Holiday Traditions: Pumpkin Pie

In my family, holidays are all about tradition. I've been longing for the day we can break tradition and mix up our Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations, but I do commend my mom for making small changes that have helped decreased the stress level of holiday meals. For example, we no longer have a turkey for Christmas. Instead, my mom has started a tradition of making pot roast. While she could have made it really easy, she chose to make two kinds of pot roast this year, one in the slow cooker and one in the oven, plus a ham "for leftovers." Like I said, she's starting to make small changes. The one thing she's never let me change is dessert. My grandma Marvel always made pumpkin and chocolate meringue pie for holidays, so that's the tradition. I can add pies or cheesecake to the traditional menu, but I am simply not allowed to forgo pumpkin pie and chocolate meringue pie.

Thanksgiving 2010: Grandma Marvel taught me to make pie!

Last November, when Cowboy MD Boyfriend came to St. Louis, we made this pumpkin pie out of a cushaw squash. When I told my mom about the delicious pumpkin pie we made, I explained that I asked the farmers at Soulard Farmers' Market for whatever squash would make the best pie. They all concurred that sugar pumpkins or "pie pumpkins" are not the best choice. They all suggested butternut over pumpkin and other unique varieties over butternut. I told her I had frozen some of the pureed squash and would love to make it into our Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.  Her response was something to the effect of "No way, no how. That's not a pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pie is made with pumpkin!" I tried to convince her that it would taste even better than pumpkin pie, but she wouldn't listen (even after I explained that most canned pumpkin is actually made of butternut squash).

This year, I was put in charge of Christmas pies and would be making them by myself. Since I was in charge, I got to use my own recipe for pumpkin pie and chocolate meringue pie and pick my own ingredients. I decided to make the Better Homes and Gardens Pumpkin Pie recipe instead of my grandma's go-to, the Libby's recipe written on the can of pumpkin puree. Since I knew that I wouldn't be able to find a cushaw squash in Madison, I picked up a butternut squash. The night before I planned to bake the pie, I sliced the squash in half, scooped out the seeds, placed it cut-side down onto a foil-lined baking sheet and baked both halves at 350º until the skin was pulling away from the flesh and the flesh was tender enough to be scooped out of the skin. I measured out 1 1/4 cup and refrigerated it overnight. Before making the pie, I pureed the squash in the food processor, then proceeded to make the recipe.

Objective
Make a pumpkin pie with butternut squash. Recipe based on Better Homes and Gardens' Pumpkin Pie with Hazelnut Mousse.

Materials
1 blind-baked pie crust, cooled *read more in the Discussion
1 1/4 cup butternut squash puree
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup skim milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Methods
1. Preheat the oven to 375º.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir the butternut squash puree, dark and light brown sugars, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until the sugar dissolves and the puree is hot throughout, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Whisk together the eggs, skim milk, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla. Gently whisk into the cooling puree. Place the pie crust on a sheet pan and pour the filling into the crust.
4. Bake the pie for 1 hour, then insert a knife into the center of the pie. If the pie is done, the knife will come out clean. If not, continue to bake until it is done cooking. *Note: be sure to monitor the color of the crust as the pie bakes. Once it gets to the shade of brown you prefer, use a pie shield to prevent the crust from burning. You can make your own pie shield by cutting a circle that barely overlaps the filling out of the center of a piece of aluminum foil and setting it over the pie plate.
5. Cool on a wire rack and then refrigerate. Serve with whipped cream (or the hazelnut mousse from the link above).

Results
The pie was more of a deep brown than orange with a deep caramel flavor. (If you use a cushaw squash, it will be caramely and nutty--if you choose a squash at a farmers' market, ask the farmers for their recommendation. They'll be able to tell you how the squash tastes cooked and they'll know what makes the best pie!) While I didn't post the hazelnut mousse recipe, it was a huge hit and all agreed that it could be eaten by the spoonful. Ours was technically almond mousse because I used amaretto, but nevertheless, it was rich, flavorful, and very creamy.

Discussion and Future Directions
Everyone has their own secret to the perfect holiday pie. C's mom makes hers with sweetened condensed milk in place of evaporated milk and she doubles the spices. My grandma always made hers following the recipe on the back of the can exactly as written. While you can get away with the pumpkin pie recipe on the back of the can of pumpkin puree, I think this one is more flavorful. Plus, you can probably make it with things you have on hand since it doesn't require evaporated milk. If you want an extra special holiday dessert, serve with the hazelnut mousse. Hosting for kids? While it doesn't have that much alcohol, you could leave out the liquor and flavor it with vanilla or almond extract if you don't feel comfortable letting kids eat it. While we generally make our chocolate cream pie with meringue, I kind of wish it had been slathered with the mousse, it's that good!

A note on the crust: the original recipe contains a crust recipe that makes three single crust pies. You can absolutely choose to make that crust, but know that it will shrink tremendously (so don't spend time decorating the edges). It's an interesting recipe that uses vinegar and sour cream. The final product is very buttery and flakey. I made the full crust recipe and used the pastry to make a pumpkin, chocolate cream, and a German chocolate pecan pies. If you have a favorite pie crust, feel free to use it!

Supplementary Materials

The cushaw squash version (that's not the crust recipe from the link)

Pho (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

Have you ever had pho? If not, then I recommend that the next time you're craving soup, you head to a local Vietnamese restaurant and try a bowl. Pho is fairly simple in that it is a bowl of rice noodles topped with raw beef that's cooked upon addition of rapidly boiling beef broth. It's served with a plate full of garnishes often including Thai basil, cilantro, bean sprouts, green onions, hot peppers, lime wedges, and sauces like hoisin or sriracha. The secret to a delicious pho is not as simple because it is the creation of a flavorful broth. To master pho, you need a supply of beef bones and patience.

All week long, I've been craving pho. That usually isn't a problem because just the mention of it has C ready to jump in the car and head to our favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Houston. If I mention pho and we don't go for pho right away, C won't stop talking about it until we go (this has been known to last for weeks on end). Unfortunately, C's dinner calendar for the week was booked with activities for his global health residency program, so I was on my own. We'd just frozen a few steaks, so I decided to thaw them for pho. I'm not keen on using beef bones, so here is a simpler version for the everyday home cook.

Objective
Make homemade pho based on a recipe from Asian: Tasty recipes for Every Day, but using common pantry ingredients.

Materials
4 cups beef broth/stock (I used Better Than Bouillon)
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick
6 black peppercorns
4 whole cloves
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. fish sauce
1/2 pound beef steak (any kind will work), thinly sliced
1 pkg. rice noodles (thin or thick, your preference)

Optional garnishes:
Bean sprouts
Cilantro
Thai basil
Carrot, julienned
Green onion, thinly sliced
Jalapeño/serrano, thinly sliced (can de-seed for less heat)
Lime wedges
Hoisin sauce
Sriracha

Methods
1. To make the broth: Combine beef broth, ginger, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, cloves, coriander, Chinese five-spice, salt, and fish stock in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Add half of the thinly sliced beef (return the rest to the fridge) and simmer for 40 minutes. Taste the broth and adjust the spices if needed. Keep the broth at a rapid boil while you prepare the noodles.
2. To prepare the noodles: Bring a pot of water to boil and prepare the noodles according to the directions on the package. Once the noodles are soft, drain and rinse briefly with water. Divide the noodles into 4 serving bowls and top with the uncooked beef that remains. If you're cooking for fewer than 4, put the extra raw beef into a storage container then ladle over the remaining beef broth to cook the meat. Once cool, refrigerate. Store the leftover noodles in a separate container to prevent them from sucking up all of the broth.
3. To serve: Immediately prior to serving, ladle broth over the noodles and raw beef (make sure the broth covers the beef so that it can cook). Serve with a plate of garnishes.

