Y’all thought I wasn’t going to make it!  Bunch of non believers!

I’m fascinated with the Food Network channel. FASCINATED I tell ya. (My husband is talking….looking straight ahead…and I have no idea who the hell he’s talking to…….I have earphones in.)  Back to Food Network.  As a foodie, I have long since said that if I ever make it to kitchen stadium on Iron Chef, I’m going after Cat Cora!  I can take her y’all.  I know I can.  Melette told me I didn’t have a chance because Cat is a G. Well I’ve done my research and Cat has the least amount of wins out of the regular bunch.

Look at that….56%!!!!  I got a 50/50 chance!  I’d go after Bobby Flay with his suspect record, but it would be my luck that the secret ingredient would be chilis….and my ass would be grass.  As Original Oldgirl LadyLee say…that sucka must grow chilis in his backyard!  But Cat?  I could catch Cat slipping.

Today’s test was to develop my own 5 course menu with a secret ingredient chosen by a random reader.  You probably say that’s not fair because the chefs don’t get time to prepare.  BULL! On Iron Chef America, both the challenger and the Iron Chef have 60 minutes to prepare a minimum of five dishes based on a theme ingredient. Just as with the original Iron Chef, the secret ingredient is not truly secret. Both the competitor and the Iron Chef are given a list of three to five ingredients before the battle, of which one will be the secret ingredient. The challenger chefs provide FN with a shopping list and can pretty much tell which ingredient has been chosen by the groceries available. After the secret ingredient is revealed, each chef has 5 minutes to meet with his team before they get started.

Today’s secret ingredient is…..PUMPKIN!
I almost cussed when I read that…..but I didn’t cause I got it!

So now America, with an open heart and an empty stomach, I say unto you in the words of my uncle: Allez cuisine!

First dish:
Corn tortillas & Pecan Pumpkin Salsa

Ingredients
2 to 3 cups
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds pumpkin, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 cup toasted pecans
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon New Mexican red chile powder
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons apple cider
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh sage, minced

Directions
Bring a large pot of water to boil, add sugar, salt, and pumpkin and cook until tender ( about 5 minutes). Drain in a colander and reserve. In a saucepan, add cranberries, maple syrup, chile powder and 1/4 cup of water, and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add this mixture to pumpkin with apple cider, vinegar and sage. Serve with freshly made tortilla strips.

Second dish:
Pumpkin fritters

A fritter is often seen as a dessert, but it can also serve as a good appetizer to transition into a meal.

Ingredients
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups vegetable oil for frying

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin, egg, flour, baking powder, curry powder, and salt. Mix until smooth.
Heat oil in a deep saucepan to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Drop batter by spoonfuls into hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, and serve immediately.

Third dish:
Thai Pumpkin Soup

An old favorite with a spicy twist….keeping in line with the spice that has been added all along.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 shallots, chopped
2 small fresh red chili peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped lemon grass
2 1/8 cups chicken stock
4 cups peeled and diced pumpkin
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 bunch fresh basil leaves

Directions
In a medium saucepan, heat oil and butter over low heat. Cook garlic, shallots, chilies, and lemongrass in oil until fragrant (be careful not to burn the garlic). Stir in chicken stock, coconut milk, and pumpkin; bring to a boil. Cook until pumpkin softens.
In a blender, blend the soup in batches to a smooth or slightly chunky consistency, whatever you prefer. Serve with basil leaves.

Fourth Dish:
Pumpkin Ravioli served with a spinach and cranberry and candied pecan salad.

Ingredients
10 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter
1 pound fresh pumpkin, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 bay leaf
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage, plus 6 small leaves for garnish
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
2 eggs, beaten
Salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1/2 recipe Spinach Pasta Dough or Regular Pasta Dough
1 egg, beaten lightly, for egg wash
Semolina
2 cups chicken stock or light duck stock
2 shallots, chopped

Directions
Heat a saute pan over low heat and add 4 tablespoons of the butter. When the butter is foamy, add the cubed pumpkin and cook, stirring often to stop it from sticking and burning, until it softens and falls into a puree.

Turn the pumpkin into a saucepan, add 1/2 of the cream and half the herbs and cook over a low heat for approximately 1 hour, or until the puree is thick and the liquid has evaporated. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching. Remove from the heat and beat in an additional 2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the beaten eggs, season, to taste, with salt and pepper and set a side to cool.

On a floured surface, roll out the pasta as thin as possible. Cut into 2 sheets and brush 1 of them with egg wash. Using a teaspoon, place 24 equal mounds of the pumpkin puree on the egg-washed dough, about 2 inches apart. Cover the mounded dough with the second sheet of pasta and press around the mounds of pumpkin to seal the dough.

