Ok - I haven’t been keeping up with the apples. I still have A LOT of local apples in my fridge. It seems each recipe only calls for one or two and I need to make a dent. I didn’t make the apple crepes - after the apple excitement wore off, I realized it was just too sweet for dinner that day, and we ordered Thai - which wasn’t good anyway. So yesterday I made the sausages with apples and onions. If you like sauerkraut, you’ll like this. I hate sauerkraut and wasn’t a big fan of this recipe. Johnathan however ate his half, plus 3/4 of mine. This is easy, and another one pan dish that is perfect for a rainy miserable day. Today, I’m supposed to make cider-braised pheasant, although I’m using cornish hens. It’s a long recipe and needs to be started the night before. We have leftovers for lunch, and are going to Korea town with some friends for dinner tonight, therefore hens are getting pushed to tomorrow, possibly Sunday. Stay tuned.

This recipe has a lot of steps - but don’t be intimidated. You only use a couple pans, it’s just a lot of switching ingredients around. There’s lot of good stuff in this - apples, potatoes, peas, and parsnips. There’s not even cheese in this! Just a little cream and butter for the potatoes and sauce. The apple cider with the savory broth is great, as well as using the brandy - which I used apple brandy which made it slightly spicy like a pie spice, but really good. We only used 6 boneless skinless thighs, and have tons of leftovers. This is a great way to eat lots of veggies and feel very cozy at the same time. Bon Appétit!

As you can see, I don’t have a pic of the amazing pork roast I made for our friends last night. The recipe calls for tenderloin, but the butcher suggested using a center cut pork roast since it was for six people. He butterflyed it which made it easy to stuff. I did end up tying it with kitchen twine to keep it all together. Along with the roast I made garlic red bliss mashed potatoes. Pork and potatoes are perfect together. We also had a couple pieces of the pork left for a great cold pork sandwich for lunch today.

I needed that pork sandwich after meeting JAMIE OLIVER! He was signing his new book, Jamie at Home, at a Border’s in Manhattan. Myself and couple of my fellow friends stood in line and were so excited to meet him in person. He’s really down to Earth, friendly, exactly how he appears on television. It was such a treat - I can’t wait to cook from his new book. Jamie - when are you opening a place stateside?

Today was a turning point for me - I got the right cut of meat and advice from a great butcher at the Union Square Whole Foods!  I went in for a pork tenderloin, and after asking me what I wanted to do with it (stuff it with apples!) he recommended a center cut pork roast better for serving 6 people. AND, before I could ask, he offered to butterfly it so I can stuff away! AND it was half the price of the tenderloins! I was blown away. Something simple like that makes my grocery shopping such a joy. A little knowledge and customer service does go a long way. I lost my Trader Joe’s receipt, so I’ll just give a gist and what my bank account said I withdrew. The farmer’s markets are great right now - lots of apples, squashes, and a lot less sweating carrying your booty home. Here are the totals for this week:

Trader Joe’s (cheeses, frozen peas, raisins, apple cider, tarragon) = $21.73

Union Square Greenmarket

Potatoes (Yukon and Red Bliss), Parsnips, Carrots - $6.75

Granny Smith Apples - $2.50

Bell Peppers - $5.00

Rosemary, Thyme - $3.00

* 2 Cornish Game Hens bought on sale - $8.50

Grand Total - $84.86/2ppl/10 meals = $4.24/person/meal

I bought two 5lb bags of apples last week, ambitious to make apple sauce. I didn’t get around to it, but I thought about how great apples are as a savory element to dinners. I don’t fancy myself a baker, so this week I’m making apple recipes without extra sugar. Apples pair really well with meats like pork and sausage and I think have a great fall flavor when they’re actually in season. Here’s what I”m thinking for this week:

Monday - Pork Loin stuffed with Apples and Red Bliss Mashed Potatoes - we’re having some dinner guests, I think this well be most impressive.

Tuesday - Chicken Normande with Mashed Apples and Potatoes

Wednesday - Apple Crepes with Calavados Butter Sauce - this has some apple brandy in it - I can’t wait to try this.

Thursday - Pan-grilled Sausages with Apples and Onions (two things apples love)

Friday - Cider-brined Cornish Hens with Pearl Onions and Apples - I picked up a couple hens on sale and froze them, they’ll be perfect - a Thanksgiving trial run!

