Maine Bicentennial, A Cookbook, and Me

 I had planned to serve these rolls for Thanksgiving dinner. The third rising of the dough threw off my calculations of when they would be ready. Oh well. Rolls are terrific hot out of the oven any time, with butter, right?! I recently figured out a new spot for my dough to rise. The pre-warmed oven didn't seem to be working well. So I studied the King Arthur Flour website for ideas and decided if I covered the dough carefully with a tight lid, or plastic wrap, I could place it above the heating grate on the floor, and rise it there.  The first rising was successful. The second rising, even higher! And the shaped rolls rose beautifully in the pan. No complaints about the new dough-rising location. I did have to squish the last three rolls into the pan, since I had a little more dough than the pan wanted to accommodate. This recipe was submitted by Paula Hopkins Dayboch, and it was her great-grandmother's recipe, Mary Lucretian Edes Hopkins. Her great grandmother lived in Green...

 For Thanksgiving, since it was just the two of us, I chose this fabulous seafood recipe. It has quite a spice load, so I cut back considerably on the hot pepper. I've always been rather fond of lobster and crab simply drenched in butter as the best way to enjoy their flavor. Covering them up with hot pepper loses something in the seafood translation. We decided this is something like a newburg, with lots of veggies. So we might try cutting back on the amount of veggies, next time around, to keep the seafood the star of the show. Served over basmati rice, it tasted great. 

 The Resident Archaeologist was somewhat suspicious of this recipe. He looked at the beef short ribs I brought home from the grocery, asked me how I was going to cook them, and was not sure he would like the results. You see, he has always broiled his short ribs and basted them with sauce and once he is in the habit of cooking a food one way, he tends to stick with it. Me, I'd never gone near a short rib, and barely recognized them in the grocery. I was a little nervous that this might not turn out well, and had been thinking I'd have an expert short ribs guy to advise me. But he disappeared to his office and I was on this rib adventure all on my own. I decided that instead of cooking the ribs for several hours on the stovetop, per recipe instructions, (I'd feel obligated to babysit them), I'd use a crockpot. I found a crockpot recipe at Taste of Home website which requires red wine and beef broth and some onions, garlic, and carrots. It sounded delicious, so I set to w...

 There are three brown bread recipes in this cookbook. This is the first of the three. According to Lois Widmer, who submitted the recipe, her mother served it every Saturday night with baked beans. And it became a favorite at the monthly baked bean suppers at First Parish Church in Brunswick in the 70's and 80's.  I confess that I was a little puzzled by the first ingredient. I mean, when was the last time I ate All-Bran cereal? (Ah, that's right, um, Never). I wasn't even sure they still made the stuff. I had a great-aunt who ate it religiously, but that was eons ago. Will miracles never cease! There it was, on the grocery shelf, apparently selling to someone all these eons. Well, I was willing to try anything, once. Here goes! Turns out, the miracle ingredient is All-Bran. Who knew brown bread could taste so good? I always remembered it from my childhood as a rather sour-tasting thing. And as a child, I was not very adventurous with food, preferring my bread to be sq...

 This recipe dates to a 1908 cookbook published by the Ninth Grade students at the Emerson Grammar School in Bar Harbor. I went in search of a fruit-based modern ice cream recipe, in the event that an old recipe might not have all of the ingredients/instruction that I needed. To my surprise, the modern recipe was quite similar to the 1908 recipe, except that egg whites are not used at all in the modern recipe. I discussed with the Resident Archaeologist what fruit might be best to use, and we agreed that bananas were out and peaches were in. So, feast your eyes on the creamy, peachy delight that our ice cream maker produced for us! Grateful for the young people at Emerson Grammar School over a century ago who gave us a fine ice cream recipe!

