Last week I had the chance to help a friend with a reception.  For the event I was making several cream pies and while working on them thought of a few things as it relates to cream pies and/or puddings. 

I’m not sure how many people have made a cream pie filling (custard) from scratch but it truly is simple and practically foolproof.  It is not as easy as the box of instant filling but it beats the flavor tenfold. 

There is also the box of cook and serve pudding which is quite simple but once again not as good as the real thing.  The differences are notable. 

The scratch ingredients for the filling are sugar, cornstarch (the thickener) and eggs and milk.  That’s basically it. 

If you were making a chocolate cream pie then you would include cocoa or chocolate in some form.

There are many recipes to choose from and you can go on line and see all that are available.  But when I make a nine inch pie I ususally use a base of:

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

3 large egg yolks

2 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 - 2 tablespoons butter

1/2 - 1 teaspoon flavoring

All the ingredients (minus the butter and flavoring) are placed in a saucepan and stirred with a whisk .

A whisk is essential to getting the sauce creamy and smooth.  The custard will need to be stirred semi-frequently initially and then as the mixture comes to a boil it has to be stirred more vigorously and constantly.  It needs to cook for a minute or two or until the starchy taste dissipates.  You then remove from the heat and stir in the flavoring and butter.

The filling is poured into a prebaked, cooled crust - no need to cool the filling unless it is going over bananas.  Notice that the crust has been docked (poked with the tines of a fork) before baking which helps minimize shrinkage.

Once the filling is in the pie plate immediately cover it with plastic film. 

Smooth the top with your fingers and then take to the fridge to cool. 

The plastic film prevents the top of the filling from forming a “skin” and keeps it moist and creamy.  (This is the chocolate filling after the plastic has been removed and is ready for whipped cream).

The cream filling should be completed a day ahead or at least early in the day so it has plenty of time to set and chill. 

If you do have to rush things you can help your filling cool by placing it in an ice water bath and stirring it frequently to help cool it more quickly. 

A few hours before serving whip your cream (usually one cup per nine inch pie) and sweeten it with one or two tablespoons of powdered sugar and flavoring, if you are using some. 

The great thing about this custard base is that it can be adapted to several flavors. 

For coconut cream: add 3/4 cup flaked coconut to the filling after it is cooked and if you want to add coconut extract to the filling you can do that as well.  Top it with cream and then garnish with toasted coconut.

For chocolate cream:  include a heaping 1/3 cup of cocoa  with the sugar and vanilla OR you can use 2/3 cup of real semisweet chocolate chips (the equivalent of 3 ounces)  OR you can substitute some of the chips for an unsweetened square of chocolate for a richer, deeper chocolate flavor.  If you are using the “solid chocolates” then melt them gently and VERY CAREFULLY in the micorwave first and includ them to the custard filling as it begins to cook.  You can also use brown sugar instead of white for a fudgier taste.  When making the cream for this pie you can use almond flavoring for a special touch and then garnish this with the chocolate curls.

For banana cream:  see an earlier post for specifics about this pie.

For pudding instead of pie filling:  use only 3 tablespoons of cornstarch.  That modification makes it a little less stiff. 

The cream pies are just fun to play around with.  You will have leftover whites which you can scramble with whole eggs for breakfast, or make an angel food cake or Pavlova which is a meringue dessert we’ll have to talk about sometime but you can check out on line.  There are always uses for the whites and they can be frozen and accumulated for such uses.

I will have to say that my favorite dish was fried eggplant.  I loved it on its own or layered in a parmigiana.  Honestly, I love well prepared eggplant in any format but fried eggplant is indeed for the gods.   Plump dates and eggplant have be on the menu in heaven.

The procedure is stunningly simple.  Simply wash the eggplant, cut out any bruised or ultra soft spots and start slicing.  The slices should not be too thin, perhaps a generous 1/4 inch.  I will say one thing about eggplant though.  The selection of an eggplant is crutial.  Many pieces are hard and green.  They look lovely on the outside but once you cut into them they are green and underripe, like alot of the foods we buy today.  Try and find one that has some give when squeezed, even if it means cutting out a spot or two.  The flavor and texture will be so much better.

The peel is edible but I like to score it to minimize the chance of getting a mouthful of a long strand of skin.  The random striping breaks the skin at intervals which makes the bites of skin smaller and pleasant.

