red enchilada sauce:

Red enchilada sauce, also referred to as "red chile gravy" is said to be the heart and soul of Tex-Mex cuisine, and, it isn't reserved solely for enchiladas -- it's often served with burritos, tamales and other Tex-Mex specialties.  As for its history, the rich, brownish-red flour-roux based gravy is described as neither truly Mexican nor American (it's Mexican-American).  It's said to have been invented by Anglo-owned Mexican restaurants in San Antonio, Texas.  Recipes for it have been in print since the early 1890's, and, by the 1900's, "enchilada sauce" was being sold in cans.

New Mexico is known for its fresh and dried red chile peppers, so, it should come as no surprise that any recipe for New-Mexico-style red enchilada sauce would revolve around high-quality chile powder, most commonly:  ancho, guajillo and/or New Mexico chile powder (which is pricier than generic chili powder).   Some versions of this sauce contain tomatoes, tomato sauce, or, tomato paste, which add acidy tang and gives it a brighter red color -- my version does not.  I fell in love with New Mexico-style red chile enchiladas in San Antonio, Texas, and, I was told the bold-flavored amber-red sauce (that I couldn't get enough of), got its tang from vinegar, and its color from chile powder -- not tomatoes.  I didn't question it.  Later that afternoon, I went shopping.

I made a small investment in some Mexican-style chili powder, and, for simplicity, I settled on one high-quality chile blend that's manufactured in New Mexico (Santa Fé Seasons via Apple Canyon Gourmet).  I added some Mexican-style oregano to my spice rack too.

Once you know what the spelling means, you'll know what's in it:

CHILE:  Spelled with an "e" at the end, refers to the fresh or dried plant or pod or fruit of any member of the pepper family (example:  chile peppers grow in the garden).

CHILI:  Spelled with an "i" at the end, refers to soups, stews and/or sauces made with fresh or dried chile peppers (example:  white chicken chili, chili con carne, chili sauce).

CHILE POWDER:  When spelled with an "e" at the end, means it is a powder made from one or more types of dried chiles exclusively.  This is sometimes referred to or marketed as POWDERED CHILES, or CHILE BLEND (if it contains more than one kind of chile powder).

CHILI POWDER:  When spelled with an "i" at the end means it is a mixture of chile powder and ground, dried spices (common examples:  ground cumin, garlic and/or onion powder), meaning: the manufacturer has added various spices to pure chile powder or a blend of chile powders.

End the oregano debate:  they're not the same.

MEDITERRANEAN OREGANO: is a member of the mint family.  It grows in Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Morocco.  It's sometimes called wild marjoram.  Mediterranean oregano has a robust, savory, peppery flavor, which makes it perfect for use in Greek or Italian cuisines.

MEXICAN OREGANO: is a member of lemon verbena family. It's native to Mexico and Central and South America.  Sometimes called Puerto Rican oregano, it has a vibrant, citrusy tang and slight licorice flavor, which makes it perfect for use in Latin American and Tex-Mex cuisines.

2  tablespoons neutral-flavored cooking oil (avocado, canola, corn or vegetable, etc.)

2  tablespoons Wondra Quick-Mixing Flour for Sauce & Gravy flour (or unbleached, all-purpose flour)

4  tablespoons Mexican-style chili powder

2  tablespoons Sante Fé Seasons Chile blend (Note:  This is a blend of New Mexico red chile powder, cilantro and saffron.  If you don't want to purchase it, which I highly-suggest you do, omit it and add 1 additional tablespoon Mexican-style chili powder to this recipe.)

1  teaspoon onion powder

1  teaspoon garlic powder

1  teaspoon ground cumin

1  teaspoon Mexican oregano leaves

1/2  teaspoon sugar

1/2  teaspoon sea salt

2  cups beef, chicken or vegetable stock (depending on what you're filling your enchiladas with:  beef, chicken or cheese)

1  tablespoon white vinegar

~Step 1.  In a 1-quart saucier or saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat.  Add the 2 tablespoons of flour.  Whisking vigorously and constantly, cook until the roux is thick, smooth, bubbly and short of browning, 1-1 1/2 minutes.  Lower heat and whisk in the dry spices.

~Step 2.  After the dry spices are added, the mixture will be, grainy, lumpy and bumpy.  Slowly and in a thin stream, whisk in the beef, chicken or vegetable stock, then add the vinegar.  Adjust heat to a steady, somewhat-rapid simmer and cook, whisking frequently but not constantly, until sauce is nicely-thickened and reduced by about 1/3, 15-20 minutes.  You'll have 1 1/2 cups.

Use as directed, or, refrigerate overnight (which I recommend):

Some things are simply better made from scratch:

Easy New Mexico-Style Red Chile Enchilada Sauce:  Recipe yields 1 1/2 cups New Mexico-Style red enchilada sauce.

Special Equipment List:  2-cup measuring container; 1 quart saucier or saucepan; whisk

Cook's Note:  The tortilla is Mexico's everyday bread.  Corn tortillas are made from corn flour (masa) and flour tortillas are made from wheat flour (all-purpose flour).  Burritos, chimichangas, quesadillas, enchiladas and tacos are classic Mexican specialties prepared using a wide variety of fillings.  Tacos and enchiladas distinguish themselves by being the two dishes made with corn tortillas, so please, do not substitute flour tortillas when making my beef or cheese enchiladas. 

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

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~Is it spelled chile or chili? It is NOT a regional thing!~ - Kitchen Encounters

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~ A Very Berry Sour Cherry and/or Blueberry Cobbler ~

While I adore a traditional cherry or blueberry pie -- who doesn't -- sometimes, especially July thru September, the months when there is so much (too much) growing in the garden, I need to speed things up in order to make use of all the fresh fruits and vegetables in a timely, manner.  When it comes to "short shelf life" fruits like sour cherries and blueberries, this cobbler is my solution.  All I need is four cups of one or the other or a combination of both, along with 15 minutes of hands-on time and:  dessert is in the oven.  There's more.  In the Winter months, I can make this cobbler using frozen cherries or blueberries without any compromise in flavor or texture.

4 cups sour cherries or blueberries, or a combination of both +

5-6 pantry staples, &, in 15 minutes: dessert is in the oven.

4  cups pitted sour cherries or blueberries  (Note:  If you are using frozen berries, thaw them for about 45-60 minutes and use them partially-frozen, not completely thawed.)

4  ounces salted butter (1 stick)

1  cup pancake mix

1  cup sugar

1/2  teaspoon ground cinnamon

1  cup milk

2  teaspoons pure cherry extract (for cherry cobbler), or pure blueberry extract (for blueberry cobbler, or, 1 teaspoon each (for cherry-berry cobbler)

Sugar 'n Cinnamon

~ Step 1.  If the cherries and/or blueberries are frozen, thaw them as directed above.  Place butter in an 8" x 8" x 2" baking dish a melt the butter in the microwave.  Tilt the dish to evenly coat the entire bottom with the melted butter.  Set aside.

~ Step 2.  In a large bowl, stir together pancake mix, sugar and cinnamon.  In a 1-cup measuring container, stir together the milk and the extract(s).  Add milk mixture to pancake mixture.  Whisk until a thin, smooth batter forms.

~Step 3.  Pour all of the batter into the baking dish, right on top of the butter.  Do not stir the batter into the butter.  Using a slotted spoon, spoon/distribute the cherries and/or blueberries evenly over the batter.  Sprinkle the top of the fruit with Sugar 'n Cinnamon.  Bake on center rack of preheated 350° oven 40-45 minutes.  Note:  If fruit was frozen and partially-thawed, baking time will be slightly longer, 55-60 minutes.  Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool.

Note:  While the cobbler is baking, the cherries and blueberries (or any fruit) will sink to the bottom of the baking dish.  At the same time, the batter is going to bubble and bake up to the surface in random spots across the surface.  The cobbler will be golden brown and will spring back slightly when touched in the center.  Cool 1 hour or longer (3-6 hours) prior to serving.

Cobbler going into 350º oven to bake (40-45 minutes for freshly-picked fruit or 55-60 minutes for frozen, partially-thawed fruit):

Cobbler out of oven & cooling 1-6 hours prior to serving.

Serve slightly-warm or at room temperature:

With whipped cream or ice cream, your choice:

A  Very Berry Sour Cherry and/or Blueberry Cobbler:  Recipe yields 1,  8" x 8" x 2" cobbler/8-12 servings.

Special Equipment List:  4-cup measuring container; 1-cup measuring container; whisk; large rubber spatula; 8" x 8" x 2" baking dish

Cook's Note:  Here in my Happy Valley backyard, sour pie-cherry season ended about three weeks ago, blueberries are ripe for the picking, and peaches, both cling stone and free stone, are beginning to ripen on our trees.  While I don't freeze peaches (they don't freeze as well as cherries and blueberries -- peaches get watery and mushy), I water-bath can them in glass mason jars. My recipe for  ~ Alice's Super-Simple Georgia Peach-Pie Cobbler ~, is a great use for them (freshly-picked or canned (even store-bought canned) -- it's divine.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

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~ Seriously Simple & Sweet: Fresh All Strawberry Pie ~

When it comes to freshly-picked, home-grown strawberries, past eating them out-of-hand, as a strawberry dessert lover, I'm a purest at heart.  Today's recipe is a perfect example.  I'd rather bake a smaller-sized pie that's loaded with lots of strawberries, than add another ingredient to them (because I don't have enough strawberries) to fill a bigger pie dish.  Note:  I have nothing (zero) against the quintessential strawberry-rhubarb pie concoction (we grow rhubarb in our garden too), I just prefer to indulge in a slice of pie containing all of one or all of the other.  Period.