 I've never made Lemon Meringue Pie before, but I've eaten lemon meringue pie before. I mean, of course I have. I'm a pastor. I've been to more potlucks than there are stars in the sky. Pie is something of a matter of pride in the churches I have served over the years.  Now mind you, there is Pie Pride and then there is that Other Pride, and the first is just acknowledging the pie-making skills God gave you, so pie pride is a good thing! If you are not familiar with the dangers of the Other Pride, well, then, have I got a sermon for you. But I digress from my focus on pie. I think this pie is a little too sweet for my taste buds. Nothing at all wrong with a wicked sweet pie, but my childhood was one of sweets that were somewhat sparse, due to a mom with type 1 diabetes. So I'm just accustomed to something a little less sweet, I guess. Next time around, I'd cut back on the sugar a bit. I love seeing the recipe on its original typed index card. This is how my gran...

 To each their own candy, I say. I've never been fond of peanut butter fudge (nor fudge in general, to be honest). Fudge is just wicked sweet, and I grew up with a diabetic mom, so I just never developed a real sweet tooth, not having lots of sweets in the house. So, I decided to swap out the peanut butter and use chocolate instead. It seemed to work out fine. I still used lots of m&m's, of course! Candy making is never going to be my favorite activity. I'm a little clumsy in the kitchen, and accidentally burn my hands with some regularity. This dish was one of those burn incidents. I am some grateful that I have a very large aloe plant which I use regularly to relieve kitchen burns. I'm going to have to find a neighbor who likes fudge, because as good as this fudge tastes, I still want to fit into my clothing during the holidays! And my husband is not fond of fudge. M&M's are one of my fav candies, so it was fun to make this and see the beauty of the chocol...

 We purchased a turkey early in the week, and it defrosted by the weekend, so we decided to do the full-fledged Thanksgiving meal this weekend, and do something different on the actual holiday. I was interested in making this recipe, since I have not made homemade stuffing in a number of years, going with the ease of boxed stuffings.  It came together very well, with the innards simmering in a pot for as long as I needed them to simmer (it ended up being much longer than the hour the recipe calls for, as I got busy, but longer does no harm). The onion and celery and cooked innards and some spices pulsed together in the food processor nicely. I then threw the stuffing bread (torn and dried in the oven) into a big bowl with the meat/veggie mixture, and poured the liquid from cooking the innards over the whole of it, and stirred it up. Add some freshly ground pepper and salt and it's all good! I loved the smell of this, as I stirred it all together. There is something about the s...

 One of my favorite dishes to order in a restaurant is steak salad. It is easy to eat, not too heavy, and you get all the flavor of a steak without eating too much. When I found this recipe in the cookbook, I was so excited! I have been anticipating making it for months now. And since we are not eating out at restaurants during the pandemic, I am all the more eager to become adept at making this to enjoy at home. Not frequently, mind you. It's not every day one can afford filet mignon. But for a treat, it is a delight. The person who submitted this recipe, Heather Paquette, said that it comes from her grandmother, Virginia Gearan, who owned a restaurant, The Glass Menagerie in Kennebunk. The salad recipe comes with a homemade dressing recipe. I bought an inexpensive glass cruet for serving the dressing. The recipe calls for using a blender for the dressing, but I made such a small amount that a hand whisk worked just fine. My husband and I come from different worlds, when it comes ...

 I've heard of cooking many foods with beer, but donuts? A new experience. The recipe calls for melted chocolate chips, as well as cocoa powder. So I used my fav chocolate chips, Ghirardelli semi-sweet. And my fav cocoa powder, Lake Champlain Chocolates of Burlington, Vermont. I know there are some great stouts by local Maine microbreweries (Lake St. George of Liberty comes to mind...their Oatmeal Stout is very fine), but I had Guinness Extra Stout on hand so used that. These donuts are not too sweet, with only 2/3 cup sugar per batch of 2 dozen donuts. You can add a glaze if you like, to add sweetness, but I like them just the way they are.  You need to allow time for the dough to chill before cutting, since it is a very moist dough and must be cut chilled, so the dough doesn't stick to the cutter.  The recipe cautions against overcooking, due to the darkness of the donut dough.  This is the perfect donut to treat yourself to on a cold Maine winter morning, with a c...

