Cheesecake or Pie?

Julianne's Apple Cinnamon Cheese Pie

I have made several cheesecakes now, and I find it interesting that they all have slightly different amounts of ingredients and different ways to cook it. I decided to make up my own recipe and see how it turns out. From the sounds of it, you can change a lot with a cheesecake, and it will still turn out good. This one is more of a cheesecake pie, hence the name "Cheese Pie".

Ingredients:

• 9 inch graham cracker crust
  

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup apple cider
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  

• 1 large apple or 2 small apples peeled and sliced thinly
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp lemon juice (leave out if you use granny smith apples)

Directions:

1. Prepare a graham cracker crust or use pre-made graham cracker crust. Preheat oven to 350 F.
   
2. Beat softened cream cheese until smooth (this is important if you like your cheesecake smooth). Add brown sugar and beat until smooth. Add heavy cream, sour cream, apple cider, and vanilla.
3. In medium saucepan, saute apples with butter cinnamon and lemon juice until softened (medium to medium-low heat).
4. Beat egg in separate bowl. Add to cream cheese mixture and mix until consistency is even. Poor half of mixture into pie pan. Add apples in one layer (two if necessary). Poor rest of mixture into bowl. Optional: I saved about 1/4 cup of the mixture and added 1/2 tsp cinnamon. I then added this in drops/ swirls over top and used knife to create a marble effect. You can just add the cinnamon ahead of time if you prefer.
5. Put pie pan in large pan filled with about 1 inch of water (optional). Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes. Turn off oven and leave in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and let pie cool to room temperature. (All of this helps prevent cracking.)
   
6. Refrigerate several hours or over night. Enjoy!

Fire-roasted Tomato Vegetable Soup

From November's Dining In (but also perfect for right now):

Allyson's Fire-Roasted Tomato Vegetable Soup

1 medium onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

4 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

5 garlic cloves

2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans diced fire roasted tomatoes

1 (14 1/2 oz.) can fire roasted tomatoes, crushed

3 c. vegetable broth

1 T. oregano

1 tsp. rosemary, crushed between your fingers

4 roasted garlic cloves

1 T. minced parsley or chopped basil

salt and pepper

1 tsp. sugar (if needed)

Preheat oven to 350. In a shallow roasting pan, combine the celery, carrots, and garlic, sprinkle with salt, and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Cover the pan with foil and roast 45 minutes to hour, until the celery is almost tender, stirring every 15 minutes to prevent burning. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, sauté the onion over medium heat, until translucent. Add the roasted vegetables, tomatoes, broth, oregano, and rosemary; bring to a simmer. Simmer on very low heat for 10 minutes.

Use a blender to puree the soup to preferred level of consistency, then transfer back to the liquid. Add the parsley and salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for about 10 more minutes to allow the flavors to blend. If it is too acidic, add a little sugar to taste. Serve with some chopped fresh basil and either a crusty baguette or rye chips.

Cinnamon Roll Season

My mother is a big fan of traditions, especially when it comes to food. One of my favorites is her propensity for making cinnamon rolls every November. Now, there's nothing wrong with making cinnamon rolls any time of year, but there is something about November, when the air is cool and crisp and kids come home from school with rosy cheeks and big appetites to find mom pulling a fresh batch of hot cinnamon rolls out of the oven. Cold autumn days and kids and cinnamon rolls go together naturally, so in my family we only make cinnamon rolls when it's perfect, when it's November.

Mom's Cinnamon Rolls:

1/4 cup warm water
1 Tbsp dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup shortening
2 1/2 cups flour
Raisins (optional)

Glaze:
butter or margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
hot water

Combine the water and the yeast, then combine all ingredients. Stir well until ball forms, then knead for 5 minutes. Let rise till double. Roll dough into an oblong shape about 15 X 9 inches. Spread with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar - liberally! Add raisins if you wish. Roll up tightly, seal edges, cover and let rest for 20 minutes. Then, cut rolls in 1 inch slices, place in greased 13X9 cake pan, not touching each other, and let rise until double. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Frost with the glaze, then eat 'em while they're hot!

