"The Pumpkin Cookbook" - Roasted Corn Pumpkin Chowder - Halloween!

Date I made this recipe:  October 31, 2017 – Halloween!

The Pumpkin Cookbook – 139 Recipes Celebrating the Versatility of Pumpkin and Other Winter Squash by DeeDee Stovel

Published by Storey

ISBN: 978-1-61212-833-7; copyright 2005,2017

Purchased at Bibelot Shops – St. Paul

Recipe:  Roasted Corn Pumpkin Chowder – p. 54

Well, it’s that time of year again which is to say it is fall and also Halloween.  I am not fond of either of these two “events.”

Fall is the season of dead things which is to say my allergies just go into overdrive.  It is also the calm before the storm of winter, and it has been gray in these parts now for oh, I don’t know—forever?  Okay, not really.  Let’s say for the past three weeks if not longer.  It’s also been cold which is why Halloween is no fun.  Did you ever hear a kid beg to put a coat on over his/her costume?  No, you did not!

And then there’s pumpkin which I don’t loathe but it’s not something I cozy up to, either.  It’s okay.  The taste is neither here nor there unless you add some spices to it but I’m not exactly fond of pumpkin spice so there’s another problem I have to overcome every year.  Then there’s the smell problem which is to say that once upon a time, real pumpkin spice didn’t really smell but if it did, it was a lovely scent reminding us of mom’s baking and family Thanksgiving.  Once everybody and their mother (but not my mother) got their hands on it though, it is now everywhere and in everything.  Starbucks of course, pushes the hell out of pumpkin-spiced lattes (usually in July which is maddening), grocery stores start carrying pumpkin-spiced everything and of course, stores like Bed, Bath & Beyond (a store I love), choke me out with their fake pumpkin-spiced candles and doodads.  Migraines are not fun, and there’s a special place in hell reserved for companies that trigger one by spraying everything with “that crap.”

Still, whilst shopping a few months back at one of my favorite stores, Bibelot (fun gifts, cool stuff), I spied this book, The Pumpkin Cookbook.  I debated and debated and then finally thought, “Oh, all right then” and so I brought it home, marked my calendar to remind me to use it and proceeded to flag some recipes.

What I really liked about this book is not only the wide variety of chapters/recipes from which to choose, but also because pages 16 and 17 break out all the recipes by how you want to use your pumpkin, to wit: “Baked or Roasted Pumpkin;” “Steamed or Microwaved Pumpkin;” “Raw Pumpkin;” “Canned Unsweetened Pumpkin or Puree,” and “Pepitas” (Pumpkin Seeds).  I think this is a damned fine idea!  They don’t match the cooking method to the Table of Contents, but they do reference page numbers so that helps.

Here then, is the Table of Contents:

• Starters, Snack & Beverages
• Soups & Salads
• Side Dishes
• Main Courses
• Breads
• Pies
• Cookies
• Cakes
• Desserts & Delicacies

 Many of the sweet treats sounded fantastic, but I thought that was too easy and expected so I looked at the savory options.  In the running were:

• Black Bean (and Pumpkin) Dip – p. 22
• Holiday Pumpkin Dip – p. 23
• Roasted Ginger Pumpkin-Pear Soup – p. 40
• Italian Pumpkin Soup with Crushed Amaretti Cookies – p. 55
• Chicken-Pumpkin Tacos – p. 102
• Punkin’ [Sloppy] Joes – p. 130
• Spaghetti with Peppers, Onions, and Sausage (and Pumpkin) – p. 141
• Creamy Fusilli, Sausage and Pumpkin [Pasta] – p. 145

Any of these would have been fine although since I am such a fan of Sloppy Joes, I was leaning in that direction.  Then I handed the book off to Andy and asked him to choose something, thinking he would choose one of the recipes I flagged in advance.  Turned out he went “rogue” on me and selected something I hadn’t marked and that is how I came to make tonight’s dinner selection – Roasted Corn Pumpkin Chowder (p. 54).  I did not see that coming!

Since both of us are chowder fans, this one hit all the basic requirements:  corn, potatoes, a creamy broth, bacon (a nice addition) and even cheddar cheese.  The pumpkin was a nice addition, but pumpkin can be rather bland, and so it could have benefitted from more spice in the dish.  Aside from salt, the full recipe called for ½ teaspoon dried thyme and 1/8-1/4 teaspoon white pepper. Plan on using more.