Oysters. Another food I've never cooked before, nor eaten. They've been offered, but I associated them with that unfortunate sandy clam dinner of my childhood, and have always politely refused. Amazing, the power of a grain of sand, to turn one away from future gastronomic experience with clams and oysters and mussels. What else do humans avoid, by allowing the memory of an unfortunate experience in their past to control their current choices? And how can we effect change? For me, specific to the sandy clam fiasco, I knew I had committed to experiencing everything this cookbook has to offer. That commitment has not only brought me joy through the stories of the people who love the recipes they submitted, but also joy in cooking and tasting new things, and overcoming something so innocuous as a grain of sand. I was able to buy shucked oysters, frozen, at the local seafood shop, and thawed them carefully in the microwave (mustn't let the defrost feature accidentally cook the ...

 After pouring the delightful jumble of potatoes, onions, hot dogs, chourico sausage, breakfast sausage, and clams onto the big white platter, I looked at my husband with a big smile and said, joyfully, "This is the first time I've cooked clams!" To which he replied, in his inimitable dry manner, "You boiled water." It's a good thing I love that guy, that's all I'm saying. First thing, dump the clams in the sink, pour in cold water, dump ice cubes in the water, and let the clams siphon out the sand. This is the difference between an enjoyable meal and a gritty meal. When I was a kid, I think my parents skipped this step. Anyway, I remember as a kid biting into a clam and biting down on sand, and I (somewhat dramatically) declared I would never eat clams again. Look what I missed out on all these years, because of a few grains of sand. I shall have to make up for lost time now! This is not the season for corn on the cob, so the meal was lacking that c...

 I read the story behind this recipe, and actually wonder if I'm distantly related to the person who submitted it, Jacalyn Mitchell. Either through my husband's family (Mitchell) or through her grandmother's family (Spencer, which was my great-grandfather's last name). Jello is a food I thought I had "outgrown." But I was re-introduced to it (see blog about Delicious Green (Blue) Salad), and we became happily re-acquainted. It has possibilities that are really rather endless. I chose to substitute Raspberry Jello in Frieda's Dessert (it calls for lime). And I was not sure about using evaporated milk. I had read online that there can be problems combining the two foods. So I looked for a substitute. Enter hot chocolate. Now call me crazy, but it actually works the same way as if you use the boiling water the recipe already calls for, so just think of it as flavored water, right? And what better flavor combo than chocolate and raspberry, right?  I had some s...

 I've prepared how many lobsters for recipes in this cookbook? I've lost count, to tell the truth. But with this recipe (the 180th), I learned something new and wonderful about the seafood counter at the local grocery store. They will cook your lobster while you shop! No charge! It made this recipe all the easier. Prepare the rice (needs to cool before frying). Prep your veggies and spices. Put everything together, saving the lobster meat for last, otherwise it will overcook and become tough. A lovely bowlful of some of my favorite foods. Try this recipe and you will be transported to a state of pure bliss. Who could ask for anything more?!

 I studied this recipe carefully, and decided it must be rather more like a souffle. The recipe calls for a casserole dish, but I suspected it would do this amazing puff-up in the oven, and sure enough, it did not disappoint. Fortunately, we own a lovely blue souffle dish for just such recipes. I do not (yet) own a potato ricer, so I just mashed the dickens out of the potato and it seemed to work just fine. My favorite part of the preparation of this recipe was beating the egg whites and adding sugar. I have a small blue bowl that works perfectly with my handheld beater, to get two egg whites to "peak" perfection. It's important to tuck the souffle dish in a pan of water, for even heating. I used a Yukon Gold potato, which of course has a lovely golden color. So that certainly made the whole souffle look spectacular. I dished it into a small Fire King jadeite bowl, which gave a beautiful presentation, yellow against green. Then I lifted a forkful of the lovely dessert to ...