I’ve never made wings before - but I’ve been thinking about them since our last visit to my parents house in Atlanta. This meal is pretty cheap - wings are the cheapest cut of meat you can buy, butternut squash is in season right now (read, cheap) and you don’t need a ton of goat cheese - just 4oz, about $2.39. I know it’s often written that wings are a great party food - yeah, only price-wise. Hot wings are just about the most ungraceful embarrassing food you could serve. This meal is something only to be eaten among close close friends and family where you can freely lick your fingers and suck meat off of bones. The butternut squash coleslaw was a great fall alternative to traditional coleslaw with cabbage. The dressing is zingy and creamy. I didn’t have walnuts, so I just used pecans. Dried cranberries can get expensive, but golden raisins or regular raisins would work well too. You can also eat those dried cranberries with cheeses on a cheese board, and they keep for a while. The squash recipe is from Tyler Florence. The wings are easy:

Serves 2-4

2 - 2.5 lb Chicken Wings

4 Tablespoons butter

Hot Sauce to taste ( My parents use Texas Pete which I think is hotter - we used Frank’s Red Hot)

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Place wings on a baking sheet and cook for about 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

2. Melt butter and add hot sauce to taste. Drizzle over wings. Serve warm and with blue cheese dressing if desired.

That was my reaction to this dish - tastes like America. You can really taste the settle ketchup, mustard, and the Cayenne hits the back of your throat like BBQ. The sloppy joe’s by themselves are really easy, and a great crowd pleaser. I saw Tyler Florence make these this weekend, and my taste buds were craving them since. He uses turkey which makes it a bit less fatty than using traditional beef. He also made bread and butter pickles to go with them, but that was a bit complicated for me, and I’d have to buy a bunch of extra stuff. I made the butternut squash chips instead. Double yum! I went out and bought a mandoline, for this, plus I really needed one - they’re super handy, and my unsteady hands can’t cut things evenly. If you do the chips, make sure you leave them in the oil long enough - some of our were a bit soggy, but they get so sweet and crunch if they’re done right. Make sure to sprinkle with salt and parm and the herbs before serving. This was a great twist on an American classic. Enjoy the new America!

We had a full house last night for dinner and results watching. My favorite person, Adrienne made some awesome donkey cookies to celebrate. There was much champagne and cheesy pasta - plenty for 6 people. This is an easy dish for a night like this - comfy celebratory food you can eat while watching the tube for electoral results. My mom has made this recipe for years and everytime it tastes better and better. The blue cheese is great - even if you’re not a fan, don’t leave it out - it’s not super strong but balances the saltiness nicely. Here’s how to make it:

Serves 6

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk (try to use whole, but skim works also)

28 oz can of whole Italian tomatoes, drained, reserving 1 1/4 cup juice, chopped fine

1 lb bow-tie pasta

1 1/2 cups coarsely grated mozzarella cheese (about 6oz)

1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (about 2 oz)

1/2 cup diced Italian Fontina cheese (about 2 oz)
1 1/3 cup freshly grated Romano cheese (about 4 oz)

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Butter a 3-4 quart gratin dish or a 13×9 baking dish

2. In a heavy saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add milk and reserved tomato juice in a stream, whisking, and bring to a boil, whisking. Stir in tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes.

3. In a large pot bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions, until just al dente.

4. In a bowl stir together pasta, sauce, mozzarella, Gorgonzola, Fontina, 1 cup Romano, and parsley and transfer to prepared dish. Sprinkle pasta with remaining 1/3 cup Romano. Bake bow ties in middle of oven 30-35 minutes, or until golden and bubbling, let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Winning Donkey Cookies

This is exactly what you think about when you think of pub food. This Irish dish was adapted from the comforting colcannon dish. This dish definitely brought me back to my days of living in Glasgow. The onions and Guinness make an incredible smell. Make sure not to use too much kale - in my case I used spinach because I wasn’t able to get to the farmer’s market, and I think I added a bit too much and it overpowered the onion mixture. This is a great comfort food, and really easy - just needs a lot of time in the oven. This recipe is from the Farm to Table cookbook, I’ll put the recipe below.

Serves 4

4 large (8-10 oz each) russet potatoes, scrubbed (we used 4 smaller ones and each had 2 for the meal)

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided

2 medium (3 cups) onions, thinly sliced

1 cup Irish-style stout

1/2 bunch kale

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

salt and pepper

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Rub the potatoes with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and place directly on the oven rack. Bake until they squish easily when gently squeezed, 45 minutes - 1 hour.

2. Heat the remaining oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Add a splash of the stout and scrape up any browned bits. Continue to cook, occasionally deglazing the pan with the stout until the onions are a deep brown and all the stout is used, about 45 minutes total.

3. Tear the rough ribs and stems away form the kale and discard. Roughly chop the leaves and add half the kale to the onions, tossing with tongs to wilt the leaves. Add the remaining kale, toss, cover, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

4. With a serrated knife, slice off the top quarter of each potato. Use a soupspoon to scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/4 inch thick shell on the bottom and sides. Mash the flesh with the buttermilk, butter, and mustard powder. Gently fold in the onion-kale mixture and season with salt and pepper. Mound the mixture into the potato shells, sprinkle the tops with the cheese, and place on a baking sheet. Bake until cheese is melted, about 20 minutes, and serve warm as a side dish or a vegetarian main course.