Blueberry Pie Sunday

Blueberry Pie

When blueberries are in season, what better to do with them (other than eating them straight from the basket) than make blueberry pie? Blueberries have been found to be a “superfood”, so good for you that you should go out of your way to eat them. They neutralize free radicals, protect your heart, improve your vision, and protect against degenerative brain diseases. (See the whole story at The World’s Healthiest Foods website.) Yet another good reason to make and eat blueberry pie.

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• Prep time: 1 hour
• Cook time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

Crust:

• One box: 2 ready-made crusts that unroll!

Filling ingredients:

• 6 cups (about 2 1/4 pounds or 1 kilo) of fresh (or frozen) blueberries, rinsed and stems removed (if using frozen, defrost and drain first)1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp of vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup of blueberry jam for thickening
• 1/2 cup brown granulated sugar (100g)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp butter (unsalted), cut into small pieces

Egg wash ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk

METHOD

1 Roll out 1 of the dough pieces to fit over a 9-inch pie pan, and trim the edges to a 1/2 inch over the edge all around the pan. Put into the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes.

2 Gently mix the blueberries, sugar, vanilla extract, jam, cinnamon, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Transfer them to the chilled bottom crust of the pie pan. 

Dot with butter pieces. Roll out remaining dough to the same size and thickness as the first (you can cut the crust into 1/2 inch thin strips and cross them over the top). 

Place on top of the berry filling. Tuck the top dough over and under the edge of the bottom dough, and crimp the edges with your fingers. Transfer the pie to the refrigerator to chill until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes. Heat oven to 425°F.

3 Whisk egg and milk together to make an egg wash.

4 Remove the unbaked pie from refrigerator. Brush the top with egg wash. Score the pie on the top with 4 cuts if placing the whole doe piece on the pie top (so steam can escape while cooking). Place the pie on the middle rack of the oven with a parchment paper or Silpat lined baking pan positioned on the lower rack to catch any filling that may bubble over. Bake for 20 minutes at 425°. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for 30 to 40 minutes more or until juices are bubbling and have thickened. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Let cool completely before serving.

Yield: Makes one pie with 8 servings.

Red, White and Blueberry Trifle

Total Time:

8 hr 45 min

Prep

25 min

Cook

20 min

Yield:

12 servings

Level:

Easy

Ingredients

Two 16-ounce containers strawberries
Two 6-ounce containers blueberries
One 6-ounce container blackberries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Pinch kosher salt
One 8-ounce package cream cheese
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 prepared angel food cake (about 12 ounces)
Confectioners' sugar, for garnish, optional
1 1/2 tablespoons apple jelly or apricot preserves, for garnish, optional

Directions
Trim and quarter the strawberries and set aside. Combine the blueberries, blackberries, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup water, lemon zest, juice and salt in a medium saucepot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries break down and the sauce thickens, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.

Place the cream cheese, 1/4 cup cream, the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the vanilla extract in a large bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. In a second large bowl, whip the remaining cream until stiff peaks form. Fold about one-quarter of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until lightened, and then fold in the remaining whipped cream.

To assemble the trifle, rip or cut the angel food cake into 2-inch pieces. Place half the cake pieces in the bottom of a 12-to-14-cup trifle dish or large bowl. Top with about half the blueberry sauce, half the cream and half the quartered strawberries. Repeat the layers with the remaining cake, berry sauce, cream and strawberries. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 8 hours or overnight. Before serving either dust with confectioners' sugar or heat the apple jelly in the microwave for 25 seconds to loosen, and then brush over the strawberries.


Other images:

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/red-white-and-blueberry-trifle-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

THUG KITCHEN - POPSICLES

This summer be sure to avoid frozen high fructose, artificial bullshit and fight swamp ass. Because there are two kinds of people in this world: people who get swamp ass and goddamn liars. Don’t sweat it though because Thug Kitchen has your back with real fruit popsicles. These are easy as fuck to make and it’s not like you’re too busy to freeze blended fruit.

