David Ross

My favorite type of apple pie--the "Dutch" apple pie with a crumb topping. I made this pie using my basic pastry crust and apple pie filling, (using golden delicious). The crumb topping is a mix of 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, then 1/2 cup melted butter stirred in. I baked it as a normal 9" pie, then cut a round out of the pie for this individual serving. Served with the Calvados Caramel Sauce I made for the Sticky Toffee Apple Pudding. The only flaw? That puny scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I still buy it, but rarely use it. For me it's a nostalgic thing. My Mother used to wrap our sandwiches in wax paper for our school lunches. So on occasion when I take a sandwich to work for lunch, I'll wrap it in wax paper just for the memories. And when I remember, I wrap cheese in wax paper.

Looks delicious. I could find all sorts of dishes for that relish. Thanks for posting.

I first created the recipe for Litchee-Plum Conserve as an accompaniment to an Asian style pork dish in one of the preliminary rounds of MasterChef USA on PBS. That recipe has served me well for nearly 15 years and so it was the perfect starting point for adapting it to applesauce. The result is a blend of litchee, plum, applesauce and five-spice powder that is fragrant, sweet and a bit tart. It smells like a bed of roses in an apple orchard, and it's so easy to prepare. Litchee-Plum Applesauce- 10 canned litchee fruit 4-6 large canned plums, pits removed 1 16 oz. jar chunky applesauce. I found a local brand made from Honeycrisp Apples, the "High J Orchards" of Manson, Washington 2 tsp. five-spice powder 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp. lemon zest Puree the litchee and plums in a food processor, then pour into a saucepan. Add the applesauce, five-spice, sugar and lemon zest and cook the sauce about 20 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Deep-Fried Szechuan Peppercorn Pork- 1 Pork tenderloin cut into medallions then pounded into thin cutlets 1 tsp. hot chile oil 1 tbsp. sesame oil 2 tbsp. soy sauce 1 tsp. sugar 1 tbsp. Chinese rice wine 2 tsp. grated ginger 2 tsp. grated garlic 2 tsp. ground Szechuan peppercorns 1 egg yolk 1/2 cup cornstarch Canola oil for frying Combine the marinade ingredients and add the pork cutlets. Cover and refrigerate about an hour. Add the egg yolk and cornstarch to the pork and marinade and toss to coat. Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 375. Deep-fry the pork cutlets until browned, about 3 minutes. Drain the pork and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with the Litchee-Plum Applesauce.

My next dish is going to be a non-traditional pairing of pork and apples but with Asian flavors. I toyed with it tonight, but the color was pretty much brown and dull green, the flavors not vibrant and the pork not cut properly. Needs some work but I think it will be a winner.

Thanks for the suggestions!

I think you're right. There doesn't seem to be much of a market for mutton so trying to sell it isn't profitable. I'll keep searching. I know of a farmer at our small outdoor market that sells lamb so I'll ask him to see if he would set aside a ewe for me.

Well, 5 years on and I'm still searching for a source online for mutton. Not lamb, mutton. I've had a taste for mutton since I was a kid. My Grandfather, Ralp Pink, owned a wool and pelt business in Twin Falls, Idaho for many years and he would often serve up mutton--a typical meat in Idaho decades ago when the sheep business was king. I'll never forget a trip we took one summer up to Ketchum, Idaho, where my Grandfather's friend Gladys Keel lived. Gladys claimed to be a friend of Ernest Hemingway who lived up on the hill. True or not we'll never know, but I do know Gladys made a hearty, fragrant mutton stew. I'm finding that Americans just don't seem to appreciate the full flavor of mutton. Lamb yes, but those are babies compared to mature ewes that no longer produce lambs. I've found through my research that the wretched ewes are often sent off to become a blend of meats and fillers not served in homes or restaurants. The UK has a number of online sites that sell mutton, but they can't ship to the US. There are a few online halal sites that sell a few limited cuts of mutton or canned mutton. In the US the only site I've found that sells mutton is the Moonlight Barbecue in Kentucky, but I don't want slow-roasted mutton cloaked in barbecue sauce. I'm looking for a side of mutton I can butcher myself. I've found two local farms that are willing to sell mutton, but we have to plan up to a year in advance. Lambs born in the early Spring are sent to market around November so that's the time when older ewes can be set aside for sale. I'm just not sure that I want a whole mutton carcass. So I'm reaching out once again to see what sources you have for mutton, preferably an online source in the US that ships.

