Is It Chowder Yet?: Traditional Labor Day Festivities

Chowder started in the early morning.

 Every year for the past 25+ years my dad's sister Kathy has hostessed what has come to be known as "the Chowder Party." Chowder originated with Aunt Kathy's abundant garden; she has always had gorgeous gardens filled to the brim with vegetables and later on flowers. Chowder was the perfect way to use up all those vegetables, and to get together with family.

Meat on a spit.

Every Sunday before Labor Day the bricks, wood, and chowder vat are set up in the stone driveway in front of the house, the wooden stir-paddle is brought out, the roasts are put on the spit, and the dogs are licking up drippings and burning their faces on the hot metal of the spit. The barn is set up for the rest of the food: appetizers, side dishes, and desserts, and Paul barricades himself with a couple of grills (the roasts are done when he has finished his eleventh beer, I think,--every year, and the meat turns out decadently..it amazes me).

My cousin Tom stokes the fire for the chowder.

Over the years the party has evolved from being sometime between the end of August and the beginning of October to "don't make any plans for Labor Day--that Sunday is the Chowder party." Along with the date, the food at the party has changed too.

A grand Labor Day party.

It started with, of course, chowder, but also included some french bread. Mmm chowder and crusty french bread. Today, however, the food situation has become much more elaborate. It starts with Aunt Kathy up at 3:30AM chopping this and that for the chowder pot and prepping the numerous side dishes she creates to accompany the main event. 

Had to get the pro to check on the chowder.

Chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting.

This year I decided to contribute my great grandmother's chocolate cake, which I recently acquired from Aunt Kathy and have been dying to make. The batter is made into a decadent custard (which I was a touch wary of making at first--I've never made one), but it was so easy and it made the cake so incredibly moist. I have never made a cake that moist--almost gooey! (and not because it was under-baked).

The big debate: Do you like it as soup or chowder? Chowder!

It was so nice to create something that a relative I never met created for the ones she loved. I felt a new connection to my family. I love the way food does that--brings you close to your family even when they're nowhere in sight. I received great praise for my great grandmother's cake, too. I used a chocolate buttercream frosting that I am familiar with instead of making her egg white meringue frosting. Next time though I'm going to be making that frosting.

Such a moist chocolate cake!

All in all the day was as fabulous as I knew it was going to be. I got to sit around outside under the trees with vivid colors from the gardens all around, the smells of the smoky chowder brewing, grills grilling, and chatting with family, and just relaxing and enjoying the day.

It's chowder! And so delicious!

Chowder has always been, and probably always will be, my favorite summer party.

Succulent Peach Pie Filling

This summer I made my first peach pie, and I have been making a ton of it ever since. Mom found a recipe online, and then, as usual, we doctored it up a bit. It's the best peach pie I have ever tasted!  The spices mingle nicely with the sugars in the peach and enhance the flavor making the filling absolutely mouth watering. Yesterday at the market I spotted a peck (eight quarts) of seconds peaches for only four dollars, and ended up getting them for only two dollars! That's a ton of peaches, and I found out this morning that a peck of peaches makes a quadruple batch of peach filling--that's a ton of peach pie.

 

Anyway, if you're interested in making your own peach pie, here's how to go about it.

Once you have your peaches you're going to have to skin them; the skins are really tough and you don't want them in your pie. The best way to skin the peaches is to blanch them in boiling water for 30-45 seconds. Before throwing your peaches in a vat of boiling water, cut an "X" on the peach where the stem is. This will help the peeling process from the blanching.

 
You'll also want to set up an assembly line of bowls--this will make your life much easier. From left to right I had a bowl of peaches ready for the pot, the cauldron of boiling water, a bowl filled with ice water (to stop the cooking), and finally a strainer. Here's how I did it: put enough peaches into the pot of boiling water to create a single layer, about six peaches. Let them boil for 30-45 seconds then put them into the ice water. Fill the pot of boiling water with the next batch of peaches.

While they're boiling take the ice water peaches out, and put them in the strainer. Keep repeating this process until every peach has been blanched. You'll notice that most of the skins are starting to peel by themselves, and that you might only need a knife to help you get started peeling the peaches. Blanching makes the peeling process so much easier!

Blanching also makes pitting the peaches a bit earlier -- the pit isn't so attached to the peaches' grips. To pit I like to make a cut around the peach using one of the "X" legs to make my cut. Stick your thumbs in and pull apart! The peach usually splits right in half. Now you're ready to cut them. Since peaches hold a lot of liquid you'll want to make the slices thicker than other fruit like apples. Once it bakes for 40 minutes, thin slices of peaches will turn to mush, so make them a quarter of an inch thick.