Shaking up dining in

So, for November's Dining In, I wanted to try something different. We have routinely had only about 8-12 show for a Dining In, so I thought we could do something like this (If we have more interest, we'll add another main dish and a little more of everything):

Fall Food is the theme

Assignments:

Drinks (1 person):

• BRu - Blueberry Limeade

Appetizers (2 spots left):

• ALDyer - Fire Roasted Tomato Vegetable Soup

Salads (1 spot left)

• Zahra - Apple, Pomegranate goodness

Sides (2 spots left)

• TRu - Garlic Bread

Main Dish (1 spot left)

• Lindy - Lasangna

Dessert (1 spot left)

• Julianne - Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

We'll meet at the Jumanji House at 7pm on Saturday, November 14th. Please let me know what you will bring in the comments, and I will update the post as we get more people. Please also bring your recipe, and we will post it here. Please RSVP by Friday, November 13. We can always add more items, but I want to make sure we have all the first bases covered.

If you would be willing to host one of these dinner groups, please let me know, and we will start a rotating schedule of themes and dishes. Thanks!

ETA: Thanks to all who came! I thought dinner was perfect! I cannot wait for the recipes.

A true Carolina Shrimp Boil

For my birthday this year, my cousin came to visit. Part of showing her the true North Carolina experience, we decided a Shrimp Boil (pronounced Shrimp Boll) was in order. Mixing potatoes, corn, and sausage from Saturday's Farmers' Market and fresh from the coast shrimp from Fishmongers (and newspapers pilfered from my work recycle bin), we truly made a heavenly night of it.

To have a great shrimp boil you will need:

• Newspaper (they make clean up shockingly easy)
• Old Bay Seasoning
• Lemon (lots!)
• An instructional on deveining shrimp (optional)

And the following:

Old Bay Shrimp Boil

Ingredients

• 4 quarts water (16 cups)
• 1 can (12 ounces) beer (optional)
• 1/2 cup OLD BAY® Seasoning
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 8 medium red potatoes, quartered
• 2 large onions, cut into wedges
• 2 pounds lean smoked sausage, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 8 ears fresh corn, shucked and halved crosswise
• 4 pounds unpeeled jumbo shrimp (21 to 25 count)

Directions

1. Bring water, beer, OLD BAY Seasoning and salt to boil in 12-quart stockpot on high heat. Add potatoes and onions. Cook 8 minutes. Add smoked sausage. Cook 5 minutes. Add corn. Cook 7 minutes.

2. Stir in shrimp. Cook 4 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink.

3. Drain cooking liquid. Pour contents of pot into large serving bowl or platter. Or, mound on paper-covered table. Sprinkle with additional OLD BAY Seasoning, if desired.

Ashley's Special Cocktail Sauce

Spoon full’s of:

• Cocktail sauce
• Mayo
• Mustard
• Horseradish sauce
• Ketchup

More cocktail and horseradish than the others. But just taste it and add more of

what you want as you go along. Enjoy--and so will your guests, people raved!

If you want to be daring, feel free to add another take on the shrimp boil, by getting a little steamy.

Old Bay Steamed Shrimp

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cider vinegar or beer (again, I did the cider vinegar)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons OLD BAY® Seasoning
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, leaving tails on
• 1 cup OLD BAY® Cocktail Sauce (or make your own).

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, mix vinegar, water and OLD BAY. Bring to boil on medium heat. Gently stir in shrimp, then cover.

2. Steam 2 to 3 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Drain well.

3. Serve immediately or refrigerate until hungry guests arrive. Best served with punchy cocktail sauce and lively conversation.

Garlic Butter

For a delicious shrimp dip, just serve up this delight. It is incredibly easy. Microwave one stick of butter for 14-30 second (or until melted). Mix in 1/4 tsp garlic powder until dissolved. Dip away.

If you want a fancy option as well (or if you know people who don't go for old bay), you can try these:

Olive Oil Poached Shrimp

Take your shrimp and lay them in a lipped baking sheet (a jelly roll pan will work). Drizzle with olive oil and a little parsley. Bake at 250 degrees for 15 minutes. Toss shrimp at the 15 minute mark to coat one more time. Bake 10 more minutes, or until they look right.

