Archives for September, 2007
Every autumn I look forward to making this sweet apple crunch. Tender, cooked apples mixed with aromatic cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Everyone loves it!
I serve it warm with creamy, vanilla ice cream or just sprinkle it with powdered sugar and serve it on its own.
We had a few friends around for lunch today. I made a big pot of scallop chowder, which we served with some whole grain bread and Picpoul de Pinet white wine, followed by this apple crunch.
It was a delicious autumn meal!
Apple Crunch
serves 6
2 pounds tart cooking apples, such as Granny Smith
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl mix the sugar and cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves together.
Peel, core and thinly slice the apples.
Place apples in the bowl with sugar and spices and mix so all the apples are coated well.
Spoon into round pie plate or square baking pan.
In another bowl, mix the flour and sugar together then add the butter, cut into small bits, and the vanilla.
Using your fingers, combine the mixture so the butter is combined with the dry ingredients.
Spoon on top to evenly cover the apples.
Bake for 1 hour, until apples are soft and cooked through and top is golden.
If serving without ice cream, sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of powdered sugar on top.
the finished apple crunch
See article.
I serve it warm with creamy, vanilla ice cream or just sprinkle it with powdered sugar and serve it on its own.
We had a few friends around for lunch today. I made a big pot of scallop chowder, which we served with some whole grain bread and Picpoul de Pinet white wine, followed by this apple crunch.
It was a delicious autumn meal!
Apple Crunch
serves 6
2 pounds tart cooking apples, such as Granny Smith
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl mix the sugar and cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves together.
Peel, core and thinly slice the apples.
Place apples in the bowl with sugar and spices and mix so all the apples are coated well.
Spoon into round pie plate or square baking pan.
In another bowl, mix the flour and sugar together then add the butter, cut into small bits, and the vanilla.
Using your fingers, combine the mixture so the butter is combined with the dry ingredients.
Spoon on top to evenly cover the apples.
Bake for 1 hour, until apples are soft and cooked through and top is golden.
If serving without ice cream, sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of powdered sugar on top.
the finished apple crunch
See article.
Megismételtem a tegnapi ratatouille-mat - csak ma zöldség helyett őszi gyümölcsökkel! Került bele minden jó: alma, körte, őszibarack, szilva, mazsola s végül még egy kis aszúfürdőt is vehettek a gyümölcsök. Sütőben alaposan átsütve végül egyféle gyümölcslecsó született, melyet hozzáillően szabadon "tutti frutti"-ra kereszteltem. Ideális "maradék-gyümölcs-megsemmisítő" őszi vitamindús étel, mely után új erővel állhatunk a közelgő rideg téli napok elébe ;) (recept)
A lazy Saturday afternoon. The skies are overcast and neither of us have the desire to go anywhere. I feel like making some comforting, slow simmering Bolognese sauce.
A quick search in the fridge to make sure I have everything I need. There's some pancetta and ground beef in the freezer that I need to use up. Celery, carrots and onions - yes, and I recently stocked up on canned tomatoes at the store. Do I have white wine? Of course!
Over the past couple of years I've tried and tested a few different recipes for Bolognese sauce. For a long time my favorite was Marcella Hazan's. It's texture was wonderful and it's flavor was soft and mellow, yet rich.
Now I usually make a recipe by Mark Bittman. The main difference between the two is that Marcella adds the milk before the tomatoes and wine, and she uses a bit of nutmeg. Mark's recipe adds the milk at the end and he sautées minced pancetta with the onions, carrots and celery, which I think adds a nice earthiness.
However, both versions are delicious!
Ragu Meat Sauce, Bolognese-Style
from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
Makes: a little more than 1 quart, enough for about 3 pounds of pasta
Time: Several hours, largely unattended
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1 carrot, peeled and minced
1 celery stalk, minced
1/4 cup minced bacon or pancetta
1/2 pound lean ground pork (or use all beef)
1/2 pound lean ground beef
3/4 cup dry white wine (or reserved juice from the canned tomatoes)
1 (28- or 35-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes, drained (reserve juice, if needed instead of wine)
1 cup beef or chicken stock, preferably homemade
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup cream, half-and-half, or milk
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1. Put the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-low and, a minute later, add the onion, carrot, celery, and bacon or pancetta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the ground meat and cook, stirring and breaking up any clumps, until all traces of red are gone, about 5 minutes. Add the wine or tomato juice, raise the heat a bit, and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes.