For a single batch of peach pie filling:

5-6 cups sliced peaches
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

mix it all together and put into your pie tin! You'll have the best peach pie ever.

A Sterling Renaissance Feastival

A small glimpse of the food-type offerings.

If you have never been to a Renaissance festival, I highly recommend you take yourself to one. Mom and I have been going to the Sterling, NY Renaissance festival for a good 10-15 years now. I remember the first time I walked through the gates and entered a mystical and enchanted wonderland. People in every direction are clothed in period costumes, and speaking in a semi-foreign tongue, aye? It's completely fabulous, and the highlight of every summer. This year was no different. There was the threat of rain all day the Sunday we planned to go, but thankfully the gods held off until after 5pm  before unleashing their tempests. 

Emery helping the little pucker.

Even then it wasn't that bad. So the day was glorious, warm midday and cooler in the evening. Since I have been baking so much my first thought was to scope out all the delicious treats the festival had to offer. After chatting with an old friend of my mom's, the resident glassblower, we went to look for food! Man was there everything to choose from! Cinnamon buns, gyros, roast beast, apple dumplings with ice cream, freshly ground cappuccinos, turkey legs, steak on a stick, deep fried ice cream, and many others.

Don Juan and Miguel in a blindfolded sword fight!

While mom and I were getting the lay of the land we stumbled on Emery's fleet right in the middle of a Rat Puck tournament. I've been coming to this festival forever and I have never seen a tournament, so this was a really cool experience. Emery explained how to play: the Nancy-boy Australian curve Nordic trek (or something along those lines). And don't forget to yell "CHEEEESE," else you'll be penalized. What the pucker does is situates his rat atop his rat pucking stick, and then instead of pucking the rat into the target, you carry the rat in giant steps and gently set the rat through the hole, thusly. It was awesome to see actors and civilians alike playing this game, and getting so into it.

Franko and the funniest thing I have ever seen in my life.

We then saw Don Juan and Miguel who were sword fighting. Don Juan ended up going through blindfolded. Impressive! I needed a refreshment after this adventure and opted for a roast beast sandwich, which unfortunately was not that good. But then I got a strawberry wine slushy, and things were then again righted.

Strawberry wine slushy.

 
Mom and I went to check out a master hypnotist after fooding, and I have never ever in my life laughed so hard. Except last year when we watched Franko's show for the first time. I'll just say that I saw a man give birth, and the nurse and doctor who assisted with his delivery had in fact seen a man give birth before. I had tears running down my cheeks and sunscreen stinging my eyes from laughing so hard. We went back for his other two shows because they are just that good. Even though Franko basically does the same show every time, the entertainers are always doing something different and completely hilarious. At the end of his show Franko always makes sure to tell all those who are hypnotized how wonderful they are and that "every day in every way" they are becoming better and better people and are surrounded by loved ones. He entertains, but also taps into the subconscious to make positive change in the people's lives.

Johnny Fox with his water from India.

Once composed again, Mom and I went to see Johnny Fox (and fox is putting it mildly; the man is gorgeous) the sword swallower. You know it's going to be a good show when he shouts at the passersby to get them to attend the show, "If you have nothing else to do....do me!" He delivered. Johnny Fox had his trusty jug of water from India, a never ending supply of water. Where does the water come from, you ask? India. He then swallows all kinds of horrible looking swords, a giant screwdriver named King Philip (King Flat Head just doesn't sound as good), and a long cylindrical balloon. He also nails a spike into his skull, pops his eyeball (it's for the kids!), and "pierces" his tongue. Always an incredible show. Before Mom and I went to watch Franko again after Johnny Fox's show, we went in search of the fried ice cream. I've heard of it, and always wanted to try it out.

Contemplating my fried ice cream.

Pretty sign!

The ice cream was vanilla and was doused in chocolate sauce, and whatever the frying stuff was..it had a strange coconut flavor, whether or not it was, I do not know. It was rather delicious, but didn't taste much different from regular ice cream. After eating that I decided that the next time I make ice cream I'm going to deep fry it. I do have a fryer, after all. I am grateful for the idea, and I'm excited to see how I can make it even more delicious than what I tasted at the festival.

Milan creating something magnificent out of brightly colored glass sticks.

This year tops all other years at the festival. I saw so many incredible shows, met up with people I didn't expect to see, and just before I left my mom's friend, Milan, introduced us to Johnny Fox, and he shook my hand. The festival doesn't get better than all of that. I can't wait for next year -- which shows I'll be seeing, the performers who will be back, and what new foods will be added!