Results
When C got home from his global health event, he took one bite, and said that this was the best homemade pho broth he's ever had. The broth was very flavorful and the meat that was cooked in the bowl right at the last minute was incredibly tender and delicious.

Discussion and Future Directions
The recipe we've used in the past is from Cooking Light. It satisfies the craving, but it isn't nearly as good as this recipe. If you spend the time needed to simmer the broth, you will be rewarded! Without a doubt, this is our new go-to pho recipe (I just can't tell C that it has fish sauce in it because he's a little squeamish with the stuff).

Supplementary Materials

Comforting Chipotle Turkey Chili with Corn and Okra

Today, cancer beat one of my friends. Greg was a kind, cheerful, and fun-loving graduate student at Washington University in St. Louis.  To get a sense of Greg's kindness, read this article about a fund raising effort he worked on as an undergraduate at Simpson. One of the most impressive things about Greg was that he was present. If you asked him to do something fun, like play tennis on the court behind the medical school, spend Easter dying eggs and playing frisbee in your front yard, or spend a hot summer day playing with a Slip'n'Slide in the back yard, he'd show up without thinking twice. If you couldn't find him in class or in the lab, he was probably at whatever seminar he could find that was offering free food. Less than nine months ago, Greg was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma. Just five months before that, he'd noticed on-and-off back pain, never imagining that it could be terminal cancer. As a developing scientist, and more specifically, a cancer researcher, he chronicled his journey on a personal blog that he titled "Model Organism: Greg Sibbel." Greg's cancer took him on a rough ride and stole his last breath when he was just 26 years and one day old.

Greg (top left) with friends at a "New Year's Re-Do" Party (Jan. 2012) 

Since I learned of Greg's declining condition this past weekend, my heart has been heavy. My heart aches because I lost a friend. However, what brings me to tears, is knowing how many people lost a best friend and colleague with whom they spent much of their time, not to mention Greg's incredibly supportive girlfriend, and his family who said goodbye to their son, brother, cousin, etc. for the last time. The world lost a great soul today and there is no doubt that Greg's spirit will live on in the hearts of those who knew him.

There isn't much I can do from Houston save letting those in St. Louis know how much I care about them. I wish I could make a giant pot of chili and spread of baked goods to send along to all of my former colleagues at WUSTL. While they mourn the loss of a loved one and celebrate the life and happiness that Greg brought to the table every day, I find comfort knowing that they can lean on each other for support.

Objective

Make a comforting, feel-good chipotle chili. Chili has always been my go-to comfort food. There are three recipes I make and this was the last one to be added to my repertoire. I found the original recipe in a Trader Joe's cookbook that I flipped through while dog sitting as an undergrad. I loved the addition of refried black beans (not used here because there is a very high meat to liquid ratio, but I recommend trying it if you ever add too much liquid to chili or if you desire a thicker texture). The recipe has since morphed into at least a few dozen variations. I learned that beef cannot be substituted for turkey but that more beans and vegetables are always welcome. Here's the version I made today using corn, in honor of Greg, who grew up on his family's farm in western Iowa.

Materials

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. ground turkey

1 med. onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced

1 tbsp. cumin

1 tbsp. chile powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. Mexican oregano, crumbled

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes

1 15-oz can black beans (juices and all)

1 cup (half a jar) Frontera Chipotle Salsa 

1/2 to 1 cup frozen corn kernels, to taste (it will add sweetness)

1 1/2 cups frozen cut okra 

Greek yogurt (optional garnish)

Cheddar cheese, shredded (optional garnish)

Methods

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and diced onion. Stir frequently until the meat is cooked through and the onions are soft. Add the green pepper and spices. Continue to cook for a few more minutes. 

2. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, black beans, and 1/2 cup chipotle salsa. Stir in the frozen corn and okra. Bring to a simmer. Taste and add more chipotle salsa as needed. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the frozen veges are warmed through.

3. Serve with a dollop of greek yogurt and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese.

Pumpkin Butter Cinnamon Rolls

With the holidays coming up, there's still plenty of time to treat yourself and loved ones to baked goods inspired by fall flavors. Overnight guests always warrant something extra special for breakfast and in my opinion, there are few better ways to wake up in the morning than to the smell of cinnamon rolls baking. Let me tell you how much I would have preferred waking up to these cinnamon rolls instead of waking up to my boyfriend crawling into bed at 5 am after he'd been paged into the children's hospital sometime after midnight. Unfortunately for him, after just a few hours of sleep, he had to head back to the hospital for morning rounds. Though he didn't get to wake up to the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls either, he did get to come home to the two we saved him (and breakfast tacos)!

Now, here's a trick. You can make these as sticky buns by putting the topping in the bottom of the pan and flipping the rolls out of the pan after baking. Alternatively, you can make them extra beautiful and clean-eating by pouring the topping over the rolls before baking. You can even make them in muffin tins (or prep bowls like I did) for lovely muffin-like edges.

Objective
Make cinnamon rolls with cushaw squash butter as the filling based on my Apple Butter Sticky Buns.

Materials
(This recipe makes 8 rolls)
Dough:
1 tsp. yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. butter, melted
1 egg
1/4 cup greek yogurt (or sour cream, light works fine)
1 1/2-2 1/2 cups bread flour (depending on the amount of moisture in your dough)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch ginger

Filling:
1/2 cup pumpkin/winter squash butter (see Supplementary Materials)
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Topping:
1 1/4 tsp. butter, melted
1/4 cup light Karo syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
8 pecan halves

Methods
1. To prepare the dough: Dissolve the yeast in the warm water (120º-130ºF) and let proof for 5 minutes. Stir in squash puree, sugar, salt, butter, eggs, and sour cream. Gradually stir in 1 1/2 cups of bread flour, mixing well. If the dough is still very sticky (tacky is fine), add more flour (about 2 tbsp. at a time). You want the dough to be tacky, even a tiny bit sticky is ok. Knead it a few times to make a smooth ball. Move the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover and rise to double (about 1 1/2 - 2 hours). Punch the dough down and rise to double again (about 1 hour). Pat the dough out to a 16" by 12" rectangle.

2. To prepare the topping: During the final rise, prepare the topping. Stir together the melted butter and the honey/syrup. Pour into an ungreased 8" cake pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans. Set aside.

