It’s true when they say “if you don’t use it you’ll lose it”. I had butchery class in culinary school but since then have never really worked anyplace where I needed to, or had much opportunity to do butchery. Recently finding myself with much coveted time off and not sure how to use this valuable asset, I decided to…delve further into the world of work with some continuing education! NCChoices is a North Carolina based initiative to promote sustainable food systems and access to pasture-based meat production, processing and marketing. Recently they held a regional workshop as part of the Carolina Meats Conference at Asheville-Buncombe Technical College in Asheville, NC where I participated in a butchery clinic.

The featured presenter was butcher and author Kari Underly.

Kari Makes Her Point

Kari is the author of the recently released “The Art of Beef Cutting”. Kari not only grew up in the meat business, but literally in the cutting room. As a child she said she stood on milk crates to be tall enough to reach the tables in her father’s specialty meat market in Indiana. After completing a butchery apprenticeship she became a journeymen meat cutter. Eventually she took a position working for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association where she worked on various projects focused on finding new ways of fabricating cuts to provide more value-added cuts for consumer selection and producer/retailer profitability. When I was in culinary school there was no such thing as a “flat-iron steak”. Kari was instrumental in creating this recently popularized cut. Why when it wasn’t previously known, has the flat-iron soared in popularity? Kari credits the fact that it’s cut from the second most tender muscle of the steer: Kari is now the founder and owner of “Range, Inc” a company that specializes in research, education, and marketing of fresh meat.

The butchery clinic was held in the large bright demonstration auditorium of the college of culinary arts at A-B Tech. The auditorium was filled with culinary students, chefs, meat producers and processors who were there to learn from a master butcher. In the course of her eight-hour presentation, Kari focused primarily on breaking down a side of a locally raised steer, first into the primal cuts, subprimal, and then the finished fabricated steaks, ribs, chops, and roasts that are commonly found in the meat department of your local grocery store. In the remaining two hours she then discussed and demonstrated the fabrication of both a pig and lamb carcass.

This little piggy went to market…

For decades, The National Association of Meat Processors (NAMP) has published the NAMPS Meat Buyer’s Guide. Originally created as a uniform sourcebook of meat fabrication so that meat buyers for the military could easily specify their orders based on a numerical-based system. It has since become the common sourcebook for meat specification. Unfortunately it is written in heavy “technicalese”. Kari says that the idea for The Art of Beef Cutting came about as a result of all the questions she would routinely receive. Among the issues is the fact that some butchers and processors use different terms for the same item in various regions. Another issue is the fact that some ethnicities prefer one cut over another which sometimes requires meat to be fabricated in a specific manner during the butchery process. Unable to find a resource to which she could refer people for the broad spectrum of questions she often heard, Kari decided to become the official resource by writing The Art of Beef Cutting. Originally intended as a textbook style manual for culinary schools and meat cutters, it’s actually a great resource for anyone who wants to better understand a butcher’s meat case. Clear descriptive text combined with photography of each cut as well as commentary on ethnic uses of various cuts helps to make it suitable for the home consumer as well as a food professional.

Trivia Time:

• Lamb is the animal closest to beef in physical structure and fabrication.
• Genetically-speaking, pigs are the closest to humans in their structure, which is one of the reasons that pig valves are often used in heart-valve replacement surgery.

Spring has sprung and is slowly creeping its way northward.  Hard to believe but summer starts next month!  Here in Savannah the spring visitors have been walking the squares for a couple of months already and locals have been making the most of the beautiful (and comfortable) weather by taking in concerts and celebrations in Forsyth Park. 

Along with the approach of summer also comes the realization that the comfort food of winter was perhaps a little too comforting!  Perhaps the warm weather clothes aren’t as comfortable as they seemed last season!?