The Reconstruction Of Meals: A Chicken & Veggies Tale

After all the baking I've been doing lately, I decided to take a break and make a meal for dinner. I bought a chicken at the United Methodist Church of North Chili's farmers' market a week or two ago. I love making a savory meal, and the thought of a whole chicken was too good an opportunity to pass up. I bought a three pound little guy and brought him home to dress him up. The next day he was allowed to thaw, and once all his ice crystals had melted I was ready to start my culinary adventure.

I decided to make a roast of the event. I would put the chicken in the middle of a giant roasting pan and put carrots, potatoes, celery, onions and whole garlic cloves in the surrounding space. I put a season of Gilmore Girls in (my go-to cooking/baking show for background noise), and I got to work cleaning and chopping all my veggies. Once they were all properly cut I threw a little oil on. This helps the potatoes to keep their color and not turn brown, and also make the really good stuff stick. Next I got out jar after jar of herbs, parsley, thyme, oregano, seasoned salt, onion and garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and maybe a few others. I poured about a teaspoon on each herb into my palm and then rubbed my hands together over the veggies. Breaking the leaves releases the oils from the herbs and makes the smell and flavor much more intense and wonderful.

Next I prepared the chicken. I forgot to do this, but it would be wise to slather your chicken in butter or oil. I prefer oil. I put butter on a turkey last Thanksgiving and let it rest over night. The butter had hardened and was so disgusting. I couldn't help but think of my arteries. Oil doesn't do that though....so that must mean my arteries are fine, right? Yes. Anywho, slather the bird in oil (gives it flavor and stickiness), then bring out your herbs and other seasonings and sprinkle generously. I am a huge fan of lots of flavor, so don't be shy. I'm not. When it comes to seasonings.

I put herbs, carrots, onions, garlic, and grapes inside to give fab flavor.

Once your chicken is sufficiently prepared, put him in the middle of your roaster. Scoop up the seasoned veggies and assemble around the bird. Look up how much time a bird needs to cook by how much it weighs. Mine was supposed to cook for an hour and a half to two hours.

The chicken was gorgeous, golden brown and smelled like an herb garden on fire. The veggies could have cooked a bit longer. I got a little over zealous with my veggies and had them a touch too crowded. I imagine they would have baked better if they had been one layer and not piled on top of each other. Overall though the flavors were out of this world! So incredible!

After eating I had a ton of leftovers..I'm good at getting carried away with food. So I decided to make a soup out of the leftovers. Ina Garten says this is the best thing to do with leftover roasted veggies, and boy does Ina know what she's talking about. I pulled the rest of the meat off the chicken and put all the extras in a pot of water with lots of bouillon. I added some frozen peas and corn to the mix, let it simmer until the veggies were finally cooked through, and voila! A new meal!

 This is what I love about cooking and baking. You can be creative, think out of the box, use your imagination, and throw caution to the wind! Especially if it is just for you and close family who won't judge your flops too harshly; it's the best! And it's even better when your creations turn out magnificently, as this creation did, and people ooo and ahhh over their meal. I love it!

I Love Bread!

We use a lot of bread pans.

I love bread. All kinds of bread. Ever since I was a tiny tot baking bread has been a part of my existence. My mom is always making bread for toast in the morning. When I was in college I started having weekly dinner with Grammy, and as soon as I walked into the downstairs entryway of her apartment I could smell the savory perfume of the dishes she had labored over. A couple of times that included bread. There is nothing better than the smell of the yeasty dough rising, and the turning of squishy dough to soft bread while it's baking.

                                                          

Cinnamon Raisin Bread all rolled up.

My favorite bread to make is the most complicated one I could choose, but it turns out so incredibly good. The time and trouble is so worth the effort. My cinnamon-raisin bread is the best. For sure. I use a ton of cinnamon and other secret spices, which gives the bread an incredible flavor.It's my favorite for breakfast.

Dill Garlic Bread looking rustic and delicious.

I have also been making a new bread. I took a simple wheat bread and added a ton of dill from the garden, and then I sauteed a ton of garlic. Add to simple bread recipe and you have a knockout bread. People say they overdose on it. In the good way. The smell is intoxicating, too.

This is what happens when you bake with love <3

When I'm baking it is my wish to put as much love into my creations as I can. You can tell the difference between something that has been made from a home kitchen, with love, and something that has been made via robots in a factory. The pizazz just isn't there, but it's in my kitchen! And I put all my love into my products. 

