Pumpkin Shortage!

So, I was at Publix tonight looking for canned pumpkin to make Pumpkin Crack 2.0 or Pumpkin Pie, and the nice stockperson told me that there’s a national pumpkin shortage.

We went and checked Aisle 1 and sure enough, no pumpkin.

I don’t want to start a pumpkin scare or anything, but there’s no pumpkin, folks.

Lemme know if you find pumpkin out there. We can ebay it for $10 a can.

Triple Chocolate Cake

Now here’s an Azar family classic! Not sure where we got the original recipe from. Maybe Mom can provide that information in the comments.

This is a very versatile cake that I usually make each year for Christmas gifts for neighbors and coworkers. You can make a single bundt cake, two standard loaf cakes, or multiple small loaves. Use rum, bourbon, or any other liquid, depending on whether you’re giving the cake to the boss (bourbon!) or taking it for snack at the AA meeting.

1 devil’s food cake mix

1 4-oz chocolate instant pudding mix

½ cup coffee

4 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

½ cup dark rum (or bourbon)

½ cup oil

12 oz mini morsels

Blend all ingredients except chips. Fold in chips. Bake in greased and floured pans. If you’re doing a bundt pan, bake for 55-60 minutes on 350. Reduce times for smaller loaf pans.

Shrimp Mousse

This is an Azar’s Party Pantry recipe about which my mother said, “People will stand around it and eat it until it’s gone before they ever move on to anything else.” There have been quite a few versions around town in the past few years, but I think ours is the best. And it was thoroughly tested!

1 can condensed tomato soup

1 package cream cheese, softened

1 cup mayonnaise

1 envelope plain gelatin

2 cups chopped cooked shrimp

1 small bunch of green onions, finely chopped

½ cup hot water

Dissolve the gelatin in water. Mix together the shrimp and onions, then stir in the gelatin. Heat the soup and cream cheese until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the mayo and the shrimp mixture. Pour into a jello mold and chill several hours or overnight. Serve with crackers.

Optionally, you can omit the gelatin and water.  The result will not mold into a shape, of course, but it tastes great and you can even serve it warm, although it’s a little runny on the crackers that way.

Pig Picking Cake

Long ago, when we lived in Greenville, NC, our friend Lori Araj made this fresh, fruity cake.

1 box butter cake mix

2 tbs butter

4 eggs

1 can mandarin oranges with juice

½ cup vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients and pour into 3 greased and floured layer cake pans (round). Bake for 25 minutes at 350. Cool layers completely before icing.

Icing

1 large can crushed pineapple with juice

1 large box instant vanilla pudding

1 8-oz carton of cool whip

Beat with mixer and then spread over cake.

Cake must be refrigerated.

Party Pantry Punch

This is the basic punch recipe that the family catering business (Party Pantry) used for years and years. It’s simple and delicious. You can doctor it up with different fruit juices or flavored alcohols.

Base mix:

1 pint orange juice concentrate

1 pint simple syrup

1 large can pineapple juice

Punch:

½ base mix (see above)

4 liters gingerale

2 liters club soda

2 liters Collins mixer

 

“No-Knead Bread”

This is adapted from the Cook’s Illustrated version that was so popular this year (2009). I believe that, in turn, was based on a version developed by the New York Times.

Whisk together 3 cups bread flour, ¼ tsp instant or rapid-rise yeast, and 1.5 tsp salt.

In a measuring cup or bowl, combine 7 oz room-temp water, 1 TB white vinegar, and 3 oz beer (“mild flavored lager”)

Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry mixture. This will form a shaggy ball. Some of the dry ingredients may refuse to join the party, lying around the bottom and sides of the bowl. That’s fine. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set in a room-temp or warmish spot for 8 to 18 hours.

Dump your doughball out onto a floured surface and knead it about 6 times or more, until it flat out refuses to participate any more. (To knead, basically fold it in half, then turn 90 degrees and fold it in half. Repeat.) While you’re kneading, you can ponder the fact that the name of the bread is actually a lie. 

Shape the dough into a ball, tucking all the edges underneath to get a smooth surface. Place your doughball onto a ~12 inch piece of parchment paper inside a 10” skillet or similar pot or bowl. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and return it to its non-cold location for 2 hours.

During the last 20 minutes or so of your 2-hour rise, put your cast iron, tightly lidded Dutch oven into the oven. Don’t have one? Try a stock pot or regular oven-safe Dutch oven. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees!

When you’re ready to bake, either lightly flour the dough or coat it with olive oil, then cut a long slit in the top. Transfer the dough, including the parchment paper, into the Dutch oven. Reduce heat to 425 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking another 20-30 minutes.

Note: this last time I made the bread, I experimented with the times. I did a 6-hour initial rise and a 1.5 hour second rise. The bread tasted good but was very dense.  I think you should stick to at least an 8-hour initial rise.