Cooking and eating healthier always seems to take on an increased awareness this time of year as we’re returning to bathing suits and warm weather attire.  I’m often asked if I offer cooking classes specifically focused on “healthy cooking”.  I have in the past and periodically do so, but mainly when specifically requested by a private group.  As much interest as people try to have in the topic, there are usually far fewer actually committing to taking such a class.   I think the part that people wrestle with, and the reason that they ask about such specific targeted classes is that they think they have to make a MAJOR change all at once.  Almost as though they need a coach to see them through or they could never do it on their own.  Nonsense!    The reality for most of us is that if we would simply take a little time to actually cook at home rather than eating out as often we might, avoid hitting the drive-through on the way home, and cut back on the processed packaged foods we’d be eating much healthier simply by default!

Too often I think people fear their new “healthy dinner” will be tofu & flaxseed crumble with steamed vegetables.  Eating healthy doesn’t have to conjure up images of people living on communes, hugging trees and windowsills filled with jars of sprouting legumes (apologies to those who may say “hey…he’s describing me!”  Disclaimer:  This description is purely fictional and any similarities to people living or dead is purely coincidental).

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be difficult. Rather than scaling an insurmountable mountain, look at it as a gentle path that when taken one step a time, will eventually lead us to our destination! Here are simple things to keep in mind:

Just get Cooking…

Preparing your own meats, seafood, and vegetables and eating a variety of foods is the best way to have a healthier diet. Cooking and eating at home can save time and money, but only if done on a regular basis. You will be less likely to make trips to the store for one or two ingredients and will find that meal preparation becomes easier when you’re aware of what is on hand and what needs to be purchased during regular shopping trips. The more frequently you cook, the less likely your produce bin will become the home of sullen, indigent fruits and vegetables that long ago gave up their will to live!

“Fresh” is not always best

Modern processing has now allowed freezing technology to be taken to the fields so frequently frozen vegetables (provided that they’re not frozen and/or served with a heavy sauce) may actually have more vitamins than the fresh ones that have traveled for miles before languishing on our store shelves and in our refrigerators. If you find that cooking tends to take a backseat to many other things in life, frozen vegetables can be a great convenience to keep on hand for quick meal preparation.

Cooking Techniques

Most cooking techniques that are typically used are also suitable for healthy cooking. Grilling is particularly good as it allows excess fat to drip away from food. Poaching and steaming can also be healthy but the caveat with these two methods is that it is very tempting to add rich heavy sauces or garnishes to improve the flavor. The two methods which should be minimized are pan-frying and deep-frying.

Eat the Rainbow

You don’t need to be a nutritional expert in order to eat foods with the right nutritional elements. “Phytochemicals” are naturally occurring plant compounds that have beneficial health value. Color compounds in various fruits and vegetables are typically linked with certain phytochemicals. Eating a colorful range of fruits and vegetables makes it easy to consume a wide variety of beneficial vitamins and nutrients.

Make the Most of Farmer’s Markets

Some of you are lucky enough to live in areas where you have blocks-long farmer’s markets.  Here in Savannah I’m just excited when we get 6-8 vendors together at a time!  Hey…that’s 6-8 vendors we didn’t have just four years ago so it’s a big improvement!  Farmer’s Markets, community-supported agriculture (CSA’s) programs and food cooperatives are all thriving right now.  If you don’t have time to make it to a weekly farmer’s market, investigate whether or not a CSA is available in your area, especially if they deliver or have a main-drop off where you can pick up more on your schedule than theirs.  Eating in season will mean that you will most likely have more flavor as fruits will actually have a better chance of being ripe when they are picked.

Most important…if it doesn’t taste good you won’t want to eat it regardless of any health benefits.

Make sure your meals are well seasoned! Everyone needs a treat so don’t forget that when eaten in moderation dessert can be healthy too!

Eating Well magazine is a great resource for seasonal recipes that are based around “real” food you’ll easily find in you supermarket.  If you need inspiration, I suggest considering a subscription.

Not All They’re “Cracked Up” to Be

Easter is this weekend and chances are probably pretty good that you’re boiling and dying eggs this week.  Perhaps you’re saying “been there, done that” and are are already anticipating deviled eggs, egg salad, and lots of other uses for hard-boiled eggs.

