Escape to Ann Arbor

     Well, this time last year Sara and I did a whirlwind tour of bakeries in NYC. I think we hit 10 or 12 in all, sampling something at each one. I'll have to check my posting to remember where all we went. Anyway, this year the tradition continues but in a different locale-Ann Arbor! Ann Arbor is home of the famous Zingerman's Delicatessen. WOW! The pastries, candy, gelato, meats, cheeses, artisan breads-it is truly Foodie Heaven!! They roast their own coffee to go with the delicious looking cakes like in the picture-featured are their Hummingbird and Carrot cakes. Since I'm off sweets for awhile we enjoyed a skinny chocolate mint coffee-so good. Maybe next time I'll have a scone...or a piece of pie.....or cake....or gelato :)
     Just outside of Ann Arbor is Chelsea, home of Jiffy. I love their cornbread mix for making muffins-so good and simple to make. Wonder if the huge silo is full of cornbread mix? Hmmmm-I'll have to ask next time. 

     We LOVE LOVE hitting small town restaurants and found a great place in Zou Zou's in Chelsea. They had a large menu and everything is made fresh daily: scones, soups, ciabatta, chicken salad, quiches. We enjoyed the Tomato Tortellini Soup and Chicken Salad sandwiches all freshly made by the owner that morning. Everyone was super friendly and you could tell they were regulars-that says a lot about a place in my book. Right across the street is a great little Mexican restaurant called Las Fuentes where we enjoyed a rather tastey margarita, delicious guac and chicken fajitas for dinner.


     I missed the Farmer's Market this time-it's held on Saturday mornings during the winter. Those crazy people hold it OUTSIDE! That's a posting for another day.
    
     Valentine's Day is coming and I'm planning lots of baking-call me if you need something for your sweetie!

Sue

"Building a Pie 101"

    Awhile back I had a very enjoyable conversation with one of my Dad's dear childhood friends whose name was Jack Klema. Now Jack had worked construction most of his life, had raised 5 daughters, and at the time, he and his wife Jean were operating a wonderful restaurant called "The Barn on York." It actually was a beautiful barn they had renovated and made into a restaurant. They served delicious meals and offered live Bluegrass music upstairs every week. My Dad, Dick Parker, happened to be in that band and was the bass player. You could enjoy a great slice of pie with your coffee while enjoying live great bluegrass music. What fun times those were!!
    One evening Jack sat at our table and told me, very proudly, that he had gotten his "pie building down to 10 minutes per pie." He explained the steps to me and was so very matter of fact in his pie building process that I had to smile as I envisioned him in an apron slicing apples and rolling out dough, assembling the pie and placing it in the oven, watching the timer and making sure it came out bubbly and not burnt. Not so much unlike the building process of a barn or house, I suppose. Both required planning, precision, and patience and giving great satisfaction and pride in the finished product.
     So, to remember Jack's story, to fondly remember both he and my Dad, and to honor those who take great pride in their "pie building", I dedicate the following pictures of this past weekend's mini pie baking, as chronicled by my very talented photographer daughter, Caitlin.


                                                       THE "BUILDING" OF A PIE

                                                               rolling out the dough....

                                                         piling the apples high...........

                                                    putting on the "lid" and crimping the edges......

waiting for finishing touches..........

                                                            cutting out the decorations.....

                                                          placing the snowflake cut outs....

                                                       brush with milk & sprinkle with sugar.....

                                                        cut vents & ready for the oven..


    Give me a great pie anytime. I'll take it over cookies, cake, brownies, candy....you name it. There isn't a pie I don't love. I've always said it's "all about the crust"...flakey..sugary and just delicious. This mini pie is just the right size for two. Just add a dollop of ice cream in the middle, 2 forks and you're set!  
      
     I hope you enjoyed this story and I thank all the pie bakers and pie lovers out there!!!
 Keep up the pie love....................

