by | November 27, 2009 · 11:38 am

Coming Soon: Haute Holiday Shopping Guide

If you are like me, it is 10 a.m. and you are already done with braving the Black Friday shopping deals. You also most likely bought gifts for yourself, rather than those on your shopping list. If you are like most others, you are probably still recovering from your turkey hangover and would never dream of waking up at the crack of dawn to stand in line to shop.

Whatever the case, Christmas is less than a month away and HAP is here to help with the nagging question of “What do I get my Mom? Or my sister? Or my husband? Or my nephew?”

Next week, Haute Apple Pie will feature daily holiday gift ideas for the following categories: Women, Men, Children, Under $25 and, of course, gifts for the haute modern homemaker. The three of us have compiled a variety of gifts, ranging in price, to help you find the perfect gift for your loved ones. We look forward to sharing our ideas with you and hope that you will share your best holiday gift ideas with us.

We hope everyone had a blessed holiday! See you next week!

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by | November 25, 2009 · 8:02 am

Apricot Jalapeno Pulled Pork {4 ways}

I am a true believer in quick weeknight meals, which can be very difficult for a foodie. But I would much rather spend time with my husband and daughter on a Tuesday night then spend an hour in the kitchen which means I needed to figure out some shortcuts to help me whip up quick and delicious meals without sacrificing flavor and nutrition.

I find preparing foods on the weekends, when I tend to have more time,
and freezing them for later can save me a lot of time during the week.
The trick is knowing what will freeze well and how to use it up. A
couple weeks ago I made one of my favorite recipes, Apricot and
Jalapeno Pulled Pork. I used up some of the pork that night and froze
the rest in 3 individual portions to use later in the month. As
promised, here are all the meals I made with this delicious pulled
pork!


Pulled Pork Tacos
First I made pulled pork tacos and served the Apricot Jalapeno Pork on warm flour tortillas with fresh cilantro and a lime wedge.

Spicy Quesadillas
A week later, I thawed out some pork and make quesadillas complete with black beans, fresh corn and pepper jack cheese.

Pulled Pork Nachos
The next week we unexpectedly had friends over for the Packers/Vikings game (oh, Brett Favre). I needed a meal that would please a crowd and it needed to be made quickly. I thawed the frozen pork in the microwave and then simmered it in a mixture of bbq sauce and broth. Next,  I layered chips, shredded cheese, green peppers and the pork on an oven safe tray and baked them for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

BBQ Pork Pizza
Finally, we used the last bit of pulled pork on a bbq pizza. I used my favorite whole wheat pizza crust and topped it with with bbq sauce, cheese, thawed pulled pork and green pepper rings then baked at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.

A little bit of planning led me to 4 easy weeknight meals that I was
able to throw together each in under 20 minutes!

Tips for freezing food:

Invest in some good tupperware or ziplock freezer storage bags, both work great to store food.

Always be sure to properly label the contents of the bag, including the date it was made.

I make it a rule to eat anything I freeze within a month to ensure it will still taste great and will be safe to eat.

Move the food from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before
you intend to use it or thaw the food in the microwave immediately
before cooking with it. Never leave food out on the counter to thaw.

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by | November 23, 2009 · 9:18 am

Wine vs. Beer: Holiday Pairings

Want to instantly improve your holiday meal? Pair it with the right drink! I am SO excited to have two of my favorite beverage makers sharing their tasting and pairing tips with us today.

Brian Brown, winemaker at Napa Valley’s Round Pond Estate and owner of Emerson Brown winery, and Bill Kregel, homebrewer and “haute” husband, will offer up their favorite holiday drink selections. So before you head out to stock your bar this week, check out their tips:

Microbrew beersred and white wine

Give us your one-minute bio
Brian: I knew when I was 17 that I wanted to be a winemaker. My parents’ appreciation of the dining table and all the aspects that go along with it – good food, family, and friends – rubbed off on me and I became interested in wine. I have a degree from UC Davis in Viticulture and Enology and have worked in Sonoma, Australia and Napa.

Bill: I’ve been an avid homebrewer for the past two years. I brew “all-grain”, meaning I don’t use kits or extracts, and I grow a lot of my own hops. I’ve sought out great microbrews for a long time and am constantly encouraging family and friends to expand their beer horizons.

What do you recommend to someone looking to develop their wine/beer palette?
Brian: Get some friends together and open up 3-4 bottles of the same variety of wine. Taste the wines side by side and see how they differ. Don’t worry about what words to use… everyone tends to get caught up on the vocabulary. Just notice how the wines differ and the descriptors will come with experience.

Bill: If you’re used to light lagers like Miller or Bud, start by trying an American or English pale ale, an American brown ale or a citrusy wheat beer. These are easy drinkers with lots of flavor. Also, get adventurous with the brands you buy – there are so many great breweries out there!