To get set up 1) have your slices ready as well as some 2) buttermilk and egg mixture  and 3) some seasoned bread crumbs (salt and pepper at the very least) and/or seasoned flour.  Even though I have used breadcrumbs for this batch I actually prefer just the seasoned flour.  For the buttermilk dipping liquid I would use one large egg to 1/2 cup of buttermilk or 1/4 cup milk.  Dip the slices in the buttermilk, then the flour and set aside.  Refer to an earlier post on the technique for mess-free dredging.

Heat about 1/4 inch oil in a larger frying pan and when it is ready (the oil should sizzle immediately when a few crumbs contact it)  add as many slices as will lay comfortably in the bottom of the pan.

Cook the first side until deep golden, adjusting the heat if things are cooking too slowly or too quickly…and then flip to the other side and cook that as well.  I would suggest using a fork to do the turning and removing from the pan.

When the second side gets brown remove with a fork and drain on paper towels or a paper sack.

Continue frying the slices in batches, adding more oil, if the pan gets too dry.  The last batch will always be a little darker because of the accumulated browned oil and bits, but they will still be delicious.  Sprinkle them generously with salt.  That’s part of the deliciousness.

Serve them plain as a side dish…no accompaniment is needed for this delicacy or encorporate into a parmigiana casserole.  You can also use the fried slices in a sandwich (warm or cold) or add them to a salad or placed on a pizza.  Yum!

With the new trends in cooking, there seem to be a lot of recipes calling for roasted peppers. If you’re wondering how to roast peppers there are generally two methods.  Both are easy.

The first method requires a gas stove.  If you have a gas stove, turn the flame on high and set one or two peppers directly over the heat.  Try and position them so the pepper is directly over the  points of the flame.  When the skins blacken on one side rotate the pepper with a pair of tongs and blacken the other sides.  And I do mean blacken.  When the peppers are at least 75 percent blackened then take them off the burner and put them in a plastic bag and let them sit for 20 minutes.  That resting time is important because as peppers sit in the bag, the steam inside the bag helps loosen the skins.  Then when the peppers are cool enough to handle, simply peel off the blackened skins with your fingers and with the help of a little running water to rinse your fingers free of black bits periodically.  Try not to rinse the peppers because that will remove some of the great flavor.  What’s left is the meat of the pepper.

The second method is done in the oven under the broiler.  For this you turn your broiler on high and get the oven good and hot.  Set the peppers on a baking sheet and place them as close as you can to the broiler element.  When the tops get blackened (and you’ll want to keep an eye on them) rotate the peppers, to blacken the next side.  It’ll take a few minutes to blacken each side.  When all the sides are black, take them off the baking sheet, wrap them in a plastic bag and let them sit for a few minutes.  Same as the gas stove method.

Roasting peppers does so much to enhance the flavor of the food and it’s really an easy way to get dramatic results.

I remember the first time I tasted kettle korn, which was years ago.  We were at a craft fair (no I’m not really into crafts), but it was the 4th of July and at one of the booths a gentleman was stirring a huge kettle of corn.  We were intrigued and since my husband and I both love popcorn we bought a bag.  We fought over every last kernel and have been hooked ever since.  What makes kettle korn so addictive is the combination of salty and sweet.  Most palates loves to be teased like that.

But of course, being the chef and frugal person that I am, I was not about to resign myself to a lifetime of purchasing this korn.  I had to figure out how to make it myself.   So the quest began and after a few less than perfect batches I discovered what I think is the perfect combination of ingredients.  In fact I prefer my recipe to many store-bought brands.

Here is the correct ratio of ingredients:

1 generous tablespoon of vegetable oil

1 heaping tablespoon of sugar

3 full tablespoons of popcorn

(salt to taste, after popped)

This small batch makes just enough for my husband and I and should be made in a very small saucepan (about a 6 cup pan, no bigger).  If you double the recipe increase the pan size.

Directions: Combine oil, sugar and popcorn in pan, cover with a lid and take to a screaming hot burner.  Set it on the burner and move it gently back and forth to keep the kernels moving.  Continue that action even as it pops.

As popping slows down and then stops, remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.  It is at this point that you sprinkle it with salt and toss it with a spoon.  Taste the korn.  If you need to add more salt, do so.  Remember that it is the contrast between the two that makes this good so don’t be too skimpy with the salt.

Popcorn tip:  it is so easy for kernels of corn to get “old” and lose their poppability.  Here’s the link to my radio website with some great information on rehydrating those kernels because the good news is…they can be revived!  Check this out (still struggling with linking):

http://132.178.236.111/information/FFT/recipes/Popcorn,%20Rehydrating%20Kernals-2005-12-14.asp

Last Sunday the family came over for dinner and our grandchildren asked if they could pick the fruit from the tree. 

