View from the Innside

happy holidays from the reindeer people

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy and Steve

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic bed & breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com

 

Apple and Green Chile Empanadas

Don't let a Spanish word intimidate you--"empanada" is just the word for "turnover."   There are several steps to this recipe, but they are SO good and very unusual.  These empanadas will be the talk of your brunch or party.  This is another great recipe from New Mexico Magazine.  For a printer-friendly pdf file, click here.

I can hardly wait to try the Red Chile and Goat Cheese Brownies!

Apple and Green Chile Empanadas

New Mexico Magazine, December 2010

Makes 12-16 empanadas

Cream Cheese Dough

1 c. butter, softened
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/8 tsp. salt
2 c. all-purpose flour

Cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy; add salt.  Combine flour with butter-and-cheese mixture until just blended together.  (Do not overwork dough.)  Form dough into a circle, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill at least 1 hour.

Apple and green chile filling 

3 medium-size apples
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. honey
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 c. pecans, lightly toasted and chopped
1 1/2 c. green chile, peeled, seeded, drained, diced (add more green chile to taste) (if you need to use canned green chile, this is about 3 4-ounce cans)

Peel, core and dice apples on small pieces.  Place in saucepan, add sugar and water.  Cook over medium heat until water has evaporated and apples are cooked but still hold their shape.  Add honey and cinnamon, and cook until mixture has thickened (it should be sticky and hold together).  Stir in pecans and well-drained New Mexico green chile.  Place in bowl, cover, and chill.

To prepare empanadas:

1 egg
2 tsp. water
Cream Cheese Dough
Apple and green chile filling
2 oz. Cheddar cheese
turbinado (crystalline) sugar

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line sheet trays with parchment paper.  Beat egg with water. 

Divide dough into two equal pieces.  On lightly floured surface, roll one piece of dough into circle or rectangle 1/4 inch thick.  Cut in circles, using floured, 4-inch diameter round cookie cutter.  Gently remove excess dough.

Fill each circle with large teaspoon of filling and sprinkle with grated cheese.  Brush edge of dough with egg wash.  Gently fold circle in half, making sure filling is completely covered.  Place on parchment-lined sheet tray, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with turbinado sugar.  Bake 15-20 minutes. 

Cool 10 minutes and serve warm.  If not serving immediately, cool to room temperature and store in sealed container.

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic bed & breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com

 

 

Dreamcatcher Bed & Breakfast in Taos, New Mexico

Feeling the need to get out of town, we spent the night with our friends John and Prudence, owners of the Dreamcatcher Bed & Breakfast in Taos, New Mexico.  It's a lovely place tucked away in a neighborhood, yet only a 10-minute walk from the historic Taos plaza.  It's quiet here, with just the sounds of bird calls in the early morning.  Great coffee, a delicious breakfast and peaceful surroundings.  Who could want for more?

Taos is quite a bit cooler than Albuquerque, with the town at around 8,000 feet, nestled between the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Rio Grande River Gorge.  The scenery is breath-taking in any direction, and Taos is eager for ski season to be in full swing with the coming snows.  The town is dressed up for Christmas and chock full of history.

Last night we attended a great open house at La Posada de Taos, another B&B very close to the plaza.  It was warm and cozy, complete with a cheerful fire in the living room, a huge Christmas tree in the dining room, and the food--holy Cow, the food...  I have no idea how they stay so slender.

The plan for today is to visit Taos Pueblo, maybe wander around the plaza area, enjoy a soak in the hot springs at Ojo Caliente, and end the day in Santa Fe at the Casa de la Cuma Bed & Breakfast.

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic Bed & Breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com

 

our new dining area at the Bottger Mansion Bed & Breakfast

Here it is!  Our new extension of the dining room is about 99% done, but certainly done enough to use it. All that remains is to clean and re-hang the blind in the window.  We put up a little Christmas tree on the far wall, but my vision for that space is to have a collage of Bottger family photographs.

Now we have tables for two for those times when guests don't really want to share a table, like the adorable young honeymoon couple who just stayed with us, or the guest on business who needs to review documents during breakfast before that 10 a.m. meeting.

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic bed & breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com

 

Authentic Delaware Chicken and Dumplings

I called my mother this morning to get her recipe for authentic Delaware Chicken and Dumplings (locally called "chicken and slicks").  Mom is from Georgia, so when she married my father and moved to Delaware, she had to learn to make chicken and dumplings like the locals do.  She learned from my Aunt Margaret, who was the best chicken and dumplings cook in the family.  

I had tried a recipe that called for dumplings made with biscuit dough dropped by spoonfuls on top, and I was disappointed by the results.  It was not my mother's chicken and dumplings (click here for the story of that experiment).  

I made them today, making careful notes as I went along.  They were delicious!  No biscuit dough balls or canned biscuits, no shortening or chicken bouillon cubes--these are as authentic as you can get.   Click here for a printer-friendly pdf page.

Authentic Delaware Chicken and Dumplings

from Sue Layton

Serves 4 (or maybe not!)

