Celebrations.com Virtual Memorial Day Potluck

Pork boneless back ribs. Pork country style boneless ribs, too. Oh, and a fantastic velvety, savory (and a little sweet) Woodchuck Summer Cider Blueberry Barbecue Sauce. Yeah, you know you want to taste them! All juicy and tender. Yes, let’s dig in.

Memorial Day is right around the corner! Are you planning your menus? I can’t say that I am yet. I’m always a last minute person. But Celebrations.com is holding a Virtual Memorial Day Potluck with appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, cocktails/beverages and desserts--so I’m sure you’ll find something that you’ll like! If you haven’t checked out Celebrations yet, you should! They have everything you’d need to think about for any celebration that comes up.

My contribution to the potluck is ribs--two kinds. We have the petite boneless pork back ribs, and the hefty boneless country style pork ribs. They’re priced reasonably, and kids love them, too. No bones to mess with. These ribs and the sauce I made got thumbs up from all four of my kids. They even wanted seconds!

The barbecue sauce is made with my favorite hard cider, Woodchuck. I used the Summer Cider for this sauce, which has a balance of cider and blueberry in it, so pairing it with fresh blueberries was a natural progression. The Summer Cider is seasonal, so if you can’t find it, go ahead and use any of the other varieties. The berries will still go beautifully with any of them. Let’s get to the recipes.

All Purpose Grilling and Smoking Rub

Makes about 1/2 cup, maybe a bit more.

2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp Kosher salt
2 1/2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp thyme
3 tsp Chinese Five Spice
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix all ingredients in a small airtight container or zip top bag. Rub on pork, chicken or beef before grilling or smoking. (If you don’t have Chinese Five Spice, you can make your own: Combine equal parts Szechwan (or black) pepper, star anise (or anise), cinnamon, cloves, and fennel, all ground.)

To use on ribs, sprinkle some of the rub all over the ribs, and rub it in with your hands. Let the ribs sit with the rub on for a couple of hours or overnight. In the fridge!

Woodchuck Summer Cider Blueberry BBQ Sauce

Makes 3 cups. Set aside two hours total for simmering the sauce!

1 tbsp oil
4 shallots, finely minced (about 1/2 cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 (12 oz) Woodchuck Summer Ciders
2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen is ok, too)
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup rice vinegar (or cider vinegar)
2 1/2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp prepared horseradish
1 tbsp spicy mustard
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp cocoa
2 tsp chili powder (the seasoning blend, not plain ground chilies)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a medium sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until nice and soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute. Add the two bottles of cider and turn the heat up to high. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium high and simmer (a good bubbling action, but not a rolling boil) for about 25 minutes.

Add all remaining ingredients (blueberries through cinnamon). Stir well, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Keep it at a good simmer.

I don't have an immersion blender (I know! What am I waiting for?!) so I pureed the sauce in my blender. Do it in two batches. Hold a dish towel over the lid of the blender to catch any drips and also to hold the lid down. Puree half of the sauce for a few seconds until smooth, transfer to a bowl, and do the second half of the sauce, and add it to the already pureed sauce. It's really not as complicated as it may sound. Then again, if you have an immersion blender, it's even easier! Just get all the lumps out of the sauce--you want it velvety smooth.

Use immediately with your favorite grilled meats, or cool completely and store in the fridge.

• Don’t be scared by the ingredient list. It’s really very simple and comes together quickly.


• And homemade barbecue sauce? Hello! It’s fabulous. Your friends and family will all be impressed that you actually made it yourself, with no weird chemicals. This isn’t spicy, by the way. If you want, add some heat in whatever form you like.

To Cook The Ribs:

After you’ve rubbed the rub blend into the ribs and prepared the sauce, it’s time to cook.

We smoked the boneless back ribs for two hours total. They’re not very big, and rather small compared to the country style monster sized ribs! Cover with foil and set them aside while you wait for the other ribs to finish.

Smoke the larger country style ribs for 4-5 hours.

Get your grill ready--get the coals going and all that. When the coals ready to go, put all of the ribs on the grill and get some color and char on those babies. They don’t need much time, you’re just getting the flavor of the grill on them.

In the last few minutes, brush the barbecue sauce over the ribs, both sides. Use as much or as little as you like. We like a lot. When they’re done to your liking, remove from the grill and serve. You can serve some sauce on the side for dipping or drizzling over the top. We also do that.

Check out the other Virtual Potluck Dishes from the rest of the guests! And thank you to Celebrations.com for putting this party together!

