Cinnamon Applesauce

Making applesauce is a great way to spend a fall afternoon, and if you make it before Thanksgiving, it's a great gift for your guests.

It is basically making the very simple sauce, and preserving it in jars. Once made, it can be sealed and stored in jars in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The applesauce is great for using as filling in pies and tarts, and can be served as a side with pork and ham.

Cinnamon Applesauce - Ingredients

• 16 unpeeled red-skinned apples, such as MacIntosh or Rome Beauty (cored and quartered)
  
• 1 1/4 quarter cups fresh lemon juice (about 8 lemons)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 4-inch cinnamon sticks, broken in half
• 2 cups water

Method

1. Put the apples in a large, heavy saucepan.
2. Sprinkle them with lemon juice and toss thoroughly to coat.
3. Add the sugar, cinnamon sticks, and water. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to medium-low.
4. Cover the pot and let simmer until the apples break down to applesauce, 30 - 40 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat, uncover, and let the apples cool slightly in the pot.
6. Discard the cinnamon sticks.
7. Using a rubber scraper, gently push the apples through a coarse-mesh sieve or food mill. Discard the peels.
8. Return the applesauce to the pt, and heat until it begins to bubble. Transfer to hot, sterilized jars.
   
9. Seal and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Add Fall to Your Kitchen

There are many ways to change the look of your kitchen to go with the season without breaking the bank. The start of Fall heralds Halloween, and then the holiday season is in full swing.

Simple additions can completely change the look of a kitchen, dining room or living room.

As many people now entertain in their kitchen / dining area, Gourmet Fusion's range of Fall Dish Towels, such as the Pumpkin Towels and Fruit Towels shown here, are both functional and decorative.

They come in a set of two, are fully machine washable, and made of 100% Egyptian cotton.



Other eye catching additions are our Acorn Plaid Oven Mitt, Pot Holder and Apron, all by Design Imports India which coordinate beautifully with our Placemats and Napkins.

Pear Season

Although pears are available all year round, they are a fruit that ripens and is collected in the autumn months, and they conjure up all the colors of the season. Now is the time to use them liberally in mouthwatering desserts, serve them sliced with tangy cheese following a meal, or munch on them as a healthy snack.

There are many varieties of pear available (see some varieties below), but whichever type you choose always select smooth fruit that is free from cuts or bruises. Pears ripen off the tree and are ready to eat when the flesh near the stem has some give. If you store them in a fruit bowl at room temperature, they make an elegant, fall decoration, but they can also be stored in the crisper of the refrigerator until ripe. Pears can be poached, baked or roasted in both sweet and savory dishes, and simply sliced in salads.

A few of the most common pears:

Bartlett
The Bartlett is the most commonly grown pear in the US. This pear comes in green flesh and red flesh variety. The fully ripe Bartlett may be yellow, but the Red Bartlett pear develops its red skin prior to being fully ripe. As with the Anjou pear, it can be either red or yellow, or a mixture of both. It is very versatile, and is good in salads, or baked in desserts.

Williams
This green-skinned versatile pear is great for poaching, baking or in salads. Ideal for crumbles, cakes and tarts.

Sensation
Often known as Red Sensation, as when they ripen they become a deep crimson color. This medium sized pear has a buttery texture that is ideal for desserts and fruit salads.

Red Anjou
This red, medium-sized pear has a white, fine-textured flesh. This is a great pear to use in salads, and goes especially well with walnuts.

Corella
These small green and red pears have a mild flavor and are good to eat alone, and hold their shape well when roasted.

Bosc
This is a medium to large brown pear, and is sweet and juicy. It is one of the best all-round pears for cooking and holds up well when poached, pan-fried or baked. It has a cream colored flesh, and slightly grainy texture.

Comice
This large roundish pear has a green-yellow skin, with red blush. It has a fine textured, juicy flesh making it perfect in desserts and great on its own.

Pears can be poached, baked or roasted, or added to salads or tarts. Below is a super simple recipe for Baked Pear Custards that turns an everyday meal into something special. This recipe was featured in the Donna Hay magazine.


Baked Pear Custards (serves 4)
Ingredients

• 2 cups pouring cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/3 cup caster (extra fine) sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pear, thinly sliced
• freshly grated nutmeg for sprinkling

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.
   
2. Place the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to the boil.
3. Place the eggs, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and whisk until well combined.
4. Gradually add the hot cream mixture, whisking well to combine.
5. Pour into 4 x 1 1/2 cup-capacity ovenproof dishes and top with pear slices.
6. Place on a baking tray and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until just set.
7. Sprinkle with nutmeg to serve.
   

Gourmet Fusion's Fall Affair at Leaping Lotus

Believe it or not, the seasons have changed, and it's time once more for a late night shopping extravaganza at the Leaping Lotus on Cedros, Solana Beach.

The Fall event is taking place on Thursday, September 18th between 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. So why not spend the evening with Leaping Lotus and the Gourmet Fusion store, and celebrate the New Season?

This special shopping event will include live music by "The Hager Rivera Project" a soulful, jazz duo, raffle drawings all evening, the ever popular fashion show with the latest looks for Fall, together with refreshments, and special sales throughout the store.

