I am so glad I was able to give out samples and that they were so well received, but here is the presentation that was giving to the judges-this photo was taken when I was a guest on TV Diner a few weeks after I won the contest.  Like I told you yesterday, second only to the birth of my daughter Lily, that day was the most exciting day of my life.

Good Luck to this years competitors.  Hood will be announcing the names of the finalists tomorrow and if any of my friends have made the cut, I wish them all the best–enjoy every second of it and I want to see one of you holding the BIG CHECK (mine still currently resides on the wall of my kitchen for inspiration)!

New England Buttermilk Pumpkin Cakes with Sour Cream Apple Caramel and Dried Cranberries

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup Hood Cultured Fat Free Buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 teaspoons demerara sugar, divided
6 tablespoons sweetened dried cranberries, divided
Hood Original Whipped Light Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place 6 one cup ramekins on a baking sheet.  Spray liberally with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and set aside.

In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg and beat again until combined.  Beat in pumpkin and Hood Cultured Fat Free Buttermilk and vanilla extract until thoroughly incorporated.   Slowly incorporate dry ingredients and beat until well combined.

Divide batter between prepared ramekins, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon demerara sugar and bake in preheated oven for 25 to 28 minutes until a skewer inserted in to the center of the cake comes out clean.

While the cakes are in the oven, prepare the sour cream apple caramel sauce.

1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons salted butter, cut in to small pieces
1/4 cup Hood Heavy Cream
3/4 cup Hood sour Cream
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Cortland apples, peeled and cut in to 1/2” to 3/4” matchsticks

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix the sugar and water and bring to a simmer over medium high heat.  Stir gently until the sugar is dissolved.  Do not allow any sugar to get on the side of the pan.

Allow mixture to boil, gently stirring occasionally until the mixture starts to change color.   When the liquid is a medium caramel color turn off the heat and whisk in the butter until melted.  Quickly whisk in the Hood Heavy Cream until combined and then whisk in the Hood Sour Cream, salt, vanilla extract and apples.  If caramel cools too quickly, reheat gently over low heat, stirring frequently.

To serve:  Place pumpkin cake in the center of a dessert dish  Spoon sour cream caramel apple caramel sauce over cake and sprinkle on one tablespoon sweetened dried cranberries.  Top with desired amount of Hood Original Light Whipped Cream and enjoy!

Since according to Sister Kate I am the worlds worst blogger (and lately, I agree with her) I thought that I would grab on to some of my incredibly clever friend Beth Klosterboer’s amazing Halloween ideas to share with you.  Check this out:

http://www.hungryhappenings.com/2011/09/add-edible-googly-eyes-to-rice-krispies.html

And although you might have to do a little shopping and prep to make this craft/recipe happen, it is worth the time.  Plus, Halloween is weeks away!  This is just the tip of the iceberg in regard to fabulous Halloween (and pretty much any other holiday/celebration you can think of from this lady) ideas.  She has a wonderful book on Amazon you should check out if you are hosting a Halloween get together.

http://www.amazon.com/Hungry-Halloween-featuring-Munchies-Bewitched/dp/1452880840/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

About mid week last week, my friend Susan sent me link to the pie contest and it took me about half a minute to decide that I should enter it.  250+ mini pies?  Oh sure, why not.  So I searched my pie recipes and chose the most local, seasonal and Summer pie I could come up with, my Tomato Caprese Pie.  However, the original recipe has a lattice crust and I was not weaving a lattice top on 250 mini pies…..come on now, I know I am obsessed with cooking and contesting but even I have my limits!

Here’s a picture of the original recipe–and if you want the original recipe, just search for Tomato Pie in the search box:

So, in spite of the heat wave, I made 15 batches of parmesan pie crust on Thursday, roasted countless pounds of tiny tomatoes sliced what seemed like a ton of gorgeous ripe tomatoes, locally sourced the rest of the ingredients and forged on.   And thank God for my Mom and super boyfriend Tim, we got it all done by about 1:45 early Sunday AM……..