Hard-boiled eggs are about as straight-forward as cooking gets, right?  Boil the egg until it’s done…end of story.  Well, not quite.  Seems like it should be that way but if you don’t cook it right you’ll end up with that funky gray-green coloration that surrounds the cooked yolk.  And then there are those impossible-to-remove shells, what’s up with that?  Seems like they should just peel right off and sometimes they do…but yet there are other times when it seems like they are permanently attached to the cooked egg and no attempt seems to result in anything more than a tiny little speck of shell being removed from here and there.

Do you find it “Un-A-Peeling”?

Many people are under the impression that the peeling problem has to do with how quickly or slowly the eggs were cooled after cooking. It actually has nothing to do with the cooking process. It is mostly due to the age of the egg itself. Fresher eggs have a lower albumen (egg white) pH which causes the whites to more strongly bond with the shell membrane. Additionally, eggs have what is known as an “air sack” in the wide bottom portion of the shell. As an egg ages it loses moisture through the shell and the air sack grows bigger. Older eggs are easier to peel because their air sack is larger and thus the membrane that is just inside the shell is easier to remove. Fresher eggs have a much smaller air sack and thus the shell and membrane are more tightly bonded with the cooked egg white.

It’s too late to do much about it for this weekend, but when you know you’re going to be boiling eggs it’s best to buy them at least a week in advance and just due to the extra age they should peel easier.

Gray-Green Funk

How do you keep those egg yolks from developing that funky gray-green layer on the outside? Avoid overcooking! The gray-green layer on a hard-boiled egg yolk is due to sulfur compounds from the egg white reacting with iron from the yolk.

Cooking Hard-Boiled Eggs:

• Using the tip of a paring knife, lightly tap a small hole (as for blowing out eggs) into each end of the egg. This will allow the egg to absorb more flavor from salted water during cooking
  
• Place the eggs in a large pot and cover with heavily salted water. Approximately 1 tablespoon per quart of water. It should taste like briny sea-water. Bring the eggs to a rapid rolling boil and immediately turn them off. Leave them sitting submerged in the hot water off of direct heat and set a timer for 13 minutes for large eggs.
  
• When the time is up, pour off the hot water and run cold water over the eggs (or fill with ice water) until the eggs are cool to the touch. Cooling eggs quickly will help to keep them from toughening up and minimize the potential for the green layer developing around the yolks.

Take a look at most recipes for chicken salad, casseroles, and other items that need cooked chicken and invariably they’ll probably list “boiled chicken” among the ingredients.  Most people will probably then put the chicken in a pot, cover with water, add salt and pepper if we’re lucky, and then proceed to boil it until done.   STOP!!!!   Sure..the recipe calls for boiled chicken but I’d only recommend doing so if you like dry sawdust-like bits of chicken.  The worst thing you can do is boil your chicken!

WHY?

I’m so glad you asked!!!  Have you ever gotten into a bathtub or jacuzzi that was hotter than you expected?  Most likely you tensed up and quickly jumped out.  Well, chicken is going to do the same thing (ok, so it probably won’t jump out of the pot…at least we hope not).

Most people assume and think that because they’re cooking proteins surrounded by liquid that they can’t overcook or dry them out.  Absolutely false!  If you’ve ever had overcooked scrambled eggs you’ve seen firsthand what happens when high heat comes into contact with proteins.  The proteins contract and tighten like small sponges and squeeze out any moisture they once contained.  Thus, you end up with hard rubbery egg curds surrounded by that milky liquid which was once contained within the proteins.  The same is true with chicken…if it is boiled or cooked too quickly and rapidly, or for simply too long, the proteins contract tightly and squeeze the moisture out.  The same goes for any cooking technique but the issue with steaming, boiling, simmering, and poaching is that people assume the moisture of the cooking technique will prevent the protein from drying out.

Well Then…What Am I Supposed to Do?