Lemon-Basil Aioli

Prep and Cook Time: 30 minutes. Notes: If you are concerned about salmonella or bacteria in raw eggs, use 1/2 cup pasteurized whole eggs (available at some grocery stores) in place of the egg yolks. Yield: Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 egg yolks (I used egg-beaters)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon each dried mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Dunk basil leaves into the boilin

g water for 20 seconds. Drain and squeeze out as

much excess water as possible.

2. In a blender, whirl blanched basil leaves with olive and canola oils. Empty into a measuring cup or small pitcher and reserve.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

4. Whisk in a drop of the basil oil; continue adding drops of oil, whisking until mixture thickens to a mayonnaise-like consistency. Continuing to whisk, pour in remaining basil oil in a very thin stream. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

If you are an overachiever, you do all three. Dump on the newspapers and go to town. Laugh, chat, eat, dip, savor, and sit back with a full heart and belly at the end. Enjoy your true Carolina Experience.

Around the web in foodie posts: Halloween

Oh so fabulous foodie posts about All Hallows Eve. . .

• Some creepy treats. Shudder
• Pumpkin bread pudding? Oh yes!
• 30 minute Apple Turnovers. . .
• Using Halloween Candy--Smart(ies)!
• Vegan Marshmallows (Ghosts, people, ghosts!)--watch the short at the end, cute!
• A cake-wrecks Halloween
• What fall looks like
• Recipe Zaar's list of Halloween snacks.
• B found these gorgeous Fall Leaf Tortilla chips--perfect with a ghoulish guacamole!

Have an eerie, entertaining, edible evening, my fellow ghouls and goblins!

Around the Web in Foodie Posts: September & October

Here is the long list of foodie posts I've enjoyed lately--

September:

• That fabulous salad j.bradley borrowed from Sitti
• A beautiful end of summer treat
• A Ravioli Thells will love
• Debating the Food Police--with possible upsetting consequences for foodies
• It's all about the presentation
• Basic Kitchen Tools
• Gorgeous Lemony Pastries that I haven't gotten up the courage to ruin (I struggle with pastry patience)
• A Top Chef Rundown (They are pretty on with their top four--those are mine)
• A feature on Vegetarian recipes (really just a glorified recipe list)
• CFM's market recipes page always tickles my fancy. . .

October:

• In honor of dining in: a crepe post
• A cool look at solar powered kitchens
• A fun twist on a birthday favorite
• Feminist Food-storage
• A plum tart (Kel is a friend and former-roommate who was a guinea pig in many of my college food experiments--she is very brave, and a great cook!)
• A 50-cent interview to prep you for the fair
• Halloween Party Food
• A way to prep your kitchen for the holiday season
• And though not a blog, it is very nice to mention that Guglehupf is now serving dinner on the weekends (I loved the Schnitzel and the Beef short ribs with potato dumplings, though the desserts were also amazing--try the apple tart--wow!)

Any posts that changed your world or helped you set new food goals? Tell us more!

Chicken Soup & Apples for K

Every so often my friend K will need a recipe, and I will get an email that allows me to be a superhero sans tights. But hey, why wouldn't you love a friend who puffs up your ego just a bit?

In September it was Chicken Soup (she loved the Mexican Lime Chicken Soup):

• http://busycooks.about.com/od/chickensoupsandstews/Chicken_Soups_and_Stews_Recipes.htm
• http://www.thecrockpotblog.com/cheesy-chicken-soup/
• http://www.busymommy.us/cooking/chicken/715-crock-pot-chicken-and-dumplings
• http://www.thecrockpotblog.com/stew-that-chicken-slow/
• http://www.thecrockpotblog.com/oriental-noodle-chicken-soup/
• http://diningwithdebbie.blogspot.com/2009/08/mexican-lime-chicken-soup-adapted-for.html
• http://www.netwellness.org/healthtopics/diabetes/diabeticrecipes3.cfm

Today it was apples:

