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Gourmet November 2012 Down East – New England Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont

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VPWL  GOURMET

2012-2013

SEE THE USA

November 2012

Down East – New England

Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, Vermont

Hors d’oeuvre

Cocktail Lobster Rolls
Authentic Anchor Bar Buffalo Chicken Wings
Hilda Koegel Pitts Crab Cakes

First Course

New England Clam Chowder
Waldorf Salad

Main Dish

New England Boiled Dinner
Parker House Rolls and Butter

Dessert

Boston Cream Cupcakes and Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream
Coffee, Sugar, and Cream

Wine
Hors d’oeuvres and First Course Sparrow Hawk Chardonnay 2009 – Sonoma Bonny Doon Clos de Gilroy–Grenache 2010–Santa Cruz
Main Dish Ferraton “Samorens” Cotes du Rhone 2009 Qupe 2009 Syrah – Central Coast

 

 

 

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Gourmet December 2012 Après Ski – The Rockies Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado

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VPWLGourmet

SEE THE USA

December, 2012

Après Ski – The Rockies

Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado

Menu

Hors d’oeuvres:

Boise Chicken Bites

Cataldo Mission Idaho Pizza Delight

Colorado Cache Tomato Bisque with Popcorn

Colorado Stuffed Potato Bites

Donna’s Sweet and Spicy Nuts

Dorothy’s Smokies Appetizer

Go Broncos Chili Dip with Corn Chips

Grand Junction Pulled Pork Sliders

Grand Tetons Turkey Cranberry Sliders

Henderson Edamame and Almond Humus

Pioneer Woman’s Mini Meat Ball Sliders

Prosciutto Wagon Wheels

River City Sheep Dip

Rocky Mountain Smoked Trout Pâté

Salt Lake City Rosemary Fillet

Simply Heavenly Oyster Crackers

Sun Valley Smoked Salmon Cheesecake

Dessert:

Berry Trifle

Eggnog Shooters

Wyoming Chocolate Extravaganza

Winter Wassail

Cheyenne Mulled Cider

Champagne and Wine

Coffee, Sugar, and Cream

Wine:  Hostess’ choice

Dorothy’s Smokies Appetizer

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Don’t worry about the chafing dish,  these never make it out of the kitchen!   They would also be a  different and nice addition to a breakfast buffet.  (P.S. This is not Happy Dogs – they are happy because they have bourbon!)

Ingredients:

  • 1 pkg (Costco size – about 2 lbs)  cocktail smokies (80 smokie links)
  • 2 lb bacon (40 slices)
  • 1 c brown sugar

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 350°
  2. Line 9×13 glass pan with foil.
  3. Cut package of bacon in half.
  4. Wrap 1/3 piece of bacon around each smokie.
  5. Skewer with toothpick to secure bacon.
  6. Place in glass pan.
  7. When all are in the pan, spread with brown sugar.
  8. Bake for one hour.
    Serve hot in chafing dish

Serves: 80 pieces

Source: Dorothy Neale, 2008 Jacobs Colorado Cookbook

Comments:  Serendipitous discovery – use 2 lb mini smokies and cut the bacon in 1/3.  Bite Size for the win!

Notes:  Bummer, Costco no longer has smokie links.  Grocery store – 14 oz, 1# bacon +3 slices, 1/2 c sugar = 34 pieces

Hilda Koegel Pitts Crab Cakes

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Not the most traditional recipe, but quite good.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb crab meat. Fresh is best! ( you can use canned from the refrigerated section but make sure it’s “back fin” vs                       claws or Trader Joe’s lump crab)
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 Tab Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tab baking powder
  • 3 slices white bread, crust removed
  • 2 Tab milk (a little extra if bread is dry)
  • 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
  • 1 tsp mayo (she swore by Hellman’s which is Best Foods here)
  • 1 tsp prepared yellow mustard
  • ¼ tsp white vinegar
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • vegetable oil or shortening

Directions:

  1. Break bread into small pieces in bowl.
  2. Moisten with the milk until almost soggy.
  3. Mix in the rest of the ingredients.
  4. Using approximately 2T of mix, shape into cakes. Place on plate.
  5. Refrigerate.
  6. Fry in a small amount of vegetable oil or shortening.

