Country Chef Reader

Happy New Year!

Excerpt from Pork Chops & Applesauce:
A Collection of Recipes and Reflections

Crab meat is Costly, yet an Oh-So worth it Treat

“I’d never bought a live crab before.” Kathy told me. “The crabber instructed me on how to cook them and I felt especially adventurous that day. So, I bought 4 of the bug-eyed, pre-historic looking creatures at an unbelievable low price of $1 each. It sounded easy enough, just drop the crab into a pot of rapidly boiling water and simmer it until its shell turns red.”

“Have you ever had to chase a crab around your kitchen? Or worse yet, have you ever been chased around your own kitchen by a crab?” She asked. “Well, I discovered the hard way that a crab needs to be dropped into the boiling water on its back. When I dropped the first crab into the pot face down, it quickly climbed back up the side of the pot, landed on the floor and, clacking its pincers, chased me screaming across the kitchen to the safety of a nearby bedroom.” Kathy howled with laughter as she remembered the incident.

“When I finally got the nerve to leave the bedroom, I chased him around the kitchen, grabbed the partially scalded cantankerous crab and quickly dropped him into the pot…on his back. Victory was mine!” She gallantly announced. “Without doubt, it was well worth the skirmish to get fresh crab meat and at such a reasonable price,” she added. “However, I think that kind of market low price is gone forever!”

Inexpensive crab meat is a price of the past. No matter how you weigh the critter - crab is gonna cost you. But for crab meat lovers the following Crab Meat Pasta-Shell Soup is Oh-So worth it!

Crab Meat Pasta-Shell Soup
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup celery, diced
1-2 tablespoons margarine or butter
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup ripe tomato, peeled and crushed
1/4 cup tiny pasta shells
1 tablespoon parsley, snipped
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
6-8 ounces fresh crab meat or 2-6 ounce cans crab meat, drained
with cartilage and shells removed

In a large saucepan, saute onion, green bell pepper and celery in margarine until tender but not brown. Add broth, tomatoes, tiny pasta shells, parsley, salt and pepper; bring to boiling. Cover and reduce heat; simmer for 30 minutes. Add crab meat and simmer 5 minutes longer. Serve immediately. Yield: 6-8 servings

This recipe originates from the kitchen of Cheryl Burke, Kent, Washington. Cheryl shared this crab soup recipe with me many years ago when she and her husband, Dan, hosted their annual Kent Fire Fighters’ Christmas dinner. Since then I’ve been making it every holiday season for either Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve dinner. It makes a satisfying and delectable main dish when accompanied with a dinner salad, fresh sourdough bread and chilled white wine. Crab Meat Pasta-Shell Soup gets a double thumbs-up from me as it’s incredibly simple to prepare, yet it tastes gourmet!

More recipes and stories for warming up during chilly winter weather can be found in my book, Pork Chops & Applesauce; Pacific Beach Clam Chowder and
Southwest Meets Northwest White Chili along with their accompanying sure-cure stories for warming you from the inside out.

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Smoked Salmon Chowder is a warming comfort food that is satisfying on chilly days, yet promises summer with sprigs of dill weed and parsley. Creamy sour cream thickens the broth and compliments the smoked fish, creating a lunch or dinner that’s sure to please all seafaring seafood enthusiasts.

Smoked Salmon Chowder
2 cups smoked salmon, cut into chunks, (alder smoked is my favorite)
OR 2 cups baked or canned salmon plus ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup onions, chopped
½ cup celery, sliced
1 cup green pepper, chopped (optional)
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
½ - ¾ cup sour cream or cream cheese
1 tablespoon fresh or dried dill weed
2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

Melt butter in medium saucepan; saute onion, celery, and green pepper. Stir in flour, slowly add broth and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until chowder reaches boiling point. Add sour cream, dill weed, black pepper and smoked salmon; heat 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly (do not boil). Garnish with parsley just before serving, season with salt at the table. Yield: 4-6 servings

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Of all sound of all bells... most solemn and touching is the peal which rings out the Old Year. ~Charles Lamb

Happy New Year!
C. Briggs

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Labels: crab, crab shell soup, crab soup, crabmeat, crabmeat soup, new year, salmon, salmon chowder, seafood, smoked salmon, smoked salmon chowder

Classic Rum Balls
1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ cup dark or light rum
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 ½ cups very finely crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup finely chopped, toasted walnuts or pecans

In a large bowl, sift together 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and allspice. Stir in rum and corn syrup. Stir in vanilla wafers and walnuts; mix well. Cover mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until slightly firm. It’s OK if mixture appears crumbly and dry; do not add more liquid.