• Betty's Apple Crisp (I will admit that ever since I got my first red Betty my sophomore year of college, I hate being without her--she is my most consistent cooking instructor/buddy): http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/apple-crisp
• I know, don't look at the wallpaper, but it really is amazing for something from a chain restaurant: http://recipecircus.com/recipes/gijane/DESSERTS/Maggiano39s_Warm_Apple_Crostata.html
• I love a good apple pie that you don't need a pie plate for--have it with cinnamon or dulce de leche ice cream and you are set! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/apple-crostata-recipe/index.html
• Southern Apple Pie: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/paula-deen-savannah-high-apple-pie-recipe/index.html
• This is a bread, but boy is it tasty: http://www.fostersmarket.com/recipes.php?recipe_id=47
• How can you go wrong with apple dumplings? http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Old-Fashioned-Apple-Dumplings/Detail.aspx
• Or, see what you like (the apple salsa looks cool): http://allrecipes.com/recipes/fruits-and-vegetables/fruits/apples/top.aspx

What have you been dying for a recipe for? Should we have a "Dear Prudie"-like post that answers everyone's food dilemmas or recipe needs every month? It is definitely something to think about.

Foodie Favorites: Mashed Seasoned Cauliflower

I adore Jim's Famous BBQ in Chapel Hill. No one in the area has better ribs. Since I tracked them down when I first moved here; whenever I am in the mood for baby-back or St. Louis (pronounced Louie) cut ribs, succulent sides, and mouth-watering cobbler; I will make a few calls then make my (or our) way to Jim's. I have had everything from dry rub to Sweet and Saucy (just like me), and it is all fall-off-the-bone tender and smokey-barbecue goodness. Yum!

That being said, their best feature has always been their mashed seasoned cauliflower. Sadly, it has recently been a casualty of the recession. As my heart broke thinking of this lost treasure, I decided I had to send an email begging for the recipe.

I was blessed with the restaurant quantity recipe below. I am pretty sure I'll have to experiment to make sure a smaller portioned recipe works well, but I cannot wait!

Jim's Famous BBQ's to-die-for Mashed Seasoned Cauliflower

Ingredients

-5 Pounds of Cauliflower
-3 Tablespoons of Liquid Butter
-1 Tablespoon of Garlic Powder
-1 Teaspoon of Salt
-3 Tablespoons of Vegetable Broth
-Choice of Cheese (Optional)

Instruction
-Bring water to a boil.
-Rough chop the cauliflower.
-Put in the pot basket.
-Place basket in boiling water.
-Boil for 12 to 15 minutes (Or until it is soft).
-Remove from pot and place in hotel pan.
-Mash and add the remaining ingredients.
-Transfer to sheet pan and let cool.

Add a little cheddar on the top, and you have a beautifully luscious, but seemingly simple side for any meal--an easy non-carb substitute for mashed potatoes. My mouth is watering just thinking of it!

Telling your food story

I finally got around to watching the finale of Top Chef Masters last night. Out of 24 Chefs who have been in the industry for a long time and who have James Beard Awards, Michelin Stars, and have owned restaurants for years, it was down to three. Their final challenge, to create a four course meal that told their food story.

Course 1: Their first food memory.

Course 2: The first time they cooked something, and they knew they wanted to be a chef.

Course 3: The first restaurant they opened.

Course 4: Where they are now and where they are heading.

From making gnocchi with an Italian mother, to living over a Pastry shop in France, to taking 20 years to get the perfect black mole sauce, every moment was exquisite. My mouth watered the entire time. I would have killed to be at that table taking that journey with them. I loved the true artistry and passion each chef had for food.

So, now I have a challenge for you--write a post about it, post in the comments, send me an email as a guest post--whatever, but I want to know! You do not have to answer all of them.

Course 1: Your first food memory.

Course 2: The first time you cooked something and knew you loved to cook (or ate something and knew you loved food).

Course 3: The first time you had to cook something all by yourself (whether it turned out well or not).

Course 4: What you wish you could cook if you had the chance.

This may just be a dream menu, or maybe we'll have a dining in and you bring one of the above mentioned dishes. I just love the idea of food telling a story, starting relationships, and bringing people together who are passionate about life, love, and everything around them. What will your story be?