Great question…I’m so glad you asked!

The answer is to poach the chicken rather than boil it.  Poaching is a much more gently method of cooking in a liquid and is better suited for proteins so that they are less likely to overcook and toughen.

1.  Start with a flavorful liquid.  For chicken and poultry, start with chicken stock and add aromatics such as celery leaves, onions, parsley stems, peppercorns, bay leaves and garlic.   Be sure to season with salt as well to help enhance the flavors and pull the liquid into the flesh of the chicken.  An acid such as white wine or a little lemon juice will also help round out the flavors of the poaching liquid.

2.  Bring the mixture to a simmer for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse throughout the stock.

3.  Once the poaching liquid is well-flavored, bring up to a boil and then turn off.  Immediately place chicken into the pot and cover with a lid or tightly with foil.  If you’re cooking on an electric stove, remove the pot from the burner to prevent residual heat from continuing to boil and simmer the liquid.  Let the covered pot sit for about 10-12 minutes (15-20 minutes if cooking chicken on the bone) off of the heat.

4.  Remove the lid and remove chicken from the poaching liquid.  Use as desired…either serving as desired/needed or cooling and shredding and cutting into pieces for use in casseroles, salads, and other items or freeze for future use.

The chicken on left was boiled 10 minutes and that on the right was poached 10 minutes.

The poached chicken on the right is juicier and moister than the boiled chicken on the left.

I can think of no other cooking technique that can produce deep intense flavors and fork tender texture with minimal work than the technique of braising. Braising is a combination cooking technique that utilizes both dry heat (browning) and moist heat (simmering) to produce a luxurious melt in the mouth feel and deep flavor out of otherwise tough lack-luster cuts of meat. Anyone can take a tender steak and grill it but it takes someone with a bit of skill and knowledge to make a culinary silk purse from the proverbial sow’s ear!

Braising Basics

Meat: Successful braises start with tougher cuts of meat that have flavor, a fair amount of marbled fat and connective tissue. As the fat melts during cooking it will help to separate the muscle fibers and provide moisture to replace liquids that will seep out. The collagen in the connective tissue will also melt and help to keep the meat moist. Additionally, the collagen that seeps out of the meat will help to thicken the luxurious sauce that will be created during the slow cooking. Chuck roast, veal and lamb shanks, oxtails, and beef short ribs all make good choices. When it comes to getting the most flavor for your money my bet is usually oxtails and short ribs.

When braising osso buco (cross-cut pieces of veal shank), it is necessary to make a couple of incisions between the meat and the thin membrane that surrounds the meat.  A couple of snips with kitchen shears on the meaty-side of the osso buco will allow the membrane, a type of connective tissue called “elastin”, to contract without curling up the meat into a cup-like shape.   For lamb shanks, remove excess fat prior to browning.

When braising short ribs, use the tip of a chef’s knife to make an incision lengthwise through the elastin on the bone side of the rib.  This incision will allow the elastin to contract during browning and cooking and the bones will slip away from the flesh to reveal delicious meaty chunks that are easy to serve and eat!

Oxtails, depending on how well they’ve been trimmed, may have large amounts of fat surrounding them.  Trim off excess fat to minimize the amount of grease that will have to be de-fatted before serving.

Dry heat: Browning the meat before adding liquid to the pan is critical. As with any cooking method, the more color that it has the more flavorful it will be. For this reason it is important to note that a non-stick pan will do very little for creating flavor…stay away from them when browning!

Moist heat: Liquids can be a combination of stock, wine or other liquids. The key is to make sure they are flavorful so that they’ll be even better when reduced.

Time & Temperature: Long slow cooking is the final key…slowly heating the meat in the liquid helps to break down tissue and create a more tender result. While stovetop cooking is possible, I prefer oven braising to minimize sticking and burning and allow it to cook with less attention.  While braising can be done at higher temperatures around 400F, you’ll really be better off to do it for a longer time at a more gentle temperature between 325 and 350 degrees F.