My memories of fresh strawberry pie consist of two distinctly different versions.  The first, which I along with almost every other kid in 1960's America loved, was super-simple and made with strawberry-flavored Jell-O (gelatin).  This was the kind that was typically available in grocery stores during strawberry season (probably because the gelatin extended the pie's shelf life).  The second, which was more scratch made, was thickened with a pantry product called Sure-Jell (powdered pectin).  This was the kind made at home or found in bakeries during strawberry season.  For lack of a better word, the second pie was less gelatinous than the first, but, both pies were good in their own right.  That said, as a discerning adult, the latter is far superior to the first.

Today's pie is a 6 1/2" pie.  

When I bake half-sized pies I bake them in pie dishes that measure 5" across the bottom, 6 1/2" across the top, and, are 1 3/4" deep.  To make a full-sized, standard 9" pie, simply double my pie filling recipe.

Double my pie filling recipe to make a full-sized, standard 9" pie.

To make a half-sized pie pastry shell, you need pie pastry, and, to make 1, 6 1/2" round shell, you need two-thirds the amount you would use to make one, 9" single-crust pie.  Use your favorite recipe or click here to get my recipe for ~ Making Pâte Brisée: Basic Pie or Quiche Pastry ~.  That said, when I'm making a half-sized shell, the perfect size to feed four people, I feel no guilt in using a store-bought crust to save time.  It bakes up golden and no ever complains.

Blind-bake or bake-blind, is the English term for baking a pastry shell before it is filled.  There are two instances when you need to prebake your pie pastry:  #1)  A pastry shell that, once the filling is added, does not return to the oven for further baking, and, #2)  A pastry shell that will get filled with a custard, cream, mousse or fully-cooked/ready-to-eat filling and will return to the oven for further baking. In this application, the degree to which you prebake the pastry (barely brown, lightly brown, golden brown) is determined by the length of time it will take the filled pie to finish baking, meaning:  the longer it takes the pie filling to bake, the lighter in color the prebaked crust should be when it goes into the oven, so, always follow the recipe's instructions. For more specifics, read ~ How to: Blind-Bake a Pastry Shell (Baking Blind) ~.  Today's pie pastry: has been baked in a 425° oven for 8-9 minutes and has been completely cooled on a wire rack.

My Seriously Simple & Sweet Strawberry Pie Filling:

1  6 1/2" pie pastry, homemade or store-bought, blind-baked & cooled completely

1 1/2  pounds hulled fresh, whole strawberries

6  tablespoons sugar

1  tablespoon low-sugar Sure-Jell (powdered pectin)

1  tablespoon cornstarch

1  tablespoon lemon juice, fresh or high-quality Organic bottled lemon juice

1  tablespoon pure strawberry extract

1  teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 tablespoons water

~ Step 1.  Choose 10 of the prettiest, medium-sized hulled strawberries (about 4 ounces). Slice them on half and decoratively arrange them on a 6" dessert plate, or a plate roughly the size of the top of the pie dish.  Set them aside -- these are going to be the top of the pie.  Slice (the remaining) 1 pound, 4 ounces of strawberries to a thickness of 1/4" (about 4 cups sliced strawberries).

Place 2 cups of sliced berries in the work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade (to make the glaze) and set remaining 2 cups sliced berries aside (to make the filling).

~Step 2.  To make the glaze,  to the 2 cups of sliced strawberries in the processor, add the sugar, powdered pectin, cornstarch, lemon juice, strawberry extract and vanilla extract.  Using a series of 10 rapid on-off pulses followed by the motor running for 30 seconds, purée the strawberries. Transfer the mixture to a 1-quart saucier or saucepan.  Over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, bring to a boil and continue to boil until glaze has thickened, about 1 full minute.

~Step 3.  To make the pie filling, remove the glaze from the heat, transfer to a medium bowl and set aside to cool about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove 3 tablespoons of glaze from the bowl and place in a small bowl or ramekin. Add the remaining 2 cups of strawberries to the medium bowl of glaze.  Using a large rubber spatula, thoroughly fold the strawberries into the glaze, to evenly coat the strawberries.  Using a tablespoon, stir the 1 1/2 tablespoons water into the 3 tablespoons remaining glaze.

~ Step 4.  Using a large spoon or spatula, spoon the pie filling into the prepared pie shell, leveling it so the strawberries remain flat.  Decoratively arrange the reserved strawberry halves over the top.  Using a pastry brush, paint the tops of the strawberry halves with the "watered down" glaze.  Refrigerate the pie, uncovered, until the glaze it set, about 2 hours, or until serving time (4-6 hours).  That said:  

This simply scrumptious pie is best served the day it's made.

Seriously Simple & Sweet:  Fresh All Strawberry Pie:  Recipe yields 1 half-sized pie/4 servings.

Special Equipment List:  strawberry huller (optional); cutting board; chef's knife; food processor; 1-quart saucier or saucepan; large spoon; large rubber spatula; pastry brush

Cook's Note:  There is a certain satisfaction in teaching people how to love food made from a misunderstood ingredient.  Rhubarb, sometimes called "the pie vegetable" is one such ingredient. The green-stalked rhubarb we grow in our garden was transplanted from my dad's garden, which was transplanted from his dad's garden. For those of you who like your rhubarb pie unadulterated, and that includes not too much sugar: ~ Pucker-Up for a Straight-Up Rhubarb Streusel Pie ~.  Give my very special recipe a try!

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2017)

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~How to: Make a Better Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pie~

Chocolate pie.  The kind our grandmothers made before they had too-many-to-mention options for high-quality, super-expensive brands of chocolate, cocoa powder and extracts imported from all over the world.  Two generations ago, when a mom wanted to surprise her family with a chocolate pie for dessert, she simply opened her pantry door, and, without hesitation, reached for a can of Hershey's cocoa powder and/or a few squares of Baker's unsweetened chocolate.  She cooked the pie filling on the stovetop, poured it into a baked pie shell, chilled the pie in the "icebox" and served it with freshly-whipped cream on top.  Those were kinder, gentler times.

We've come a long way baby.  There are so many chocolates, chocolate products and products that pair perfectly with chocolate, it's impossible not to make a better chocolate pie -- and I'm not suggesting my grandmother's chocolate pie recipe take a back seat to any one.  Her pie was fantastic.  In the 1940"s, she simply didn't have all the options that I have available to me.

What's the difference between pudding & pie filling?

In a pie shell:  Pie filling needs to be thicker than pudding.

My grandmother made fantastic pudding.  Her recipes for ~ Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pudding ~, ~ Old-Fashioned Very Vanilla Pudding ~ and ~ Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Pudding ~ were very similar to each other (except for the flavoring), which, made them remarkably easy to commit to memory.  Technically speaking, her pudding recipes are based on the French method for making egg custard.  That means they contain egg yolks, which result in a deeper shade of yellow and a creamier texture.  For added richness, she also used a mixture of milk and cream (half and half).  

The only time she changed one was when she wanted to make pie filling instead of pudding.  For a pie, she added an extra egg yolk and an extra tablespoon of cornstarch.  Why?  In order to achieve that pretty-to-look-at cleanly-cut slice of pie, pie filling needs extra thickener. This, is the easiest way to define the difference between a pudding and a pudding-based pie filling.

1  cup heavy cream + 1 cup whole milk, or, 2 cups half and half

1  tablespoon each:  pure chocolate and pure vanilla extract

1/4  teaspoon sea salt

3  tablespoons salted butter

3 large egg yolks

1  large egg

3/4  cup sugar

4  tablespoons cocoa powder, your favorite brand (Note:  I'm using Droste, Dutch processed today.)

1  teaspoon espresso powder

4  tablespoons cornstarch (1/4 cup)

3 1/2-4  ounces 100% cacao unsweetened chocolate, your favorite brand, chopped or broken into bits and pieces (Note:  I'm using a 4-ounce bar of Ghirardelli today.)

~Step 1.  In a 2-cup measuring container, measure and stir together the cream and milk or half and half, both extracts and the salt.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, using a fork, vigorously whisk together the egg yolks and whole egg.  Set aside.  Cut the butter into small cubes and set aside.

~Step 2.  Place the sugar, cocoa powder, expresso powder and cornstarch in a 3-quart saucier or saucepan. Using a wire whisk, thoroughly combine the three.  Whisk in all of the flavored milk mixture, whisking constantly until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute.  Turn heat on to medium. Whisking constantly, heat until steaming, 2-3 minutes.  Do not simmer or boil.  Turn the heat off, add the butter and whisk until butter is melted and thoroughly incorporated.  Remove from heat.

~Step 3.  Slowly and in a thin stream, while whisking the eggs constantly with a fork, add 3-4 tablespoons of the steaming liquid to the eggs.  (Note:  This is called "tempering" and it will raise their temperature slowly and just enough to keep them from scrambling upon contact with the steaming liquid.)  In a slow, steady stream, whisk the tempered eggs into the milk mixture.