Melissa at Celebrations: Buffalo Chicken Dip

Erin at Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts: Quinoa Salad with veggies and a lime, garlic cilantro dressing

Beth at Hungry Happenings: Patriotic Biscuits

Rowena at Aprons and Sneakers: Speck Skewers with Herb Mayonnaise and Grilled Mediterranean Aubergine Bundles with Provola

Katrina at In Katrina's Kitchen: Picnic Tablecloth Cookes

Tara at Smells Like Home: Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Curd Filling and Lemon Buttercream

Valerie at Une Gamine dans la Cuisine: White Chocolate Mint Cake

The Junk Yard Special (My New Favorite Sandwich)

What could be bad about about turkey, provolone, fresh mozzarella, and roasted peppers? Nothing! Add in the other savory ingredients, and you have a sandwich that will satisfy the toughest sandwich critics.

This sandwich has a list of ingredients that I probably wouldn’t have ever gotten around to putting together, so I’m thrilled that someone else already did. Sure, I love every ingredient here on it’s own, but I’m not living in a deli. I have everything listed here in my kitchen in regular rotation, but not always at the same time.

It’s no secret that I love the Food Network show “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” I mean--I love food, so in turn, I love hearing what other people are eating. I found these eggplant burgers from the show, and we just love those! We were watching a few weeks ago, and the episode was about delis. Adam Gertler was talking about the Junk Yard Special from Sarcone’s Deli in Philadelphia. You can see Adam’s show clip right on the front page of their site.

I knew that I had to have that sandwich. It was one of those things that reaches out and grabs you by the shirt and says “You. Want. Me.” I do, I do!

So! Couldn’t be any simpler. I bought some nice deli rolls and toasted them first. Did you hear Adam take that bite of his sandwich? It crackled. I needed to have that crackle, too. (By the way, as I write this, all I can think about is having one of these. Hungry!)

Junk Yard Special

Amounts are up to you. How many sandwiches are you making? You don't need a ton of each thing in one sandwich--a couple slices of meat and cheese per roll, etc. If you're making a lot, buy 2 bags of spinach since it really cooks down.

Sandwich rolls
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Sliced deli turkey
Thinly sliced Prosciutto
1 (7-8 oz) bag fresh baby spinach
Roasted Peppers with Garlic (jarred or fresh)
Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
Provolone Cheese, sliced
Fresh basil leaves, stacked up, rolled, and sliced across to form ribbons or strips
Dried basil
Dried oregano

Start by lightly sautéing the spinach. Heat a skillet over medium low heat. Add the spinach and a small amount of water--a couple tablespoons or so, and a touch of salt and pepper. Keep moving the spinach around until it's wilted and softened. Remove from the pan and place it in a strainer to let any extra water drain. Set aside to cool.

Heat oven to 350 degrees to toast the rolls. If they're not sliced, slice them almost through, leaving them attached at the bottom, then place them in the oven for about 5 minutes. Set aside.

When your rolls are ready to go, you can make your sandwiches. Start by drizzling the inside of each roll with oil and vinegar. Layer the remaining ingredients in this order:

Sliced turkey
Prosciutto (I like to cut up the prosciutto, since it has a habit of coming out of a sandwich in one piece when you bite it.)
Sautéed spinach (Just give it a bit of a squeeze over a paper towel so it's not too wet.)
Roasted peppers
Fresh Mozzarella slices
Sliced Provolone
Fresh basil strips
Dried basil and oregano

That's it--dig in and pig out. Oink!

• These sandwiches have a wonderful balance of flavors. I can’t imagine them without the red wine vinegar, for instance. The peppers just belong in there. The cool, fresh mozzarella hits your tongue and is then followed by the sharpness of the provolone and the smokiness of the prosciutto. You can adjust these any way you like, but they’re perfect as is, I think.
• That said, they are versatile. Don’t like turkey? Try ham. I couldn’t find any roasted peppers at Trader Joe’s (weird), so I picked up a roasted pepper and eggplant garlic spread.
• Vegetarian? Leave the meat out. The rest of the ingredients are full of flavor so you won’t miss it.
• Want more of something or less of something? Up to  you--adjust to your liking.
• Hot summer evenings on the horizon? Don’t cook--make these sandwiches!

Le Creuset Pie Baker’s Set-Mother's Day Giveaway

Who doesn’t love pie? Today, I have for one of you, a chance to win a pie baking set from Le Creuset. The baker’s set includes: 1 (large) pie dish, 1 pie bird, 1 oven mitt and a French Trivet all in Cherry. And I’m here to tell you, it’s gorgeous! The pie bird--adorable.

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The giveaway is now closed. Winner is #56, Schmidty. Congrats! Thank you to everyone that entered! 