Gourmet Fusion has many sale items, including teapots, travel tumblers, salt and pepper mills, and Cattitude.

There will also be samplings of some of our new chocolate chip cookies, tea infused cookies and chocolate covered coffee beans (Zozo Beans) from Torn Ranch.

If you have not visited Leaping Lotus before, now is a great time to do so. Many other merchants on Cedros are also taking part in this late night shopping event.

Leaping Lotus is located in the heart of the Cedros Design District, in Solana Beach, California. 21,000 square feet, with over 100 merchants and literally millions of unique items and gifts to choose from. Come see us at 240 South Cedros Ave - Solana Beach,CA 92075 858.720.8283.

New Fall Travel Tumblers at Gourmet Fusion

With the end of summer just around the corner, and back to school on everyone's mind, we are starting to bring in the first of our fall products.

These versatile travel tumblers available online at the Gourmet Fusion store are ideal for taking your favorite drink to work, college, or school - a must for anyone on the go.

The tumbler has a stainless steel lining and black plastic push on open/close sip lid, and is designed to keep your drinks hot or cold for an extended period of time.

They feature a 16-ounce capacity, a durable translucent plastic and stainless steel outer case, stainless steel lining, non-slip rubber pad at base, and are even top-rack dishwasher safe!

This stylish, modern travel tumbler / mug would make a sleek and sophisticated addition to your travel wardrobe.

The travel tumbler shown above is in a copper color, and is also available in clear, blue, charcoal and green for $11.99. Currently available online only, they will be available in the Solana Beach store later this month.

I-Pots

Now that the weather is starting to really feel like fall - even here in Southern California - the idea of making a hot drink at the end of a long day sounds like a great idea. With that in mind, the Gourmet Fusion store is introducing several new lines, including the I-pot range of teapots, shown here in the 17 ounce size.

I-Pot which stands for Infuser Pot, is a range of teapots that have a sleek modern design, yet the curved shape is slightly retro. They come in a host of colors ranging from subtle blues and greens, bright primaries of red, yellow and blue, and classic black and white. We are currently stocking the 17 ounce and 24 ounce size in both our online store and the Solana Beach store.

The brightly colored ceramic pot is lead free, and is dishwasher and microwave safe. The double walled stainless steel infuser that sits inside, and the flip top stainless steel lid are both removable for easy cleaning. The infuser is a large enough size to be ideal for use with both tea bags and loose leaf tea. These colorful pots are great for livening up a gloomy, rainy day in any kitchen, and make wonderful gifts!

Apple Pie

Now that fall is here, everyone's thoughts are turning to the coming holidays, cozy days spent lazing in front of a fireplace, spending time with family and friends and trying to keep out of the cold!

Growing up in England, as I did, meant that you generally ate whatever was in season, and right about now were the "late" fruits such as as damsons, plums, gooseberries and, of course, apples.

Cooking apples were bought at the market as they were cheap and nearly always available and with them you could make apple pie, apple crumble, apple upside-down pudding or just plain old baked apples! So it's not surprising that as soon as fall arrives, my thoughts turn to baking apple pie. The recipe below for Old English apple pie, with its filling of apple, dried fruit and spices makes the pastry "from scratch" which is more usual in England, but you can substitute your favorite pie crust mix if you prefer.

Ingredients for the Pastry

• 8 oz (2 cups) all purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons caster sugar
• 4 oz (1/2 cup) butter
• 2-3 tablespoons cold water
  

Ingredients for the Filling

• 1 1/2 lbs cooking apples, peeled cored and sliced (firm apples such as Pippin, Rome Beauty and Granny Smith)
• 4 tablespoons dried sultanas or raisins
• 6 oz (2/3 cup) light brown sugar
• Finely grated rind and juice of half a lemon
  

To Finish

• milk
• caster sugar
  

Method

1. To prepare the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, then stir in the sugar. Add the butter in pieces and rub into the flour with the fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs (you can use a food processor for this, if you prefer). Stir in enough cold water to hold the mixture together, then form into a smooth ball. Wrap in foil or greaseproof paper and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Divide the dough in two and roll out one half on a floured board to a circle to fit the base of an 8-inch pie dish.
3. Put the apples in a mixing bowl, then stir in the remaining filling ingredients. Spoon into the dough-lined pie dish. Roll out the remaining dough to a circle for the lid. Lay over the filling, pressing down and sealing the edge with water. Flute the edge with your fingers or crimp with the prongs of a fork. Brush with a little milk and dredge with caster sugar. Make a slit in the center of the pie for the steam to escape.
4. Bake on a baking sheet in the center of a fairly hot oven (400 degF) for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to moderate (350 degF) and continue baking for 20 minutes.
5. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
   

In England apple pie is usually served with custard sauce, or sweetened whipped cream. I have never seen the custard sauce in America, but it is usually made with a vanilla flavored powder (Bird's Custard Powder) to which hot milk and sugar are added and it makes a thick, yellow sauce which is delicious!

If you want to be really authentic and try this it can be purchased online at www.ukgoods.com.

A tangy cheddar cheese is also good with apple pie, and the two are often served together in England.