3. To make the rolls: Spread the dough with apple butter (leaving a 2 inch border along one long edge). Sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar. Roll the dough, starting with the long apple buttery edge to the edge with the 2" border. Use a knife to mark where to cut for 8 rolls. Then, use dental floss to cut the rolls. Slide a long piece of dental floss (about 12" should work) under the roll at one of your division marks. Switch each end to the other hand to form a loop, and pull. You should have a nice clean edge. Place a pecan on the clean edge and place the roll pecan-side down in your pan (for sticky buns) or up for cinnamon rolls, spacing the 8 rolls evenly over the prepared topping. Cover the rolls and let rise 30 minutes (if you're planning to bake them right away) or put them in the fridge to rise overnight. If you're chilling over night, make sure to take the buns out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes prior to baking, but 60 minutes is better (you want to get the chill off and give the yeast a chance to increase its rate of metabolism).

4. To bake the rolls: Preheat the oven to 350º. Place the cake pan with risen rolls on a sheet pan to catch drips. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden on top. Take the pan out of the oven. If you made sticky buns, loosen the edge with a knife (you can skip this if you use a non-stick pan) and flip out onto a parchment paper-lined plate. If you made cinnamon rolls, they can cool in the pan. Cool 15-30 minutes before serving.

Results
The cinnamon rolls are golden brown and lightly sweet. The sticky buns are sweeter and (not surprisingly) sticky!


Discussion and Future Directions
Pumpkin butter has a unique flavor. It's similar to apple butter but has a hint of squash flavor. Consequently, these cinnamon rolls taste like cinnamon rolls with a hint of squash flavor with a strong pecan flavor. If you want to focus the flavor on pumpkin, leave the chopped pecans out of the filling. If you don't like pecans, other nuts could be substituted, maybe try walnuts or hazelnuts, but there's something special about a candied pecan baked into the top of these cinnamon rolls.

Supplementary Materials

Pumpkin/Winter Squash Butter
2 cups pureed winter squash
1/4 cup apple cider
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. clove
Simmer all ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Once the mixture has thickened, take it off the heat and move it to a covered container. Store in the fridge. Lasts 3-4 weeks.

Winter Squash Cheesecake with Pecan Streusel

Last fall, I set out to make a homemade pumpkin pie. I went to the Soulard Farmer's Market in St. Louis in search of a pie pumpkin, but all the farmers I talked to agreed that I should forgo the pumpkin for other types of winter squash. I settled on an orange striped cushaw squash. The farmer told me that the texture was similar to a butternut (meaning not stringy) but with a sweeter, nuttier flavor. It was almost 2 feet long, gourd-shaped, and a beautiful light orange with white stripes. It was a lot of squash to bake, but worth it. We used it to make a delicious pie with a decadent amaretto mascarpone mousse. It was the perfect end to a fall day spent playing in the leaves at Forest Park. I remember packing two pieces "to-go" for C to take with him on the plane back to Houston. It seems like all of those flights between Houston and St. Louis were a lifetime ago. I am grateful that we now live in the same city.

This past Saturday, it felt like fall might have finally made its way to Houston. When we woke up, it was chilly and the sky was a bit overcast. C put on a flannel shirt and I chose a sweater. It turned out to be a lovely, sunny day, though the high was only 67º. We met a friend for pastries, stopped at a coffee shop, grabbed lunch at the Korean Festival, and picked out pumpkins to paint (since they rot too quickly once they've been carved). While perusing the bins of pumpkins, I came across a bin of "decorative squash." I got excited thinking I might find a cushaw squash. Sure enough! There weren't any orange cushaws but there were a number of green cushaw squash to choose from. Since the price was per squash instead of per pound, C picked out the biggest one.

So far we've only prepared the neck and it made over 5 cups of puree! I'm hoping to cook the bottom bit by bit to use in dishes that call for chunks of cooked squash instead of puree. We'll probably be eating cushaw squash everything for the next month. Serendipitously, we have overnight visitors every weekend for the next 3 weeks, so we'll have plenty of mouths to feed! Plus, sleepovers are the best excuse for cinnamon rolls and I'm already dreaming up a cushaw squash version! In the meantime, I decided to make a cushaw squash cheesecake.

I met C on a chilly October morning two years ago. Later that evening, while we were talking at a Halloween party, it came up I liked to bake. He asked my specialty. I told him cheesecake (though I have no idea why). He keeps pointing out that we've been dating over a year and a half and I have yet to bake him a cheesecake. This one should satisfy him for at least another year!

Objective
Make a layered cheesecake using a cushaw squash. The filling was adapted from Pumpkin Streusel Cheesecake from Chocolate and Carrots and the crust is based on Graham Cracker Crust from The Kitchn.

Materials
For the crust:
2 cups graham cracker/gingersnap/coconut shortbread crumbs (or any combination thereof)
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger (omit if using gingersnaps)
pinch nutmeg
pinch cloves
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:
8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 tbsp. sour cream or Greek yogurt
1/4 cup winter squash puree (see Supplementary Materials)
1 tsp. light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
pinch cloves
pinch nutmeg

For the streusel topping:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup light brown sugar
pinch cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

Methods
1. Preheat the oven to 350º.
2. Make the crust: Crumble the graham crackers/cookies into a food processor. Add the sugar and spices. Process until the graham crackers are fine crumbs. Stir in the melted butter until well combined. Pat into a 9" pie plate, making sure to cover the bottom and sides. Set aside.
3. Make the filling: Cream the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the egg, then stir in the sour cream. Pour all but 1/2 cup of the batter into the graham cracker crust. Use a spatula to move the filling to the edges and smooth into an even layer. Stir the pumpkin/squash puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg into the remaining 1/2 cup filling. Pour over the bottom cheesecake layer and spread evenly. Bake at 350º for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the streusel topping.
3. Make the streusel topping: Combine the streusel ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Rub the butter into the sugar to form a crumble topping. Set aside. Once the cheesecake has baked for 20 minutes, remove it from the oven. Sprinkle the crumble topping in an even layer over the cheesecake. Return to the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the center of the cheesecake has set. Cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate overnight before serving.

Results
The crust was aromatic and flavorful (for full disclosure: I used 1 package of graham crackers and as many coconut shortbread cookies as it took to make 2 cups of crumbs). The cheesecake layer was thin but creamy with the flavor of pumpkin pie. The topping lent a crunch and was buttery and just sweet enough.

Discussion and Future Directions
This was a huge hit! We took it to a birthday party and came home with just one slice that was missing its tip. Everyone happily devoured their piece and I know at least one person had a second. The only complaint was that I didn't make two (after I shared that the original recipe made 2 cheesecakes). I was proud of myself for only making one because I suspected that if I'd made two, two would have been eaten. I was also very pleased that the pecan streusel turned out well after halving both the butter and the sugar. I certainly didn't miss either and actually thought that the butter could be reduced a bit more.

The only other change I might make in the future would be to make 1.5x the filling. The amount of filling here is the perfect amount for a store-bought graham cracker crust (because they're a little smaller than 9"). I think this turned out great (and lower calorie) as I made it, but it would have been nice to see a little bit more of the winter squash layer. Alternatively, I could put the squash layer on the bottom and the white layer on top. To tell it true, this recipe doesn't need tweaking! Plus, it would make a wonderful addition to a Thanksgiving table in addition to or in place of pumpkin pie.