As you might imagine, step one was to find a cooking pumpkin, carve it up which is to say, cut it into chunks, and roast it.  That was easy enough, but you’ll have to watch your cooking times.  The pumpkin was to roast for 35 minutes and then another 30 minutes once you add some, but not all, of the frozen corn.  After 65 minutes, my pumpkin was more than done and it was okay, but I ended up scrapping it off the rind and then pulsing it in a food processor instead of adding it in chunks to the broth.  No biggie.

I also found some “fresh” corn at Trader Joe’s and thought to myself “Wouldn’t this be better than frozen corn?  Of course, it would!”  Andy though, thought I should have used frozen and he was not wrong, but he picked a fine time to tell me which was while we were eating it!

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention that pumpkin does not appeal to a lot of people, primarily because of its appearance which is to say, “not pretty” and/or “completely unappetizing,” and/or “reminds me of baby [you know];” I’ll let you fill in the blanks on what “you know” is. This soup’s appearance is also “not pretty” but the flavor is good and if anything, suffers from not having enough.  That’s an easy remedy in my book.

This then, concludes Halloween, pumpkins and fake pumpkin spice, and hooray for that.  Meanwhile, I’ll have to brace myself before I go into Bed, Bath & Beyond because tis the season for fake evergreen.  Dear Lord, it just never ends, does it?

Roasted Corn Pumpkin Chowder – Serves 8

1 pound fresh pumpkin, seeds and fibers removed, cut into chunks

3 cups frozen corn

4 slices bacon

1 onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 red bell pepper, chopped

¾ pound (about 8 small) Yukon Gold potatoes

5 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 – ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

1 cup half-and-half

1 cup grated cheese (for topping)

Heat oven to 400°F.  Grease a sheet pan with oil.  Rub the chunks of pumpkin with oil and bake for 35 minutes or until slightly tender.  Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.  Add 2 cups (out of 3) of the corn and cook 30 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until the corn is lightly toasted and the pumpkin tender.  Cool.  Peel the pumpkin and cut into ½-inch cubes.  Ann’s Note [of caution]:  If making a half recipe, I suggest baking for 17 minutes or so (half the stated time) and then checking.  Do the same when you add the corn to the pumpkin i.e. no more than 15 minutes out of the 30 that is called for.  My pumpkin overbaked a bit which was fine but not what the author intended.  I also found a small baking pumpkin rather than a large jack-o-lantern (although do NOT use that for baking) and smaller pumpkins cook faster, or so it seemed!

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a Dutch oven until crispy.  Drain, crumbled, and set aside.  Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat and cook the onion in the fat for about 5 minutes, until it is wilted.  Add the bell peppers and continue cooking for 3 minutes.

Add the potatoes, broth, salt, thyme, and white pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

Add the pumpkin to the soup, along with the roasted corn and the remaining frozen corn.  Continue cooking for another 10 minutes, until the pumpkin is quite soft.  Add the half-and-half and cook only until heated through.  Don’t let it boil.

Serve topped with the cheese and crumbled bacon.

"Party Cookbook" (an Australian publication) - Chicken Cacciatora

Date I made this recipe:  October 29, 2017

Party Cookbook by cookery editors Anne Marshall and Elizabeth Sewell

Published by Paul Hamlyn New South Wales (New South Wales is a “state” or section of Australia)

© 1971

Purchased at Bloomington (MN) Crime Prevention Association (BCPA) Annual Sale

Recipe:  Chicken Cacciatora – p. 19

A few weeks ago, I needed to shift a lot of my cookbooks around to make way for ducklings new acquisitions.  I’m going to call this The Great Cookbook Migration 2017.

Let me just say that this was no easy feat.  Not only did I have to deal with years of accumulated dust (I try but you know…), but I had to deal with falling books (jeez, you nudge it just a little) and spatial relations, i.e. figuring out which books fit which way on my shelves.

It didn’t take me long before I had more books on the floor than I did on shelves as I kept arranging and rearranging my collection.  This book managed to slide off the top of its stack to land at my feet in a clear attempt to get me to look at it (Yes, books are sneaky that way), and so I did.

