Who doesn’t love fall and hanging out in the backyard around a fire pit? A fire pit is anything from a simple campfire such as a portable cast iron or copper fire pit to an elaborate permanent brick or stone barbecue pit. With a few accessories and some creativity, you can have quite a set-up without spending a lot of money and the kids and friends will love it!

One advantage to a fire pit is that you can burn either wood or charcoal as your fuel for heat. Most standard grills do not have the capability or size to accommodate a wood fire. Fire pits are also great because they are large and several people can stand or sit around the fire pit and enjoy the warmth and great aromas. 

One great accessory is a pie iron or cooking iron. REI has a nice selection of irons to choose from. You want to get one that will withstand extreme heat over and over so invest in a good one-read reviews.

Growing up we would cook a variety of items in our pie iron or what we would call a “camper pie maker.” There are so many great recipes you can put into a pie iron-everything from breakfast, lunch, and dinner to desserts that can be used when camping, sleeping in the backyard with the kids or having friends over to hang out around the fire. 

Here are a few recipes with Bellisari’s Gourmet Convenience products that can easily be used when creating pie iron recipes for friends and family.

Balsamic Grilled Cheese

Serves 4

Ingredients:
8 (6-inch) diagonal baguette slices
1 1/2 T unsalted butter, softened
1/2 jar Bellisari's Balsamic Shallot & Black Garlic Spread
6 oz firm-ripe brie, cut into thin wedges
1/2 Gala apple, halved lengthwise, cored, and cut into thin slices

Directions:
Put the locked pie iron in the fire to warm briefly for about 1 minute. Open the pie iron and lay flat on the ground and carefully spread each side with butter. Place the baguette slices on each side, making sure they are cut larger than the pie iron to cut down the excess when closed at end.  Divide cheese and apple among them. Season apple with salt and pepper, add 1 tablespoon of Bellisari's Balsamic Shallot & Black Garlic Spread and top with the other slice of bread and lock the pie iron. Cut off excess bread and put in fire for 4 minutes each side or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Calabrian BLT

Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup of mayo
1/2 jar of Bellisari's Calabrian & Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
12 thick-sliced pre-cooked bacon strips 
12 1/2-inch thick slices fresh country-style white bread
2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
6 romaine lettuce leaves

Directions:
Mix basil and mayonnaise in processor until basil is finely chopped and mixture is well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Put the locked pie iron in the fire to warm briefly for about 1 minute. Open the pie iron and lay flat on the ground and carefully spread each side with butter. Place the bread slices on each side, spread half of mayo mixture over 1 side of bread. Top each with a tablespoon of Bellisari's Calabrian & Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread. Top with avocado slices, bacon, onion and lettuce. Top with other slice of bread and lock pie iron. Cut off excess bread and put in fire for 4 minutes each side or until golden brown.

Fall is here, and the season not only delivers crisp autumn air but also crisp autumn treats. Just in time for the change of seasons, here are a few fun facts about the nutritious and delicious fall staple.

Apple Facts

• The crabapple is the only apple native to North America.
• Two pounds of apples make one 9-inch pie.
• 2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States.
• 7,500 varieties of apples are grown throughout the world.
• 100 varieties of apples are grown commercially in the United States.
• Apples are fat, sodium, and cholesterol free.
• A medium apple is about 80 calories.
• Apples are a great source of the fiber pectin. One apple has five grams of fiber.
• The pilgrims planted the first United States apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
• The science of apple growing is called pomology.
• Apple trees take four to five years to produce their first fruit.
• Most apples are still picked by hand in the fall.
• The apple tree originated in an area between the Caspian and the Black Sea.
• Apples were the favorite fruit of ancient Greeks and Romans.
• Apples are a member of the rose family.
• Charred apples have been found in prehistoric dwellings in Switzerland.
• It takes the energy from 50 leaves to produce one apple.
• Apples are the second most valuable fruit grown in the United States. Oranges are first.
• In 1730, the first apple nursery was opened in Flushing, New York.
• One of George Washington's hobbies was pruning his apple trees.
• Apples ripen six to ten times faster at room temperature than if they were refrigerated.
• Archeologists have found evidence that humans have been enjoying apples since at least 6500 B.C.
• It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider.
• Apples account for 50 percent of the world's deciduous fruit tree production.
• Don't peel your apple. Two-thirds of the fiber and lots of antioxidants are found in the peel. Antioxidants help to reduce damage to cells, which can trigger some diseases.
• The top apple producing states are Washington, New York, Michigan,Pennsylvania, California and Virginia.
• Almost one out of every four apples harvested in the United States is exported.
• The apple variety ‘Red Delicious' is the most widely grown in the United States with 62 million bushels harvested in 2005.
• Many apples after harvesting and cleaning have commercial grade wax applied. Waxes are made from natural ingredients.

