For the food blogging community August was all about pie. Pie and love.

Food bloggers from around the world gathered together to support fellow food blogger Jennie Perillo when she lost her husband to a sudden heart attack. First, everyone made peanut butter pies in honor her husband Mikey. I spent an entire friday wiping tears from my eyes at my desk as I watched the #pieformikey Twitter feed. Then I watched this amazing video tribute for Jennie from White on Rice Couple and just outright bawled.

After this amazing group of bloggers gathered around Jennie and her family in the biggest virtual embrace I’ve ever witness, they quickly turned to the practical side of things. Bloggers Without Borders created the Fund for Jennie and bloggers from this same amazing community are offering baked goods, special art, and more in an auction to benefit Jennie and her family. My friend and photography goddess Penny De Los Santos is generously offering a full day of photography in New York City as part of the auction and let me tell you, I’d give my eye teeth to be able to bid on that amazing adventure. As of today the auction has raised $30k for this blogging family in need and it’s not over yet. Simply amazing.

In the mean time, here in Austin we’ve been having our own celebration of community and love through pie. The Austin Food Blogger Alliance partnered with the Alamo Drafhouse to host a special showing of Waitress with proceeds benefiting SafePlace, an organization that supports abused women and children in their greatest hours of need. Along with the proceeds from the movie ticket sales Alamo’s Executive Chef John Bullington made 20 pecan pies with local blogger Michael Chu after he won our pie contest earlier in the month. Proceeds from sales of slices of pie also went to SafePlace. And finally, local pie makers donated a table full of pies that we sold after the movie to further benefit SafePlace. When all was said and done we raised $2k for this important local charity. As I stood in front of a packed house before the Waitress screening and shared the story of A Pie for Mikey I was struck by how honored I feel to be part of such a passionate, loving, and supportive blogging community both here in Austin and around the virtual world. In the end this is why we blog: to create connections, build community, and share our love for food.

I didn’t quite manage to get a peanut butter pie made in honor of Mikey, but this weekend I did create what I’m calling inspired pie because it was inspired by two of my fellow food bloggers. At the food blogger pie contest Addie Broyles from the Austin American Statesman made a cherry galette with one of the best crusts I’ve ever tasted. It was flaky and just salty enough to balance out the sweet cherry filling. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised to learn that the crust was made by Martha Stewart’s trusty pate brisee recipe. Addie said it was easy to make and work with which are great characteristics for any recipes to have, particularly a dessert recipe. Since I had Addie’s galette I’d been thinking about making one myself but hadn’t settled on what kind. Then just this last weekend Lisa Fain posted a recipe on Homesick Texan for Hatch Chile Apple Cobbler and I knew I had found my gallette.

My daughter turned 12 last weekend and my family was in town to celebrate. As I put together her birthday dinner the inspired galette was the first item on the menu. There was something particularly special about making pie for my family in a month when pie has meant so much to my extended blogging family. The touch of Hatch chile in the recipe tied the whole dish back to my roots in the Southwest. This particular pie meant more to me than any pie I’ve made before.

Recipe: Apple and Hatch Chile Galettes

Ingredients

• 1 recipe of Martha Stewart’s pate brisee
• 1 recipe of Homesick Texan’s Hach Chile Apple Cobbler filling
• 2 Tbsp. sugar in the raw

Directions

1. Make the pate brisee according to the recipe directions and refrigerate for at least an hour.
2. Make the cobbler filling according to the recipe directions and let cool.
3. Spray two cookie sheets with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper.
4. Divide the pate brisee dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 7-8 inch circle.
5. Place a dough circle onto a corner of the cookie sheet. Fill with a heaping 1/2 c. of the cobbler filling, leaving about a 1 inch border of dough free of the filling.
6. Bring the free edges of the dough up around the filling. The crust will be uneven and the center of the filling won’t be covered by the dough. That’s okay, that’s sort of the point of the galette. It’s supposed to be rustic. It’s also a pass for you so the crust doesn’t have to look perfect. Everyone wins.
7. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Refrigerate the galettes for an hour.
8. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
9. Brush the crust of each galette lightly with water and sprinkle with the sugar.
10. Place the baking sheets into the oven and cook for 30 minutes, swapping the position of the sheets on the racks after 15 minutes.
11. After 30 minutes reduce the oven temperature to 375 and cook for another 15 minutes or until the edges of the galettes are nicely browned.
12. Let cool slightly and serve with something cool and creamy like vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Sometimes I make a dish and I know from the second it comes out of the oven it’s going to be a keeper. This is one of those recipes. It’s the kind of recipe you become known for and that everyone asks you to bring to every party. We all need more recipes like this one.