Thickening:  The sauce that results during braising can be thickened through a variety of methods:

• Natural Reduction:  The braising liquid will naturally increase in viscosity as the liquid evaporates during the cooking process.
• Gelatin:  Sauces will gain body from extraction of gelatin, either from the bones that are part of the braise or from homemade stock it is being used.
• Starches:  Most of the time the meat will either be dredged in seasoned flour before browning, will have flour added to the vegetables to absorb excess oil before the liquid goes in, or the sauce will be thickened with cornstarch or arrowroot if there isn’t time to allow natural reduction to take place.  Some recipes such as German Sauerbraten will utilize ground gingersnaps added at the end for thickening.  My personal preference is to add flour after the vegetables have been browned and then allow natural reduction to thicken during the cooking or at the end if further thickening is needed.

Miniature Pumpkins – Not Just for Decorating Anymore!

Part of the fun of fall is decorating our homes and tables with the myriad of colorful fall squash that bursts onto  the market this time of year.  From basic butternut to the twisted orange turban squash to the elongated delicata, most are readily available in our grocery stores from late September through November.  They are great to use for table and sideboard decorations and then as you progress through the season you simply start to make them disappear by cooking them!

One of my favorites to use are miniature pumpkins.  One of the most common types “Jack Be Little” are the small orange ones that are usually found in most stores in fall.  “Tiger Stripe” is another variety I have recently come across that features mottled orange and white stripes.  What most people don’t realize is that they are as functional for cooking as they are for decorating.  I’ve been cooking with them for well over a dozen years.  I don’t really recall where I first learned that they could be cooked but think that it may have been a magazine article or cookbook back in the mid 90’s that prompted me to use them for the first time.  My first use of them was for a fall banquet menu where we scooped out the seeds, seasoned the interior with salt and pepper and then steamed them until tender.  They were then cooled and had a variety of salad greens along with baby ears of corn arranged inside.  Made in this manner we were able to arrange all 100 salads in advance on sheet pans and then simply transfer to plates just before service and drizzle with the dressing and garnish with pomegranate seeds for one last fall touch.

I have since gone on to use them as edible dishes for hot items such as corn puddng which I feature in one of my fall cooking classes, and most recently, meatloaf.  They are easy to prepare and make for a flavorful and colorful element to your meal!  Start by cooking them as most winter squash – roasting upside down so that the natural moisture will steam and soften the interior.  Cook them just until tender so that they can retain their shape when served, keeping in mind that they’ll continue to cook as they are roasted or baked once again with whatever filling you’ve chosen to use.

The biggest challenge I have found is that they can often be in short supply after Halloween.  If you should happen to find them, stock up as they can sit around serving as decoration before you enlist them to serve as part of the dinner itself.

Note:  I typically try to avoid using the all-white miniature pumpkins as I’ve found them to be too quite resistant to the roasting process and even after extensive time, never found them to roast to the doneness I’d like.

Autumn Meatloaf in Miniature Pumpkins
The juices from the meatloaf seep into the roasted pumpkin as the meatloaf cooks.  The skin and flesh is all edible so this gives you both meat and side item in one!  You could use your favorite meatloaf mixture in place of this mixture I’ve concocted using Italian sausage.  The yield of this will depend on the size of the pumpkins available.  Choose ones that are all similar in size so that they will roast evenly.  If pumpkins are small, this will provide filling for about six pumpkins.  If the miniature pumpkins are on the larger size then it will yield about four.  Extra filling could always be baked off or cooked separately and served for breakfast.