I believe at nearly 2:00 am the count was 278……and there were so many people at the event that I started dividing the pies in two half way through the event for two reasons:  people were getting full and I was afraid I would run out of pies!

I was so thrilled to compete on Sunday in The Food Experiment’s Pie contest that was held at The Middle East in Cambridge.  There were so many great sweet and savory recipes–I wish I got to try them all!  Some people wore costumes, some had great table decor and others kept it simple and let the pie speak for itself.   The great brother and sister team next to me came up with an amazing tiny French tart, a Pissaladiere, which was made with onions, olives and anchovies with an herbs de provence butter crust that was delicious beyond words…well maybe there was a word….amazing.

I wish I wasn’t so busy doling out nearly 300 servings of pie so that I could have taken more pictures.

Check out the totally cool vintage fabric tablecloth that my friend (and vintage fabric dealer and coincidentally the person who told me about this contest) loaned me for the event.  I had a big bouquet of fresh basil and kept is simple.

In the end, I didn’t end up winning one of the big prizes but I really felt like a winner no matter what.  The guys that produced the event, Nick and Theo (who were cooking competitors themselves) did an amazing job and made it a totally fun and rewarding day all around and if they do it again next year, you can count me in!  Thanks Guys and congratulations to all of the winners!

Here is the recipe to make about 24 cupcake sized Rustic Summer Tomato Caprese Pies—you might have to adjust the amounts for the fresh ingredients a bit, depending on the size of your tomatoes.

Rustic Summer Tomato Caprese Pie
For the Crust:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup frozen butter, cut in small pieces
3/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, divided
6 to 8 tablespoons ice cold water

For the filling:
2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Italian herb blend or dried oregano, divided
2 pounds heirloom tomatoes
1 tablespoon tapioca
1/2 cup prepared nut free basil pesto (I make my own)
½ pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cut in to small slices
2/3 cup julienne sun dried tomatoes (not oil packed)
1 cup panko crumbs
Salt & pepper to taste

In the bowl of a food processor (or by hand, or with a fork, or a pastry blender) combine flour and butter until butter is incorporated and the size of small peas.  Blend in 1/4 cup cheese.  Add water, a tablespoon at a time, pulsing if you are using the processor until dough forms a loose ball.  Divide in half, form into two discs and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least one hour or until ready to use–this step can be done a day or two in advance.

When ready to bake pie, preheat oven to 300.

Toss cut grape or cherry tomatoes with oil, one tablespoon herbs and salt and pepper to taste.  Roast in preheated oven for 1 hour until lightly browned and caramelized, shaking pan occasionally.  Set aside to cool slightly.

Increase oven temperature to 350.  Line 24 muffin tins with grease proof liners and set aside.

Slice heirloom tomatoes into ¼” slices and lay flat on a kitchen towel to remove some of the moisture.  Lay another towel on top and press down lightly.  Cut in to small pieces to fit in cups.

Divide pie crust in to 24 equal portions and roll in to 4” circles.  Sprinkle tapioca on to crusts and top  chopped sun dried tomatoes.  Layer a fresh  tomato slice over sun dried and then about 1/2 teaspoon pesto.  Top pesto with sliced cheese and another layer of sliced fresh tomatoes.  Top with one or two roasted tomatoes.

Mix panko crumbs with remaining parmesan cheese and herbs.  Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon over roasted tomatoes.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until crust is golden brown.  Allow to cool on a baking rack for 10 minutes before serving.  Makes 24 servings.

Bursting with Blueberries Mini Cream Beauties
For the blueberry filling:

1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup dried blueberries
One lemon, zested and juice, zest finely chopped and reserved

Over medium low heat, combine blueberries and lemon juice.   Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 24 standard muffin cups with paper liners (preferably grease proof) and set aside.

