David Ross

That's a really good point and I'll do some checking in my area. We still had some local orchards picking apples, then Friday we got hit with an early, and record, snowfall in Eastern, Washington. All-time record and it was only about 7" of snow, all trees, including apple trees, hadn't turned color yet and were full of leaves. That heavy snow weighed down the branches, then near zero temps overnight the past two nights and the snow has frozen on the trees. My cherry tree is slumped over but hasn't lost any branches yet.

Reminds me of the episode of The Little Rascals when all they get for breakfast is milk toast. I think Aunt Martha also served the Beaver and Wally milk toast when she came to take care of them one weekend.

Over the years I've collected both cookbooks and a large collection of what I call cooking "booklets." These are small booklets that were often mailed or given out free at grocery stores. Most of them measure 5 1/2" x 8 1/2". My Mother had a large collection, and I've bought many of them, for a few cents each, at vintage shops and estate sales. I think my Mother would often clip something out of the newspaper food section or a magazine and send it in to the sponsor for the booklet. Magazines like Sunset and Better Homes and Gardens printed a series of these booklets. They're a historical record of the way we cooked and ate at the time, but I also find them a great resource for creating new recipes today. I'll start by posting the Metropolitan Cook Book printed by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Often there wasn't a published date in these cook books, but based on the recipes compared to my collection of vintage cook books, I'd say this one dates to around 1915. Many of the recipes are similar to what I've found in the Fannie Farmer Cookbook of that time. There is a section of recipes titled "Invalid" recipes, where one could have things like Oatmeal Gruel, Irish Moss Lemonade and a Raw Beef Sandwich. Under the "Lunch Box" section, there is a suggested cold lunch for "Industrial Workers"- 1 minced ham sandwich with white bread 1 Swiss cheese sandwich with rye bread 1 whole tomato 1 apple dumpling 1 cup coffee (in Thermos) For "School Children"- 1 cottage cheese sandwich on brown bread 1 jelly sandwich on white bread 1 apple 1/2 pint bottle of milk

I use Kitchen Bouquet also, makes the gravy both look and taste good.

Brilliant!

I came across this discussion thread this morning, and thought, with most Holiday parties probably cancelled this year, maybe I can do my own Holiday party at home, safely, and without the packaged chips and dips. Maybe Frogs Legs?

I first learned about the Apple Charlotte when I bought the cookbook, Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home in 1999 when it came out alongside their TV series. I'm not sure why I had never heard of the Apple Charlotte Before. This time I used small bundt cake molds rather than one big mold. Filled the center with my apple compote recipe that I've used in dishes for years. The bread is brioche slices. Used the same caramel sauce that I did for the apple cake above. I love these Apple Charlotte's, the bread gets a little caramelized and then the filling in the middle. Ingredients For the Apple Compote- 2 tbsp. butter 2 Fuji apples, peeled, cored and diced 1 tbsp. granulated sugar 2 tbsp. brown sugar 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/8 tsp. ground cloves 1/8 allspice 2 tbsp. apple brandy 1 tbsp. currants substitute raisins For the Charlotte- 1 loaf sliced brioche bread 1/2 cup melted butter powdered sugar for garnish 1 cup Calvados Caramel Sauce, warmed from apple cake recipe Make the Apple Compote- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced apples, granulated and brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and apple brandy. Cook until the apples are soft, pressing down with a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat to low, cover and continue to cook for 10 minutes until the apples are the consistency of thick apple sauce. Stir in the currants. Prepare the Charlotte and Bake- Heat the oven to 375. Brush the mini cake pans with melted butter. Trim the crust off the slices of brioche, then cut the brioche into 1" wide strips. Use a round cookie cutter to cut 8 rounds of brioche for the top and bottom of the Charlotte's. Dip a brioche round in the melted butter and put in the bottom of a cake mold. Start building the Charlotte by dipping strips of brioche in the melted butter, then pressing in the sides of the cake mold. Trim the sides of the brioche to fit the top of the mold. Add some apple compote, then top with a brioche round dipped in butter. Gently press down on the Charlotte's. Cover the top of each cake mold with foil. Pour 2" of hot water in a deep baking dish, then place the cake molds in the dish. Bake the Charlotte's for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes just until the bread starts to brown. Remove the Charlotte's from the oven and let them cool 5 minutes on a baking rack. Gently press the rim and edges of the mold to help release the Charlotte's from the molds. Turn over onto a serving plate. Dust the tops of the Charlotte's with powdered sugar and put a spoon of the apple compote on top. Spoon some warm caramel around the Charlotte's.