~Step 4.  Return saucier to stovetop.  Over medium heat, whisking constantly, bring mixture slowly to a simmer, 4-5 minutes. Simmer gently, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute.  Turn the heat off, add the chocolate pieces and continue to stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is thoroughly combined.  Transfer pie filling to a 1-quart measuring container, place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the surface of the pie filling, and allow to cool and settle a bit, 30-45 minutes.  You will have 3 total cups of dense, rich and decadent chocolate pie filling.  

Spoon filling into a baked 9" pie shell or 4, 4 1/2"-5" pie shells.   Refrigerate pie(s), uncovered, 4-6 hours or overnight. 

How to:  Make a Better Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pie:  Recipe yields 3 cups chocolate pie filling/1, 9" pie = 8-10 servings/ 4, 4 1/2"-5" pies = 4 (one pie per person)-8 (two servings per pie) two)-12 servings (four mini-slices per pie -- which are quite pretty on a dessert tray), 

Special Equipment List:  2-cup measuring container; fork; paring knife; cutting board; chef's knife; 3-quart saucier or saucepan; wire whisk; 1-quart measuring container; plastic wrap

Cook's Note: ~ Let's Talk Chocolate: All about Baker's Chocolate ~. Baker's chocolate is an All-American product with a fascinating history. There's more.  ~ The Baker's German's ('German') Chocolate Pie ~ isn't German either.  It's a spinoff of the famous German Chocolate Cake recipe, which was the invention of a Dallas, Texas homemaker, Mrs. George Clay, back in 1957.  Fun foodie facts!  

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

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What's the difference between pie filling and pudding?  That was the first question I should have wanted to find an answer to when I wanted to make my first chocolate pie.  Why?  Because it wasn't exactly a success.  I was about sixteen and wanted to surprise my mom with a chocolate pie for her birthday.  I filled a store-bought pie shell with mom's recipe for chocolate pudding and put it in the refrigerator.  Topped with whipped cream, it looked lovely, and it was indeed edible enough (very tasty actually), but, it was, as you'd imagine, a mess to serve.  

What is the difference between a pudding & a pie filling?

There are exceptions to every rule and a lot of overlaps, but, here in the United States, "pudding" is the word used to describe a creamy, smooth milk-based dessert that is thickened by a starch, usually cornstarch.  On the other hand, "custard" is a milk- or cream-based dessert thickened by eggs and/or egg yolks.  "Cream puddings" use a custard base and are thickened by cornstarch.

My grandmother made fantastic pudding.  Technically speaking, her pudding recipes are based on the French method for making egg custard.  That means they contain egg yolks, which result in a deeper shade of yellow and a creamier texture.  For added richness, she also used a mixture of milk and cream (half and half), instead of milk.  All good news for a pudding lover like me.

Her recipes for pudding are very similar to each other (except for the flavoring), which, makes them remarkably easy to commit to memory.  The only time she changed one was when she wanted to make pie filling instead of pudding.  For a pie, she added an extra egg yolk and an extra tablespoon of cornstarch.  Why?  In order to achieve that pretty-to-look-at cleanly-cut slice of pie, pie filling needs extra thickener. This, in a pie shell, is the easiest way to define the difference between a pudding and a pudding- or custard-based pie filling.

To turn any of my pudding recipes into pie filling:

Add one extra egg yolk & one extra tablespoon cornstarch:

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

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~ How to: Make Old-Fashioned Very Vanilla Pudding ~

Exotically fragrant, vanilla is said to be the world's most popular flavor (and is the second most expensive next to saffron).  One would be hard pressed to find an American kitchen pantry that doesn't contain at least one bottle of pure vanilla extract and/or a whole vanilla bean or two. Why? Something wonderful happens when any form of pure vanilla gets added to all sorts of sweet or savory dishes.  My very vanilla pudding recipe is a spin-off of my grandmother's vanilla pudding recipe, and, it is the base recipe and starting point for all three of my favorite pudding recipes.

My grandmother made fantastic pudding, none of which took much longer to prepare than boxed quick-cooking options.  Her recipes for vanilla, chocolate and butterscotch pudding were very similar to each other (except for the flavoring), which, made them remarkably easy to commit to memory.  The only time she changed one was when she was making pie filling instead of pudding.  For a pie, she added an extra egg yolk and an extra tablespoon of cornstarch, which, in a nutshell, is the easiest way to define the difference between a pudding and a pie filling.  That said, whether she was making vanilla, chocolate or butterscotch pudding or pie filling, she added vanilla extract to each one, in addition to any other extract or flavoring du jour.  Read on:

Something wonderful happens when exotically fragrant vanilla gets added to all sorts of sweet or savory dishes.

Vanilla is easy to love -- its scent is enchanting, its taste is exotic.  It can be used in an array of sweet and savory culinary applications, but, it is indisputably the number one flavoring in desserts. For my taste, most published recipes don't add enough vanilla.  I typically double the recommended amount -- yes, I double it and I have never once been disappointed.  Back in her day, my grandmother only had access to vanilla beans or vanilla extract.  Happily, since then, two other products have entered our vanilla world and all home cooks should know about them. 

A bit about vanilla bean paste and vanilla powder:  Everyone who bakes stores high-quality pure vanilla extract (not imitation flavoring) in their pantry along with a few vanilla bean pods too. They're available everywhere, with extract being more economical than whole pods.  You'll find two other vanilla products in my pantry too: vanilla bean paste & vanilla powder.

Vanilla bean paste is a sweet, syrupy mixture full of vanilla beans that have been scraped out of the pods.  Like vanilla extract, it's full of natural vanilla flavor, plus, it's got all the pretty speckled beans in it too.  I think of it as a convenient cross between the extract and the pod, and, I like to add it to pudding because the seeds distribute themselves evenly throughout the mixture.  1 tablespoon paste = 1 tablespoon extract = 1 bean pod.

Vanilla powder is a free-flowing sugar which may be used in place of pure extract in any recipe.  It stirs into beverages, and, gets sprinkled onto desserts.  I particularly like it for making pudding and cake frosting because it doesn't affect the color like extract does.  1 tablespoon powder = 1 tablespoon extract.

My very vanilla pudding recipe is a spinoff of my grandmother's recipe & is the base recipe for all of my pudding recipes.

My Old-Fashioned Very Vanilla Pudding recipe should technically be called Old-Fashioned Very French Vanilla Pudding.  For that matter, so are my other pudding recipes (~ How to: Make Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pudding ~, and ~ How to: Make Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Pudding ~). Why?  While there is little difference between different high-quality vanilla products used to flavor pudding (or ice cream and other desserts for that matter), French vanilla pudding is based on the French method of making egg custard.  This means it contains egg yolks, which results in a deeper shade of yellow and a creamier texture.  That's good news for pudding lovers like me.

1  cup heavy cream + 1 cup whole milk, or, 2 cups half and half

2  tablespoons:  pure pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, your choice

1/4  teaspoon sea salt

3  tablespoons salted butter

2  large egg yolks

1  large egg

3/4  cup sugar

3  tablespoons cornstarch

1  tablespoon vanilla powder

~Step 1.  In a 2-cup measuring container, measure and stir together the cream and milk or half and half, extract or paste, and, the salt.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, using a fork, vigorously whisk together the egg yolks and whole egg.  Set aside.  Cut the butter into small cubes and set aside.

~Step 2.  Measure and place the sugar, cornstarch and vanilla powder in a 3-quart saucier or saucepan. Using a wire whisk, thoroughly combine the three.  Whisk in all of the flavored milk mixture, whisking constantly until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute.  Turn heat on to medium. Whisking constantly, heat until steaming 2-3 minutes.  Do not simmer or boil.  Turn the heat off, add the butter and whisk until butter is melted and thoroughly incorporated.  Remove from heat.

~ Step 3.  Slowly and in a thin stream, while whisking the eggs constantly with a fork, add 3-4 tablespoons of the steaming liquid to the eggs.  (Note:  This is called "tempering" and it will raise their temperature slowly and just enough to keep them from scrambling upon contact with the steaming hot milk mixture.)  In a slow, steady stream, whisk the tempered eggs into the milk mixture.  Return saucier to stovetop.

~ Step 4.  Over medium heat, whisking constantly, bring mixture slowly to a simmer, 4-5 minutes. Simmer gently, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute.  Remove from heat and transfer to a 1-quart measuring container.*  Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the pudding and cool about two hours.  Stir and portion into custard cups, cover and chill for several hours (or overnight), or, use as directed in recipe.

*Note:  A lot of pudding recipes instruct to pass the pudding through a fine mesh strainer (into the measuring container) at this point, to achieve an extra-silky-smooth consistency.  This is the type of unnecessary nonsense that causes people to not make pudding.  #1.  Pudding is too thick to pass through a fine strainer or any strainer.  Try it.  It'll make you want to jump off a bridge.

Portion 3/4 cup pudding into each of 4, 1-cup custard cups:

Freshly-whipped cream & butter toffee bits on mine please:

How to:  Make Old-Fashioned Very Vanilla Pudding:  Recipe yields 3 cups pudding/4 servings. 

Special Equipment List:  2-cup measuring container; fork; paring knife; cutting board; 3-quart saucier or saucepan; wire whisk; 1-quart measuring container; plastic wrap; 4, 1-cup custard cups

Cook's Note:  About the only thing I like better than chocolate, vanilla or butterscotch pudding is all of them layered on top of each other with graham crackers separating each flavor.  This dessert, ~ Chocolate, Vanilla and Butterscotch 'Icebox' Cake  ~ was one of my mother's specialties.  I would sit motionless on the counterstool, eyes transfixed on the process, patiently waiting for my lick of the spoon as each pudding got cooked.  Once assembled, she'd put the 'icebox' cake in the refrigerator for what seemed like an eternity, but, it had to chill to set up properly -- well worth the wait.  Eat more pudding. 

