Gleanings

Food & Wine magazine arrived yesterday and I find that I am truly enjoying it as it is packed with print as well as a lot thicker than the two other food mags I get. Here are some of the things that caught my eye and tweaked my attention.

Chipotle Mayaonnaise for Crab Cakes*
3/4 cup mayo
1 chipotle chile in adobo, seeded and minced.
1 T lemon juice
1 teas. Old Bay Seasoning
1 teas. Dijon mustard
freshly-ground black pepper to taste.
Mix the above all together and refrigerate
* Not that I make crab cakes from scratch. Blessed Trader Joe does it for me.


Dessert Ciders - I know about alcohol-based ciders, of course, but now makers are proffering "dessert" ciders. Eden Northern Spy Ice Cider, $22; Foggy Ridge Pippin Gold, $25; and Slyboro Ice Harvest Special Reserve, $24. Their described flavors -- crisp tartness with honey notes; spicy with a touch of citrus or a nice acidity and depth make them sound like a great accompaniment to Thanksgiving's traditional pumpkin pie. They are pricey at $22+ dollars, but you don't serve much of it. I'd look at Trader Joe or Bev-Mo for them.

A Pie So Simple That I Could Make It! and I need a back-up to my summertime Key Lime pie.

SALTED CARAMEL PIE
Store-bought graham cracker crust; follow package instructions.
4 T melted sweet butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 14-oz. cans sweetened condensed milk
sea salt
Optional: 2 cups heavy cream and 2 T confectioner's sugar beaten together for a topping

Scrape the condensed milk into a 9 x 13 in. glass baking dish, give the top a sprinkle of sea salt, cover with foil and put the dish into a roaster with enough water in it to reach halfway up the glass pan. (What you're doing here is making a primitive sous vide) Bake it at 350 until the milk begins to brown - it will be lumpy and resemble dulce de leche. Stir it every now and then.

Put it in the crust, cover it and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours. When ready to serve, peel off the covering and add the beaten cream and sugar. Garnish with a grind of sea salt over the top.