Another new recipe for this years apple season, Apple Cake with Calvados Caramel. My Mother made a delicious apple cake each year, always the same, always with chunks of apples they bought from a harvest roadside stand in the Willamette Valley region of Oregon. As a kid we lived in The Dalles, Oregon, not far from the apple orchards of Hood River, then moved to Salem in the Willamette Valley. I couldn't find her recipe, but I remember it tasted almost like a gingerbread. We just ate it plain, no frosting or ice cream. So this year I re-created that recipe and served it with a caramel sauce. Calvados, the French apple brandy, adds another level of flavor to both the cake and the caramel. I used apple brandy made by Clear Creek Distillery of Hood River, Oregon. (They aren't allowed by law to call it "Calvados" which is only used in that region of France). They use the same technique as the French, and age the brandy for 8 years. Trust me, this is really, really sweet and although I don't eat a lot of sweets, but this was certainly worth it. The little garnish is ground almonds combined with butter and a little flour. For the Apple Cake- 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. allspice 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup softened butter 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup dark brown sugar 3 large eggs 1 tbsp. chopped candied ginger 1/3 cup raisins 1 tsp. vanilla 2 tbsp. apple brandy 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks 1 tbsp. powdered sugar for dusting. Calvados Caramel- 2/3 cup heavy cream 1" piece of vanilla bean, cut in half 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 1/4 cup water 1/4 tsp. salt 2 tbsp. light corn syrup 4 tbsp. butter, cut in cubes 1 tbsp. apple brandy Make the Apple Cake- Pre-heat the oven to 350. Spray a 9" square baking dish with flour and cooking oil spray. In a mixing bowl, add the flour baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and salt and blend to combine. In the bowl of a mixer, add the butter and beat on slow speed. Add the oil and mix to combine, about one minutes. Add the sugar and brown sugar, and beat to combine, another 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, and continue to beat until the ingredients are combined. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until the batter is combined. Add the candied ginger, raisins, vanilla and apple brandy and continue to mix into the batter. Add the apple chunks and blend into the batter. Spread the batter into the baking pan and bake for 40-46 minutes or until the cake is golden on top and a wood skewer in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake on a wire rack. Make the Calvados Caramel and Serve- Pour the cream into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the cream. Bring the cream to a boil and reduce the heat to low while you make the caramel. In another saucepan over medium high heat, add the sugar, water, salt and corn syrup and stir to blend. When the mixture boils, turn the heat down to medium-low and cook the caramel, without stirring, for 8-10 minutes. The caramel will turn an amber color. Take the saucepan off the heat and add the cream. Be careful as the cream will boil. When the caramel simmers down, stir in the butter and the apple brandy. Whisk the caramel until it's smooth and creamy. Let the caramel cool down a little before serving. Cut the apple cake into serving slices. Dust the cakes with powdered sugar and then drizzle with the caramel. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

I only tried puff pastry maybe two times years ago and it just didn't have the strength to hold up to the weight of the apples and gets soggy way too quick. With the pastry dough I use it's sturdy but holds up well so I can still have a tasty slice for breakfast on day 2.