Although I did not have a party planned, it was close enough to Halloween for me to think about Halloween parties, past and present, and so why not, right?  Not that this is an official Halloween recipe because as I’ve said before, I don’t really “do” Halloween, but a party cookbook in the hand is better than none at all.

This book did a pretty good job of hitting a lot of party themes. Here’s the Table of Contents.  Do note that this book was published in Australia which explains some of the British and Maori (New Zealand) party themes.

• Brunch Party (Brunch is a “party?”  Huh.  I always thought brunch was just…brunch!)
• Morning Coffee Party
• Luncheon Party
• Kitchen Tea (given for the Bride-to-be!)
• Christening Tea
• Children’s Birthday Party
• Open House Party
• Cocktail Party
• Dinner Parties
• Formal Dinner Party
• Casserole Dinner Party
• The Man Takes Over [Dinner Party]
• Buffet Dinner Parties
• Summer Buffet Dinner Parties
• Winter Buffet Dinner Parties
• After Theater Party
• Patio Party
• Barbecue
• Haangi (a Maori BBQ pit)
• Wine and Cheese Party

 And here’s some sample recipes and again, do note that the cookbook features food from Australia which was once a British colony which is to say, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

• ·       Brunch Party – “Lamb Cutlets with Tomatoes;” “Liver with Onions and Bacon;” “Scrambled Eggs and Tomatoes,” and “Savoury Mince on Toast.”  This looks absolutely nothing like any brunch menu I’ve ever seen, and I cannot say it appeals.  Cannot.
• ·       Morning Coffee Party – “Cheese Roughs” and “Gingerbread.”
• ·       Luncheon Party – “Chicken Cacciatora;” “Malakoff” (a cookie and cream concoction)
• ·       Kitchen Tea – A “kitchen tea” is a tea given for a bride-to-be, and the menu includes “Fish Patties” and “Savoury Eggs.”  Ew.  This is what they serve at a bridal shower? That said, this menu also includes “Chocolate Rum Truffles” which is more than acceptable to moi.
• ·       Christening Tea – “Ham and Shrimp Puffs,” “Ribbon Sandwiches,” and “Christening Cake.”
• ·       Children’s Birthday Party – “Sausage Rolls;” “White Mice in Jelly” (hmmm), and “Skippy Birthday Cake.” “Skippy” is a kangaroo and this cake is shaped like one. I have photo proof! I think I need this, children’s birthday or no children’s birthday!
• ·       Open House Party – This two-page “chapter” does not contain recipes, just dialog about how to throw a large open house party.  Been there, done that.
• ·       Cocktail Party – Once again, these four pages cover the basics of Hors d’Oeuvres which is to say, “breads and spreads.”  They give you a list of “ideas” so you can build your own but no recipes to follow.
• ·       Dinner Parties – This category has three parts:  Formal Dinner Parties (“Cauliflower Hollandaise,” “Duckling with Olives,” and “Crepe Suzettes”), Casserole Parties, and The Man Takes Over dinner parties.  As to Casserole Parties, on what planet is “Salmon with Cucumber Sauce” considered a casserole?  I need to know this.  I need to know this right now! I ask the same question about the recipe for “Roulades” which are basically meat rolls.  All I’ll say is that these Aussies have odd ideas about casseroles.  Finally, the very title of this last section – The Man Takes Over – made me laugh but then made me mad.  How sexist! Like what, the woman couldn’t deal with the situation? Naturally, “Minute Steaks” is the key recipe in this section because you know, men are born with a gene that tells them how to grill steaks (and only steaks) and women aren’t.
• ·       Buffet Dinner Parties – This category includes “Summer Buffet Dinner Parties” and “Winter Buffet Dinner Parties.”  Well that works, doesn’t it?  The recipes also tend to work although my eyebrow raised a bit at the recipe for “Lima Bean and Cauliflower Salad” (summer) and “Prawns in Garlic and Anchovy Sauce” (winter) only because most people would never eat anchovies, or a sauce made from anchovies.  I am not one of those people, but that’s another matter for another day.
• ·       After Theatre (not to be confused with “Theater) Party – Oh for crying out loud folks, never ever have I thought to eat these awful concoctions after an evening at the theater…or ever: “Fandango Sardines,” “Satanic Sardines,” or this abomination – “Osborne Oysters” made with, I kid you not, oysters, bananas, grated Swiss cheese and lemon juice. Blink.  Blink.  Blink. 
• ·       Patio Party – Le sigh. We were doing great with recipes for kebabs, risotto and more, and then it all went to hell in a handbasket with this recipe, “Greek Marrow Salad.” I can’t even….
• ·       The Barbecue, Haangi and Wine and Cheese Chapters don’t really contain recipes as much as they do instructions.

