Apple Hand Pies

The start of fall means several things popping up on our agenda.  Rooting for the Florida Gator football team, watching the Phillies blow it in the playoffs (ugh), enjoying the perfect outdoor running weather, incorporating pumpkin into any and every dish possible, and picking apples.  Pick-your-own apple orchards don't exist in Florida, so we've become enamored with it since moving north.  After a lovely (but extremely crowded) afternoon at Linvilla Orchards, we came back with a box full of apples and a urge to bake.

I wanted to make a dessert that wasn't a classic apple pie.  While I enjoy pie, I wanted to make something a little neater, baked in individual portions, and able to keep in the fridge for several days (a pie wouldn't last long around here!).  I combined all of these ideas into one: apple hand pies!  Even though I'm a self-professed horrendous baker, these came out great- not the most attractive, but oh-so-delicious.

For the crust:
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled
1/4 cup ice-cold water

Just in case you need a visual.

Combine flour and salt, stir to combine and to ensure any flour clumps are broken up.  Roughly chop butter into 1/4" cubes and add to flour, incorporating with a pastry knife or by crumbling with your fingers, until butter pieces are about the size of a pea.

Add the water a tablespoon at a time, stirring to combine.  To make it easy, add two ice cubes to a measuring cup and fill to the required volume, then use a spoon to add the water from the cup to the dough.  Once all of the flour is incorporated, do not add additional water-- this will just make the dough sticky.

Pat the dough into a circle and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least thirty minutes while you work on the filling.

For the filling:
2 small apples (or 1.5 large), peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg (we used fresh)
a pinch of salt

We selected two apples (not really reducing our stock much..), one Granny Smith and the other a sweet, crisp red variety.  You can use whatever apples you have- regardless, these will turn out great.

After peeling and chopping them, we added them in a bowl with the remaining ingredients.  I'd recommend creating the filling immediately before your dough is ready, as the sugar and salt brings out some of the liquid from the apples and makes for a drippy filling.  It'll still work, but definitely makes things slightly more difficult.

Once the dough was sufficiently cold (chilling it is essential for rolling and shaping it), we unwrapped it and rolled it out on a non-stick surface (using a Silpat, but you can just as easily use a floured countertop).  The dough should be uniformly rolled out, to about 1/4" thick.  Rolling too thin will result in tearing; rolling too thick will create a more bread-like crust.

We then cut the dough into eight equal portions, using the back of a butter knife.  To make these more visually appealing, I would recommend using a large, round cookie/pastry cutter to make sure the shape of the finished product is uniform (my lack of kitchen utensils may be one reason behind my poor baking skills).

Each of these pieces is then shaped into a hand pie.  First, add 2-3 tablespoons of filling to the center of the piece.

Dip your forefinger in water and add a bit of moisture to the edge of the dough.  Then, fold one side over to meet the other, sealing along the edges.  Holes in the seal will result in bubbling over of the apple mixture upon baking, so be sure not to overstuff.  Carefully transfer the completed product to a greased cookie sheet.  If you want to get fancy, use the back of a floured fork to add crimps to the edges.  Extra fancy? Brush with heavy cream and sprinkle coarse sugar on top.  As you can see, we don't really do fancy.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until dough is slightly browned and hard to the touch.  Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.  These are best stored in the refrigerator, and are good for 4-5 days.

The finished product was just what I wanted.  A bit of spicy and sweet baked apples, with a hefty dose of light pastry (the crust is my favorite part of any pie!), individual portions (super easy to transport if you want to carry one with you for a spontaneous snack/dessert), and so much neater AND easier to serve than a messy pie.

It reminded me of a cross between an apple turnover and apple pie (my fiance equated it to a TastyKake personal pie- I'm slightly offended).  I will definitely be making these again next time I want to make a quick, easy dessert- the ingredients are pantry staples, and you could fill them with whatever fruit you happen to have on hand.

Hand pie in the hand!

Cochon

If you know us, you know that we're sticklers about planning ahead.  At any given time we know what we're going to be doing for the next six to eight weekends, we make meal plans and grocery lists before doing our weekly shopping, and we always like to have some good eats on the docket.  Before we left Charlottesville, we made reservations for the next time our C'ville friend would be in town.  Cochon came up as a match on our lists of restaurants we all wanted to try.  Fast forward to this weekend, and we were headed down to Queens Village to check it out.

Wide-mouthed pig.

The space is warm and inviting, playing on their eponymous animal without being kitschy- from the pervasive, mouth-watering smoky pork smell to the brightly colored pig-themed posters and decor. It's the type of place that you just instantly feel comfortable in, with an open yet cozy floor plan.  Our group settled in at a side table and started discussing the menu.  On the smaller side, but with each item sounding more delicious than the last- a handful of specials made decision-making even tougher.

