Spice up your pumpkin pie routine

The staff here at Hudson Valley Life love food and we also love cookbooks. There is something timeless about preparing a meal following the recipe out of your favorite cookbook. It’s even better when you open up the book after a while and try to tackle a completely new recipe and actually master it. That’s why when receive a cookbook at the office there are usually a lot of “ooh’s” and “aghhs” over the delicious sounding recipes and even more delicious looking pictures in the book. Flipping through The Gilded Fork: Entertaining at Home cookbook, I couldn’t help but notice some delicious pumpkin recipes that I thought would be perfect to try in time for the Thanksgiving Holiday. So, instead of the usual pumpkin pie recipes this Thanksgiving try one of these. Maybe you will establish a new family tradition. Either way if you master either of these recipes you will surely impress your friends and family this holiday season. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bisque

This fall soup never fails to satisfy. The addition of sherry elevates the dish to something sublime. For extra flavor you can also serve the soup with a small dollop of foie gras mousse, or drizzle whole wheat toast points with truffle oil. 6 servings.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 leeks, including light green parts, sliced and thoroughly rinsed
1 celery stalk, diced
1 small onion, diced
3 ½ cups diced, peeled pumpkin
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 fresh sage leaves
2 quarts chicken stock
1 tablespoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 Tablespoons Fino sherry

[Chef’s Note: Tie the bay leaf, thyme sprigs and sage leaves together into a bouquet garni, or wrap into a sachet using cheesecloth, so that it can be removed easily at the end of the cooking time.]

Equipment

Medium soup pot
Immersion blender

Preparation

In a medium soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks, garlic, celery and onion. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the pumpkin, herbs and stock and bring to a boil. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender and cooked through.

Remove the bouquet garni. Purée the soup with a handheld immersion blender until no lumps remain. If necessary, pass the soup through a sieve. Return the soup to the pot and add the sherry. Bring the soup back to a simmer. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve in warmed soup bowls with croutons or a swirl of cream.

Variations

You can dress this up in many ways, including adding a dollop of foie gras mousse with truffled toast points, as mentioned, or drizzle with a balsamic and maple reduction, a dollop of harvest spiced crème fraîche, or pepitas (mexican spiced pumpkin seeds).

Recipe by Mark Tafoya.

Pumpkin Flan with Chile-Spiced Brittle

Incredibly delicious and intriguing, this caramel-glazed custard, reminiscent of pumpkin pie, makes an elegant alternative to the holiday favorite. A hint of Ancho chile surprises your taste buds with an unusual burst of heat and flavor. We used canned pumpkin in crafting this recipe, but feel free to explore and indulge in autumn’s bounty. 8 servings.

Ingredients

For the pumpkin flan:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup pumpkin purée
¾ cup sugar
4 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1 stick Mexican cinnamon (canela), about 5 grams or 1/8 ounce in weight
½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
2 inches fresh ginger, sliced
½ teaspoon Ancho chile powder
2 whole cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

For the spiced brittle:
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ cup butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon Ancho chile powder
pinch salt
¾ cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Equipment

8 1-cup ramekins
Silpat (optional)

Preparation

Prepare the pumpkin flan:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter ramekins and line them up on a flat baking sheet.

Combine 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan and stir with your hand to make a wet, sandy sugar. Bring the sugar to a boil over medium heat and continue boiling until it turns deep amber, without stirring, but swirling the pan occasionally to evenly distribute the color, about 10 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and carefully pour the caramel into the bottom of the ramekins, evenly distributing between all eight.

[Chef’s Note: Caramel can go from a lovely amber color to a black dangerous mess in an instant. Always watch it carefully as it gets darker, and never walk away. It takes a little practice to consistently get the exact color you’re looking for, but you will quickly get the hang of it. Remember to always be careful of hot sugar, as it can cause the most painful burns.]

Combine the milk, heavy cream, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla bean and spices in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer and steep for 15 minutes. In a large bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Add the sugar, salt and pumpkin purée and whisk to blend. Slowly temper the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Whisk to fully combine, and strain the entire mixture through a fine meshed sieve twice, discarding solids.

Evenly pour this mixture into the ramekins over the hardened caramel. Carefully move the baking sheet (with filled ramekins) into the preheated oven. Pour warm water into the baking sheet to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins, to bake in a water bath. Cover with another baking sheet or loosely with foil and bake for about 45 minutes, until the custard is set and a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in water bath. Remove from water bath and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4-6 hours.