To be honest I had forgotten that the tree bears fruit and it’s easy to forget because the leaves and the fruit are identical in color, so the fruit does not stand out.  The kids picked a small container full and brought it in for everyone to try.  The fruit was slightly tart but delicious.  I thought to myself…I have got to put that wonderful, pesticide free, natural and organic fruit to use.  I asked the girls to pick enough for a batch of jam and it was awesome and then today they picked more and we made plum syrup which we will use for pancakes, ice cream and anything else we can think of.  If you have these trees in your yard (or neighbor’s yard or in your subdivision common area, here’s how you can make this syrup. 

Pick a small container of plums.

Give them a good rinse under cold water.

Transfer the fruit to a quart pan and for this amount of fruit (which would be a generous two cups) use one cup of sugar.

We even added a cinnamon stick to this recipe and in the batch we made earlier, we included a vanilla bean.  Both those items are totally optional.  No need to add water.  Take the saucepan to medium heat and stir the sugar into and around the plums.  Soon enough the heat will force the juice from the fruit and you will have a syrupy liquid.

If you have a potato masher, help it along by mashing the fruit.

Allow the mixture to simmer for about five minutes and then remove from the heat.

Add a tiny amount of salt and then pass the contents through a sieve, pressing and stirring with a spoon to get every last drop.

 You’ll be left with a pulp which contains the seeds and skins.

That’s it! 

Transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge.  If the syrup is too thick you can thin it with water.  If it is too thin just simmer it a little longer until it thickens up.

I even made a batch of jam with these whole plums and simply strained the mixture once it had cooked for the recommended cooking time.  It was awesome.  Such a good way of putting these lovely, free fruit to optimum use.

We were having pan-fried snapper so I put one of them to work dredging the filets.  They were getting a quick dip in buttermilk and then a coating of crumbs.  Grace began and before long both hands were covered with a gummy mess.  So she washed her fingers and I showed her how to dredge the filets and maintain clean fingers while doing so.  We designated one hand for the dipping wash which in this case was buttermilk and the other for the dry crumbs.

Her left hand became the wet side and so the filet is dipped and wetted on both sides…

and then laid in the crumb mixture.  The right hand takes over and becomes the crumb handler.  Crumbs are scooped up and placed over the wet filet…

and then pressed into the filet so seal a bit. 

all the time keeping both hands free from a gummy mess.

As the filets are completed they get placed on a piece of parchment paper or on a clean, dry baking sheet. 

This technique is the same for chicken, beef…any meat OR vegetable.  If you’d like tips for making fine bread crumbs please refer to an earlier post.

Last Sunday when the family came over for dinner my son Paul was filling the glasses with ice and water and I apologized in advance that the ice cubes had a “freezer” taste.  My husband and I will frequently go out of town for several days and during that time the drawer of ice gets full and the cubes take on the taste of whatever lies in the freezer.  So that particular Sunday the cubes had been accumulating for a couple of weeks and did have an off taste but I thought that would be preferable to room temperature water… anyhow…

Paul turned to me and said he had a cure for that.  He threw all the cubes in a picture and filled it with cold water and then quickly drained it.  I think he may have done that a second time just to make sure any trace of the freezer was gone.  It worked!  Now I don’t have to throw out ice cubes after being out of town and if I were really smart I would simply lift the wire lever on the ice machine that stops production completely.  That would truly be the energy efficient thing to do.  So…from now on I’m doing just that.  But rinsing the ice cubes is my back up in case I forget.

Since we’re on the topic of ice cubes my radio website has some ideas on how to flavor water and other beverages with interesting ice cubes.  Visit this page for more info on flavored ice cubes.

I’ve learned many lessons in the kitchen over the years.  And some I’ve had to learn the hard way.  One thing I’ve learned and wish I could convince others to do is always put on an apron the minute you step into the kitchen.

When I was married (in the 70’s) I inherited some aprons from my mother.  They were half aprons made with purple and pink smocked gingham fabric that tied at the waist.  Honestly, I just didn’t feel inspired to wear them.  So I cooked in my regular clothes and over time my clothes became ridden with grease stains.  I didn’t realize this was happening until years had gone by.  I assumed all the stains were coming out in the wash but one day I couldn’t find a single article of clothing that didn’t have some kind of grease spot on it.  And at the time I didn’t make a connection between wearing an apron and avoiding stains.  I just bought new clothes and thankfully a friend told me that dry cleaning could get alot of tough stains out.  So I took some of my favorite articles to the cleaners and that helped.