Cream Cheese Bars

If you hunt for a recipe for Gooey Butter Cake (a St. Louis bakery favorite), you will frequently see this recipe. It is not, in fact, GBC. However, it is a very delicious dessert!

1 box yellow cake mix

1.5 sticks butter

1 egg

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 tsp vanilla

1 box confectioner’s sugar

2 eggs

Mix together the first 4 ingredients, and then press down in a 13 x 9 pan. Beat the remaining ingredients, and then pour over the first mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly. Cut into squares when cool.

Sweet Potato Hash

 

This is a wonderful, mellow, hearty hash that makes a great breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s great with a beer, although that’s not recommended for weekday breakfasts

1 lb smoked sausage (I like Conecuh brand) halved lengthwise and cut into 1” pieces

2 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (fairly small dice)

½ Vidalia onion, diced

½ cup chopped red, yellow, or orange pepper

1 medium tomato, peeled and chopped

¼ cup chopped green onion

1 clove garlic, minced

I do all the chopping the night before, to minimize prep time in the morning (not a morning person!). If you dice the potatoes the night before, you need to store them in the fridge, submerged with water  and (preferably) a little lemon juice to prevent oxidation.

If you store the potatoes in the fridge overnight, drain the cold water and replace it with warm water. Your first step is to par-cook the potatoes in water in the microwave for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the potatoes are par-cooking, get your biggest skillet hot and brown the sausage. Remove the sausage to a plate, keeping the fat in the pan. Turn the heat down to medium, and  saute the onion, tomatoes, peppers, and garlic in the fat, adding a little olive oil if necessary. Saute until they start becoming translucent, brown, and carmelized.

Drain the potatoes and dry them off on paper towels. Remove the vegetables to the plate with the sausage. Turn the heat up, add a tablespoon of butter to the pan, and then add the potatoes. Don’t stir them too much or (depending on how much you par-cooked them) they will start to mash. Your goal is to get them crispy and brown on the outside and just done on the inside. You may need to add more oil or butter. Salt and pepper to taste. When the potatoes are just about done, return the meat and veggies to the pan and sprinkle with green onion. When everything’s nice and warm, remove from heat and serve.

I like to serve in the skillet…it’s such a rustic-looking dish. Hash is frequently served with a fried egg. I don’t do fried eggs, but feel free.

I have toyed with the idea of using half sweet potatoes and half white. Maybe next time.

Cheese Torta

Cheese Torta

My sister Allison requested this recipe, and I was so happy to be reminded of it!

This is a much-beloved savory cheese “spread” that is much more sophisticated than a typical cheese-cube offering without frightening guests who are put off by less-popular cheeses. The addition of other savory ingredients makes it an all-in-one-dish alternative to a proper cheese course.

The recipe was highly inspired by the one in Intimate Gatherings by Ellen Rose and Jessica Strand. I have made it many times, substituting cheeses I had on hand or that looked interesting in the store. For example, substituting shredded Gruyere or Jarlsberg for the blue cheese is a milder, yet pleasing option.

You can make one big cheese torta or multiple small ones. I find that the multiple small ones are so pretty and dainty, plus you can keep putting a fresh one out for longer-lasting events.

1 clove garlic, minced

½ bunch green onions, finely chopped (alternatively, you can use minced shallots)

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

4 oz Neufchatel cheese at room temperature

4 oz goat cheese crumbles

1 TB dry vermouth or white wine

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

½ cup chopped nuts, such as pistachios or walnuts

½ cup sundried tomatoes, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, then drained and finely chopped

12 large basil leaves, finely chopped

3 basil tops (the top 4 leaves, still attached to each other) for garnish

In one bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients and mix well until a homogeneous mixture forms.

In another bowl combine the next 4 ingredients and toss well.

The construction method is the same whether you are making one large or multiple small tortas: line either a 2-cup bowl or mold OR about 3 smaller ramekins or teacups with plastic wrap, leaving a couple of inches of extra plastic wrap hanging over the edges. Place one of the basil tops in each small container OR multiple tops in the one bigger container, upside down. (When you unmold the cheese torta by flipping it over, this will be the presentation side – up.) Optionally, add a few whole nuts.

Place a layer of the blue cheese/tomato mixture in each container, then spread a layer of the Neufchatel mixture on top, being sure to spread it all the way to the edges.

Repeat with a second layer of blue cheese/ tomato, and then a second layer of Neufchatel. Gently tamp this down into the bowl or mold with the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula.

Cover with the excess plastic wrap and chill for several hours so the flavors can wed and the torta is firm.

Unmold by turning the torta(s) onto serving plates and removing the plastic wrap. Serve with crackers or unseasoned crostini.

My favorite containers to make these in are round-bottomed teacups. Using 3 of these gives you 3 pretty and accessible tortas. You can either go rustic and serve them on a small decorative cutting board, or go fancy and place them on small china serving plates.