Is it cold where you are?

Here in Salem, MA, it’s fr-eeeee-zing. Like, freezing freezing. I think we hit 8 degrees last week.

Let me tell you…weather like this makes me want to do one thing, and one thing alone: Cook.

(And winter is the season for feasting, after all, right?)

How do you entertain?

The last few years, I’ve thrown fewer and fewer formal parties. I’ve had my fill with fussy and formal. And while fancy dinners definitely have their place, I find myself doing a lot more impromptu entertaining lately.

You know how it goes. Friends stop by, we get to talking in the kitchen, and before we know it, a few minutes turns into a few hours.

As a result, we keep our freezer and fridge stocked with lots of stuff that makes it easy to whip out a nice spread in no time. Cheese, olives, crackers, pickled veggies, salami, cold beer…you get the idea.

(Want to stop by? The kitchen is open most days after 7!)

Puff pastry is definitely one of those indispensable things on my list of pantry staples. Grab a package or two, pop ‘em in the freezer, then forget about ‘em until you need to feed folks in a flash.

It’s really versatile. I use it to make tarts. I use it to wrap fish and shrimp.

Hands down, though, this turnover recipe is one of my favorite new uses for the stuff.

These little guys are freezer friendly

Make these in advance, wrap them well, and freeze them. They’ll keep happily for about 3 months.

When you’re ready to make them, pop them right from freezer to a 400-degree oven, and you’ll have hot treats in just about 20 minutes.

So, what’s in them?

These turnovers are stuffed with a sweet and savory filling made with tart apples, salty bacon, and sharp cheddar cheese. I could eat the tangy apple & onion filling by itself with a spoon. (Did I just say that out loud?)

The whole business is fragrant with autumn spices (think cinnamon, clove, and cardamom) and sweet maple syrup.

They’d make a perfect addition to a Sunday brunch—or a great late-night snack after a good movie.

Thank you, Pepperidge Farm!

So, recently, Pepperidge Farm hired me to do a little recipe development for them. I’m never one to shy away from a challenge, especially when it involves ingredients I use all the time anyways, like their puff pastry.

You know, this stuff.

You can find it in the freezer aisle of almost any big grocery store. Look for it by the frozen berries and pie crusts.

The good folks at Pepperidge Farm were even kind enough to test my recipe and even do a celebrity photo shoot! (Oooh la la, right?) Take a peek at my recipe on their website.

So let’s whip up a batch, shall we?

New England Harvest Turnovers

For the filling
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chunked up
1/2 a large sweet onion
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. ground clove
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground star anise
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
pinch of salt
1 Tbls. maple syrup, grade B

(Yields about 3 cups)

For the turnovers
1/2 lb. thick-cut bacon
1 cup shredded Vermont cheddar cheese
2 sheets Pepperidge Farm puff pastry
flour for dusting
1 egg, beaten

Makes 8 turnovers

Thaw the puff pastry

This will take about a half an hour, maybe a little more, depending on how warm your kitchen is. Unwrap it and set it out on the counter to thaw.

Make the filling (up to 2 days ahead of time)

While the puff pastry is thawing, get your filling cooking. Grab your apples.

Peel ‘em on up.

Cut the apples into small chunks.

Peel and dice your onion.

Put the cut apples and diced onions into a large pot.

Toss in the apple cider vinegar. (I love Bragg brand. It’s so good for you. Learn more about it here.)

Add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, star anise, black pepper and brown sugar.

Stir the whole shebang until the apples are coated fairly evenly.

Drizzle in the maple syrup and stir to combine.

I used Grade B syrup from a little farm up in Vermont.

Grade B syrup is deeply flavorful and fantastic for cooking. (As opposed to Grade A, which is more delicately flavored and is perfect for finishing or drizzling on pancakes.)

Set on the stove over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture starts to bubble and steam.

Partially cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the apples and onion are tender, stirring occasionally.

While the apple mixture cooks, fry up your bacon.

I used Black Forest bacon from Whole Foods. I can hear you groaning about fancy, gourmet bacon from here…but! It actually costs just about as much as a pound of regular bacon when it’s not on sale at the grocery store. If you’re a bacon lover, it’s a total treat. If you don’t have it, by all means, use your favorite bacon.

Dice it up.

Set the diced bacon in a large pan over medium-high heat.

Fry ’til crisp, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, drain, and set aside in a small bowl.

Back to the apple mixture. When your 20 minutes is up, uncover the pan.  Increase the heat to medium.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has evaporated.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, transfer the hot mixture to a bowl, and let it cool to room temperature.

Assemble the turnovers

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Beat one egg in a small bowl. Set both aside while you put the turnovers together.

Oh, and grate up the cheese and set it aside, as well.

OK. Lightly flour a board.

Unfold one sheet of thawed puff pastry.

Whack it into quarters with a sharp knife.

Grab one square. Position it like this in front of you.

Put about 1/4 cup of the cooled apple/onion mixture on the bottom half of the square. Don’t spread it right to the edges. You’ll see why in a minute.

Top with a little crisped bacon. Aim for about 1 Tablespoon, but don’t make yourself nuts. This isn’t neurochemistry.

(Mmmmm, crispy bacon. Nom, nom, nom…)

Sprinkle with a little cheese. Again, don’t make yourself nuts. Both these things are kind of hard to measure exactly.

Fold the pastry over the filling.

Grab a fork and crimp the edges shut. (This is why you left a little room.)

Your finished turnover should look about like this.

Now, puff pastry is very forgiving. If yours look a little mangled, don’t sweat it. They will be glorious and golden when they come out of the oven. The main thing is to ensure that you have a good seal around the edges. You don’t want the juice from the filling to come out as they bake.

Brush the top of the turnover with beaten egg. If you don’t have a pastry brush, use your (very clean) fingertips.

Set the turnover on your prepared pan.

Last but not least, punch a little X in the top center of the turnover with a sharp knife. This is your steam vent, and will keep your turnovers from exploding if they get overly excited in the oven. (They should be fine, but I like to err on the safe side.)

Repeat with the rest of your ingredients until you’ve used all your puff pastry.

Bake the turnovers

Pop your pan into your pre-heated 400-degree oven. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the pastries have poofed up and are golden brown. When they’re done, yank the pan out of the oven.

Let the pastries cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Stay tuned for exciting news about my cookbook!

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Between drafts of my book and Kraft’s Battle of the Kitchen Bloggers, I never got around to sharing all my Halloween photos with you guys.

But, who says you can’t have a little Halloween in December? After all, signs of All Hallows Eve are never far away, especially when you live in Salem, Massachusetts, a.k.a. Witch City.

Here’s a look back at this year’s spooky season in Salem. We actually (oddly) enjoyed a little wintery weather on Halloween this year. Even though December has been unseasonably warm here so far, it actually snowed on Halloween weekend. That’s Pickering Wharf, below.

Costumes: Here, there, and everywhere

Hands down, Salem is my favorite place on the planet—even when we get flooded with tourists in October who come seeking glimpses of the strange and unusual.

The first of the costumieres start to show up the last week of September. By the last week of October, more folks are walking around in costume than not. Here are some of our favorites from Halloween week.

There were the pirates…

…who were conveniently located right by the Pirate Museum.

A posse of mice (!!!) hanging out by the fountain on Essex St.

And pointy hatted witches, real and pretend, in all shapes and sizes…

It’s a given that most of the street entertainers are dressed up.

And all the kids, too. (Even this very bored looking little yellow M&M…)

There were colonial folk…

…a Frankenstein…

…and a very authentic Captain Jack Sparrow.

We saw steampunks…

…and, um…a super awesome, snarly werewolf creature. (We weren’t too concerned. Seems like he had just eaten…)

There were fancy folks…

(That’s Witch City Ink in the background, one of the best places to get a tattoo in the greater Boston area.)

…and angels…

…and more than the city’s regular allotment of demons…

Not to mention some fabulous, classic costumes, like Beeker from the Muppets…

…a Ghostbuster…

…and Superman. (Yep, that’s me climbing on the light pole to get a little height. Next year, stilts!)

And that’s mostly all before the lights went down…

The spooky factor goes up tenfold after dark on Halloween night. I mean, just take a look:

(Pretty good Pinhead, right?)

The sketchy factor was also representing. (Hello, Spy vs. Spy!)

Thankfully, not everyone out that night was quite as terrifying.

Edward Scissorhands was posing for pics with party goers.

We even saw a Rebel from Hoth getting pretty cozy with a Jawa…(we blame the unseasonably cold weather).

And don’t forget the bride of Frankenstein…

…a super nice Indian chief…

 …and Batman (who was watching the religious protesters, who also always come out on Halloween in Salem).