Supplementary Materials

Winter Squash Puree
(For example: pumpkin, cushaw, butternut, delicata, or kabocha)
Preheat the oven to 350º. Line a baking sheet with greased foil. Remove the stem of the squash and cut the squash in half the long way. Scoop out the seeds and place the squash cut-side-down onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until a fork easily pierces the skin and flesh of the squash. Depending on the size of your squash, this could range from 30 minutes to 90 minutes. Let the squash cool until you can touch it without burning your fingers. Scoop the flesh from the skin and process it in the food processor or blender until smooth. *If you're lucky enough to find a cushaw, you'll probably want to cut off the stem and the neck and prepare the neck and base of the squash separately.

Double Pumpkin Quick Bread [with Pumpkin Beer]

I know I said I was waiting for November to pull out the pumpkin, but by November, I really meant October. Obviously pumpkins are a Halloween necessity. Anyway, I failed. It's almost October, so I suppose it's ok. I caved because I really wanted pumpkin bread last weekend but settled on banana bread. While I like banana bread a lot, I was still craving pumpkin bread. Why? Because this recipe for Pumpkin Honey Beer Quick Bread from Cooking Light looked so moist and pumpkiny. I've never made (or had) beer bread, but it's one of C's favorite baked goods to whip up last minute to take to work. With two men in the house, I figured that even if it came out tasting like beer, it would disappear quickly.

The original recipe called for honey beer, but I have absolutely no idea what that is or where to get it. Mead? Apparently not the same thing. When I asked C if we had any beer laying around that was sort of sweet to use in pumpkin bread, he handed me a pumpkin ale from last fall that apparently wasn't good for drinking (and therefore still hanging out in the pantry). I have to disagree with his stance, because I actually drank a little bit of it and that says a lot. I definitely didn't taste pumpkin, but it was also a pretty weak beer (probably why I could drink it--not that I'd drink a whole bottle).

I've been using a lot of whole wheat pastry flour in place of all purpose flour and am getting bolder every time I bake  (you'll note I used mostly whole wheat pastry flour in this recipe). I also decided that quick breads are often a bit too oily, so I subbed out some of the oil in favor of the last little bit of our homemade apple butter. I cut the sugar a lot, but added in just a touch of honey since I didn't use honey beer. I used canned pumpkin puree, but if I had a squash or pumpkin on hand, I would have used that instead.

Objective
Make pumpkin bread with pumpkin beer based on Pumpkin Honey Beer Quick Bread from Cooking Light.

Materials
1 cup + 2 tbsp. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp (heaping) ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp (heaping) pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup pumpkin beer
2 tbsp. + 2 tsp. ground flaxseeds
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. granulated white sugar
1 tbsp. honey
1/3 cup oil (I recommend 50:50 light olive oil and apple butter/sauce)
1/3 cup pumpkin beer
2 large eggs
7.5 oz. (3/4 cup + 2 tbsp.) pumpkin puree

Methods
1. Preheat the oven to 350º.  You can make either a 9x5" loaf or 2-4 mini loaves, depending on the size of your mini loaf pans. Grease loaf pan(s) and line the bottom with greased parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside. In a small bowl, stir the flaxseeds into 1/4 cup beer. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl (you can use your mixer, but it's isn't necessary), stir together the sugar, honey, oil, apple butter, and 1/3 cup beer until homogenous. Note: it's going to be wet and sloshy, so if you use a mixer, start on the lowest speed setting. Add the flaxseed mixture and pumpkin puree and stir to mix. Fold in the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
4. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan(s), filling the pans 2/3 to 3/4 of the way to the top.
5. Bake at 350º, just until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. For a 9x5" loaf, that's about 70 minutes; for mini loaves, around 45 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then loosen the edge with a plastic knife, flip out, and cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap tightly in saran wrap and store at room temperature.

Results
The loaves are moist and flavorful with a beautiful golden yellow hue. You can't taste the beer very much, but you can taste pumpkin and spice. The crust is a nice golden brown on the mini-loaves and a deep brown on the 9x5" loaf (see photo under Supplementary Materials).

Discussion and Future Directions
Well, I think I found the best way to consume beer! I will be happy to make this bread again. The flavor is very pumpkiny and not too sweet. This recipe is nice because it uses whole grains and flaxseed, has reduce sugar and oil. I took a loaf to C at work this afternoon (he's on call tonight) and "they" liked it (though did wonder if all the pumpkin flavor came from the pumpkin beer or if it also had pumpkin puree in it). Now, considering "they" are residents who work way too much and only have access to McDonald's on nights and weekends, I don't know that it would even have to be good for it to be consumed with gusto. Nevertheless, I'll take it as a compliment.

Next time you're craving pumpkin bread, I say you give this one a try (especially if you have pumpkin beer on hand). If you don't have pumpkin beer on hand, I suggest buying a 6-pack, using one of the beers to make this bread, then gifting the rest of the beer plus a mini loaf of bread to someone you love who loves beer. Brilliant, right?

Supplementary Materials

Chicken Sausage and Vegetable Soup

Today is the fall equinox which marks the first day of fall. Two years ago, I celebrated the equinox at the Vinotok festival in Crested Butte, Colorado with my best friend from middle school. It was a very appropriate reunion as "our song" was Earth, Wind, and Fire's September about the 21st night of September. I was lucky enough to spend the summer after college living at a research station just up the road from Crested Butte. Every morning as I walked down the mountain from my rickety old cabin toward our laboratory, I looked into the face of  Gothic Mountain. From my bed each night, I listened to the water in Copper Creek rushing through the rocks. Every night when I made my way to the outhouse, bundled in layers and using my headlamp to find my way, I took a moment to look up at the stars. I've never seen as many stars as I could from our cabin at 9,500 feet, far away from city lights. In fact, I don't know that I ever realized there were that many stars.

Crested Butte is the wildflower capital of Colorado. Even though I was there the summer after a funky spring resulting in fewer flowers than expected, the mountain meadows were beautifully colorful. When I visited in September, I learned that they are equally beautiful in the fall when the aspens start to turn and the landscape shifts from blue and green to brown and gold.

With the coming of Fall, I've noticed myself gravitating toward fall clothing. I've even worn shoes to work instead of my commuter flip flops. The funny part about it is that the highs are still in the low 90s. When I go into work in the morning and while I'm in the lab, my clothes feel sensible. When I leave work and it's 94 "feels like 97," I regret my choices and wish I had elected shorts, a t-shirt, and flip flops. While visiting Wisconsin, we were spoiled with warm days and cool nights. We even got to eat meals on patios and wear jeans, comfortably. Fall isn't going to feel the same down here in Houston, but we have started getting cooler mornings that feel wonderful (and by "cooler," I'm talking 72 degrees) and have left me longing for fall colors and flavors.

My baked goods are starting to take on warmer, comforting flavors like cinnamon, peanut butter, and  apple. I'm forcing myself to save pumpkin for November. I'm starting to want soup and warm foods instead of salads every day. Last weekend, C made a barley vegetable soup, our roommate made an Italian seasoned zucchini and summer squash soup, and I made a cauliflower soup with blue cheese. Since then, I can't stop thinking about soup (and for some reason, sausage). Soup with sausage, yep, that's what I want!

Objective
Make a sausage and vegetable soup with kale and cauliflower. Recipe is based on Spicy Sausage Potato Kale Soup (from The Candid Appetite) and Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Stilton from Home Made Winter (by Yvette van Boven).