Place the remaining ½ cup confectioners’ sugar in a shallow bowl.

Scoop out portions of the chocolate/rum mixture using a tablespoon; form into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in confectioners’ sugar, making sure to coat evenly.

Place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day place each rum ball in ruffled candy papers; place a sheet of waxed paper between the layers to keep from sticking. Rum Balls will keep for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Yield: 5 ½ dozen

Simply Decadent Truffles
2 ½ packages or 20 squares, semi-sweet baking chocolate, divided
1-8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
Chopped nuts, optional
Chocolate Sprinkles, optional

Melt 8 of the chocolate squares as directed on package. Beat cream cheese in medium bowl with electric hand mixer until creamy. Add melted chocolate; mix well. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until firm.

Cover baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper. Shape chocolate mixture into 30-36 balls, using about 2 teaspoons chocolate/cream cheese mixture for each ball. Place in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm.

Melt remaining chocolate squares as directed on package. Using a toothpick, dip truffles into melted chocolate one at a time; roll truffles in chopped nuts or chocolate sprinkles, if desired. Return to baking sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm. Place each truffle in a ruffled candy paper; store covered in refrigerator. Yield: 3 dozen

Variations: Add 1-2 teaspoons peppermint, rum or almond extract; or ¼ cup orange or raspberry liqueur to the chocolate mixture before shaping into balls.

Chocolate Swirl Bark with Cherries & Pistachios
2 cups (1-12 ounce package) semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 ounces (3 squares) white candy coating
1 cup toasted pistachios or pecans, chopped and divided
1 cup dried cherries or cranberries

In a medium-size microwaveable bowl, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth and set aside. In a separate microwaveable bowl, melt white candy coating; stir until smooth and set aside.

Mix 1/2 cup pistachios into semi-sweet chocolate; spread onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Mix cherries into white candy coating; pour over dark chocolate; run a knife through both layers of candy to swirl. Sprinkle remaining pistachios over bark. Chill in refrigerator until firm. Break into serving-size pieces. Store bark in air-tight container in refrigerator. Yield: approximately 1 pound

Scheduled Arts & Crafts Shows

Book Signing Events

Hope to see you!

Highland High School, 4700 Coal Ave SE, Albuquerque, NM, 87108, Saturday, Dec. 19, 9 AM to 4 PM.

Velocity Christmas Craft Show, Calvary of Albuquerque, 4001 Osuna Road NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87109, Fri. & Sat, Dec. 11 & 12.

Purse Party, 8001 Wyoming Blvd NE, Suite D4, Albuquerque, NM, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2 PM to 4 PM.

Liz & Gil Silva Home, 7709 Apache Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM, Fri. and Sat. Dec. 4 & 5, 9 AM to 6 PM.

Happy Holidays!
C. Briggs

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# posted by Cynthia @ 5:20 PM 0 Comments

On Thanksgiving Day your guests won't notice that you didn't fuss with pumpkin pie when you serve Apple Pumpkin Dessert. It's a delicious blend of apples, spices and pumpkin served individually with a zingy gingersnap topping. This recipe is one of many apple pumpkin recipes from my cookbook, Sweet Apple Temptations.
Apple Pumpkin Dessert
1-21 ounce can apple pie filling
1-16 ounce can pumpkin pie filling
1-14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup gingersnap crumbs, approximately 18 cookies
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400°. Spoon apple filling into 8-10, 1/2-cup size greased custard cups.

In a large bowl, beat together pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until well blended; spoon mixture into custard cups over apple filling.

Combine gingersnap crumbs and butter; sprinkle over pumpkin mixture. Place filled custard cups on a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan and add a small amount of water to the outer pan.

Bake for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 350. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until set in the center. Cool before serving. Garnish with a walnut half (pictured), if desired. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Hope to see you there!

