- Part 3

Spring has sprung, and I’m out and about

05.09.2014 by Susan Getgood //

It’s finally spring in the Northeast. The relief on the faces you see on the street, in the subway, on the commuter rail platform is palpable. Even a little rain doesn’t seem to dampen the spirits. Last weekend, I was out and about in the glorious weather.

Starting with a reception for the exhibit of Posey Krakowsky’s quilts Friday night.

If you are in NY this month, and in the vicinity of Lex and 54th, take a few minutes and stop into the Narthex Galley at St. Peter’s Church and check out the quilts. It is a small exhibit of 4 large wall-size quilts, so it won’t take you long, and well worth the stop. The exhibit, originally scheduled to end at the end of May, now runs through June 27th.

On Sunday, I attended the New York Listen To Your Mother show at Peter Norton Symphony Space. BlogHer is the national media sponsor.

There are Listen To Your Mother shows in 30-plus cities across the country, so while you’ve probably missed the boat for this year, mark your calendars now for next spring. This year’s performances also will be on YouTube by summer, and they just announced that a collection of essays will be published next year, so plenty of other ways to Listen To Your Mother.

Looking for something to do this weekend?

Friday May 9th is the premiere of Laurie David’s new film, Fed Up. I was privileged to attend a launch event for David’s new cookbook The Family Cooks where she also screened the trailer for the film. Co-produced by Katie Couric, the film digs deep into the true impact of sugar on our diets, and promises to share some truths about food and exercise that the food industry doesn’t want us to know.

For my part, this week I am in Las Vegas at the BlogPaws pet blogging conference. Thursday, I led a workshop on monetizing your blog, and today I will be soaking up the positive mojo from so many lovely pet people.

Here’s the early morning view from my window at the Westin Lake Las Vegas.

Next weekend (May 16-17) is the BlogHer Food conference in Miami. Always a good time (and good eats). I have passed through Miami many times, but have never had time to actually visit the city. This time, I arrive the day before and am hoping to grab a little time to check out the food scene in Little Havana and South Beach. I know the Food Conference will offer tons of inspiration for my weekend “pretend to be a food blogger” videos, so I apologize to you in advance!

Happy Mother’s Day — whether you are one, have one or know one!

Potato Galette Recipe

03.30.2014 by Susan Getgood //

On today’s menu, Potato Galette. Super easy.

All you need for 4 generous servings: 2 large potatoes, olive oil, salt and shredded cheese of your choice.

Slice the potatoes very thin. I use a mandoline. Toss with olive oil and salt, some herbs if you wish, and then layer in a pie plate, alternating a layer of potatoes with a layer of shredded cheese (such as parmesan, gouda, gruyere, cheddar). End with a layer of potato. Bake in a 350°F oven until potatoes are tender and cheese melted. I always forget to time it, but it’s probably 30 minutes or so. Longer if your potato slices are thick.

Eccles Cakes: Recipe and Video

03.18.2014 by Susan Getgood //

This weekend I made Eccles Cakes, a family favorite pastry. Wikipedia says they originated in Eccles (Greater Manchester), England. My family associates them with our Scottish heritage (perhaps because my grandfather loved them?) and Demoulas Market Basket supermarkets, which was the only place you could get them locally when I was growing up in Andover, Massachusetts in the 70s. By the 1908s, they stopped carrying them.

This was before the Web. Before recipe sites. Before food blogs. So I invented my own recipe using a filling based on a raisin square recipe from a magazine.

Susan’s Eccles Cakes

Fruit Filling
1 apple peeled cored and chopped (about 1 cup)
2/3 c apple juice
2 to 2-1/2 cups raisins or currants or combination
2 TBSP granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground mace
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 TBSP conrstarch
2 TBSP cold water

Pastry
1 17-1/4 oz package frozen puff pastry, 2 sheets, thawed (Note: if I use raisins instead of currants in the filling I usually need 3 sheets to use up all the filling)
1 large egg (2 if using 1.5 packages of puff pastry
Granulated sugar for sprinkling

Filling – In medium saucepan, bring apple and apple juice to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes until tender. Stir in currants/raisins, sugar and spices. Bring to boil, stirring often. Boil 1 minute. In small bowl mix cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Stir into fruit mixture. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Cool to room temperature. Cover and let stand 8 hours or overnight.

Cakes – Preheat oven to 400°F. Beat egg to blend in small bowl. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll 1 pastry sheet according to package directions and cut into 3 or 4 inch rounds. I use a half-pint glass as a template to make approx. 3 inch rounds. Spoon filling into center of rounds, brush border with egg. Top with second pastry round, press and crimp edges togethr to seal. Brush with egg. Cut a couple vent holes in center, and sprinkle top with sugar. Continue rolling pastry and assembling cakes until you’ve used up all the pastry and the filling. Chill each backing sheet of cakes 15-20 minutes before baking. Bake pastry until puffed and golden brown, and sugar has melted on top about 10-15 minutes (12 is about perfect for my oven). Cool, serve at room temperature.