Candied Pecans (Test Mode)

 Ingredients 

• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg white
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 pound pecan halves

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F
2. Mix sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a small bowl.
3. Whisk egg white and water together in a large bowl until frothy.
4. Toss pecans in the egg white mixture to coat.
5. Slowly pour in sugar mixture and stir until pecans are evenly coated.
6. Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet; Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Stir pecans and rearrange into a single layer. Continue to cook, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, until pecans are evenly browned, another 30 to 50 minutes.

Potato and Dumpling Soup

Prep Time 30minutes mins

Cook Time 25minutes mins

Total Time 55minutes mins

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Soup

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 ribs celery
• 1 medium onion
• 3 pounds of russet potatoes
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ¼ pound ham
• 1 can evaporated milk

Ingredients for the Dumplings

• 3 large eggs
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1½-2 cups flour
• ½ tsp salt

Instructions

Directions for the Soup

• Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. While the pan is heating up, slice the celery and chop the onion. Toss the butter into the preheated pan, then add the vegetables.
• Sauté celery & onion in butter on medium heat until translucent, 10-15 minutes. Add a pinch of salt. While the vegetables are cooking, peel and cube the potatoes, and cube the ham.
• Once the onion & celery are sautéed, remove from pan. Place the peeled & cubed potatoes in the pan, and fill pan with just enough water to cover the potatoes (about 2 quarts). Add 1 tsp salt.
• Bring the pan of potatoes to a boil then adjust heat so that the water doesn’t boil over. 
• While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the dough for the dumplings.
• Once the dumpling dough is made, add back sautéed vegetables along with the ham, and evaporated milk.
• Bring to a boil. Drop dough in by the spoonful. Lower heat to a simmer (will probably need to lower it to medium-low). Cover with a lid and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through.
• Salt & pepper to taste.

Directions for the Dumplings

• In a medium bowl, beat eggs milk, and salt.
• Mix flour into the egg/milk/salt mixture. The dough should be stiff but moist. Set aside.

Homemade Mayonnaise

From Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything

Ingredients

• 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, room temperature
• 1 cup neutral oil, like grapeseed, corn, or extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, white wine vinegar, or freshly squeezed lemon juice (I use white distilled)

Instructions 

Put the yolk and mustard in a medium bowl (or bowl of stand mixer). Beat together with a wire whisk. Begin to add the oil in dribbles as you beat, adding more as each amount is incorporated. You'll notice when a thick emulsion forms, then you can add the remaining oil a little at a time.

Cheese Crisps With Bacon & Jalapeno

Makes exactly 60 crisps

Ingredients

• 16-ounce package of bacon
• 16-ounce block of sharp cheddar, shredded (yields about 4 cups)
• 6 ounces of Parmesan, finely grated (yields about 2 cups)
• 4 jalapeños (you need enough jalapeno to yield 60 slices)

Directions

1. Shred the cheddar cheese and finely grate the Parmesan cheese.
2. Thinly slice the jalapenos. You’ll need 60 slices, which is about 3.5 strips of bacon per every 12 crisps.
3. Par-cook the bacon at 425 for 7:30. Place on a double layer of paper towels, and then blot the top of the bacon with a single layer of paper towels. Once the bacon has cooled, cut it lengthwise and then dice those long, skinny strips.
4. Turn oven down to 375 and line sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
5. Spoon one slightly-heaping tablespoon of cheddar into a small mound on the lined baking sheets (or METAL muffin pans)* and top with about 1/2 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. Carefully pat down cheeses and top each mound with a jalapeño slice and then sprinkle with bacon. 
6. Bake until crispy and golden, about 12 minutes. Remove crisps to a sheet pan lined with a sheet of parchment with a single layer of paper towels underneath it.

*Sam likes the ones from the muffin pan, so make some on baking sheets and some in muffin pans.

Pumpkin Pie (Updated)

Ingredients 

Crust

• single pie crust

Filling

• 15 ounces of butternut squash purée 
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups of evaporated milk or cream
• 1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (106g) light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon AP flour
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, optional

Instructions

For the Crust

1. If the dough has been in the refrigerator for a long time, set out at room temperature before you roll it out.
2. Lightly flour your work surface, rolling pin, and your hands, and sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough. Use gentle-medium force with your rolling pin on the dough—don’t press down too hard on the dough; you’re not mad at it! When rolling dough out, start from the center and work your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your hands as you go. Between passes of the rolling pin, rotate the pie crust and even flip it, to make sure it’s not sticking to your work surface. Sprinkle on a little more flour if it’s sticking; don’t be afraid to use a little more flour. If you notice the dough becoming a lopsided circle as you’re rolling it out, put down the rolling pin and use your hands to help mold the dough back into an even circle. Roll the dough into a very thin 14-inch circle. You can use the largest stainless steel mixing bowl as a guide. It is 13 inches in diameter. Once you get it to the size you want, invert the stainless steel bowl on top of the crust. There shoukd be an extra inch of dough. Trim off the excess dough, so you’ll have more of a proper circle.
3. Because your dough is so thin, use your rolling pin to help transfer the pie crust to the pie dish. Carefully roll one end of the circle of dough gently onto the rolling pin, rolling it back towards you, slowly peeling it off the work surface as you go. Pick it up, and carefully roll it back out over the top of the pie dish and then nestle it down into your pie pan.
4. Fold the excess dough on the rim of the pie plate over onto itself,  and press it down/mold it down with your fingers and a bit of ice water. Then, using a knuckle and two fingers, crimp it. Carefully cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to add your filling. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

For the Filling

1. In a large lidded bowl, whisk together the sugars, flour, salt, and spices.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the eggs, pumpkin, and cream or evaporated milk. Whisk into the dry ingredients. For best flavor, cover and refrigerate the filling overnight before baking.

