David Ross

My second Holiday Quick Bread sort of got off to a rocky start. I found a recipe for Eggnog Muffins, I got all the ingredients out on the counter to get started. But then I realized I didn't have any paper muffin cups, which I prefer to use in this case for the presentation. So I figured I could just turn it into a loaf pan and make the traditional quick bread form. I added some dried cranberries to the batter, but I think I'd prefer raisins next time for their sweetness and softer texture, and I doubled the spice measures, also adding cloves and nutmeg. I added brown sugar to the recipe for the streusel topping and it gave it a nice crunchy texture. The recipe called for rum extract, a mere 1/2 tsp. That was too puny I thought, so I added two tbsp. of dark rum, which is the same ingredient we add to our homemade egg nog. It's a nice, simple recipe. Eggnog Quick Bread- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg 1 tsp. ground cloves 2 eggs 1 cup eggnog, (I bought eggnog made by a local dairy co-op) 1 cup butter, melted 1 tsp. vanilla 2 tbsp. dark rum or bourbon 1/2 cup raisins or currants Preheat the oven to 375. (I used the convection setting). Spray a loaf pan, (I used a 8x4 small loaf pan). In a mixer bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and mix to combine. With the mixer running, add the eggs, eggnog, melted butter, vanilla, rum and raisins and thoroughly mix the batter. Pour into the loaf pan and sprinkle the top with the streusel mixture. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the topping is golden and a toothpick runs clean when inserted into the bread. Streusel Topping- 1/3 cup flour 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 3 tbsp. butter Combine all the topping ingredients in a mini-processor and pulse a few times to combine.

Braised Beef Guiness Pie. I start with thick slabs of beef chuck, browned in beef tallow then braised for hours in Guiness, herbs and beef stock. Then the next day into a casserole dish with carrots and potatoes, sometimes mushrooms or pearl onions. I've been experimenting with a new frozen puff pastry that our local Trader Joe's is carrying and it's working pretty good. It puffs up a little bit better than frozen Pepperidge Farms, but I think it's a little too sweet for my tastes. I'm sure if I perfected homemade puff pastry it would be much better. I make this pie a lot in the Fall and Winter, but was cleaning out a drawer and found the little beef cut-out so I really made the pie to test out the tiny cutter.

We never are really sure what our wild mushroom crops will be like up here until the season arrives, but right now the chanterelle crop is very good. The mushrooms are huge and full of flavor, and at a really reasonable price of $9.99 per pound. A couple of smaller markets have them at $19.99 per pound which is still somewhat of a bargain for wild mushrooms picked by hand. I usually serve them simple, like this dish of bucatini pasta, some olive oil, butter, fresh thyme and sage.

My first Holiday Quick Bread was a combination of a recipe for pumpkin bread, but I added apple cider and some pecans. Fresh apple cider up here is only sold in large jugs, but we get it in a lot of different apple varieties. I happened to use Fuji apple cider that I originally bought to brine pork. I'm terrible at making basic banana bread, it always turns out dense and dry. So my reasoning I suppose was to add the apple cider to keep the bread moistened and add additional sweetness and flavor. I wasn't happy with adding the pecans. I thought I needed some crunch, but this bread turned out so soft and moist I felt the nuts took away from that a bit. Next time I'll add some currants for a softer texture that I think will enhance the bread. The powdered sugar icing and the holiday sprinkles were just to gild the bread a bit, but it makes it look nice and the icing is delicious. It's a great quick bread for breakfast or at a buffet table. Pumpkin Apple Cider Quick Bread- 1 cup pumpkin puree 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup apple cider 2 eggs 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. ground cloves 1/2 tsp. allspice 1 tsp. ground ginger 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup granulated sugar 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour Heat the oven to 350. In a bowl stir together the pumpkin puree, oil, eggs and apple cider until the mixture is smooth. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, ginger and baking soda and mix to combine. Add the sugar and the flour, and stir until the batter is smooth. I used a bundt style of pan, but any loaf pan will do. Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. I don't have exact measurements for the glaze. I just stirred in some milk, adding enough powdered sugar to make a thick glaze. I'd say about 1 cup powdered sugar to only about 2 tbsp. of milk.

You're right. I tasted one as I was making another quick bread and they did taste starchy, but had a hint of chestnut flavor. I knew they would be soft, not crunchy like a walnut, so I didn't want to add them to my first Holiday quick bread. I'm still considering using them, and I like your idea of how to bring out more flavor.