For the crust:

2 cups plus two tablespoons flour, divided
2 sticks salted butter, frozen and cut in to small cubes
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
Pinch salt
1/4 cup dried blueberries

In the bowl of a food processor (or in a bowl using a pastry blender) combine  2 cups flour, butter, confectioners sugar and salt.  Plus until the mixture resembles a fine meal.  Spoon a heaping teaspoonful of the mixture in to each prepared cup and press to form a crust on the bottom of the cup, reserving remaining mixture for the crumb topping.

Bake 10 minutes.  Add remaining two tablespoons flour and dried blueberries to remaining crust mixture and pulse until combined.  Pour mixture in to a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

Meanwhile, prepare the cream filling and topping:

2 8 oz pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
Reserved lemon zest
2 large egg yolks at room temperature
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/4 cup Lemoncello Liqueur (or defrosted lemonade concentrate if unavailable)
Pinch salt

3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of the food processor and process until smooth..

When crust is partially baked (after 10 minutes) remove from oven and spoon in 1 teaspoon blueberry lemon filling into the center.

Top with cream cheese mixture evenly, about 3/4 of the way up the cup, sprinkle 3 to 4 fresh blueberries on each

Top with reserved crust/dried blueberry mixture.

Bake for 28 to 30 minutes until center is set.  Allow to cool and remove from pan when completely cool.

Makes 24–Enjoy!

This recipe is great because not only does it use lots of blueberries, but when the salad is all put together, you have an explosion of color on your plate.   You might think that making your own marinade and salad dressing is challenging, but believe me, read through the recipe, gather your ingredients and try it.  I would love to know what you think.  So without further delay, here’s my recipe:

Summer Splendor Balsamic Blueberry & Pork Salad with Double Duty Blueberry Vinaigrette

For the Vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3-4 teaspoons honey, to taste
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
Zest of one lemon
4 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons white wine
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a food processor, combine shallot, mustard, honey, blueberries, lemon zest and juice, white wine and basil.  Pulse until combined and basil is finely chopped.  Drizzle in olive and canola oil until emulsified and dressing is bright in color.

Season with salt and pepper to taste–the mixture will be bright blueish pink and look delicious!   Pour one half of the dressing in to a zip top bag and set aside.  Reserve remaining dressing and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Salad:

1 1/4-1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin, cleaned
2 cups fresh bluberries, divided
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1-10 oz bag mixed baby greens
1 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes

Place pork tenderloin in zip top bag that contains half of the blueberry vinaigrette and shake to coat.  Refrigerate pork for at least 2 but up to 6 hours.

In the meantime, about a half hour before serving, take pork out of the refrigerator, keeping it in the marinade, and allow to come to room temperature before grilling.

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups blueberries, balsamic vinegar and sugar and bring to a simmer.  Cook until most of the blueberries have burst, about 10 minutes.  Set aside.

Preheat outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to medium high.  Remove pork from blueberry marinade, pat dry and discard marinade–yes, the pork will be a bit pink.

Brush the grill with vegetable oil. Place tenderloin on the center of the grill, cover and cook 12-15 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F.

Remove pork from the grill to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing in to 1/2” slices.

Toss salad greens with goat cheese, tomatoes and desired amount of blueberry vinaigrette and serve on one large platter or individual serving plates.  Top greens with sliced pork tenderloin, spoon balsamic blueberries over pork and sprinkle remaining fresh blueberries over salad.  Enjoy!  Serves 3

The fabulous Lily chose Suzanne from Annisquam Herb Farm in Gloucester MA as the winner of the Saucy Mama giveaway!  Congratulations Suzanne and the great people at Saucy Mama will ship your prize package right to you!

And ps–I already know your address!

Here’s the recipe for Creamy Chipotle Shrimp Deviled Eggs:

18 hard boiled eggs (used the place eggs in cold water in a single layer, bring eggs to a boil, remove from heat, keep covered for 15 minutes and then rinse with cold water method)

18-26/30 count shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 cup Creamy Chipotle Dressing, divided

1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise (I used light because that is what I had on hand)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro plus 36 small leaves for garnish

Up to 12 hours before or as little as one hour before ready to prepare eggs, combine shrimp and 1/2 cup Creamy Chipotle Dressing in a medium bowl.  Stir to coat the shrimp with the dressing, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

When ready to prepare eggs, preheat an out door grill or indoor grill pan to medium.  Grill marinated shrimp until slightly charred and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.  Slice shrimp in half along the back and set aside.