It's a duck! Slow-roasted with apples, potatoes, turnips and garlic. A rush of heat at the end to crisp the skin and a douse of warmed calvados to flame the bird just before service. The only thing that this duck needed was a smidge of dark, rich duck jus. Truss a duck. Place in a roasting pan with a rack. Season the cavity with salt and pepper, then stuff the fowl with a chopped onion, a head of garlic cut in half and a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Roast the duck in a 300 oven for 1 1/2 hours. Add some quartered tart apples, (don't peel or core), a quartered turnip and a russet potato cut in thick wedges, (unpeeled potato). Roast another hour. Raise the heat to 400 and roast another 35 minutes to crisp the skin. Remove the duck from the oven and let rest 10 minutes. Place the duck in a large casserole and add the vegetables and apples. Douse with warmed calvados and light afire! Serve slices of the duck and some of the vegetables and apple. Drizzle a bit of duck jus around the plate. If you have it.

And I thought my standard Sticky Toffee Pudding was good. (I've been told one never starts a sentence with "and.") Yet as cooking goes, a new King of Sticky Toffee Pud's has been crowned--the "Sticky Toffee Apple Pudding with Calvados Caramel." Adapted from a BBC Food recipe, I used Granny Smith apples due to their tart flavor and ability to hold shape when baked. I also added some currants and golden raisins to insure the pudding stayed moist. It's a lot of ingredients and a lot of steps, but you will swoon. Calvados Caramel- 8 tbsp. brown sugar 1/2 cup butter 2 tbsp. calvados 12 tbsp. heavy cream I would recommend making the caramel about 6 hours in advance. Letting it cool and thicken in the fridge, then reheating over a water bath at the point of service. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat, then add the brown sugar, calvados and cream. Cook until the caramel thickens, about 15 minutes. Chill until ready to serve. Apples- 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks 2 tbsp. butter 4 tbsp. water 6 tbsp. granulated sugar 2 tbsp. calvados (apple brandy) 1 tbsp. currants 3 tbsp. golden raisins 1 tsp. baking soda Heat the oven to 375. Butter a springform pan, (I used a 8" pan with 4" high sides). Melt the butter, water and sugar over medium-high heat. Add the apples and cook until golden and caramelized, about 15 minutes. You may need to add additional water. Remove from the heat and stir in the currants, golden raisins, calvados and baking soda. Pudding- 6 tbsp. butter 3/4 cup brown sugar 3 tbsp. honey 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract 7oz. self-rising flour Cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the honey, eggs, vanilla and flour and mix until the pudding is thoroughly combined. Add the apple mixture and turn the pudding into the pan. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Let the pudding cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the springform pan and release the sides. Toffee topping- 2 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp. brown sugar Melt the butter over medium heat and add the brown sugar. After 30 minutes baking the pudding, pour this toffee topping over the top of the pudding and continue baking another 15 minutes. Cut a wedge of the pudding while still warm. Add a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and drizzle some of the warmed calvados caramel on top of and around the pudding. Sticky Toffee Apple Pudding with Calvados Caramel-

When I was a kid, we used to order the "German Apple Pancake" at the "Original" (are they all called the "original"), Pancake House in Salem, Oregon. It was quite a treat, the most expensive thing on the menu and it took "extra time to prepare." Sometimes you'll find the dish simply called a Puffy Apple Pancake. But regardless of the title of the recipe, it's a blend of caramelized apples cooked in a skillet then batter poured in and the "pancake" is baked in a very hot oven. I use an old cast iron skillet because it does the best job of caramelizing the apples and it retains heat very well. Just one caution though--cast iron gets so hot that you have to be careful so that you don't burn the apples. 2 tbsp. butter 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup water Cinnamon and nutmeg 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into big chunks, (I go with a tart apple) 3 eggs 3/4 cup milk 3/4 cup flour 1/4 tsp. salt Heat the over to 425 Melt the butter with the sugar and water over medium-high heat in a skillet. Let the sugars caramelize and soften the apples, about 15 minutes. While the apples cook, blend the eggs, milk, flour, salt and a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour the batter over the apples and place the skillet in the oven. Bake until puffy and golden, about 18 minutes. Serve with pure maple syrup. The apple pancake out of the oven- I like to invert the pancake, like a tarte tatin, and then cut wedges for serving. It wasn't as puffy as the Pancake House version and not a dainty presentation, but it was crispy with soft caramelized apples. Almost like an apple bread pudding. Delicious-

The heart of this savory apple dish is a salad I've been making for years--Oregon Bosc Pear with Rogue River Bleu Cheese and Toasted Hazlenuts. The dressing has always been a blend of apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and olive oil. But in the interest of our Cook-Off and attempting to use as many different apple varieties in a wide range of dishes, tonight the salad blossomed. The Salmon- Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Dusted with dry mustard and Cajun seasoning. Pan-seared with olive oil in a cast iron pan, then roasted in a 400 oven for 6 minutes. Salad- Mixed greens "Sweet Tango" apple cut into matchsticks Toasted hazelnuts Bleu cheese Roasted pumpkin The Dressing- Apple cider vinegar Walnut oil Greek olive oil Dijon mustard Roasted garlic Shallot Salt and pepper The sweet tango apple is close to the honeycrisp-sweet yet tart with a medium-firm texture, very juicy.