I wasn’t even planning to make a cake…

I work really hard not to be an impulse buyer at the grocery store. I make plans and lists, eat before I go to the store, and avoid the sample givers like the plague – I’m onto their shtick. Occasionally though I give in to temptation and am the better for it. Recently, a nice lady in the produce department of my local grocery store was handing out samples of newly arrived honey crisp apples (the best apples ever, for what it’s worth) and she had along with her an apple cake recipe she’d clipped from papers that morning to help overcome the “but I don’t know what I’ll make” objection. All of a sudden I found myself compelled to make a dessert of for a party I was attending that evening for which I’d already made a salad and purchased bread. I decided it was fate. The tasty apples and a cake recipe in-hand were the universe’s way of telling me I should make an apple cake.

But I’m really glad I did…

The apple cake recipe clipped from the paper was created by Susan Smith –Caballero of the Texas Apple Valley Orchard and it won an award at the Mason County apple baking contest. Of course I couldn’t leave even an award winning recipe alone, so I modified it to use both brown and granulated sugar and to incorporate some whole wheat flour. I also added in a bit of nutmeg it’s such a great partner for apples. The result is an amazingly moist cake that is crazy easy to make. The hardest part of the preparation is peeling and chopping the apples. A simple glaze makes finishing the cake a thirty second activity. And as an added bonus, this cake will fill your kitchen with the perfect fall smell as it cooks. It’s perfect to take to a potluck or to serve as dessert for fall dinner party. It would also be a great addition to a brunch menu or holiday breakfast buffet.

Recipe: Easy Apple Cake

Details

• Difficulty: Easy
  
• Serves: 18-36
  
• Prep Time: 45 minutes
  
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
  

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 2 c. all purpose flour
• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• 2 c. brown sugar, divided
• 1 c. granulate sugar
• 3 eggs
• ½ c. canola oil
• 1 c. applesauce
• ½ c. apple juice, divided
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 4 c. peeled and chopped apples (firm varieties like honey crisp, braeburn, and granny smith)
• 1 c. walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
• ½ c. butter
• ¼ c. evaporated milk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray an 8 x 13 ½ inch glass pan with cooking spray.
3. Combine the flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl and whisk until well mixed.
4. Combine 1 c. brown sugar, the granulated sugar, eggs, oil, apple sauce, and apple juice in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until well combined. Add the vanilla and mix until incorporated.
5. Add the flour mixture to the mixer in 4 batches, mixing after each addition until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix.
6. Gently fold the apples and walnuts into the batter with a spatula.
7. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
8. About 10 minutes before the cake is done, melt the butter in a small sauce pan.
9. Add the evaporated milk along with the remaining ¼ c. apple juice and 1 c. brown sugar to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil gently for two minutes.
10. When the cake is done, pour the hot mixture on to the warm cake and set the pan on a rack to cool completely.
11. Serve with a side of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, or with a bit of powdered sugar.

Recipe for Success

• I can’t get apple cider in quantities less than a gallon, so I used apple juice in this recipe but cider would work just as well.
• The cake keeps beautifully covered in the refrigerator for several days. A few seconds in the microwave will bring a piece it to room temperature – keep some on hand for easy breakfasts during the holidays.

I’m sharing this recipe on Miz Helen’s Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday.

• Creole Mustard Dip
• Sweet and Tangy Creole-Style Wings
• Spicy Mardi Gras Shrimp
• Jambalaya with Duck and Sausage

A couple of weeks ago I was thinking back to the party as I was planning my weekly menus, and I decided that there was no way I was going to wait until next February to evoke the fun and energy of Mardi Gras. I had a package of Jambalaya on hand but wanted to do something more with it. After a bit of contemplation I realized it would make a great stuffing for pork tenderloin (or pork chops, chicken breasts, or even beef tenderloin). I played around with the idea a bit and decided to add in a bit of apple for some sweetness and balance as well as a few green onions for a bright, crisp crunch. The result was beautifully stuffed tenderloin that I was able to put together on a weeknight. The stove and oven do most of the heavy lifting, so I helped with some homework and got a few chores done around the house while the jambalaya was simmering and the tenderloin was baking. I hope you’ll enjoy this recipe next time you’re in the mood for a little New Orleans-inspired fun.

