Sweet Potato Pie #1

Potatoes are unassuming in their appearance but gracious and generous in their bounty and versatility. Nothing could be truer than the sweet potato.

I never had sweet potato pie until I moved to North Carolina. It's not quite as sweet as pumpkin pie and I prefer it over that old stand-by. I looked over several recipes and put together one I thought I would like. It was good, but it needs some more experimentation. Still, the pictures came out grand.

My recipe had 1/2 cup melted butter. I thought it a bit excessive but went with it. It ended up making the crust too soggy, by one main complaint, and by the end of baking some had risen to the top of the pie which I absorbed with a paper towel. Next time, I will only use 1/4 cup and maybe I will pre-bake the shell a bit before adding the filling. I'll use three eggs next time, not two, to give it volume and I will increase the amount of the dry spices. I used one tablespoon of rum which gave a great taste.

At the last minute, I decided to put the mashed potatoes through a sieve for a smoother texture.

I've read that baking the potatoes gives a better texture and taste than boiling. I may try that, too.

Baking temperatures were all over the map. As was sugar. Some called for as much 1.5 cups of sugar. Some called for baking at a very high temperature then lowering it. I settled for 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 being brown sugar and I baked it at a consistent temperature of 350 for about 45 minutes and it came out perfect without any cracks, even after it cooled, perhaps because of all that butter.

• 1.5 cups mashed sweet potatoes, about 3 large
• 1/2 cup butter (next time I will use 1/4), melted
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten (next time I will use 3)
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon} you may want to increase this amount or add another 1/2 teaspoon or so of pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg} since nutmeg is strong, be careful about increasing this too much
• 1 tablespoon dark rum, spot on (or whisky or brandy)
• 1 9-inch pie crust

Pre-heat oven to 350 F degrees.

Boil potatoes until soft when pierced with a knife tip or fork. Drain. When cool enough to handle, remove from skin. It will peel right off. Mash or put in a food processor and/or  work through a sieve.

Roll out pie crust and fit into a nine-inch pie plate. If it's a bit smaller, that's even better. Set aside or pre-bake for about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Add mashed sweet potatoes to a large bowl and mix with the butter until fluffy. Whisk in the eggs. Add the evaporated milk and whisk. Add sugars, flour, spices and vanilla. Whisk well. Taste and re-adjust seasonings if necessary. Add the rum and mix.

For mixing, I used an old-fashioned hand-held rotary beater.

Pour custard mixture into pie shell and bake in center of oven for about 45 minutes or until set. Allow to cool completely. Top with whipped cream.

Notes: I've read where it is not a good idea to prepare the mashed sweet potatoes ahead of time and then refrigerate since it creates a "watery" pie. Just saying . . .

Pork Loin with Herbed Salt Rub

A wonderfully-seasoned pork roast cooked to perfection with just a blush of pink.

A roast is one of the easiest of meals to prepare, especially if you have a family. Pop it in the oven and it's done. And leftover slices make for great sandwiches, either warm or cold.

Unfortunately, finding a good roast is not always easy. Most super market selections are de-boned for convenience and scalped of fat for the health-conscious consumer. When I lived in a small rural town in Indiana, my neighborhood grocer had incredible roasts, especially pork roasts, bone in, and with a nice layer of fat which one wants when oven-cooking. They were always tender and wonderfully juicy and succulent--and I suspect they were local. I haven't had a good beef rump roast since I left Michigan several years ago. 

For this particular recipe, I used a pork loin roast (not to be confused with pork tenderloin, a different cut). Pork loins are usually uniform in shape, so they bake evenly. The one pictured still had a nice layer of fat, though I would have liked a bit more. I bought a 4 lb. roast and cut it into two 2 lb. sections, freezing one for later use.

The salt rub took some experimentation and trial-and-error. Don't be put off by the lemon and don't omit it or the fennel seeds.

• 1 pork loin roast, 2-3lbs.
• 1 heaping tablespoon fresh minced rosemary
• 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh sage, minced
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
• 2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon all-purpose pepper
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

Using a damp paper towel, wipe the roast and set aside on a large plate.

In a small bowl, mix together the rosemary, sage, crushed fennel seed, garlic, salt and pepper and lemon zest. Using the back of a spoon (or a mortar and pestle if you have one) work the salt into the herbs. Add the olive oil and continue mashing away. 

Begin spooning salt rub over pork roast, top and bottom, and work in with your fingers.

Pork loin is quite lean. That bit of fat on top will prevent it
from drying out as it roasts.

Place roast on a rack inside a roasting pan large enough to hold it. It's important to put it on a rack so it does not rest on bottom of pan. Roast at 350 F degrees until a quick-read thermometer registers 140 F degrees (about 20-30 minutes per pound). Remove from oven and allow to rest a good 15 minutes or so before carving. Cut thin slices and serve. (At this point, the salt and herbs have pretty much done their job forming a crust and flavoring the meat, so you need not worry about them falling off.)

