Appreciation for freshly prepared foods all begins here...

...helping Mom with the holiday baking or preparing dinner for the family.  The photo is of my daughter-in-law, Lori, at the tender young age of five helping her mother, Gloria, roll out the pie dough for Thanksgiving pies.  It's a tradition that she still follows the day before Thanksgiving in her mother's kitchen.  Lori is quite a good cook who can make an awesome meatloaf.  She also likes to bake delicious cookies, cupcakes, and pumpkin breads that she gives out as Christmas gifts to her family and friends.  I enjoy cooking with Lori because she quickly and adeptly prepares the menu items based on her cooking experience while growing up.

My daughter, Alexandra, also helped me with baking and cooking also starting at age five.  As a teenager, when Alex came home from boarding school during the Christmas holiday season break, she couldn't wait to begin decorating the gingerbread house that she requested I make for her.  She happily spent hours piping royal icing onto it creating her own design and placing the various candies onto it.  After sleeping in late the next morning, Alex would come back into the kitchen and ask what we would be making for dinner. After deciding which menu items we would be preparing, I instructed her to read through the recipe to gather the ingredients, cooking utensils, and understand the step-by-step process of preparing the menu item.  Alex often amazed me with her zealous nature of wanting to cook or bake a complex food item without any fear of it not coming out right.  She had the advantage of me being a professionally trained chef.  She learned how to make fresh pasta, pie dough, pizza dough, butter cream icing, cakes, how to cook meats and fish, etc.  Since Alex had a strong interest in cooking and baking from scratch, she will prepare any type of cuisine.

I also began baking and cooking as a young child watching both of my parents lovingly prepare the meals for our family.  My mother prepared the daily meals since she was a stay-at-home mother for awhile and my father prepared the Sunday dinner meal.  He was happiest on Sunday morning singing along with the radio while preparing his typical roasted meat, gravy, potato, and vegetable dinner which was extraordinary.  This sparked my interest in cooking and looked forward to the home economics cooking classes I attended in grammar school.  Reading the recipe, organizing the ingredients, utensils, and mixing the ingredients in a specific process appealed to me.  I liked measuring and whisking the dry ingredients, then whisking the wet ingredients separately only to combine them to form a batter that yielded delicious muffins.  I couldn't wait to bake my first batch of muffins at home for my family!  When my mother discovered my culinary capability, she quickly assigned me baking duties helping her bake the numerous, huge walnut and poppy seed rolls for Christmas and Easter.  Our neighbors and friends were often the lucky recipients of our day long labor of love.

Now some of my favorite photos on Facebook are of my brother-in-law, Fred's, two young grandsons, Tyler and Evan, decorating holiday cookies with their mother, Holly, in their kitchen. I'm certain that these boys will continue their tradition of holiday baking with their mother and further develop their culinary skills in preparing good, wholesome meals as they grow up.

Upcoming Valley Chili Cookoff and My Chili Recipe!

Come stay at The Buttonwood Inn and sample our local restaurants' chili and judge for yourself which one is the best!  Check out our special Chilly Chili Cookoff deal located on The Buttonwood Inn home page. 

For Super Bowl fare, I made a delicious beef and bean chili that incorporated a complexity of flavors and spices.  After researching several chili recipes on-line, I modified one substituting ingredients from another recipe to produce the best chili.

If you read through the recipe, gather your ingredients for food preparation, and follow the cooking instructions exactly, you'll impress your family and friends with a rich, thick, and comforting chili.  ENJOY!

Beef and Bean Chili


3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more as needed
3 pounds 85% lean ground beef
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large onions, chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons of chipotle peppers in Adobo, pureed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup brewed espresso or strong coffee
2 15-ounce cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced scallions, and/or diced avocado, for topping

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add half of the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown about 4 minutes, adding more oil as needed. Transfer to a plate; then brown the second batch and remove from pot. Discard leftover oil from the pot.

Reduce the heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pot. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Then add minced garlic for 1 minute. Add pureed chilis in Adobo, oregano, and tomato paste; cook, stirring, 30 seconds.

Return the meat to the pot and stir in the tomatoes with their juices, broth, espresso, and pinto beans. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the chili is thickened about 2 hours.

Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and cook 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Divide among bowls. Top with cheese, sour cream, scallions, and/or avocado.

Chocolate Festival Weekend at The Buttonwood

The Buttonwood Inn was full last weekend during the Chocolate Festival held annually on the last Sunday of February.  Ten of our guests toured various inns and businesses sampling chocolatey treats of all kinds. 

As a non-recovering chocoholic, I decided to bake chocolate treats all weekend for the afternoon tea service.  On Friday, I baked my all-time favorite cookies, Chocolate Chippers.  Not only are they easy to make, but I enjoy the buttery and vanilla flavor of the moist and tender cookies loaded with semisweet chocolate chips.

