Column from October 21, 2010

Popular local musicians Andy Sulzman and Jeremy Ross provided entertainment at the annual benefit auction.

Bidding on a great recipe

We had a great time at The Old Hotel Art Gallery’s annual benefit auction last weekend. But then, we always do.

I enjoy attending the auction each year and this one was no exception. Lots of wonderful items to bid on and there is always great food.

This year, Kristy Rattray prepared a wonderful tri-tip dinner with baked potatoes, two different salads, calico beans and rolls. For dessert, she added some apple pie filling to French vanilla ice cream and topped it with a sugar wafer cookie. It was very simple, but a refreshing ending to a super meal.

The Old Hotel is run by a volunteer organization and it depends on support from the public. Local crafts are featured for sale on a consignment basis and there is also a regularly featured artist of the month.

It is located at the corner of Broadway and Larch in one of the original buildings in Othello.

The majority of the items available at the auction are donated by generous people who want to help this local landmark remain open. However, the gallery has been struggling lately and could use more assistance – not just monetarily. There also aren’t enough volunteers and that’s where it could use your help.

If you have a spare hour or two during the week, stop by and talk to Sally Laufer, the director, about ways you can help.

And be sure to tell your friends their help is needed, as well.

It was difficult for the volunteers to prepare for this year’s auction. They were short of hands to help set up and take down. There is also work that needs done for several weeks prior to the event and there simply wasn’t enough manpower.

I’d like to see more people step up to help keep this business going. There is a lot of history in that old building and it would be a shame if the doors had to close.

And I’d definitely miss the annual auction. When it was over, Kristy had quite a few leftover potatoes, so she offered some to Eric.

The next morning, I started finding ways to use them. I chopped up several and spread them on lightly greased baking sheets and put them in the freezer. When they were completely frozen, I transferred them to a large plastic bag and now, we have hashbrowns for future breakfasts.

I also made potato salad. I didn’t feel like going shopping, so I used what I had on hand.

That meant the salad was a little different than I usually make it, but it turned out very tasty. So, here’s my recipe I used. I hope you enjoy it.

Potato salad

6 baked potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces

5 or 6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Small onion, finely diced

5 or 6 baby dill pickles, finely chopped

2 cups mayonnaise

1/8 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons mustard

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon pepper

Place potatoes, eggs, onion and pickles in large bowl; stir gently to combine.

Mix together mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, garlic powder and pepper. Pour over potato mixture and fold in until potatoes are evenly coated.

If you prefer a creamier potato salad, add more mayonnaise to taste.

Column from October 14, 2010

Preparing fresh pumpkin for baking

Last weekend, we took a trip to Peshastin, Washington, to visit relatives. It was great fun and it gave us a chance to do a little sightseeing.

This is a nice time of year to take a road trip. Harvest is going on for a variety of crops and when you pass the fruit stands, you’ll see lots of bright orange pumpkins piled up for the holidays.

It won’t be long before you’ll start seeing jack-o-lanterns on doorsteps in preparation for Halloween. When you scoop out the insides, do you throw it away or do you use it for cooking?

I’ve done both in the past and fresh pumpkin does, indeed, make the best pies and other desserts.

A medium-sized pumpkin, which will weigh about four pounds, will yield about a cup and a half of mashed pumpkin.

To prepare fresh pumpkin, cut the pulp into chunks and place in a saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until the chunks are tender.

Let cool and puree or mash. Refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for later use.

This puree can be used in any recipe that calls for canned pumpkin, so you don’t have to look for special recipes.

Halloween is on a weekend again this year, so kids will have a little more time to dress up. That also means they can have an early dinner before heading out the door to trick-or-treat.

When they get back, have this recipe ready for them to enjoy. Instead of loading up on candy, this cake can be made with that fresh pumpkin you’ve prepared. And remember, if you’d rather use canned, that’s OK, too.

Sour cream pumpkin cake

Streusel:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Personal chef offers fresh flavors for Thanksgiving

Personal chef Jeremy Hanlon says Thanksgiving is all about serving what's freshest and in season.

"If you pay attention to those two elements, you don't have to do a lot to create a dish. You just have to pull out the natural flavors of the ingredients," he says.

If you want to try any of the recipes given here for this holiday meal, Hanlon suggests sticking with your family's traditional recipes and choosing one or two of his to add something new to the table.

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

2 teaspoons butter or margarine

Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

4 large eggs

1 cup pure pumpkin

8 ounces sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze:

1-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice or milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan.

For streusel: Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and allspice in small bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly.

For cake: Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Beat granulated sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin, sour cream and vanilla extract; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture.

To assemble: Spoon half of batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle streusel over batter, not allowing streusel to touch sides of pan. Top with remaining batter. Make sure batter layer touches edges of pan.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes in pan on wire rack. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with glaze.

