recipe: candied apples

8-10 medium sized apples

8-10 wooden sticks

3 cups granulated sugar

1/2 C light corn syrup

1 C water

1/2 tblsp red food coloring

1/2 tblsp black food coloring

several drops cinnamon flavored oil


Directions:
1. Clean and dry the apples with a towel. If store-bought, rub to remove as much of the wax as possible—if purchased from a farmer’s market or orchard, then chances are they weren’t treated with the food grade wax that makes them shine.

2. Remove any stems or leaves and insert a stick into the top of each apple. To facilitate easier stick entry, carefully sharpen the end of the twig or use a candy stick to create a guide hole. Set apples aside once stuck.

3. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat sugar, corn syrup, and water—stir until sugar has dissolved. Boil until the mixture reaches 300°F on a candy thermometer, then remove from heat and stir in flavored oil. For a multi-color effect, pour half the mixture into another saucepan—add the red food coloring to one half and black to the other.

4. Dip one apple completely in the syrup and swirl it so that it becomes coated with the melted sugar candy. Hold the apple above the saucepan as the excess drips off.

5. With the stick facing up, place each dipped apple onto a baking sheet that was greased or is lined with a silpat.

Adam’s hints:
—if the syrup thickens or cools too much, simply reheat briefly before proceeding.
—let the apples cool completely before serving.

recipe: fontina toasts with asparagus

1 bunch asparagus, blanched and cut into 2” pieces
1 baguette, sliced
4 oz Fontina cheese, shredded
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
champagne vinegar to taste

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Drizzle sliced baguette with olive oil, set them on a baking sheet then place it in the oven until they’re lightly toasted—about 8-10 minutes.

2. Sprinkle with cheese and toast about 1-2 minutes longer—until the cheese is melted.

3. Remove from the oven, top with sliced asparagus, season with a drizzle of olive oil, salt,
pepper and a few drops of vinegar. Serve warm.

Adam’s hints:
—to blanch asparagus, heat salted water to boiling and cook asparagus till tented but not falling apart, remove from boiling water and place in a ice water bath to stop cooking.

recipe: chicken and waffle bites

For the chicken:
12 chicken tenders
1-1/2 C buttermilk
1 C all-purpose flour
2 tblsp fresh minced tarragon
1 tblsp fresh minced thyme
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper
3 C vegetable oil, for frying

Directions:
1. Fold together the chicken tenders, buttermilk, tarragon, thyme and cayenne pepper in a shallow dish until thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. When ready to cook and serve, remove the chicken and buttermilk mixture from the refrigerator. Sift the flour, garlic powder, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and onion powder into a separate shallow dish.

3. Preheat the oil in a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat to about 350°F. Dredge each tender in the flour mixture, coating completely and shaking off any excess. Dip each back in the buttermilk mixture and again in the flour mixture, gently shaking off any excess.

4. In small batches, gently drop the tenders into the oil and fry, about 5 minutes. Flip and fry until golden brown, an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

For the waffles:
2 C complete pancake mix
6 slices cooked bacon, diced
1 C water
1/3 C oil
2 tblsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
3 tblsp chives, sliced thin for garnish

1. Combine dry pancake mix, sugar, and salt with water, oil and vanilla—stir to combine. Stir in chopped bacon and chives then let sit 4-5 minutes while waffle maker heats to 375°F.

2. Lightly spray waffle maker with cooking spray, add 1 heaping tablespoon batter to waffle maker and close lid. Cook 5-6 minutes, or until they stop steaming.

3. To serve, chop or tear chicken to fit on top each waffle. Garnish with chives and serve with honey and hot sauce on the side.

Adam’s hints:
—these are best served hot with honey, hot sauce or maple syrup on the side.
—try them at your next brunch!

recipe: rolled carrot bites

3-4 large carrots, peeled
2 oz goat cheese, room temp
2 oz cream cheese, room temp
2 tsp chives, minced
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Mix cheeses, chives, and salt and pepper in a bowl using a fork. Transfer the mixture to a zip-top plastic bag for piping into carrot rolls, then set aside.

2. Bring a shallow but wide pan of salted water to boiling. While the water is heating, prepare an ice bath in a stainless bowl large enough to fit the carrots. Blanch the carrots by placing them in the boiling water for about 2 minutes, then transfer them to the ice water bath to shock them and stop them from cooking further. Once cooled, remove the carrots from the bath and pat dry. ‘Roll peel’ carrots and place the shavings on a baking sheet or serving platter.

3. Snip a small corner off the zip-top bag and pipe cheese mixture into the carrot rolls, refrigerate till ready to serve.

recipe: samosa hand pies

For the dough:


2-1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 C cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

8 oz cold cream cheese, cut into pieces

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

For the filling:
2 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2” pieces
1 tblsp canola oil
1 jalapeno, diced
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 onion, peeled and cut into 1/2” pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds
salt and pepper, to taste

For the egg wash:

2 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

For serving on the side:
creamy yogurt dip or spicy chutney

Directions:
1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cold butter and cream cheese until combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough just comes together.

2. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 2 equal pieces. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.

3. Place diced potatoes in a pot of salted water, bring to a boil and cook until tender—about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

4. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a saute pan over med-high heat and cook all remaining filling ingredients until the onions are soft—about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and mix with cooked potatoes.

5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to just over 1/8″ thick. Cut the dough with 4.5″ cookie or biscuit cutter—and keep cut pieces covered. Continue rolling the scraps until all the dough is used—this recipe will yield 20-24 circles.

6. Make the egg wash by mixing eggs and water in a small bowl and set it aside.

7. To fill the hand pies, take a circle of dough and place the filling in the center—about 1 tablespoon—and be careful, don’t overfill. Brush the edges with egg wash and fold over to close the hand pie. Dip a fork into flour so that it doesn’t stick and use it to crimp the edges closed. Set the filled hand pies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and continue to fill and fold the remaining pies. Refrigerate the filled pies for 15 to 20 minutes before baking.

8. Pre-heat oven to 425°F. Remove the pies from the refrigerator, brush with egg wash and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until pies are golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly and serve warm with dipping sauces on the side.

Adam’s hints:
—the filling can be pre-made the night before.
—short on time? store bought pie dough can be used instead of scratch.
—in case of leftovers, the filling makes a fantastic breakfast side dish…Indian spiced skillet potatoes!