There were more than a few Stanley Cups floating around…

And a hungry shark…

…who very obligingly tried to eat his friend when I asked.

We even saw a zombie banana smoking a stogie.

There were a bunch of bananas out and about, but this fellow was unquestionably the best.

Oh, and let’s not forget the gang of psychotic clowns.

And someone, somehow, managed to capture a picture of yours truly dipping into a glass of wine later that night.

Best costume of the night goes to…

Call me a geek, but hands down, my favorite costume of the night was Lloyd Dobler from Say Anything. (Yep, the boom box worked, and yep he was playing In Your Eyes.) It was kinda epic. It was totally epic.

Don’t underestimate the size of the crowds

When I say we get a ton of tourists at Halloween, I’m not joking. Take a peek.

(Even the dead aren’t safe from the horde…)

There’s plenty to see aside from costumes

Like the zillion attractions in town, which are almost always packed, with lines out the door. That’s Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery down on Derby Street.

Food vendors sprout up out of nowhere and take over empty nooks and crannies all around the city.

Including on the Salem Common.

Nom, nom, nom.

The Common plays host to the city’s annual pumpkin decorating contest.

If I haven’t mentioned it before, when you walk around Salem, especially in October…if you squint just right…it kinda feels like you’ve gone back in time.

A little local love

The shops around town get a ton of action in October. We love our local businesses, and are happy to be able to share a little of our city with you. That’s the window of the local knitting shop below.

The Broom Closet sells all sorts of herbs and magical wares…

They have a ton of dresses and cloaks…

…not to mention a massive wall of herbs.

Crow Haven Corner, Salem’s oldest witch shop, sits at one entrance to the Essex Street madness. It’s a great place to shop or get a reading.

Hex, Old World Witchery is another wildly popular shop.

Hex sells all sorts of goodies.

Three happy local authors

Rev. Lori Bruno (Dr. Leo Martello’s Weird Ways of Witchcraft) and Hex owner Rev. Christian Day (The Witches’ Book of the Dead) were kind enough to stop and snap a few pictures with me. If you visit Salem, be sure to have Lori read your tarot cards. She’s absolutely amazing. (Not to mention, our favorite person in town!)

Sigh. I’ll have a copy of my book in the spring. We might just have to have a do-over.

Oh, and speaking of local authors, our friend Sean is an amazing horror writer. If that’s your thing, check out his blog here.

A magic circle on Salem Common

Christian and Lori are the same folks who host a public magic circle on Salem Common every year.

Even the mounted police stopped by to check it out.

Curious? I thought you might be. Take a peek at the footage on YouTube.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Never let it be said that we locals don’t decorate

We may not always dress up in costume, but we do like to put on a good display around town.

Dave Eng, Derby Street florist extraordinaire, puts up our favorite display every year.

Spooky, eh?

And let’s not forget the Great Pumpkin!

A stroll around Old Burying Point Cemetery

Now, folks come from far and wide to visit Salem in October. They come for the Halloween attractions—and the historic ones. Old Burying Point cemetery is the oldest burial ground in Salem, and always attracts a ton of visitors.

Folks buried here include Jonathan Corwin and John Hawthorne, both judges in the infamous witch trials.

It’s not uncommon to see coins or other small items left at the the graveyard’s gate as offerings for the dead.

Let’s take a peek inside, shall we?

The cemetery definitely felt the effects of the recent storm we had.

Even though we were in the height of tourist season, it was still relatively tranquil.

There are a bunch of traditional gravestone carvings.

Hope you enjoyed the tour!

Somehow, it seems like we always end up walking the wolves down on Salem Wharf late Halloween night. That’s the Custom House below.

Always love the sight of the carnival ferris wheel, lit up over the water. Happy haunting until next year!

Want more Halloween in Salem?

Take a look back at previous years here:

• A Halloween Tour of Salem’s Essex Street

• Halloween 2010 in Salem, MA: A Photo Tour

• Celebrating Halloween in Salem, Mass. (2008)

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The Breakstone’s Battle of the Kitchen Bloggers

For the contest, Kraft invited me and 2 other bloggers to duke it out. Picture American Idol meets Iron Chef and you’ve kind of got the idea. (Our secret ingredient? Breakstone’s Triple Churned Sour Cream.)

Vote & Be Entered to Win $2,500!

OK, so the participating bloggers have a chance to win a cash prize (1^st place is $350, 2^nd place is $250, and 3^rd place is $150). But here’s the best part.

