Your Pie Your Way

Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away followed by one of the busiest baking seasons of the year. One standard , pie is expected at Thanksgiving with maybe one or two gracing a holiday party buffet..Most home bakers panic at baking one. It's sometimes isn't an easy sweet to make.Not to worry.Pick a pie that suits your expertise and run with it.

Beginner bakers - or those who don't have the time  to go through the whole ordeal of making and rolling out dough can use a pre made pie shell. Keebler and Nabisco both have their own, Keebler has a graham cracker crust one while Nabisco offers an Oreo crumb crust. Both can be used in making simple as  - well - pie  cream pies, using instant pudding as  filling. A vanilla pudding pie , topped with a simple whipped cream is a nice refreshing dessert.Another idea is a butterscotch pie , made with instant pudding is simple  enough for even a tween to make. Jello now has a pumpkin spice pudding that can easily be made into a pie..The Oreo crust almost begs for a wild filling. Try it filled with Hershey's brand dark chocolate or milk chocolate pudding. You can add a few drops of mint flavoring to the dark chocolate for a take on grasshopper pie.A more elegant dessert is a white chocolate pie, topped with either raspberries or cherries. These pudding pies are a snap to make.It's just preparing the pudding with less milk than needed and then poured into the shell. Setting time is only two or three hours . You could even whip up a few for a big holiday get together  or Sunday football party.

Crust pies are a little more labor intensive. If you're still unsure about your baking skills then buy ready  made pie dough. More or less it tastes like the homemade kind.If you do decide to make your own keep a few things in mind. Lard makes for the best rust, giving it a light and flaky texture.This is the crust you use for fruit pies,because the layers absorb the fruits' liquids without becoming soggy.. Cream or custard pies need a crust that has a mealy or granulated  texture.Use butter for this.,Remember that whatever fats used, they have to be  to be super cold for it to blend well with the flour. Most home bakers want to make apple or pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. Both have relatively complicated fillings. With the first it's all about what type of apples makes the best filling.Look for the Northern spy, the Esopus Spitzenberg or the Pink Lady. Don't go apple hunting  in your local grocery These apples can be found on farms or farmer's markets.  As for pumpkin pie. if you're truly adventurous , you can make it from your Halloween pumpkin . Intermediate bakers should stick with the canned. It makes for a creamier filling with a  firmer texture. You can also moderate the spices put in, adding more nutmeg or cinnamon as you see fit.

It's pie season.Luckily you don't have to stress about it. Make a pie that suits your expertise.it'll result in an excellently made dessert that everyone will rave over.

An Apple Picking Outing

This is the season for apple picking .It can be a fun day of enjoying the crisp fall air and having the last picnic of the season.Many orchards have picnic tables set up along with stands selling all sorts of foods.The best part is th e picking itself. Everyone will enjoy it  - if done right.

One of the most important aspects of a day outdoors is the right clothing. October days run the gamut from summery to chilly and sometimes the temps change mid day. Be ready. A nippy day may heat up into one befitting July or August. It's OK to have both jeans, capris and shorts along. Everyone can wear their favorite tee but have a hoodie on hand if you or the little ones start feeling cold. Sneakers or even mocs are a must. Don't let your teens and tweens wear flip flops , no matter how comfortable or cool they feel. It's not safe. Fields have burrs and sharp twigs along with any stray nails left from any construction. Bring sun block too and lip balm.It may be the fall but the sun's rays are still strong and harmful. You can bring hats or visors if you want to protect your head and sunglasses to shield eyes from bright sunlight.Most orchards will supply pickers with bushel baskets or burlap sacks for their bounty. so you don't have to worry about bringing them. Just make sure there's plenty of room in your trunk for apples and whatever else you've picked.

