Cooking up a storm

Lately, I've been cooking more. Frankly, a lot for me. Maybe it's a post-Thanksgiving/winter hibernation ritual, but either way - it has been fun.

Breakfast Burritos, Shepherd's Pie, Pigs in blankets, Quesadillas, and two new recipes (Panko Mustard Chicken and Fettuccine Alfredo) which I've posted on my long neglected PondBrook Cookbook. Both are easy and very tasty.

And here's a shout-out to my college buds (Mrs. J, Contessa, and Bernie) for tolerating 4 years of my hot-pot cuisine - including Fettuccine Alfredo and my infamous, bishop-worthy mac-n-cheese. (Don't ask!) And to my husband, for enduring my current culinary creations with love!

We're all "saps" this time of year!

During late March and early April, you can't drive down a Vermont back road without the sweet and steamy aroma of boiling maple sap wafting in from a nearby sugarhouse. So I thought it timely to share some links to Maple recipes.

• Vermont Maple Sugar Makers' Association
• Vermont Public Radio (scroll down a bit)
• Vermonter.com
• RuralVermont's recipes from southern VT Inns
• Carman Brook Maple and Dairy Farm
• Pieces of Vermont Grade B recipes

And thanks to a soon-to-be-gone jar of fresh Maple Cream from our friends at Howling Hound Homemade, miniMaple's recommended recipe is a thin layer of maple cream spread on a blueberry Eggo waffle. A two year old, with sweet maple cream, on a waffle... a WHOLE new meaning to "Le'go my Eggo!"

1st image: "Sugaring" Oil Painting by Michael McGovern, courtesy of woodstockvt.com

2nd image: GRUPPE, Emile; American (1896-1978); "Maple Sugaring, Vermont"; Oil on Canvas, 1952; courtesy of clarkegalleries.com

Butterball Hotline

One of my favorite West Wing moments was when President Bartlett called the Butterball Hotline (1-800-Butterball) to ask a question about stuffing in the turkey. (Episode: Indians in the Lobby)

Well, as I prepare to make my first major, family Thanks- giving dinner, I might just have to give them a call myself. Don't fear, however, Butterball also has a whole Holiday Cooking Guide online and even a Turkey Podcast!

I will be posting my whole holiday menu on my other blog if you want to cook along. The first recipe, Spicy Cranberry Chutney, is already up there. It's a great treat, especially as a spread on those leftover-turkey sandwiches.

Guests will include Mr. & MiniMaple, of course, my Mom, uncle and grandparents, Mr.Maple's Mom, plus possibly Sierra. If only I could make a wish on the drumstick BEFORE cooking the bird!

Photo by tallmariah

Pond Brook Cookbook

I couldn't resist the shiny, new Blogger in Beta, so I have succumbed to the blogging bug and created a second site.

This is your formal invitation to visit the Pond Brook Cookbook.

Now I am by NO means a chef, or even necessarily a great cook, but I LOVE recipes. My friend Sierra and I share a similar affection for collecting cookbooks and clipped recipes that we never seem to use. So I hope to use this space to post my favorites as a virtual cookbook.

All of the recipes posted will be fairly accessible and easy to make, and will not require extensive time or exotic ingredients. Most importantly, I will never post a recipe I haven't made myself to good reviews.The recipes previously posted here and here on MapleMama have been copied to the Pond Brook Cookbook, and I've added a new recipe for a killer blueberry coffee cake.

I hope to eventually make this a group blog, where others can post their recipes as well. So please come visit and snack a spell...

Sticky Buns and Dog Team Dreams

Vermont lost a culinary and cultural icon yesterday, the Dog Team Tavern. It burned to the ground in the middle of the night. I have so many memories of dining there, that I could almost smell the food as drafted the following poem...

Dog Team Dreams
Creaky painted floorboards
Complain a warm welcome.
The parlor, smoky and warm,
Dripping with maple syrup and hooked rugs,
I order, from the chalkboard,
Do I want the fritter on the side?
Off to the Tavern, Horseradish cottage cheese dip
nesting on wide-wale potato chips,
The New Haven river racing past,
Begging to be heard, with each opening of the door.
Waiting among ancient hardware signs
and license plates and memorabilia of a Vermont
not so long ago, yet forever away.
Did I just hear a sled dog?
Our name is called, I can already taste
the dense, sweet ecstasy of warm sticky buns.
And I can hear it now, the relish wheel
being pulled to our table as if by sheer will:
Copper pots spinning with apple butter, beets, delights galore.
"Remember to take your pail from the top!"
Don't I know that waitress? How old is she now?
Candles dance, flatware clinks, wooden chairs grind the floor,
Laughter and chatter slowly drown the river's roar.
A little homemade bread, just for me, warm from the oven,
Do I devour it now - or add it to the inevitable "doggy" bag?
And for the record, I don't have a dog.
I ache for my meal, not for the entree...
For the piping hot "family" bowl of mashed potatoes.
I hope I am the first, to plunge my spoon
Into the billowy, creamy clouds, and leave little behind.
Mother's Day, Graduations, Thanksgiving, Anniversaries;
My life is marked over time by gatherings within these walls.
"Dessert?" She must be kidding.
"Oh, Maple Oatmeal Pie, you say?"
My feet can barely carry my satisfaction home...
Doggy bags in hand.