My skills in candy-making are fairly limited. So what have I learned today? That you *have* to pay attention to the temperature on the candy thermometer. There is your first clue that I was headed for disaster. And what else did I learn with this recipe? I now know that *close enough* is not the attitude to take, when seeking the "soft ball stage." But jeez, louise, that boiling brown sweet stuff was rising out of the pan like a monster, scaring me, and I just wanted this whole thing to be done, the sooner the better! So I kinda peered at the thermometer and decided 230 would be just fine. Well, never having made or eaten this stuff, I don't know what the finished product is supposed to look like. The directions say to cut it as soon as mixture sets. Ha! I tried putting a fork in it and might as well have put a spoon in, because it was a soupy sweet little mess. Fortunately, I don't like to let a failed recipe go to waste. So I poured it over vanilla ice cream and oh,...

 This is one of those elegant recipes you probably find in five-star restaurants. I learned a few things that I will do differently next time. For instance, while we often make yellow curry paste at home for various meals, I had never made green curry paste, so I bought it in a jar. It just wasn't as good as homemade. So I will make my own next time. Also, the coconut milk, not my fav ingredient. I will probably substitute almond milk next time. I did very much like sauteing the asparagus in the curry paste. Great way to prepare asparagus, as long as you don't burn the paste in the process (yup, 'fraid so, raising my hand, I confess, that was me, in the kitchen, burning the paste...). Nobody could confuse my prepared dish with one provided at a five-star restaurant. But who can complain when your mouth is full of to-die-for lobster and chilled asparagus soup? Not me!

 I thought at first glance that these were "rolls." You know, dinner rolls. Silly me. Much to my surprise, they are a fabulous breakfast treat. Like a coffee roll. But with lemon and potato and pecans. Yum! It is a little time intensive, with the yeast dough rising, but well worth it. The dough kneads up easily and tucked in the oven on lowest temp, covered, gives it a good rise. And don't you just love the smell of yeasted dough and the anticipation of eating something yeasty-bread-delicious? There is a lemon glaze recipe attached to this recipe. Very simple, but necessary to this melt-in-your-mouth roll, to put it over the top. I do think I would add a dite more lemon juice to the glaze. But then, I adore lemon. This recipe won a blue ribbon at the Fort Fairfield Potato Blossom Festival, and I can see why!

 Since my childhood, I've always loved vanilla ice cream with hot fudge sauce. One of my fav desserts. I saw this recipe and couldn't wait to try it. I keep Baker's chocolate on hand, and it is normally unsweetened. But the bar I found in the cupboard is sweetened. So I just decreased the amount of sugar in the recipe. This appears to be a recipe that gets better with time. Even just letting the sauce sit while I got out the ice cream and searched for the scoop...the sauce thickened even in those few minute. The person submitting the recipe swears by coffee ice cream, but I'm sticking with what I love, vanilla. It marries so well with chocolate. The Resident Archaeologist took one look at this sauce and said, "it belongs in milk." Clearly, this sauce is going to be a favorite in our kitchen.

 I'm really enjoying the lamb recipes in this cookbook. This one especially. Lamb is a great meat for chili, it turns out! The spices in this recipe are a flavor funfest. Garam masala, chili, cumin, coriander, and turmeric. The lamb compliments the spices perfectly. And mixing chili with red hot dogs? Brilliant! You'll see in the photo that I can't get enough onions. I put plenty of onions in the chili itself, but red onion on top just adds to Onion Enjoyment. I opted to layer the meal, buttered and pan toasted hot dog rolls, split and fried red hot dogs, lamb chili, and red onion. I did not have any Greek yogurt on hand, but that would have made the meal. The person who submitted this recipe is from India. Her husband invented this recipe by accident, when their child was hungry and wanted a hot dog. He saw the lamb chili and, pure inspiration, put them together. It's a winner!