Recipe: Jambalaya-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Details

• Difficulty: Easy
• Serves: 4
• Prep Time: 20 minutes total
• Cook Time: 75 minutes total

Ingredients

• 1 box Zatarain’s Jambalaya Mix
• ½ lb. smoked sausage (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium apple, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
• 3 green onions, white and light green parts only, sliced.
• 1 pork tenderloin, butterflied (see Recipe for Success)
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. Zatarain’s Creole Seasoning

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prepare the jambalaya mix according to package directions using only ½ of a pound of sausage (or none at all) instead of the full pound called for on the package.
3. While the jambalaya cooks, heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat for two minutes. Add the apple and sauté until it just begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
4. When the jambalaya is cooked, remove the pan from the heat, gently fold in the apples and the green onions, and set the mixture aside for five to ten minutes to cool.
5. Season the inside of the pork tenderloin with half of the salt and all of the Creole Seasoning. Spread the jambalaya, apple, and green onion mixture evenly over the tenderloin, leaving a 1 inch border on all sides.
6. Roll the tenderloin jelly-roll style into a neat spiral. Secure it with kitchen twine or tooth picks. Season the outside of the tenderloin with the remaining salt.
7. Place the rolled tenderloin in a greased glass baking dish. Cook for 40 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the center of the roll registers 155 degrees. Allow the tenderloin to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Recipe for Success

• If you have a few extra minutes at the grocery store, ask your butcher to butterfly the pork tenderloin for you because they can do it quickly with a great result. If the butcher isn’t an option, you’ll find it’s very easy to butterfly the pork tenderloin yourself. Culinate has a great visual tutorial that walks you step-by-step through the process if you haven’t done it before.
  
• You’ll most likely have leftover jambalaya and apple mixture but not to worry – it makes for a great lunch. You can also use it to stuff a second pork tenderloin if you are serving a bigger crowd. Conversely, you can use leftover jambalaya from a previous dinner in this recipe.
• You can make the jambalaya up to a day before you plan to stuff and serve the pork tenderloin and you can prep the tenderloin up to four hours before you plan to roast it. Cover the stuffed tenderloin with plastic wrap and stash it in the fridge. Set it out on the counter for about 30 minutes before you plan to put it in the oven to take the chill off.
• To borrow a phrase from Emeril, you can kick this recipe up a notch by substituting duck breast for the smoked sausage in the jambalaya. You can also substitute Zatarain’s new Spicy Jambalaya Mix for the traditional recipe. If you do, I’d go a little easier on the Creole Seasoning.

Slow Cooker Herbed Pork Sandwiches

[Jump right to the recipes: Cinnamon Toast & Slow Cooker Herbed Pork Sandwiches]

I’m happy to report that in January I stuck with my 2010 culinary resolution to learn how to bake bread. A couple of weeks ago I shared with you my first foray into this adventure: making the master recipe from Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. My experiences (experiments?) proved that indeed homemade bread is possible with just a few minutes active effort at any given time. I was generally happy with my results and with the encouragement of my family I’ve persevered. I continue to be well-supported by the baking group so wonderfully organized by Michelle from Big Black Dogs. In short – I’m hooked!

Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread*

The baking group’s second assignment was to make the Soft Whole What Sandwich Bread recipe and turn out three different creations:

• A loaf of bread baked in a traditional loaf pan
• Hot dog or hamburger buns
• Apple strudel bread

I’m happy to report that I made all three different applications of the dough and had a thoroughly fun time with each. Thus far this dough is my favorite to make, work with, and eat.

*As a reminder, all of the bread recipes the baking group is following can be found in Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. We’ve agreed not to republish them online but you can pick up a copy of the book for less than $20. Also, I’ll be giving a copy of the book away later this month, so you can try to win a copy then. Following Michelle’s great example I’m sharing a recipe that goes well with our bread as part of this post, so you won’t feel recipe deprived.