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Labels: chili, chili relleno casserole, chilies, desert, farm living, farming, farmland, green chili, new mexico, peppers, roasters, southwest

Every year when Labor Day weekend rolls around my mind turns to the fall apple harvest. OK, I think about apples all year-round, but that's just me. At any rate, September is here and all of us will be experiencing cooler night and warmer appetites for heartier dinners.


Homemade Pork Chops and Chunky Applesauce are the first two recipes appearing in the introduction of my nostalgic cookbook, Pork Chops & Applesauce. Find more comfort food recipes at http://www.porkchopsandapplesauce.net/purchase.htm

Homemade Chunky Applesauce
6 - 8 apples, peeled, cored, diced (best to use several different varieties)
1/4 cup water or apple juice
1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Place prepared apples in a large saucepan, add water, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and sugar. Do not stir; cover with a tight-fitting lid. Place over medium heat. When apple mixture begins to bubble or steam, reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20-40 minutes, stir only when necessary to avoid scorching. When apples are tender, remove from heat and mash to desired "chunkiness" with a hand-held masher. For a thicker applesauce, cook uncovered, on medium-low heat for 5-15 additional minutes, or until applesauce reaches desire consistency. Yield: 6 cups

Note: The key to making the world's most flavorful applesauce is to use a variety of cooking apples in every batch. Adding 1 or 2 Red or Golden Delicious apples adds extra sweetness to the sauce. For a caramelized type applesauce, avoid stirring the apples during the cooking process. Do not stir after pouring the spices and sugar over the prepared apples, stir only enough while cooking to keep mixture from scorching.

Pan-Fried Pork Chops
6 – 1" thick, bone-in pork chops
3 tablespoons cooking oil
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Sprinkle pork chops with salt, pepper and garlic powder; set aside. Treat a heavy skillet with cooking spray; place skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and when "dimples" begin appearing in the skillet, add seasoned pork chops. Pan-fry over medium heat for approximately 10-15 minutes on each side, or until chops are crispy and brown on the outside with no visible pink inside next to the bone. Serve with warm Homemade Chunky Applesauce.
Yield: 6 servings

Note: Grilling has become a more popular cooking method for meat, chops and poultry. When I'm serving applesauce with pork chops I keep the seasoning simple as with pan-frying and then grill to taste. You can hardly go wrong by serving a fall dinner of pork chops and applesauce to your friends or family - it's a sumptuous autumn dinner everyone loves.


Cynthia Briggs

Labels: applesauce, autumn dinner, comfort food, fall apples, grilled pork chops, pan-fried pork chops

“It’s time to go up, up and away!” Our illustrious pilot, Bill, announced in a thunderous voice with the early morning wake-up call we’d been anticipating for weeks.

Bill was treating our family to a special ride on his immense air ship, Shenandoah. It was his way of thanking us for letting the hot air balloon club use our pastures as touchdown spots for their “Touch & Go” races.

Our pilot was as colorful as he was competent who spoke and walked like a man in charge. He sported an unkempt salt and pepper beard, and his signature flight suit was scruffy blue jeans, a red flannel shirt and cowboy boots. “I’ve landed this baby on a dime, more times than I can count.” He boasted as he was going over some pre-flight safety procedures.

“She’s ready for take-off!” He said, motioning for us to climb into the gondola. Any apprehensions we may have had before were instantly replaced with the excitement lying ahead.

Upon lift-off we experienced some bumps and jolts, but soon we felt a sense of weightlessness. It was an exhilarating ride as the Shenandoah leaned into the arms of the wind, and seemed to waltz her way through the chilly sky. Once we’d ascended to our maximum altitude and the burners were turned off, I felt like we were eye-level with heaven and a glimpse of the Pearly Gates was eminent.

There was no resistance of the wind against the massive air ship. She had become one with the air current. Suburbia below us was buzzing with the day’s activities, yet high above the silence around us was like none I’d ever heard.

Suddenly our serenity was interrupted by sheer fright. I looked over to see my eight year old son, Brian, sitting on the top rim of the gondola with his legs dangling over the outside edge. He was holding one rope with just his small hand, and he appeared oblivious to the danger that loomed. Brian had climbed up to the basket’s edge to get a better view when everyone else was looking off in other directions.