My second favorite treat is Chocolate Malted Cupcakes topped with Fluffy Vanilla Frosting that I served for the Saturday tea service.  Again, a simple recipe which yields a moist, tender, and chocolatey cupcake with a light and sweet vanilla flavored frosting.  Check out my recipe below.

For the Chocolate Festival tour on Sunday, I baked a Texas Sheet Cake which is a thin layer of chocolate cake iced with a chocolate ganache topped with chopped pecans.  It's similar to an iced brownie and very chocolatey. 

If you enjoy chocolate treats as much as I do, consider coming to The Buttonwood Inn next February for three days of chocolate, chocolate, chocolate!  Call us at 1-800-258-2625 to reserve your Chocolate Festival Tour or book on-line.



CHOCOLATE MALTED CUPCAKES
Yield: About 28 cupcakes


Cupcakes

2-1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1-1/4 cups malted milk powder
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, cocoa, both sugars, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together milk and malted milk powder until dissolved.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat flour mixture, milk mixture, and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl. Add sour cream and vanilla, and beat until just combined.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each two-thirds. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Fluffy Vanilla Frosting

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

With an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium and add the confectioners’ sugar, ½ cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of the bowl. After all the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla is added, continue beating for 5 minutes to aerate the frosting making it very pale and fluffy. Frost cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles, if desired.

Maple Syrup time at the Buttonwood Inn on Mt. Surprise

The homemade taps are up on the trees and the sap is flowing really well today. For those who have never tried this, as was the case with me until just last year, it is really simple and the reward of fresh, dark, sweet maple syrup, that you can say you made, is just great. Here is a great website for learning how to do it your self: Make your own Maple Syrup 





Simple tap setup



 This picture is an example of how you can use everyday things from around the house to tap, collect, and make your own syrup. Of course, you can always buy the Starter Kits on line. They are relatively inexpensive when you consider how much fun you will have, and the fact that the syrup you are producing is quite expensive if you were to buy "pure" malple syrup at your local grocery store. The process is simple and the tree does most of the work. I even made the "Spiles" which are the metal tubes inserted into the 2 inch deep holes drilled into the tree at a slight upward angle. As for boiling the sap down, the quoted ratio is 40 to 1. That is, for every 40 gallons you boil down you end up with 1 gallon of sap. I usually shoot for a couple of quarts. The sap looks and flows like water initially and don't worry, the trees produce an abundance of sap and as long as you don't place more than one tap for every 10 inches of tree diameter you will be OK and the tree won't notice either.



Boiling off the first sap of the season





If you really get into it, and decide to produce gallons of syrup, then you might want to consider boiling it down the old fashioned way which is done outside or in a "sugar shack" using a wood fire. There is something to be said for "getting back to nature"!

I think I may switch to a gluten-free diet...

Because the food is equally as delicious as the wheat-based products.  I've adapted my breakfast and afternoon baked treat recipes providing a gluten-free version of what the guest's traveling partner is served.  Over the past year and a half, we've increasingly catered to our guests who require gluten-free due to their Celiacs disease.  Consequently, I refer to the cookbook, The Gluten-free Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy by Bette Hagman, to mix various gluten-free flours making pancakes, waffles, quick bread, cookies, and brownies.

This morning, for example, I served blintzes filled with lemon ricotta topped with warm strawberry sauce.  I made a separate crepe batter substituting gluten-free flour for the all-purpose flour.  It's a little extra work to prepare gluten-free products, but the gratification our guests express to us makes it all worthwhile. 

Gluten-free Breakfasts Made from Scratch at The Buttonwood Inn

At The Buttonwood Inn, when a guest informs us that (s)he requires a gluten-free breakfast, we can provide it.  I refer to my gluten-free cookbook or research recipes on the internet.  Our gluten-free guests can rest assured that they will not become ill while on vacation and can also enjoy the same breakfast as everyone else. 

I prepare a pancake and waffle mix using a gluten-free flour mix that I keep in my pantry. When I bake muffins, quick breads, cookies, brownies, or cakes containing wheat-derived flours, I substitute gluten-free flours.  I also store a gluten-free bread that I make from scratch in the freezer to use in our Baked Cheddar Cheese Omelet or Baked French Toast recipes.

With a little thought and mindfulness, we can provide delicious gluten-free foods at our inn.  Many of our fine area restaurants can also accommodate a gluten-free diet.

Recently, a guest was delighted with his gluten-free pancakes, stating that since being diagnosed with Celiac Disease, this was the first time he had them for breakfast.  A few weeks earlier, a father and his daughter (who requires gluten-free) returned to The Buttonwood Inn for their annual hike up Mt. Washington.  On one morning, I prepared a packed "hikers breakfast" containing freshly cut fruit, Morning Glory Muffins, and a Breakfast Panini of scrambled eggs, cheese, and bacon.  I substituted gluten-free flour in the muffins and gluten-free bread in the panini. 

