Lattice Top Apple Pie

Lattice Top Apple Pie

Filling
1/2 c sugar (for granny smith apples)
2T flour
½ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
pinch of cloves
3-4 lb apples (8-10 medium apples) peeled, cored and chopped. As many as you can fit in the pan.

tbsp milk
cinnamon sugar

Use two pre-packaged pie crusts, rolling them thin. Put one on the bottom of a deep pie crust leaving an inch or two around the edge. Fill with the apple filling. Roll out the other pie crust and cut into strips. Alternate strips across the top of the pie, weaving them together. Fold the extra dough over the edges of the lattice and pinch. Brush the top of the pie with some milk and then shake cinnamon sugar over the top of the pie.

bake at 375 for 45-60 min

Lattice top Apple Pie, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Lattice top Apple Pie, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Lattice Top Apple Pie, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Indiana County Covered Bridges

I visited my family in Home, PA. and went to see three of the covered bridges in Indiana County. The Kintersburg bridge is named after my grandmother's family (the Kinter's).

Kintersburg Bridge



Harmon's Bridge


Trusal Bridge

Orange-Ginger Swai

 

Orange-Ginger Swai Fillets (and pasta, and, um, overcooked green beans.. whoops.)

¼ cup orange juice (sounds snooty, but for this, fresh-squeezed really is best)

1 tbsp. ginger, grated (note: ginger grates best when it's frozen. I grate it, then loosely scoop it into a measuring spoon. Don't pack it down when you measure.)

½ tsp. black peppercorns, lightly cracked

½ cup cilantro, minced

2 pounds swai fillets (or other firm white fish. Salmon would also be wonderful.)

Combine the marinade ingredients, then add the fish; turn the fillets in the marinade to coat. Allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes, and up to two hours.

Heat about 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook fillets (remember to pick off the peppercorns!) about 4 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2ish minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. (It's also delicious grilled.)

It's really delicious as-is, but there are some sauces that go with it.. click here for more. 

Dulce de Leche Crepes

Dulce de leche is practically THE reason I'm grateful to have taken Latin cuisine last quarter.

Make your crepes (recipe yields 8-10 6-inch crepes):

2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3 tbsp. water
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 to 1 cup flour

Whisk together the eggs, milk, water and salt. Whisk in 3/4 cup the flour until fully combined. If it seems super-thin, add the remaining 1/4 cup. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and chill 30 minutes before using.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Check the consistency of your batter; you want it a bit thinner than heavy cream. Add a bit of water if necessary.

Pour about three tablespoons of batter into the skillet while simultaneously swirling the skillet to coat the bottom. Let cook for about 30 seconds; flip the crepe and cook another 15 seconds. Repeat with all remaining batter.




And now for the important part:

Dulce de Leche - South American Milk Caramel
(Heads up: You have to babysit this stuff to get good results. It's worth it, though.)

4 cups whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
Rum (optional)

Combine the mik, sugar, and baking soda in a pot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently; reduce heat to low and allow to simmer very gently, stirring frequently, about 1-2 hours. The milk will reduce, darken, and thicken to a spreadable consistency. Watch your heat; as the milk thickens, you'll have to start reducing the heat to prevent scorching (probably in the last 20 minutes of cooking). Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and stir in rum to taste, if desired.



Slather about 2 tbsp. of caramel on half of a crepe, and sprinkle with pistachios (or macadamias, or pecans, or whatever). Fold crepe in half. Spread a little caramel on the top quarter of the crepe, and fold in half again.

Young Gentlemen of Insufficient Means...

... also known as poboys. Delicious, and so much easier than I would've figured.



(School is forcing me to become more comfortable with frying; it's still not my favorite thing, but less daunting than it used to be.)



Po'Boys with Parsley Dijon Remoulade ("remoulade" = fancy word for mayo with stuff in it)

Fish:
1 pound firm-fleshed white fish (my favorite has been a fish called "swai," which our Winn Dixie carries. I've also used whiting)
1 egg
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
Vegetable oil for frying

Remoulade:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup dijon mustard
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. minced parsley
Salt to taste
(Combine all, and chill until ready to use; you can make it up to 3 days ahead)

Other components:
Shredded lettuce
Sliced tomato
Bread: 4 sub rolls, or one 12-inch loaf Frenchor Italian bread (for all the bread: it's best to split them and toast them under the broiler. Mmm.)

In a large skillet with high sides, heat about 1 inch of oil over medium high heat to around 350 degrees (or until your oil is shimmering in the pan, and a small cube of bread dropped into the hot oil sizzles and browns).

Lay your fish on a plate or sheet pan. Line another sheet pan with paper towels or newspaper; set aside.

Whisk egg with about 1 tbsp. water in a large-ish bowl. Combine cornmeal, flour, and salt in another bowl.

Coat a piece of fish with egg, then coat with cornmeal mixture. If your fillets are thick, repeat the process (dip into egg again, then into coating again) to give it a nicer crust. (One coating of breading is sufficient for thin fillets).

Lay fish into hot oil; repeat with as many fillets as your skillet will accommodate without overcrowding. Cook until light golden brown on one side, about 2-3 minutes. Flip fillet carefully and cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove to paper-lined sheet pan (if desired, use a thermometer to check the internal temperature, which should read at least 145 degrees).

Spread remoulade on bottom half of bread. Top with fish, then top with lettuce, then tomato. Spread remoulade on top half of bread (if desired - I recommend it!), and place on top. Cut sandwiches and serve.