Slice hard boiled eggs lengthwise from top to bottom and remove yolks to a medium bowl.  Add remaining 1/2 cup Creamy Chipotle Dressing, 1/2 cup mayonnaise and chopped cilantro and mash yolks until mixture is smooth.

Pipe or spoon into halved egg whites, top with a halved shrimp and a leaf of cilantro and serve!  How simple is that, huh?  And believe me, my family devoured them.  You think that 36 deviled eggs might be too much?  Nonsense!   People will be popping them in their mouths like gumdrops!  Enjoy.

As for the giveaway, I am offering a lovely selection of Saucy Mama Mustards…..Lemon Tarragon, Apricot Ginger and Dijon and sauces, Creamy Chipotle Dressing and Pacific Rim Sauce & Marinade.  Winning them in my giveaway will make you so happy, believe me, with cook out season coming up.   Lots of ways to gain entries so please, follow the rules–and this is a quick one—ends tomorrow night at 11 so enter right NOW!:

Here is how to enter:

1) Check out the products on the Saucy Mama website (www.saucymamacafe.com) Leave a comment here on my blog me what Saucy Mama product sounds the best to you. (1 entry)

2.) Leave a comment if you follow me on my FACEBOOK page….  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Inspired-Cooking-with-Laurie-Lufkin/328503341735?ref=ts (1 entry)

3.) Leave a comment if you follow me on TWITTER (if you’re not a follower yet, you can sign up now at twitter–I am Laurielufkin). (1 entry)

OTHER RULES:
Up to  entries per person (no automated entries or cheating allowed). Each entry must be a separate comment and not a reply to a comment. You must be 18 years or older and a United States Resident to enter. Prizes will be mailed to U.S. addresses only and can not be mailed to P.O. Boxes. Contest is void where prohibited by law. Giveaway is free to enter and no purchase is necessary. All entries must be received by May 23, 11:59pm EST. Your personal information will be used only by me and will not be sold or distributed.

On May 23rd the fabulous Lily will make a random drawing of all entries and I will announce the winner thereafter!

http://www.hungryhappenings.com/2011/05/how-to-make-pink-fuzzy-slipper-cookies.html

She is also offering a giveaway of a $25.00 Restaurant.com gift card so go and check out her blog, the recipe and enter to win a great prize!

So check out the recipe and then go to this link to enter to giveaway–

http://www.hungryhappenings.com/2011/05/two-hungry-happenings-followers-will.html

Good Luck and well done again, Beth!

A new episode of Inspired Cooking airs on Cape Ann TV tonight at 8:30 and the show features one of my favorite guests the talented Clark Dexter!  Clark is a legend in the restaurant industry around here and is food can’t be beat.  Clark makes food that brings me back to my childhood–great memories of eating at The Hearthside in Essex for special occasions and enjoying every second of it!

Although this recipe is not exactly like the stuffed clams that Clark served at the restaurant he said it is pretty darned close.  So go and get some clams and treat yourself and your family to some excellent baked stuffed clams!

BAKED STUFFED CLAMS recipe by Clark Dexter

6 Cherrystone Clams
12 oz. Water
(2) 6 ½ oz. Canned Chopped Clams drained, reserve liquid
1 Med. Shallot – Chopped fine
6 Tbls. Butter
6 Tbls. Flour
2 Tbls. Fresh Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbls. Bread Crumbs
1 Tbls. Sherry Wine
1 Dash Tabasco Sauce
½ tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1/8 tsp. White Pepper

Wash Cherrystone clams and put them in 12 oz. of water.

Bring this to a boil and cook until clams open. Remove clams and retain the water and the shells that the clams were cooked in.

Remove clams from shells and grind or coarsely chop.