Our guest's daughter was also thrilled that I baked her gluten-free brownies that were moist, velvety, and rich in chocolate.  Here's the recipe for them, which I hope you enjoy!

Gluten-Free Velvety Brownies
Yield: 16 2” brownies
Note: low-fat and low cholesterol


2/3 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1 egg
¾ cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Optional: 1 tablespoon chopped pecans, walnuts, or macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8” x 8” pan with vegetable oil.


In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites and egg slightly. Add the sugar, applesauce, oil, and vanilla and whisk until blended, but don’t overbeat. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined. Pour into baking pan and sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired. Bake for about 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Vegan Breakfasts at The Buttonwood Inn

Recently, a return guest brought his daughter to stay at The Buttonwood Inn.  He thought he was dropping the bomb on me by stating that she prefers a vegan diet and that she would be satisfied with cereal and fruit for breakfast.  I know that when I go on vacation, I would appreciate being served a special breakfast at a B&B, whether or not I was a vegan. 

Admittedly, I was challenged with the task of creating a vegan breakfast for his daughter.  But the internet always turns out to be my friend and I was able to find recipes with ingredient substitutions.  So I ran off to the supermarket and bought most of what I needed in the health food section.  The more mysterious ingredients were available in The Local Grocer health food store.

Vegans elect to avoid animal protein and dairy products. So I was able to find an egg replacer (soy based) and substituted soy milk for cow's milk.  Vegetable oil can replace butter.  So with a little research and extra effort, I was able to serve our guests the same breakfast items which turned out to be delicious!

Here's a recipe for Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

Baked French Toast Recipe Published in Pamela Lanier Cookbook

Bill and I were asked to submit our Pecan and Wild Maine Blueberry French Toast recipe (our signature breakfast entree) to be published in Bed and Breakfast Guide for Food Lovers, Bed and Breadfast Collection by Pamela Lanier.  Our recipe is one of 130 recipes submitted by various B&Bs in each of the 50 U.S. states, ranging from sweet and savory entrees to muffins and coffee cakes.

We sold three autographed copies so far and have more books available for purchase at The Buttonwood Inn.  The book is also available at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

Time to harvest the rhubarb and make cake!

Time to harvest the rhubarb this weekend.  I usually get about 70-80 stalks from the two plants growing in the yard behind the inn.  It seems every other neighbor grows rhubarb up here in New Hampshire, since it's a cool season, perennial plant.


I clean it and slice it up in the food processor and freeze it in separate plastic bags to use in my Honey Rhubarb Walnut Bread.  But I wanted to try a dessert recipe for Memorial Day as we had friends over for a barbecue.  Here's a wonderful recipe for Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake that is packed with flavor due to the tart, yet sweet, flavor of the rhubarb accented with orange zest on top of a dense, buttery cake.

RHUBARB UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE              Yield:  1 10-inch Round Cake, Serves 10

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 10-inch round cake pan and dot with 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cut up into small pieces.

Crumb Topping

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon Kosher salt

Mix together until moist and crumbly, and put aside.

Rhubarb

1 pound rhubarb sliced sharply on the diagonal ½-inch thick

¾ cup sugar

Toss rhubarb with sugar and let stand a few minutes, then toss again.

Cake

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest

1 tablespoon of orange juice

2 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Beat remaining stick butter and cup sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in zest and juice. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream, until smooth. Spread rhubarb evenly in the baking pan over the dotted butter. Then spread cake batter over the rhubarb and crumble topping evenly over batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Do you know the source of the food that is on your plate?

In a recent PBS, P.O.V. broadcast of the 2010 Oscar nominated documentary entitled, Food, Inc., the filmmaker, Robert Kenner, shows that the food we eat in America is not generated on small farms any longer. Over the past few decades, small farms have been eliminated and now a few major corporations provide our food. It’s a highly mechanized process dictating how the animals are raised in the most inhumane conditions. Cattle, pigs, and chickens no longer graze in green pastures eating grass or grain, but exist in large feed lots crammed next to each other steeped in their own excrement. To control disease, the animals are given antibiotics in their corn feed, but more strains of E. coli have developed affecting 73,000 Americans annually.

You can also read the article, "Getting Real About the High Price of Food," in Time magazine by Bryan Walsh.

We do have a choice, however, to eat organically raised animals, vegetables, and fruits though a little higher in cost. In fact, here in New England, there are many small, family-owned organic farms going back to the natural way of raising animals in pastures feeding on grass and grains. Bill and I just ordered a quarter of grass-fed beef that will rotate feeding on grass in the open pasture, which turns out to be economical and ensures a safe food source.