I embraced the French influence of the menu and started with the escargots ($12).  Served in a small ceramic crock, the fat snails were immersed in a sage-scented sauce- the base of which was a chunky fresh tomato and fennel broth.  A compound butter melted in to the mix added garlic, herbs, and a creamy richness.  Chewy bits of salty pancetta complemented the soft, delicate escargots.

A started with the sausage cassoulet ($12), a simple bowl of slow-cooked beans topped with several thick, crisp sausage patties reminscent of breakfast sausage.  The sausage oozed a spiced oil that coated the beans .  Definitely another rich and hearty dish that is perfect for fall.

Another app that we got to taste (sharing was encouraged) was the crispy chicken livers ($11).  This dish has gotten a lot of positive press, and I really enjoyed the piece that I ate.  The outside of each piece of liver is crunchy crispy, while the inside is firm and smooth.  The actual flavor of the liver is certainly present but not alone- a sweet sun-dried cherry and balsamic reduction coated everything, with some pine nuts thrown in for crunch.  A didn't enjoy the liver flavor but appreciated the sauce- we love all things dried cherry.  I think liver is an acquired taste, but the cooking technique and flavor pairings were spot-on.

One of our favorite starters was the fried oysters ($14)- four enormous oysters in a thick coating of batter and fried to perfection.  The golden crust was a flaky jacket around each sea-salted bivalve.  Bacon aioli never hurts either.  I appreciated that these could be cut into pieces without losing their structure- an interesting characteristic that I have yet to see on a fried oyster.  Our well-versed foodie friend moved these to the top of his Best Fried Oysters list, and I can't argue with that.

Our table also ordered a special app of the evening- gnocchi with braised hare. Our waiter made a slight "mistake" in our order, which we actually appreciated- we ended up with the special gnocchi as well as the "regular" gnocchi-  the same soft potato pillows with pig cheeks, peas, and a Reggiano cream sauce.  I really loved the lighter pork and pea version- the flavor of the shredded hare meat was pretty intense.  The gnocchi weren't my favorite- texturally, I prefer them crispy and pan-fried.  

The hare version.

I didn't eat much of the gnocchi because I was saving room for the next round of food.  For my main course, I went with Cochon's Choucroute Garni ($26).  French for "dressed sauerkraut," this dish incorporated three different types of pork atop a bed of warm, mustard-y sauerkraut, fingerling potatoes, and a few crunchy pickles- an incredibly hearty meal (and completely shareable- tons of food).  The two spare-ribs were my favorite- thick slabs of smoky meat falling right off the bone.  The waitress who brought this plate to the table encouraged me to use my hands.  No problem!  The thick-cut, fat-marbled ham had a subtle sweetness to counter it's salty juiciness.  I embarrassingly mistook an enormous slab of pork belly for a piece of crusty baguette, which actually would have been a nice addition to the meal.  I'm not a huge fan of the super-fatty meat, but the rest of the table raved about the pieces I slipped onto their plates.  I loved that I could get a good feel for what Cochon could do with a pig with just this one dish- it was wonderful.

Too many meats to focus: spareribs in foreground, ham on right, pork belly in the back.

Although we had been encouraged to order the pork shank (and it looked amazing from my view of neighboring tables), A & I both wanted to try the Berkshire Pork Shoulder Steak ($25).  The base of the plate was incredible- a pile of al dente green lentils and charred Brussels sprouts in a red wine reduction.  I could eat that every day.  A generous slab of tender pork shoulder was pre-sliced (don't know why, but we love that), revealing a pink meat with a darker, seared edge.  Similar to a pork loin in flavor and texture, the meat was a tad too salty for my enjoyment, but A was in salty meat heaven.  A fried egg on top for good measure tied the rustic elements of the dish together.

Our dining mates ordered the Bacon-fried Pork Chop and the Pan-seared Skate- the former was thick cut, fatty, and incredibly juicy- a truly decadent chop- while the latter was really the only disappointment of the night- dry and salty.  After the requisite break to chat and digest (love that we were not rushed at ANY point during this almost three hour meal), our waiter told us about the dessert menu.  Because there were four options ($8/each), and four of us eating, the decision was pretty easy.  One of each, please! 

I can't say enough good things about these desserts.  They truly were the perfect ending to the meal.  After a barrage of salty, savory, meaty goodness, the desserts were each sweet in a subtle, complex way.  My favorite was the "Poor Man's Pudding"- a rich, maple syrup pudding topped with a thick layer of shortbread dough cooked to form a flaky biscuit-y top.  A scoop of creamy bacon ice cream on top, and this dessert became my new "pure food genius."