Source: University of Illinois Apple Facts.

Choosing the Best Apple

Thanks to recipetips.com we have a chart below that can be used as a quick reference when deciding which apple will be best for your particular needs. You can find the full post here: http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--1299/all-about-apples.asp

I love anything pumpkin, and I get soooo excited every year when it is everywhere, in every form, for me to indulge in. Pumpkin seeds, pumpkin latte, pumpkin spice cookies and my favorite-pumpkin bread. Unfortunately, I have a bit of a sweet tooth, as you can tell by my midsection, and adding pumpkin to anything sweet is heaven to me. With that being said, I wanted to try some savory pumpkin options this fall to mix it up a bit and experiment with some of our Gourmet Convenience products.

My first experiment was to try out pumpkin fries… I have yet to ever try this tasty treat--why not combine two beautiful culinary triumphs, fries and pumpkin? My second recipe is pumpkin risotto-it never fails to happen that when I go out to dinner I order risotto. I can’t get enough of it and now with pumpkin…even better!

Pumpkin Fries with BBQ Pulled Chicken & Cojita Cheese
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
2 pumpkins, sugar or baking variety (approximately 8 cups when cut up)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 T extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs Roots Pulled Chicken (or pull your own)
1 jar of Bellisari’s Barista Sauce
1 cup crumbled Cojita Cheese (feta is fine also)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the pumpkins in half lengthwise and remove all seeds. Use a potato peeler to remove pumpkin skins. Using a very sharp knife, cut pumpkins into 1/4 - 1/2-inch-thick strips to resemble french fries. Using the garlic, onion powder, cayenne pepper and olive oil, coat the pumpkin strips by tossing in a bowl until well coated. Arrange the fries in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft. While the fries are cooking, heat the Roots pulled chicken on the stovetop and add the Bellisari’s Barista Sauce to the saucepan (setting aside ¼ cup of the sauce) and mix thoroughly while being sure to coat all the chicken. Place the fries on a platter and add the chicken and the Cojita cheese on top. Drizzle remaining Bellisari’s Barista Sauce on the entire platter and enjoy!

Pumpkin Blue Cheese Risotto
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
1 large pumpkin, sugar or baking variety
Sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil
4 cups chicken stock
1 small onion, peeled and chopped finely
2 cups Arborio rice
1 jar of Bellisari’s Blue Cheese, Honey & Shallot Spread
3 T butter
Freshly ground black pepper
2 T finely chopped parsley

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut the pumpkins in half, lengthwise, and remove all seeds. Use a potato peeler to remove pumpkin skins. Cut the pumpkin into 1-inch cubes and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and then pour a little olive oil over the cubes. Roast on the center shelf at 350 degrees, until the pumpkin is cooked and well browned. Keep the pumpkin warm until you are ready to mix it into the risotto.

Bring the chicken stock to boil and allow it to simmer over very low heat. Brown the onion in the butter in a large sauté pan over low heat until it starts to brown. Add the rice and continue frying for 1 to 2 minutes, taking care not to burn the onion, then add a ladle of the stock and cook, stirring the rice constantly with a metal spoon.

Continue to add the stock as it is absorbed into the rice until the rice is cooked - it should be firm to the bite, but not chalky, to make a moist and creamy risotto. Quickly stir in 2 T of Bellisari’s Blue Cheese Honey & Shallot Spread then carefully fold in the cubes of roasted pumpkin. Garnish with parsley or pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds.) Check our Facebook page for this week's Tuesday Tip for directions on how to make delicious pepitas. Enjoy!

The fall is such a beautiful time of year in our country… the morning weather begins to get colder as you wait at the bus stops, apple cider everything begins to appear at the grocery store, and beer, football and of course brats become a weekly event. What would we do without bratwurst?

The first documented evidence of bratwurst was 1313 in Germany. With the kickoff of Oktoberfest in Germany this week it’s important to celebrate and recognize the impact of German food within our country. Oktoberfest celebrations are held in many American cities across the US and across the world.

Oktoberfest is the world's largest Volksfest (beer festival and traveling funfair.) It is held annually in Munich-Bavaria, Germany, and it is a 16-day folk festival running from mid or late September to the first weekend in October, with more than 6 million people from around the world attending the event every year. The Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since 1810.

Visitors also enjoy numerous attractions, such as amusement rides and games. There is also a wide variety of traditional foods including Hendl (roast chicken), Schweinebraten (roast pork), Schweinshaxe (grilled ham hock), Steckerlfisch (grilled fish on a stick), Würstl (sausages) along with Brezeln (pretzels), Knödel (potato or bread dumplings), Käsespätzle (cheese noodles), Reiberdatschi (potato pancakes), Sauerkraut or Rotkohl/Blaukraut (red cabbage) along with such Bavarian delicacies as Obatzda (a spicy cheese-butter spread) and Weißwurst (a white sausage.)

