Getting An Early Start on Cookie Season

It may barely be October, but that's no reason why you can't start thinking about holiday (or anytime) cookies. And one cookie idea is a doozy! Jorj Morgan, who wrote the new, interactive cookbook, You Can Cook Anything, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen with her recipe for the Big Soft Ginger Cookie. We told you it was a doozy, and has actually been in Morgan's family for quite some time, this being her grandma's recipe. Jorj told Tonia you can use either butter or margarine. These cookies are great for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas or anytime!

A New Kind of Cookbook

We'll admit it, this cookbook is different, and that's a really good thing. Yasmin Fahr, who's a New York Times cooking contributor, wrote Cook Simply Live Fully and it's not necessarily about what to make, it's about when to make it. Yasmin stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about the kinds of recipes that fit in with every occasion. She says there are several categories like Lap Dinners, Coffee Table Dinners, Kitchen Table Dinners and so on. For example, Yasmin says Lap Dinners are for when you've really felt exhausted and need a low effort way to make a meal. Yasmin adds the categories are based on the amount of energy you have. The good news though, each recipe is really delicious!

Under Pressure!

But in a good way. Jenny Gomes is the author of The Pressure Canning Cookbook. She stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about what pressure canning is, and why it really makes for some delicious recipes. Jenny told Tonia it's not pressure cooking. A pressure canner is a device that allows for an airtight seal and locking lid that can raise the temperature of the food you're preserving to 240-degrees Fahrenheit. That kills a lot of bacteria. Jenny told Tonia she especially likes to can meat. She starts by pre-cooking the beef and allowing it to brown, before sealing it. In fact many of her recipes follow the template of cooking all ingredients together before sealing in the flavor. It's a novel of cooking, and one you might like very much!

A Perfect Pie for the Fall

And part of the reason it's so perfect, it involves apples. In fact, there's a strong flavor profile of apples in every bite. Colleen Worthington, with Kneaders Bakery and Cafe, came by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for Grated Apple Pie. It's just one of many included in the Kneader's 25th Anniversary Cookbook that's out now. Colleen says she uses different kinds of apples in the recipe to make sure there's a different apple flavor each time you take a taste. The key here is to grate the apples together and then bake it all up. Try it, and you'll like it!

1 pie crust

4 cups apples, peeled and grated (about 5 medium apples)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup salted butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the crust into a 9-inch pie dish. Cut off any overhanging crust and crimp the edges.

In a bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons evenly in the bottom of the crust and set the rest aside.

Grate the apples and add the lemon juice and stir.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the remaining sugar mixture and beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat until mixed well and the mixture turns lighter. Stir in the apples.

Pour the apples into the crust and spread out evenly. Place a pie ring or one made out of aluminum foil around the edges of the crust.

Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. If the crust is not brown enough, remove the pie ring for the last 10 minutes of cooking time.

Time Is Of The Essence

And that's no truer than in the cooking world. Often times, amateur chefs preparing a full-course meal might be tempted to make everything ahead, or depending on who they are, make everything at the last minute. Probably not the best idea, especially if you want everything to taste right, but who's to say. Well now we have a clue, Susan Spungen, who is a cook, food stylist and author came by Tonia's Kitchen with her new cookbook Open Kitchen: Inspired Food for Casual Gatherings. Susan told Tonia that what makes her cookbook unique, was the notes that she gives on not just what to make, but when to make it. Susan says she breaks down her recipes into parts so you know you can make one component a week before you plan on serving it, and then another part right before it's dinner time. It's a fresh take on a book of recipes.