Serves: 20 cakes at 2 tablespoons/cake or (40 minis at 1 tablespoon/cake)

Source: Hilda Koegel Pitts (Robbie Pitts grandmother)

 

Gourmet October 2012 The Heartland – The Midwest and Great Plains Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Wisconsin

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VPWL GOURMET 2012-2013

SEE THE USA October, 2012

The Heartland – The Midwest and Great Plains

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Wisconsin

Hors d’oeuvres

Chicago Mushroom Puffs
Beer Cheese Dip
Green Bay Beer Brats

First Course

Cream of Corn Soup

Entreʹ

Pork Roast with Brandy Sauce
Greenback Tomatoes
Spaetzle

Dessert

Apple Upside-Down Cake

Wine – Hors d’oeuvres and First Course
Davis Family 2009 Dry Riesling – Monterey County
Zind-Humbrecht 2011 Riesling – Alsace

Wine – Entré

Moshin Vineyards 2010 Pinot Noir – Russian River
Albert-Bichot 2009 Pinot Secret de Famileʹ – Bourgogne
Beer Old Milwaukee, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Schlitz

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Apple Upside-Down Cake

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Tangy, sweet, spicy, gooey, and super-duper scrumptious. For the best results, spring for the boiled cider: this tasty syrup is the essence of apples. Use it in all your apple desserts, atop oatmeal or ice cream or in yogurt or smoothies. It stays fresh forever in the fridge.

Ingredients: Topping

  • 3 medium apples (Granny Smith, Yellow Delicious, or Gala)
  • 4 Tab butter
  • ¾ c light brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 2 Tab boiled cider or thawed apple juice concentrate
  • 2 Tab cinnamon
  • ½ c light corn syrup
  • ½ pt whipping cream – whipped

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Lightly grease a 10” round 2 inch deep cake pan.
  3. Line the bottom with parchment and butter the parchment.
  4. Slice the top, including the stem, off one of the apples and set it aside before peeling and slicing the rest of the apples into ¼ inch thick wedges.
  5. Place the apple top, stem down in the middle of the pan and overlap the rest of the apple wedges around it.
  6. Prepare the topping by heating the butter, sugar, cider, cinnamon and corn syrup together over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
  7. Pour ½ c of the syrup mixture into the prepared pan and set the rest aside.

Ingredients: Cake

  • ¼ c vegetable oil
  • 1 c light brown sugar
  • 2 Tab boiled cider or thawed apple juice concentrate
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ginger
  • 1/8 tsp cloves
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 ½ c flour
  • 2 medium apples, peeled and finely chopped
  • 3/4 c chopped pecans

To make the cake:

  1. Beat the oil, brown sugar, cider/apple juice, eggs, salt, spices together for 2 minutes at medium speed.
  2. Mix the flour with the baking soda, and stir it into the batter.
  3. Add the chopped apple and nuts, and mix until just blended.
  4. Drop scoops of the batter atop the apples in the pan, gently spreading to cover.
  5. Bake the cake for 35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean.
  6. Remove the cake from the oven, and run a thin spatula around the edge to loosen.
  7. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
  8. Then turn it out onto a serving plate, bottom side up.
  9. Scrape out any sauce that remains and spread it over the cake.
  10. Reheat the reserved topping. If butter starts to separate as you reheat, add water by the teaspoon and stir until the butter rejoins the rest of the sauce.
  11. Pour the sauce over the cake.
  12. Serve cake warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

Serves: 10 – 12

Source: King Arthur Flour

 



 

 

Spaetzle

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These little batter noodles were made whenever Grandma Block cooked a pot roast or sauerbraten. She started the spaetzle batter about an hour ahead of time, beat the batter with a wooden paddle for a minute or two, then let the batter “rest” for a little while. Then it would be beaten some more. In fact, whenever anyone headed for the kitchen, they’d be asked to “Give the spaetzles a stir!” By the time it was ready to use, the batter was elastic, shiny and slightly thick. (The batter works well even without all that beating!)

Ingredients:

  • 4 eggs
  • ½ c water
  • 2 c flour
  • pinch salt
  • ¼ lb butter
  • 1 Tab herbs, chopped – sage, rosemary, chives, parsley – whatever is fresh

Directions:

  1. Boil at least 2 quarts of water in a large (3 qt or more) pan.
  2. Whisk eggs and ½ cup water together. (Use large mixer)
  3. Gradually add flour and salt, beating well.
  4. Let dough rest 15-20 minutes, beat again.
  5. Repeat several times.
  6. Push through spaetzle maker or large holed colander with a wooden spoon into boiling water. If dough is too thick, put on flat surface and cut small pieces off into the boiling water. (probably the easiest to do)
  7. When all the spaetzle are floating, lift them out into a buttered bowl.
  8. Saute spaetzles and herbs in butter until lightly browned.