[Chef’s Note: The longer you allow the custard to remain chilled in the refrigerator, the better chance that you will have a nice liquid caramel sauce once you unmold the flans. Sugar will absorb liquid, but needs time; if served before the flans have time to set, the finished product may have a solid disc at the top of the flan. If you can leave them to rest overnight, you will not have to worry about this.]
Prepare a flat baking sheet with parchment, wax paper or a non-stick silpat. Mix together the sugar and the cream of tartar and place in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and continue, occasionally swirling the pan, until it turns a deep amber. Once it has reached a dark caramel color, add the butter, vanilla, salt and Ancho chile powder, whisking continuously to completely emulsify. Mix in the toasted pumpkin seeds and spread out evenly onto the prepared baking sheet (try to get the brittle to be an even ¼ – ½ inch layer). Allow to cool and harden for at least 1 hour. Break into pieces and set aside.

Prepare the spiced brittle:

[Chef’s Note: If the caramel hardens too quickly and becomes difficult to spread, just place the baking sheet in a 400 degree F heated oven for 30 seconds to 1 minute and it will become pliable again.]

Service

To unmold the flans, run a knife around the edge of the custard to loosen. Dip the outer edge of the ramekins in hot water for a few seconds for easier release. Place a dish on top of the custard, invert the custard onto the dish and shake gently to release the flan. Carefully remove the ramekin, allowing the caramel to run over the flan and onto the plate. Repeat with each flan to unmold. Garnish with pieces of the spiced brittle.

Recipe by Monica Glass.

How do you feel about the new mammogram advice?

Monday morning the health world was shaken by the news that a  government task force (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a government panel of doctors and scientists) said that most women do not need mammograms in their 40s and should get one every two years starting at 50.  This came as a shocking reversal and a break with the American Cancer Society’s long-standing position. What’s more confusing is that the panel said breast self-exams do no good, and women shouldn’t be taught to do them. This is leaving many women with questions and concerns.  I am one of those women. I always believed that early detection is prevention. Why would we want to post pone detection? Especially when we hear so many stories about women who have been saved by early detection. That’s my opinion, but this blogger wants to hear yours. Please leave any thoughts or comments you may have about this topic and please be sure to check out our article where you can also leave comments.

39 Steps on Broadway — You’ll laugh until your cheeks hurt

On Saturday, my daughter and I saw 39 Steps on Broadway. I didn’t know what to expect. I prefer musicals and this was not a musical, but I heard it was funny and I always like funny. So we ventured in the pouring rain for a 3pm show.

The website describes the show as  ‘mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have THE 39 STEPS, a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre!’

“In THE 39 STEPS, a man with a boring life meets a woman with a thick accent who says she’s a spy. When he takes her home, she is murdered. Soon, a mysterious organization called “The 39 Steps” is hot on the man’s trail in a nationwide manhunt that climaxes in a death-defying finale”

The cast of four — played by Arnie Burton, Jeffrey Kuhn, Sean Mahon, and Jill Paice — is absolutely hilarious. I had a soft spot in my heart for Jeffrey Kuhn who probably went to the “Tim Conway School of awesome facial expressions and voices.” It’s a laugh riot as the actors transpose themselves into multiple characters right in front of you, while not missing a beat. The slapstick, the facial expressions, the hilarious choreography as sets are moved around and become part of the jokes make this show a don’t miss.

According to Playbill magazine, “here’s how the producers characterize the madness: “The 39 Steps features a cast of four actors who, against all odds, breathlessly and hilariously attempt to reenact all of the characters, locations and famous scenes in Hitchcock’s 1935 film thriller with just a few props and a lot of theatrical ingenuity and split second quick changes.”

Sadly, this show is ending its run on Broadway in January and I wish it wasn’t. If you’re looking for something to see, this is it. The house should be full and the word of how funny this show is should be spreading like wildfire.

My cheeks literally hurt after the performance and my daughter and I talked about our favorite moments all the way home.

Paranormal Activity: Scary movie, but even scarier audience

This past weekend my Dad, my friend and I all went to see Paranormal Activity.  Since it’s nearing Halloween and my Dad and I love scary movies,  Paranormal Activity seemed like a perfect fit. The basic summary of the movie is this: “After a young, middle class couple moves into what seems like a typical suburban “starter” tract house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be demonic but is certainly most active in the middle of the night. Especially when they sleep. Or try to.” It’s a low-budget horror flick that is surprisingly well made. Although there were some big scares I wasn’t absolutely terrified. I don’t know if it quite lived up to its hype, but I enjoyed it. However, I think I would have been more scared if I was watching the movie alone, in the dark and in my basement. My Dad agrees. One important thing to note is that this movie is Rated “R”, so it is definitely not a movie to take your young children or grandchildren to.

This leads me to a very important point. Someone had brought in their two-year old child. Why? The poor child was scared out of their mind and started crying. Eventually, she calmed down but it was hard to get back in to the scary movie vibe. That has to be my biggest pet peeve about movie theaters, how did that child get in if the movie was rated “R”? What about you, are you a movie buff like me, but find that something can easily ruin your movie-going experience? Leave us a comment and let us know. Also, make sure you check out Hudson Valley Life’s article on cool movie houses in the Hudson Valley, it’s a great read. In the meantime, I think I’ll stick to my scary movie watching at home.

Meet John Grisham at the 2009 National Book Festival in Washington, DC

John Grisham speaks!

John Grisham is an accomplished and entertaining speaker. What did he have to say?

I will answer that, but first I want to mention that my kids, Amy and Eliot, came with me to the festival. Amy is a wonderful photographer and the still shots you see are hers. And Eliot heard the first author to speak, John Grisham.

My son came with me to the event... and acted as my assistant.

According to Eliot, the presentation was conduction in two parts, first a reporter from The Washington Post interviewed Grisham on-stage; and then members of the audience asked questions. On the way home Eliot regaled us with the highlights. According to Grisham his first book bombed. The publisher printed 5,000 hardcover copies and never did a reprint.  Grisham was determined to find out what it took to be successful, so he read all the bestsellers. And he said to himself, “I can do that.” After that he wrote The Firm, which went on to be a bestseller. He does minimal research and keeps to his successful fiction format. His first foray into non-faction (I think it was Last Man Standing, about an innocent man on death row.) took him three years to write while his fiction takes about 6 months. So his is sticking to that which he does best.

One funny sidelight was when someone asked Grisham why he doesn’t include intimate sex scenes in his books. Without a thought he answered. First he said his wife is usually in the first row in the audience as she was today. And that when he was asked that question before, his wife chimed in from the first row that he writes about what he knows best.

2009 National Book Festival just for Book Lovers

If you love books you would have loved the 2009 National Book Festival held in Washington, DC on September 26^th. There were more authors and their books in one spot than you could possibly visit in a day. It is true that we have many book fairs in the mid-Hudson region, like the Millbrook Book Festival in late spring, but there is an excitement in the Mall in DC that can’t be beat.

Here I am, arranging author interviews!

Although I am the publisher of Hudson Valley Parent and Hudson Valley Life magazines, I really went as someone who loves reading books. And I also had the privilege of having a media badge which allowed me to meet and greet nationally recognized authors from John Grisham to Judy Blume and 75 authors in between.

Kids…kids…and more kids. They were the best!!!

But the most exciting experience was meeting the kids and their parents. I know that many say that reading and books is a lost art. But you had to be the Book Festival to see the 1000s of parents and their kids anxiously waiting to speak to a specific author whom they love. With books clutched in their hands, kids were excited at the thought that they would personally meet the author who wrote their favorite book.

I was lucky that several parents permitted me to video tape an interview with their kids. Kids quickly told me what book they were reading and who their favorite author is. Of the four families I interviewed two of moms shared a similar story. Each night they sit down as a family and read, one for a half hour, the other for 20 minutes. Sometimes they read aloud, and sometimes they each read their own book. One mom mentioned an author, sorry his name escapes me, who wrote about the civil war and now the same author is coming out with a version for teens. Both parents and their kids will read about that time in history and then share their ideas.  All great stuff for getting kids excited about reading.

I interviewed many wonderful parents and their children.

Does that mean that we have to read with our kids in order to get our kids to read? Maybe not, but it helps. My dad did not read books although my mom read some. Yet, since I was young, I have always loved reading. But I do think it helps when kids and their parents share the reading experience. I know my husband Clay and I read together on the couch at night. We enjoy sharing passages and the details of the characters. I think it adds to the pleasure of reading. I guess that’s why people join book clubs. There is a pleasure in sharing the experience.

Kids interviewing authors…what a switch

I also met two groups of kids who came to interview the authors and share the experience with the students in their school. I think one group had a school radio program. Not sure about the second. I have some pictures of these enthusiastic kids’ groups. I was more delighted to be in the midst of these kids who were interviewing authors than meeting with the authors. These kids are the ones who will lead us into the future.

Students excited about interviewing their authors!

Kids talk about their author interviews.

The speaker’s presentations were all taped and are available for viewing. You can see some videos on our Facebook page too! Make a point visit next year’s National  Book Festival.  You need to be there to grab the excitement.

Reading Connects Generations

When my niece and nephew were born, my mom exclaimed, “I’m going to be the best grandmother ever! There will be zoo trips, I’ll make home made cookies and I can’t wait to read to them when I baby sit.” That last line really hit home to me. I was a big reader growing up and although my parents read to me, my grandparents never did. I would have loved for them to tell me an adventure story as I drifted off to sleep while they babysat me. It just never happened. I would go through all their old books they kept in their homes and put aside my favorites to take home with me. So, even though they never read to me personally, I still managed to gather an extensive collection of books from them.