My second favorite was the bread pudding- somewhat similar to the above, but with a crumbly top, butter pecan ice cream, and an absolutely mouth-watering caramel sauce- it was like someone made caramel.. and then used the caramel to make caramel.  If that makes any sense- it was just ultra thick and ultra rich and ultra amazing.

Number three and four on my list were a raspberry compote topped with a nutty granola and a simple chocolate torte.  Good, but nothing spectacular.  I prefer a denser, darker torte- this one was a bit lighter, and the flavor was a little too subtle for my overly stimulated tastebuds.

The service was another highlight of the meal- at one point while we were waiting for dessert to come out, I realized there were spoons placed at each setting.  When I asked "When did these spoons get here?", one of our friends laughed at me... and then admitted he had no idea.  Subtle service is a true art form.  As I mentioned before, the coursing of the meal was timed well, giving us enough time to enjoy, thoughtfully analyze, and discuss each dish without a rush.  We all agreed the appetizers and desserts were our favorite parts of the meal- book-ending a fun evening of feasting.  

Cochon recently celebrated their four year anniversary- here's to many more!  I can't wait to return.

Cochon

801 East Passyunk Avenue (Passyunk & Catharine)

BYO & cash only

Two Eat Paleo

A couple of years ago, I came upon an article in the New York Times, describing a small group in New York City who followed a certain diet and lifestyle, and called themselves "The New Cavemen."  I remember being slightly horrified at the fact that many of them ate raw meat, practiced regular fasting, and had meat lockers full of animal organs.  Somehow, this strange way of living has become more mainstream, but thankfully has tamed down a bit as well.  Now simply called "Paleo," the diet/lifestyle (which actually dates back to the 1970's) mimics living as our hunter-gatherer ancestors did, subsisting on animal products and plants, undergoing brief but intense bouts of exercise, and reducing stress, all in the name of better health.

The paleo diet reverses a lot of popular diet mantras, such as embracing saturated fats and following hunger cues instead of eating three square meals a day.  It seems pretty novel, but actually has some similarities to the longstanding South Beach and Atkin's Diets.  I think men (and women!) just enjoy thinking of themselves as cavepeople.  While it can be used as a weight-loss diet, it also may improve symptoms of many autoimmune disorders.

To test out the paleo trend, we made a mini-Paleo feast for a friend following the diet/lifestyle.  A spaghetti squash in our CSA made it easy to decide what to make- Paleo spaghetti!  To start, I cut the squash in half, removed the seeds, and it lay cut side down in a pan with 1/2" of water.  While it baked at 425F, I got to work on the sauce.

While substituting squash for regular pasta is a paleo-necessity (grains came after the agricultural revolution), the sauce was pretty much anything goes.  I typically make a red sauce starting with fresh tomatoes, deseeded.  I also wanted to bulk up the sauce with a variety of vegetables, so added diced baby portobellos, spinach, and onions, along with chopped garlic and a sprinkle of oregano, thyme, and sage.

Meat is the staple of the paleo diet, so of course that was a must-have for the meal.  Humanely treated animals are preferred, as is organic everything- if you're going to go au natural caveman style, you should probably avoid pesticides, hormones, and antibiotic-treated animals.  I also made sure to avoid the lean ground beef- fat and protein make up the huge majority of calories consumed, so the more the better.

Once everything was in the pot, I let it simmer for half an hour.  I also added a can of tomato paste, since it adds intense flavor and richness to red sauce.  Cavemen had tin cans, right?

Once the sauce was a hands-off affair, I turned my attention back to the squash.  After 30-40 minutes, the skin should be supple and easily pierced with a fork.  Remove from the oven and flip over after draining the pan.  Carefully (it's hot!) use a fork to scrape the squash from the edges into the center- it will come away in threads, thus the "spaghetti" part.  Continue scraping until the skin is bare.  I piled all of the innards in the pan and added olive oil, salt, and pepper for a bit of extra flavor.  While spaghetti squash LOOKS like spaghetti, it doesn't exactly taste like it.

Once the sauce was ready to go, I quickly assembled the meal- a small pile of noodles...

...topped with a heaping pile of vegetables and meat.  The sauce ended up a bit more like stew- just how I like it.  Full of chunks of soft onions and tomatoes, with plenty of richness from the ground beef. It was filling and really delicious- I would probably make this even if I wasn't following paleo rules (and for the record, I'm not-- just one meal).  The huge pile of squash was fun to eat and didn't leave me feeling tired and stuffed like a big serving of pasta would.