What’s the best way to taste wine/beer and what flavors are you looking for?
Brian: Focus on the best way to ENJOY wine as opposed to trying taste it. Wine should be about enjoyment not work. I think the best way to enjoy wine is with food so I look for flavors that compliment whatever I am eating at the time.

Bill: Serve beer cool but not “ice” cold so that it doesn’t kill the flavors. Flavors come from the malt (sweetness), hops (bitterness) and sometimes yeast (in Belgian beers mostly). They can be expressed in countless ways so read the label on the bottle to see what you should look for in each beer and try to pick it out.

What wines/beers pair well with typical holiday foods like turkey, potatoes or pumpkin pie?
Brian: I always try to start the night out with bubbles, especially for the holidays!!! A good rule of thumb for rich, buttery foods is to balance them with a wine with plenty of acid – oaky, buttery Chardonnay doesn’t work. Riesling pairs fairly nicely with turkey and Pinot is a good choice for red. With pie? Pumpkin, I would do a Tokay and pecan, a Tawny Port.

Bill: I’d go with a robust Porter or American brown, like Rogue’s Hazelnut Brown Nectar, to stand up to the turkey and all the fixings. For champagne lovers, I’d go with Dogfish Head’s Red and White or Black and Blue.  Both are spritzy Belgians and the Red and White is actually aged in wine barrels!

Emerson Brown Sauvignon Blanc wine

Brian’s Top 5 Wine Steals
1. Argentina makes some really good value wines, like Malbec or Torrontes.
2. Kendall Jackson does a great job with a value Chardonnay from Sonoma Coast
3. Just about any Gruner Veltliner… its cheap and delicious…
4. Paso Robles has some good deals – hearty red blends for less than Napa or Sonoma
5. There’s always Two Buck Chuck!

Brian’s Top 5 Wine Splurges
1. Anything from the top producers out of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
2. Traditional Spanish Rioja and the newer Spanish wines from Toro
3. A highly rated South Australian Shiraz
4. Pinot from Martinborough, New Zealand
5. Any good sparkling Rose… Billecarte-Salmon is a good go to.

Sites to check: Vinfolio, Wine Spectator

Microbrew beer taps

Bill’s Top Beer Picks
1. Boulder Beer Company Hazed and Infused
2. Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron
3. New Glarus Cracked Wheat & Unplugged Series
4. Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Rogue Morimoto Imperial Pilsner
5. Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale
6. Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
7. Stone Brewing Ruination IPA
8. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

Sites to check: Beer Advocate, Rate Beer

What’s your favorite holiday drink?  Share with us!

Happy Thanksgiving!  And don’t forget to designate a driver when you’re trying all these tasty drinks!

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by | November 20, 2009 · 9:29 am

DIY Winter Decor

Confession:  We are spray paint addicts.  What began as a simple project has now left us lurking about our yards searching for new items to turn into works of art.

This holiday season we’re partial to covering natural materials, like gourds and branches, with luxe metallic spray paint to give them a rustic yet expensive look that can last all winter.  The best part is that these projects are both easy and cheap!

What You’ll Need:
– 1 lg can spray paint ($5-6)
– newspaper
– found objects to spray

You know the drill…Lay down newspaper in a well-ventilated space and spray away!

decorative gold ballsDIY decorative holiday bowl

Katie’s Bowl of Balls
I sprayed several of the decorative twig balls that you can find at most craft stores for $2-4 a piece and put them in a pretty bowl with some birch bark balls and white yarn balls that I wound to look like snowballs.

spraypainted branch

Katie’s Gold Branch Arrangement
I clipped small branches from trees in my yard, particularly ones with berries, to make a glamourous substitute for flowers.  Talk about honoring my metal & wood essences!

Stef’s Silver Thanksgiving Table Arrangement

I purchased an array of gourds from my local nursery and sprayed them with aluminum colored spray paint. Paired with white and silver china, I plan to use these as name holders for my Thanksgiving  table. I placed the extras in a sleek glass bowl we received for our wedding and scattered the table with silver spray painted leaves.

The leaves were a surprise extra as one blew onto my newspaper as I was spraying the gourds. It looked so great, I walked around the yard for the perfect leaves and continued spraying. My neighbors may think I’m crazy, but the table looks beautiful!

Happy spray painting everyone!

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by | November 18, 2009 · 9:27 am

Vintage-Inspired HAP Launch Party

Last Friday we hosted the official launch of Haute Apple Pie!  The party was held at The Home Market in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, a very fitting venue with its mix of vintage and modern home decorations that any modern homemaker would want to covet.

Many thanks to our family, friends and avid readers for making our launch party a huge success! Our gratitude goes to Kate Barrette, Owner of The Home Market, for providing us with a fabulous venue and showing our guests how to make their homes haute.

