Phoebe's Kitchen

Find the Taste and Tales of Massachusetts at Orchard House in Concord, MA

Orchard House was the home of author Louisa May Alcott.  The house is most noted for being where she wrote and set her beloved classic, Little Women, in 1868 at a "shelf desk" her father built especially for her.  Approximately 80% of the furnishings on display were owned by the Alcotts, the rooms look very much as they did when the family lived there, causing many modern-day visitors to comment that, "A visit to Orchard House is like a walk through Little Women!"

Our cookbook, the Taste and Tales of Massachusetts is available at the Orchard House Museum Store.  This weekend there will be holiday festivities at the House, "A Little Women Christmas at Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House"

French Apple Pie

 6      large apples - 2 each                                    MacIntosh,  Cortlands and                            Granny Smith  

1/2   teaspoon cinnamon                        

1/2  teaspoon nutmeg                               

1      cup sugar                                               

        pinch  sea salt 

 1     tablespoon flour                                      

 3/4 cup raisins tossed with 1 tablespoon  flour

1. In pie shell arrange alternate layers of apples, sugar,spices, and raisins.  Cover top with thin pastry.
2. Slash top in several places and seal edges.
3. Bake 60-70 at 350° until pastry is golden.
4. Top with confectioners sugar mixed with water.

Optional:  Add 1/2 cup dried cranberries before covering pie.

Taste and Tales of New York

        Introducing our latest cookbook with over 200 recipes and nearly 200 interesting tales and tidbits. 

Once again Louise Minks of Leverett, MA painted an amazing image that we used for the cover.  The colors literally just jump off.

Kudos go to Lynee Rudie of Turners Falls who designed the book.  She did an absolutely fabulous job. 

The book is available through our website, www.basspondpress.com.  There are representative tales and a delicious recipe for the official muffin of New York, an Apple Muffin.

 

 

Comfort Food

Spring is coming!!!  It has been a long cold snowy winter.  This tree is between 6-7' tall and the snow is almost as tall.  Sorry I haven’t been in touch.  I have been working hard on my next cookbook, Taste and Tales of New York.

During these long cold days there is nothing like a little comfort food that makes us feel warm.  I have had this Hamburg Loaf recipe since my grad school days at Florida State University.  It was given to me by one of my classmates, Roberta Maddox.  It a delicious moist meatloaf and its secret ingredient is chopped apple.

 

Hamburg Apple Loaf 

1 egg beaten                                                                                                       

¼ cup milk                                                                  

¾ cup bread crumbs                                                    

¼ cup chopped onion                                                  

2 medium apples-peeled, cored, and finely chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1½ pound ground beef

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients except ground beef.
3. Add beef, mixing well.  Pat into loaf pan.
4. Bake at for 1¼  hours.

 Glaze for Top (optional)

¼ cup ketsup

1 teaspoon dry mustard 

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 tespoon ground nutmeg

1. Combine the above ingredients, and spread over meat loaf.
2. Bake an additional 15 minutes.

From the Taste and Tales of Massachusetts