Yield:  4-6 miniature pumpkins, depending on size

4 –6 miniature pumpkins
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided use
1 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided use
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage (mild or spicy depending on your preference)
1 tart apple (such as Granny Smith)
1/2 medium yellow onion
2 eggs
1 tablespoon coarse-grained mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

About 1-inch away from the stem, make a circular cut around the stem of each pumpkin. Remove pumpkin tops and scrape off any seeds or loose filaments that may be attached. Tops may be discarded or roasted with pumpkins and placed on top to garnish before serving.  Using a small metal spoon, scrape out seeds from pumpkin cavities.  Remove seeds and filaments from pumpkin tops, if using.   Combine 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon rubbed sage and mix well.   Season the insides of pumpkins with the seasoning blend.  Turn pumpkins upside down on a foil or parchment paper lined baking tray and roast in the pre-heated oven until a knife can easily pierce the side of the pumpkin.  Depending on size, they should take about 25-35 minutes to roast. 

While pumpkins are roasting, place the Italian sausage into a large mixing bowl.  Peel and dice the apples and onions into 1/4-inch dice and add to the sausage.

In a small bowl, combine the eggs, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and oregano.  Beat until well blended and pour over the sausage mixture.  Using your hands, gently work everything together until apples and onion are well-blended throughout and egg mixture is evenly worked into the meat mixture.

When pumpkins are done roasting, turn oven temperature down to 350 degrees.   Remove tray from the oven and turn over right-side up. 

Divide the meat filling between the roasted pumpkins, mounding slightly on top.  Return pumpkins to oven and bake until meat filling is cooked through (165 degrees internal temperature) and nicely browned on top.  Remove from oven and serve hot.  Place pumpkin tops on meat at a slight angle to garnish, if using.

Ok, time for one more “late season” post…

One of the challenges in writing recipes is the fact that you have to assume some sort of knowledge on the part of the reader or every recipe turns into a five page dissertation.  My previous post on peach pie could have easily been such an example by the time I explained various techniques for pie crust and peeling peaches.  I thought instead it would be more beneficial to explain each of those processes separately since they aren’t unique to peach pie alone.

If you’ve been blessed with an abundance of peaches and don’t have the time turn them into pies, jam, and cobblers, simply peel them and freeze for future use.  Each summer my mom would freeze several bags of sliced and sweetened peaches to enjoy during the off-season.  What a treat that was to enjoy the pure sweet flavor of summer in the middle of winter!

Whether you’re planning to use fresh peaches immediately for baking, planning to make jam, or put away in the freezer you generally want to peel them first.   This same technique can be used for tomatoes, except that an “x”-shaped cut is generally first made in the bottom of the tomato to facilitiate peeling.  This is not necessary with peaches.

Step 1:

Prepare an ice water bath for shocking the peaches.

Step 2:

Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous boil.  When water is boiling, carefully place a  couple of peaches at a time into the boiling water.  Depending on the ripeness of the peach, they will need to remain in the water for 30-60 seconds.  The riper they are, the less time they’ll need.  The boiling water will scald the skins, essentially blistering them as happens when we burn ourselves.

Step 3:

Using a slotted spoon, remove peaches and immediately immerse in the ice water bath to “shock” them and stop the cooking.  The skin should then easily rub off with your fingers, or the edge of a paring knife.  The peaches are now peeled and ready for use as desired.

Ode to Summer’s End…

I have just enjoyed one last unexpected taste of summer.  October is normally quite late for peaches but my friends Jerry & Diane Polk of Polk’s Market in Savannah, GA always manage to wrangle up something delicious when you least expect it! 

Last week I was totally surprised to still find a display of aromatic juicy peaches.  The local Georgia & South Carolina peaches have been finished but these apparently made the trek from Idaho!  Hoping to enjoy one last taste of summer I knew they’d make a great pie.  When you have ripe fruit there’s very little that needs to be done to enhance its flavor! 

One of the most often asked questions that I get here in my cooking classes in Savannah usually relates to making pie crusts.  I’m not opposed to using convenience products when they can deliver suitable results to making the same thing from scratch but pre-made pie crusts do not fall into that category!  The refrigerated and frozen crusts might save a little time but they do very little to mimic a great pie crust!  I could and plan to devote a whole posting to the technique of a great pie crust but have opted to put that off so as not to seem totally out of season by posting a recipe for Peach Pie in November!  Stay tuned for more on homemade pie crusts….in the meantime, at least give them a shot if you don’t already do so.  The cost is minimal and the return on investment is priceless!

