Presidents' Day the Foodie Way

Apple Pandowdy | John Adams

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• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 4 lbs. apples
• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
• 3 tbsp. all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt (kosher)
• 1 lemon
• 1-1/2" piece of ginger
• 1 pkge frozen puff pastry (thaw by covering pastry sheet with plastic and leaving at room temperature for 30 min.)
• Granulated sugar (for sprinkling)
• 2 pts. vanilla ice cream

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Measure out butter and cook in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling often, until bubbling and golden (usually about 5 minutes). Set aside.
3. Peel apples. Hold them upright and slice down along core, working all the way around to remove big chunks. Cut lobes lengthwise into 1" pieces (irregular shapes are fine). Discard peel and cores. Transfer apples to a 3 qt. mixing bowl.
4. Measure out and add in brown sugar, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt to bowl with apples.
5. Grate zest of 1/2 lemon over apples. Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice from zested half over apples, catching any seeds. Using peeler, remove peel from ginger, then grate over apples.
6. Toss apple mixture until combined, then transfer to a shallow 3-qt. baking dish. Drizzle all but 2 tbsp. brown butter over apples.
7. Dust cutting board with a light coating of flour and unfold puff pastry on floured surface. Dust top with flour. Cut puff pastry into irregular 1" pieces (any shape is fine).
8. Arrange pieces of puff pastry over apples, overlapping but spreading to cover almost completely. Brush pastry with remaining brown butter. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
9. Bake pandowdy until pastry is puffed and golden around edges (25–30 minutes). Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake until juices are thick and bubbling and pastry is brown all over (30–35 minutes longer).
10. Using a spoon, press pastry down into warm juices (but don’t submerge); let cool slightly.
11. Serve pandowdy warm with ice cream.

Cornmeal Muffins | Calvin Coolidge

While we were unable to find the actual recipe the Coolidges' brought with them to the White House (they knew what they liked!), we are sure your customers will enjoy this muffin recipe from Genius Kitchen.

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Grease muffin pan.
3. Mix dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
4. In a separate bowl combine melted butter, egg and milk; mix well.
5. Add dry mix to wet mix and stir until just combined.
6. Scoop batter into muffin pan and bake for 15-20 minutes.
7. Serve hot.

Chicken Pot Pie | Warren G. Harding

Another family that brought their own recipe to the White House were the Hardings. Warren G. Harding loved chicken pot pie and, while once again we were unable to locate the original recipe, this dish is delectable in almost all of its incarnations (such as this recipe from Allrecipes).

Ingredients

• 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (cubed)
• 1 cup carrots (sliced)
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/2 cup celery (sliced)
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup onion (chopped)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. celery seed
• 1-3/4 cup chicken broth
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 9" pie crusts (unbaked)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick.
4. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough.
6. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly.
8. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Margarita Madness

National Margarita Day falls on February 22nd this year. Make sure you are prepared with 12 oz. margarita glasses and a two-speed commercial bar blender that was designed with a combination plunger/spatula for pushing ingredients into a continuous blend without coming into contact with the blades.

Prices accurate at time of publication.