An Apple (Pie) A Day...

When my kids were little we would celebrate October (National Apple Month) with stories of Johnny Appleseed, arts & crafts, apple prints on the fridge and, of course, lots and lots of apple pies.  Well, the kids are older now - story time is out and the fridge door is void of those treasured apple prints, but there are still apple pies in the oven.

While there are all kinds of cool, funky things to add to the apples in your pie, the best super “secret” ingredient I use isn’t in the apples at all…it’s in the crust.

Since a pie’s crust is baked under a juicy filling, it is critical that the crust remain dry. Start with enough fat.  It’s the fat that will make the dough flaky.  About half the fat should be butter for flavor and color, the other half should be vegetable shortening or lard (very high smoke point and, no, it doesn’t taste like bacon).  For best results freeze these fats first to give you longer to work with the dough before the fat begins to melt.

Make the crust dough first.  When adding liquid to bind the dry crust ingredients together, consider using your favorite liquor instead of water.  The alcohol doesn’t allow the protein in the flour to develop its gluten (the culprit in a tough crust).  Applejack is a great choice as it is distilled from apple cider.  

Flatten the dough into a disk and let it rest in the refrigerator to allow the flour to become fully hydrated and easier to roll out.

While the dough is resting, prepare the apples.  I mentioned previously I think golden delicious apples are the most reliable for baking - crisp without being too firm, sweet without being too sweet and tender without losing shape.  I “skip peel” them - removing big chunks of peel and any spots or bruises.  The remaining peel contains small amounts of pectin that help set up the pie and give it that classic, rustic look.

There is no need to stick to the old traditional flour to set up a pie’s filling.  I believe tapioca flour is the best ingredient to use when making most pies (substitute tapioca flour 1:1 in recipes using flour as the thickener).  Cornstarch is also a nice substitute (use only ½ the cornstarch as you would flour).

Use room temperature apples so the filling sets up without the crust burning.  The time of year or theme of the gathering determine my choice for flavorings.  I love unique pairings like apple and fennel or apple bacon. Think outside the limitations of that “apple pie spice” bottle and express your inner “Top Chef.”

Start with a HOT oven (450).  After the pie is in place and the door closed, immediately turn the heat down to 425.  This way the elements don’t come back on for a while - eliminating the burnt crust that can occur with immediate reheat.  A good 20-30 at 425 should be enough to set the proteins and quickly evaporate the moisture out of the crust.  Give the pie a turn so it will brown evenly and reduce the oven temp to 350 for the remainder of the baking. 

Lastly, (and almost impossibly in my house) allow the pie to cool completely so the filling can completely set up.  I must admit that my attempts to take pictures of my recipe results were thwarted by my family when I mistakenly turned my back for a few moments :).  Please enjoy my recipe below for a Galette – a quick and easy twist on an apple pie.

Eat Well,

Dawn

ANYTIME APPLE GALETTE

A Galette is a rustic, quick pie that my family prefers…it takes less time to bake and there is no pie plate to standin the way of eating (average life span of this Galette is about 4 minutes at my house).

Crust:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1 TBSP sugar

Mix dry ingredients together, and then add:

4 oz cold butter, grated

4 oz frozen shortening or lard, grated

Mix gently with finger tips until evenly blended.

5-6 TBSP iced applejack (pour over ice to chill first, then measure and add iced liquid)

Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for an hour to overnight.

Filling:

In a mixing bowl:

6 large Golden Delicious Apples – “skip peeled”, cored and sliced

Squeeze juice of ½ lemon onto apples

In another mixing bowl:

1/2 cup sugar

3 TBSP tapioca flour

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon spice of choice…be traditional (cinnamon) or creative (Garam Masala or 5 spice) 

Mix dry ingredients together, sprinkle over apples, toss and stir to combine.

Directions:

Roll out the crust to about ¼” thick and place onto a ½ sheet pan. 

Pour filling into the middle of the pie crust. Turn up the edges of the pie crust to surround the apples and hold in the juices.  The apples should be about half covered.

Paint the crust with egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar or cinnamon-sugar. 

Bake in a preheated 425 oven for 20 minutes. 

Rotate the pan 180 degrees, reduce heat to 350 and continue to bake for 30-40 minutes.  Filling will be bubbling in the center, with a nut brown outer crust and irresistible smell.