To make glaze: Combine powdered sugar and orange juice or milk in small bowl; stir until smooth.

Column from October 7, 2010

An award-winning season

October is one of my favorite months of the year. I just love the changing leaves and the whole idea of a harvest season.

Of course, I don’t like the idea of shorter, colder days or that winter is right around the corner, but there is a lot to enjoy this time of year.

Take Halloween, for instance. It’s so much fun seeing all the great decorations and the excitement of the kids as they begin getting ready for the holiday. There are even a few folks here in Othello who put up orange lights around their houses.

Another great thing about October is the annual Washington Newspaper Publishers Association convention. This year, it was held in Wenatchee and we had a super time rubbing elbows with fellow journalists, advertisers, editors and publishers.

This year’s sessions gave us information we can use as we strive to make The Othello Outlook a better paper. For example, I sat in on a talk about how to write a compelling budget story.

That’s never an easy task. No one wants to read about a bunch of numbers because it can be very boring.

But the speaker provided us with some ways to make those stories more interesting, while still giving the reader the information he or she needs to understand where tax dollars are being spent.

We also took home some awards, which are even more special because they were given to us by our peers. It means a lot when other newspaper people appreciate our work. It definitely tells us we are doing a good job of relaying the news to our readers.

The one thing that isn’t that great about the convention is always the food. We are served the typical fare that is usually tasteless and not very appetizing.

So, I was so glad to get back home and have a decent meal.

Some of the great flavors of the season include apples, pears, pumpkins, squash and nuts galore. I recently picked up a little cookbook that has a variety of fall baking ideas. Some of the recipes show how to decorate food for Halloween. Many feature some of the flavors mentioned above.

As I was looking through the book, one recipe in particular jumped out at me. It features apples and pecans in an easy to make cookie bar. It’s definitely an award winner.

Caramel apple nut bars

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups quick-cooking oats

1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/4 cups butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup caramel topping

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 medium apple, peeled and chopped (1 cup)

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of a 13-by-9 inch pan. In large bowl, beat 2 cups flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and butter with electric mixer on low speed until crumbly. Press about 3 cups of the mixture in pan. Bake 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix caramel topping and 3 tablespoons flour. Sprinkle apple and pecans over partially baked crust. Drizzle with caramel mixture. Sprinkle with remaining crust mixture.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely and cut into 36 servings.

Column from September 30, 2010

An apple a day

Tomorrow is the start October and that means autumn really is here. It’s time to think about harvesting fall crops, leaves changing colors and decorating for Halloween and Thanksgiving.

October is also National Apple Month. Here in Washington state, 10 to 12 billion apples are handpicked every year. If you took all those apples and placed then side-by-side, they would circle the Earth 29 times.

That’s pretty amazing!

Apples are the No. 1 crop grown in Washington and last year, the average U.S. consumer ate 19 pounds of fresh apples.

More than 225,000 acres of orchards can be found in the eastern foothills of the Cascades, including here in the Columbia Basin. The average orchard is about 100 acres. An estimated 35,000 to 45,000 pickers are employed during the peak of harvest.

However, the only apples native to North America is the crabapple. The apples we know originated in Kazakhstan and were brought east by traders. Today, there are 2,500 different varieties grown in the U.S. and more than 7,500 worldwide.

Here in Washington, some of the main varieties are red and golden delicious, granny smith, braeburn, jonagold, Fuji and gala.

One of my favorites is the cameo, which is relatively new and was developed in the Quincy area.

We’ve all heard the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Well, that might be an exaggeration, but apples are very good for us. They help fight heart disease, colon cancer and stroke and they promote healthy lungs and brain health. In fact, there is evidence apples may diminish the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

One large apple is only 130 calories, with no fat or cholesterol. Apples also provide potassium, fiber, protein, vitamins A and C, calcium and iron.

Pretty impressive for something that tastes so good!

Apples are one fruit that is tasty by itself and there are lots of ways to use apples in cooking. They can be used for anything from main dishes to salads to desserts.

Plus, you can drink the juice, so it really is one of the most versatile fruits.

Here’s a great recipe from the Washington Apple Commission, locate in Wenatchee. You can find more tasty recipes on the commission’s website at www.bestapples.com.

This recipe makes about two dozen muffins.

Apple carrot muffins

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2/3 cup plain non-fat yogurt

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup maple syrup

6 egg whites

1/4 cup canola oil

1-1/2 tablespoons vanilla

2 teaspoons dried orange peel

1 pound grated carrots

1 pound shredded apples

1. In mixing bowl, blend flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

2. In separate bowl, blend yogurt, orange juice, maple syrup, egg whites, oil, vanilla, orange peel, carrots and apples.

3. Stir apple mixture into dry ingredients just until moistened; do not over-mix.

4. Portion 1/3 cup into paper-lined or non-stick muffin tins. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 22 to 25 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched.