M-J’s Elegant Walnut Shortbread

M-J’s Recipe for Elegant Walnut Shortbread

M-J’s Still Life with Fruit Smoothie

M-J de Mesterton Still Life with Fruit Smoothie, Recipe Copyright 2008

Ginger, Chilean black grapes, plain yoghurt, bananas, apples, oranges, frozen blueberries, strawberries and a bit of honey are blended in an Osterizer for a health-enhancing morning drink.

~~M-J

Non-Electric Tool: the Lehman’s Foodmill

If the power goes out, or disappears altogether (with the ridiculous restrictions on energy-production in the U.S., you never know what may happen), there is an alternative to the food-processor and blender: the hand-operated foodmill. Lehman’s, a company of which I am fond and have featured here at Elegant Survival several times, has an affordable, efficient one.

Lehman's Foodmill

The Sonya Apple, an Elegant Survival Favorite

Sonya, Elegant Survival's Ideal Apple (photo copyright M-J de Mesterton 2008)

The Sonya apple originated in New Zealand, and has been internationally available since 2002.  Its unique flavor is owed to its two parent-apples, the Red Delicious and the Gala.The Sonya apple is pleasantly sweet and crisp, with an intense, fresh apple-juice flavor. Sonya apples are perfect for snacks, and the ones available now are small and perfectly shaped for packing in lunches. In my recent experience with Fuji apples, Elegant Survival’s former favorite for pie-making as well as eating, they have become less crisp, juicy and flavorful. Though that anomaly may be only temporary, I intend to make pies with Sonya apples henceforth. M-J’s Fuji Salad will now be called “Sonya Salad”–stay tuned for the recipe.

~~Copyright M-J de Mesterton, March 2009

M-J’s Autumn Harvest Potato Salad

M-J’s Elegant Autumn Potato Salad

Like the potato salad that my Swedish grandmother used to make for me, this dish relies upon some bacon, vinegar, and an onion.

Peel, quarter and boil eight medium sized potatoes, or ten small ones. Salt the boiling water. Alternatively, add some Maggi or Knorr chicken bouillon powder.
Boil the potato chunks for fifteen minutes. Drain but do not rinse them.

In your cooking pot, sauté eight strips of bacon, finely chopped. Remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon. and reserve in a small bowl or cup.

Empty out  half of the bacon fat from the pan. Add two tablespoons of vegetable oil (I use peanut oil) and two tablespoons of vinegar (I use malt vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar). If you have it, a tablespoon of concentrated apple juice can be added to this dressing mixture. You will adjust the vinegar and oil to your taste after the initial mixing of all ingredients.

Add the potatoes, one finely diced small onion (red, white or yellow), and one diced, unpeeled apple. Grind some pepper into the mixture for taste, and check for salt. Mix gently. Serve lukewarm or at room temperature for  best flavor.

~~Recipe and Photo of Autumn Potato Salad Copyright M-J de Mesterton, 2008

M-J’s Elegant Apple Pie Recipe

M-J’s Elegant Apple Pie Recipe

• 4 cups of white flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 stick of salted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• ¾ cup of chilled lard (“manteca”)
• 7 Fuji or Sonya apples–cored, peeled, and thinly sliced (reserve peels and cores)
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 1/4 cup light-brown sugar (or more, according to your to your taste)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup of cold water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
• 1 additional half stick of butter
• An extra 2 tablespoons of sugar, either white or brown
• One cup of water
• DIRECTIONS

• 1. Make the dough: put one stick of cold butter into a large mixing bowl, together with the 3/4 cup of chilled lard and a teaspoon of salt. Add flour gradually, working it into the butter and lard. Add approximately 3/4 cup of cold water, then cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough forms small pea-shaped balls, and when formed into a large mound, it holds together. Sometimes less cold water is required–believe it or not, the amount needed to make a pie dough with this recipe depends upon the moon.’s current phase. Mix this by hand, since machine will create a tough pie crust. I use an old-fashioned wire potato masher and a wooden spoon. When the dough sticks together but doesn’t stick to your hands, shape it into 2 balls, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• 2. Put all of your apple peelings and cores into a saucepan on the stove with a cup of water and two tablespoons of sugar, and boil until the liquid becomes syrup. Strain liquid from solids and reserve it. The peelings can then be eaten or ground into applesauce–it’s important not to waste any edible part of your apples.
• 3. Assemble the pie: heat your oven to 425°F. Roll out one ball of dough into a 12-inch round about 1/8-inch thick, on a lightly floured surface. Fit the dough into a 9 or10-inch pie pan. Place one layer of apple slices into the dough-lined pan. Cover them with two tablespoons of cornstarch and a quarter-cup of brown sugar. Repeat this process with apples, sugars and cinnamon. Distribute the half-stick of butter on top of the apples after slicing it into bits. Add your apple syrup over the top of the pie. Alternatively, I sometimes skip the step of creating syrup from my apple peelings, and just use some apple juice concentrate (found in grocery frozen juice section).
• Roll out the second ball of dough for the top crust. Brush the edges of the bottom crust with water or milk, and lay the top crust down, pressing the edges together to form a tight seal. Use your imagination to pierce or slice a design into the top of the pie to allow steam to escape. Bake for ten minutes at 425*F, then lower your oven heat to 350* and bake for another hour. Let the apple pie cool for a minimum of two hours before serving.
• Elegant Apple Pie Recipe Copyright M-J de Mesterton 2008

Copyright M-J de Mesterton

The Elegant Survival Microfiber Kitchen Towel

Elegant Survival Cotton-Trimmed Microfiber Towel

Bias-Tape for Elegant Survival Kitchen Towel

Trim your microfiber cloth with Wright’s Bias Tape as shown. Then, you can hang it wherever you need it in the kitchen. These micofiber cloths are easy to wash by hand in the sink and, wrung well they dry quickly.

Elegant Survival Presents: the Sonya Apple

Elegant Survival Favorite, the Sonya Apple

Photo Copyright M-J de Mesterton 2008

Read about the Sonya apple in Orange Pippin.