A Dutch Baby for Shrove Tuesday

During this past winter I have been revisiting some of my older recipes, and one thing I have been yearning for is a German Pancake aka Dutch Baby. And what better day to make a pancake than Shrove Tuesday?

Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, the end of Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday). It ushers in the season of Lent, the forty days of fast, abstinence, and penance leading to Easter Sunday. Traditionally on Shrove Tuesday pancakes were made to use up the fat, eggs, sugar and flour whose consumption was limited during Lent.

For chef Andrew Carmellini's Dutch Baby, the batter is mixed then set into the refrigerator overnight.

The next morning all you need to do is heat a hot skillet in a 400 degree oven, pour in the batter and wait for the eggy goodness to puff up on the sides.

 Pull it out of the oven and squirt with lemon and sprinkle with powdered sugar.   The flat bottom lends itself to being filled with cooked apples or fresh berries, or some jam for an alternative. You are good to go.

California Here He Comes

Did I tell you that our son is moving to California?  Did I tell you that he is our only child?  Did I tell you that California is 3,000 miles away?  And did I tell you that we will miss him?

For a farewell dinner, of sorts, I made one of his favorite fall meals--Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage. This is a hearty and delicious meal--and a little goes a long way.

I followed the pasta with a riff on this salad by New York chef, Andrew Carmellini.  A lovely mixture of baby arugula, Granny Smith apples, raisins, fennel and celery; this citrusy salad proved to be a nice counterpoint to the richness of the pasta.

You  certainly don't need a farewell to serve this dinner.  Give it a try!


The pasta recipe is my rendition of one by Rachel Ray.  Oh please, don't judge me!


Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage
Serves 6-8

2 tablespoons, extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
4 to 6 sage leaves cut into chiffonade
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon  ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked al dente
Parmigiano cheese for grating

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add sausage and saute until brown.  Remove and drain sausage on paper towels.  Drain fat from skillet and return pan to stove.  Add remaining oil then the onion and garlic, and saute 3 to 5 minutes until onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage and wine to pan.  Raise heat and reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes.  Add chicken broth and pumpkin and stir to combine. Stir sauce until it comes to a boil.  Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream.  Season sauce with cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Simmer mixture 5-10 minutes until sauce thickens.

Remove bay leaf from sauce and add drained pasta; toss over low heat until pasta is coated. Top pasta with grated Parmigiano cheese and garnish with sage leaves.