 True confession time. Yes, we have apples. Yes, we have cranberries. But did I have the time to core and peel the apples, and strain out the juice? Did I have the time to cook down cranberries, and strain through cheesecloth? Not really. So, enter storebought juice. I mean, I bought the no-sugar-added, and that right there is a time-saver.  When the recipe says don't let this stuff boil over, I assure you, They Have Given Fair Warning. After you add the sugar, the beast has a mind of its own, and its mind says it is going to rise up out of the pan and take over Manhattan. Or something like that. We have a glass stove top, which is lousy for maintaining heat, or fine-tuning heat. Normally, I'd adjust the gas so that the recipe won't boil over. Alas, no gas stove. So it was touch and go there, rescuing the stuff from a boil-up-and-over. This jelly looks so pretty in the jars. Very festive!

 Remember the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder? In one of them, the children make molasses candy. As a child, I was enthralled with the books, and begged my mother to let me make molasses candy. I seem to recall making it from the description in the book, although it is also possible that my mother found a modern recipe, to make sure I would be successful with my venture. I do remember eating the candy, and feeling a connection to children who enjoyed that same candy long before me. I liked making this recipe, but I have very little experience with making candy. I wish I had studied up on what the right temp is for making soft molasses candy. This candy is hard as a rock. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It actually tastes great. But I value the original teeth I have, and hard candy is not as easy on the old jaw as it used to be. Were I to make this again, I'd go for the soft molasses.  I found that you have to work very quickly after takin...

 I'm reminded of the Salt Cod recipe (see blog of that name). That recipe called for vinegared onions and mashed potatoes and fried salt pork cubes, too. And boiling the fish until it flakes. And I really loved that recipe, so I was eager to try the hake. Hake is a new fish for me. A nice white fish, a little more substantial than haddock.  I was unclear as to the reason to salt the fish and refrigerate for several hours prior to rinsing and cooking the fish in water. But I followed directions. And poached hake is now on my go-to list for fish meals. It cooked up surprisingly quickly, given the thickness of the fish.  I mashed golden potatoes (they just look so beautiful, love that rich yellow color) and plated them. I laid the cooked hake on top of the mashed potato. I sprinkled vinegared onion rounds on top of the hake, and sprinkled cubed fried salt pork over everything. Then some ground pepper over everything, because, of course, everything tastes better with pepper. ...

 I don't know why, but I was imagining this bread would be extra heavy on the pear flavor. You know, kinda like banana bread is heavy on the banana flavor? And, I was having the devil of a time trying to get ripe pears. They were all hard as rock and didn't want to ripen worth a darn and I was tired of staring at the bowl of fruit in the kitchen, waiting til heaven knows when for those little pears to ripen. So, the recipe allows for substitution of applesauce, and I like applesauce. And while I was equally worried there might be a heavy apple flavor, I went ahead with the recipe. I substituted cinnamon, where it calls for ginger, since that would compliment the applesauce better. And I added a little extra honey.  The first rising was perfect, but it did take a full hour and a half, tucked in the oven on the lowest temp and covered with a dishtowel. The second rising in the pan also went well.  I always worry about yeast breads, that they might not rise well, but it's al...

 We do not own a Dutch oven. And I've priced them and decided I've lived this long without one, I can probably make do without one. So, I opted for the crockpot for this recipe. I also chose to use chicken broth, where it calls for water. I used thyme where it calls for summer savory. And no potatoes (my crockpot told me, it's either the potatoes or the dumplings, pick one, as there is no room for both). And I didn't need to use a Gravy Master. I browned the chicken, deglazed the pan with white wine, then cooked the veggies. All I had to do was add flour and chicken stock, and a wee bit of tomato paste, and it thickened up marvelously. Then everything went into the crockpot, plus more chicken broth, and the dumplings just get plopped by the spoonful into the liquid. I cooked it on high for four hours, but you could do a full 8 hours, on low, if you had the time. And do you know what my husband and I both remarked, immediately upon tasting this delicious stew? "It t...