Sue


 

Sue's Kitchen Menu

SIGNATURE PIES (available in deep dish 9", 7" or individual): Mom's Apple, Tart Cherry, Big-n-Bold Blackberry, Summertime 4 Berry, Fencerow Black Raspberry, My Georgia Peach, Sweet Red Raspberry, Beautiful Blueberry, Springtime Strawberry-Rhubarb, Just Rhubarb, Southern Pecan, Kentucky Chocolate Walnut Bourbon, *Pumpkin.
*some are seasonal "
9" pies range from $16-$25
7" pies range from $10-$16
Individual pies range from $7-$9

SIGNATURE COOKIES: Best Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chocolate Chunk, Snickerdoodle, Oatmeal Walnut Crispie, Effie's Oatmeal Raisin, Rose's Molasses Sugar, Peanut Butter, Peanut Blossom.
$10/dozen
Iced Sugar Cut Outs, Cranberry Oatmeal White Chocolate, White Chocolate Macadamia and Sue's Skinny Jean Cookies.
$14/dozen
*Minimum of 3 dozen for all cookie orders

Appreciation of beautiful old china and heirloom recipes

     I love to find beautiful dishes to use for pie displays, whether they are vintage cake plates, mismatched china, local pottery, hammered aluminum trays, or crystal pieces. In this picture is one of my signature pies on a gorgeous plate I recently came upon during a Pickin' Chix outing. The pie is Granny Smith apple and the plate reads "W.H. Grindle, England." I especially love the pale green with gold trim. The pies are always for sale and I'm still deciding if the plate will appear in our display at the Rural Society Antique and Garden Show (May 4 & 5). For now I will appreciate it in my china cabinet while I decide. As for the pie....it's long gone!!

Winter Baking, Farmers' Markets and Testing New Recipes

     Sue's Kitchen will return to the Columbus Winter Farmers' Market this Saturday at the Clintonville Womens' Club. Winter baking is comfort food to me, as long as it is in small portions as part of your balanced diet. If you need something sweet, here are some of my signature items I'll be bringing for you:

• Individual Granny Smith Apple Pies
• Triple Chocolate Brownies
• Chocolate Chip cookie snack pack stacks
• Cranberry-Lemon Scones w/Lemon Glaze

     I'm in the process of trying new recipes that will become additions to my menu. Currently I'm working on a granola recipe and crispy crackers. I'll keep you posted on my progress. So far I'm enjoying the research:)

Enjoy the week and I hope to see you at the market!
Sue
    

Don't bother me-the flour will be flying!

     JUST KIDDING! After tomorrow I am on vacation from work and can concentrate on baking cookies.....tons of cookies! Oh-and pecan tassies and bourbon balls and pumpkin cream cheese bread and cranberry orange pecan bread and more cookies. Then there's the buttercream frosting and sanding sugar and chocolate dipping and sprinkle sprinkling.
     After that's all done we package everything in mugs and bowls and on plates and platters...wrap them up in cellophane with ribbon and bows and string and tags...then send them all home with you!!!
     Hope to see you all here next week. Somebody has to come get all this stuff I'm making!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

  Here's one of my pies all dressed up for the Thanksgiving table. We're also having a scrumptuous
Pumpkin Cheesecake that we watched Paula Deen make today on her show. She said to add a sprig of mint to get your vegetable serving. That woman is a nut-but we love her :)
    Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones and remember to be thankful for all your blessings.
Sue

Sue's Kitchen aka Pickin' Chix @ The Rural Society Antique & Garden Show

                           Mark your calendars Ladies and Gentlemen!
    On October 14&15 there will be a fabulous antique and garden show just north of Mt. Vernon at a beautiful farm owned by Page Price. If you like ANTIQUES, vintage, re-purposed, garden decor, plants, dried nature, delicious food, and just plain everyday country, than this is the show for you.


    Check "The Rural Society Antique and Garden Show" on facebook for all the details including dates/times, vendor list, and directions. There will be such a collection of talented, creative people there!