Mother used to talk about getting roasted chestnuts after ice skating, but these are more like a fig. They are in a vacuum sealed packet, not really dried hard but soft.

I've been going through old trunks and found this gem-the "Home Comfort Cook Book" published by the Wrought Iron Range Co., St. Louis, U.S.A. There isn't a date, but it's probably in the timeframe of 1900-1915. It was from my Great Grandmother Jennie Pink's home in Twin Falls, Idaho. What's so interesting is that the book was published for folks buying one of the company's iron stoves. Included were recipes, comments from other customers, and the proper ways to light the stove and cook with it. A rare find indeed. My Great Grandmother marked this stove in the book with two X's, so that's they one they bought. I remember their kitchen, and a stove, but imagine over 100 years later I find the book that they used when deciding which stove to buy.

I think I'm going to start fairly simple by incorporating the chestnuts into a pumpkin quick bread. Anyone have a recipe for how to make a chestnut puree?

I found some chestnuts at a local store. Seems like they would be perfect in a quick bread this time of year but would any one have a recipe? What dried fruits might work with chestnuts?

Fair game for our bake-off because you’re not using yeast. So any mixing techniques will work.

I have a large collection of old cookbooks, but these are my two favorites. The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie Farmer, 1913 Edition- Black and white photos were included in cookbooks in 1913, including these photos of "Chaud-Froid of Eggs" and "Capon in Aspic with Cooked Yolks and Whites of Eggs cut in Fancy Shapes, Pistachio Nuts and Truffles." The 1921 Edition- The Game chapter included recipes for Venison with Port Wine Sauce, Rabbit 'a la Southern, Pigeon Pie, Squabs en Casserole, Sauteed Quail 'a la Moquin, Larded Stuffed English Partridge with Cold Orange Sauce and Game Mousse with Sauce Bigarde.

Blueberry Buckle, Banana Bread, Banana Coffee Bread, Boston Brown Bread and Prune Nut Bread. Cornbread, Corn Fritters and Corn Spoon Bread. Ginger Muffins, Hawaiian Muffins and Swedish Timbale Cases. All these recipes come from my cherished 1968 edition of the Better Homes and Gardens "New Cook Book." But the popularity of "quick breads" hasn’t faded over the decades. By definition, quick breads are basically breads that are leavened with baking soda or baking powder rather than yeast. And "quick" breads eliminate the need for waiting hours for the yeast in traditional doughs to rise. The Holidays are the perfect time for quick breads. Quick breads are economical and all the well-known ingredients of the holiday kitchen work quite well in quick breads: dates, raisins, pumpkin, cranberries, candied fruits, nuts, citrus fruits, eggnog and a boozy nog too. The Holidays are fast approaching, so join in the celebration as we launch our newest Bake-Off, eG Bake-Off XX: Holiday Quick Breads. See our complete Bake-Off Index here: https://forums.egullet.org/topic/155586-bake-off-index/

Has anybody attempted a quick bread recipe yet?

Last weekend I ended a 20-year search to find some decent Chinese food in Spokane. I knew it all along, but finally came to the conclusion I can cook better, authentic, Chinese at home. I didn't get a photo of the true Kung Pao Chicken, but these are Chinese Barbecue Ribs. Instead of cutting them into single ribs I cut double ribs. Photos are blurry, but the ribs were quite good. Next one of my favorites, (nothing even close on a menu up here), Scallops with Wood Ear Fungus.

I just pour some of the liquor in a large spoon then drizzle that on top of the fruitcake. I don't follow a specific schedule, but I'd say I add liquor about 3 times a year and only about a tablespoon to each fruitcake at a time.

This is the fruitcake recipe I use. In recent years I've added dark molasses for some deeper color and another layer of sweetness. The best fruitcake I ever had was from my dear Great Aunt Bertie Pink, a wonderful Jewish cook. But her fruitcake recipe was never written down in full form. I did inherit her recipe box, which includes something like 20 different fruitcake recipes, but still nothing close to her original.

Well, this morning I thought I'd be ahead of the game and bring out the fruitcake for a bath in booze. But to my surprise, I haven't been planning properly and these two are just babies, a mere one year old pair of fruitcakes. I suppose I'll eat one of them, but honestly, I should be at least 5 years out on aging fruitcake. We're not sure, but we think my Great Aunt Bertie's were aged somewhere between 10 and 15 years!