Using a ravioli cutter or a sharp knife cut the ravioli. Dust a tray with semolina and place the ravioli on it.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, while you make the sauce.

Prepare the sauce: In a saucepan, reduce the stock with the shallots to 1/2 cup. Add the remaining cream and reduce by half. Over a low heat, whisk in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, a little at a time, over low heat. Strain the sauce into a clean saucepan and add the remaining sage and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the ravioli to the rapidly boiling water and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain. Add the ravioli to the sauce and bring just to a boil. Correct the seasonings.

Divide the ravioli among preheated soup dishes and spoon the sauce over them. Garnish each serving with a fresh sage leaf. Serve immediately.

A simple but delicious alternative sauce can be made from fresh unsalted butter, minced fresh sage, and a little freshly grated Parmesan.

Salad Ingredients
2 good size bundles of fresh spinach
1 pound of grated Swiss cheese
bag of dried cranberries
candied pecans
poppy-seed dressing

Poppy-Seed Dressing
1 1/4 tablespoons poppy seeds
3/4 cup of vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

Candied Pecans
6 tablespoons of light corn syrup
3 tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
2 1/2 cups of pecans

Directions
Spinach Salad:
I make each person’s salad individually rather than mix it all together. It’s one of those salads that you want to have a certain amount of each ingredient for it to be yummy. I serve the dressing on the side in a small jug. Put spinach on the plate, sprinkle grated cheese, then the dried cranberries, and finally the candied walnuts.

Poppy-Seed Dressing:
Mix everything together in the blender and serve. Dressing lasts up to 3 weeks in the fridge but I never have any left over!

Candied Pecans:
Preheat over to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine corn syrup, sugar, and salt. Add nuts and toss well to coat. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet that has been coated with cooking spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 5 minutes – just make sure they don’t burn. Immediately scoop nuts onto a sheet of foil. Spread nuts apart to cool thoroughly.

Fifth dish:

DESERT BABIES

Warm Pumpkin Cobbler with a Pecan Crunch

Ingredients
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup evaporated milk (fat free is ok)
3 cups cooked and mashed pumpkin (about 2 medium pie pumpkins OR 2-15 oz. cans of pumpkin)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, melted (no substitutes)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup pecans
caramel sauce, to drizzle over

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For pumpkin filling, combine eggs, evaporated milk, and pumpkin in a medium mixing bowl. Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. With rotary beater or wire whisk, beat lightly just until combined; set aside.
For cobbler, pour butter into a 3-quart rectangular baking dish (I just used a 9×13 glass pan), tilting dish to spread butter evenly. Combine 1 cup flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, 1 cup milk, vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small mixing bowl. Pour mixture over melted butter to make crust.
Spoon or slowly pour pumpkin filling mixture evenly over crust. Combine pecan crunch ingredients and sprinkle on top.
Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Serve warm. Drizzle a little caramel sauce on top.

BRING IT ON CAT!

Collectibles

Rare wines are often kept under lock and key, but if they’re not kept relatively cool too, they’re not worth safeguarding (heat destroys wine). Before spending $100 on a bottle, especially for an older vintage, touch it.  If it feels warm, it’s too warm.

Cool Whites

Most whine shops keep bottles of popular whites in a refrigerator.  Don’t feel limited by these choices: Many stores have a quick chiller (a swirling bath of ice water) that will cool down any white in about five minutes.  As a general rule, chill sparkling wines yourself; if theyv’e been in a fridge for a long time, they can lose their fizz.

Stand-up Wines

Bottles kept upright look good on shelves, but the corks can dry out over time. If a bottle is very dusty and stored standing up, avoid it.

Case Deals

Most wine stores offer a discount on wine purchased by the case – usually 10 percent, though it can sometimes run as high as 15. Often, different bottles can be combined to make a “mixed case” that will still qualify for the discount. Ask.

Owner’s Favorites

Substantial stock in a particular region or type of wine may indicate that the store’s owner or wine buyer has a particular love for those wines.  This means there may be great values or unusual and wonderful wines in that section.

Talking Tags

Stores highlight wines with “shelf talkers” that give critics’ scores or reviews. Glowing write-ups are often used year after year, though, so make sure the vintage in the review matches that of the wine on the shelf. Handwritten tags from the store’s staff are helpful; if you like the wine, you can get the additional recommendations from an actual person.

The Cheap Stuff

Jug and box wines aren’t meant for aging. If they’re covered with dust or the vintage isn’t the most recent one, it’s best to look for something else.