How to make pumpkin pancakes

It's Pumpkin Season! From the book, "California Mission Recipes", written by Bess Anderson Cleveland, here is a historic California recipe for making pumpkin pancakes. The book refers to them as "Indian Pumpkin Cakes". Enjoy this easy to follow, fall season, tasty treat!

Ingredients:
-2 cups pumpkin
-2 cups yellow corn me
-1/4 cup butter






Instructions:
1. Stew 2 cups of pumpkin. Put the stewed pumpkin in a pan. Mash and drain it, then place it over medium hear. Stir until it starts to get dry.

2. Gradually add 2 cups yellow corn meal to the pumpkin. Constantly stir. Add 1/4 cup of butter and mix thoroughly to form dough; a little more corn meal may be added if necessary.

3. Shape round flat pancakes and bake over a high heat on a well-buttered or oiled hot pan for 5 minutes on each side. 
(Other option is to lay the cakes on a shallow pan and bake then in a oven for 10 minutes)

4. Add a little butter and sugar on top of the hot cakes and serve. Serves about 8 people.

Work Cited:

   Cleveland, Bess Anderson. California Mission Recipes. Rutland, VT: C.E. Tuttle, 1965. Print.

 

Shrimp Tostada Recipe

Looking for a quick and easy but delicious recipe?

Do you like shrimp? Do you like avocado? Do you like grapefruit? 

Shrimp avocado grapefruit tostada is easy to make. The variety of colors of the ingredients brings out a classy appetizer to impress your friends and guests. It’s such a simple recipe that you can even put your own spin on it and it will still taste amazing!

Ingredients:

Grapefruit

Avocado

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Fresh mint

Tostadas

Lime (or Lime Juice)

Shrimp

Feta cheese

1. Slice avocado into 5 pieces

2. Slice Grapefruit. Cut the top and the bottom part of the grapefruit first, then make it flat and cut all sides.

3. Slice lime. Slice and dice mint.

4. Sautee shrimp in oil, with salt & pepper in a hot pan for about 1 minute on each side.

5. On a tostada add few slices of avocado and grapefruit. Add lime juice, chopped mint, a little extra virgin olive oil, and grilled shrimp on top. Enjoy this delicious meal!

 We hope you are able to enjoy this quick dish. If you tried it out or have any questions please leave a comment below. 

Looking for one knife to slice all the ingredients you just used and more? Check out the sharpest knives in the world.

Hangover Cure, a real hangover remedy

Having a hangover? Here's a quick and easy cure! This is a recipe from the book, "From Fingers to Finger Bowls; a Sprightly History of California Cooking" by Helen Walker Linsenmeyer.

Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons of Flour

- 1 quart of milk

- salt

- 1.5 ounces of brandy

- nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Put 2 tablespoons of flour into a frying pan and cook until it is golden brown.

2. Add a quart of milk and stir thoroughly. Cook for a few minutes and add a little salt.

3. Put in about 1.5 ounces (a jigger) of brandy and let it cool down.

4. Add a little nutmeg seasoning, use a spoon to eat, and feel better! :)

What are some other hangover cures that you have tried or heard about? We would like to know! Please leave those hangover tips in the comments below.  

Work Cited:

Linsenmeyer, Helen Walker. From Fingers to Finger Bowls; a Sprightly History of California Cooking. San Diego, CA: Union-Tribune Pub., 1972. Print.

Bread Scoring Benefits, using the Alfi Bread Scorer

When baking bread, the benefits of using a bread scorer are simple but let’s first explain what a bread score is and why it is used. A bread score is a slit in the bread that releases steam from the dough. Artisan bakers make slashes in the dough so the bread rises evenly and properly in the oven. When the steam is released during the baking process the bread comes out looking great, and has the finest texture and taste.

You need the right tool that can score perfectly every time so you don’t waste time, dough and money. If you make a slit that’s too deep, then the bread will lose its shape. If you make a slit that’s too shallow, you will get bulges and blisters in the bread because steam was not released properly.

With the Alfi Bread Scorer you get the quality artisan type bread at home with a very efficient tool. In a traditional lame only the blade comes in contact with the dough, but with the Alfi Bread Scorer the handle will guide you and you get the perfect score without any training. It is a good size baking tool, easy to use and the actual blade is the correct size. Your scores in the dough will not be too deep nor too shallow. This baker’s tool is ergonomically designed to produce the perfect score, every time.  

If you have tried our bread scorer or having problems scoring bread, then please feel free to leave a comment below and tell us about your experience. 

You can also buy this tool here: http://www.alfi.com/bread_scorers_s/4.htm

How To Make Bruschetta - Simple Bruschetta Recipe

How To Make Bruschetta

Do you need a simple bruschetta recipe that’s refreshing, delicious and easy to make? Our easy to follow 4 step recipe can help you make this tasty dish in no time. Bruschetta is an Italian antipasto which means before the main course. This a great dish for appetizers, barbecues, casual lunches and even elegant dinners. Before you start you need a sharp knife, a bowl, and a spoon for mixing ingredients.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes

Fresh basil

Garlic

Extra virgin olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Ciabatta bread

Salt

Cracked Pepper

1. Slice bread into ¼ of an inch thick slices and toast the bread in the oven for a few minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Next you will dice some tomatoes. Thinly slice the garlic and basil. Place tomatoes, garlic and basil into a bowl.
3. Add into the bowl extra virgin olive oil, dashes of balsamic vinegar, a little salt and some fresh cracked pepper. (adjust seasoning to your liking)
4.  Mix ingredients, serve ingredients on toast and enjoy!

Depending on your serving size the amount of ingredients will vary. 

For the ideal knife that will cut bread, tomatoes, and garlic into perfect slices we recommend our very sharp, long lasting, made in USA Alfi knife. 

If you get a chance to try this out, please let us know how it turned out by leaving a comment below. Or if you have your own special bruschetta recipe we would like to hear about it!