HAP Launch Party cocktail invite

Guests were invited via postcards created by HAP blogger, Katie, that set the tone for a casual cocktail party.

Vintage recipe card, flower paper punch

Vintage Martha Stewart-inspired flowers were made by punching a variety of different papers with paper punches and fastening them with a brass clip.  As parting gifts, guests were given Haute Apple pie recipe cards containing three of our favorite recipes of the night.

shabby chic holiday decor

Holiday decorations, from frosted pine scented candles to wooden ornaments, filled The Home Market giving guests a first glance at the season’s latest trends for the home.

shabby chic tablescapespiked apple cider

Cucumber Herb, Bruschetta, Sundried Tomato Twists

There was no shortage of food as the tables were filled with a mix of savory and sweet goodies, created by the HAP ladies.  Each dish was labeled with a rustic hand-made calligraphy tag nailed to a birch branch.  Guests snacked on Sun-dried Tomato Twists with fresh herbs, Creamy Goat Cheese Filled Cucumbers and Tomato Bruschetta with a Balsamic Reduction.  They sipped on Haute Apple Cider, a hot brandy concoction, and a wonderful selection of wines.

Haute Apple Pies, Pumpkin Cupcakes
They were also treated to seasonal goodies – mini Haute Apple Pies and Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple-Bourbon Frosting.

birch log stand, handwritten calligraphy

Guests also had the opportunity to win one of two raffle prizes sponsored by The Home Market by placing their information in a vintage apothecary jar.  A hard cover copy of Ideal Home: The Interior Design Bible and a fabulous ivory platter by Soule Studio complete with a dish towel a recipe card holder were given to two lucky Haute Apple Pie readers.

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by | November 17, 2009 · 9:29 am

And The Winners Are….

The Home Market & Haute Apple PieFirst off, a huge thanks to all our friends, family and readers who came to last Friday’s HAP Launch Party and made it such a success!

An even bigger thanks  to Kate & Amy at The Home Market for opening their fabulous store to us.

 

And now for the fun part…the winners of our giveaways!

Blog GiveawaysIdealhome Interior Design Bible

The winner of our first giveaway, a copy of Idealhome: The Interior Design Bible, is…….Annie Tower!

Soule Studio pottery, Vegetable Box recipes

Our second giveaway includes a Soule Studio serving platter, dish towel and The Vegetable Box crate, which holds 14 mini books and over 300 recipes. The winner is……..Katie Winn!

Party details will be featured later this week so be sure to check back.  For now, we’ll leave you with a few party photos:

Haute Apple Pie launch party

Haute Apple Pie Launch Party

Haute Apple Pie blog

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by | November 13, 2009 · 8:00 am

Pumpkin Turkey Calzone

For our last installment of pumpkin week, I decided to aim for a recipe that is a bit more savory and indeed, nice and filling. Adding pumpkin to a close friend of pizza, the calzone, adds an extra splash of flavor on an otherwise classic dish.

Let me just start by saying, I thought that this recipe was going to be an epic fail when I started making the dough. However, it turned out hearty and delicious. My experience gave me a few pointers to pass along to you to make this much easier and less of a mess.

pumpkin turkey calzone

To make pumpkin pizza dough ingredients:
1/2 C. barely warm water
1 tsp. honey
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
3 1/2 C. bread flour
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!)
2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for bowl
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder

Mix water, honey and yeast in small bowl. Set aside. In a stand mixer with a dough hook, add all ingredients, including yeast mixture and knead for several minutes. Flour a clean surface and knead the dough by hand for a few more minutes. Coat a large bowl with olive oil, toss in the dough, turning to coat and cover the bowl in plastic wrap. Let dough rise for about an hour.

Turkey filling ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 can diced tomatoes, drained well (or 2 fresh diced tomatoes)
1 green pepper, diced
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
black ground pepper and salt to taste
1 lb. shredded mozzarella
egg wash (one egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp. water)
garlic salt to taste

In large saute pan, brown ground turkey. Add green pepper, cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add diced tomatoes and spices. Let mixture cool, until no longer steaming.

pumpkin turkey calzone fillingTo make the calzone:

Either half or quarter the dough – depending on the amount of calzones you would like to make. Place on a well floured surface and roll out the dough. Transfer circle to baking sheet (***important as filling it on my board and transferring it afterward was not an easy task). Place turkey mixture on half the dough, top with large handful of mozzarella cheese, covering the filling. Fold dough over to form semi-circle. Press edges together with fork. Brush top of dough with egg wash. Sprinkle with garlic salt.

Bake in preheated oven at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Top with homemade pizza sauce (see recipe below) or store-bought pizza sauce.

In medium sauce pan over medium high heat, add the following ingredients. Stir until heated through.