This day out is the perfect day for a picnic. Always bring water along because picking is thirsty work. Juice boxes are a must if there are kids, as are bottles of unsweetened ice tea and sparkling water. Bring a thermos of hot tea, coffee or chocolate if it's a nippy day. You could even fill it with hot soup too. Bring hearty sandwiches along since both the brisk air and all that reaching and walking can work up an appetite.Have Kaiser rolls stuffed with ham and cheese or roast beef.  You can add mayo to them too,now that the weather isn;t sweltering which can spoil the spread. Also pack homemade macaroni and potato salad too to round out the meal.Power bars and pretzels are great snacks to bring along too. Many orchards do have stands that sell hot dogs and soda. Some like Colt's Neck New Jersey's Delicious Orchards show case everything from Serrano ham to fresh baked breads and rolls. Anyone can easily buy their picnic food there and have freshly made customized sandwiches.. The kids may want to snack on their bounty on the ride home. Thoroughly wash all apples before hand with extra bottles of water.

Nothing is more fun than a day of apple picking. Make it truly great and enjoyable with the right gear and a hearty lunch. Then get ready to pick!!!

Any Weekend Party

Fall brings about weekend get togethers and gatherings. They could be the college student  bringing home their dorm mate for the first time, gatherings of any team or a tween sleepover with  new friends. It could also be a time to catch up with friends after a summer away.The other day Melissa Clark, a weekly contributor to the New York Times gave us easy recipes with the generic title of any. Make this true of your gathering.Any party with any party food will work.

One of the easiest any party foods that work for all of the above gatherings are hamburgers,Everyone loves a good beef, turkey or veggie burger. Take advantage of the warm weather to grill outdoors over a wood fire. Have simple or any fixings such as lettuce , sliced tomatoes and onions. Squeeze bottles of ketchup and mayo should be on the ready . Make any mayo based salad or slaw . Try a macaroni one zested up with minced red green and yellow peppers along with minced celery. Vary it with some hot dogs or veggie dogs and finish with toasted marshmallows or s'mores. For the new roommate or even new boy or girlfriend, think any roast with potatoes  and a green veggie. It could be London broil sharing a plate with mashed potatoes and broccoli salad, It could be a roast capon with scalloped ones  along with a bright mix of peas and carrots. Have a crisp salad on the side and crusty rolls too. This easy combo makes for a lovely dinner party with friends also. Add  candles and wine and you're set for an elegant fuss free dinner..

Any dessert works too. An old fashioned layer cake with a buttercream frosting is perfect and is always a crowd pleaser. Use a mix if you're pressed for time or scratch recipe if you're not. If you want something a little fancier, then put small truffles or raspberries (which are in season right now) on the cake's top. Any pound cake is also good and is simple to make at home. Since apples are in season right now, you could finish off with a homemade pie, with a side of cheddar or vanilla ice cream. If you're hosting a team party or sleepover then have any home made cookie.Chocolate chip is a big fave and they can be made from slice and bakes or by scratch. A fun cookie for a tween pajama party?  Sugar cookies! Leave them plain for the kids to decorate at a decoration bar with colored icings , M&M's, raisins and dragees.Dinner parties can end with any ice cream drizzled with liquor. Pair coffee with Kahlua, chocolate with peppermint Schnappes and vanilla with rum.For the kids set up a sundae bar with any sundae toppings from syrups to nuts to whipped cream to fruits.


Any party food can work for a weekend party . Pick out any recipe that fits your plans and go with it. It's a simple no fuss approach to fall entertaining.

San-J Marinades Spicing Up Your Barbecues

Barbecue season is here and with it comes grilling favorites beef, pork and chicken.Unfortunately these  classics can get boring if they're just thrown over the hot coals. There's a solution - San - J sauces for marinades and stir fries. These will liven up those ho hum chops and wings. giving them a much needed lift.

