Te Deum
by Charles Reznikoff

Not because of victories, 
I sing,
having none,
but for the common sunshine, 
the breeze,
the largess of the spring.

Not for victory,
but for the day’s work done
as well as I was able;
not for a seat upon the dais
but at the common table.
In just a few days, people from all over the United States will celebrate Thanksgiving, a national holiday which symbolizes a time for people to come together at one table to break bread and give thanks. 
Last year, I wrote about the background of the first Thanksgiving and shared a menu with you that had some of my favorite Thanksgiving favorites: pumpkin soup, stuffed turkey roulade, orange cranberry sauce and my favorite chocolate pecan tart.  

For these recipes and more, click here:
This week, I will be posting more recipes that you can use on Thanksgiving Day and beyond. I am starting with this French Apple Tart, a recipe that I tweaked from the most recent issue of Cooking Light Magazine. I chose to make this tart instead of a traditional pie because it is lower in calories and it’s easy to make!  

Fairytale French Apple Tart
Serves 8

Ingredients:
1/2 (14.1-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
3 tablespoons apple jelly, melted and divided
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced

  • Directions:
  • 1. Preheat oven to 425°. Peel and slice apples. Keep them in a bowl of water with juice of a lemon but be sure to pat dry completely or add some flour so that the apples don’t get too watery and ruin the crust.

  • 2. Roll dough to a 12-inch circle and place in a tart pan. Brush dough with 1 tablespoon jelly. Place pan in freezer for 5 minutes.

  • 3. Combine brown sugar and nutmeg in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar mixture over dough. 
  • 4. Arrange apple slices in concentric circles on prepared crust. Sprinkle apples with the remaining sugar mixture. Bake at 425° for 35 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown.

  • 5. Brush remaining 2 tablespoons jelly over hot tart. Cut into 8 wedges.
  • Optional: top each wedge with 1 teaspoon crème fraîche or some vanilla ice cream!

Nutritional Facts (Per Serving)
205 cals, 8.5 grams fat, 32.6 carbs, 1 gram fiber.

Enjoy!

I have always wanted to make a butternut squash dessert. I’ve seen Giada DiLaurentis make fried dessert ravioli on Everyday Italian before, so I came up with my own version using butternut squash and cream cheese. This is recipe really simple, but be warned, these little fried treats are absolutely addictive! They’re also great for entertaining. 
FAIRYTALE BUTTERNUT SQUASH DESSERT RAVIOLI
(Serves 5)
Ingredients:
4 cups of cubed butternut squash, like a pack of Marketside Fresh squash at Walmart
1/2 cup of reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature (about 1/3 of a tub of Philadelphia Cream Cheese)
1 teaspoon of sugar (or packet of Splenda)
15-20 pot sticker wrappers
1 large egg
3/4 cup of canola oil
Optional: fresh mint leaves
Directions:
Steam the butternut squash ravioli in the microwave according to the package directions. (Just add some water to the bag, put in a small bowl, cover and microwave for about 2 minutes.)
Add the cream cheese to the butternut squash, mix well to dissolve the butternut squash cubes. Add the sugar. Allow to cool.
Crack the egg in a small bowl. Fill each pot sticker wrapper with about 3/4 teaspoon of the squash mixture. Brush some egg wash on the ends of the pot sticker wrapper, and press together to close. When finished, brush all the pot stickers with remaining egg wash.
Heat the canola oil in a large frying pan. When hot, fry each pot sticker until golden brown. Place on a paper towel to drain. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and garnish with fresh mint leaves. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
I know Thanksgiving is traditionally associated with pumpkin pies, apple pies, pumpkin rolls, and other fall baked treats. But anyone that knows me knows that I don’t (can’t) bake. That doesn’t mean I don’t try though! 
When you fail at cooking, many times you can save your dish by fudging the recipe or adding more ingredients. But baking is so scientific and mathematical, it hinders my natural instinct to want to estimate the measurements of ingredients and add in my own flare to a recipe. So, I did what I do best for my Fairytale Thanksgiving Feast.  I made a rustic baked apple and cranberry crumble.  I also found a way to add in chocolate to this meal. Because for me, that is always the best part! This Fairytale Chocolate Pecan Tart, while technically a baked dessert, is so easy to make and CLEANUP IS EASY. I adopted this recipe from a Cooking Light recipe. The entire thing is prepared in a medium saucepan on the stovetop and thanks to the refrigerated Pillsbury pie crust, it’s almost idiot-proof. And the results are sooo worth it. Believe me, if you like brownies or anything chocolatey, like I do, then you will have to make this tart. I promise it will be a recipe you want to make over and over again!