MANGO PINEAPPLE POPSICLES

2 ripe mangos, skinned and cut into chunks, about 2 cups

1 cup frozen pineapple chunks

1 cup yogurt (I used a coconut yogurt but you can use your favorite shit)

2 ½ tablespoons lime juice

1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger

Throw all of that together in a blender and blend until it is smooth. Pour the mixture into your molds and let it freeze for at least 8 hours. No molds? Don’t fucking give up now. Just do it like we all did growing up: small paper cups and popsicle sticks. Shit, you could even fill up your ice cube tray and use toothpicks for bite-sized deliciousness. Just make sure your sticks don’t go all the way to the bottom of the mold or cups because then you have a fucking ice kabob thing that ends in heartbreak.

Makes about 2 cups of filling. The number of pops you get depends what the fuck you pour it into



PEACH BLUEBERRY POPSICLES

1 cup frozen peaches

½ cup real fruit juice (I used a peach apple juice blend here and it was legit. Check your label. Anything that only has 2% fruit juice is just a bottled lie)

¼ cup yogurt (I kept using coconut yogurt because I still had a bunch left but again use your favorite shit)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Blend all that together and then pour the mixture into a large glass. You should have about a cup. Don’t wash the blender. We have more shit to do.

1 cup frozen blueberries

½ cup yogurt (you know the drill by now)

¼ cup of the same fruit juice you already used

1 teaspoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Blend all of that shit together until it is smooth. Layer it into your molds or cups with the peach filling if you want the popsicle to look awesome. Pour them in at the same time if you love chaos. Freeze for at least 8 hours before trying to get down.

Makes about 2 cups of filling

Frozen Pints: The Coldest Beer You’ll Ever Eat

Beer ice cream. Need I say more? That’s like, the two best things in the world just mashed together into one – and you can eat it with a spoon. Until the day comes that somebody invents “sexbacon,” I’m pretty certain that this stuff will hold the title for most awesome hybrid in existence.

And it’s not just beer-flavored ice cream either – it’s actually made with real beer. Not only does this give these pints a refreshingly unique flavor, but it also gives you a perfect reason to refuse sharing them with your niece (sorry hun, this ice cream is for grown-ups only). Truth be told, it’s probably fine for kids to eat though. It’s made with real beer, but the amount of alcohol in each pint is pretty low, so unless you go Kobayashi on your freezer, you probably won’t be able to get much of a buzz going. However, if you’re really looking to have your beer and eat it too, there’s no reason you can’t make a real-beer float – this stuff would be ideal for it.

Frozen Pints currently offers seven different flavors, including Peach Lambic, Honey IPA, Pumpkin Ale, Brown Nut Chip, Cinnamon Espresso Stout, Vanilla Bock, and Malted Milk Chocolate Stout. It’s a pretty impressive lineup, but founders Ari Fleischer and Aly Moler are always on the lookout for new recipes, so we’re sure there are few new ones in the works. Check out FrozenPints.com to learn more or find a local retailer who carries them.

homemade chicken cheesesteaks.

ingredients:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 green pepper, sliced
1 sweet onion, sliced
8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, freshly grated
1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon flour
2/3 cup half and half
additional salt + pepper to taste
6 whole wheat sub rolls

directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat a large oven-safe skillet oven medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season chicken on both sides with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Place in the skillet and sear on both sides until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Once seared, place skillet in oven and roast chicken for 15 minutes. When finished, remove and let cool slightly, then shred into pieces. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

While chicken is roasting, heat a small skillet oven medium-low heat and add remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add peppers, onions, salt and pepper, stirring to coat and cooking until soft but not caramelized - about 6-8 minutes.