Making the Dough

The sandwich bread dough recipe has nine ingredients instead of the 6 in the master loaf, so it took just a little bit longer to make: 13 minutes instead of 11. Because these branded ingredients worked so well for me for the master recipe I stuck with them for this recipe as well:

• King Arthur Whole Wheat and unbleached AP Flour
• Hodgeson Mill vital wheat gluten

I did double the salt in this recipe based on my experience with my first batch of dough and the little extra helped enhance the flavor of all of the breads I made. I once again measured the ingredients by volume using my kitchen scale, which probably adds a couple of minutes to the process but it’s worth it. I mixed the dough by hand again because it was so easy last time, and once again with just a little elbow grease the mixture came together quickly.

Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread dough - just mixed

The dough rose beautifully as well, as you’ll see below.

Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread dough - after initial rise

Bread #1: Sandwich Loaf

Because this loaf gets most of its shape from a loaf pan, it’s very easy to put together. A quick shaping of the dough into a ball and then a stretch to lengthen it was all it took. I had it in the pan in less than 3 minutes.

Whole wheat loaf - after shaping

I wasn’t sure how much rise to expect while the loaf rested because the master loaf didn’t rise much at all, but I was excited to see the dough fill the pan before I even put it into the oven.

Whole wheat sandwich loaf - after resting

I was very happy with the final loaf. It has an even and open crumb and a deep wheat flavor. My family does like wheat bread, so they were fine with the richer flavor. Even so, I think I’ll make the dough again with light wheat flour to see how that changes the flavor profile.

Whole wheat sandwich loaf - baked and sliced

As I was trying to think of a recipe to go with this bread, I saw that Elise from Simply Recipes recently offered up her take on cinnamon toast, a recipe that’s so simple yet has so many different possible preparations. It turns out my mother’s cinnamon toast that I grew up eating and still make for my family is indeed different from the method Elise outlines. I thought for fun I would share my mom’s “recipe” for making cinnamon toast as it was a perfect match for this hearty wheat bread.

Bread #2: Hamburger Buns

I will admit that I had my trepidations about making hamburger buns. Now that I’ve made them, I’m not sure where they came from, but indeed they were there. Making hamburger buns is as easy as making small balls of dough and flattening them a bit with your hand to form a burger-sized round. Yep – that’s all there is too it. It took me maybe 5 minutes total to prep the pan with my slipat and shape the buns. My fourth bun was a little more evenly shaped than my first, which shows that a bit of practice is all it takes to form professional-looking hamburger buns.

Whole wheat hamburger buns - after shaping

Interestingly, the buns didn’t rise as much as the loaf of the same dough did, although they only rested for half of the time which might explain it.

Whole wheat hamburger buns - after resting

I chose to brush the buns with melted butter and skipped the sesame seeds. The resulting buns were fantastic. Like the loaf of bread they had a nice open crumb and the melted butter created a crisp crust on the top. They weren’t as light as store-bought buns, but I didn’t really expect them to be given the robustness of the loaf of bread I’d made earlier in the week. At some point I’ll confer with the group to get their thoughts on how to make a lighter bun, but for now, I’m excited to be able to make my own, particularly for those nights when we only need 3 buns instead of the 6 or 8 we usually get at the store.

I knew that rich buns like these would need a substantial filling – both in weight and flavor. After some hunting I found a recipe for slow roasted pork on Epicurious.com. I liked the flavor profile of the pork but wanted something more low-maintenance, so I converted it into slow cooker recipe that the whole family really enjoyed. I secured a pork shoulder from a local purveyor and topped the sandwiches with locally grown micro greens and locally produced cheese. When I served the sandwiches to my family I felt I really knew the source of every single ingredient, starting and ending with the bread.

Slow cooked pork on freshly baked buns

Brad #3: Apple Strudel Bread

The last application of our dough was a stuffed and rolled loaf of bread mean to be reminiscent of apple strudel. The recipe calls for a filling of apples, raisins, and walnuts mixed with sugar and cinnamon. I modified the recipe to use dried cherries and sliced almonds because we prefer those flavors. It took me almost 30 minutes to prepare this loaf but that was largely due to the time it took to prep the filling. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I got ready to roll out the dough, but it rolled out very easily.

Whole wheat dough rolled thin

The bread is like a giant cinnamon roll with filling spread over the dough and rolled inside. The recipe makes quite a lot of filling, particularly if the apples are big.

Whole wheat dough with apple filling

The one mistake I made was not to be sure I had enough flour under the dough as I rolled so it stuck to the counter as I tried to roll it up. The result was some torn dough a slightly mangled outside exterior. I patched the holes with a bit of left over dough and I’m confident that next time I make this bread I’ll be able to get it into the pan in slightly better shape.