As part of the Holiday Showdown, you can enter win a handful of different prizes. If you enter, you’ll have a chance to win a $50 gift card (one winner each week).

You’ll also automatically be entered to win a grand prize of $2,500!

Sound enticing? I thought it might. Click here to enter to win. You can go back and vote and enter every day!

Here’s a look back at what I made this year. These dishes make for an easy, down-to-earth menu that will make any holiday celebration fabulous.

Appetizer: Sweet & Spicy Coconut Shrimp

These sweet and spicy shrimp have a crisp coconut coating that’s made with eggs and sour cream (the combination keeps them ridiculously moist). Click here to get the recipe and see how they’re made.

Entree: Roasted Garlic & Spinach Pizza

I have four words for you: Best white pizza ever. Sour cream and ricotta make a luscious and light sauce for this crisp, light pizza. Get the recipe and see how it’s made here.

Dessert: Triple Chocolate Ice Cream

Ice cream with sour cream? You bet.

Sour cream adds surprising depth and tang to sweet dishes. It’s amazing in this chocolate ice cream, which tastes just like frozen chocolate ganache. (Hello, death by chocolate!)

Click here for to get the recipe and see how it’s made.

Please vote for The Hungry Mouse!

Click here to enter to vote and enter to win $2,500.

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Death by chocolate? Yes, please!

Honestly, I couldn’t think of a better way to go.

This ice cream is easy to make, and gets its luxurious chocolate flavor from a generous amount of cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and chocolate liqueur. It actually really tastes just like frozen chocolate ganache.

Frozen. Chocolate. Ganache.

(For real.)

Breakstone’s sour cream adds a little extra creaminess and tang. The chocolate liqueur keeps the ice cream soft and scoopable right out of the freezer—which makes it a perfect solution for midnight chocolate emergencies.

Vote Hungry Mouse!

OK, so here’s the deal.

This is recipe is part of my entry in the Breakstone’s Battle of the Kitchen Bloggers, hosted by Sandra Lee. (Yep, the same folks who hosted last year’s Triple Churned Challenge.)

For the Showdown, Kraft invited me and 2 other bloggers to duke it out. Picture American Idol meets Iron Chef and you’ve kind of got the idea. (Our secret ingredient? Breakstone’s Triple Churned Sour Cream.)

Check out my appetizer, Sweet & Spicy Coconut Shrimp, and my entree, Roasted Garlic & Spinach Pizza.

Our last challenge? Dessert. With sour cream.

This was a no brainer. Sour cream goes remarkably well with all sorts of sweet ingredients, from chocolate to fruit. Basically, it adds tang and depth.

In honor of my forthcoming cookbook

In honor of my forthcoming cookbook, Slushed, (which is all about how to make alcohol-infused frozen desserts), I figured I’d go where my kung fu is strongest right now: Ice cream.

The participating bloggers have a chance to win a cash prize (1^st place is $350, 2^nd place is $250, and 3^rd place is $150).

Enter to win!

As part of the Holiday Showdown, you can enter win a handful of different prizes. If you enter, you’ll have a chance to win a $50 gift card (one winner each week).

You’ll also automatically be entered to win a grand prize of $2,500!

Sound enticing? I thought it might. Click here to enter to win. You can go back and vote and enter every day!

Alrighty, let’s make some ice cream!

Triple Chocolate Ice Cream

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
6 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
½ cup Breakstone’s Sour Cream
¼ cup chocolate liqueur

Makes about 1 ½ quarts

Make the chocolate base

Heat the heavy cream and milk in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot until the mixture just starts to steam. Keep an eye on it. Don’t let it even start to simmer.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder and chocolate chips.

Let it sit for five minutes, whisking occasionally, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is uniform.

Make the custard

Put the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth.

Slowly ladle the hot chocolate mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to combine.

This is called “tempering.” Basically, you’re raising the temperature of the egg yolks slowly, so they stay liquid (and don’t turn into a scrambled mess).

When you’ve almost all of it, transfer the mixture back to your pot.

Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 170 degrees on a candy thermometer. Whatever you do, don’t let the mixture boil.

Strain the mixture into a large bowl to get rid of any tiny bits of cooked egg. (Don’t freak out if you see a few. It happens, and it won’t hurt a thing. That’s why you’re straining it.)

Whisk in the sour cream and chocolate liqueur.