Fairytale Chocolate Pecan Tart
(Serves 8)
Ingredients:
1 cup Nestle’s semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
3 large eggs, beaten
1 Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust half (the kind that unrolls!)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an old-fashioned metal tart pan OR coat a removable-bottom tart pan with Pam baking spray. Lay the Pillsbury pie crust over the pan and gently press the dough into the sides of the pan. (Don’t force it into the crevices too much – you want to be able to get this tart out!)

Combine brown sugar, flour, salt and corn syrup in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat and whisk together until well blended. Bring mixture to a boil while whisking. Remove from heat and immediately add the butter, chocolate chips and vanilla extract. Stir with a wooden spoon until chocolate is smooth. Stir in the pecans. Let cool for a minute or two and add the egg.

Pour the mixture into the pie crust.  Back in the middle of the oven for a half hour. You can insert the toothpick into the center of the tart. It shouldn’t be wet or clean but have somewhat of a fudgy texture. You don’t want to overcook the tart.

When you remove the tart from the oven, if you are using a metal tart pan, let cool COMPLETELY for at least a half hour. Then gently press a large dish over the top of tart and turn over as you would a jello mold. Tap the tart gently on all sides and then left the metal tart pan away from the tart. It should be upside down on your dish. Invert the tart onto your serving platter.

Serve with a doll-up of cool whip or homemade whipped cream.

I baked! And I was so thrilled it came out to be so delicious! 

I also love to make this Baked Apple Cranberry Crumble. Like my summer specialty Fairytale Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble, this is a rustic dish that is easy to make and it’s fun because the measurements are really estimated. Usually I just throw in whatever I have or feel like using for the crumble topping. This dish screams AUTUMN and it’s a sure crowd pleaser! It’s also very portable. Hope you enjoy!

Fairytale Baked Apple Cranberry Crumble
Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour 
1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 stick of unsalted butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/4 cup of old-fashioned oats
1 cup of sliced almonds
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (divided)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (optional)
6-8 large baking apples (I like honeycrisp.) 
1 package of Ocean Spray Cranberries


Optional: Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for topping!


Directions: 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel, core and slice all apples. Place in water with lemon so that the apples do not brown. 

In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice (if using) and pinch of salt. Rub in chunks of butter with fingertips until it forms coarse crumbs.  Mix in oats and almonds. Set aside.


Spray a large 9 X 14 aluminum tray with Pam baking spray (or use Crisco or butter). Add the sliced apples and cranberries and mix well. Sprinkle crumble mixture on top. Spray with Pam baking spray or add some thin slices of butter over the crumble filling to get a golden brown topping.  Sprinkle with additional cinnamon.

Bake until filling bubbles and topping is crisp and crunchy, 45 -60 min. The apples should be tender and soft and some of the cranberries will have burst open. Let cool for about 15 minutes.  Serve warm with cold vanilla ice cream on top.

Enjoy!

Buddy Valastro, owner of Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, NJ and better known as the “The Cake Boss,” made an appearance last week at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts in Wilkes Barre. Valastro delivered a highly spirited interactive presentation to an audience full of googly-eyed Cake Boss lovers.  He conducted live cupcake decorating contests with young and old energetic audience members, some skilled in the specialized craft, others not so much.  But Valastro gave everyone a tshirt, and even gave one smitten Cake Boss fan the opportunity to propose to his fiance right on stage, complete with a rose and cupcake in hand. (She said yes!) Maybe he will make them a wedding cake?

Valastro engaged in a lengthy question and answer session with the audience, spilling secrets about his favorite cakes and not-so-favorite customers, all while carefully decorating a wedding cake by hand. He admitted that the most difficult cake he ever had to create was the life size version of his wife and that his favorite cake was the Disney Princess cake for his daughter Sophia because she is his “special princess.”