In the opening parade, Oktoberfest restaurateurs and breweries parade in for the opening of the Oktoberfest, which began in 1887. The parade has taken place in its current form since 1935, when all the breweries first took part. Since then the parade has been led by local celebrities and politicians. After the parade come the decorated horse carriages and floats of the breweries and the carriages of the other restaurateurs and showmen. The bands from the beer tents accompany the parade.

After the parade of the restaurateurs on carriages from downtown to the festival grounds, at exactly 12:00 clock the lord mayor opens the first beer barrel in the Schottenhammel tent. With the initial pass and the exclamation "O'zapft is!" ("It's tapped!") the Oktoberfest is declared open. Twelve gunshots are fired on the stairway of Ruhmeshalle. This is the signal for the other restaurateurs to start with the serving of beer. Traditionally, the Bavarian Minister-President is served the first liter of beer. Then in the other tents the first barrels are tapped and beer is served to the visitors. Every year visitors eagerly await to see how many strokes the mayor needs to use before the first beer flows. Bets are even made. The best performance is still two strokes.

Grab a bratwurst and a bier, and celebrate Oktoberfest in your own way. I'll be sharing my German potato salad recipe tomorrow featuring our Saigon Street Sauce. Prost!

Source: Oktoberfest. (2016, September 19). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:27, September 21, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oktoberfest&oldid=740193762

I have had many friends tell me what a great experience the “Bourbon Trail” in Kentucky is and also how much fun the Kentucky Bourbon Festival is to attend that is happening this week. But, for some reason I cannot seem to wrap my head around the whole bourbon phenomenon. I have also noticed that within the gourmet food industry there is a significant increase of recipes and food items that contain bourbon: bourbon pecan pie, bourbon chicken, bourbon balls and my favorite, bourbon glazed bacon. So I figured it was time for me to educate myself on Bourbon 101, so I reached out to David J. Montgomery (aka Professor Cocktail), a writer and critic specializing in books, publishing, spirits, and cocktails, to help educate me on bourbon.

What is whiskey?

The legal definition in the United States is: “Spirits distilled from a fermented mash of  grain at less than 95% alcohol by volume (190 proof) having the taste, aroma and characteristics generally attributed to whisky and bottled at not less than 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof).”

Here’s how it works: You take grain and cook it in water. The extracts the sugars from the grain and puts them into solution. This mixture is called the mash. This new mash is then combined with some old mash — aka “sour mash,” the stuff that’s left at the end of the previous distillation process. The sour mash is used because it maintains a consistent level of acidity from distillation to distillation, which is important for the yeast to work properly.

Adding the yeast is the next step. Yeast consumes sugar and releases alcohol through the process of fermentation. The mash ferments until it reaches approximately 11-12% alcohol. At that point, the alcohol kills the yeast and the fermentation process stops.

In order to raise the concentration of alcohol — because who wants 22-proof whiskey? — it needs to be distilled. The fermented mash is heated up to a point where the alcohol begins to evaporate, but the water does not: somewhere between 176 °F and 212 °F. The alcohol vapor is collected and then cooled, which condenses it down to a highly alcoholic liquid (known as the distillate). It is then usually distilled at least one more time, to further concentrate the percentage of alcohol.

Presto! Grain + Water + Yeast = Whiskey

What is bourbon?

Again, the legal definition: “Whisky produced in the U.S. at not exceeding 80% alcohol by volume (160 proof) from a fermented mash of not less than 51 percent corn and stored at not more than 62.5% alcohol by volume (125 proof) in charred new oak containers.”

The important factors here are: bourbon is made from a mash containing at least 51% corn, and after distillation the whiskey must be aged in new, charred oak containers.

What is bourbon made of?

As noted above, the mash must be at least 51% corn. But other grains can also be used. A typical mash might consist of 80% corn, 10% of a flavoring grain, and 10% malted barley. The precise breakdown is known as the mash bill.

The flavoring grain is most commonly rye, which adds an assertive, spicy flavor to the whisky. Popular examples of rye bourbon include Wild Turkey, Jim Beam, and Evan Williams.

Some bourbons, however, use wheat as the flavoring grain, which gives the whiskey a mellower, sweeter flavor. Maker’s Mark, W.L. Weller, and Pappy Van Winkle are all popular wheated bourbons.

The flavor grain could also be oats, rice, quinoa, or any other grain. But these aren’t typical.