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

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~ How to: Make Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pudding ~

When I was raising three boys in the '70's and '80's, chocolate was, hands down, their favorite pudding flavor.  Just like today, grocery store shelves were full of convenient pudding options (boxes and boxes of instant and quick-cooking pudding, and, ready-to-eat lunch-box-size pudding cups). While I was often tempted to succumb to their wishes and buy those boxes, I resisted. I grew up eating homemade, creamy, dreamy, rich real-deal pudding -- my memories prevented it. As for the pudding cups, I admit, I allowed them, on occasion, as a school lunchbox treat.

Don't succumb to boxes of instant or quick-cooking pudding.  Creamy, dreamy, rich & real-deal pudding is easy to make.

My grandmother made fantastic pudding, none of which took much longer to prepare than boxed quick-cooking options.  Her recipes for chocolate, vanilla and butterscotch pudding were very similar to each other (except for the flavoring), which, made them remarkably easy to commit to memory.  The only time she changed one was when she was making pie filling instead of pudding.  For a pie, she added an extra egg yolk and an extra tablespoon of cornstarch, which, in a nutshell, is the easiest way to define the difference between a pudding and a pie filling.

1  cup heavy cream + 1 cup whole milk, or, 2 cups half and half

1  tablespoon each:  pure chocolate and pure vanilla extract

1/4  teaspoon sea salt

3  tablespoons salted butter

2  large egg yolks

1  large egg

3/4  cup sugar

6  tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3  tablespoons cornstarch

~Step 1.  In a 2-cup measuring container, measure and stir together the cream and milk or half and half, both extracts and the salt.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, using a fork, vigorously whisk together the egg yolks and whole egg.  Set aside.  Cut the butter into small cubes and set aside.

~Step 2.  Measure and place the sugar, cocoa powder and cornstarch in a 3-quart saucier or saucepan. Using a wire whisk, thoroughly combine the three.  Whisk in all of the flavored milk mixture, whisking constantly until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute.  Turn heat on to medium. Whisking constantly, heat until steaming 2-3 minutes.  Do not simmer or boil.  Turn the heat off, add the butter and whisk until butter is melted and thoroughly incorporated.  Remove from heat.

~ Step 3.  Slowly and in a thin stream, while whisking the eggs constantly with a fork, add 3-4 tablespoons of the steaming liquid to the eggs.  (Note:  This is called "tempering" and it will raise their temperature slowly and just enough to keep them from scrambling upon contact with the steaming hot milk mixture.)  In a slow, steady stream, whisk the tempered eggs into the milk mixture.  Return saucier to stovetop.

~ Step 4.  Over medium heat, whisking constantly, bring mixture slowly to a simmer, 4-5 minutes. Simmer gently, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute.  Remove from heat and transfer to a 1-quart measuring container.*  Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the pudding and cool about two hours.  Stir and portion into custard cups, cover and chill for several hours (or overnight), or, use as directed in recipe.

*Note:  A lot of pudding recipes instruct to pass the pudding through a fine mesh strainer (into the measuring container) at this point, to achieve an extra-silky-smooth consistency.  This is the type of unnecessary nonsense that causes people to not make pudding.  #1.  Pudding is too thick to pass through a fine strainer or any strainer.  Try it.  It'll make you want to jump off a bridge.

Portion 3/4 cup pudding into each of 4, 1-cup custard cups:

Freshly-whipped cream and diced bananas on mine please:

How to:  Make Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pudding:  Recipe yields 3 cups pudding/4 servings. 

Special Equipment List:  2-cup measuring container; fork; paring knife; cutting board; 3-quart saucier or saucepan; wire whisk; 1-quart measuring container; plastic wrap; 4, 1-cup custard cups

Cook's Note:  About the only thing I like better than chocolate, vanilla or butterscotch pudding is all of them layered on top of each other with graham crackers separating each flavor.  This dessert, ~ Chocolate, Vanilla and Butterscotch 'Icebox' Cake  ~ was one of my mother's specialties.  I would sit motionless on the counterstool, eyes transfixed on the process, patiently waiting for my lick of the spoon as each pudding got cooked.  Once assembled, she'd put the 'icebox' cake in the refrigerator for what seemed like an eternity, but, it had to chill to set up properly -- well worth the wait.  Eat more pudding.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

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~ Cheese-Filled Blintzes with Sour-Cherry Topping ~

~ How to: Make Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Pudding ~

My three favorite flavors of pudding are butterscotch, chocolate and vanilla (in that order). They're all creamy and dreamy, but something wonderful happens when brown sugar and butter team up to make real-deal butterscotch.  Homemade pudding (from scratch, not a box), was something my grandmother made often -- just for me.  I'm in my early 60's, that was back in the latter 50's, and: there is no letting go of homemade pudding memories.  Whether it was butterscotch, chocolate or vanilla, she'd always leave me an ample sample, in the bottom of her enamelware saucepan and on the wooden spoon, because:  I adored it warm and freshly made.   Homemade pudding is one of life's simple pleasures and making butterscotch pudding is one of my favorite pleasures.

Something wonderful happens when brown sugar & butter team up:

Originally, butterscotch was a hard candy made from brown sugar, butter and water, in which the sugar got boiled to the soft crack stage.  Since hard candy was hard to cut or break into pretty, even-sized pieces, the butterscotch got "scotched" or "scored", to make cleaner cuts after it hardened.  Nowadays, butterscotch is the word used to describe the flavor of brown sugar and butter cooked together with other ingredients (like corn syrup, cream and vanilla or butter rum flavorings, as well as cornstarch or flour and eggs/egg yolks) to make sauce, pudding, pie filling and cookies.  Butterscotch is also available in the form of baking chips and liquid flavoring too.

1  cup heavy cream + 1 cup whole milk, or, 2 cups half and half

1  tablespoon each:  pure butterscotch and pure vanilla extract

1/4  teaspoon sea salt

3  tablespoons salted butter

2  large egg yolks

1  large egg

3/4  cup firmly-packed dark brown sugar

3  tablespoons cornstarch 

~Step 1.  In a 2-cup measuring container, measure and stir together the cream and milk or half and half, both extracts and the salt.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, using a fork, vigorously whisk together the egg yolks and whole egg.  Set aside.  Cut the butter into small cubes and set aside.

~Step 2.  Measure and place the brown sugar and cornstarch in a 3-quart saucier or saucepan. Using a wire whisk, thoroughly combine the two.  Whisk in all of the flavored milk mixture, whisking constantly until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute.  Turn heat on to medium. Whisking constantly, heat until steaming 2-3 minutes.  Do not simmer or boil.  Turn the heat off, add the butter and whisk until butter is melted and thoroughly incorporated.  Remove from heat.

~ Step 3.  Slowly and in a thin stream, while whisking the eggs constantly with a fork, add 3-4 tablespoons of the steaming liquid to the eggs.  (Note:  This is called "tempering" and it will raise their temperature slowly and just enough to keep them from scrambling upon contact with the steaming hot milk mixture.)  In a slow, steady stream, whisk the tempered eggs into the milk mixture.  Return saucier to stovetop.

~ Step 4.  Over medium heat, whisking constantly, bring mixture slowly to a simmer, 4-5 minutes. Simmer gently, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute.  Remove from heat and transfer to a 1-quart measuring container.*  Place a piece of plastic wrap over the surface of the pudding and cool about two hours.  Stir and portion into custard cups, cover and chill for several hours (or overnight), or, use as directed in recipe.

*Note:  A lot of pudding recipes instruct to pass the pudding through a fine mesh strainer (into the measuring container) at this point, to achieve an extra-silky-smooth consistency.  This is the type of unnecessary nonsense that causes people to not make pudding.  #1.  Pudding is too thick to pass through a fine strainer or any strainer.  Try it.  It'll make you want to jump off a bridge.

Portion 3/4 cup pudding into each of 4, 1-cup custard cups:

Freshly-whipped cream & chopped pecans on mine please:

How to:  Make Homemade Butterscotch Pudding:  Recipe yields 3 cups pudding/4 servings.

Special Equipment List:  2-cup measuring container; fork; paring knife; cutting board; 3-quart saucier or saucepan; wire whisk; 1-quart measuring container; plastic wrap; 4, 1-cup custard cups

Cook's Note:  About the only thing I like better than chocolate, vanilla or butterscotch pudding is all of them layered on top of each other with graham crackers separating each flavor.  This dessert, ~ Chocolate, Vanilla and Butterscotch 'Icebox' Cake  ~ was one of my mother's specialties.  I would sit motionless on the counterstool, eyes transfixed on the process, patiently waiting for my lick of the spoon as each pudding got cooked.  Once assembled, she'd put the 'icebox' cake in the refrigerator for what seemed like an eternity, but, it had to chill to set up properly -- well worth the wait.  Eat more pudding.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

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~Things to Know about Ground Beef, aka Hamburger~

Hamburgers, sloppy Joe's, meatloaf, chili, tacos,  stuffed peppers, etc.  Unless one is a vegetarian, ground beef, commonly referred to as hamburger because of the iconic all-American 'burger, is used in households all across America.  I'm guessing on this next point, but, ground beef has got to the number one way we Americans buy our beef.  If onef is on a budget or has a lot of people to feed. in today's economy, it's modest price tag makes it even more popular.  