Since I DID say this was a paleo "feast," of course that wasn't the end of the meal.  J also whipped up a quick dessert- an apple crumble.  Desserts are a little bit harder to navigate, since added sugar is a big no.  Thankfully, natural sugars such as that found in fruit are more than OK, and provide a great base for a twist on a classic treat.  First, she sauteed apple slices in a small amount of water and a hefty sprinkle of cinnamon.  Eventually, they released their own juices and began bubbling just like an apple pie.  The cooked apples were then added to a pan and topped with the crumb topping, which included:

• Sliced almonds
• Unsweetened coconut
• Ground flax
• Nutmeg
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Coconut oil

Baked just long enough to crisp up the topping, the dessert was a great end to the meal- a little something sweet without being heavy or needing an accompanying insulin shot.  The sliced nuts and spices made it seem extra treat-like.

While I won't be joining the bandwagon on this diet/lifestyle, I definitely see the perks.  I also can understand, scientifically, the basis behind the idea and wholeheartedly agree with many of their mantras.  A night of paleo in our household was a fun adventure that was quick and tasty- I'm sure we will do it again!

For more information about the diet:
The Paleo Diet
Robb Wolf

For Paleo in Philly:
Paleo at Penn
CrossFit Center City

Butternut Squash Ravioli

I'm definitely a creature of habit.  When my boyfriend comes to visit, I always cook a somewhat fancy dinner on Friday night, and we'll go out on Saturday- that way the 90% PHL flight delay rate won't interfere with a reservation.  This week we had a leftover butternut squash from the CSA, so I planned to make a rather elaborate butternut squash ravioli.  After poking around the Rittenhouse farmer's market on Saturday, I realized the bf didn't even know what a butternut squash looked like... so I present to you, a butternut squash.

Source

How cool is that??  A fun spin on a carved pumpkin.  But no, seriously, look for this in your grocery store or farmer's market: 

Source

I did a little prep work and cooked the squash a few days ahead when I was already heating up the oven for some beets.  Just cut the squash in half lengthwise, dig out the seeds, place it face down on a baking sheet, and bake for about 30 minutes at 400F.   I let it cool for a bit and then scooped out the flesh and stored it in the fridge till I was ready for it.

On Friday, the first thing I did was prep my pasta dough.  I've made pasta before, and it's super easy.  I did modify my recipe quite a bit, using different flour, an egg substitute, and no oil.  

Pasta Dough (makes 6 large servings)

3 cups flour (I used half all-purpose and half bread flour)

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

~1 cup warm water 

Mix salt into the flour.  Make a well in the flour and add your eggs into the well- we were low on eggs so I used one regular and one "flax egg"- 1 Tbs flaxmeal plus 3 Tbs water, which also gave my pasta a fun flax-flecked appearance.  From the center, mix the flour into the wet ingredients, then slowly add the water until all the flour is incorporated.  Knead for a few minutes until the dough comes together in a ball, then let it sit for at least 15 minutes.

While my dough was "resting," I prepped some ingredients for the other aspects of the meal.  I had planned a mushroom sauce, so I thawed out some ground beef and chopped a medium onion and a package of mushrooms.

I also sauteed two cloves of garlic and a shallot in a little olive oil and mixed it into my pre-cooked butternut squash.  After a couple nights in the fridge, the squash had released some liquid, allowing me to pour that off in order to make a thicker ravioli mixture.

By far the "hardest" part about this recipe was forming the ravioli pieces- it takes a bit of elbow grease and a bit of time.  Keep a little bowl of flour handy to dust your surfaces to prevent the dough from gluing itself down.  I took a small fistful of dough at a time and rolled it out on my Silpat.  As I've said before, roll that dough out as thin as you can- the thinner the better.  I was trying to get dinner on the table, so I was a little sloppier about it- which is fine if you don't mind fat pasta.

I really wanted to make consistently sized, round ravioli but couldn't come up with a good instrument with a sharp edge, so I just eye-balled square pieces with a butter knife.  Place the squares (or circles!) on a floured piece of wax or parchment paper.  And take your time- it may seem like the cut pieces are drying out but this is actually a good thing.

After I cut all the pieces, I finished prepping the filling, mixing a quarter cup of crumbled goat cheese, a splash of cream, salt and pepper and a few grates of fresh nutmeg into the butternut squash.

Making the actual ravioli is done in three easy steps.

1. Place a small blob of filling on top of a piece of dough (yes, this is a scientific process).  After a few you will get a good feel for how much you can use without overflowing.

2.  Dip the tip of your pointer finger into a small bowl of water and trace the outside of the dough. The goal is to re-wet the edge of the dough.

