Q). Dear Uncle John, this year my
kids and I did not carve out our pumpkins for Halloween. However, I
still have 5 big pumpkins. Do you have a recipe for pumpkin pie? I will
have your great-niece Kathryn bake it, as you know Kathryn is a
wonderful baker. Do you have other recipes for fresh pumpkin?
Naida
Monterey, CA
Via e-mailA). Hi Kids,
First I would like to congratulate Kathryn for showing some interest in
the profession. Keep it up young lady, bravo. Let’s talk about other
recipes for pumpkin first. For example, use pumpkin in a stew. Cut into
1 inch cubes and roast off. Add a healthy splash of chicken stock, some
heavy cream and roasted corn for a great soup. How about stuffing for
raviolis? Just mix some roasted pumpkin with ricotta, |
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grated cheese and roasted shallots. You can
also use this mixture diced in any soup. The point is to use your
imagination. Now for your pumpkin pie, try this recipe featuring a pecan
crust. So Nada, by trying out all these different ideas, I think we got
rid of your pumpkins. Say hi to all.
Pumpkin Pie Recipe
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 T. pecans, toasted and ground
1 T. unsweetened applesauce
2 whole eggs
1 cup pumpkin (fresh or canned also works well)
3/4 cup evaporated skim milk
1/4 cup apple juice concentrate
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. ground ginger
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch salt
12 pecan halves
1 t. maple syrup |
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Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl,
combine the graham cracker crumbs with pecans and applesauce. Press into
the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate, coated with a
small amount of canola oil. Set aside Combine remaining ingredients,
except pecan halves and maple syrup, in a large bowl. Mix until blended.
Pour pumpkin mixture into pie crust. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until
a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Refrigerate pie when
cool; cut into 12 equal pieces. In a small bowl, coat pecan halves with
syrup. Transfer to a lightly oiled baking sheet, reduce heat to 325
degrees and bake for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Place one pecan
on the outer edge of each slice of pie before serving. |
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Q). Now
that the rains have returned, can you recommend how to get started as a
know-nothing mushroomer? We always follow your mushroom hunting stories
this time of year and want to get out there and give it a try.
Grant O.
Seaside, Ca.
Via e-mailA).
Yes, Grant, get out there! But don’t follow me, too many people know
about my spots already. The great thing about being a shroomer is, like
fishing or golf, you don’t have to be good at it to have a good time. A
great place to start |
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would be a call to the Mycological Society
of Watsonville (831-722-4651). Learn from the experts. Never, never,
NEVER eat any wild mushroom unless it has been identified by a qualified
expert! Over the Thanksgiving week, we usually go to the best mushroom
hunting area on the Pacific coast – the coast of Mendocino. We go to
David Arora’s mushroom camp at Albion. David rents this retreat complete
with cabins and a large mess hall. We go out with experienced hunters
(some of them professional) and collect mushrooms. We then come back and
lay them out on a large table for identification by the |
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experts. Amazingly, we can find anywhere
from 20 to 60 varieties. The edibles are cleaned and cooked by a chef
David brings up. I usually do a cooking demo also using the mushrooms
that we have found. At night, David does a slide show about mushrooms
and his travels all over the world. He is a great speaker. We have a
contest for the biggest mushroom, the prettiest mushroom and the
ugliest. It’s great fun, great exercise, fabulous people and a great
family outing. David Arora is author of “Mushrooms Demystified” and
other great mushroom reference books. |
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Q). I
remember, some time ago, you featured different preparations of tongue
on your TV show. It reminded me of my grandmother’s beef tongue that I
was always to squeamish to try as a kid. Now that I have learned how
good it is, I can’t seem to find it in our local delis. Can you share
some tips on tongue?
Saundra P.
Carmel, CA
Via e-mailA).
How to cook beef tongue? Come on folks, keep reading, it’s really a
fabulous cut of meat that is surely underutilized. To me it |
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makes the best sandwiches in the world. I
gave Saundra a call and she told me this great story about trying to
cook lamb tongue for her husband. When she peeled the outer skin, the
meat was blue. One of her questions was how to keep the tongue from
turning blue. Well folks, I’m not really sure how to answer that. Just
make sure it’s cooked and served with condiments and dishware that go
well with that color. Buy one beef or veal tongue and soak it in salted
water to rid it of excess blood. Make a simple stock of water, carrots,
celery, onion, garlic, pickling spice and salt & pepper. Poach the
tongue gently |
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until done – when it slides off a fork – one
to two hours depending to the size. For sandwiches, cool, trim all
membranes and bits of bone, then peel off the thick skin (this is kind
of cool, really) and you are left with a beautiful chunk of 100%
useable, butter-tender beef. With mustard or chutney it makes a great
sandwich. If you want to serve it as a main dish, clean it up, peel and
bring it to the table pre-sliced to help in the presentation. Smoked
tongue is definitely worth a try, if you can find it or want to do it
yourself. |
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