David Ross

It's that time of year! Time for fruitcake. Honestly I love coming to this discussion thread. It's nearly impossible to have a discussion about fruitcake with family or friends. The exceptions being my Sister and one Cousin. Our Mothers and Grandmothers all made delicious fruitcake. Are you making or buying fruitcake this year?

This is the perfect time of year to give some new ideas and discussion to the topic of terrines.

Hi. I used 1 cup of the custard mix. Then the apples on top and that's it. There will be leftover custard, so yesterday I made small custard tart without the apples.

Yikes I left out the main ingredient in the custard for everyone! Add 3/4 cup grated smoked cheddar cheese to the hot custard and stir to blend.

Hello @kayb here is the full recipe- Ingredients 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 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. 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.

A few days ago I brought back and apple recipe I hadn't made in years, Apple Tart with Smoked Cheddar Custard in a Toasted Hazelnut Crust. The idea was to update what my Grandmother served-apple pie with a slice of cheddar cheese. We didn't have a tradition of serving cheddar with apple pie, but I think she wanted to try it. I don't think I ever understood, but it was delicious. I mean a slice of cheddar alone. So I wanted to work cheddar in another way. Smoked cheddar is mild and the smoke flavor doesn't overpower the cheese. It must have been 20 years ago when I created that recipe. It was for a corporate summer picnic and I think there was a dessert contest. I remember slogging it to the park in a covered Tupperware. A tart with custard suffers in the summer heat, and it looked pretty melted as I recall. But I think the judges liked it. I can't recall if I won, got a prize or a handshake. This season I vowed to make it again with a few changes. I stayed with the Fuji apples and didn't change the custard. Instead of my pie crust recipe I used my shortbread that I always do for tarts. I toast hazelnuts and pressed some into the shortbread. The idea is to celebrate WA State apples and another crop from the Northwest, the hazelnut. We lived in Salem, Oregon when I was a kid and we always called them "filberts." My Father worked for the State of Oregon Ag Department and was the advisor to the "Filbert" commission. Years later when the term "hazelnut" became popular we always chuckled behind the scenes.

Thanks!

@liamsaunt I showed this to a friend and she loves it. She wondered if you had a recipe for the potato buns to share. THanks.

Yesterday I came across a prime rib roast recipe I've tried in the past. In a 550 oven for 20 minutes, then turn off the oven. Leave the roast in and let it cook in the oven as it cools, 18 min per lb for medium rare. I've tried it but honestly don't remember how successful it was. My initial thought now is that it wouldn't give me the char, caramelized fatty crust I like. Anyone else try this? Would it work for a leg of lamb?

Years ago I sometimes went to Wenatchee, WA on business. It's the heart of WA apple country. There was this little cafe in the airport that made the best fresh apple milkshakes. Sounds weird and I never figured out how they got apple flavor so pure and fresh in a milkshake.

I do the same thing. A lot. Whether it's a recipe I found or a new dish I'm creating, I get things done and think, "well I didn't get that right." But often I re-think and re-work it the next day and it's much better. And those look tasty.

Let's add some new recipes to our Holiday Quick Breads Bake-Off. I'm thinking of doing a holiday quick bread version of a cookie I did last year with candied ginger and candied cranberries.

I'm working on a risotto with wild chanterelle mushrooms right now, maybe will do a winter squash one next week. I'm blown away when I see a tray of risotto in a buffet line sitting over steaming water. It's like warm congealed rice.

Time to bring back another favorite in our Cook-Off series. Just in time for your holiday cooking, Winter Squash. I just found a recipe for pumpkin grits that looks interesting, and I do a fair pumpkin risotto. I won't, ever, do risotto for a crowd. Only for a small number of folks so I can bring it hot off the stove and serve it right away.

That's a good price. It's made in Seattle and the prices even in the home town are pretty steep.

It's the season to return to one of our favorite Cook-Off's, eG Cook-Off #74: Holiday Roasts. Are you sticking with your traditional standards this year? Turkey, Ham and Roast Beef? Venturing into a crown roast of lamb or pork? What about a wild game roast, or a whole fresh salmon roast? A lobster roast for New Years? Let's look back on what we were cooking in 2016 and what we plan, and cook, this Holiday season.

Hard to believe we are the nation's top apple producers here in Washington, but until this year we hadn't cultivated an apple in the state. Washington State University created the "Cosmic Crisp" which is just now in markets. From what I've read it takes years to cultivate a new apple so I'm sure they've been at it for a while. They will own exclusive rights to sell the apple for 10 years. I haven't seen it yet, but it's described as a cross between the Enterprise and the Honeycrisp. They say that it has a long shelf life and does well stored in the fridge. It's best for eating they say with a good balance of sweet and tart and very crisp. I'll try to buy some when it shows up locally. It's already in markets in the Seattle and Yakima areas.

Sorry, thought I already answered this one. Yes, it seems odd to cook the apples in sugar that long. I do check about every 25 minutes or so. The apples will show some dark areas on the top, where they aren't touching the caramel. But when you flip it over, deep golden brown and the apples never taste burned. It sounds crazy I know but I've used this consistent cooking time for years.