 When I cooked up a mess of smelts (see Marinated Fried Smelts blog), I set aside a few of them in a small dish, to try this recipe. It simply consists of simmering a few vegetables, adding vinegar, and pouring it all over the fried smelts. Then refrigerate overnight. The person who submitted these two smelt recipes shares that she and her mom loved to eat the marinated fish, but her dad loved the fish served straight out of the fry pan, preferably with potatoes. I'm with her dad. Smelts straight out of the fry pan for me, please. I'll gladly give this pickled version away to those who will appreciate it more than I do!

New fish for me! And, I like it! I like dredging the fish in flour and frying it to make the skin all crispy. Unfortunately, my evening got unexpectedly busy, such that I ate a few of the little darlings while frying up the batch, then had to leave the kitchen to take care of some work. By the time I got the work done, supper was long over.  No worries! I enjoyed some of the fried smelts the next day, in soft flour tortillas spread with a mayo mixture of fresh lime juice, mayo and garlic powder. Those little fish fit perfectly in a six-inch tortilla. 

 This is a perfect fall or winter vegetable dish to serve at a meal. Basic root vegetables which, when combined, are mighty flavorful! Potatoes, carrots, and a rutabaga. I mean, even just saying "rutabaga" is fun, isn't it? And eating it, mashed up with potatoes and carrots and butter and cream is even more fun. Ah, not only what the doctor ordered...good for you, but also good tasting. The rutabaga and turnip come from the same family, but I have to say that my taste buds choose the rutabaga over the turnip, every time. I like that these root vegetables are inexpensive, and easy to keep on hand. After I mashed the veggies up (using, I confess, way more butter than the recipe called for), a splash of light cream and a sprinkle of lemon pepper (my add, not the recipe), and it is ready to serve. You could probably dress this up with some onions and/or garlic, depending on your tastes, but I kinda like it simple. Enjoy! This completes the Vegetable chapter of the cookbook. A...

 This is a fabulous holiday dessert! I was initially not very interested in making it. I'm not much of a pudding-eater, and so I kept skipping over it, as I browsed the cookbook. I should remind myself that one of my other fav recipes in the Pudding chapter is also called a pudding but bakes up as a cake...(see Maple Cottage Pudding blog). This Cranberry "pudding" bakes up as a cake! With a lovely sweet sauce to pour over the cake, sort of like a semi-liquid frosting.  I recently made Cranberry-Rhubarb Jam (see blog) and had leftover cranberries that I had chopped in the food processor. This recipe called for cranberries cut in half, and as much as I love the interior symmetrical design of a cranberry which is revealed only when you slice it in half, I'm also rather keen on not letting food go to waste. So, I measured out the chopped cranberries, and it was the exact amount needed for the pudding. I figured it was a sign that I should not worry about sliced cranberrie...

 This is one of those recipes where I hunted high and low for a specific ingredient. I could not find Irish Moss anywhere in health food stores, so I finally settled for Alaria seaweed, which I knew we would also use in Miso soup. Seaweed/sea moss, same diff, right? I can substitute one for another. Right? Ummm, wrong. And I found out the hard way, since I made the recipe and noticed that the alaria did not appear to be acting as a thickening agent in the milk mixture.  Back I went to the health food store, and explained my dilemma to a very helpful staff person. She said, have you tried Agar-Agar? I said no, and I didn't even know what it looked like. She handed me a package, which is essentially Irish Moss reduced to teeny-tiny tapioca-sized pebbles, which acts as a thickening agent in puddings. The recipe does suggest agar-agar, if you can't get the sea moss, but I was focused on getting the "authentic" ingredient. Phew, this did the trick! The picture I took does ...