FOR THE PICKLED MUSTARD SEEDS:

• ½ cup yellow mustard seeds  
• 1 cup water
• ¾ cup white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1½ teaspoons salt

FOR THE SALMON:

• 2 clementines, peeled and sectioned 
• 2 blood oranges
• 1 Cara Cara orange (or ruby red grapefruit)
• 2 pounds skinless salmon fillet
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander 
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup lightly packed fresh herbs, such as parsley, dill, chervil and mint

1. To make the pickled mustard seeds: Heat a small saucepan over high heat. Add the mustard seeds and toast until fragrant, about three minutes. Add the water, vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until the seeds are soft and plump and most of the liquid has been absorbed (it still should be spoonable), about 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
   
   

   
   
2. To make the salmon: Peel both oranges with a knife, removing all of the white pith. Cut crosswise into slices. If using grapefruit, cut out each section, leaving the membrane and pith behind.
3. Preheat the oven to 230°C. Line a large baking sheet with foil.
4.  Place the salmon on the prepared baking sheet and rub with the oil. Mix the cumin, coriander, paprika, salt and pepper to taste together and rub all over the salmon, making sure the top is well coated first.
5. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes (depending on thickness), for medium, or to desired doneness. Using two large spatulas, carefully transfer the fish to a serving platter, top with ¼ cup pickled mustard seeds, the citrus and the herbs.

A Cookbook to Expand Your Horizons

She says they've taken in different approach when crafting this book, in that all the recipes are presented on boards, hence the title of the new cookbook Boards. Author and host of America's Test Kitchen Elle Simone Scott stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about the book and why it's such a departure from other cookbooks. She told Tonia she loves to entertain, and lot of that happens on a charcuterie board. Elle wanted to take things past charcuterie and over to the main course, dessert boards and of course appetizers. It's not just about the food though, Elle told Tonia she has point on presentation, style and what kinds of food goes on them. For example, Elle has ideas for do-it-yourself Bloody Mary and Baked Potato topping boards. She likes boards because they're social and really bring a party together.

Of Cooking, Philosophy, Different Voices and Cookies

 

It's called Rage Baking, and authors Katherine Alford and Kathy Gunst joined Tonia's Kitchen to talk both philosophy and baking. The cookbook offers a different take on things, as the subtitle suggests, it's the Transformative Power of Flour, Fury and Women's Voices. It offers dozens of cookie, cake and pie recipes, but also inspirational essays and other articles meant to show this is just not another cookbook. But as a cookbook, the authors told Tonia about one of their signatures, Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies. Give them a try!

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (130 grams) all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• A generous pinch of Maldon or other sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup tahini, well stirred
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 (10- to 12-ounce) bag bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chunks, chopped, or chocolate chips (about 1 ¾ cups)
• About ¼ cup white sesame seeds

1. Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl.Beat the butter, tahini, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed in an electric mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 3 minutes, until fluffy and fully incorporated, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times as needed. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix for 1 minute more.
2. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate, being careful not to overmix. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. (This might sound fussy, but the cookies are honestly better after the dough has had a chance to rest.)
3. Position two racks evenly in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
4. Scoop out a generous tablespoon of the dough, roll it into a ball, and place it on the prepared pan, making sure not to place the cookies too close together. Repeat with the remaining dough, dividing the cookies between the prepared pans. Lightly moisten your palm and gently push the cookies down to flatten them. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and press them lightly to make sure they adhere to the dough.
5. Bake for 6 minutes, then rotate the pans 180 degrees and switch their positions from top to bottom and bottom to top. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes more, until the cookies are almost deep golden brown around the edges, but still somewhat pale in the center. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cookies with the sea salt, gently pressing it into the cookies to adhere.
6. Let the cookies cool for at least 5 minutes on a wire rack then serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Store in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Laughing While You Cook!

 

Let's face it, sometimes the kitchen can be an intimidating place! But there's a cookbook out there that promises to dial back the intimidation factor and introduce a little laughter at the same time. Intrigued? Good! Elana Horwich is the author behind Meal and a Spiel! It's a funny take on making delicious dishes in your own kitchen. Elana, who actually runs a cooking school by the same name in Southern California stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about why this cookbook is different, and what makes it fun.  Elana says don't worry so much about exact measurements, or specific recipes. The goal, to make you use your intuition while you're cooking. Maybe you don't have tomatoes for a soup for example. Elana says that's okay, maybe you can use another base vegetable like asparagus. It's a great way to learn how to cook in a fun, and funny way!