Sauté shallots in butter until soft about 3 minutes.
Add flour to make your roux and cook about 3 minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the liquid the clams were cooked in.

Next add the roux, cook until thick, then add the clams.
If the mixture seems too thick, add a little of the clam juice from reserved canned clam juice.

Let this mixture cool for a few minutes.

TOPPING FOR CLAMS  

2 cups of fresh bread crumbs
1 cup of milk crackers
¼ lb. Butter
1 clove of finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/8 tsp. celery seed
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. Italian seasoning which consists of marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, and basil.
1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese

Melt butter in a large frying pan. Add onions, garlic and celery to pan and sauté until soft ( about three minutes). Add seasonings and parmesan cheese. Cook about one minute.
Turn off heat, add bread and cracker crumbs.

With a tablespoon, put clam mixture into clam shells, not over-flowing the shell.

Now top with crumbs.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes on a baking sheet until the clams are golden brown. Serve with fresh lemon wedges.

*You can make the clams up ahead of time and refrigerate for up to three days.  They also freeze very well and can be kept frozen for up to three months.    If frozen, it’s best to thaw before cooking.*

This is my plate of clams…..I dug in the minute I could!

Thank you again Clark for sharing your recipes with us and I look forward to shooting another episode soon!

Corn muffins?  Yum, but done.  Cornbread?  Also delicious, but nothing out of the ordinary.  And then it hit me.  Fresh Supersweet Corn is sweet, right?  Just like it says in the name!  Well, this is what I came up with–and trust me, it is delicious!

Sweet Caribbean Corn Upside Down Cake by Laurie Lufkin

1 1/4 cup coconut milk

1 cup fine yellow cornmeal

1 stick salted butter

1 cup brown sugar, divided

2 1/2 cups Fresh Supersweet Corn

1/4 cup (one nip) coconut rum

1 fresh mango, peeled and cut in to wedges

1 orange slice from the center of the orange

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs at room temperature

3/4 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons coconut extract

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup toasted sweetened flaked coconut

sweetened whipped cream

On the stove top or in the microwaved bring the coconut milk to a low boil.  Quickly whisk in the cornmeal until smooth and set aside.  Cornmeal will absorb the coconut milk while you are preparing the rest of the cake.

Remove husks from 3 ears Fresh Supersweet Corn and remove kernels from cob with a sharp knife.  It is easiest to use this type of setup:

Invert a small bowl in to a larger bowl and it is easy to cut off the kernels and then the bowl will catch them.  Break up any kernels that are stuck together with your fingers and set corn aside.  If you plan to make corn chowder in the near future, save the cobs as they make a great base for the soup.

In a seasoned 12″ cast iron skillet, combine butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.

Add Fresh Supersweet Corn and cook for two minutes, stirring gently.  Remove from heat and stir in coconut rum and set aside.

Peel and pit mango and cut in to slices.

Arrange mango slices in a  flower pattern in the Fresh Supersweet Corn mixture.

Cut a 1/4″ horizontal slice from the middle of  large navel orange and cut off the peel

Place peeled orange slice in the center of the mango slices to form a flower and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

In another bowl, lightly beat together eggs, canola oil, vanilla extract and coconut extract.  Whisk in cornmeal and coconut milk mixture and mix until smooth.

Whisk mixture until smooth.

Gently whisk in dry ingredients until just combined.

Pour mixture over mangoes and corn and smooth with a knife if necessary.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until a tester inserted in to the center of the cake comes out clean and edges are lightly browned.

Allow cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes and invert on serving plate.

Because both the mangoes and the corn floated around a bit, I took a small knife and moved the corn to reveal the “petals” of the flower too, the mangoes.

Cake can be served warm or at room temperature, topped with a sprinkle of toasted coconut and a bit of sweetened whipped cream.

Serves 12.  This is a dense, rich cake with the sweetness of the corn, coconut and mango and the little bit of crunch of the toasted coconut.  If you make it, please let me know what you think—enjoy!

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