 Angelique Bitshiluala moved to Maine from the Democratic Republic of Congo and submitted this recipe. I was unable to locate the seasoning called for, Maggi seasoning, but was able to use Tamari sauce instead. We also don't have amaranth leaves or fried plantains in this region, so had to do without. Even so, this salt cod recipe compares favorably with the other salt cod recipe in this cookbook (see my blog on Salt Cod). I've never fried fish without a breading, so that was decidedly new for me. And I do wonder if a breading might have kept it moist. The fish was a little too dry/chewy for me, but maybe I overcooked it. We don't do much frying in this household, so I have limited experience in judging when to pull fish out of the oil. I loved cooking the eggplant, bell pepper, onions, and garlic in the olive oil. It just looked joyous, all jumbled together, with the bright red of the bell pepper as the vegetable star. I'm personally not an eggplant fan, but the Reside...

 Me to the woman at the fish counter: I need salted cod, please. Woman at fish counter: *gives me a puzzled look* We have cod for $$/lb. Me: It's for a new recipe I have. It has to be salted? Woman at fish counter: *gives me an enlightened look* Follow me.  She walks to the fish freezer and opens the door and pulls out an adorable little wooden box and hands it to me. Exactly one pound of salted cod, folded into this wee wooden box. Amazing! Obviously, cooking salt cod is a new experience for me. So, I buy the wee wooden box, planning to cook it the following day. The following day arrives, and my schedule changes unexpectedly, requiring me to be out of town all day. So, I couldn't prepare the cod. I wondered how long it would be okay to leave it in the fridge (silly, in retrospect, but I had worries on my mind crowding out my common sense). I googled salt cod longevity. And had a good laugh at my own expense. Of course, it lasts virtually forever, being as how before refriger...

 This jam seemed to have rather a lot of sugar, so I decided to try Pomona's Pectin, to cut down on the sugar. I skipped the ginger and was not keen on using triple sec. Just straight up cranberries and rhubarb and sugar and Pomona pectin (with calcium water). I chopped the cranberries in the food processor prior to cooking the cranberries and rhubarb. This recipe appears to want you to chop the cranberries after you have cooked them. Which seems at odds with the order of things in this world. So I chopped the berries fresh.  The jars were standing ready to be filled, and soon after the sugar was mixed into the hot cranberry-rhubarb mixture, I was doling out this sweet red ambrosia into 8 ounce jars and sealing the lids. Then they were popped into a boiling water bath, and next thing you know, those lovely jam jars are sitting on the cutting board, cooling and doing their "ping thing."

I have been on a mission to find chestnuts (not the canned kind you use in stir-fry) ever since I bought this cookbook. This recipe sounds so delicious, and that was the one hard-to-find ingredient. I just recently gave up hoping to find it locally and ordered it online. I ordered roasted chestnuts, peeled, for baking, and they arrived in foil packages. The whole chestnuts in each foil package (5.2 oz), chopped in a food processor, amounts to one cup, so I used two packages, between the crust and the filling.  The recipe calls for a rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom. As I had no idea such a pan even existed, I just followed the crust recipe (yummy chopped chestnuts in the crust!) and laid the crust in a glass pie pan. It is a heavy crust, but the perfect compliment to the squash filling. I chose two small to medium sized delicata squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into slices for roasting. The recipe calls for shallots. Now, one can always use a regular onion if need be. Bu...

Who doesn't adore cheesecake? It's something I've always thought must be ordered at a fancy restaurant, as if an ordinary cook like myself would not be able to pull it off in an ordinary kitchen. Allow myself to introduce an extraordinary cheesecake, created right here in the parsonage kitchen by (drumroll please!) myself. As soon as I purchased the maple sugar (I had to special order it, as it could not be found in area stores), I was ready to go. And I discovered something that the chefs at high-end restaurants probably already know. It is incredibly easy to make cheesecake!  The Resident Archaeologist was, at first, hesitant to try it. He is a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to maple syrup or maple flavor in general. It must be on pancakes in the morning, and pretty much nowhere else. But he tried this cheesecake and pronounced it restaurant-worthy! The sour-cream-maple-sugar-and-vanilla topping makes this cheesecake really special. Serve with berries sprinkled on ...