I have a new favorite Fall cocktail. The "Red Apple and Bourbon Fizz" comes from Laurent Tourondel's cookbook "Fresh from the Market." I changed up the recipe to bring forth more apple flavors- 2 oz. Maker's Mark Bourbon 2 oz. Apple Juice 2 oz. Square Mile, (Portland, OR), Hopped Hard Apple Cider 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1 tbsp. wildflower honey Ginger ale Thinly sliced Red Delicious apple Pour all into a tall glass, stir, add ice.

Le Cirque has a new young Chef, but I haven't heard any reviews. Most likely a talented Chef in given the history of the Maccioni family. If anyone out there wants to dine at Le Cirque, ask for Ivo Angelov the Manager. He will take care of you.

The worst luck in the world----I dropped my poor little Canon Zoom camera and the dear fellow is no more. Splat on the kitchen floor just when I had four apple dishes to photograph. This guy served me well for about 4 years and trust me, I am tough on little cameras when it comes to food photography. But there is good news in that I can use tonight and tomorrow as practice on the recipes and then photograph then with a new camera next week. On the menu- -Red Apple and Bourbon Fizz cocktail, (Red Delicious) -Puffed German Apple Pancake, (Gala) -Roast Duck with Turnips, Apples and Calvados, (Granny Smith) -Apple-Huckleberry Crisp, (Gala)

I turned to my vintage cookbooks for some apple inspiration and came across the 1946 edition of The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer. Mrs. Rombauer lists 56 different apple recipes--a phenomenal number considering many cookbooks today may only have a few apple dishes. She lists 6 different apple pie recipes, two apple mincemeat recipes along with baked apples, apples baked in cream, baked in fruit juice, canned, candied and with cinnamon. The 1913 edition of the Boston Cooking School Cook Book by Fannie Merritt Farmer offers a tempting Fall recipe for "Venison Cutlets with Apples." The dish is composed of venison sautéed in butter and paired with apples soaked in port with a garnish of candied cherries. Fast-forward 101 years and one would describe the dish on a menu as "Noisettes of Venison with Caramelized Heirloom Baldwin Apples and Port Wine Montmorency Cherries." Ms. Farmer sure knew the beauty of pairing apples and game.

This is my recipe for chutney. Although this version uses rhubarb, (as part of our rhubarb Cook-off (http://forums.egullet.org/topic/148879-eg-cook-off-66-rhubarb/page-2), it works just as well with tart, diced apples. I just adjust the cooking time and go a little longer for apples. My Rhubarb Chutney- 3 cups chopped fresh rhubarb 1/3 cup golden raisins 1/4 cup currants 1/2 cup diced red onion 1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger 1 tbsp. minced fresh garlic 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/4 tsp. ground cumin 1/8 tsp. cloves 1/8 tsp. cayenne or red pepper flakes 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/8 tsp. ground allspice Salt and black pepper Optional-curry powder Water Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add all the ingredients and spices and stir to combine. When the mixture begins to bubble, turn the heat down to low and let the chutney cook until the apples soften. Add water to thin the chutney if it is too thick.

Thanks for the great information. More pickles to come.

My next sweet apple dish is a traditional Apple Brown Betty. The Brown Betty first started to show up in cookbooks in the 1860's, but I suspect it was a dish baked in homes for decades prior. It is one of the simplest of apple dishes--a layered dessert of apples, sugar, spices, breadcrumbs and butter. For this Betty, I chose the Honeycrisp apple, a newer variety cultivated by the University of Minnesota. I was going out of my normal boundaries of using the Fuji by experimenting with the Honeycrisp. The Fuji is sweet but not overly so and it cooks down to a thick applesauce texture which is perfect for the Betty. This is one of the few recipes where I use commercial, sliced white bread, but it is fabulous. Simply cut off the crust and pulse in the food processor for fluffy, flavorful, fresh breadcrumbs- The apples and brown sugar are tossed with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. I used 5 apples, 1 cup brown sugar and a dash of each of the spices- Then a layer of fresh breadcrumbs and pats of butter- And another layer of apples, breadcrumbs and butter- Baked in a 375 oven for about 45 minutes- Apple Brown Betty with Vanilla Ice Cream- The verdict: Good but not great. I should have followed the advice of the clerk at the grocery store--the Honeycrisp was cultivated to be a juicy, sweet yet tart, eating apple. The flavor was somewhat bitter in the baked Betty and the apple slices didn't soften after 45 minutes in the oven. The Honeycrisp is a delicious apple, but at a premium price, ($3.49/lb.) over other apple varieties, I think my expectations were too high. Next time I'll go back to the Fuji and use my standard technique for the apples in a Betty-cook the apples down in a compote with currants rather than slicing the apples. I think the soft texture of a thick applesauce works better in the Betty.