For the filling I decided to try a new technique, one that I had read about in Great Pies & Tarts by Carole Walter.  The beauty of cooking is that there is always a new or alternate technique to learn that someone has discovered to answer a particular need or problem.  In her recipe for Southern Peach Pie in Nutty Cornmeal Crust she explains that she overcame the issue of soggy gummy peach pies by first cooking the peaches on the stovetop to cook and thicken the juices.  Now why didn’t I think of that!?

I opted for my standard pie crust rather than the cornmeal crust she recommends but followed her filling recipe.   The result?  A delicious intensely “peachy” peach pie that was the collaboration of my handiwork, Jerry Polk’s peaches, and Carole Walter’s unique approach to overcoming excess juiciness!

Helpful Hint:  I always prefer baking pies in glass pie pans rather than metal.  The clear glass allows you to see the bottom crust and better determine the doneness so you don’t end up with a gummy under-baked bottom crust.

In the recipe below, Carole Walter calls for instant tapioca which is often used as a thickener for fruit pies.  I didn’t have any so used the higher amount of cornstarch and replaced the tapioca with an additional tablespoon of cornstarch and found the flavor and texture to still be enjoyable.  If using this method, after cooking the peaches, pour into a bowl to cool slightly before pouring into the crust, but skip the layering with tapioca that she calls for.

Carole Walter’s Southern Peach Pie

from “Great Pies & Tarts”, c.1998 Clarkson/Potter

Yield: 1 9-inch pie
Pie crust for a double 9-inch pie (preferably homemade)
8 medium to large ripe peaches (about 3 lbs.)
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 – 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon instant tapioca
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Glaze:
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   Position the oven rack in the lower third of the oven.  (If using a convection oven the rack position should not be of consequence. – Darin)

Roll out one disk of pie dough large enough so that when a 9-inch pie plate is set on top, the perimeter of the dough extends beyond the outer edges of the dish by about an inch.  Carefully line the pie dish with the pastry, carefully nudging the dough down into the lower corners of the pan, being careful not to stretch the dough.  Trim the dough so that only about 1/4 inch is remaining as an overhang.

Wipe the peaches with damp paper towels.  Cut the fruit in half and remove the pits.  Peel if skins are thick.  Cut peaches into 1-inch wedges.

Place the water and brown sugar in a large skillet.  Heat slowly, stirring until the sugar is melted.  Combine the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon and add to the peaches.  Shake the bowl to distribute the dry ingredients through the fruit. 

Empty the mixture into the skillet and stir gently to combine with the brown sugar.  Cover the skillet and bring to a slow boil.   Simmer for 1-2 minutes, or until the fruit begins to exude juices.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the peaches from the skillet, leaving the liquid behind.  Place the peaches in a large bowl, about a third at a time, sprinkling each layer with the tapioca.  Let stand 15 minutes.

Again, use a slotted spoon to transfer the peaches to the pie plate.  Sprinkle the fruit with lemon juice and dot with butter.

Roll the remaining pastry into a 13-inch circle.  Top the peaches with the pastry, then trim the edges, leaving a 3/4-inch overhang.  Fold and flute the edges.  Prick the pastry with a fork or cut slits in center of pie for venting.  Brush the pastry lightly with milk, then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake the pie for about 50-55 minutes.  If crust edges or top are getting too brown, cover lightly with foil.  Bake until the crust is golden brown and the juices just begin to bubble.  Remove from oven and cool on a rack.  Let stand for at least 3 hours before serving.

Pomegranate seeds with their sweet-tart flavor, garnet color, and crunch make a nice garnish on autumn salads, entrees, and desserts.  Unfortunately they are messy to retrieve from the interior of the fruit without ending up with little red stains all over your clothing from squirting juice.