Cool the mixture over an ice bath (fit your bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice, then whisk the mixture), or do what I usually do: Strain the mixture into a large pan, which will disperse the heat really quickly.

Pop the bowl into the fridge to chill it completely, anywhere from 4-6 hours.

Make the ice cream

Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Every machine is a little different. Read your instructions so you know how yours works.

For my 2-quart Cuisinart model, that goes a little something like this…

(Waiting is always the hardest part.)

(Yum, right?!?)

Transfer to a container and freeze overnight.

Serving tip

For an over-the-top treat, serve adult sundaes drizzled with warm hot fudge and a shot of Godiva liqueur.

Please vote for me!

Click here to enter to vote and enter to win.

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It’s pretty much a given that if it has garlic on it, I’ll eat it.

This vegetarian pizza is no exception.

It gets its rich, mellow flavor from slow-roasted garlic and fresh, baby spinach. Fontina and Parmesan add depth and a little salt. The tangy white sauce balances out the flavors.

Vote Hungry Mouse!

OK, so here’s the deal.

This is my entry in the Breakstone’s Battle of the Kitchen Bloggers, hosted by Sandra Lee. . (Yep, the same folks who hosted last year’s Triple Churned Challenge.) Check out my appetizer, Sweet & Spicy Coconut Shrimp.

For the Showdown, Kraft invited me and 2 other bloggers to duke it out. Picture American Idol meets Iron Chef and you’ve kind of got the idea. (Our secret ingredient? Breakstone’s sour cream.)

I picked pizza because it’s something that’s easy to throw together on a weeknight if you have dough on hand. (And if you don’t, grab a ball at your local market or pizza joint on the way home.) You can get pretty creative with ingredients–and you’re almost always guaranteed to have something you can use on hand.

Don’t believe me? Go take a peek in your fridge and come up with a pizza. (Leave a note in the comments below!) I’m bracing for that artichoke heart, bacon, and broccoli pizza. (Ya know, I’ll bet it would be delicious.)

The participating bloggers have a chance to win a cash prize (1^st place is $350, 2^nd place is $250, and 3^rd place is $150).

Enter to win!

As part of the Holiday Showdown, you can enter win a handful of different prizes. If you enter, you’ll have a chance to win a $50 gift card (one winner each week).

You’ll also automatically be entered to win a grand prize of $2,500!

Sound enticing? I thought it might. Click here to enter to win. You can go back and vote and enter every day!

Alrighty, to the ovens!

Roasted Garlic & Spinach Pizza

1 large whole head of garlic
good quality olive oil
½ cup whole milk ricotta
1/4 cup Breakstone’s sour cream
1 ball pizza dough
Fontina cheese, shredded
Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup fresh baby spinach

Makes 1 large pizza, serves 4-6

Roast the garlic

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Whack the garlic head in half horizontally.

Put it in a small baking dish (paper and all) and drizzle with olive oil.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Roast for 25-40 minutes, until soft, golden brown, and fragrant. Remove from the oven & uncover the pan.

Yank the roasted garlic cloves out of the skin with a fork and put them in a small bowl.

Mash them into a paste in a small dish with a fork.

Strain the oil (that’s pure roasted garlic flavor), pop it in the fridge, and reserve it for another use. (Add to salad dressings, brush bread before toasting, rub a roasting chicken with it, you name it…)

Make the white sauce

Put the ricotta, Breakstone’s sour cream, and roasted garlic in a small dish. Whisk together until uniform. Set aside.

Assemble the pizza

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Roll the pizza dough out on a lightly floured board.

Transfer to an unlined, nonstick pizza pan. Stretch it out with your hands so it covers the whole pan.

Spread the dough evenly with the sour cream & roasted garlic mixture.

Sprinkle with a thin layer of Fontina.

Add a thin layer of baby spinach.

Sprinkle with another thin layer of Fontina. Dust with Parmesan cheese. I tossed on a little freshly cracked pepper, just for good measure. You get the idea. (Pizza is a great canvas. Don’t be afraid to improvise.)

Bake the pizza

Bake the pizza in your preheated, 500-degree oven for 10-12 minutes, until crisp and lightly browned.

Remove from the oven and slide it onto a wooden board. Slice and serve immediately.

Serving tip

Add more protein to this pizza with thinly sliced, leftover roast chicken or par-cooked shrimp. (And a handful of crispy, crumbled bacon couldn’t hurt, either…)

Please vote for The Hungry Mouse!

Click here to enter to vote and enter to win.

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