Everyone knows that ground beef is beef that's been ground or finely-chopped.  The grinding process itself tenderizes tough cutswhile adding fat from leaner cuts which reduces dryness and adds flavor to the end product.  What everyone doesn't know is there are four types of ground beef, and, it does matter what kind of ground beef you buy.  Why?  Where the beef is cut from, the ratio of fat-to-lean and the coarseness of the grind all affect the the dish being prepared.

The four types of ground beef:  regular, chuck, round & sirloin.

Regular ground beef typically contains the highest fat content, up to 30%, because it's cut from the trimmings of inexpensive cuts like brisket and shank.  Regular ground beef is also the most economical form of ground beef as well as the juiciest and most flavorful.  The fat content, however, also means that the meat will shrink considerably when cooked.

Ground chuck has a lower fat content, about 20%, and comes from the front area of the animal around the shoulder.  Ground chuck is a great all-purpose ground beef because it is not a fatty as regular ground beef yet still has a lot of flavor.  Ground chuck is often marketed as lean ground beef.  Ground chuck is indeed my go-to ground beef and  choice for making hamburgers.

Ground round is even lower in fat content, about 15%, which also means it's less flavorful.  It comes from the lower end of the cow near the tail area.  If one is planning to cook ground beef into a meat sauce are sauté it along with flavorful vegetables, ground round's lower fat content makes it an ideal option.  Ground round is often marketed as extra-lean ground beef.

Ground sirloin is the leanest form of ground beef.  It contains about 10% fat (and always less then 14%) and comes from the midsection of the animal.  Ground sirloin is indeed the healthiest of all ground beef options, but, it is the dryest, least flavorful too.  That said, for folks on a budget, ground sirloin is, unfortunately the most expensive of the four forms of ground beef.    

~ Ground Turkey vs. Ground Beef -- Know the Pros & Cons ~:

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023

~Grillmarked -- Things to Know about the Filet Mignon~

Filet mignon.  We are all familiar with this cut of beef, but in case you don't know it's name is French.  In French, the word Filet means a thread or a strip, and mignon means small and pretty. Filet mignon, known worldwide as the king of steaks, when cooked properly, is melt-in-your-mouth tender and can literally be cut with a fork.  It's particularly pricey if your ordering it in a restaurant, but becomes more affordable if you buy the entire tenderloin and cut the steaks yourself.

What part of the cow does the filet mignon come from?

Filet mignon is cut comes from the middle of the tenderloin (also called the short loin)  which is found inside the rib cage of the cow. Long story short, because this muscle is not weight-bearing, the connective tissue is not toughened by exercise, resulting in extremely tender meat. The  technical name of the muscle is poases major.  It sits inside the ribs next to the backbone and gets thicker toward the rear of the animal.

Interestingly each animal (lamb, pork, veal, etc.) has two tenderloins, one on each side of the rib cage.  Filet mignon beef steaks are cut from the middle of the tenderloin, in between the pointy tip near the shoulder and the thick steak at the rear, which is called Chateaubriand. Porterhouse and T-bone steaks (all of which include the filet mignon as the medallion of meat on the other side of their bone across from the sirloin).  Filet mignon steaks are generally cut to a thickness of 1, 1 1/2 and 2 inches and average 2 to 3 inches in diameter.  That said, the true petit filet mignons are no more than 1 inch in diameter and are taken from the tapered end known as the tail.

What's the best way to cook a filet mignon steak?

Feel free to take your filet mignon into the great outdoors to cook it on the grill, but, I don't recommend it.  Why?  The filet, might be cut from the tenderloin, which is the leanest, tenderest cut of beef, but, it is the least likely to succeed over the dry, open flame of any seething-hot charcoal or gas grill grids.  That said, indoors, on a grill pan, where it has a solid, steamy surface to sear itself above its own bubbling juices, the filet graduates at the head of its class -- with perfect, 4.0 grill marks too.  It's also worth mention that because filet mignon is so low in fat, it is also less flavorful than other prime and pricey steak cuts (like the ribeye or NY strip steak).  For that reason is is often served with a flavorful sauce or compound butter to accompany it.  Another common technique is to wrap it around the perimeter with a strip of bacon to imitate a fat layer.

Try my ~ Perfect 12-13-Minute 2"-Thick Grill-Pan Filets ~:

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~What's a Cowboy Steak and the Best Way to Cook It~

Learning about various steak cuts can indeed be confusing -- filet mignon, NY strip steak, ribeye steak, flank steak, cube steak, etc..  They're all steak, but they're all a different cut of steak coming from a different part of the animal.  Things get more confusing when you find out that one single cut can be referred to, regionally or butcher shop to butcher shop, by more than one name. Which brings me to one of my favorites:  the cowboy steak.  Long story short, the delectable cowboy steak is essentially a bone-in ribeye steak, also known as a tomahawk steak.

Cowboy steaks are huge steaks that resemble a single-handled fireman's ax -- easily enough to feed two people. They are about 18-20 total inches long, 2-2 1/2 inches thick, and, weigh approximately 30-40 ounces each.  Why so long? The rib bone, which they trim to expose the bone is left long for a powerful and pricey presentation.  A cowboy steak is always 2-2 1/2 inches thick because that's how thick the rib bone is.  This is one show-stopper of an impressive steak.

What part of the cow does the cowboy steak come from?

The ribeye comes from the beef rib primal cut.  The ribeye steak is cut from the corresponding roast, the prime rib, which means this steak is sold two ways: boneless and bone-in.  That said, it's worth mentioning, the bone left in a ribeye makes it a bit trickier for the novice wanna-be grillmaster to cook because the meat farther away from the bone will cook faster than the meat closer to the bone (which cooks slower).

The difference between a cowboy steak & a tomahawk steak:

A cowboy steak is a bone-in ribeye that has been frenched (a fancy french word meaning to strip the meat from the bone of a rib or a chop to cleanly expose the bone).  If the bone is bone is less than 5 inches, it is a cowboy steak,  If it exceeds 5 inches it's a tomahawk.

To  perfectly cook a cowboy steak try the reverse sear method:

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~What is a Cube Steak and How to Cook Cube Steak~

Being a grownup is hard.  My mother peddled cube steak to my brother and I under the name "funny steak".  For a period of years, her schtick worked well for her.  If memory serves me correctly, my little brother giggled at his "silly looking steak" during dinner while my mom pandered to him encouragingly with every forkful.  I just sat there and ate the chewy thing.  I found it to be just plain odd in a silly steak sort of way -- the word "funky" hadn't been invented yet.  

What part of the cow does the cube steak come from?

The cube steak is usually taken from the beef round or shoulder (which  -- both are tough cuts.  That said, it can be cut from any tough cut of beef or pork.  It  gets its name, cube steak, because it has been run through an electric tenderizing machine called a swissing machine or a cubing machine (which was invented in 1941).  It pokes enough cube-shaped imprints slightly through the surface to render it hamburger-esque in appearance.  That said, meat can be cubed at home using the jagged side of meat tenderizer.  In either case, this leads people to think the process must render it tender, but, it does not -- what it does do is make it easier to chew.

What's the best way to cook a cube steak?

Because cube steak contains very little fat or marbling, meaning it is really, really lean, you will find you're not going to get much taste from this funny-looking steak either.  It you want a naturally tender piece of cube steak, make your own at home using a more expensive steak such as a tenderloin or rib-eye -- it's unconventional but they taste great and cook up in literal seconds. 

The whole point of cooking any lean, tough cut of meat is to find a way to make it tender and flavorful.   This means cooking it very quickly or very slowly.  Cube steak can be braised, pan-fried or sautéed. It can be browned then baked in a flavorful casserole or cooked low-and-slow in a slow cooker.  Well-known cube-steak dishes included Swiss steak, chicken fried steak, and, Beiijing beef (along with other Chinese beef stir-fry recipes).  Feel free to be creative, but generally speaking, you either want to cook your cube steak very quickly or cook it very slowly combined with other moisture-filled ingredients like onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc. 

"We are all in this food world together.~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~Grillmarked -- Things to Know about the Flank Steak~

The flank steak is one of my favorite steaks.  It cooks quickly, it's tender and juicy when cooked and sliced properly, and, in terms of the economy, it's less expensive than many other steaks. That said, culinarily, the flank steak is technically not a steak.  It's a tough cut of beef coming from the cow's belly muscles, which is why it's important to take the time to learn how to cook it properly. For me, that's under the high heat of the oven's broiler, or, on the high heat of my grill.

What part of the cow does the flank steak come from?

Flank steak comes from the cow's lower chest or abdominal muscle.  It's about a foot long and about an inch thick.  It almost always gets cooked whole (like any other steak rather than dividing it into smaller individual-size steaks).  That said, a flank steak can be sliced into thin beef strips prior to cooking for use in culinary applications like Mexican fajitas or tacos and Asian stir-fries.  