Going through this discussion reminded me of this delicious and refreshing salad I do every summer. It's really best when your local produce is in season, but you can stil make it year round. Watermelon that I cut into balls, strawberries, cucumber, green Italian olives, then feta. The dressing is just olive oil and lemon juice, then basil and mint, chives and some dried oregano. I use Mexican oregano because it has the buds attached and is really fragrant.

I have to admit I was skeptical of anything to do with Sous Vide in the past. I think it was my disregard during the "molecular gastronomy" phase that was gaining so much popularity in restaurants. I think I was becoming too snooty in thinking anything like sous vide was an accepted method of cooking. How silly I was in thinking through such a narrow hole. But now, after having seen the results and knowing the possibilities, I'm using all of your feedback to purchase one. And boy do I have ideas on how to use it.

First of the season WA apple crop is in and it's going to be a good year. The long hot summer didn't seem to hurt the apples, and how were back into cool nights and days and the apples seem to be getting really sweet. You'd think being in apple country would keep our prices down, but some of the varietals like the Honey Crisp and newer apples are still at $3.95 a pound. Too much in my view but they are delicious. In any case, this is my first of many Apple Tarte Tatins. This year I cut the apples differently. I usually just peel, core and cut them either in half or in quarters to put in the skillet. This time I cut them on my apple peeler and corer gadget, then let them fan out in the caramel. Looks interesting for presentation and the end result is apples more tender than usual. Now I have to make another one with the apples cut like I usually do to do a taste comparison. Our Apple Cook-Off below includes a post with my recipe for Apple Tarte Tatin.

How wonderful. And ironic as right now I'm posting photos of my own first of the season Tarte Tatin. And I've been wondering about doing individual ones so your photo will help me a lot as I start the planning.

I keep my duck confit congealed in the lard in the pot in the fridge for about a month. But it can go much longer. I just can't store it long because it's so delicious. Remember this is a very, very old classic French method of preservation long before there was modern refrigerators like we have today. I'd venture though to say it will keep in the cools of your fridge for about three or four months.

Oh I'm so glad you asked about chicken and yes! I do it with chicken. I keep the rub the same, but I'll probably cut down the cooking in the fat time by an hour. And it's delicious pulled apart and served with pasta. Sometimes I'll pull the skin off the confit and then crisp it under the broiler. I've always thought it odd folks, especially in my neck of the woods, don't eat more duck. We have many hunters who harvest wild ducks, but not many folks buy farmed duck. It's so delicious but I concede spendy. The Asian market sells two hindquarters for about 4 bucks. The frozen is about 11 dollars for two hindquarters. You can buy it online, but the darn shipping is nearly, or sometimes more, than the cost of the product since it has to be shipped overnight.

Over the years I've gotten to the point where I've perfected the curing process for my duck confit and it couldn't be easier. I buy fresh duck hindquarters at a local Asian market, and if those aren't available, frozen from Maple Leaf Farms in the supermarket works just as good. A good measure of Kosher salt, some black peppercorns, fragrant bay leaves, crushed garlic and some crushed juniper berries. That gets sprinkled generously on both sides of the duckies, then covered and into the fridge to cure. This batch cured three days, which is my standard. Then rinsed off before going into the pot for cooking. I'm not a man of great means, i.e. in terms of spending shards of money to buy great vats of duck fat. So I use pork lard that I buy at the local Mexican market. Does a fine job in my opinion. So I melt the lard in a Le Creuset pot, in go the duck hindquarters covered in pork fat. Into the oven at 275 for four hours. Then I take the pot out, let the lard congeal, and the duck confit goes into the fridge until ready to use. I just reheat the pot to melt the fat and gently pull out one of the hindquarters. Then on a rack over a cookie sheet in a blistering hot over to crisp the skin on the duck. This was a good batch, not overly salty and the meat is so tender. Rancho Gordo beans are very easy to work with. Just a soak for about 4 hours in water. Then keep the soaking water to cook the beans, maybe add a little fresh water. Bring to a boil, then down to a simmer. This time I cooked them about 2 1/2 hours with a large smoked ham hock. The greens went in about the last 30 minutes. These beans stew off their own delicious bean broth, so you don't need to add much seasoning nor add something like chicken or vegetable stock. That's it.

We've all been thinking about you in Western Montana all summer long and wishing the best. It's been a terrible wildfire season. I don't think a lot of people realize that we really don't get full relief until the first heavy snows! As far as cooking, I'm doing my first of the year Apple Tarte Tatin today, and I'm already doing planning for Fall dishes.