 You know what, the above was a lot of dialog about a book that is a mere 121 pages long, but I would not be me if I didn’t comment about the recipes.  Once again, let me repeat that I continue to be stymied by “British” food, or rather, what members of the British empire consider food.  Edible food.  Maybe this was the real reason the Revolutionary War was fought?  “You Brits take your horrible excuse for food and get the hell outta here!”

Out of the wreckage though, I selected a “winner, winner, chicken dinner” – Chicken Cacciatora. (By the way, I don’t think I ever heard the “winner, winner, chicken dinner” phrase until I moved here but maybe people everywhere say that?  That said, only in Minnesota, and I do mean only in Minnesota, is a casserole referred to as a “hotdish,” and only in Minnesota do the natives say [of a child’s game) “It’s Duck, Duck, Grey Duck” instead of “Duck, Duck, Goose.”)

If you read last week’s blog post highlighting another chicken dish I made, then you’ll know about my incident with the chicken I purchased at Kowalski’s (grocery store).  I’m still rather poleaxed by that spectacular service.

I’m here to tell you though, that Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck) is no slouch in the service department, either.  Since Kowalski’s didn’t have what I was looking for, I went to Whole Foods to purchase just a couple of bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts.  Normally, that chicken is on display in the meat department, but this trip, they were out.

“No worries,” said the lady behind the meat counter.  She walked me over to the pre-packed chicken cooler and said that if I saw what I’d like, she’d be happy to split up a package(s) so that I got exactly what I wanted and also give it to me at the meat counter price which is $1.00 less than the packaged product.  Sold!

The recipe is really easy and can be made on the stovetop if you want (and I wanted) instead of the oven.  The only thing I changed was to add the tomato juice to the dish instead of draining it as directed as you won’t have enough liquid to cook if you do it otherwise.  Also?  “Green capsicum” “translated” is green pepper.  Oh, those Aussies!

Chicken Cacciatora – serves 6

2 x 2 ½ pound roasting chickens (Ann’s Note:  If indeed she meant that I should purchase two 2.5 pounds of roasting chicken, that is a hell of a lot of chicken to feed six people, don’t you think?  I did!  Then I wondered if she meant to buy 2 to 2.5 pounds of chicken but the fact that she said chickens (plural), instead of chicken (singular) made me think she really did want that much chicken.  That’s almost a pound of chicken per person, folks – whoa!) 

½ cup plain flour

Pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ounce butter

1 green capsicum (pepper), diced

1 white onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 carrot, diced

3 cups tomatoes, skinned (tinned tomatoes may be used)

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons sherry

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

6 black olives, and 6 green olives, for garnish

Cut chicken into serving pieces.  (Ann’s Note:  Once upon a time, my dad did this but that was once upon a time. These days, pre-cut chicken is the way to go but by all means, if you have mad butchering skills, have at it!).  Wipe and dip chicken pieces into seasoned flour.  Heat oil and butter in a heavy-based frying pan and fry chicken until golden brown on all sides.  Remove chicken from pan and keep warm in a large heavy-based saucepan or flameproof casserole.

Fry green pepper, onion, garlic and carrot in frying pan, adding a little extra oil if necessary.  Cook until onion is soft and golden.  Add tomatoes.  If tinned tomatoes are used, drain liquid off first.  (Ann’s Note:  I don’t recommend that you drain the tomatoes because your dish will be dry and may burn.  I added the liquid and am glad I did.)  Add bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste.

Bring to a boil, simmer a few minutes, the pour sauce over chicken pieces.  Add sherry.  Cover and simmer gently on top of stove or cook in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes or until chicken is tender.  Garnish chicken with chopped parsley and spiral cut olives.  Served with boiled noodles.