The cut is known as the jiffy steak, Babette steak, and, occasionally, London broil.  That said, the London broil flank steak is identified by the steak's visible direction of the cross-grain.  Due to it's low fat content, it needs no trimming prior to cooking. It takes to seasoning well, salt and pepper, a dry rub, and/or a flavorful marinade.  Whether your slicing it into strips prior to cooking or after cooking, it's very important that it be sliced thinly, against the grain, while holding the knife at a 45° angle, as slicing with the grain will result in stringy, chewy pieces.

What's the best method to cook a flank steak?  

Experts say flank steak can be cooked low and slow to gradually break down the dense connective tissue, but, as I said above, and because I love my flank steak done medium-rare, my favorite methods are under the high heat of my oven's broiler, or, over the high heat of my barbecue grill grids. It's my opinion that a well-done flank steak is not well done at all.  Period.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ Grillmarked -- Things to Know about Ribeye Steaks ~

Card-carrying carnivores love ribeye steaks.  All world-class steakhouses have them on the menu and they are the number one purchased steak by backyard drillmasters.  While I'm not even close to being a drillmaster, in my food world, the ribeye is indeed my favorite steak to grill, followed by the New York strip steak.  It and the NY strip It and the ribeye steak, along with the filet mignon are considered to be the high-end cuts of boneless steaks, but, the filet mignon, which does not contain enough fat is least likely to succeed over the dry, open flame of any seething-hot charcoal or gas grill grids.  The rib eye, with its signature creamy white marbling of fat throughout, is known for its rich, buttery flavor and tender texture -- it delivers mouthwatering, juicy flavor in every bite.

What part of the cow does the ribeye steak come from?

The ribeye comes from the beef rib primal cut.  The ribeye steak is cut from the corresponding roast, the prime rib, which means this steak is sold two ways: boneless and bone-in.  That said, it's worth mentioning, the bone left in a ribeye makes it a bit trickier for the novice wanna-be grillmaster to cook because the meat farther away from the bone will cook faster than the meat closer to the bone (which cooks slower).

If you're wondering what the difference between a slice of bone-in or boneless prime rib and a bone-in or bonelesss ribeye steak is, the answer is how it's prepared.  Prime rib is roasted whole, then sliced and served.  Ribeye steaks are sliced first and cooked afterward.

What's the best method to cook a ribeye steak?

The best way to cook a ribeye steak on the grill is quickly over high heat, although they do well positioned close-up under the high heat of a broiler or in a cast-iron or grill pan on the stovetop.  No matter how you decide to cook them, be sure to let them come to room temperature on the counter for about 60 minutes (or a minimum of 30 minutes) before cooking.  This will ensure they cook evenly at any thickness.  Just prior to cooking, pat them dry in a paper towel, which will ensure they sear quickly.  Lastly, season with salt and pepper just prior to placing on the hot grill grids.  As a guideline, a 1 1/2"-thick ribeye with take about 3-5 minutes per side to cook from rare to medium-rare.  Remove from the heat and allow it to rest 5-6 minutes prior to serving.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~Grillmarked -- Things to Know about NY Strip Steaks~

Grill season is upon us.  For us carnivores, this means picking up a few of our favorite steaks and lighting the fire.  In my food world, my favorite steak to grill is the ribeye, for a multitude of others: the New York strip steak.  The strip steak is known by several names: New York strip steak, ambassador steak, strip loin steak, Kansas City strip, club steak, or the Omaha Strip, but, most people call it New York Strip.  Why?  That’s where it had its beginnings – in the great steakhouses of New York City.  It and the ribeye steak, along with the filet mignon are considered to be the high-end cuts of boneless steaks, but, the filet mignon, which does not contain enough fat is least likely to succeed over the dry, open flame of any seething-hot charcoal or gas grill grids.

What part of the cow does the New York strip steak come from?

In the event you're asking what part of the cow does the the strip steak come from, "in butcher speak":  The New York strip is cut from the short loin subprimal, which is part of the loin primal.

The loin primal is the source of many premier steak cuts – including the filet mignon. When the tenderloin is removed from the short loin, the strip loin remains. This subprimal is only about 16-18 inches long and yields 11-14 steaks, depending on thickness.  The strip is cut off the beef short loin to produce a boneless steak.  If the butcher leaves the strip loin and tenderloin intact through the short loin, the short loin transforms into T-bone and porterhouse steaks.

What's the best method to cook a New York strip steak?

New York strip steaks are among the easiest to cook on the grill but it's worth mentioning they do well under the broiler or in a cast-iron or grill pan on the stovetop too.  They can also be quickly seared in a skillet and then transferred to a 425° oven to finish cooking.  No matter how you decide to cook them, be sure to let them come to room temperature on the counter for about 60 minutes (or a minimum of 30 minutes) before cooking.  This will ensure they cook evenly at any thickness.  Just prior to cooking, pat them dry in a paper towel, which will ensure they sear quickly. Lastly, season with salt and pepper or steak seasoning just prior to placing on the hot grill.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ Things to Know when a Recipe calls for Citrus Zest --

The topic is citrus zest.  It's a common ingredient in all sorts of recipes.  In my kitchen I mostly use it in baked goods like pies, cakes, tarts, torts, puddings and custards.  That said, I use occasionally in soups, salads, sauces, many pasta, fish and/0r seafood dishes, and, of course, to garnish cocktails too.  Why?  It adds a fresh pop of citrus flavor without the tartness of the juice.  

Lemons are the most commonly zested citrus fruit, followed by limes, oranges and grapefruit. Depending on whether you need wide strips, thin chards, or fine pieces, you'll need a vegetable peeler, a citrus zester, or, a microplane grater -- it's worth mentioning that while an old-fashioned box grater can be used for any of these zesting tasks (it's what our grandmothers used), trust me, the peeler, the zester and the microplane grater do a must better job.  There's more.  When a recipe calls for both citrus zest and juice, be sure to zest the whole fruit before you juice it because it's almost impossible to zest a messy, wet piece of squeezed citrus fruit

Zesting a lemon is the same as zesting any other citrus fruit.

No matter what size or shape of zest you're in need of, it's important to avoid what's called the pith.  What's the pith?  The peel of citrus fruit has two parts:  the rind and the pith.  The rind is the colorful exterior, which is where the zest comes from.  The pith is the white cotton-like substance just below the rind that clings to the fruit beneath it.  The pith is really bitter, so, when zesting with any tool, even a paring knife, do your best to avoid it.  The goal is to remove the colorful, thin outer layer while avoiding the thicker, white pith.  Once the fruit is zested, it's important to know the zest does not have a long shelf-life so, I recommend only zesting as much as you need at one time. While it can be frozen, even then it only lasts a week or two before the quality deteriorates.

1 lemon = about 1 tablespoon zest

1 lime = about 2 teaspoons zest

1 orange = about 2 tablespoons zest

1 grapefruit = about 3 tablespoons zest

Fresh is best so only zest as much as you need. 

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ GF Manchego, Apple, Walnut & Fig Preserve Bites ~

If you entertain on occasion, it's wise to have one or two really good gluten-free recipes in your repertoire.  In the case of these delightful two-bite snacks, I love to serve them even when gluten-free is a non-issue.  On the topic of GF and speaking from my own experience, two decades ago I knew one person with Celiac's disease.  Currently I know three Celiacs.  Don't ask me to speak about people decide of their own free will to follow a gluten-free  diet without a doctors diagnosis --  a silly, somewhat irresponsible fad-diet trend which I'm starting see too much of.

One short list of easy-to-find ingredients & no measuring:

Listed in the order of assembly:

1 box Good Thins sea salt & pepper gluten-free rice crackers

apple slices, 1 thin apple slice per cracker, any type of apple will be wonderful

Manchego cheese, 1 thin slice per cracker

prosciutto or Serrano ham, 1 thin whisp per cracker

fig preserves, 1 small dollop per cracker

lightly-toasted coarse-chopped walnuts, 4-5 crunchy morsels per cracker

~Step 1.  In the order listed, assemble the appetizers:  A cracker, a Manchego cheese slice, an apple slice, a dollop of fig preserves, a few toasted walnut walnut morsels, a a whisp or two of Prosciutto.  Serve ASAP but can be covered and refrigerated 1-2 hours prior to serving at room temperature.   

Casual yet elegant & perfect for any occasion:

GF Manchego Apple, Walnut & Fig Preserve Bites:  Recipe yields instruction to make as many appetizers as you want to make.

Special Equipment List: cutting board; chef's knife; small spoon

Cook's Note: I have a handful of favorite ways to enjoy Manchgo cheese here in my kitchen, but, truth told, my favorite way is the simplest:  put a thin slice of Manchgo on a French bread slice with a dollop of fig preserves.  That's it.  Just three ingredients (bread, cheese and jam).  It is marvelous -- sometimes, when I'm hungry and in need of quick, snack, I skip the bread and use Club or Ritz crackers as the crunchy base.  Combined with a few other easy-to-find ingredients, these two-three-bite three-ingredient appetizers go from marvelous to over-the-top in a few short moments.  Try my NOT gluten-free ~ Manchgo, Apple Prosciutto, Arugula & Fig Crostini ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ A Cutlet, Escalop, Medallion and/or Paillard of Meat ~

In culinary terms, cutlet is a catch-all American word referring to a boneless, evenly-thin sliced piece of meat, sometimes but not always lightly-pounded which cooks quickly --  it is usually coated with flour or breadcrumbs prior to cooking.  Escalop (eh-SKAL-ohp) is the French word for a very thin, also sometimes flattened piece of meat, poultry or fish which requires only seconds of sautéing on both sides.  Here in the USA, the term for this cut of meat is a scallop.  Paillard (PI-yahrd), which is both a verb and a noun in French, means "to pound", and also references a lightly-pounded slice or medallion of meat, poultry or fish.  It's done with a flat-sided meat mallet and the intention is not to "smash the meat to smithereens".  Pounding should make it wider and thinner, just enough to make it even in thickness and break down the fibers, just enough to tenderize it and make it cook evenly.  A medallion refers to a coin-shaped slice of meat (beef, pork, veal, lamb) taken exclusively from the tenderloin -- only tenderloins become medallions.