The annual Tarte Tatin. I haven't changed this recipe in probably 20 years. Always golden delicious apples, and I always use my pie crust recipe rather than puff pastry. The tart is heavy, so I think it needs the weight of pie crust. And I also have used the same "flipping" technique for years. I cut out a small square of patio screen mesh and put that on top of a cookie rack, then flip the Tatin over. The crust is so delicate I don't want it to break through the wide screen of a cookie rack. It's a hokey invention, but never fails. For the Apples and Caramel- 10 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut in quarters 2 sticks butter 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 tbsp. light corn syrup For the Pastry Dough- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup cake flour 1 tbsp. granulated sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 1 stick cold butter, cut into cubes 1/2 cup Crisco 2/3 cup ice water Prepare the Apples and Caramel- Heat the oven to 400. Heat a 10" cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the butter to the skillet and melt. Once the butter is melted, Add the sugar and stir it into the melted butter. Stir in the corn syrup. Once the sugar and butter bubbles, arrange the apples in the skillet. For this recipe, I used a 10" skillet and overlap the apple quarters next to each other to fill the skillet. Place the skillet in the oven and cook the apples in the caramel for 1 1/2 hours. Check on the apples every 20 minutes and press down using a spatula. The apples are done when the caramel is a deep golden color. Remove the skillet from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Make the Pastry and Finish the Apple Tarte Tatin- The next day make the pastry. In a large bowl combine the flour, cake flour, sugar and salt and mix together. Add the butter and Crisco and cut into the flour using a hand-held pastry cutter. The pastry should be the size of large peas. Add the ice water a little at a time and use a fork to blend it into the flour mixture. Continue to add enough ice water for the pastry to form a soft ball. Cover the pastry and chill in the fridge one hour. Heat the oven to 400. Let the pastry dough come to room temperature until soft so it's easy to roll out. Flour the counter and roll our the pastry to about 1/8" thickness. Gently place the pastry over the top of the apples in the skillet, then trim the edges. Fold in any extra pastry to fit within the skillet. Bake the Tarte Tatin in the oven until the pastry is golden and the caramel is bubbling around the sides, about 30 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and let it cool 2 minutes. Run a paring knife around the edge of the pastry. Place a cookie rack on a baking sheet, then place it, rack facing down on top of the apples in the skillet. Hold the skillet with one hand and the baking sheet in another and gently turn over the skillet to unmold the Tarte Tatin onto the cookie rack. Let the Tarte Tatin cool from 10-12 minutes for the caramel start to set before serving. Slice and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

From the New Yorker's archive of food cartoons

At least 6 people. Originally I wrote the recipe for a company retreat I was going to and our staff was 8 people. I cut the salad and dressing recipes by half most of the time now.

Only a few tablespoons on the salad. The recipe makes a lot of the dressing. I like the salad to be coated but not soggy with the dressing. It's also good as a dressing for grilled meat, seafood and chicken.

Bringing back my Caesar Salad recipe that I make a few times a year. It's fairly close to the original, anchovies and coddled egg included. I think even better than the salad are the homemade croutons. Ingredients- For the Garlic Olive Oil- 2 cups extra virgin olive oil 10 cloves garlic, minced For the Croutons- 1 loaf French bread 1/2 cup melted butter 1/2 cup garlic olive oil For the Dressing- 1 1/2 cups garlic olive oil 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice 1 oz. can flat anchovy filets 2 tsp. dry mustard 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp. chopped capers 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 egg lightly beaten Salt and pepper to taste For the Salad- 6-8 romaine hearts torn into large pieces 1 small head butter lettuce, torn into pieces 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese black pepper to taste croutons Instructions Preparation- Start by making the croutons. Heat the oven to 375. Cut the bread into thick slices, then into large cubes. Spread the croutons in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for about 6 minutes so they start to crisp. Remove and let cool. Put the croutons in a large bowl. Combine the melted butter and 1/2 cup of the garlic olive oil in a bowl and drizzle over the croutons and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Return the croutons to the baking sheet and bake again until they toast and turn golden, about 8-10 minutes. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. It's best to whisk the dressing by hand as a food processor is too fast and will thicken the dressing like a mayonnaise. Just before serving, place the romaine and butter lettuce in a large serving bowl. Add about 3/4 cup dressing, some croutons and Parmesan cheese and toss to combine. Season with lots of black pepper. Serve with extra croutons and Parmesan cheese on the side.

I've made up my own little custom screen. Been doing it for years and then I saw some videos of how they do it in Japanese restaurants.

My cooking is often a Schitzel! That gave me a good laugh. It should go in our food funnies discussion.

One of the best, and funniest, commercials from the UK comes from Bisto Gravy. Bisto Gravy Ad

I cook just for myself, but this stores well in the fridge and even holds up in the freezer. I have neighbors who do a lot of preserving and canning this time of year, so we do exchanges. I gave a lady some of this yesterday and in return I got wild huckleberry jam, two types of plum preserves including one with rum. Good deal I think.