Another note, sometimes I add a tablespoon of corn syrup to the butter and sugar before adding the apples and baking. It gives a firmer, stickier finished caramel, but be careful, too much corn syrup and the caramel will burn.

I'm thinking about an apple dish paired with sautéed foie gras, but I have a few questions- -If I seared the foie gras then flamed it with Calvados, (apple brandy), would the Calvados make the foie gras taste bitter? -Anyone ever found or used a good apple vinegar? I'm looking for something more concentrated than apple cider vinegar. -I think an apple chutney with curry spices would be a good accompaniment to the foie gras--sweet yet sour and I like the fragrance of curry. Would it work with the foie gras?

On day two, take the skillet out of the refrigerator and prep the pastry dough. I used my standard pie crust dough, but substituted lard for Crisco. It wasn't intentional as in "I'd like the flavor lard gives pastry" type of thought, but a case of not having Crisco on hand. In the end, I think I'll use lard in the future because it did add a bit of flavor to the pastry and it seemed lighter and flakier than Crisco pastry. Pastry-(enough pastry for 2 small Tarte Tatin's) 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour 1/3 cup cake flour 1 tbsp. granulated sugar ½ tsp. salt 1 stick unsalted butter, chilled, cut into pieces ½ cup Crisco shortening, chilled, cut into pieces (substitute lard) ½ cup ice water Combine the flour, cake flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl and stir to mix. Using a pastry cutter, cut butter and Crisco by hand into small pea size bits. Mix in enough ice water with a fork until the pastry comes together. Form pastry into a ball and cover completely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate pastry for at least one hour before using. Fairly large pieces of butter and lard cut with the flour- Heat oven to 350°. Roll out the pastry fairly thick, (I like a thicker pastry for the Tarte Tatin so it can hold the weight of the apples and caramel). Gently place the pastry over the apples in the skillet. Trim edge of pastry so that about ½" overhangs skillet. Press in edges of pastry to inside of skillet. Bake skillet in oven just until pastry is golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. To unmold the Tarte Tatin, place a plate over the top of skillet and carefully turn over the skillet. The Tarte Tatin should easily invert onto the plate. I did make one small mistake--I used a ratio of butter and sugar for 4 apples, but then I only had 3 apples in the skillet. The result, extra caramel which I guess in the end was actually a good thing. It's obviously a "rustic" presentation, but that doesn't matter once you taste this Tarte Tatin. The richest, buttery, flaky, sweet, soft, juicy, caramel apple you can imagine.

My Tarte Tatin takes two days--cooking the apples with sugar and butter on day one, then refrigerating overnight and adding the pastry and final baking on day two. Apples- 4 Golden Delicious Apples, peeled, cut in half and cored 1 stick salted butter 3/4 cup granulated sugar Melt the butter in a cast iron pan and then add the sugar. Stir to melt the sugar, then add the apples. I made a small Tarte Tatin with 3 Golden Delicious Apples. I live alone, so a larger Tarte Tatin is more than I can eat in a couple of days and beyond that, the pastry gets terribly limp and soggy. It's one of those pastries that's best when eaten still warm. I've tried non-sick pans and while good, they don't conduct the heat in a manner that allows the apples to turn deep golden in color, and I suppose cast iron gives one a greater sense of tradition. Rather than stack apple slices or quarters, this time I cut the apples in half, basically figuring on each slice having half an apple, then adding thick slices of apple in the center. I use different configurations of the apples, but I like this one the best. Bake the apples in a 375 oven for 1 1/2 hours. This is only an approximation of total baking time. You want the apples to turn golden and caramelize into the sugar and butter, but you don't want to go too far or the caramel will burn. Let the apples cool to room temperature, then cover the skillet and refrigerate overnight.

That is a beautiful salad and I especially like the idea of pairing celeriac with apple.

The ingredients for a Tarte Tatin--Golden Delicious Apples from Rainier Fruit Company, Selah, WA. A deep cast iron pan, salted butter and sugar.