In A Nutshell

This recipe is adapted from Emeril; I like to use Italian turkey sausage but you can use regular Italian sausage if you like- either one will be delicious. 1 large butternut squash 2 T veg oil 1/2 lb Italian sausage (spicy or mild), crumbled and cooked 1 yellow onion, chopped 6 cloves of garlic, minced 1 T chopped fresh sage (if you like sage) 6 cups chicken stock 1 t cider vinegar 1/2 cup heavy cream Preheat oven to 400º. Bake the squash until very soft in the thickest part (about 45 minutes). Let cool and scoop out the squash stuff (getting rid of the seeds and stringy business). In a large pot, heat the oil and cook the onions for about 6 minutes until soft; add the garlic and sage and cook for a minute or so. Add the chicken stock and squash and bring to a boil; lower heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and vegeta (optional) or a good chicken bouillon. With an immersion blender, blend the soup until nice and smooth.  Add the sausage, ...

This is adapted from Giada De Laurentis; super delicious and easy. You could make it vegetarian by leaving out the bacon (duh!) and using vegetable broth rather than chicken. I was just thinking that maybe you could do a dessert pumpkin risotto pudding using milk, sugar and cinnamon.... hmmmm.... something to try soon. 4-5 cups chicken broth 1 cup canned pumpkin 4 slices bacon, chopped, cooked and drained on paper towels 2 T butter 1 leek, white and pale green parts sliced thinly 1 t kosher salt pepper 1 1/2 Arborio rice 2/3 cup dry white wine 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan 1/4 cup chopped parsley 1 oz. cream cheese, softened Whisk together 4 cups of broth and the pumpkin and heat to simmer. Reduce to low and keep the broth warm. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and cook the leek and 1 t salt until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute.  Add the wine and simmer until wine is almost completely absorbed- about 2 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup p...

This recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit; the bars are actually better the next day after making them (although delicious warm out of the oven as well).  A bit of work but worth it... For the crust : 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 3 cups flour 1/2 t kosher salt Preheat the oven to 375º and line a 12 X 17 rimmed baking sheet (a half-sheet pan) with parchment paper. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes) and add in the flour and salt at low speed just until a soft dough forms. Press into the prepared pan- this part is fussy and it will seem as though there is not enough dough. Bake for 20 minutes until the crust is light golden. For the filling : 12-14 tart, firm apples- about 6 lbs (I used Zestar and Honeycrisp but the instructions say to use Granny Smith), peeled and thinly sliced 6 T butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 T cinnamon a good squeeze of lemon In two large skillets (or you can do this in two batches), melt 3 T of ...

This recipe comes from my friend Mindy; you can use pork if you like that better. It's delicious and easy. 3 -3 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (don't be tempted to use chicken breast- I've tried it and it's dry and tasteless) 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 T chili powder 2 t Worcestershire sauce 1 large yellow onion, chopped 1 can tomato paste 1/4 c cider vinegar 2 t salt 1 t dry mustard optional: crushed red pepper or some other hot sauce if you like it spicy Mix everything but the chicken in a crock pot; add the chicken thighs and stir to coat. Cook on low for about 6 to 8 hours. Shred chicken with a fork and serve on a bun with coleslaw.

The recipe for the tomato-pepper jam comes from my friend Lee who is an extraordinary cook that grows all her own vegetables to boot. The jam recipe makes a lot so I've been trying to think of ways to use it; it is good over goat cheese served with crackers or baguette slices as well as on turkey burgers. For these tartines, use a delicious and hearty bread such as a multi-grain from Labriola Bakery (or whatever good artisan bakery you have locally). For the jam : 1 lb red tomatoes, blanched for 1 minute and peeled 5 Fresno chiles, roughly chopped 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar, divided 1/4 t salt 1 package Pomona's Universal Pectin Chop the tomatoes and place in a saucepan with the chiles, 1 cup sugar, salt and vinegar. Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes. Follow the instructions on the Pomona's box to make calcium water. Combine 1 t pectin powder with 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. After the tomatoes have cooked for 20 minutes, add 1 t calciu...

My Dad has become a rather awesome cook in his retirement; this is one of his specialties that is always a hit. It's very easy and you get to use your crock-pot! Yay!! 1 3 lb beef roast (anything is fine-just not too gristly) 1 packet Italian dressing seasoning 3 cups beef broth 2 t vegeta (optional) 1 jar giardiniera* sturdy rolls Put all these things in a crock pot and cook on low all day (8-10 hours); shred meat with a fork and serve on rolls. * My Dad puts the entire jar of giardiniera in (oil and all) and I can tell you that it's phenomenal! I, however, can't bring myself to dump all that oil in there so I either drain it before putting it in the crock pot or I leave it out entirely and we add it individually. This way those of us who don't like it can skip it and those of us who do can load it on like crazy. Sliced pepperocinis are also good on these sandwiches.

Creamy goodness.... 3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 1 large onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, chopped 2 celery stalks 1 T butter 2 T olive oil 4 (or more) cups chicken broth 1 bottle of ale 2 t vegeta (a bouillon-like seasoning-- use a granular but high-quality chicken bouillon if you can't get vegeta) 1 cup milk 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (medium or sharp) salt and white pepper to taste Melt butter along with the olive oil and add the onions, garlic and celery. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until well-softened.  Add the potatoes, increase heat and stir until coated. Add the chicken broth and the ale plus 1 teaspoon salt; bring to boil, reduce heat and cover. Cook for 30 minutes (potatoes should be very soft). Blend with an immersion blender (or in a regular blender) until smooth. Add the vegeta and then the milk and simmer until heated through. Throw in the cheese; after the cheese is melted, add a bit of white pepper and ...

This is a family favorite, a very cake-like bread. The recipe is adapted from Bon Appétit magazine which originally calls for ground cloves (which I absolutely can't tolerate) and walnuts (which I love but for some reason not in this particular recipe). Feel free to add them or chocolate chips if you like; we, however, are pumpkin purists. 2 cups sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs 1 16-oz. Libby's solid pack pumpkin 3 cups flour 1 t ground cinnamon 1 t pumpkin pie spice (I use McCormick because it doesn't have the hated cloves) 1 t baking soda 1/2 t salt 1/2 t baking powder Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly oil 2- 9X5 loaf pans. Beat sugar and oil to combine and add in eggs and pumpkin. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined (do not over beat). Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, depending on your oven. The center should be firm and a tester comes out clean. This is best eaten the following day....

Chicken pot pie... it conjures up images of trailer parks and t.v. dinners. I loved pot pies as a kid- we always had Swanson; my brother and I would inevitably sustain 3rd degree burns over our tongues and the roof of our mouths from eating it straight out of the oven.  I loved! how the bottom crust was always a little gummy. I have seen many recipes for fancy pot pies involving things like snow peas and chanterelle mushrooms but by golly, what I really wanted was a GOOD version of a Swanson pot pie with uniformly diced carrots and potatoes. This is absolute comfort food- get your sweat pants on, park yourself in front of the t.v. and dig in! I save the drippings from when I roast the chicken, refrigerate overnight and take the fat off the top; this pan jelly, as it's known, is a delicious flavor boost for the pot pie which would otherwise be bland. If you don't roast your own chicken for this recipe, you will have to use something else-- I've seen these flavor b...