San-J  or San Jirushi is one of Japan's oldest companies, having been founded in 1804 by the Sato family. They started with miso and Tamari, a thick sauce . The company is still family owned by Takashi Sato , the eighth generation of owner . San J came to Richmond, Virginia,  in 1978  and have a variety of different products from instant soups to even rice crackers. All are gluten free because Tamari, unlike regular soy sauce is made from 100 percent soybeans. It is an ancient recipe, first being created in China in the Seventth Century AD. Tamari means "that which accumulates".because it was the protein rich drippings that was collected during the creation of miso, the fermented soybean paste and the main ingredient in miso soup.San-J' sauces are made in a similar, updated fashion.with  only soy beans, salt and water. One of the best aspects about Tamari is that it is gluten free. Regular soy sauce is watered down with wheat and often has a bitter taste. It flashes off or dissipates when cooked at high temperature, something Tamari does not.

I like San-J's sauces and recommend them for marinating different types of meat. Their orange sauce has a bright , citrusy flvor that would work well with anything chicken. Marinate cut up breasts in in along with peppers and onions for a yummy kabob. It It also would highlight wings and legs as well as a great dipping sauce for them too. The smoky Mongolian sauce would be good as a marinade for pork as well as for lamb and beef kabobs.This would also be an excellent soak for skirt steaks as well. I love the Asian  barbecue sauce. I plan on using this on everything, from being slathered on pork and beef ribs to burgers and dogs. It is thick and flavorful with a marriage of a sweet and smoky flavors.Being a chopped salad lover, I am looking forward to trying their different salad dressings too as well as their Tamari regular sauces.


The barbecue season is underway. Liven it up with the variety of Tamari sauces from San-J. They will enhance ribs and chicken, steaks and chops,  making for a memorable cook out.

The Peruvian Superfood Diet

Everyone thinks that the Mediterranean or Indian diet is the healthiest. They're not. A new contender has entered the ring and it brings a slew of good healthy natural ingredients. It's Peruvian influenced cuisine with some twists.It's not only good for you but good tasting.

It's the subject of a must have new cookbook entitled Whole Body Reboot  (Health Communication Inc Publishers)written by Dr. Manuel Villacorta with Sandy Koszyk. Dr. Villacorta, who is from Lima,Peru incorporates native South American super foods with North American and European recipes. There is a diet involved, and it has helped with losing weight and boosting energy levels. The reboot plans works as follow, dieters must follow a multicolor chart that will help with detoxing. An orange day is devoted to eating all orange food, beta carotene rich smoothie.It has five days  of smoothie drinking before going straight into the diet. The diet has all sorts of foods that health conscious foodies will love. There are quinoa pichuberry muffins and an spinach egg white omelet to start off the morning. For lunch or dinner there is a zesty kale and veggie salad, graced with chicken sausage. For a quick dinner cook up the Peruvian classic tacu  tacu, a cook up of leftover beans and rice. Usually fried, this dish is  revamped to be baked. This is made with  Dr. Villacorta even incudes some relatively healthy desserts too., There is a yacon roasted pineapple a perfect topping for Greek yogurt. dieters can indulge in gluten free quinoa brownies or pineapple lucuma ice pop.

Some home chefs may have qualms about using the different super foods. Dr. Villacorta recommends. Don't. They are good for you along with being easily attainable .Many Latin American markets along with bigger supermarket chains sell them as well as Amazon.com. There are the more common ones  like artichokes, sweet potatoes and avocados and the quintessential Peruvian ones like aji, a chile eaten since the Incan Empire and chochio, or Peruvian corn. One of the most popular, quinoa , is also used quite often in everyday American cooking..This is an ancient grain that's can be subbed in as a side dish instead of rice and pasta. Two other grains, kaniwa and kiwicha are also used in many of the recipes such as the Andean grain pilaf.There are also fruits such as the pichuberry,which has a tart flavor and the lucuma, a persimmon like drupe with a  taste that's a mix of maple, caramel and pumpkin. For chocolate lovers Dr. Villacorte includes cacao nibs, in some of the recipes too and also has dessert recipes that call for dark chocolate.One home chefs start cooking with these Peruvian staples, they will never go back to their old ingredients. These are healthy, and tasty, and can put a different spin on everyday cooking.

Dr. Villacorte's book Whole Body Reboot is a must have cookbook.It contains a diet and super food rich recipes that can improve one's life . Buy it today. Your body will thank you for it