In a small saucepan, heat butter over medium heat until it's sizzling. Whisk in flour to create a roux, cooking until mixture is golden and smells somewhat nutty - about 2 minutes. Add in half and half and stir until milk is bubbling and thick, then reduce heat to low, add about 5 ounces of shredded cheddar and mix until combined and creamy.

To assemble, lay out 6 squares of aluminum foil and place a roll on each. Stuff each roll with chicken, then drizzle with cheese sauce and stuff with peppers and onions. Top with a handful of extra shredded cheddar. Roll each sandwich up TIGHTLY - almost cut the size in half. Once all sandwiches are rolled, place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove and eat!

SWEET LOOK

                                     sweet things + sweet looks. let’s not over think it.  

THIS SUNDAY....FEELING CHILI

An Entire City Block Full of Chili!

Getting pretty cold out there. Probably a good idea to eat some chili. Even better idea: eat your way through 500 feet of uninhibited, unlimited chili offerings at the annual Chelsea Market Chili Fest. There will be celebrity judges. There will be exclusive cerveza pairings. There will be... mucho heartburn. 



Each ticket to NYChiliFest gives you access to a 500-foot concourse of chili, served by dozens of NYC’s best restaurants and cutting edge chefs, all competing for the Golden Chili Mug 2013 title. Samuel Adams is matching 4 of their favorite chili-eating beers and will be pouring from several locations in the concourse. There are fewer tickets this year, which means better access to chili and more room to digest, so be sure to grab a ticket while they're still available.

Jan 27, NY Chili Fest at Chelsea Market, 75 9th Ave (between 15th and 16th), 212-242-2630

7pm-9:30pm



http://www.nychilifest.com/

SMOOTH SAILIN’

Tequila in a Smoothie. About Time.....

Smoothies. They’re awesome. All fruity and blended and refreshing and stuff. At Cocktail Bodega, customers can pick cocktails with such add-ons as lemongrass, raw protein and acai berries. 

Now, Cocktail Bodega’s got a new smoothie with graham crackers, cinnamon, marshmallows, bananas and coffee-tequila liqueur. Meaning you now have an option that’s both dessert and a cocktail before work. Because if it’s a smoothie, it’s gotta be healthy. 

THE CROWD As diverse as any subway rabble. On a recent Saturday night, there was an assortment of people in their late 20s and early 30s. A young woman sported a bachelorette tiara. Nearby, two young women took Instagram photos of themselves, as they sipped straws from the same chalice of an “antioxidant” vodka smoothie. They had all the charm of Betty and Veronica.

THE PLAYLIST Upstairs, the D.J. played Jay-Z and Top 40 hits like “The Show Goes On (Clean Version),” by Lupe Fiasco. Downstairs, the music is louder and more thumpy, including a twice-a-month party called “Let’s Play House.”

GETTING IN If the IHOP at Union Square can have a bouncer, why not here? Still, it’s nothing like the restrictive velvet rope at the Box, down the block. And it’s mildly comical given that the bright lights and huge windows remove all mystique of what’s inside.

DRINKS All juices and smoothies are $13. Popular smoothies include the Jameson Brown Banana (whiskey, banana, brown sugar, lemon juice, orange juice and vitamin C). There is also a menu of fusion sandwiches like the kimchi Reuben and the Cuban sandwich quesadilla. 

Cocktail Bodega, 205 Chrystie Street (Stanton Street), (212) 673-2400; cocktailbodega.com. Open Sunday to Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Thursday to Saturday until 4 a.m.

Bon Appétit Magazine: FOOD & FASHION

I’m really excited to share the first Food & Fashion Mash-Ups series I did for Bon Appétit Magazine! Which is a superb publication by the way. Something i really appreciated was the beautiful design & layout of each issue – admittedly the first thing i look for in a magazine. I especially loved their story The Incredible Egg and the Insider’s Guide to Paris in their latest issue. Here's the Food & Fashion Mash-Up collaboration with Bon Appétit. Who wouldn't want to look like a cream puff… I ask you.