TRY to cool it all the way before eating, but if all else fails…just make sure you have plenty milk &/or ice cream on hand.

Dawn

Vegemite In The Land Down Under

On our trip to Australia recently, I just discovered what a bad wrap Vegemite undeservedly gets.  Visiting the amazing "Land Down Under," I had the privilege to try this savory, yeasty concoction the correct way. 

Starting with some good bread we got from our friends at Brasserie Bread in Sydney,  we smeared on the yellowiest butter I’ve ever seen (butter in Australia is phenomenally rich, sweet and creamy) and then topped it with a thin layer of Vegemite.  The result was creamy, slightly salty and robust!  To make a real Vegemite sandwich, we just topped it with another piece of buttered bread.  Some Australians also add a slice of cheese - since Kraft owns Vegemite, their Kraft single seems to make a perfect partner to this savory sandwich. It’s quite good! 

So why the bad wrap?  I think many people unfamiliar with Vegemite make a mistake by treating the product like peanut butter or jam and spreading it on too thick.   To me, Vegemite tastes a little like a beef bullion and meripioux spread.   I’m going to try Vegemite in a beef stew - I think it will add depth to the flavor.

Cool Vegemite trivia for ya':

• Vegemite was invented in 1922 by Dr. Cyril P. Callister.  He developed the spread from the used brewer’s yeast being dumped by breweries.  Concentrating the extract and blending it with salt, celery and onion extracts formed the sticky black paste now known (and loved) as Vegemite (Oh yeah, I’m way ahead of you if you’re thinking an ice cold beer would pare perfectly with a Vegemite sandwich!).
• In 1939, Vegemite was officially endorsed by the British Medical Association as a vitamin B rich food.  During WWII, Vegemite was included in Australian Army rations and by the late 1940s ,Vegemite was used in 9 out of 10 Australian homes.
• Today's Vegemite is virtually unchanged from the original recipe and Kraft Foods' Port Melbourne manufacturing facility produces more than 22 million jars annually.
• Vegemite far outsells other similar spreads (like Marmite) in Australia. The billionth jar of Vegemite was produced in October 2008.

With converts like me, Kraft is well on their way to their 2^nd Billion!

Hungry for more vegemite info? Try: http://www.vegemite.com.au/

G'day!!!

-Dawn

It's THAT Time of Year Again

This odd weather we’re having lately has me at the grill for one meal and filling the slow-cooker for another.  Here in California, I can use each all year - the slow cooker brings a fallish-indoor-homey feeling, while the grill leads to a summerish-outdoor-active tone.  Today finds me doing both.

As I write today, I have my crock pot filled with beef, potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic. I braise and season everything before placing it in my crock.  Then, I deglaze the pan with a splash of red wine, balsamic vinegar and some good beef stock I have frozen into ice cubes.  I pour this over the whole concoction, top with a good sprig of rosemary and cover.  Since I’m not making a stew, I just need enough to cook my treasure and render some tasty gravy. 

While these ingredients slow cook for our delight this evening, I am preparing to grill lunch.  I saw these amazing softball sized peaches at the market and just couldn’t resist (The peaches from my orchard are long gone after the squirrels and deer got more than we did this season).  Lunch on the grill will consist of grilled peaches with balsamic vinegar, grilled romaine with garlic infused XVOO and balsamic vinegar, and a little grilled chicken. 

While I am in denial that summer is winding down so soon, a part of me enjoys the changes each season brings to my garden.  I have already planted beets, carrots, broccoli, rabe, and cauliflower.  I have replanted basil and cilantro from their bolting stalks. 

A good sign of the coming fall: I picked some golden delicious apples from my trees on this warm afternoon. When I sampled one, each bite tasted like a baked apple pie.  I prefer golden delicious for making pies and galettes (I love galettes, they are like a quick apple pie).  While I realize this apple preference statement raises all kinds of controversy in the baking world over baking apples,  I believe that much like art and wine, food is about personal preferences: What's best is what you like.  Not what someone tells you to like. 

This change of season will bring changes to the menu at our cafes as well.  I look forward to the return of our Fall seasonal offering.  Hearty Turkey Chili and our wonderful Roasted Butternut Squash soup are among my favorites. 

Enjoy this time of year whatever each day may bring to you and your kitchen.  Put on your jacket or shorts, grab a warm or cool beverage of choice and head to your crock or your grill.  Embrace and enjoy the changes to come.