Apples Way Pasta Salad

Summertime is definitely pasta salad time (if you don't believe me, ask my blog: see In The Summertime Pasta Salad). Anyway, as I was saying, not only do we love it, but I'm always looking for that next great recipe. This one came to me via Ann (see I'm on a Mexican Toma-to). She made it and brought it over and it was an instant hit: rotini pasta, Parmesan cheese, ginger sesame dressing, Granny Smith apples (which are really the key to the whole thing as they not only a tart sweetness but also a necessary crunch) and cubed ham. Yeah, the ham seemed to be the wild card with me too. So when I recreated it (and you'll see below the recipe leaves room for interpretation, I omitted the meat. And used a slightly different dressing. And only had fussili on hand. Nonetheless, it was well received, yet I found something else was needed - something to add both color and flavor to this tried and true formula. I'm thinking salami and maybe a different cheese, a soft cubed variety instead of grated. Most definitely a work in progress - you know, the same only completely different.

Apple's Way, the 1974 short-lived show from Earl Hamner Jr. Yes, that's right, on the heels of his hit show The Walton's - a wholesome multi-generational family running a saw mill in Virginia, he decided to mix it up a bit with a wholesome multi-generational family from L.A. who decide to take it down a notch by relocating back to the patriarch's hometown (Appleton, WI) and run a grist mill. Ronny Cox (instead of Ralph Waite), hunky Vince Van Patten (instead of Richard Thomas) and a very young pre-Family Kristy McNichol (instead of six random other children). Needless to say, although imitation is the highest form of flattery, and even with guest stars such as Farrah Fawcett pre-Majors, the show didn't hold up and lost it's crisp after only one season.

Enjoy the cheesy opening credits:

The Recipe: (according to Ann)

Half a box of rotini (cooked)
Handful of grated Parmesan
2 green onions (presumably chopped, but she doesn't say)
half a cup of diced ham
2 small peeled and diced apples
1/4 cup ("tops") of Marzettis Simply Dressed Ginger Sesame salad dressing (I used Trader Joe's Sesame Soy Ginger Vinagrette)

Toss and enjoy.

Cast Iron Side Pizza

Just when you think you have run out of ideas/recipes and are ready to quit blogging altogether somebody gives you a iron clad reason to continue. More specifically, a cast iron skillet. What to do with this cooking relic? Could it still be useful in today's hard anodized society? Deciding to just roll with it, first things first, I had to rid it of its rust (steel wool) and season it (vegetable oil). Then I set out to find a recipe - with one catch: it had to be something for which I had all the ingredients on hand. I mean some days you just want to make do with what you have. I came across a lot of meat based dishes, but became intrigued when I hit upon pizza - especially since I had dough, sauce (pasta sauce, I never use pizza sauce), mozzarella cheese and some smoky ham at the ready. The hard part was transferring the prepared dough into the heated pan without losing too many toppings. Otherwise, it was pretty good, a little like a deep dish pizza appetizer and better than anything made at home in a conventional oven. I guess I'm going to sit back, relax, stop worrying and learn to love the blog.

Cut down by a sniper's bullet and condemned to life in a wheelchair, all the while fighting crime by the seat of his pants, retired San Francisco PD Chief, Robert Ironside (Raymond Burr of Perry Mason fame). lives up to his name. The series, Ironside, aired on NBC from 1967-75 featured a not-so mod  squad band of crime fighters. Burr, along side a straight-laced cop, a pretty blond socialite turned police woman and a reformed ex-con as his wheel man do their best to clean up the streets of San Francisco in a customized Econline van all set to groovy theme music by Quincy Jones. Proving that you can't keep a good man down, Ironside always cracked the case (with a guest star roster that included the likes of Harrison Ford, Robert Reed, Bill Bixby, Jack Lord, Norman Fell, Jodie Foster, Ricardo Montalbán,Gavin MacLeod, Burgess Meredith,Bruce Lee, and Ellen Corby) and rolled along for eight seasons as quite possibly the first major TV character with a disability.

The Recipe:

16 ounce pizza dough
cheese (mozzarella, fontina, gouda, whatever you have)
veg or meat toppings (or both)
sauce

Special Equipment: well-seasoned 10 in cast iron skillet

Pre-heat broiler on high. Heat the skillet on high for ten minutes. Meanwhile, on a well-floured surface, stretch out the dough, add sauce, cheese and toppings. When pan is hot (turn heat down a bit if pan begins to smoke) slide pizza in, being very careful as the handle will be HOT! Cook for one minute, then transfer pan to oven and broil 30 seconds. Turn 180 degrees and broil another 30 seconds. Remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board. I think you can do the rest.

Pecan Pie

So I have this friend who has a sister who makes pie. And not just any pie, but simply some of the best pies I've ever eaten (in fact that's the name of the company, find them at simplypiesllc.com). Apparently, the secret is in their grandmother's crust - and the quality of the crust can make or break the pie. These pies are imported, as well (at least from suburban Chicago to Detroit), that too might add to their cache. Anyway, having been happy to partake of the pumpkin at Thanksgiving,  I recently served up some pecan at a family gathering. Sweet, but not overpowering in sugar, and perfectly crunchy/nutty as it was chock full of huge pecans. Among the expected list of ingredients (pecans, corn syrup, etc) was a bit of a surprise: maple syrup. Served warm ala mode with a scoop of vanilla ice cream - desert so good it even got my family to shut their pie holes. It's a sign.

I know, I know, you'll have what she's having....In 1989's When Harry Met Sally, the question is not 'can a man and a woman be just friends?' but how many different ways can you pronounce Pe-can Piiee? Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal took romantic comedy (with the help of the brilliant Nora Ephron) and funny accents to a whole new level. In addition, we learned about the all important but doomed from the start "transition" relationship, and the definition of high maintenance. But most of all, that when there is too much pepper in the paprikash, we are happy to partake of the pecan pie (but with the ice cream on the side, and strawberry instead of pecans).

The Recipe: 
(Not simplypiesllc recipe, since that is double top secret. This one is courtesy of the Pioneer Woman.)

1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust (I Use "Sylvia's Perfect Pie Crust" Recipe
1 cup White Sugar
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Corn Syrup
3/4 teaspoons Vanilla
1/3 cup Melted Butter (salted)
3 whole Eggs, Beaten
1 cup (heaping) Chopped Pecans

Preparation Instructions

First, whip up your pie crust using "Sylvia's Perfect Pie Crust" found on Tasty Kitchen.

Next, mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl.

Pour chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.

Pour syrup mixture over the top. Cover top and crust lightly/gently with foil. Bake pie at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove foil, then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans.

NOTE: PIE SHOULD NOT BE OVERLY JIGGLY WHEN YOU REMOVE IT FROM THE OVEN. If it shakes a lot, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minute or until set. Required baking time seems to vary widely with this recipe. Sometimes it takes 50 minutes; sometimes it takes 75!

Allow to cool for several hours or overnight. Serve in thin slivers.