Last night we made some onion rings with homemade ketchup--yum!

Here's the ketchup recipe that I tweaked from Cindy Pawlcyn's Appetizers:

2 cans of organic diced tomatoes
2 apples, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 large onions, chopped
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups high-quality cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
6 black peppercorns
6 allspice berries
6 cloves

Combine all ingredients in a large stainless steel pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 2 hours. Allow it to cool slightly and then puree in batches in a food processor (I used my mini food processor). Return to the heat to thicken further, stirring often. Strain in a chinoise and cool.

***The photos of the ketchup above are pre-chinoise; the ketchup is silky and smooth after passing through the fine mesh.

One of the very best things about living on the Lower East Side in Manhattan is the amount of fantastic family-owned eateries and specialty shops there are in the area. Russ and Daughters might be my favorite. This is the place to go for all the proper New York City Sunday brunch fixings: bagels, mounds of fresh cream cheese, lox, sable, freshly squeezed O.J., as well as tins of caviar, gourmet chocolates like fresh jelly rings and dark chocolate almond bark, gummy strawberry licorice from Australia and many other more traditional examples of Jewish cuisine.

After reading a rant in Bon Appetit Magazine about how irritating it is when you gift the host of a dinner party with a bottle of wine—and it ends up being enjoyed, not by the host, but by a belligerent fellow at the party who gulps it down with little regard to where or who it came from—nevertheless, it started me thinking about what else one might bring to such an affair.

Last night provided the opportunity as well as one answer. I decided that in this instance, picking up some organic, Irish-caught smoked salmon for our salmon fanatic friend and host, might be just the ticket. This worked out very nicely as the host didn’t feel the need to serve it until he was ready to enjoy his breakfast the next day.

PS:
Russ and Daughters also has a very well-written blog called "Lox Populi".

More wonderful gourmet shops are available here.

After marching home this evening after a long day of museum fare (more on that to come), through the blustery winds and the fierce cold, I started to dream about Pear Clafouti.

This little thought didn't just bubble up from the blue. We do have fresh Bartlett pears in the house--the first installment of our fruit of the month club. And we did recently purchase some Poire William with a possible clafouti in mind, so it was only natural after a day of adventure to want to settle home with a little pear custard.

Creamy and soft, delicate and smooth--clafouti is like a heavenly custard pancake.

Ina Garten's Pear Clafouti is outrageously good. It never fails me and it's A's new favorite dessert.

You will need:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons pear brandy (recommended: Poire William)
2 to 3 firm but ripe Bartlett pears
Confectioners' sugar
Creme fraiche

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter a 10 by 3 by 1 1⁄2-inch round baking dish and sprinkle the bottom and sides with 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar.

Beat the eggs and the 1⁄3 cup of granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. On low speed, mix in the flour, cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, and pear brandy. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel, quarter, core, and slice the pears. Arrange the slices in a single layer, slightly fanned out, in the baking dish. Pour the batter over the pears and bake until the top is golden brown and the custard is firm, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar, and creme fraiche.