Slighly mangled filled dough in a loaf pan

Even with my patch job, the final bread was just beautiful, particularly when sliced. It was also very tasty – not too sweet and substantial enough to be breakfast on its own along with a glass of milk and maybe a slice or two of bacon. This bread is a perfect candidate for preparing the night before and resting in the refrigerator overnight before baking the next morning. Nothing says “I love you” on a weekend morning like freshly baked bread!

Apple strudle bread - pretty after baking

What’s Next

Our next assignment is inspired by Valentine’s Day. We’ll be making red beet buns and chocolate espresso bread. My calendar is a little full right now with a couple of Mardi Gras parties, so I’m only planning to make the espresso bread but will squeeze in the beet buns if time allows. Until then, enjoy the recipes that my family has enjoyed with our homemade bread.

Recipe: Cinnamon Toast

Details

• Difficulty: Easy
• Serves: 4
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 slices whole wheat sandwich bread
• 4 Tbsp. softened butter (light butter works well too)
• 4 Tbsp. raw sugar (white sugar works here as well)
• 4 tsp. cinnamon (recommend Saigon or Vietnamese)

Instructions

1. Turn your oven broiler to high. If the broiler is at the top of the oven, position a rack in the position closest to the broiler.
2. Spread butter evenly over each slice of bread.
3. Sprinkle each slice of bread first with sugar and then with cinnamon.
4. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and cook under the broiler until the sugar begins to bubble and the edges of the bread are brown.

Recipe for Success

• You could mix the sugar and cinnamon together before you sprinkle them on the bread, but my mother always made cinnamon toast this way so I can’t imagine having it any other way.
• I used the bread I made for this recipe but you can use any bread you like. Lighter breads may not hold up as well to the weight of the butter, sugar, and cinnamon so choose a slightly heavier bread if you can.
• Keep an eye on the bread while it’s under the broiler. It will go from not done to done in the blink of an eye.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Herbed Pork Sandwiches

Adapted from Hot Slow-Roasted Pork, Onion, and Mozzarella Sandwiches

Details

• Difficulty: Medium
• Serves: 8
• Active Prep Time: 60 minutes
• Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour – 24 hours
• Cook Time: 6 hours

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 medium shallots, minced
• 2 tsp. dried basil
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp. dried sage
• 2 tsp. fennel seeds, toasted and then ground in a spice grinder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 3 lb. pork shoulder or butt
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 1 c. white wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 c. chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp. corn starch
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• Fresh mozzarella, sliced (optional)
• Roasted red peppers, sliced (optional)
• Micro greens (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine the olive oil, shallots, basil, oregano, rosemary, sage, fennel, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Stir to create a thick paste.
2. With a sharp knife, make slits 1 inch long and 2 inches deep all around the pork shoulder. Rub the herb paste over all sides of the shoulder, pressing the paste down into the slits.
3. Wrap the pork in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
4. Add the chopped onion, white wine, and bay leaf the bottom of a slow cooker. Place the pork shoulder on top of the onion and cover with the lid.
5. Cook on high for 6 hours or until the pork begins to fall apart.
6. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and place in a shallow bowl or dish. Shred evenly with two forks.
7. Drain the juices from the slow cooker into a fat separator. Pour the juices without the fat into a 2 cup measuring cup. You may only have a quarter cup or so of defatted juices.
8. Add enough chicken broth to the measuring cup to equal 2 cups of liquid.
9. Combine 2 Tbsp. of the liquid with the cornstarch in a small bowl and stir to combine.
10. Pour the remaining liquid into a medium sauce pan. Add the cider vinegar and honey. Bring to a boil
11. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and stir over medium heat until the mixture thickens.
12. Taste for flavor and add salt and pepper as needed.
13. Pour the sauce over the shredded pork and toss to combine.
14. Serve on whole wheat buns with slices of mozzarella, roasted red peppers, and micro greens.

Recipe for Success

• You can also make the pork in an oven instead of a slow cooker. Bake in a tightly-covered pot at 325 degrees for 4-5 hours.
• Make the pork up to a day ahead and warm before serving.
• To hold warm, return the sauced pork to the slow cooker and turn it to the warm setting.
• This recipe will easy double or triple. You’re really only limited by the size of your pot.
• The pork will freeze beautifully for up to 3 months in a zip-top bag.