2 lb. chicken thighs, skin removed 
8 c. chicken broth 
3/4 tsp. salt
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced  

Place chicken thighs in a large Dutch oven and cover with chicken broth.  Add salt, onion and celery.  Bring to a boil, turn down to a moderate simmer and cook for about 60 minutes until meat is beginning to fall off the bone.  Remove chicken from broth and cool.  Remove broth from the heat and allow to cool just until lukewarm, about  an hour* (see below for quick-cooling method).  When chicken has cooled, remove meat from bones and set aside.

Dumplings

1 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt 
1/2 c. cooled broth (approx.)

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt.  Add broth and mix with a fork until it starts forming a ball.  The dough will be very soft and sticky.  Put all the remaining chicken broth back into the Dutch oven and bring to a low boil.

Have lots of flour handy.  On a large flat countertop, sprinkle flour very liberally and dust a rolling pin with flour.  Put lots of flour on your hands and take the dumpling dough out of the bowl.  You’ll need to keep putting flour on your hands and patting the dough ball to keep it from sticking to your hands.  Place the dough ball on the counter and start rolling it out from top to bottom and side to side.  After a couple of rolls, pick up the edges and shove more flour underneath (lots of flour is fine).  Keep rolling out the dough until it is very, very thin (Aunt Margaret used to say “until you can read a newspaper through it”).  Cut the dough into about 3” squares (I use the blunt edge of a dough scraper to keep from scoring my countertop).  Pick up about 3-4 dumplings at a time and gently drop them one at a time into the simmering broth, keeping them flat.  As you add the dumplings, keep pressing them down into the broth with a wooden spoon or spatula to immerse them in the broth.  Stir a bit to keep the dumplings from sticking together.  Continue with all the remaining dumpling squares.  Once all the dumplings are in the broth, add the chicken meat back to the dumpling mixture and stir gently.  Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and cook, covered, for about 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes.  The dumplings will want to stick to the bottom of the pot.  As they cook, the dumplings will expand and absorb the broth.  Most of the liquid should be gone.  

Authentic Delaware chicken and dumplings (locally called “chicken and slicks”) have a gravy-like consistency.  This is not a soup or a stew with the dumplings floating on top.

*  This can take a big part of the afternoon to make, which may be why it’s usually served for Sunday dinner.  It’s usually cooling the broth that holds you up, so if you want to get it done sooner, you can pour the broth into several large baking sheets with a rim (jelly roll pans).  The large surface area will make it cool rapidly.

I'm having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic Bed & Breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
(800) 758-3639
www.bottger.com

 

 

New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 18--stay 2 nights and save $30

Congratulations to the BYU Cougars and the UTEP Miners! We look forward to seeing both teams play in the New Mexico Bowl on December 18th!

SPECIAL OFFER:  Stay 2 nights at the Bottger Mansion Bed & Breakfast and save $30.  

Use promotion code 22NMB10.  Call 800-758-3639 to make a reservation or click here to book online.

 

 

 

I'm having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic Bed & Breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104
(800) 75803639
www.bottger.com

 

Tomato-Orange Soup

We lived in Portland, Oregon, for 15 years, and Elephants Delicatessen was one of our favorite places.  Their Tomato-Orange Soup is incredible, and I was delighted when the Oregonian published the recipe.  Now that we live far away from Elephants, we can still enjoy this great soup.  The recipe was requested by the ladies who joined us for our holiday high tea today.

Tomato-Orange Soup

Elephants Delicatessen, Portland, Oregon

1/2 c. unsalted butter
1/2 medium onion, diced
(2) 14 1/2-oz. cans unsalted diced tomatoes (see note)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 c. fresh orange juice
1/2 c. whipping cream

In a saucepan, melt butter; add onion and sauté until translucent.  Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, baking soda and thyme.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered about 15 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Puree in a food processor or blender; strain through a sieve or food mill.

Return to saucepan and stir in orange juice and cream.  Bring to a simmer and adjust seasonings if necessary.  Serve hot.

Note:  S&W makes unsalted diced tomatoes.  If not available, substitute regular canned diced tomatoes and omit or reduce salt, depending on your taste.

I'm having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic Bed & Breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
(800) 758-3639
www.bottger.com

 

 

Blueberry French Toast Casserole

We're always looking for new recipes, and this one is a favorite at the Bottger Mansion Bed & Breakfast.  

This is an easy recipe, great for Christmas breakfast or brunch with friends, leaving you plenty of time to share coffee and enjoy conversation while it finishes baking.  Just a few minutes to slice and plate it and you're done!  Click here for a one-page print version.

Blueberry French Toast Casserole

adapted from a recipe from Donna Sparks at the Granite Steps B&B

14 oz. milk
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
7 large eggs
16 oz. loaf French bread, cut into 1” cubes
3 oz. cream cheese, cut into 1/2” cubes
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.  Place milk, sugar, vanilla, salt, syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and eggs in a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer until smooth.  Add bread cubes and stir with a spoon until coated.  Pour bread mixture into pan.  Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Heat oven to 400F.  Top bread mixture evenly with cream cheese, blueberries and pecans.  Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Cut into servings.  Dust with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup. 

Note:  don’t be too generous with the blueberries—they release moisture while baking and too many will make the center soggy.

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic Bed & Breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com