I think it's time to revive this Schnitzel cook-off. This is a pork schnitzel that I served with a peach mostarda. I was looking for new ways to use seasonal peaches, and had never made a mostarda. It turned out to be based on a traditional mostarda, but more the consistency and style of a chutney. I used a basic Dijon mustard so it wouldn't be too hot. A local German deli and store sells this really fiery mustard, but I'm not one for that kind of heat and I figured it would probably overpower the flavor of the peaches. I make this style of cucumber relish/salad a lot for barbecue meats, and it was really good with the schnitzel. I prefer the fresh breadcrumbs when I make schnitzel. They are light and crispy. This time I used a trick I've seen on Japanese cooking videos when they are preparing cutlets. Take a wire spider and scoop out the breadcrumbs in the pan and sprinkle those over the schnitzel to give it more texture and crisp. Same thing that some UK fish and chips shops do. For the Peach Mostarda-makes 1 1/2 cups 2 large fresh peaches, peeled and diced 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup raisins 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots 1/2 cup white wine choose a like a riesling 1/2 cup Dijon mustard subsitute spicy brown mustard 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. nutmeg dash cayenne pepper For the Cucumber Relish- 1 medium cucumbers seeded and diced 1/4 cup diced red onion 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp. granulated sugar 2 tsp. chopped fresh dill 2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup olive oil salt and pepper to taste fresh dill for garnish For the Pork Schnitzel- 4 6oz. boneless pork loin chops 1 tsp. each salt and pepper for seasoning 1/2 cup Dijon mustard 6 slices white bread, crusts cut off 1/2 cup canola oil for frying 4 fresh lemon quarters 1 tsp. paprika for dusting the lemons Make the Peach Mostarda- Place all the ingredients in a saucepot over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce to medium-low and cook the mostarda chutney until it’s thick like a chutney, 35minutes. You can make the mostarda chutney ahead of time, then cover and keep in the fridge. Reheat before serving. Make the Cucumber Relish- Place all the ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. You can make the relish a couple of hours ahead to time and keep it in the fridge until ready to serve. Make the Schnitzel and Serve- Pour the oil into a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Heat the oil to 350. Tear the slices of white bread and pulse in a food processor to make breadcrumbs. Place the bread crumbs in a pie dish. Place some plastic wrap on a counter and put one of the pork chops on the plastic wrap. Place another sheet of plastic wrap on top, then pound the pork thin, about ¼” thick. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Put the mustard in a pie dish and the breadcrumbs in another pie dish. Brush some of the mustard on both sides of the pork. Put the pork in the breadcrumbs and press to coat on both sides. Fry the schnitzel in batches, 2-3at a time allowing space in the skillet. Fry the schnitzel in the hot oil until brown and crispy, 2-3 minutes per side. Drain the schnitzel on a cookie rack. Strain the golden breadcrumbs from the oil and sprinkle on top of the schnitzel. Arrange the schnitzel on a serving platter. Spoon some mostarda on top of the schnitzel and around the plate. Serve with the cucumber relish and wedges of fresh lemon dusted with paprika. Garnish with the fresh dill sprigs.

I do't know about the cheese gravy but I love using Bisto.

I always wonder why people buy those tiny little packages of hazelnuts. So much of the cost is in packaging. I buy them in bulk and even if I put a tiny amount in the shopping cart, the clerks never wince whether I'm buying a few ounces or a pound. I also love toasting them and the work involved to rub off the skins.

I still remember that company picnic. It was in Seattle in July and hot as the blazes. That poor little apple tart sat in the sun on a judging table, the dusting of powdered sugar just melted. I took it back home, but most likely shucked the poor thing into the trash. I don't remember I got a ribbon, which probably says I would have remembered if I did!

For the Apples and Caramel- 10 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut in quarters 2 sticks butter 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 tbsp. light corn syrup For the Pastry Dough- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup cake flour 1 tbsp. granulated sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 1 stick cold butter, cut into cubes 1/2 cup Crisco 2/3 cup ice water Prepare the Apples and Caramel- Heat the oven to 400. Heat a 10" cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the butter to the skillet and melt. Once the butter is melted, Add the sugar and stir it into the melted butter. Stir in the corn syrup. Once the sugar and butter bubbles, arrange the apples in the skillet. The photo shows a small 6" skillet with apples halves. For this recipe, we use a 10" skillet and overlap the apple quarters next to each other to fill the skillet. Place the skillet in the oven and cook the apples in the caramel for 1 1/2 hours. Check on the apples every 20 minutes and press down using a spatula. The apples are done when the caramel is a deep golden color. Remove the skillet from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Make the Pastry and Finish the Apple Tarte Tatin- The next day make the pastry. In a large bowl combine the flour, cake flour, sugar and salt and mix together. Add the butter and Crisco and cut into the flour using a hand-held pastry cutter. The pastry should be the size of large peas. Add the ice water a little at a time and use a fork to blend it into the flour mixture. Continue to add enough ice water for the pastry to form a soft ball. Cover the pastry and chill in the fridge one hour. Heat the oven to 400. Let the pastry dough come to room temperature until soft so it's easy to roll out. Flour the counter and roll our the pastry to about 1/8" thickness. Gently place the pastry over the top of the apples in the skillet, then trim the edges. Fold in any extra pastry to fit within the skillet. (see our photos). Bake the Tarte Tatin in the oven until the pastry is golden and the caramel is bubbling around the sides, about 30 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and let it cool 2 minutes. Run a paring knife around the edge of the pastry. Place a cookie rack on a baking sheet, then place it, rack facing down on top of the apples in the skillet. Hold the skillet with one hand and the baking sheet in another and gently turn over the skillet to unmold the Tarte Tatin onto the cookie rack. Let the Tarte Tatin cool from 10-12 minutes for the caramel start to set before serving. Slice and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