Decadent Chocolate Cake For a 50th Birthday Bash

This year my uncle turned 50! Quite a milestone to reach! Mom and I were asked to create a scrumptious chocolate cake (and chocolate frosting!) for this special day. Mom found this awesome recipe from Tyler Florence, and gave it a go a couple of days in advance. It's a good thing she did because she followed the instructions just as they were printed, and this resulted in a semi-disaster. No matter who says it, do not fill the cake pan any more than half way full! Want to know why? The cake rises as it bakes in the oven. When there is not enough room for the cake to rise properly, it spills over the edges. This means you have cake batter stuck to the bottom of your oven. And the next time you use it you'll think the house is burning down. Not to mention that it ruins the cake, making it all funky looking. So. Mom made the cake again and only filled it halfway up the edge of the cake pan. And this time, you might ask? Perfection! The cakes rose perfectly to the top of the cake pan, not over, and were perfectly flat across the top (she also used the decorating needle in the middle of the cake as well as the baking strips that go around the cake pan).

yum.

The plan was to decorate the cake after a long and busy Saturday, but that just didn't happen. Instead, we gathered up supplies and brought them to the party with us. Almost the whole family was able to be there and we had a scrumptious dinner out. I had a caramel appletini with my dinner. Must figure out how to replicate. It tasted like something between hard cider and a candied apple. So. good.

Looks good enough to eat!

Anyway, back to cake, I made chocolate buttercream frosting. My. God. I infused my trusty buttercream frosting with a bit of cocoa powder, and it was incredible! I helped mom assemble the cakes, and she frosted them. She is so much better at frosting, and I really haven't the patience for it. She doesn't seem to mind doing it, so it works out pretty well. Her piping is really coming along, too! The shell border was perfect! So professional! Auntie Cheryl and Auntie Shelly got festive candles to put in the cake, so that was about it for decorating.

Only scraps are left.

Turned out fabulously! Uncle Jim's guests seemed pretty impressed, too. I heard people saying that it was the best chocolate cake they had ever had, and "where did you get this cake from?" Awesome. Another job well done!

 
All that was left were the remains of candles.

Can I Offer You Some Cherry Pie?

This week mom and I made fifteen pies: Strawberry Rhubarb Apple and Cherry pie. Mom makes the Rhubarb pie all the time and it's my absolute favorite, but this time was the first for Cherry pie. We found a decadent recipe and dressed it up a bit for optimum flavor.

Gorgeous cherries!

I spent Thursday evening pitting the giant colander full of fresh cherries. I was expecting this task to take just about forever and a day, but I had hope that I would get a hold of the pitting technique quickly. I remember my dad saying that he cherries from the cherry tree in the yard with a paperclip. That did not sound all that efficient, so I had mom google another technique. Low and behold that is the technique that came most recommended.

Pitting cherries with a paperclip.

Mom got a small paperclip (also recommended) and I donned my gloves. Cherry juice can get everywhere and will stain everything. I used this tiny paperclip for a bit and about tore the cherries to shreds trying to get the pits out. I decided to try a bigger paperclip, and that did the trick! The pits came out easier, cleaner, and the cherries looked whole.

We need lemon juice!

Once the cherries were free of pits we made the pie filling. I really wish I had a cauldron. It would have been fabulous to reduce the cherries in a proper pot.

Cherry pie filling.

Anyway, the pot I had was filled to the brim with cherries, lemon juice, water, almond extract, and cornstarch for thickening. Once it boils, reduce to a simmer and continue stirring for an additional ten minutes. The sauce should be nice and thick and looks like a decadent syrup. Most of the cherries turned to mush, but the riper ones stayed more intact. I like this combination. You have more of a sauce, but you can still eat a whole cherry. It is cherry pie after all!

Pie crust ready for a pie tin.

Next I made an hour's worth of pie crust -- the most wonderful recipe. The crusts turn out so flaky and just incredible. Both the cherry filling and the crusts were left in the fridge overnight for optimum freshness. On Friday, bright and early, I started rolling out crusts and filling pie tins. I have to say the finished product was so sweet. Once I topped the pie with a crust I cut out little cherries and leaves to use as decoration for the top of the pie. People go crazy over this! They love the little personal touches, and I had a blast making them. The whole pie just looks cohesive and complete. I finished off the pies with a bit of egg wash.

In need of filling!

 
We had so much extra pie crust leftover that we didn't want to reuse -- I thought it might be tough and gross, so I decided to roll some of the used crust out and throw a dab of cherry pie filling into the center. Just to see. Well, they turned out kind of ugly, but holy crap! These little guys were incredible! And the crust was still flaky and decadent. That was a happy surprise! 

Pretty touches to cherry pie!

 

The pies turned out so pretty! We had two large pies and five mini pies. The little ones are so sweet, and they're perfect for singletons and couples. It's just enough to satisfy, and small enough to not sit on the counter/in the fridge and rot. They're perfect!