Foreboding doom gripped me. I didn’t want to startle Brian, so I quietly reached over and tapped Bill’s arm, and nodded in Brian’s direction. Without a word, Bill took one swooping step toward Brian while at the same time reached around Brian’s waist and then pulled him to safety inside the gondola.

Brian was miffed that we’d robbed him of his perfect viewpoint. But all was forgiven when our attention was drawn back to the breathtaking view surrounding us.

Our adventure was drawing to a close. The pilot began pulling on a rope, which opened the side of the balloon allowing air to escape for descent. Against the calm I could hear soft flapping sounds, which reminded me of sails slapping together in a strong wind.

Bill flawlessly landed the Shenandoah in a field of tall willowy grass. We followed the balloon’s swath through the grass in making our way to the chase car. It’s easy to understand why enthusiasts are passionate about the sport of ballooning as it was a spirit-stirring experience that is tempting to the thrill-seeking sensibilities. We hadn’t even had breakfast, yet we’d fallen in love with ballooning.

Following our maiden voyage, Bill and the chase crew surprised us with an initiation party. Stem-glasses filled to the top with champagne were set on the ground in front of us. Our instructions were to kneel on the grass with our hands held behind our back. Then we were to lift the glass using only our teeth and drink the bubbly down. We weren’t allowed to use our hands or arms to support the glass. It’s a hilariously funny task, and impossible to accomplish without getting your face and clothes drenched with champagne.

“I christen thee fearless balloonist!” Bill announced with overly-dramatic fanfare as he walked around the circle behind us pouring shockingly cold champagne on our heads.

Over a hearty breakfast the crew shared some of their most legendary ballooning adventures, most of which were nothing less than hair-raising. Had we heard their tales prior to boarding the Shenandoah, we probably wouldn’t have had the courage to embark on the never to be forgotten hot air balloon flight.

Up Up and Away Breakfast Puffs
1/3 cup shortening or butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cardamom (optional)
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350˚. Grease 12 medium muffin cups. Cream shortening, 1/2 cup sugar and egg together in medium size bowl. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cardamom; add alternately with milk to creamed mixture.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 20 minutes. Wisk together 2/3 cup sugar and cinnamon; set aside in large plastic bag. Immediately after removing puffs from the oven, roll in melted butter, then coat in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Serve warm. Yield: 12 puffs
Note: Recipe needs adjusting for high altitude baking.

Last week when a friend sent me this Summer Strawberry Salsa recipe I was thankful for two things 1) it's an excellent way to make-use of the cherry tomatoes that are ripening faster than we can pick them, and 2) that strawberries are available year round. It's an interesting salsa with a sweet and tangy twist that I'll be serving to guest this year when once again the hot air balloons are floating over our home during the 2009 Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.

Summer Strawberry Salsa: Combine 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves in a medium-size bowl. Add 1 seeded and minced fresh jalapeno chili, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 2 cups washed, stemmed and chopped strawberries, 1 cup finely chopped cherry tomatoes, and 1/4 cup chopped green onion. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes prior to serving with blue corn chips. Yield: 3 1/2 cups

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This year's apple harvest is just around the corner, and we all look forward to fragrant apple desserts bubbling in the oven. It's a perfect time to consider purchasing your personalized and signed copies of Sweet Apple Temptations and Pork Chops & Applesauce simply by clicking here: http://www.porkchopsandapplesauce.net/purchase.htm

Sweet Apple Temptations is a collection of over 200 delicious apple dessert recipes; recipes from A-Z that prepare you for the upcoming apple season and to get a jump-start on your holiday gift-giving. Gift wrapped copies can be sent straight to your door or directly to your loved ones with a card stating your personal sentiment. Contact me at info@porkchopsandapplesauce.net with your questions or comments, and to learn more about special pricing and discount shipping.

There’s a small choice in rotten apples.
--Shakespeare

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You'll capture the hearts of all your Valentine’s Day guests with these easy to make Miniature "Sweetheart" Cheesecakes by offering the objects-of-your-affection a rich selection of blueberry, red cherry and lemon toppings.