3. Crush the tomatoes with a fork or your hands and add them to the pot; stir, then add the stock. Turn the heat to low and cook at a slow simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes and any clumps of meat that remain. After an hour or so, add salt and pepper. Cook for at least another hour, until much of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce is very thick. (This sauce may be covered and refrigerated for a day or two, or put in a closed container and frozen for several weeks. Reheat before completing.)
4. Add the cream, half-and-half, or milk and cook for another 15 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally; taste and add more salt and/or pepper as needed. Serve immediately with any dried or fresh pasta, passing grated Parmesan, if you like, at the table.
Tonight we enjoyed a wonderful Spaghetti Bolognese and I have lots of sauce to throw in the freezer. Perfect!
See article.
A quick search in the fridge to make sure I have everything I need. There's some pancetta and ground beef in the freezer that I need to use up. Celery, carrots and onions - yes, and I recently stocked up on canned tomatoes at the store. Do I have white wine? Of course!
Over the past couple of years I've tried and tested a few different recipes for Bolognese sauce. For a long time my favorite was Marcella Hazan's. It's texture was wonderful and it's flavor was soft and mellow, yet rich.
Now I usually make a recipe by Mark Bittman. The main difference between the two is that Marcella adds the milk before the tomatoes and wine, and she uses a bit of nutmeg. Mark's recipe adds the milk at the end and he sautées minced pancetta with the onions, carrots and celery, which I think adds a nice earthiness.
However, both versions are delicious!
Ragu Meat Sauce, Bolognese-Style
from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
Makes: a little more than 1 quart, enough for about 3 pounds of pasta
Time: Several hours, largely unattended
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1 carrot, peeled and minced
1 celery stalk, minced
1/4 cup minced bacon or pancetta
1/2 pound lean ground pork (or use all beef)
1/2 pound lean ground beef
3/4 cup dry white wine (or reserved juice from the canned tomatoes)
1 (28- or 35-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes, drained (reserve juice, if needed instead of wine)
1 cup beef or chicken stock, preferably homemade
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup cream, half-and-half, or milk
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1. Put the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-low and, a minute later, add the onion, carrot, celery, and bacon or pancetta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the ground meat and cook, stirring and breaking up any clumps, until all traces of red are gone, about 5 minutes. Add the wine or tomato juice, raise the heat a bit, and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes.
3. Crush the tomatoes with a fork or your hands and add them to the pot; stir, then add the stock. Turn the heat to low and cook at a slow simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes and any clumps of meat that remain. After an hour or so, add salt and pepper. Cook for at least another hour, until much of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce is very thick. (This sauce may be covered and refrigerated for a day or two, or put in a closed container and frozen for several weeks. Reheat before completing.)
4. Add the cream, half-and-half, or milk and cook for another 15 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally; taste and add more salt and/or pepper as needed. Serve immediately with any dried or fresh pasta, passing grated Parmesan, if you like, at the table.
Tonight we enjoyed a wonderful Spaghetti Bolognese and I have lots of sauce to throw in the freezer. Perfect!
See article.
Gondolom odahaza már mindenki látta a mozikban a L'ecsó (Ratatouille) című animációs filmet - aki még nem, mindenképp nézze meg! Itt Németországban csak most kerül majd a mozikba, nem tudom mi az elhúzódás oka, de néha megesik az ilyesmi... Lehet a rengeteg reklám is szuggerált, hogy végül ma ratatouille-t, azaz provence-i lecsót készítsek.
A ratatouille receptje többek közt abban hasonlít a magyar lecsóéra, hogy ahány ház, annyiféle elkészítési mód. Az enyém is valószínű csak az én négy falaim között készül így, hisz még nem olvastam róla, hogy valaki szinte egy bloody mary-vel löttyintené le utolsó finomításként a zöldséget, mielőtt a sütőbe tolja ;) A gin alkoholtartalma persze elpárolog a hosszas rotyogás során, de jelenléte tovább emeli az összíz élményét. (recept)
A ratatouille receptje többek közt abban hasonlít a magyar lecsóéra, hogy ahány ház, annyiféle elkészítési mód. Az enyém is valószínű csak az én négy falaim között készül így, hisz még nem olvastam róla, hogy valaki szinte egy bloody mary-vel löttyintené le utolsó finomításként a zöldséget, mielőtt a sütőbe tolja ;) A gin alkoholtartalma persze elpárolog a hosszas rotyogás során, de jelenléte tovább emeli az összíz élményét. (recept)