When It’s Time To Bake

1. Place your oven rack on the lowest setting and preheat the oven to 400.
2. Place your chilled pie shell on a sheet pan. Give the filling a good whisking and then poor it into the pie shell.

3. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes on the bottom oven rack, turning the sheet pan 180 degrees about halfway through. Remove the pie from the oven and cool on a rack; the center will continue cooking as the pie sits. Store leftover pumpkin pie, covered, in the refrigerator for up to five days. 

Butternut Squash Purée

 

YOU WILL NEED

• butternut squash (You will need approximately 1 pound, 10 ounces of butternut squash to yield 15 ounces of purée)
• neutral oil

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 425. Line two large baking sheets with aluminum foil, silicone baking mats, or parchment paper.

Peel the squash. Slice the squash in two through the middle to separate the narrow part of the squash from the thicker/rounder part that contains the seeds. Slice the seed-end lengthwise to remove the seeds and stringy membrane. Cut the squash into large cubes and toss into a mixing bowl. Drizzle a small amount of neutral oil over the cubed squash, and using a large spatula, gently toss the squash so that it all gets a thin coat of oil.

Divide the cubed squash between the two baking sheets and spread into one layer. Try not to crowd them too much, or they will not brown.

Roast the squash, turning once and rotating pans once, until the edges are lightly browned and centers are tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Check the squash occasionally to ensure they are not roasting quicker than expected.

Remove from the squash from the oven and let it cool for at least 20 minutes.

Once the squash has cooled, toss it into a food processor and whirr it on high speed. Butternut squash has very litter water in it compared to pumpkin, so you will need to add some water a bit at a time in order to get a nice smooth consistency.

Double Pie Crust

 Ingredients

• 316g all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping and rolling
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• 130g vegetable shortening, chilled
• 1/2 cup (120ml) ice cold water

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour and salt together in a large bowl.
2. Add the butter and shortening. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter and shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal (pea-sized bits with a few larger bits of fat is OK). In this step, you’re only breaking up the cold fat into tiny little flour-coated pieces; you’re not completely incorporating it. Do not overwork the ingredients.
3. Measure 1/2 cup (120ml) of water in a cup. Add ice. Stir it around. From that, measure 1/2 cup (120ml) of water, since the ice has melted a bit. Drizzle the cold water in, 1 Tablespoon (15ml) at a time, and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon after every Tablespoon has been added. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. I always use about 1/2 cup of water, and need a little more in dry winter months. Do not add any more water than you need.
4. Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface. Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats. The dough should come together easily and should not feel overly sticky. Avoid overworking the dough. If it feels a bit too dry or crumbly, dip your fingers in the ice water and then continue bringing dough together with your hands. If it feels too sticky, sprinkle on more flour and then continue bringing dough together with your hands. Form it into a ball. Use a sharp knife to cut it in half. If it’s helpful, you should have about 1 lb, 8 ounces dough total (about 680g). Gently flatten each half into 1-inch-thick discs using your hands.
5. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.

Single Pie Crust

Ingredients

• 158g all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping and rolling
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• 66g vegetable shortening, chilled
• 1/4 cup (60ml) ice cold water

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour and salt together in a large bowl.
2. Add the butter and shortening. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter and shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal (pea-sized bits with a few larger bits of fat is OK). In this step, you’re only breaking up the cold fat into tiny little flour-coated pieces; you’re not completely incorporating it. Do not overwork the ingredients.
3. Measure 1/4 cup (60ml) of water in a cup. Add ice. Stir it around. From that, measure your 1/4 cup (60ml) of water, since the ice has melted a bit. Drizzle the cold water in, 1 Tablespoon (15ml) at a time, and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon after every Tablespoon has been added. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. I always use about 1/4 cup of water, and need a little more in dry winter months. Do not add any more water than you need.
4. Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface. Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats. The dough should come together easily and should not feel overly sticky. Avoid overworking the dough. If it feels a bit too dry or crumbly, dip your fingers in the ice water and then continue bringing dough together with your hands. If it feels too sticky, sprinkle on more flour and then continue bringing dough together with your hands. Form it into a ball. Gently flatten the dough into a 1-inch-thick disc using your hands.
5. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.

Stovetop Popcorn

 Turn the stove burner on to here:

Set the Tramontina stockpot on the burner. Pour enough oil into the stockpot to cover the bottom of the pan. Add three popcorn kernels, and slap the lid on.

When one or more of the kernels pop, add 1/2 cup of popcorn into the pan. Put the lid back on.

As the popcorn pops, frequently shake the pot. When the popping slows to every few seconds, remove the pot from the heat. Keep the lid on for a few seconds to make sure the popping has stopped. Then dump the popcorn into a paper bag. 

Make sure there are no large pieces of popcorn in the pot, and then return it to the heat, add more oil and another 1/2 cup of popcorn… you get the picture. 

4 tablespoons of butter per batch is good. After all, popcorn is a treat.

Sam’s Beef Stroganoff

• 12 ounces of Rheame’s egg noodles 
• 1/4 of a large sweet onion
• 8 ounces of sliced white button mushrooms 
• 8 ounces of sirloin steak
• 1 cup of beef & mushroom stock
• a splash of dry vermouth
• 4 ounces of Daisy sour cream