Materials
1/2 pound italian chicken sausage, sliced
1 tbsp. butter/olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1/3 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 stalks kale, leaves pulled from tough stems and chopped
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups vegetable broth
Parmesan, for garnish (optional)

Methods
1. In a small saucepan, bring about 2 cups of water to a boil while you wash/peel/slice/dice/chop vegetables and sausage. To prepare the celery, chop off the white bottom and the leafy top. Peel the outer curve (you can peel the inner curve too, but it's a little challenging). Blanch the celery by dropping it into the boiling water for 30 seconds, then move it to a bowl of ice water. Once it's cool, chop it.
2. In a large saucepan, brown the sausage slices over medium heat. Once browned on both sides, move the sausage to a bowl or plate and set aside. Add butter (or olive oil) and swirl to melt. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and cauliflower. Cook until softened. Add the garlic, kale, pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt. Cook until the kale has wilted.
3. Add the vegetable broth and browned sausage. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Adjust the seasoning as necessary. Sprinkle with parmesan before serving (optional).

Results
Yum! There is a good amount of heat from the sausage and red pepper flakes. The cauliflower lends a buttery flavor and interesting texture, the kale adds greenery, and the carrots give it color. It's a lovely soup (sorry we devoured it too quickly for a photo).

Discussion and Future Directions
C and I both really, really enjoyed this soup. While some people think the secret to flavor is bacon, we agree that the secret is sausage (or chorizo). I was very pleased with this soup because I was afraid the cauliflower would make it a little weird. Like, weird flavor and weird texture. Thankfully, it worked quite well. I used celery, carrot, onion, and cauliflower because that's what I had in my fridge. I used kale because I really wanted to try a vege soup with kale again (I made one before that my family loved but I didn't think it was worth the effort roasting the veges). You could certainly use whatever you have on hand and use this recipe simply as a guide. You could also add beans or grains to add texture and nutrition. This is a great twist on chicken soup and perfect for capturing the flavors of fall.

Apple Butter Sticky Buns

As you know, we made a huge batch of apple butter. Surprisingly, we're already down to about 1/2 cup. I'm done making apple butter everything and will leave the rest for C to eat with toast. If I find that I absolutely have to make something else after he's finished it, we bought a backup jar at the farmers' market while we were in Madison that I'd be happy to open. The last thing on my list of things I had to make with apple butter this season was apple butter sticky buns. While I love cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting, I find that sticky buns are a lot more fail-proof. It can be hard to get just the right balance of sweet and tart when making cream cheese frosting. As soon as you add too much milk, you're stuck adding a mouth puckering amount of powdered sugar. Sticky buns, on the other hand, simply require adding the right amount of syrup and sugar and the baking process does the magic.

On Friday night, I started making dough as soon as I got home from work. By 7:30 p.m., the rolls were in the refrigerator for the final raise overnight. Saturday morning, they were out of the oven by 7:45 a.m.  so we could get on the road for a weekend trip to San Antonio.  Not 15 minutes after pulling them out of the oven, our roommate groggily walked to the kitchen and said "That is a wonderful smell to wake up to." I bet your loved ones would agree!

Objective
Make pecan sticky buns with apple butter filling. Finding apple butter recipes on the internet is easy. Finding recipes that use apple butter is a different story, let alone finding recipes for sticky buns that use apple butter. I found a few, but none of them  jumped out at me. I decided to use the dough from Orange Rolls on Pastry Affair (because it's so simple and very light and fluffy) and I improvised the filing and topping based on my sticky buns/cinnamon roll preferences.

Materials
(This recipe makes 8 rolls)
Dough:
1 tsp. yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. butter, melted
1 egg
1/4 cup greek yogurt (or sour cream, light works fine)
1 1/2-2 1/2 cups bread flour (depending on the amount of moisture in your dough)

Filling:
1/2 cup apple butter
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Topping:
1 tbsp. butter, melted
2 tbsp. honey*
2 tbsp. maple syrup*
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

*Note: this makes a fairly thin sticky topping. If you want a thick, caramel-like topping, use 1/4 cup light Karo syrup, 1 1/2 tbsp. butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 cup chopped pecans.

Methods
1. To prepare the dough: Dissolve the yeast in the warm water (120º-130ºF) and let proof for 5 minutes. Stir in sugar, salt, butter, eggs, and sour cream. Gradually stir in 1 1/2 cups of bread flour, mixing well. If the dough is still very sticky (tacky is fine), add more flour (about 2 tbsp. at a time). You want the dough to be tacky, even a tiny bit sticky is ok. Knead it a few times to make a smooth ball. Move the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover and rise to double (about 1 1/2 - 2 hours). Punch the dough down and rise to double again (about 1 hour). Pat the dough out to a 16" by 12" rectangle.

2. To prepare the topping: During the final rise, prepare the topping. Stir together the melted butter and the honey/syrup. Pour into an ungreased 8" cake pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans. Set aside.

3. To make the rolls: Spread the dough with apple butter (leaving a 2 inch border along one long edge). Sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar. Roll the dough, starting with the long apple buttery edge to the edge with the 2" border. Use a knife to mark where to cut for 8 rolls. Then, use dental floss to cut the rolls. Slide a long piece of dental floss (about 12" should work) under the roll at one of your division marks. Switch each end to the other hand to form a loop, and pull. You should have a nice clean edge. Place the roll with this clean edge up in your pan, spacing the 8 rolls evenly over the prepared topping. Cover the rolls and let rise 30 minutes (if you're planning to bake them right away) or 15 minutes (if you're planning to refrigerate overnight. If you're ready to bake, proceed to step 4. If not, place the rolls in the refrigerator overnight. Make sure to take them out at least 30 minutes prior to baking, but 1-2 hours is better (you want to get the chill off and let the yeast start working again).

4. To bake the rolls: Preheat the oven to 350º. Place the cake pan with risen rolls on a sheet pan to catch drips. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden on top. Take the pan out of the oven, loosen the edge with a knife (you can skip this if you use a non-stick pan) and flip out onto a parchment paper-lined plate. Cool 15 minutes before serving.

Results
Sweet, but a little tart (like a good apple). The sticky topping is more earthy than caramely sweet. The rolls are soft and fluffy with a bit of a crunch from the pecans.

Discussion and Future Directions
These are very good and make a great fall breakfast treat (as do the orange rolls I linked to above). The bread is extremely light and fluffy. I think that's due to the greek yogurt (which surprised me since I used 0% fat greek yogurt instead of sour cream and I would have suspected that the added fat would have been the key). I was also surprised the recipe called for bread flour as it contains more gluten which would make a tougher bread if over-worked.  My usual cinnamon roll recipe uses all-purpose flour and potato starch flour. It also makes a nice light bread, but not nearly as light as this recipe. For that reason (and that it's simple to throw together), this might be my new go-to bread dough.

The sticky buns weren't quite as appley as I was hoping, so I think that next time, I'd stir a few tablespoons apple butter into the topping. If you want a spiced roll, add a pinch each ginger, allspice, and clove to the filling with the cinnamon. I chose to use a combination of maple syrup and honey for the topping to make it more natural and earthy in taste rather than sweet and caramely like Karo syrup. I am pleased with that decision though it would be great either way. While there is no such thing as a healthy sticky bun, I feel like there are a few things about these that make them less bad as some of the others (just pretend you don't use as much sugar as you do)!