  • 1 can tomato sauce
  • 1 can tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 tsp. dried basil
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • cracked pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp. white vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

pumpkin turkey calzone baked

Enjoy!

stef

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by | November 11, 2009 · 7:43 am

Browned Butter and Sage Pumpkin Bread

I was so excited to see that pumpkin was our ingredient to use this week. I love cooking with pumpkin because it is so versatile. I have found that using canned pumpkin is just as tasty as steaming and pureeing fresh pumpkin, and it’s a real time saver.

Bread

Quick Breads are a staple in my house because they can be make quickly and eaten at any time of the day. I found this recipe from Martha Stewart and was instantly intrigued by the use of fresh sage in this pumpkin quick bread. The result is a delicious sweet bread that has a savory and nutty undertone.

Browned Butter and Sage Pumpkin Bread

6 ounces unsalted butter
1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped
1 and 2/3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
1 cup solid packed pumpkin (from can)
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs

Heat oven to 350. Grease 8 mini loaf pans (2  1/2-by-4-inch each) or 1 large loaf pan (9×5) with butter and dust it with flour.

bread collageMelt butter on stove top on medium low heat. Add fresh chopped sage and cook till butter turns golden brown, about 5-8 minutes. Let cool slightly.  Feel free to strain the sage from the butter at this point if you prefer to have just a hint of the fresh sage or leave it in, like I did, to have bits of sage throughout the bread.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk pumpkin, eggs, sugar and the browned butter with sage. Once smooth and well mixed, add flour mixture gradually until incorporated.

Divide evenly among mini loaf pans or pour into one large loaf pan. Smooth top and bake for about 30 minutes for mini loaf pans or 50 minutes for one large pan.

Let cool for 15 minutes and turn out onto a cooling rack. Garnish with  fresh sage leaves.

Enjoy!

anne

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by | November 10, 2009 · 3:22 pm

HAP Launch Party ~ Friday, November 13

launchInviteJoin Katie, Anne and Stef for the Haute Apple Pie Launch Party at The Home Market in Milwaukee’s Third Ward this Friday, November 13th from 6 pm – 8 pm. Cocktails and appetizers, created by the HAP girls, will be served. Sign up for fabulous giveaways and receive an exclusive 20% off of all Home Market goods!

The Home Market is located on 222 E. Erie St. in Milwaukee. For more on The Home Market, visit www.thehomemarket.net.

Giveaway winners will be announced on Monday, November 16, right here on Haute Apple Pie.

Don’t miss your chance for good food, great deals and lots of fun. We hope to see you all there!

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by | November 9, 2009 · 9:17 am

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple-Bourbon Frosting

It’s reader’s choice week again on HAP and this time you picked a Thanksgiving classic: pumpkin! Since pumpkin pie recipes are on the back of nearly every can of pumpkin, we’ll be serving up some variations on the popular ingredient.

For my Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple-Bourbon Frosting, I started with Martha Stewart‘s pumpkin cupcakes, amped up the spices a little and then whipped some fall flavors into my favorite cream cheese frosting.  Although I don’t actually like drinking bourbon, the hint of flavor it adds gives the frosting great depth and pairs nicely with the spicy cake.

pumpkin cupcake recipe with cream cheese frosting

PUMPKIN CUPCAKES:
2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1+ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/3 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/3 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 C brown sugar
1 C sugar
2 sticks butter, melted
4 eggs
1 can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine flour, spices, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a separate large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs, beating one at a time. Working in thirds, add dry ingredients to sugar mixture and beat well. Beat in pumpkin.

Spoon batter into lined cupcake tin, filling 3/4 full. Bake for 18-22 min for standard size cupcakes or 28-30 min for Texas sized cupcakes. Cool completely before frosting.

MAPLE-BOURBON FROSTING:
1 stick butter, softened
1 8oz pkg reduced fat cream cheese
3-4 C powdered sugar
2 Tbsp good bourbon, such as Maker’s Mark
1/4 C real maple syrup OR 1/2 tsp maple extract
*optional melted chocolate for fleur de lis

Beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. Beat in one cup of powdered sugar. Add bourbon and maple syrup and beat well. Beat in remaining powdered sugar. If frosting is not thick enough to your liking, beat in 1/4 C flour or additional sugar to thicken.

NOTE: I used maple syrup but didn’t get quite as much maple flavor as I wanted. If you can find maple extract I would try using that instead to get a stronger maple flavor.

chocolate drizzle fleur de lisCHOCOLATE
FLEUR de LIS:
Microwave 2/3 C chocolate chips in a small Ziploc bag for 1 minute. Spread parchment or wax paper on a cookie sheet. Clip off a tiny bit of  the bottom corner of the bag and  pipe chocolate into shapes on the parchment. Freeze for 2-3 hours.

katie

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