Here are some links to articles about the fire from the Rutland Herald and BTV Free Press.

Below is some historical data about the Tavern from the restaurant's website. I have not been able to obtain permission to reprint this information, since unfortunately the owner of the Dog Team is missing and feared lost to the fire (his truck - with his dogs inside - was parked nearby.) My regrets and best wishes go out to his family and the loyal employees of the establishment.

"Before becoming a restaurant in the Forties, The Dog Team Tavern was built and operated as a teahouse in the Nineteen Twenties and Thirties by Lady Anne Grenfell, the wife of the famous doctor and missionary, Sir Wilfred Grenfell. At the "Dog Team Tavern by the River," the Grenfells sold handicrafts from Labrador and Newfoundland to raise money for the poor and starving population of those craggy Canadian coastlines.

The advent of World War II brought many changes. In 1946 the Dog Team Tavern was bought by long time volunteers Eben & Catherine Joy. The Joy's transformed the mission into an internationally renowned country inn who has hosted the likes of Robert Frost, Charles Lawton, and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt."

Also - don't forget to read about the ultimate Dog Team waitress, Arlene LaFave, who started working at the Tavern at age 15, and remained until the day she died 45 years later. She had quite a secret.

And lastly - check out these 2 recipes before their site comes down:
Sticky Buns and Maple Oatmeal Pie.

Bountiful Garden recipe

I made the following recipe (courtsey of Williams-Sonoma) for dinner tonight, to utilize a wonderful bounty of summer squashes and tomatoes, and served it with whole wheat pasta. The dish could easily be transformed into a vegan delight be excluding the cheese or exchanging it for a soy-based one. I also used Panko breadcrumbs for a slightly nuttier texture. Enjoy!

Summer Vegetable Tian
Originating in Provence, a tian is a French word that describes a shallow earthenware casserole as well as the food it contains. Traditionally it features a variety of vegetables, herbs and cheeses that are layered and then baked.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup olive oil, plus more for greasing pan
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/8-inch strips
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 3 small zucchini, cut into 1/8-inch rounds
• 2 small crookneck squash, cut into 1/8-inch rounds
• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 lb. plum tomatoes, cut into 1/8-inch rounds
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/2 cup fine dried bread crumbs
  

Directions

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 2-quart baking dish with olive oil.

In a fry pan over medium heat, warm 5 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the bell pepper and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the onion-pepper mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine the zucchini, crookneck squash, 5 Tbs. of the oil, the rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and stir to coat evenly. Arrange the zucchini, crookneck squash and tomato slices on the onion-pepper mixture, overlapping the rows. Drizzle with the remaining 2 Tbs. oil and bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, stir together the cheese and bread crumbs. Remove the baking dish from the oven and sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top. Bake for 15 minutes more.

Turn the oven to broil and broil until the cheese is golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6.

Blueberry Picking in a slice of Vermont Heaven

Photos taken at Owl's Head Blueberry Farm. Pick-your-own berries to live music Tuesdays and Thursday evenings. Don't forget to being a picnic dinner, too.

Updated: Added link to farm. Replaced broken image of my boys. Thas was your last chance, at "Post to Blog," Picasa. Sorry.

You CAN have your margarita and eat it too!

This pie was made for my birthday a few years ago by a co-worker (get well soon, P.) and thought I'd post it for everyone's mid-summer enjoyment!

My office does it up on B'days, and they did an entire margarita themed celebration for me. My, how I love my co-workers!

Margarita Pie

1 9-inch graham cracker crust
1 10-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/4-cup fresh limejuice
1-oz. tequila
1-oz. triple sec
2 cups whipped topping
Slices of fresh limes for garnish

• Combine condensed milk, limejuice, tequila, and triple sec.
• Fold in whipped topping and spread into the graham crust.
• Freeze for several hours before serving.
• Serve with fresh lime slices and more whipped topping if desired.

Flickr Photo by Crystl (Thanks!)