Supplementary Materials

Review: Homemade Spiced Apple Butter

Last week, we headed back to the midwest for vacation. We started with 24 hours in Chicago, then made our way to Madison for 4 1/2 days. Our time was well-spent visiting with friends and family, eating meals on patios, exploring a beautiful gorge, going for lunch by boat, spending Saturday morning at the largest producer-only farmers' market in the U.S., spending Saturday evening at the wedding of two very wonderful friends, and picking fruit at an orchard near my parents' house. While we'd planned to pick apples (since apples don't really grow in Texas), I was absolutely thrilled when we were asked if we wanted to pick raspberries and grapes in addition to the 3 types of apples they had available. (Not only was I still bummed about missing out on strawberry/cherry picking when we were in Buffalo, NY this June, but I was also sad we already had plans and couldn't go to a Sunday morning wine making class at a pick-your-own grape farm nearby.) I would get to pick apples, grapes, and berries? Yep, I think I'm ready to move back to Wisconsin now!

We picked about a peck of Red Macintosh apples and a pint of raspberries. After tasting a few grapes, I decided against them because (a) they had seeds, and (b) they tasted just like grape jelly and were a little too sweet for eating. Very few of the apples were bright red and all the apples at my height were green. C used his height to our advantage and plucked a few red apples from the tree tops. I wont pretend that he didn't go a little apple crazy. Knowing we were flying back to Houston in 2 days, I suggested that 10+ pounds of apples was way over the top, but he kept squeezing more apples into the bag we were given to fill. I don't really like eating apples raw (perhaps a remnant of a few to many bagged lunches during my gluten free years) and I've already explained my very un-American feelings towards apple pie. My favorite way to eat apples is in apple crisp, but we already had one at home that my mom made with some uber tart green apples a coworker gave her from his apple tree. (She also made chocolate zucchini cake and refused to use my recipe because she didn't want to use "an experiment" for company. I won't pretend I'm not a little offended.)

I expressed to C that I was nervous about leaving 10 pounds of apples with my parents, but he gave me a no-problem look and explained that we would be turning them into apple butter. Apple butter? What the heck is apple butter? It must be an Iowan thing. Actually, I think I'd tried a bite a few years back when a neighbor gave my mom a small jar of homemade apple butter. I couldn't remember what it tasted like, but I knew it wasn't life changing when I had it for the first time in my early 20s. The most common way it's eaten is on toast and I can't say I'm a big toast lover. I was finding it challenging to get excited about apple butter until I started brainstorming creative ways to use it.

Objective
Make homemade apple butter based on Carroll Pellegrinelli's Old-Fashioned Apple Butter recipe.

Materials
~14 tart apples*, washed, quartered and cored with skins on
2 cups apple cider
2 1/4 cups light brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. ground allspice

*We used half tart green apples and half red macintosh

Methods
1. Fill a 6 quart slow cooker with apple slices. Add the apple cider. Cook on high for 4-6 hours.
2. Remove the apple peels and place the peeled apples into a food processor. Process until smooth. Before adding the puree back to the slow cooker, measure the puree so you know how much you have. (We had about 5 1/2 cups of apple puree. If you have much more/less than that, go to the cited recipe for Carroll's guidelines for sugar and spice ratios.) Stir in the brown sugar and spices.
3. Continue to cook on high for 3 hours (stir every once in awhile). Remove the lid and continue cooking (and stirring every once in awhile) for 3-5 hours longer, or until enough water has evaporated to leave you with the consistency you're looking to achieve. You want the puree to reduce to a texture far thicker than applesauce, more like a jam.
4. Cool completely then store in the fridge (lasts around 3 weeks--discard if moldy) or freeze.

Results
The apple butter is very flavorful. Less apple flavored and more spice flavored. The cloves and allspice are the main flavors. The texture is a little chunkier than it is smooth.

Discussion and Future Directions
C was thrilled with the outcome, though he admitted that we needed to cook off a little more of the moisture to get the right texture. I thought it tasted alright but I hated the texture of cold apple butter on toast. Per the suggestion of my brilliant mother, we filled a large water bottle with apple butter to take home in our checked luggage. As soon as we got back home, I started brainstorming uses for apple butter. I found a lot of interesting recipes to consider in the future, but only made a few with this batch. Here's a summary of what I made/want to make:

Oatmeal Apple Butter Cookies (from Lucky Leaf): I used just under 3/4 cup dark brown sugar and 1/4 cup white sugar and reduced the milk to 1 tbsp. because my apple butter was fairly moist. I added 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and omitted the raisins. I probably should have reduced the liquid even further since my cookies came out pretty flat. I also wish I'd added more oats--1.5x what the recipe called for. While they looked nothing like the picture, the flavor was great. They were very soft and best eaten the first day. C said they weren't the best oatmeal cookies he'd ever had, but that they were a good use for apple butter. I agreed and thought that enough spices would make an oatmeal cookie with a similar flavor but more traditional texture. He took them to work and his attending physician asked for the recipe. We'll consider that a win!

Apple Butter, Turkey, and Cheddar Grilled Cheese (from The Law Student's Wife): I made one for C and I to split for lunch with leftover barley vegetable soup. I omitted the apples because that just seemed a little too weird for me. C took awhile to decide, but said he liked it. I thought if I made it again, I'd only put apple butter on one of the slices of bread and put cheddar on both sides with the turkey in the middle (I'm from Wisconsin, more cheese is always the right answer). I probably wouldn't go out of my way to make this again.

Brown Sugar Bourbon Ribs (from Bon Appétit): On the trip to Buffalo, NY that I mentioned above, C made 3 incredible racks of ribs (minus the BBQ sauce). I've sort of been craving ribs every few weeks since (pretty impressive since I don't really like meat period, let alone when there are visible bones). As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew we would have to set aside a 1/2 cup of our homemade apple butter to make them. When I mentioned this to C, he was shocked and told me that he spent a good deal of time pondering whether or not to buy ribs at the grocery store the day before. He decided against it since I don't eat much meat and told him I wanted to get back on the healthy eating horse. We must have some crazy weird alignment of our food cravings. Anyway, we used spare ribs and roasted them for 1.5 hours covered with foil at 300 degrees, then basted with glaze, baked 30 minutes uncovered, basted again, baked 30 minutes longer (again uncovered), then broiled for 4 minutes (per the Homesick Texan recipe at the ribs link above). Word from the wise: let the ribs sit about 10 minutes or so for ultimate fall-off-the-bone-ness. How did they taste? Amazing. Like, I love BBQ sauce on ribs, but I sort of didn't even miss it. This might be the top priority for any batch of apple butter we ever make/buy/receive.

Apple Butter Sticky Buns: Yum, yum, yum! A little sweet and a little tart with a hint of spice. Not based on my usual cinnamon roll recipe, but well worth changing up the normal routine!

