Tag Archives: apples

The Red (not so) Delicious and other Fruits

12 Sep

One of my favorite bloggers, A Girl Named PJ, did a link round up this week that included one that caught my eye: The Awful Reign of the Red Delicious

I have always wondered who actually eats these lackluster tasting apples and was actually just contemplating my husband’s choice to bring these home over all the other selections in Stew Leonard’s this past week.  The article is fascinating, and now I think I have to question if Mike was eating with his eyes in this case.  (side note: I don’t think he has eaten any of the apples he bought!)

I find it fascinating that so much of the food we eat shows almost no resemblance to the food our grandparents ate.  I distinctly remember my grandfather lamenting the demise of the bananas he grew up on, and it turns out, it wasn’t just the ramblings of a funny (and totally awesome) old man. The Gros Michel banana was nearly wiped out by a fungus in the 50s, so very few of them exist now.  So now we eat the Cavendish variety, which is just as susceptible to a wide-spread wipe out since they are all genetic clones.  Fascinating.

Rumor has it that the fake banana flavoring we know today is based upon the Gros Michel banana. And one of my favorite guilty pleasures is banana flavored runts.  So it makes me very curious about it.  And is it really known as “Big Mike” or is this a funny add-on in Wikipedia?

How do I get my hands on a Gros Michel banana?

And please… no more Red Delicious… it’s Honeycrisp season afterall!

 

Drunk ‘N Nutty Pie

2 Feb

Sometimes, inspiration comes from strange places.  After making a pork chop recipe in the slow cooker with wine, apples, and chestnuts, Mike and I realized that the toppings were SENSATIONAL and would probably make for a lovely pie.  How could you go wrong with slow cooked apples and chestnuts in wine?  And so… Drunk ‘N Nutty Pie was dreamed up.  (Name is still in the works… feel free to comment with suggestions).

First up… peeling the apples.  I just got this handy dandy new contraption (which obviously doubles as a torture device) from The Pampered Chef that peels, cores, and slices apples!  I would say it works as intended about 50% of the time…

AApple3

Delivering a perfect core.

AApple1

A (mostly) peeled and perfectly sliced apple rings.

AApple2

Which can then be cut in half to make perfectly sliced pie filling.

AApple4

Uniform thin size! How novel!

AApple5

The other 50% of the time… rough.  So I wound up slicing it (and leaving SOME peel on).

AApple6

Then the apples get thrown into the slow cooker with the wine and chestnuts.  For the pie, I added cranberries, brown and white sugars, and cinnamon.

AInside1

Put it on low for about 4 hours and v’oila! Slow cooked apples, cranberries, and chestnuts in wine.

AInside2

During the last 30 minutes of slow cooking time, I started on the crust.  First you take softened butter and cut it up into the bottom of a pie plate.  Then you pile flour, sugar, red wine vinegar, and milk on top.

FCrust1

Try to combine it with a knife… give up and use your hands.

FCrust2

Then push it into the bottom of the plate so it’s nice and even on the bottom and sides.  Poke it with a fork to prevent catastrophe.

FCrust3

And then put them in the oven to cook until they are just barely brown and hardened.

FCrust4

If you don’t have a Pie Shield, I highly recommend them.  Sure you can use tinfoil to make sure the edges of the pie don’t get too brown, but why burn yourself construction a crazy tinfoil sculture when you can lay this cheap puppy on top and keep it all evenly cooked?

FCrust5

I even made some mini versions to see how individualized portions would turn out.  (You know I love my silicone cupcake cups!)

FMini1

While the pie is baking up, you can make the crumble top.  I put a bit extra lemon in mine to counteract the sweetness of the crust.

NCrumble1

Once all the pieces are ready, you scoop out the delicious slow cooked chunks and put them into the pie. (HINT:  Save the wine left over and it is DELICIOUS as hot mulled wine)

PFilled1

Pack the filling up to the brim.

PFilled2

Take a moment to revel in how delicious it looks.

PFilled3

Try not to shove your face into the whole plate and eat it up.

PFilled4

Ok… maybe you can steal one chestnut from the top of the mini pie.  I won’t tell.
PMini2

Then start the crumbling.

QTopped1

Until only a little bit of fruity goodness is peaking through.

QTopped2

Sometimes I add even less… as I can now see through my alternate pie compared to the one above.

QTopped3

And don’t forget about the minis.

QToppedMini3

Sometimes you can even cover the entire thing in crumbs.  No judgments here!  But you will have to bake it until the crumbs start to turn golden on top.

RBaked1

And then slice it up and try not to eat the whole thing while your guests look on in jealousy.

RBaked9

Okay fine… eat the whole mini pie.

RBakedMini2

It’s just so damn cute and delicious afterall!

RBakedMini4

This was a HUGE crowd pleaser.  Really unique flavors and the sweet, buttery crust combined so well with the tart wine and cranberries and the slight sour in the crumble.  I think I will make this again and again and again and again and again…

Nomming thru Maine: Cracker Barrel

6 Jul

The first stop of any good road trip should always be Cracker Barrel. It’s really hard to beat the kitschy grace and cheap good food you get at these road side stops.  I once famously made my dad drive about 3 hours past the starving mark just to find one.  I guess I have a secret love for the good ol’ CB.  

On our way up to Maine from NJ (where we rented a car) we stopped somewhere in Connecticut… or maybe it was Massachusettes… hmmm.

One of my favorite parts is the games on the table.  I have tried and tried but I have never gotten it down to less than 2 pegs.  Someday!  Soooooomeday!

They always have delicious biscuits.

And don’t forget to ask for their special apple butter!

Mike went with the reuben.  It was SOOO good.  Could rival most I’ve had in NYC at good delis.

I was feeling the ham steak for whatever reason, and it was just as good as I remembered it.  Nice and sweet with enough char to make it taste good and grilled.

With a side of apples, of course!

Next time you’re on the road, I highly recommend this reliable pit stop!