Well one year, for Christmas my husband presented me with a very stylish blue and white striped Bistro apron.  It was quite professional looking and so I started wearing it.  Before long I noticed that the apron was developing a stained area.  Even after several washings the stains were still there.  It was about a year after wearing the apron that I realized my clothes no longer had stains on them.   The apron was taking all the abuse.

There are alot of cute aprons on the market today.  Buy one and get in the habit of using it.  It will save wear and tear on your clothes and it may even inspire you in your cooking.

Take the pineapple and a good chef’s knife and slice off the top and bottom, about one inch from the ends.  Those are discarded unless you want to keep the top for some kind of garnish.  Set the pineapple upright on one of the ends and then start slicing off the side skin in long vertical strips.  Go deep enough that you remove the eyes and all dark indentations as you slice and try and follow the contour of the fruit as you move from the top to the bottom.

When the fruit is peeled, quarter it lengthwise…

and then remove the core of each quarter length as pictured below. (If you are interested in cutting whole slices or rings you should not cut the pineapple in quarter lengths but should leave it whole and use a pineapple corer to remove the core and then slice in rounds).

At this point you can cut the pineapple into whatever size pieces and slices you need.  Because my husband and I can never eat a pineapple in one sitting I will usually cut off the top of the fruit (I leave the bottom in tact) and then I cut the fruit in half with the intention of cutting and using half of the fruit at one time.  I then wrap the remaining half with plastic film, stick that in the fridge and it holds well in it’s half size for several days.

How do you know if a pineapple is ripe?  That is a tough question and I still don’t get it right every time but when my husband and I were in Hawaii I toured the Dole pineapple plantation and they said the proper way to select a pineapple is to judge it by the shape of it’s exterior design, which are called the eyes.  If the eyes are consistently large on the top, the midsection and the bottom the fruit is mature.  But if the top or bottom eyes are smaller than the ones in the center the fruit was picked before maturity.

And one more thing.  At the Dole plantation cafe they were serving a chili that had chunks of pineapple cooked in it (or added at the tail end of the cooking period).  It was heavenly.  If you like chili and you like pineapple it’s something you should try.

No, I am not the first person to think of making a nut and dried fruit jam.  In fact, when I shop at our specialty market I am always wowed and impressed by the tiny jars of delicious sounding jams that run $5 or $6 a piece.  I’ve never been able to justify spending that much for two ounces of product.  But it did inpsire me.

What happened is the following.  A few weeks ago the youth in our church reinacted a pioneer experience.   As part of one of the meals I had purchased some dried apple rings, dried apricots, whole almonds and raisins.  There was some leftover and I really wasn’t in the mood for any more of that so it sat in the cupboard for a few days.

I kept wondering how I could use up the dried fruit.  Then I remembered the jams.  So….. here’s what I did. 

I took the leftover fruit and chopped the apples into little pieces and sliced the apricots.  I left the raisins and almonds whole. 

Everthing got taken to the food processor and processed…

until quite fine but not too fine.  I wanted some distinction between the fruit. 

Once the fruit was to the right fineness I transfered it to a small saucepan and added about 1 cup of water.  I had about 1 pound of fruit to begin with.  I started cooking the water and the fruit and wondered if it would be sweet enough and so I added some honey, about 1/4 cup.  I could have added sugar but I just felt the honey would be a better fit. 

That was cooked for about 10 minutes (and stirred occassionally) over a low to medium heat…

and then transferred to an airtight container.  We’ve been enjoying it ever since on our english muffins, bagels, crusty bread, pancakes and waffles.   The other day I was doing a mole style enchilada and I added a small amount to the pork filling much the same way you might sweeten a beef empanada with raisins.  They were quite good.

Another thing I tried with the jam were little phyllo pastries.  I took a spoonful of the nut jam and some cotija and mozarella cheese and filled the each of the pastries.  That was served with some honey yogurt and I have to say it was quite light and delicious.  A nice ending to a meal but not too sweet. 

What I especially like about this jam is that it is not overly sweet but has a ton of flavor.  In fact, I would imagine that if you wanted a sugar free product it would be just fine without any added sugar.  There are probably a ton of variations with this, including the types of dried fruit you use.  It would be fun to experiment with.  This jam would also make a beautiful gift when stored in a smaller, dainty glass jar.