An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

September is coming to a close and it's prime time for apple picking. Now one you've picked baskets and bags full of apples what to create is the next task. While apple pie is a great tradition (and I've even made a great no sugar option for diabetics) it's fun to get a little creative with desserts.

Last year for the holidays I made two of my now favorite apple desserts (don't worry they are quite easy to make) an Apple Crostata (think apple tart) and a Caramel Apple Bread Pudding. Both recipes I found online, along with a slew of other recipes but these were both unique and easy to reproduce. In addition to these fabulous desserts I made candy apples for Halloween and boy were they yummy, this year I'm trying chocolate covered apples (stay tuned for that update!)


But I ask why stop at dessert one of my favorite sandwiches has apples! Nothing beats a turkey, apple and brie sandwich... panini at that. And there are so many yummy salad ideas available that also include apples.

So I hope you've all been inspired to good apple picking and create something new and fabulous (more than just an apple pie) and if you need some suggestions click on the links to my favorite recipes or be daring and try the one below I know I'll be trying it soon!

Apple Zeppole with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

20 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 large apple, peeled and grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 stick butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Olive oil for frying

Directions

In a medium saucepan combine the butter, salt, sugar, and water over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Take pan off the heat and stir in the flour. Return the pan to medium heat and stir continuously until mixture forms a ball, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the flour mixture to a medium bowl. Using an electric hand mixer on low speed, add eggs, one at a time, incorporating each egg completely before adding the next. Beat until smooth. Add the grated apple and stir to combine. If not frying immediately, cover with plastic wrap and reserve in the refrigerator.

Combine the whipping cream, 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, and cinnamon in a

medium bowl. Whip until medium soft peaks form. Transfer the whipping cream to a serving dish.

Meanwhile, pour enough oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 325 degrees F.

Using a small ice-cream scooper or 2 small spoons, carefully drop about a rounded tablespoon of the dough into the hot olive oil. Turn the zeppole once or twice, and cook until golden and puffed up, about 4 minutes. Fry the zeppole in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Drain on paper towels. Transfer the zeppole to a serving dish and sprinkle with powdered sugar using a small sieve. Serve with the cinnamon whipped cream alongside for dipping.

Midtown Lunch Specialty Event-Famous Chefs!

To all my friends working in the Midtown this week, this week your lunch can be something new and exciting. This week (Sept 21-15) the Bon Appétit Supper Club and Café bring big-name chefs from all over the city and country to Midtown, where they’ll cook around the “Grown in Manhattan" theme.

So for a week take a break from the stale salad and sandwich routine, there's something exiciting happening over 57th and 6th

Check the full lineup of chefs (and who’ll be cooking on what day) at basupperclubandcafe.com, and come hungry. A lil perk is the recipes section on the site.

Dining Etiquette

After a long break from writing I'm back with some much needed advice. After recent events and displays of poor table manners I thought it would be great to give some tips, we could all use a reminder of what to do when dining in public. Some of these rules vary depending on if you are dining at a restaurant or at a dinner party but most are pretty standard and apply to any situation. Also this isn't only a lesson on what fork to use with a specific course but rather just basic table manners you should use at every meal.

When to start eating:

• At a dinner party... When your host or hostess picks up their fork to eat, then you may eat. Do not start before this unless the host or hostess insists that you start eating.
• At a restaurant... Wait until all are served before beginning to eat.

Using utensils and food order...

• Eat to your left, drink to your right. Any food dish to the left is yours, and any glass to the right is yours.
• Starting with the knife, fork, or spoon that is farthest from your plate, work your way in, using one utensil for each course. The salad fork is on your outermost left, followed by your dinner fork.
• Never let any utensils, once used, ever touch the table again.
• Pass food from the left to the right.
• Butter, spreads, or dips should be transferred from the serving dish to your plate before spreading or eating. Sometimes there will be butter pats on the plate already. If there aren't, then cut the butter with the the butter knife on the butter tray and bring the piece to your plate. Use the piece to butter your bread.

Common courtesy reminders...

• Do not blow your nose at the dinner table. Excuse yourself to visit the restroom. Wash your hands before returning to the dining room. If you cough, cover your mouth with your napkin to stop the spread of germs and muffle the noise. If your cough becomes unmanageable, excuse yourself to visit the restroom. Wash your hands before returning to the dining room.
• Pace yourself and take your time. Don't fill your mouth with too much food. Try to keep the same eating pace as your host, so you all finish at the same time
• Pick up a dish next to you and give yourself a serving. Even though it may be your favorite, take one serving, to help ensure that everyone gets some, then pass the dish to the right. It is polite to take a little bit of everything, even though it may be something you don't like
• If someone asks for something to be passed to her, only reach for it if you are the closest one to the item. In that case, take the one item and place it directly next to your neighbor.
• Don't stretch across the table crossing other guests to reach food, wine or condiments. Instead ask a guest sitting close to pass the item to you.
• If someone asks you to pass the salt, do it in the same manner as above, but pass both the salt and pepper (even if only one of the two was asked for)
• Make sure you keep your mouth closed when eating and do not talk with your mouth full. Swallow your food completely before you take a drink.
• Always sit straight up in your chair, never leaning backward nor forward. Never let your elbows touch the table (though you can put your hands on the table all you want). When eating, do not bring your face toward the plate, but bring the utensil up to you.
• Picking teeth (unless toothpicks are provided) or licking fingers are very unattractive!
• Loud eating noises such as slurping and burping are very impolite. The number one sin of dinner table etiquette
• Keep elbows off the table. Keep your left hand in your lap unless you are using it.

Hope everyone finds this useful and remember if you have a question or are confused think of what your mother told you.. she was/is always right!