Valastro’s interactive show had an underlying message for Cake Boss lovers and aspring bakers of all ages that applied to life inside and outside of the bakery. “The American dream still exists today,” said Valastro, who lost his beloved father at the young age of 17 and suddenly found himself responsble for not only the bakery, but his large Italian family. Valastro perserved and succeeded, brining the bakery to even newer prosperity by integrating modern baking and decorating techniques with his father’s time tested and approved recipes. Valastro’s brought fame to the Carlo’s Bakery when his cakes began to appear in bridal magazines. He was then a guest on the Food Network Challenge. But his road to success wasn’t always easy. Valastro struggled when his idea for a reality show about the bakery was rejected multiple times by the Food Network before being picked up by TLC.  He stressed the importance of family support, a strong work ethic, the ability to laugh, and the importance of never giving up on your dreams. “If you want it, you can get it,” Valastro said. “You just have to work for it!”

 

The Cake Boss is now one of the most popular shows TLC and Valastro is flooded with requests to compete, teach his craft, and perform demonstrations around the country. To unwind, Valastro still enjoys baking and decorating cakes at Carlo’s Bakery and most of all, he treasures spending time with his family.

Cake Boss lovers, if you can’t make it to Hoboken to try one of Valastro’s favorite infamous lobster tail pastries, don’t despair. Valastro announced that the Carlo’s Bakery was currently building a 40,000 square feet facility in Jersey City, NJ that will have shipping capabilities nationwide so you will be able to have your Cake Boss and eat it too, all within the comfort of your own home.

Enjoy!
If you are looking for an easy dessert to make for your Memorial Day BBQ this weekend, look no further. This dessert is not only delicious, but it is also alot healthier than you may think.  I adopted this cobbler from a Weight Watchers recipe.  It’s VERY simple to make and almost fool proof. The topping has a biscuit-like consistency and combined with the sweetness of the warm berries, it is a very hearty, satisfying and fresh treat!. It’s the perfect kickoff dessert for a perfect summer! 
Fairytale Feasts’ Berry Cobbler
Berries:
1 cup blackberries
1 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)
2 cup(s) strawberries, hulled and halved
1/4 tsp table salt
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup(s) sugar (or Splenda)
Biscuit Topping:
2/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar (or Splenda)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp table salt
1/2 cup(s) buttermilk
2 Tbsp melted butter or margarine
Optional: Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, sprig of fresh mint.
 Preheat oven to 400ºF.   Combine berries, salt, cornstarch and 1/2 cup of sugar in a bowl. Place in shallow 2-quart ovenproof dish. Bake until hot, about 5 minutes.

While berries are baking, prepare biscuit like topping: In a bowl, stir together flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar, baking powder, baking soda and teaspoon of salt. Stir in buttermilk to form a sticky dough. Remove berries from oven. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto the berries to form a biscuit like topping. Brush the melted butter over the topping to ensure a golden brown crust. Bake the cobbler until topping is golden and fruit is bubbling, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cobbler sit for at least 10 minutes to thicken. Optional: garnish with fresh whipped cream or ice cream and a sprig of fresh mint. Serve immediately!  (Also, I found that this was great the next day heated up in the oven!)

Lady can’t wait for the berry cobbler to cool!!! And she knows good food! 🙂
Enjoy!
Highlights from An Evening of Fine Food and Wine at the Scranton Cultural Center – the Ultimate Fairytale Feast!

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending a truly magical evening of fine food and wine at the Scranton Cultural Center. This event showcased a diverse array of food and wine from many of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s best restaurants. Chefs performed a live cooking demonstration of their featured dish and sommeliers were on hand to explain the featured wine pairing.  This event was an absolute fairytale in itself and the food was a spectacular fairytale feast!

APPETIZERS

Upon arrival, each individual was placed into a group and given a label. I landed in the Chardonnay group, which was perfect because that is my favorite wine.  🙂 Everyone then entered the grand ballroom of the Cultural Center to feast on appetizers from different restaurants until we had to separate into our groups.

My first bite set the tone and the bar for the night: a spinach and riccotta ravioli from Angelo Bistocchi’s restaurant in Scranton served by executive Chef GianLuca Fremiotti. This homemade pasta plumply filled with spinach and creamy ricotta cheese and pressed together was delicious. When I asked what Bistocchi’s specialized in, replied: fresh food that is homemade. That’s more than enough reason for me to add Bistocchi’s to my list of restaurants I need to try immediately!

Another notable appetizer was the crab bisque from Coopers Seafood House served with mini toasted croutons. This soup was really a crowd pleaser. The only way I could have loved it more is if I were having it on a beach somewhere with someone else who really enjoyed it too 🙂 Coopers generously provided the recipe, which appeared in Bon Appetit Soups and Salads, Copyright 1983 by Knapp Communications Corporation.