Have you ever found yourself asking why you don’t read to your grandchildren more? Well, I feel that there are many easy ways to encourage your grandchildren to read. If they are young, read to them. If they are older, give them a jumpstart on their own book collections!

The Trunk in the Attic is a great adventure and mystery book series that I would have love to have in my book collection as a child. If you are looking for a book to start for your grandchild’s collection, this would be a great one to give to them. It teaches them to learn about other cultures, important historical events and most importantly inspires creativity. Also, you can pick it up just in time for Grandparents day which is on September 13^th. I think reading to your grandchildren is a gift for both you and them.

 There are number of activities that you can do with your grandchild that coincide with reading this book. For example, the book ties in with the Hudson Valley Quadricentennial. The Quadricentennial commemorates the explorations of Henry Hudson and Samuel de Champlain in 1609, as well as the 200th anniversary of Robert Fulton’s first steamship voyage along the Hudson River. Read some chapters to your grandchildren and then take them down to the Hudson to see the history themselves. The possibilities are endless! Check the book out today!

THE ADVENTURES OF FLYING

This weekend I went to Baltimore for one night and I flew Southwest Airlines. You say to me, “No big deal.” But for the first time in all my life I came back full of stories just about my flight. And it was only an hour.

There was a conference I wanted to go to but I could only visit for one day. (On Sunday, my husband Clayton Buchanan was being recognized for one of his award-winning paintings.  And I had to be there.) So I decided to fly in and back in a 24-hour period, rather than driving for nine hours.

Albany International Airport here I come. Nice airport. Easy to get to. And Southwest Airlines goes directly to Baltimore with plenty of flights to choose from.

Since this was my first time to the Albany airport, I wasn’t sure what to expect so I chose short term parking which I knew would be closest to the terminal and I wouldn’t be late. That was my first $32 mistake. It turns out the daily parking is immediately adjacent to short term parking and much less expensive.

I get my boarding pass and head over to the gate. “Okay folks,” says the boarding staff person. “Let me explain how this works.”  And he goes on to explain that our tickets have an A, B or C on it plus a number. We are to line up based on those codes. A1-15s get on first. As I listened I wondered if there was going to be a test. This was too tedious for me. It is 7pm and I am tired after a full day of work.

But surprisingly enough it works. There are no assigned seats and everyone feels like they are in this together. The seats are roomy and, it turns out that I didn’t mind sitting in the middle. I meet a mom and daughter who share their stories with me throughout the flight. A fun experience.

It is 24-hours later and I am ready to return home. The same process of lining up but this time I am ready. Again, I sit between a mom and daughter who are meeting a granddaughter and the great grandkids.

We are delayed because Southwest is waiting for a passenger. “Would you like to hear a joke,” asks the stewardess of all of us waiting to take off? “Sure,” we all yell back. I will share the joke another day, but we all laughed. And I enjoyed the joke so much that I have since told the joke to my husband and my kids.

That set the tone for the rest of the flight. There was light banter between and among the staff. There was singing. And an overall friendly atmosphere transformed this hectic travel experience into a fun adventure.

BEST MUSIC IN THE HUDSON VALLEY

It’s 5:15pm on Sunday, September 13, 2009 and my husband and I experienced a day of music in the heart of Newburgh.

Neil Alexander, his group Nail and guests showered us with 3 hours of the best sounds I have heard in a long time. It was called “A 400 Year Musical Journey,” which is part of the continuing celebration of the anniversary of Henry Hudson sailing from the Netherlands to New York.

With music from the 1600s to modern day, we were treated to unique renditions of Johann Sebastian Back, to Duke Ellington, Hank Williams, John McCartney to Nails own music.

I captured some of his music with my Flip camera. I must admit it doesn’t do justice to the quality of play we heard. I will include it in this blog as soon as it uploads to YouTube

Sign up for Nail’s newsletter and be sure to see them the next time they are in town

The Undercover Kids’ puppets come alive

The Puppet Kitchen puppeteers build Jake, An Undercover Kid

In order to engage kids we are sending author Gloria Smith Zawaski to visit schools with her new puppet friends….Jake, Katie and their dog Cooper.

Gloria created Jake (Katie and Cooper) in her new book The Undercover Kids’ Holland Adventure. The wonderful folks at The Puppet Kitchen are making The Undercover Kids jump off the pages of Gloria’s book and on to the stage as “live” puppets.

“Here are a bunch of photos of Jake – we’ve started with him,” say Emily DeDeCola, one of the principles at The Puppet Kitchen in New York. 

“I think the little guy is pretty cute, although clearly, he has no arms,” continues Emily.

According to puppet group, Jake’s arms are coming next week and they plan to fatten him up. (I wonder if we will have to put him on a puppet diet?)

Share pictures of your favorite puppets. And visit often, as we post updates on the creation of The Undercover Kids.