Oh my ~ Tender Batter-Dipped, Deep-Fried Chicken Cutlets ~:

Try my ~ Tender Steak Scallops w/Herbed Mustard Sauce ~:

Or my ~ Pork Tenderloin Medallions w/Dijon Cream Sauce ~:

And my ~ Apple-Pie Chicken Paillard & Stuffing Casserole ~:

Or my ~ Barbecue-Sauced Sautéed Chicken Paillards  ~:

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary, Photos and Commentary courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~Corned Beef Brisket & What Corned Actually Means~

Corned beef isn't just for St. Patrick's Day in my kitchen.  We enjoy it in several different ways more than once a year.  Corned beef is beef brisket that has been brine-cured in a solution of salt and water typically used for pickling or preserving food.  Brisket is the cut of beef taken from the breast section under the first five ribs.  It is sold without the bone and divided into two sections.  The flat-cut has minimal fat and is more expensive than the more flavorful point-cut. 

Brisket requires long, slow cooking and is best when braised.  The term "corned" comes from the English use of the verb "corn", meaning: a process in which small particles, such as grains of salt have been added to liquid.  Two types of corned beef are available and depend upon the butcher and/or the region.  Old-fashioned corned beef is grayish-pink in color and very salty.  New-style, the kind that is vacuum-sealed that most of us purchase, has less salt and is a bright rosy red.

Try my ~ Brown-Sugar-Crusted Corned Beef Sandwiches ~:

Or my ~ Deli Corned Beef on Swirl w/Sauerkraut & Swiss ~:

And, a ~ Cheesy Corned-Beef on Rye Reuben Casserole ~:

Or my ~ Lazy Lady's Homemade Corned Beef Hash ~:

Haha, and ~ Another Crockpot Corned Beef & Cabbage Recipe ~:

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ The Pullman Bread Loaf and the Pullman Loaf Pan ~

The Pullman loaf is the quintessential white sandwich loaf. The name Pullman comes from its use in the kitchens of the Pullman Company's railway cars of the 1800s, and, the Pullman company is credited with inventing the rectangular-shaped lidded baking pans (which coincidentally resembled the shape of the railroad cars).  Baking bread in a pan with a lid is, functionally a bit different than baking bread in an open-topped pan, which, of course, affects the crumb structure. The confined space, which doesn't allow most of the steam to escape, prevents big air bubbles from forming, which keeps the crumb fine and tight, which renders it easy to slice thin, and, it keeps the crust to a minimum too. There's more. Because the Pullman loaf produces perfectly square slices, it's hands-down the bread-of-choice for making sandwiches, plus, the thin crust means there's very little waste when a perfect presentation requires trimming off the crust.

Named for the Pullman Railway cars of the 1800s.

The traditional Pullman loaf is an enriched white bread.  This means besides yeast and white flour, the dough is enriched with butter, sugar and salt, and, milk is often used in place of water.  The ratios of ingredients depend on the level of sweet or savory desired, at the discretion of the baker, but, only judicious amounts of each are used to keep the bread's signature mild, buttery flavor.  Once the dough is kneaded and proofed, it goes into the Pullman pan to rise again prior to sliding the lid on the pan and baking it in the oven.

~ How to Bake a Pullman Loaf in a Pullman Loaf Bread Pan ~:

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy  of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ Wake up to Grands Brand Cinnamon-Roll Waffles ~

If you are a fan of cinnamon-rolls with ooey-gooey cream cheese frosting, it's time for you to meet the easiest, best holiday or special occasion breakfast ever.  Easiest.  Best.  Period.  You will not be calling anyone twice to the table that morning.  That said, you will need a Belgian-style waffle iron to make these, meaning a waffle iron with deep grids.  To make the waffles using a regular waffle iron, substitute a tube of Pillsbury's regular, smaller--sized cinnamon rolls.

One pre-made ingredient + one Belgian waffle iron = amazing.

1  tube Pillsbury Grands cinnamon rolls w/cream cheese glaze

~ Step 1.  Open the tube of waffles.  Remove the waffles but do not separate them. Remove the small plastic container containing the cream cheese glaze. Add 1/2 teaspoon water to the cream cheese glaze, place it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, then stir.  Set aside.  Using a serrated bread knife slice the waffles into four even sized discs (ignore the precut perforations).  Set aside.  Preheat waffle iron to medium -- initially a red light will display, then a green light will display when iron is hot and ready.

~ Step 2.  Place one cinnamon-roll disc on top of and in the center of each grid (two will fit on my Belgian waffle iron, some irons make four).  Slowly lower the lid and hold it closed about 10-15 seconds.  Let go of your grip and allow the waffles to cook another 45-50 seconds.  From beginning to end, the waffles will be cooked in 60-75 seconds.  Use a thin nonstick spatula to remove the waffles from the grids. When the green light indicates the iron is ready again, repeat process with remaining discs.

Serve steaming hot drizzled w/the warm cream cheese glaze:  

Wake up to Grand's Brand Cinnamon-Roll Waffles:  Recipe yields 4 large waffles, 2-4 servings.

Special Equipment List:  serrated bread knife; Belgian-style waffle iron; thin nonstick spatula

Cook's Note: When it comes to breakfast or bunch, I am always looking for the easiest way to serve good food. Mornings in the average family tend to have a lot of things happening at once.  I love my family and I enjoy my guests, but, back in the days when I was trying to get three kids off to meet the school bus and my husband out the door to the office, or, fast forward to when I happen to be organizing breakfast for a few overnight guests, no one appreciates having a few time-saving recipes that taste as good as they look as much as I do.  This recipe is worth its weight in gold.  Try my ~ Grands Apple-Pie-Filling Filled Cinnamon-Roll Cups ~.  

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023.

~The Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato BLT Everything Bagel~

This Everything Bagel BLT sandwich is everything one could ask for in terms of a BLT sandwich -- lots of crisply fried bacon, crunchy lettuce and fresh tomato slices served on a toasted everything bagel that's been slathered with a tangy whipped chive-and-onion cream cheese spread.  It doesn't have to stop there.  If your a fan of the turkey club sandwich, feel free to add a generous pile of your favorite shaved deli turkey atop the bacon.  If you think you'd enjoy a fried or poached egg on your bagel sandwich (even though I am not of fan), I won't call the food police on you.

Timing is perfect for breakfast, lunch, brunch or dinner.

For two everything bagel BLTs:

2  everything bagels, sliced & lightly toasted

8  thick slices bacon, crisply fried,well-drained, & sliced in half, 4 slices per sandwich

1/2-3/4  cup chiffonade of Romaine lettuce, a generous 1/4 cup per sandwich

8 thin Campari tomato slices, from 3 small Campari tomatoes, 4 slices per sandwich

whipped chive-and-onion cream cheese spread

~Step 1.  For each sandwich, lightly-toast both halves of one bagel, then, generously slather each half with the chive-and-onion cream cheese spread.  Arrange the halved bacon slices, atop the cream cheese spread, on the bottom half of the toasted bagel.  Follow with a heap of crunchy Romaine and four thin Campari tomato slices.

Put a lid on it, slice, & dig it while it's still warm!

Guaranteed to be the most flavorful BLT you've ever eaten:

The Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato BLT Everything Bagel:  Recipe yields instructions to make as many everything bagel BLTs as you want to make.

Special Equipment List:  toaster or toaster oven; serrated bread knife

Cook's Note: Very special.  That's how I describe this everything-bagel sandwich.  That said, for me, every component must be "just so".  It's got to be a lightly-toasted New York-style bagel -- preferably an everything bagel, but, an egg bagel is perfectly acceptable too.  As for the requisite cream cheese, it's gotta be Philadelphia brand chive and onion spread.  I prefer smoked salmon to lox and prefer lox to gravlax, so, let's leave it at "smoked salmon, lox or gravlax, in order of preference".  Also, no breakfast sandwich would be complete without an egg or two, and a tender, light chive- and onion-laced creamy-dreamy folded French omelette (which I affectionately refer to as "upscale scrambled eggs") is what initially turned me on to this over-the-top, very-very-special sandwich.  Try my ~  Smoked Salmon & Folded Omelet Everything Bagel Sandwich ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~Mint-Chocolate-Cookie Mint-Ice-Cream Sandwiches~

A picture is indeed worth a thousand words -- especially if it only requires two ingredients.  And, if you're a fan of mint-chocolate anything (candies, cocktails, brownies, cookies and/or ice-cream), one look at the above photo will most likely inspire you to bake some cookies and pick up a pint of the best mint-chip ice-cream you have access too.  Except for a great recipe for home-baked mint-chocolate-chip cookies, which is kind of the point of this post, it is now in your hands.