To easily remove pomegranate seeds, follow these simple steps:

Fill a large bowl with cold water and carefully slice the top off the pomegranate to expose the seeds.  This is the only time you’ll need to worry about squirting the juice.  Submerge the pomegranate under the water and using both hands, begin to break it apart into sections and carefully pull the seeds away from the membranes.

Keep the fruit submerged below the water so that any juices go into the water instead of spraying you or the kitchen.  Discard the outer shell of the fruit when it has been completely broken apart.

The seeds will sink to the bottom and the thin white membranes in the center will float on the surface.

Pour the water and seeds into a strainer placed over the sink.  Once seeds have been strained, pick out any remaining pieces of interior membrane and discard.  The pomegranate seeds are now ready to use or eat!

We’re Bakin’ Bacon!  You betcha…no fakin’!

Ah, bacon…. delicious, glorious, beautiful, crispy, crunchy pork flesh!  Just thinking of it make my mouth begin to water.  The smell of it could drive a dog to get it himself…if only he had thumbs!   The mess it can make when cooking is another story…not so pleasant.

If you’re still cooking bacon in a pan on the stove-top, it’s time to make a change and take a tip from professional kitchens…USE THE OVEN!   I’m not talking microwave here either.   Yes, I’ve done bacon in the microwave but unless it’s your only option I just don’t think it’s a good choice.   The smell alone is what I’d expect if Babe tried to escape the farm and got hung up on an electric fence….not good!   You probably don’t have a self-cleaning stove but chances are the oven is self-cleaning.  The volume of bacon being prepared in most hotels and restaurants would make it virtually impossible to cook on the griddle or stove top.  When I was sous-chef in the main kitchen of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa at Walt Disney World, we would routinely go through 80-100 pounds of bacon per day.  So much in fact that on the morning shift we had one cast member who would spend an eight hour shift doing nothing other than cooking bacon and slicing and portioning deli meats.  You better believe they weren’t standing over a griddle flipping rashers of bacon from side to side!

Whether you’re cooking bacon for your family, feeding brunch to an army, or making BLT’s for a crowd, the oven is perfect way to cook your bacon.

• First, it’s virtually mess free…except for the pan, but you’d have that with the stovetop method too.
• Second, it frees up both you and the stove top for other things that might need to be cooked.
• Third, it won’t need to be flipped and will turn out nice and flat.

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Bakin’ Bacon:

1.  Bring home the bacon… DO NOT fry it up in a pan.

2.  Preheat oven to 350F  (325F for convection ovens).

3.  Line a rimmed baking sheet such as a jelly-roll pan or half-sheet pan with parchment paper or with foil.

4.  Lay bacon out on the pan and place pan in oven.  Fold in half to form a “V”-shape if using for sandwiches…two pieces will fit perfectly on most standard bread and won’t hang off the ends.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until cooked to desired doneness.

Now for the REALLY GOOD STUFF….I call this “Bacon Crack”.  Consider yourself forewarned…IT IS ADDICTING!

Peppered Brown Sugar Bacon

The key to this is to use a really smoky-flavored bacon that’s cut thick.  The smoke flavor works well with the sugar and the “bite” of the black pepper. A co-worker of mine calls this “Candied Bacon”, a very fitting name indeed!   Be sure to make lots of this so there’s plenty to go around! It’s addictive and any extra that’s leftover is great on a BLT! Chances are there won’t be any left! 

Yield: 8 servings
1 lb. thick-sliced smoked bacon
1 cup light brown sugar
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place brown sugar in the center of a large plate. Break up any clumps so that it is evenly spread across the plate. Separate the pieces of bacon and lay on top of brown sugar. Press into sugar and then turn over to coat the other side. Fold into a “V” shape and place on a parchment lined pan. Grind black pepper evenly across bacon for a little “bite”. Bake for about 20 minutes or until crisp and nicely browned.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly to allow sugar to crystallize and harden.

This can be prepared earlier in the day and served at room temperature1