Malted barley is added because it helps to promote the process of converting the starch in the grains into sugar. “Malt” means grain that has been allowed to germinate, and then has the process halted by heat. So malted barley is just barley that has begun to sprout.

What is “high rye bourbon”?

This is a whiskey made with a mash bill that reduces the proportion of corn and replaces it with more rye. The mash bill might be something like 70% corn, 20% rye, 10% malted barley. Although still bourbon whiskey, it takes on more of the qualities commonly found in rye whiskey, intensifying the bold, spicy, peppery flavor. High rye bourbons are very dry. Popular examples include Bulleit, Four Roses, and Old Grand Dad.

What about aging?

Aging whiskey in wood barrels is a crucial part of the process, giving the final product much of its flavor (and color). Aging tames the whiskey, smoothing out its rougher edges and giving it a milder, more nuanced and complex flavor. The barrels are charred before use because the introduction of carbon into the process lends additional flavor to the whisky. Aging whiskey in oak gives it the flavors of vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, nuts, and fruits — most of the flavor notes that we commonly find in bourbon.

Bourbon can be aged for any length of time, in any type of container, as long as it’s made from charred new oak. If the whiskey is rested for 30 seconds in a box made of charred new oak, it’s bourbon. “New” containers is key. Barrels cannot be reused to age bourbon, although they can be used to age rum, tequila, or other types of whiskey. If you age your whiskey in a previously used bourbon barrel (like they do with Early Times Kentucky Whiskey), it is not bourbon, even if it meets all the other requirements.

What is straight bourbon?

Most bourbon is labeled as “straight bourbon.” This means that the whiskey was aged for at least two years in new, charred oak barrels. If it’s aged for at least two years, but less than four years, the age has to be stated on the label. If it’s aged for at least four years, it does not need to include an age, although it can.

What does an age statement mean?

If a bourbon is labeled “8 Years Old” it means that all of the whiskey in the bottle has been aged for at least eight years. The contents can consist of — and often do — whiskey that is older than that. But the age on the label is a minimum.

What is proof?

Proof is the traditional term for the alcoholic content of a spirit. It is two times the percentage of alcohol. So an 80-proof bourbon would be 40% abv (alcohol by volume). Proof is used for nostalgic reasons on most whiskey labels, but abv is the legally mandated number.

Is bourbon watered down?

Most of the time, yes. Bourbon comes out of the barrel at a much higher proof than people usually drink it. It also varies depending on the individual barrel — some barrels might contain 120-proof bourbon, some might contain 140-proof bourbon. To ensure a consistent proof for their whiskey, the distiller adds enough water to bring the alcohol down to the desired level. This is usually anywhere from 80 to 100 proof.

The exception to this is “barrel-strength” or “cask-strength” whiskey. These whiskeys do not have water added to them. Whatever proof comes out of the barrel is what goes into the bottle.

What is the Angels’ Share?

The longer the whiskey is aged, the more is lost to evaporation. In the Kentucky climate, this usually amounts to around a 4% loss every year. This evaporated whiskey is known as the “angels’ share.”

Does whiskey age in the bottle?

Once the whisky is removed from the barrel and bottled, it stops aging. If the bottle is stored in the right conditions, the whiskey inside will remain virtually unchanged forever. In this way, it is very different from wine.

What is “bottled in bond”?

Bottled in bond or bonded whiskey is a legal designation created by the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897. It specifies that the whisky was made at one distillery by one distiller, and that it was the product of one distilling season. (In other words, it can’t be a mixture of whiskeys from different years or different distilleries.) It must be aged for at least four years, and be bottled at a minimum of 100 proof. (In all cases, I think, it is bottled at precisely 100 proof.)

What are “small batch” and “single barrel”?

These are marketing terms rather than official designations. Single barrel, at least, has a precise definition. It means that all of the whiskey in the bottle came from a single barrel. (The usual practice is to dump many barrels into big tanks and have the whiskey bottled from there. The advantage to this is that it enables the distiller to ensure a consistent flavor for the product by adjusting the batch of whiskey with the addition of barrels with certain flavor profiles.)

Small batch can mean whatever the person using it wants it to. The term implies that the whiskey was made in smaller quantities, or perhaps was batched from a smaller number of barrels. But there is no legal requirement that it mean anything.

Is all bourbon made in Kentucky?

Bourbon does not have to be made in Kentucky, but it does have to be made in the United States. Any state of origin claimed on the label (e.g., “Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey”) must be accurate.

Why are some whiskeys labeled “sour mash”?

Marketing reasons. Virtually all bourbon is sour mash, as mentioned in the section above on how whiskey is made. For whatever reason, some companies choose to advertise this fact. But for all practical purposes, it’s meaningless.

Well, there you have it. I am officially hooked. I will be sharing my Bourbon recipe tomorrow.