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Candied ginger is such a sweet yet potent flavor. I like to incorporate it in certain desserts to impart the bite and the aroma that only ginger can give. With an over abundance of pears on the market right now and the regular apple crisp stand by recipe to use, this fits the bill.

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 toasted, chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup chopped candied ginger
• 5 pears, cored and cut into chunks
• 3 apples – Granny Smith (for tart) or Golden Delicious (for sweeter)
• 1/3 cup of butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400˚. Peel, core and slice the apples into bite size pieces as well as the pears. Chop the candied ginger and set aside. In a frying pan toast the walnuts for a few minutes, do not burn. Coarsely chop and set aside. Place all of these ingredients in the same bowl and mix well to incorporate. Pour in a greased 13″ x 9″ baking pan.

In a mixing bowl beat the flour, sugar, egg, vanilla and baking soda until it becomes a crumbled mixture. Toss in the rolled oats and mix again loosely. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples and pears . Melt the butter, drizzle over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 40 minutes.

Tags: apple, candied ginger, pears
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This is great on barbecued chicken, Tandori chicken, a base for Indian flavored pizzas, whatever!

• 2 1/2 lbs Granny Smith apples
• 3 fresh jalapeno chilies
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups raisins
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh ground ginger
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds

Peel, core and slice apples about 1/4″ thick. This should come to about 8 cups total. Trim and discard the stems of the jalapenos and chop fine. I usually wear gloves with these as once I rubbed my eyes and that was a HUGE mistake. The oil from the peppers is a tough one on the eyes.

In a 8 qt sauce pan add the apples, peppers, vinegar, sugar, raisins, onion, ginger, garlic, curry powder and mustard seeds. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer, stirring the mixture occasionally for 1 1/2 hours until syrupy. Serve this warm or cool completely and store in an airtight container (I like glass) in the refrigerator.

Tags: apple, chutney, curry, mustard seed
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The smell of a good curry reminds me of an exotic place in time, although it is extremely multi-faceted in flavor, it is a fairly simple dish. The intensity of heat is much heavier in Indian curry as opposed to Chinese curry. Two of my favorite Indian restaurants in San Diego are Monsoon and Bombay, both own by the same proprietors, both exceptional in menu, flavor and decor. In this recipe I like the sweetness of the apple that offsets the curry spices.

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 1 cup basmatti rice
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 1 medium sized apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 2 tsp Indian curry powder
• salt to taste
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 3/4 cup thawed frozen peas

In a large frying pan melt half the butter. Add the chicken, rice, onion, garlic, apple, curry powder and salt. Cook this briefly, stirring and turning to lightly brown. Add the water and bay leaf. Bring this to a boil while stirring. Cover tightly, lower the heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add the peas and the remaining butter. Remove bay leaf and fluff with a fork to mix thoroughly.

Tags: apple, chicken, curry, peas
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This one brings back fond memories of times at my Grandmother’s house down in San Luis Obispo.

Back in the day when I was a kid on summer vacation we would head south and leave San Francisco. It was a sleepy town back then and I can remember “heading down to the creek” to venture and find frogs and when the McDonalds sign claimed to have served 3 then 4 then 6 then 12 “million” people. After a day at Avila or Pismo Beach we would pick up some salt water taffy and maybe a trip over  to CalPoly to see the pigs in their pens; it was big stuff for us city kids!

We would always come back to my Grandma’s house, a two story, completely modern house designed by my architect uncle and pick fresh lemons from her amazing back yard, squeeze them in a hand crank juicer and make lemonade. Then we would pick fresh apples and she would make apple crisp for dessert…. ah great memories!

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 8 apples – Granny Smith (for tart) or Golden Delicious (for sweeter)
• 1/3 cup of butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400˚. Peel, core and slice the apples into bite size pieces. Place in a greased 13″ x 9″ baking pan.

In a mixing bowl beat the flour, sugar, egg, vanilla and baking soda until it becomes a crumbled mixture. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples. Melt the butter, drizzle over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 40 minutes.

Tags: apple
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With an abundance of fresh fruit here in California were are blessed. I made this out of what was on hand I think the mixture is perfect. The strawberries and pear seem to melt and create a beautiful ruby sauce that adds to the baked apples. All this goodness in a crispy flaky crust. This is great the next day with a cup of coffee, too!

• 2 gala apples, cored and peeled
• 1 small basket of strawberries
• 1 pear
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 Pillsbury Pie Crust (to keep it simple, or make your own)

Preheat oven to 425˚.

Dice the fruit into small pieces, should be about 6 cups total. Place the fruit in a mixing bowl and add the flour, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Mix well.

Place one thawed pie crust into the bottom of an ungreased pie plate or stone. Press the crust firmly around the base and sides. Spoon pie filling into crust-lined plate. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places on top crust.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown. After 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning (if needed). Cool at least 1 hour before serving.

Tags: apple, pear, pie, strawberries
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