Apple Butter Recipe Round-up (or, Inspiration for Future Batches of Apple Butter):
Cinnamon Apple Butter Spritz (from Wilton)
Apple Butter Apple Pie (from Smithfield)
Apple Butter Apple Pie (from Paula Deen)
Apple Butter Bars (from Kuipers Family Farm via She Simmers)
Cinnamon Apple Macarons (from Desserts for Breakfast)
Apple Butter Swirled Pancakes (from Mama Loves Food)
Apple Butter Oatmeal (from Blog Inspired Cooking)
Apple Butter Quick Bread (from Bayfield Apple)
Apple Butter Brown Sugar Quick Bread (from NY City Eats)

APPLE BUTTER: The Verdict
Well, I probably wouldn't go out of my way to buy it. However, since (1)  it's fairly easy to make, (2) I love pick-your-own farms, and (3) C enjoys it, I'd be happy to make more next fall (well, probably not next fall because we don't have apple orchards near Houston and even if we did, C [and I?] will be living in Africa this time next year [say what?]. More on that in the future).

Chili Cook-Off Vegetarian Chili

Guess what? I moved to Texas! I finished my master's degree in St. Louis and headed south. My experiments are starting to pick up at my new job and I'm jumping into life as a "Wisconsinite Displaced in Texas." The cheese and brat selections in Houston are far superior to those in St. Louis, many of the traffic lights are shorter, and I left town 2 days before a snowstorm that was the first of many. I walked in the surf on the Gulf of Mexico, saw my first rodeo, and went in the pool on Easter Sunday! With that and more in mind, I'd say that the move was a great idea.

Oh yeah, there's also a boy in Texas. For the past few months, that boy and I have been talking about hosting a chili cook-off. His work schedule is kinda crazy (he's a pediatric intern), so we had to schedule it during a month when he got weekends off (a rarity). Coincidentally, I moved to Texas during just such a month. Planning a chili cook-off over Easter weekend might not have been the best idea. We aren't religious, but it turns out a lot of our friends are. Even so, we ended up with 8 chili entries (3 vegetarian, 5 meat) and a number of "fixin's" and desserts. Entries included an okra, bean and Sriracha chili, a barley and bean chili, a bell pepper and bean chili, traditional Texan beef chili, tomatillo beef chili, chicken chili, ground turkey chili, and, believe it or not, a venison chili! Overall, our chili cook-off was a success and we had a lot of fun.

To prepare for the cook-off, we went to the grocery store and bought every type of dried chile available (including but not limited to ancho, New Mexico, morita, mulato, chipotle, arbol, guajillo, pasilla, Japanese, and pequin). I knew I wanted to make a vegetarian chili to be sure that there was at least 1 vegetarian option available. I started off by reading The Food Lab: How to Make The Best Chili Ever on Serious Eats. Kenji provides an excellent discussion of chili--from flavor, to texture, to ingredients, and beyond. The article links to Serious Eats' Best Vegetarian Bean Chili recipe, which I used as the starting point for my chile. At first, I wanted to use as many chiles and peppers as possible (we had serranos, jalapenos, manzana, red/orange/yellow bell, poblano, and a really long green one). I decided to limit the peppers to bell peppers because I thought they would hold their crisp texture better than the others (poblanos tend to get mushy and I wasn't sure about any of the others). I wanted to use a bunch of different types of beans to add character. I decided to add lime for acidity and cinnamon for sweetness because the flavor of the chiles didn't come out right away upon taking a spoonful. In the end, I stirred in some corn for color and texture. I'm proud to report that my recipe tied for best vegetarian chili.

Objective
Make a tasty vegetarian chili for the Chili Cook-off using dried chiles as the base of the flavor.

Materials

2 chiles New Mexico

2 chiles de arbol

2 chiles mullato

2 chiles pasilla

2 chiles guajillo

1 chile morita

1 1/2 tbsp. cumin

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt

2 limes

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 bell peppers (1 each: red, orange, yellow), chopped

28 oz. Kidney beans

28 oz. Black beans

14 oz. Great Northern White beans

14 oz. Black eyed peas

28 oz. crushed tomatoes
14 oz. diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups frozen corn

1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Methods
1. Prepare the chile paste: cut the stems off of the chiles and remove the seeds. Place them in a dry skillet and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Add enough water to the skillet to cover the chiles (don't worry if they start to float). Bring the water to a boil, then remove the skillet from the heat and sit 15 minutes. 

2. Move the chiles to a blender with 1/2-1 cup of the chile water. Add 1 1/2 tbsp. cumin, 1 tsp. oregano, 1/2 tsp. ginger, and the juice of 2 limes. Blend to form a thick paste, adding more chile water if necessary.

3. In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and chopped bell peppers. Continue to heat and stir until the onions and peppers have softened. Add the chile paste, beans, tomato, corn, soy sauce, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Stir the chili to mix the ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

4. After the chili has simmered, taste the chili for flavor. As necessary, add more salt, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, ginger, oregano, and lime juice. Continue simmering until and adjusting the spices until you reach a flavor that you like. Beware that the longer the chili simmers, the intensity of the flavors will dissipate.

Results
Yum! Without meat, it's tricky to get chili with texture that isn't just mush. Using a variety of beans and adding corn helped a lot. The flavor is good. It's sweet with a little bit of spicy. After sitting in the fridge over night, the heat was lost and the chili became very mild.

Discussion
The biggest thing this chili lacks is something to chew. I don't like tofu or fake meat, so maybe the texture I should add is crunchy. Just a little something to give the teeth some resistance. Maybe sprinkling the top of each bowl with crushed tortilla chips would work. The other thing I'd like to taste is more heat. Most of the other chili makers used Sriracha. I know that I'm in the huge minority these days, but I've never purchased or used the stuff. I wouldn't have thought to add hot sauce because I wanted my heat to be authentic from the chiles I added. I ended up relying a lot on the cayenne for heat and the peppers for flavor depth. Hot sauce might be the key!

My usual chili recipe is a turkey and black bean chili with chipotle salsa. I've made it with and without meat, and either way, the flavor is hard to beat (the brand of the chipotle salsa is the key). For the chili cook-off, I was determined to use chiles and not chili powder. I'm glad that I did because it was a learning experience. It took a lot more tasting and adding spices than I'm used to, but in the end, I liked my product enough that I was glad I didn't use my usual recipe.

Fall Funtivities: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Objective
Satisfy my craving for baked goods. Last night, I was craving something loaded with chocolate, but not just chocolate. I was also craving something thicker than a cookie, but cookie-like. To celebrate the season, I decided on Bake at 350's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars.

I made a few changes. First off, I like my bars thick. I doubled the recipe and baked the bars in an 8x8" baking dish. I reduced the sugar, increased the salt and reduced all of the spices (I didn't think pumpkin pie spices and chocolate would taste good together because I'm not a huge fan of chocolate with cinnamon). I added butterscotch chips for added flavor.

Materials
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
scant 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon of beaten egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon each ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
semi-sweet chocolate chips & butterscotch chips

Methods
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish and set aside.
2. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir in the pumpkin until fully incorporated.
4. Fold in the dry ingredients until just incorporated.
5. Fold in enough chocolate chips to satisfy your chocolate fix.
6. Spread the dough in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with butterscotch chips.
7. Bake at 350° for about 35 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool before cutting.

Results
These are pretty good and did satisfy my craving for baked goods. The flavor is a little weird with chocolate and the pumpkin pie spices. The butterscotch flavor works well with the pumpkin.