     My friend, Bee Katz, and I will be there as our alter egos, the "Pickin' Chix". We will have everyday antiques that have been loved through the years: re-purposed antiques (i.e. old farmhouse doors made into headboards, rolled paper wreathes from old hymnals); vintage recipe boxes filled with handwritten dessert recipes, vintage blank recipe cards and cooper cookie cutter-fabulous gifts for that baker in your life; pretty cake plates made from vintage glassware; Bittersweet bunches; pillows made from felted woolens and re-purposed sweaters; gorgeous chalkboards from antique picture frames; mantiques (very cool tool chests); picnic baskets; unique fall decor using everyday items and so much more.
    
      Did I mention we will also have some GOODIES for you? Sue's Kitchen will have personal size Pecan Pies and Cowtown Candies will have FUDGE (peanut butter, chocolate and one more kind). A girl has to have her sweet fix, don't ya know!


      We are still working on our finds and getting organized. We hope to see you there!
Sue

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

     I posted this recipe a couple of years ago on the Westerville Farmers' Market blog but I wanted to share it again because it's just so darn good! You can use small or boat sized zucchini-whatever you have. If you use the larger size it would be a good idea to remove the pithy seed center and just shred the meaty part of the zucchini. Just a little hint.
     Hope you enjoy making and sharing this recipe :)

     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease (2) 9x5" or (5) mini loaf pans. I also line my pans with parchment paper up over the sides so the loaves are easy to lift out without sticking once baked..hint #2.

     You will need:
(2) 1 ounce squares of unsweetened choclate-melted and cooled
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 cups hand grated zucchini (hint #3-hand grating helps keep the zucchini from getting mushy)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. each; baking soda, salt and cinnamon
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

       Directions:
Cream sugar and oil; add eggs one at a time then beat in chocolate. Add vanilla and zucchini.
Mix the dry ingredients together and add-mix til blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

     Bake large loaves for 1 hour and smaller loaves about 40 minutes OR til a knife inserted in the middle comes out with crumbs-not gooey. Cool on a wire rack.
     Hint #4: sprinkle a few chocolate chips on the top of each loaf while they are still hot. Looks really good and is so yummalicious!

What Sue's Kitchen is all about.................this says it all!

     This best describes Sue's Kitchen:
Baking with a farmer's heart and an artisan's soul.

Being a Hard Core Berry Picker...Take 2

     About this time last year I wrote about how to pick berries in the country...usually along the roadside or in the fields. Well, again this year I was out picking the coveted black raspberries and found myself in the rain with bugs all around. By the time I was done picking I was drenched (despite a rain jacket and rubber boots)...good thing it was warm. I swore to myself if anyone a wanted a #%@*&# black raspberry pie they would pay dearly for it.

     Then I decided I would not make any pies out of these berries!! I would make jam and share it with my family and friends. My good friend, Les Foor shared a case of jelly jars like the one in the picture-so he will be the first to get a jar. Hope you don't mind the seeds, Les!!

     The bucket in the picture has been used by myself, my Mom and my grandparents for MANY years to pick berries in. I can remember using it probably 45 years ago. It's handy because it's deep and has a bale to put your arm through so you can pick with two hands.

     I hope the purple stains wear off my hands before I go pick again in a couple days. The taste of that yummy jam sure is worth it though!!

Crumb Topping for Pies, Muffins, Coffeecakes....you name it!

     I don't know about you, but I think baked goods need to be visually appealing. Yes, they have to taste good but presentation is also important!  Something I use to "top off" my blueberry muffins, coffeecakes or crumb top pies  is my "Crumb Topping." It's simple to make and adds so much to whatever you put it on.
     Here's Sue's Crumb Topping recipe and "how-to":
     In a food processor, process 1 stick COLD butter ( if it's not cold it will be clumpy and mushy), 1 cup flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar, pinch of salt. Process until tiny pea size. You can add 1/4 tsp cinnamon if you want, especially with anything with apples. Add a heaping tablespoon on each muffin (I then add some more fruit on top) or cover your coffeecake or pie with the crumbs. Bake using your recipe's instructions.
     I keep extra crumb topping in the freezer for quick use.
     Check out the picture of the muffin at the top of my blog for the crumb topping...yum! They are crowd favorites at Market 65 as well as my Farmers' Markets.
     Happy Baking!!