If you desire gravy, just add a bit of water to the juices in the bottom of the pan and re-heat over low heat until bubbly. Add a small knob of butter to richen it up a bit. (If you have it on hand, a shot or two of the old stand-by Kitchen Bouquet never hurt.)

I served mine with a side of mashed potatoes and fresh green beans.

Notes: I used a micro-plane to zest my lemon which makes for fine, fluffy zest. There's nothing worse than overcooked pork. You want that bit of pink. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, crush the fennel seeds with a rolling pin or the back of spoon. A mini-spice mill makes easy work of it all, though.

Broiled Clams with Garlic Herb Butter

This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, "Bistro Cooking at Home" by Gordon Hammersley. The recipes are unique. The illustrations beautiful. And the binding of the spine is actually sewn, not glued.

The first time I served these, I spied a guest licking the shells clean. You will, too. The only deviation from the recipe is that I now place the opened clams on a bed of ice-cream salt. It keeps them stable and prevents the juices from tipping out. I omit the parsley garnish at the end.

Littlenecks are small and tender, not chewy like larger clams.

These can be made ahead and then covered in the fridge until ready to broil. The herb butter can be made a day or two ahead. If you have a few dozen, have a "shucking" party with guests helping. Always fun. Just have liquor on hand ...

Do serve with some torn pieces of artisan bread to sop up the juices. Sometimes, I just lightly toast a piece of bread and tear it into pieces. I eat the clam and then drizzle a piece of the bread with juice. And don't be shy, lick the shells all you want.

You will need a sturdy oyster/clam knife to shuck the clams. Look for one with a large, comfortable handle, preferably rubber so it doesn't slip in your hand.

• 20 littleneck clams, scrubbed well under cool-running water
• 3 garlic cloves
• Pinch of Kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• Pinch or two of Cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary needles, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh curly parsley, chopped very fine
• Garnish: lemon wedges, 1/4 cup chopped parsley

MAKE the butter:

Chop/press the garlic. Sprinkle with salt and continue to chop, smearing it with the side of your knife until it becomes pastelike. You'll have about 1 1/2 teaspoons. Place garlic paste in a small bowl along with the soft butter, the Cayenne, lemon juice, rosemary, thyme and 2 1/2 tablespoons of parsley. Mix together. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

(A quick note on chopping parsley: Nothing is messier than chopping parsley as fine as possible. I now use an old French "MOULIN" I picked up at a flea market. Most vendors have no idea what they are, so you can usually get one for a couple of bucks. It makes fast work of chopping all leafy greens. It makes "chopping" parsley a whole lot easier.)

SHUCK the clams:

Shuck the clams and place each clam on the deeper half shell. Place on bed of ice cream salt in a heavy pan or sheet tray. Place abut 1 teaspoon of herb butter on top.

HEAT the BROILER and place about 4 inches from heat. Broil until clams are sizzling and cooked through about 3 - 5 minutes depending on size of clams. Serve immediately with lemon wedge and a flourish of chopped parsley. I think five-6 clams per person is a great appetizer.

Clams on the half shell served on North Carolinian pottery.

Notes: For this demo I made a full recipe of herb butter, but only 11 clams, saving the rest for the following day. Remember, clams are live things and need to breathe. Do not store in a closed, plastic bag. Discard any clams that do not close when tapped. To shuck a clam, insert clam knife opposite the hinge between the crevice. Pry open and scrape the knife across the top and bottom of the shells to remove the meat. If the shells are particularly difficult to open, run under warm water to loosen the muscles a bit. Once you get the hang of things, it goes pretty quickly. 

UPDATE: I don't have a grill because building codes where I live don't allow it. But if I did, I'd put these on a grill for that extra smoky flavor. If anyone does, give me a holler.

Broiled Lamb Chops in Herb Marinade

The nice thing about working in a grocery store is that I get to see markdowns as they happen. In this case, it was lamb loin chops marked down to $2.34 for a package of 3. I grabbed two.

Loin chops are tiny, but the meat is tender and succulent. Marinated in fresh herbs and garlic then quick broiled in the oven made for an easy meal that would have cost ten times as much in a restaurant.

• 6 loin lamb chops (about 1.5 lb. total)
• 1 tablespoon pressed garlic or paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon all-purpose pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• Several grates lemon zest, (optional)

Wipe loin chops witha damp piece of paper towel and place on a plate.

In a small bowl, mix the garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, olive oil and, if using, lemon.

Coat both sides of lamb chops with marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit for an hour or two.

Broil about four inches from heat source for about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove to plate and allow to rest a bit before serving.

Notes: I always put a bit of water in the bottom of my broiler pan to prevent smoking and splattering.