Discussion
These bars are OK as is, but could be better. Because the pumpkin pie spices didn't work with chocolate but the butterscotch went well with the bars as a whole, I can see taking this recipe in two completely different directions. Option 1: Omit the pumpkin pie spices all together and increase the amount of butterscotch chips (add some to the dough). Option 2: Increase the pumpkin pie spices and swap the chocolate chips for butterscotch chips.

In the end, I wished I had just made normal chocolate chip cookie bars. But, all is not lost, because I have ideas for how to improve the recipe. I'll be sure to update if I try them again to improve the recipe. What would be even better is if I could convince a friend to try improving it and letting me be the taste tester!

Supplementary Materials

Fall Funtivities: Pumpkin Pie Roll-Out Butter Cookies

It's officially my favorite season! I love Fall because it has the best activities! Apple-picking, bonfires, carving pumpkins, eating pumpkin flavored everything and caramel apples, decorating cut-out Halloween cookies, hiking underneath the leaves that are changing color, costume parties, the list goes on. I spent the past week looking for fall funtivities for my trip to Houston. Apple picking? Nope. Apparently it's too hot in Houston for apple orchards. Pumpkin patch? Nearest one is 50 minutes away (with limited time and a resident's work schedule, that's a little too far). Hikes underneath the changing leaves? Well, we can hike, but I don't think the palm trees will be changing color anytime soon. So, maybe we couldn't fill an entire day with fall funtivities. I knew we needed pumpkins and I knew we needed to bake.

I brought a pie pumpkin to Houston from St. Louis because I got it for $1.50 at the Soulard Farmer's Market. That's only half true. I mostly brought it because I wondered if TSA would actually let me carry-on a pumpkin. They didn't even ask me about it! Thursday night, we picked up more pumpkins from the grocery store and carved 2 of them. The one requirement for pumpkin carving was that we bake the pumpkin seeds. I had the apartment to myself on Friday because the boys had to work. I decided to bake the pumpkin seeds, and since the oven was going to be on anyway, make cookies. While the doctors were away, Abby raided their kitchen to play!

Objective

Make fun fall-cookies with my jack-o-lantern cookie cutter! Scouring the internet for pumpkin roll-out cookies lead me to many recipes with terrible reviews. I decided to make my own version of Pumpkin Spice Roll-out Sugar Cookies from Life's a Batch.

Materials

1 cup unsalted butter, sort of soft (get the chill off)

1 1/4 cup light brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger

1/8 teaspoon each of ground allspice and cloves

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon half-and-half (whatever dairy product you have on hand)

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

Methods

2. Cream butter and sugar until light (in color) and fluffy. It will be tricky to know when the butter is light because of the brown sugar. However, if you look closely, you'll be able to see that the butter changes from a light yellow to a creamy white. 

3. Stir in the baking powder, salt and spices.

4. Beat in the egg, vanilla and half-and-half.

5. Add in the flour (slowly if you have a hand mixer because it will get thick) and mix until well combined.

6. Divide the dough into 2 or 3 chunks. Place it between 2 sheets of waxed paper and roll the dough to a thickness of 1/8-1/4 inch (depending on if you like them thin and crispy or soft and chewy). Cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters. If you can remove the edges without ruining the cookies, do it. Place the cut out shapes (still on waxed paper and on a hard surface) in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. 

7. Gently transfer the cut-out cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet. If desired, sprinkle with decorating sugar.

8. Bake 8 minutes at 365°. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Results

Yum! These are buttery and not overly-sweet. Just enough spice to not be overpowering. The recipe yielded about 40 cookies. 

Discussion

I normally hate making roll-out cookies. It usually becomes one big fat mess and I get frustrated and don't want to finish rolling/cutting them out. These were pretty easy. The butter to flour ratio makes a good, cohesive, soft dough that isn't too tacky. But, be sure to work quickly so that the butter doesn't get too soft. 

If you love cinnamon, add more. If you want a spicy cookie, increase all of the spices by 1/8-1/4 teaspoon. If there's a spice you don't have or don't like, leave it out and add more of the others. I think this is a forgiving recipe when it comes to the spices. If you want to go into a sugar coma, add frosting or glaze. If you're trying to avoid insulin-resistance, don't. These are delicious without frosting!

We took the cookies to a retreat over the weekend and they were a hit. People were really excited when they realized the pumpkins had faces and even more excited when they realized the cookies tasted like pumpkin pie!

Supplementary Materials

Sweet Potato Fries (Pappy's Style)

Objective
To make sweet potato fries like those at Pappy's Smokehouse. If you've never been to St. Louis, you may not know of Pappy's. If you've been to St. Louis and haven't been to Pappy's, you should probably go back to try their barbecue! I've had Pappy's twice since moving to St. Louis. The first time it was catered, so I not only missed the "whole experience," but I also missed the sweet potato fries. The second time I went on a date and it was absolutely incredible (though we decided that we were in such good moods that about anything would have tasted good). Back to the sweet potato fries! My second experience with Pappy's was much more rewarding because I got to have their coleslaw and sweet potato fries. The fries were small and thin like fast food fries. The outside had a granulated, sweet crunch, but the inside was moist and tender. They weren't overly sweet. The minute I left, I knew I needed more! Adapted from The Art of Doing STUFF.

Materials
1 medium-sized sweet potato, with the ends cut off
1-2 teaspoons cornstarch
olive oil, for drizzling
salt, for sprinkling
dark brown sugar, for sprinkling

Methods
1. Slice the sweet potatoes into medium to small fries (I like mine a little thin but wide so they look flat). Place them in a bowl of water to minimize oxidation until you're ready to use them.
2. Place an oven rack in the center of your oven and place another rack directly below it. On the lower rack, place a seasoned baking stone. Preheat the oven to 425° with the baking stone in it. Give the oven about an hour to preheat and heat the baking stone.
3. Drain the sweet potato fries and give them a squeeze in a paper towel to remove excess water.
4. Place a bit of cornstarch in a large plastic bag. Add the sweet potatoes and shake to lightly coat the potatoes. Transfer the fries to a baking sheet with sides.
5. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and about a teaspoon of dark brown sugar. Stir to coat the fries with oil and seasoning.
6. Bake 15 minutes then remove the fries and baking stone from the oven. Stir, then transfer the fries to the baking stone, leaving behind any excess oil. Return to the oven and bake another 15 minutes or until the fries are just beginning to crisp on the outside.
7. Cool slightly and serve.


Results
These are pretty close to Pappy's! The lack the chunk of particulate that Pappy's has. The outside is crisp and the inside is tender. The flavor is sweet.


Discussion and Future Directions
These are delicious! They are sweet and make the perfect health-conscious dessert. I dipped mine in a Cilantro&Chipotle dipping sauce to make them savory (see Supplementary Materials).The biggest difference was the lack of "crunch." Pappy's sweet potato fries have little granules of what must be some type of sugar on the outside. Next time, I would sprinkle the fries with sugar as soon as they come out of the oven. I can't decide what type of sugar to use, but I'm thinking I would try brown sugar while cooking for the flavor of the caramelized sugar and superfine granulated sugar to sprinkle on after baking. Even without the crunchy sugar, these are close enough for me to be satisfied!

Supplementary Materials

Cilantro&Chipotle Dipping Sauce
Mix equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream. Stir in chopped cilantro and pureed chipotle in adobo, to taste. Mix well and serve.