If you'd like to purchase your very own Pie Baker's Set, you can do so here at Le Creuset. Get FREE SHIPPING from May 14th, 2012 (9:00 AM) - May 20, 2012 (11:59 PM). The coupon code is PIE4.

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I don’t bake pies very often, but this pie dish may have changed my mind. It’s heavy duty, large (10 inch), and absolutely beautiful. Anyone could forgive a train wreck of a pie if it was served up in this cherry colored dish. When I say “train wreck of a pie,” I’m referring to my pie making skills.

I decided to tackle the classic apple pie to give this a go. It came out beautifully!

I just love Le Creuset. I have several pieces in my kitchen and they get used all the time. Seriously, all the time! You won’t be disappointed in this set!

What will you get? All in “Cherry” and all from Le Creuset.

• One (10 inch) pie dish.
• One sweet little pie bird. You can see how to use him in the above photos. Doesn’t he look like he’s singing to you?
• One oven mitt.
• One French Trivet.

And to sweeten the deal, I’m personally throwing in a copy of the brand new cookbook, Pie it Forward, by Gesine Bullock-Prado. I’ll ship that out separately.

The Rules. There’s only one, but it’s a must:

Go to LeCreuset.com and sign up on that page. It’s simple, and in doing so, you’ll be the first to know about new items, colors and exclusive deals. After signing up, come back and leave a comment on this post letting me know you did.

Additional Entries, and these are completely optional:

1. Tweet about this giveaway: "Win a #LeCreuset Pie Baker's Set from @LeCreuset  at @elleskitchen , plus a copy of Pie it Forward, from @gesinebp ! #giveaway"  Come back and leave an additional comment telling me you tweeted.
2. Share this giveaway on Facebook. Come back and leave an additional comment.
3. Stumble this page with a thumbs up and you’ll get one more comment. Be sure to let me know that you did!
4. Follow @LeCreuset on Twitter, and you guessed it--leave an additional comment here.
5. Like Le Creuset on Facebook and leave a comment here.

That gives you SIX ways to enter! Be sure to leave a valid email address so I can contact you. The winner will be chosen randomly on Friday, May 11th, and will have two days to respond before I choose another winner. Open to US residents only.

Disclaimer: Sponsored by Le Creuset. I was given one of the baker’s sets to review, at no charge.

Creamy Mushroom Rigatoni

I know it’s supposed to be getting warmer--it’s already May! But here in NH, it’s been very cool and overcast (and a bit rainy) for the last couple of weeks. As per usual--plus, we need the rain. I’m not complaining! I like it when we have actual Spring-like weather when we’re supposed to. It’s no fun having a super hot Spring leading right into a hot summer. As a result of this cool, damp weather, I’m still craving comfort food.

This Creamy Mushroom Rigatoni is pure comfort food. It’s creamy, of course, but it’s also homey, stick to your ribs food. I’ve hardly ever met a pasta dish that I didn’t like. This one is no exception. It came about when I was talking to Billy about making Mushroom Bourguignon. He was wondering if the mushrooms would be good in some creamy sauce over pasta. I said “Hell yes, of course they would be!”

While talking to my good friend Shaye a while back, she mentioned that she was making the Bourguignon, and she wanted to eat all of the mushrooms after sautéing them with the cognac. In my version, I’d left out the Cognac, simply because I didn’t have any on hand. Since it was obviously so good, I decided I had to give it a go. (If you’d like to add the cognac to the Bourguignon, add it after you sauté the mushrooms for the 10 minutes, and let it simmer for a few minutes before removing them from the pan.) Shaye was right! It’s worth getting the cognac to add. In this recipe I’m giving you today, I see no reason why you couldn’t use white wine instead, and if you wish, leave out the alcohol entirely.

Creamy Mushroom Rigatoni

Serves 4

2 tbsp or so of olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 shallots, finely diced (about 3 tbsp)
20 oz sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms
10 oz sliced white mushrooms
3 tbsp Cognac (use white wine if you wish, or leave the alcohol out entirely)
1/2 salt and 1/2 pepper
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp dried thyme (if using fresh, use about 1 1/2 tsp)
1 cup chicken broth (or use vegetable broth and make it 100% vegetarian)
1 cup half and half
Small handful of fresh parsley
1 pound rigatoni (or your favorite pasta) cooked

Start the water for boiling the pasta.

In a large pan, heat the oil and butter over medium-medium high heat. When the butter has melted, add the shallots and mushrooms. Sauté for about 10 minutes or until the liquid has mostly evaporated. If you find that the mushrooms are getting too dark too quickly, turn the pan down to medium heat.