Cooper’s Bisque of Crab Soup
As it Appeared in Bon Appetit


3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 1/2 medium onions, minced
1 medium carrot, finely minced
1/2 stick celery, finely minced
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsely
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 quart heated milk (4 cups)
3 tablespoons cream sherry
1/2 lb of lump crabmeat


Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and saute’ until soft. Reduce heat to medium and add flour, whisking constantly until smooth. Cook 5 minutes, whisking frequently. Stir in parsely and seasonings. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Add cream sherry, crabmeat and salt to taste and simmer 15-20 minutes. DO NOT BOIL! Serve hot.


If bisque is thicker than desired, stir in the whipping cream or milk to thin.

My next tasting was another soup but this one was very different. Chef Kate Gabriele of the Rustic Kitchen (one of my go-to restaurants in the area!) presented wonderfully light and flavorful gazpacho. Chef Kate hosts a live cooking show every Friday night at the Rustic Kitchen, “Cooking with Kate.” The show is currently featuring a cooking lesson on how to prepare a “Not Your Everyday Chicken Dinner.”  Chef Kate also offers an array of personal chef services including personal cooking classes and parties.  She can be reached at chefkate@hotmail.com.

Other appetizers included a jumbo sized meatball from Gilly’s Steak and Seafood in South Scranton, a grilled shrimp and tortellini kebab from Constantino’s.

The State Street Grill in Clarks Summit prepared a very flavorful mushroom risotto that I would love to get the recipe for so I can have it again!

DINNER

After feasting on the above appetizers, each group was called to begin their journey into the various rooms of the Cultural Center.  Our first stop was the newly renovated third floor of the Cultural Center, which the Masons used to use as a museum.  There we sampled food from the eloquent French Manor in South Sterling in the Poconos.  On the menu for the night was a tender seven pepper and coffee rubbed filet mignon medallion with horseradish potatoes and pickled twirled red beets with a muchroom cognac cream. A lavender and honey glazed baby carrot delicately accompanied the dish. Each bite was absolute perfection!!!
It was accompanied by an El Portille wine from Argentina, a spicy and peppery wine with notes of chilies and earthy vegetation.

Next we then made our way to Robert P. Casey Library on the second floor of the Cultural Center, which featured walnut walls, a stone and tile fireplace, and leaded glass windows to feast on food prepared by Patsels in A porcini mushroom encrusted Chilean Sea Bass topped with a lemon aioli.  Accompanying the sea bass was one of my all time favorite salads: shaved fennel and orange. I really loved this dish and can honestly say that it was the best piece of sea bass I ever had! Bravo Patsels!

Next we made our way to the Ladies’ Parlor on the second floor of the cultural center for a tasting from Casey’s Corner at the Scranton Hilton.  I enjoyed learning about the history of this room, which has undergone recent enhancements, and learned that there were secret passage ways leading to the room throughout the building so that the woman could enter without being seen.  I also learned that there was a kitchen on each floor of the cultural center because the Masons used to have social events there in the 1930s and 1940s. The lead chef from Casey’s prepared an excellent meal of teriyaki salmon with sauteed spinach over a soba noodle cake. The salmon was cooked perfectly – it was warm with a bright pink center. It was so good I almost asked for another one!

Next we made our way down to the next station: Carmen’s Ristorante, at the Radisson Hotel, also known as the Lackawanna Station. We feasted on kurobuto pork chops with port glazed peaches and red onions, topped over an herbed mashed potato croquette. The chef from Carmen’s gave a really nice and detailed presentation. He told us that kurobuto was the Japanese name for black hooves. He explained that because pigs have no sweat glands, they cool themselves down by wallowing in mud, hence the phrase, “sweating like a pig.” However, these kurobuto pigs get freshwater streams to cool themselves down in – I am guessing that is what makes them so good!

Carmen’s Kurobuto Pork Chops with Port Glazed Peaches & Red Onion
Serves 2
Chef de Cuisine: Stefen Purta


Pork
2 10 ounce Kurobuto Pork Chops
Salt and Pepper to Taste


Season Pork Chops with Salt & Pepper. Place on grill for 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove from grill and roast in a 350 degree oven for 7-10 minutes for medium to medium well.