My recipe for Andes Creme-de-Menthe Mint-Chocolate Cookies:

Plus, the mint-chip ice-cream brand of your choice:

Mint-Chocolate-Cookie Mint-Ice-Cream Sandwiches:  Recipe yields 1 pint of ice cream makes 6-8, 3"-round ice-cream sandwiches.

Special Equipment List:  ice-cream scoop

Cook's Note: While baking gluten-free cookies requires no special equipment, it is important the equipment you do use be spotless -- literally.  Why?  The answer is cross-contamination -- and it is very, very dangerous.  Celiac disease can be triggered by even the smallest spec of gluten. This means if you recently prepared foods using wheat flour, the first step (and it's a must) is to fully wipe down all baking surfaces, wash all hardware (mixing bowls, beater blades, baking pans, wire cooling racks, miscellaneous utensils, etc.), and, remove any products or gluten-containing ingredients that are nearby.  For an added layer of protection, I recommend placing a sheet of parchment on each baking pan that has been used previously to bake anything containing gluten.  ~ GF Creme-de-Menthe Mint-Chocolate-Bit Cookies ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023

~ Andes Creme-de-Menthe Mint-Chocolate Cookies ~

The delightful flavor combination of chocolate and mint.  It's a personal favorite of mine.  It's hard to believe, but I actually know a few folks who do not care for it.  For me, I think it kinda all started as a girl scout.  Access to those thin-mint cookies was worth the price of being forced to camp outdoors in the dark one night a year -- no words can express my hatred for camping.  As a teen, if mint-chocolate-chip ice-cream was available at our local dairy bars or ice-cream houses, that was hands-down the flavor I was ordering -- two scoops please.  As an adult, my love affair continues via Andes creme de menthe candies, cocktails, brownies, and, cookies.

Andes Chocolate Mints are little rectangular candies individually-wrapped in green foil printed with the company's logo, Andes..  They consist of a green-colored mint layer sandwiches between two chocolate layers.  Historically, in 1921, Andrew Kanelos opened a candy shop in Chicago, Illinois.  He named it: Andy's Candies.  It was a catchy name indeed, but, he soon realized that his predominately male clientele didn't like giving boxes of candy with another man's name on it to their wives and girlfriends, so he changed the name to Andes Candies.

Welcome to Mel's world of awesome mint-chocolate cookies:

2 1/4  cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2  teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2  teaspoons baking soda

1  teaspoon salt

1  cup butter, at room temperature, very soft (2 sticks)

2  large eggs

3/4  cup granulated sugar

3/4  cup firmly-packed dark brown sugar

1 1/2  teaspoons creme de menthe flavoring

1  teaspoon pure chocolate extract

1  teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2  10-ounce bags Andes Creme-de-Menthe baking bits

~Step 1. In a small bowl, stir together the dry ingredients:  the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and, salt.  Set aside.  In a large bowl place the butter, eggs, chocolate and vanilla extracts, and, the creme de menthe flavoring. On high-speed of hand-held electric mixer, beat briefly, just to combine, about 1 minute.  Add both sugars and continue to beat on high speed until creamy, about 2 more minutes.  Lower mixer speed, add the flour mixture and incorporate it into the wet mixture until a smooth, sticky dough forms.

~ Step 2.  Using a large rubber spatula, fold in the Andes baking bits. Using a 1 1/2" ice-cream scoop as a measure, drop cookies, well-apart, onto each of 6, parchment-lined, 16" x 12" baking pans (12 cookies per pan).

~ Step 3.  Bake cookies, one-pan-at-a-time on center rack of 325° oven, about 14 minutes, until light-golden.  Do not overbake. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool, in pan, about 1 minute, then, use a small spatula to gently transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack, to cool completely, prior to storing in an air-tight container.

The perfect cookies for any St. Patrick's day celebration:

Try my GF Creme-de-Menthe Mint-Chocolate Bit Cookies too:

Andes Creme-de-Menthe Mint-Chocolate Cookies:  Recipe yields 5 dozen 2 1/2"-round cookies.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; small baking pan; hand-held electric mixer; large rubber spatula; 6, 16" x 12" baking pans; parchment paper; 1 1/2" ice-cream scoop; wire cooling rack; small spatula

Cook's Note: "I asked the maid in dulcet tone, to order me a buttered scone.  The silly girl has been and gone, and ordered me a buttered scone."  Scone.  What an odd little word.  All I really knew about them as a child was I loved them.  That said, the ones I grew up eating were round, single-serving little cakes resemblant of biscuits, not a raggedy, rough, plate-sized round cut into triangles.  So, before I sat down to share my recipe with you, I did look it up to be sure mine are indeed scones -- they are.  Scones are universal, but, they are most associated with the British and the Irish.  Try my ~ Top-of-the-Morin' to Irish Cream & Raisin Scones ~ too!

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)

~ GF Creme-de-Menthe Mint-Chocolate-Bit Cookies ~

While baking gluten-free cookies requires no special equipment, it is important the equipment you do use be spotless -- literally.  Why?  The answer is cross-contamination -- and it is very, very dangerous.  Celiac disease can be triggered by even the smallest spec of gluten. This means if you recently prepared foods using wheat flour, the first step (and it's a must) is to fully wipe down all baking surfaces, wash all hardware (mixing bowls, beater blades, baking pans, wire cooling racks, miscellaneous utensils, etc.), and, remove any products or gluten-containing ingredients that are nearby.  For an added layer of protection, I recommend placing a sheet of parchment on each baking pan that has been used previously to bake cookies/anything containing gluten.

The delightful flavor combination of chocolate and mint.  It's a personal favorite of mine.  It's hard to believe, but I actually know a few folks who do not care for it.  For me, I think it kinda all started as a girl scout.  Access to those thin-mint cookies was worth the price of being forced to camp outdoors in the dark one night a year -- no words can express my hatred for camping.  As a teen, if mint-chocolate-chip ice-cream was available at our local dairy bars or ice-cream houses, that was hands-down the flavor I was ordering -- two scoops please.  As an adult, my love affair continues via Andes creme de menthe candies, cocktails, brownies, and, cookies.

Andes Chocolate Mints are little rectangular candies individually-wrapped in green foil printed with the company's logo, Andes..  They consist of a green-colored mint layer sandwiches between two chocolate layers.  Historically, in 1921, Andrew Kanelos opened a candy shop in Chicago, Illinois.  He named it: Andy's Candies.  It was a catchy name indeed, but, he soon realized that his predominately male clientele didn't like giving boxes of candy with another man's name on it to their wives and girlfriends, so he changed the name to Andes Candies.

Welcome to Mel's world of fab GF mint-chocolate cookies:

2 1/4  cups gluten-free all-purpose flour

2  teaspoons baking powder

2  teaspoons baking soda

2  teaspoons xanthan gum

1  teaspoon salt

1  cup butter, at room temperature, very soft (2 sticks)

2  large eggs

3/4  cup granulated sugar

3/4  cup firmly-packed dark brown sugar

1 1/2  teaspoons creme de menthe flavoring (Note:  Olive Nation brand is gluten-free and what I use and recommend you use too.)

1  teaspoon pure chocolate extract

1  teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2  10-ounce bags Andes Creme-de-Menthe baking bits

~Step 1. In a small bowl, stir together the dry ingredients:  the GF flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt.  Set aside.  In a large bowl place the butter, eggs, chocolate and vanilla extracts, and, the creme de menthe flavoring. On high-speed of hand-held electric mixer, beat briefly, just to combine, about 1 minute.  Add both sugars and continue to beat on high speed until creamy, about 2 more minutes.  Lower mixer speed, add the GF flour mixture and incorporate it into the wet mixture until a sticky dough forms.

~Step 2.  Using a large rubber spatula, fold in the Andes baking bits. Using a 1 1/2" ice-cream scoop as a measure, drop cookies, well-apart, onto each of 6, parchment-lined, 16" x 12" baking pans (12 cookies per pan).  Using your fingertips, press down gently on the top of each ball of dough to flatted in out slightly -- not a lot, just a gentle press.

~ Step 3.  Bake cookies, one-pan-at-a-time on center rack of 325° oven, about 14 minutes, until light-golden.  Do not overbake. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool, in pan, about 1 minute, then, use a small spatula to gently transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack, to cool completely, prior to storing in an air-tight container.

A Perfect GF Cookie for a St. Patrick's Day celebration:

Not GF?  Try Andes Creme-de-Menthe Mint-Chocolate Cookies:

GF Creme-de-Menthe Mint-Chocolate-Bit Cookies:  Recipe yields 5 dozen 2 1/2"-round cookies.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; small baking pan; hand-held electric mixer; large rubber spatula; 6, 16" x 12" baking pans; parchment paper; 1 1/2" ice-cream scoop; wire cooling rack; small spatula

Cook's Note: "I asked the maid in dulcet tone, to order me a buttered scone.  The silly girl has been and gone, and ordered me a buttered scone."  Scone.  What an odd little word.  All I really knew about them as a child was I loved them.  That said, the ones I grew up eating were round, single-serving little cakes resemblant of biscuits, not a raggedy, rough, plate-sized round cut into triangles.  So, before I sat down to share my recipe with you, I did look it up to be sure mine are indeed scones -- they are.  Scones are universal, but, they are most associated with the British and the Irish.  Try my ~ Top-of-the-Morin' to Irish Cream & Raisin Scones ~ too!

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2023)