3.  Place another piece of dough on top and press down along the seam.  It's not so much a sliding motion-  more like you're pressing a row of buttons.

If you're going for visual appeal, you can trim the edges.  Then place the ravioli back on your floured surface.  Repeat until you run out of dough or filling!

 While I boiled a pot of water for the ravioli, I sauteed my pre-cut veggies and about 2/3 of a pound of ground beef, seasoned it all with salt and pepper and 1/2 tsp of thyme, and let it simmer in a 1/4 cup of chicken broth.

When the water was rapidly boiling, I dropped in 6 to 7 ravioli at a time.  If you try to cook too many at a time, the weight of them will cause them to stick to the bottom.  Thankfully, they float to the surface after about two minutes, inviting you to scoop them out into a waiting serving vessel- I opted for a shallow bowl.

 When I had my last batch in the water, I added a few handfuls of spinach and a splash of cream to my "sauce"- which really turned out as more of a chunky topping.

I topped everything off with a sprinkle of goat cheese and we dug in.

Everything came together pretty well- I thought the nutmeg and sweet squash in the filling and the more savory mushroom-thyme flavors of the "sauce" balanced one another.  The fresh pasta was a "fancy" touch, and a fun way to get my boyfriend involved in the cooking process- two ravioli-makers are faster than one!

While the meal was certainly more labor intensive than our usual "thirty minute meals," a bit of planning ahead  helped to get all of the components to come together at the same time.  Another one of my "creature of habit"... habits... is to write out all of the ingredients and a general plan on a notecard- an easy way to keep track of the cooking process along the way!

KoJa Food Truck

Food trucks.  I find a lot of people are surprised that we're generally wary of/don't frequent them.  I recently read somewhere that the average American eats out 5-6 times a week, and most of these meals are lunches.  If food trucks qualify as eating out, this actually makes sense.  If you are in or around University City during lunchtime, and you're an "Average American," chances are you're hitting up one of the dozens of mobile restaurants.  Our 1-3 meals out per week usually fall on the weekends at dinnertime, but this week we went out on a limb and hit up KoJa, a classic Penn campus truck serving Korean and Japanese food (hence the name).

Many of the trucks are only open during the lunch rush, but KoJa is one of the few that seems to be open whenever you need them.  Their truck is easy to spot, colorful and bright, a big step up from the plain silver exterior they had when we were undergrads.

Thankfully there was no line when we went- I find the long lines at some trucks negate the convenience of ordering your food on the sidewalk.  The server was friendly, although not particularly interactive.  J wanted to try a few items and started with the steamed dumplings ($3).  Nine mini dumplings were accompanied with a side of sweet, garlicky soy sauce.  Upon first bite we first noticed the thick, chewy wrapper.  J compared it to "a big bite of pasta," which isn't a positive comment.  We were also unsure of the contents of the dumpling- chicken? Mashed vegetables?  It probably shouldn't be that difficult to tell.

While the dumplings didn't hit a high first note, I was pretty much in love with the Chicken Stir Fry ($5).  An interesting take on stir fry, as all the items weren't fried together, but with a bit of rearrangement and a few good mixes, I was good to go.  Large cubes of chicken are cooked in a spicy red chili sauce (similar to sriracha), alongside shreds of cabbage and onion.  The pile of steamed white rice seemed large in comparison to the smaller quantities of meat and veggies, but eventually I realized rice was what was keeping the spiciness at bay.  I can tolerate a good amount of heat and this hit the spot.  The dish was also served with two fried dumplings- the same as J's side order, but with an ever-so-slightly crispier exterior.

A magazine clipping posted on the side of the truck announced the Bulgogi Steak Sandwich as one of the Top 10 latest and greatest sandwiches in the US.  We're not sure the exact source of this ranking, but we couldn't pass up a sample of the sandwich ($3).  Served on a classic hoagie roll, it actually resembles a typical Philly cheesesteak- slivers of cooked beef, onions, peppers, a creamy melted white cheese (my tastebuds say American), and a dab of sweet chili sauce.  22nd and Philly recently named this sandwich as one of their favorites in the city, but ours wasn't anything special.  The marinated meat had great texture, but it could have used a lot more flavor.

As a quick, cheap dinner KoJa (and most of the other food trucks on campus!) certainly sufficed.  It's a longstanding business for good reason- inexpensive, flavorful food that targets the right market.  However, we both walked away with the mutual agreement we wouldn't run back.  Next time we're in the mood for a food truck dinner, we're hoping to check out one of the latest additions, Cucina Zapata.

KoJa
38th and Chestnut