Port Wine Bordelaise
1 Shallot (Minced)
1/2 cup Port Wine
1 cup Demi Glace
Salt & Pepper to Taste


Saute’ Shallots in oil until they turn translucent. Deglaze with Port Wine and cook until flame disappears. Add Demi Glace and reduce sauce by 1/2.


Glazed Peaches & Red Onion
1 Shallot (Minced)
1 Clove Garlic (Minced)
1/2 Red Onion (Julienned)
1-2 Fresh Peaches (Pitted & Sliced)
1 cup Port Wine
1 tsp Sugar
Salt & Pepper to Taste


Saute shallots in garlic and oil until they turn translucent. Add onions and peaches and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add Port Wine and sugar and reduce until liquid is almost evaporated.

Last, but certainly not least, was a tasting from one of my favorite restaurants in Northeastern Pennsylvania (besides the Gramercy, of course!): Fire and Ice on Toby Creek. This place is truly a gem of our area and in my opinion, not given enough credit! Their food is anything but boring. They take risks and it pays off.  Executive Chef Gary Edwards was on hand to explain the dish he had prepared: Skate Wing Beurre Noisette Sauvignon Blanc Reduction with Bacon Crushed Potato and Braised Leek Arugula.

I had never tasted skate before but I don’t know why I was worried. Anything prepared by Fire and Ice has been amazing and truly a Fairytale Feast. (Stay tuned for my complete review of my favorite dishes from Fire and Ice … coming this week!)  Chef Edwards explained the origins of skate and even handed out a flyer which stated that skate is a mild white fish, often compared to the flavor of a scallop and sometimes to crab or lobster. The French have long appreciate skate (“raie”) and it is also becoming more popular in the United States because of its flavor and quick and easy preparation.  It is often prepared in a beurre noisette (brown butter) sauce and finished with capers, lemon and vinegar, or poached in court bouillon (aromatic stock) and finished with fennel, celery root or lightly sauteed arugula or other like greens.


Skate Wing Beurre Noisette Sauvignon Blanc Reduction
6 oz. skate
3 tablespoons of flour
coarsely chopped curly parsley
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
juice and zest of one lemon
2 oz crisp Sauvignon Blanc
1 oz butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minched shallot
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed.


Pat skate wing dry. Season with salt and pepper, dust in flour and sear in hot saute pan with half of the butter and olive oil.  Cook for 2 minutes on each side until golden and remove to rest.  Add remaining butter and allow to brown slightly.  Add lemon, white wine, caper and parsley.  Reduce slightly. Sauté arugula and garlic in another hot pan until lightly wilted.  Serve fish over arugula and bacon crushed potatoes.

DESSERT

Finally, the guests convened back in the grand ballroom to feast on a gourmet dessert buffet. There was a chocolate fondue fountain.

I quickly made my way to the table of imported gourmet cheeses from igourmet.com, a perfect compliment to the wine I had been enjoying all night.

My favorite dessert was by far the strawberry and rasberry shortcake from Epicurean Delight. I only wish I had the recipe! The biscuits were so fresh and fluffy, the fruit was to die for, and the whip cream on top might have been the best I ever had. Simple, elegant, and tasteful: the perfect fairytale dessert.

Overall, the night was a magical experience! I loved learning about the history of the beautiful Scranton Cultural Center and being able to partake in a true fairytale feast! Can’t wait to see what is on the menu for next year! 🙂 Enjoy!

Deep fried cheesecake bites? I thought they were a myth but they really exist!

While at lunch today I came across these little munchkins on the dessert buffet table at Carmens at the Radisson. (Great lunch btw, esp for special occassions! Very pretty/historic setting, food excellent and only 12.95 pp) Completely clueless about what these bites were, I decided to try one. I nearly died after my first bite. “OMG!!!! There’s cheesecake inside of these!!!! Its deep fried cheesecake!!!!” My heart skipped a beat. My healthy conscience screamed at me to spit it out but I knew I had to finish it. And let me tell you, it was worth it! Creamy banana cheesecake on top a graham cracker crust – drenched in batter and deep fried. A sin of the highest level. The funny thing is, I didn’t really even like cheesecake – until I had it deep fried 🙁 I loved the temporary pleasure and the instant gratification it brought. You have to try these bites just once! Even if it does mean 30 extra minutes at the gym for one bite …
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