Thought I would revive this topic and use myself as an example of how a camera makes a huge difference in food photography. I've been a Member at eGullet for many years and when I started taking food photos it was sort of a new thing. The world hadn't yet taken on stylized food photos and there weren't a lot of software programs out there. For years I used a little hand-held Canon Powershot. About three of them in fact. They worked ok, but I was brutal on them in the kitchen and they took many a tumble to the floor, got gunked up with oil and other ingredients. But I was at least able to portray closeups of food fairly well. These first two photos were taken with the Canon Powershot. Smoked Idaho Trout Salad from 2016- Salmon Poke with Macadamia Nuts from 2018- Pan-Fried Yaquina Bay Oyster Sandwich from 2019 with the Canon EOS Rebel T7- Apple Tarte Tatin, taken last week- The EOS has all sorts of different settings, and I've got about three software programs I could use. But for now I'm keeping things simple. I still prefer closeup shots and don't use a lot of stuff in the background so I can focus on the food. I reduce the pixel size of the photos for clarity and do some minor editing but that's it. I'm not sure I'll ever go further than that because I happen to prefer simple yet clear food photos without a lot of stylization.

Another one of my Fall favorites is the Pear Brown Betty. I think most people think of Apple Brown Betty, which is delicious, but the pears add a different flavor and a nice change from apples. I've researched the Brown Betty and it appears that it found its way to restaurant menus as early as the 1860's, but it might have an earlier legacy. It's so simple that you wonder how something with four ingredients, pears, butter, breadcrumbs and spice can be so delicious. In this recipe I used Bartlett pears, but it's just as good with Bosc, Red Bosc, D'Anjou and even Asian pears. This year instead of cinnamon and nutmeg I used Chinese Five-Spice. Full disclosure, the cinnamon and nutmeg were far beyond their "best" date so in the bin it went and out came the Five-Spice. Ingredients- 2 cups fresh bread crumbs 1 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder substitute cinnamon and nutmeg 6 large Bartlett pears 10 tbsp. butter, cut into small cubes Instructions- Heat the oven to 375. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. To make the fresh breadcrumbs, cut the crusts off 8-10 slices of white bread. Break the bread into pieces and place in a food processor. Pulse the bread until it's broken into crumbs. Keep the breadcrumbs covered in the fridge for up to one week. Peel the pears and cut in half. Scoop out the core and cut the stem out that runs down the middle of the pear. Cut the pears into small chunks. In a large bowl combine the brown sugar, five-spice powder, and pears. Toss the pears to coat in the sugar and spices. Layer half the pear mixture in the bottom of the baking dish then add a layer of 1 cup of the breadcrumbs. Put half the cubes of butter on top of the breadcrumbs. Add another layer of pears, breadcrumbs and the rest of the cubes of butter. Cover the baking dish and bake for one hour until the crust is golden and bubbling. Serve the Pear Brown Betty warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. https://todayshomekitchen.com/pear-brown-betty/

You know up until about 15 years ago I never had heard of the Apple Tarte Tatin. Every year I make it the flavor is always the same. You just sort of melt and say "aah," my friend is back.

Every year at this time I post about the Apple Tarte Tatin and for years I've been posting my efforts here at eGullet. Living in Washington we are fortunate to be not only the top producer of apples, but we have dozens and dozens of different varieties available to us throughout the season. This year I bought a new camera specifically for taking food photos, which also enhances the look of the Tarte Tatin this year. When I tell people the variety of apple I use they are surprised-the Golden Delicious. My original recipe is adapted from Saveur Cooks Authentic French cookbook which calls for the Golden Delicious. I've tried the Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala and many others and none seem to get the right balance of sweet and slightly tart, and soak up the buttery caramel. And after the long baking time the Golden Delicious still holds its shape. Here is the recipe, along with some new photos for this year. This recipe suits a 10" cast-iron skillet but the photos were taken using a 6" cast iron skillet. For the apples and caramel- 10-12 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut in quarters 2 sticks butter 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 tbsp. light corn syrup (optional, I add it because it makes the caramel more sticky) For the pastry- 2 1/3 cups all-purpost 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 Make 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. -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 bake the 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 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. -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.

For about the fourth or fifth time, "Hometown Appetites, The Story of Clementine Paddleford." As more of the great food writers and journalists fade away, and the great food magazines of yesteryear are gone, I'm drawn more and more to these folks.

I had two apples for dinner! Also uncooked. An extra Golden Delicious from the batch I bought for making the Tarte Tatin and my new favorite variety, the Envy. I haven't cooked with the Envy but it is a bit soft so don't know how it would do. Probably in a recipe like applesauce or compote. But it is not too sweet and good as an eating apple.

This year I'm doing my annual Apple Tarte Tatin. In fact it's in the oven right now. But I'm also bringing out two recipes I forgot about that I found in my archives today. An easy Apple Strudel and an Apple Tart. The base of the tart is a cheddar custard and I put ground toasted hazelnuts in the crust.