This apple recipe morphed over the course of about 25 years, more if you think about the history of a slice of apple pie and a wedge of cheddar cheese. Cheddar with apple pie wasn't big in the Pacific Northwest when I was a kid, but I remember my folks talking about it when they were kids in the 1930s. The tart first started out in this basic form when I entered a pie contest at a company picnic ala 1995. Last apple season I updated it, fanning out the apples over a custard with the cheddar cheese. The original tart had both hazelnuts and cheddar in the crust. It's quite a different contrast to that sugary Tarte Tatin. For the Smoked Cheddar Custard- 4 egg yolks 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1" piece vanilla bean, cut in half you can substitute pure vanilla extract 2 cups whole milk 3/4 cup grated smoked cheddar cheese Toasted Hazelnut Shortbread Crust- 1 cup whole hazelnuts 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup powdered sugar 12 tbs. butter, melted For the Apples- 2 large Fuji apples 1 tbsp. lemon juice 2 tbsp. apple jelly chopped toasted hazelnuts for garnish whipped cream or vanilla ice cream Make the Smoked Cheddar Custard- In a mixing bowl add the egg yolks and sugar and whisk to combine until the mixture turns a light yellow color. Add the flour and whisk to make a smooth mixture. Pour the milk into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cut the vanilla bean in half and scrape the seeds into the milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Use a ladle to spoon 1/2 cup of the warm milk into the bowl with the egg, sugar, and flour and whisk to combine. Then blend the flour mixture back into the saucepan with the milk. Cook the custard until it begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Stir in the grated smoked cheddar. Take the custard off the heat and pour it through a strainer into a container. Let the custard cool then cover and refrigerate to chill, about 4 hours. Make the Toasted Hazelnut Shortbread Crust- Heat the oven to 375. Place the hazelnuts on a cookie sheet and toast until just browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the hazelnuts and place them on a kitchen towel. Rub the towel over the hazelnuts, removing most of the skins. Put the hazelnuts in a mini-food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped. Reserve some of the toasted hazelnuts for garnishing the apple tart. Heat the oven to 375. In a bowl, combine the flour, powdered sugar, melted butter and 1/2 cup of the toasted hazelnuts and mix together to create a soft dough. Using your fingers, pat the dough into the bottom of a 9" round non-stick tart pan with removable bottom. Use a paring knife to trim the excess pastry from the edge of the tart pan. Slice the Apples and Bake the Tart- Use an apple peeler/corer to peel and cut the apples into 1/4" thick slices. Fill a bowl with cold water and add the lemon juice. Plunge the apples into the lemon juice to keep it from browning. Ladle 1 cup of the chilled smoked cheddar custard into the tart shell. Cut each apple in half. Gently fan the apples on top of the custard. Place the tart on a cookie rack over a baking sheet and bake 35-40 minutes until the apples and custard are golden. Remove the tart from the oven and let cool to room temperature. While the tart cools, heat the apple jelly in the microwave for 30 seconds. Brush the apple jelly over the top of the apples. Sprinkle some of the chopped hazelnuts over the top of the tart. Cut the tart into slices and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

I cook down the apples in the caramel on day one and then it chill in the fridge overnight. Then day two I add the pastry and bake again then unmold. This pastry is strong enough to hold up and I invented a gadget I use each year. I cut out some wire mesh you would use for a screen door and wrap in on top and around a cookie sheet. The cookie sheets have too big of spaces between. The mesh is finer so it allows air under the pie crust so it won't get soggy, but gives more support so it doesn't fall through a cookie rack. I would never eat a Gold Delicious, but it holds its shape well in this tatin and soaks up the caramel really well. We have some newer varities that may work so I could try those this year.