Category: By Technique

Apple-Chestnut Bread Dressing

A traditional side dish at Thanksigiving, some people use this to stuff their turkey, but the emerging consensus is that it’s better to bake it separately — which is good news for us vegetarians! I made this for the first time at this year’s Thanksgiving, after reading a dozen different recipes and extracting the elements

Creamed Spinach

Sauté a large chopped onion in half a stick of butter until onion softens. Optionally add a carrot, a bell pepper, a large mushroom, or a handful of chopped cherry tomatoes. Make a space in the center of the pot, add garlic, basil, paprika.  Cook a few minutes to take the edge off the garlic.

Marlborough Pie (Apple Custard Pie)

Marlborough pie is found in an English cookbook from 1660, and was popular in New England through the mid-1800s. Make a pie crust. Prick the crust with a fork, and/or cover it with a circle of parchment paper and sprinkle it with pie weights, then blind-bake the crust until it just starts to brown (10-15 minutes).

Pumpkin Pie

Make a pie crust. Prick the crust with a fork, and/or cover it with a circle of parchment paper and sprinkle it with pie weights, then blind-bake the crust until it just starts to brown (10-15 minutes). Prepare 1 pound of pumpkin puree. You can purchase this in a can, or make it fresh by roasting a

Brown Gravy

How to make a proper brown gravy — it’s just like making a Béchamel cream sauce, except that instead of melted butter, you start with the fat and drippings collected in the pan after roasting meat: Roast meat in a roasting pan, then remove from oven, let it rest for a bit, and remove it from

Roast Turkey

For Thanksgiving this year, Piglet roasted two small turkeys instead of one, and was pleased with both the flavor and the shorter cooking time. Here’s her technique: The day before cooking, “dry brine” the turkey by rubbing it with half a cup of coarse salt and a mix of dried herbs and spices. Air-dry in

Sour Cream Cake

Preheat your oven to 350°. Cake pan: 9″ round, 9″ square, 9×12″ rectangle, two loaf pans, or equivalent. Butter the inside of the cake pan. 1/2 cup butter (1 stick, at room temperature) 1 cup sugar Combine the butter and sugar and beat until creamy. (Use a stand mixer if you have one, or an

Quiche Formula

You can make a quiche out of almost anything! Mix and match your cheese and vegetable choices to taste, and then follow this simple formula. Based on the Moosewood quiche formula, by Mollie Katzen. A basic piecrust. Around 1 lb. shredded or crumbled cheese: cheddar, goat, swiss, or whatever you like. Around 1-2 cups cooked

Poundcake

The Evans family poundcake receipt. 2 sticks butter (1/2 lb.) 2 cups sugar 5 eggs 2 cups flour (240 grams) Cream butter & sugar together. Separate eggs. Beat in the egg yolks. Mix in flour. Fold in the egg whites.  Do not over-beat. You should expect a sour-cream-like consistency to your batter.  Line a ring

Pie Crust

[Piglet posted this to her Dreamwidth page in October.] Because I can’t find anything unless it’s online: my pie crust formula. Makes one bottom crust. 1 stick of butter (1/4 pound) 180 grams (1 1/2 cups) flour salt [a pinch] sugar [1/2 tsp] ~6 Tablespoons ice water, dash of vinegar optional Cut butter into salted,