Serves: 10-12

Source: Taste of Home Cooking.   The Block Family

 

 

Pork Tenderloins with Brandied Cream Sauce

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This sauce is a real find – good on chicken or pasta too.

Ingredients:

  • 5 lbs       pork tenderloins (approximately 1 – 2 inches in diameter. Usually 2 loin  per package)
  • 1 ½ c      flour
  • 2 tsp      pepper
  • 1 c          oil
  • ¼ lb       butter (divided)
  • 7c           mushrooms, sliced (¾  lb)
  • 1 2/3 c    brandy
  • 1 2/3 c    chicken broth
  • 3 1/3 c    whipping cream
  • 5 Tab     mustard, yellow
  • 2 tsp      sage, dried, whole  (or 2 Tab  fresh)

Directions:  Pork loin

  1.  Trim fat from tenderloins
  2. Combine flour and pepper in a shallow bowl or pie tin.
  3. Dredge tenderloins in flour mixture.
  4. Cook tenderloins, uncovered in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat 10 minutes, turning occasionally to brown all sides.
  5. Cover and cook an additional 20 minutes on low heat or until meat thermometer  reads 160 degrees.
  6. Remove from heat.

Directions:  Brandy sauce

  1. Melt 4 Tab butter in really large saucepan.
  2. Add mushrooms and cook 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
  3. Add brandy and chicken broth, bring to a boil and cook over medium high heat  until mixture is reduced by half, stirring occasionally – about 5 minutes..
  4. Stir in whipping cream and cook over medium high heat 10 or 15 minutes until  thickened.   Caution: watch carefully, stir to avoid boiling over.   (It may not thicken – still good.  Go with 15 minutes)
  5. Reheat and add remaining 4 tablespoons butter, mustard and sage and stir with a wire whisk.

Serves:  10-12

Source:  yummly.com

 

Cream of Corn Soup

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Sooo good when it is cold and wintery out.

Ingredients:

  • 4 slices bacon, finely diced
  • ¼ c onion, chopped fine
  • 4 c corn, frozen or fresh
  • ¼ c butter
  • ¼ c flour
  • 4 c milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 4 c light cream (half and half)

 

Directions:

  1. Fry bacon until crisp.
  2. Add onion and saute until soft.
  3. Add corn to bacon and onion.
  4. Cook until the corn begins to brown.
  5. Add butter, stir till melted and add flour.
  6. Cook for 3 minutes.
  7. Add milk, salt and pepper and cook until thickened.
  8. Add light cream and heat thoroughly.

Serves: 8-12

Source: Recipes from Iowa With Love, Peg Hein and Kathryn Cramer

Green Bay Beer Brats

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Boiling the brats in beer makes a good, good difference.

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 bratwurst, plain (about 12 inches total)
  • 2-3 bratwurst, smoked (about 12 inches total)
  • 1 c onion, thinly sliced
  • 24 oz beer
  • 1 Tab oil or butter
  • mustard – German or yellow
  • 12 hamburger pickle slices quartered
  • 1 Trader Joe’s soft pretzel roll or small French roll (about 7 inches long)
  • 2 T ab butter
  • toothpicks

Directions:

  1. Bring the beer to a boil.
  2. Add the onions and bratwurst.
  3. Simmer about 10 – 12 minutes. (20 – 30 minutes if uncooked).
  4. Remove the bratwurst – save the beer.
  5. Brown the bratwurst in butter or oil.
  6. Return bratwurst to beer to keep warm.
  7. Cut pretzel roll into ½ inch slices, then into quarters.
  8. Toss cubes with 2 T melted butter.
  9. Bake at 450° stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes minutes until toasted, but not hard. Cool.
  10. Spread pretzel squares with small dab of mustard.
  11. To serve – Cut bratwurst into ½ inch thick pieces discarding small ends.
  12. Skewer with toothpick: pickles, bratwurst and bread.

Serves: Approximately 36 – 48 pieces

Source: cdkitchen.com