Add the Cognac and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the salt and pepper to the pan and sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms. Stir well to coat the mushrooms. Add the thyme. (If you're using fresh thyme, add it more towards the end, say when you add the half and half.)

When the pasta water is boiling, cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Deglaze the pan by adding the broth of your choice, and scraping up the bits on the bottom of the pan with your spoon or spatula. Turn heat to low-ish and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the half and half, get it at a good bubbling simmer and let it go until thickened and somewhat reduced, about 10 minutes, stirring often. (It should be the consistency of a cream soup when it’s done.)

Stir in the parsley, and then add the cooked noodles to the pan and stir to coat. Spoon into bowls and serve. This is good with some fresh parm grated over the top, too.

• The quantities on the mushrooms aren’t set in stone, those are just the sizes of the containers at Trader Joe’s. Use what you’ve got, even a bit more or less, if necessary.
• Silly of me, but I can't remember if I used garlic in here or not. I'm guessing I did--I usually do. If you want to, add 3-4  minced cloves of garlic along with the shallots and mushrooms.

Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake Ice Cream

Scoopapalooza! It’s all about ice cream. Made with local ingredients, if we can swing it!

This one has local rhubarb and strawberries. Let’s face it, they’re the first dessert-type local ingredients we get here in NH every Spring. It’s still chilly here, folks--not too many choices yet. I made a Strawberry Rhubarb ice cream a couple years back, but I wanted to make another. That one was based on a simmered fruit sauce.

Something different. What to do?

“Elle, you could roast the rhubarb and berries first.” My brain seemed to say.

Oh yes! I’ve seen this before. So I roasted them with orange zest and juice, vanilla, and brown sugar. It makes the kitchen smell so pretty when they’re roasting, too! So that was the fruit component in this ice cream.

A good start, but I needed more. Cheesecake? Oh, cheesecake, I love you! Base ice cream: cheesecake.

Add ins? You guys know I love that good Ben & Jerry’s style of stuff-in-every-bite-of ice cream. Cheesecake has a crust, so that was a natural choice. Graham cracker crust, check. I love almond extract in all sorts of desserts and it just goes so well with strawberry and rhubarb, but I wanted chunks. I decided to go with my guilty pleasure, almond paste. Honestly. I can eat it right out of the tube. It’s too good! I have half a tube in the fridge right now. I could be eating it. I’ll refrain, otherwise I’ll get sidetracked.

This ice cream has everything I’d want in a cheesecake ice cream. It’s creamy, fruity, not too sweet--and it’s got chunks. Even the kids like it. Hey, it’s ice cream! They’re not crazy.

Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake Ice Cream

Makes 2 quarts.
Adapted from this recipe.

1 pound rhubarb, cut into 1-1 1/2 inch pieces
generous pound of strawberries, tops cut off and halved or quartered if large
zest of one orange
juice of 1/2 an orange
1 tsp vanilla extract (almond would be good here, too!)
3 tbsp brown sugar

16 oz cream cheese, at room temp
3/4 - 1 cup sugar, depending on how sweet your fruit is
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cups of the roasted fruit, mashed up
2 cups half and half
3/4 cups graham cracker crust crumbs, either a homemade crust or store bought (see note below)
3/4 cups almond paste, cut into a small dice

Start by roasting the fruit. Heat the oven to 350. On a large baking sheet with sides, mix the rhubarb, berries, zest and juice, vanilla and brown sugar. Toss it all together with your hands, and place it in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven, let it cool, and then put it in a container in the fridge to chill completely.

To make the ice cream: Set the graham cracker crust crumbs and the almond paste cubes in the freezer to chill.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, blend the cream cheese, sugar (start with the 3/4 cup and add more if it needs it), lemon juice, almond extract, chilled, mashed pureed fruit and the half and half.  Get it as smooth as you can, but don't worry if there are some small chunks of cream cheese left.

This makes a bit more than will fit into my ice cream maker, but I managed to squeeze in 3 1/2 cups of the mixture. There was a little left over that you can do what you want with. Like slurp it up with a spoon.

Freeze according to your ice cream maker's directions. In the last few minutes of freezing time, add the graham cracker crust crumbs and almond paste cubes. Finish the freezing process and place it in the freezer to harden up.

• This is a creamy ice cream, but like so many homemade (and premium) ice creams, it'll benefit from a few minutes on the counter before you scoop it. Or a few seconds in the microwave, like in my photos. I gave the container about 40-50 seconds in the microwave and it was perfect for scooping.
• The leftover roasted fruit makes a great ice cream topping, by the way. How about over your morning oatmeal? With yogurt! It’s also good eaten straight from the container.
• I made the crust on the side of the graham cracker crumbs box. Use your fave.