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I'm interested in humor contests, the Washington Redskins, the Boston Red Sox, the Washington Nationals, University of New Hampshire hockey and football, and Ohio State University football and hockey -- and, of course, moose.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Tourtière Recipes From Manchester, NH

From the Facebook page, "Things I remember growing up in Manchester, NH"

Brian Parent
Yesterday at 13:33
ok here goes another question.....Trying to make a French pork pie, or at least pork spread...does anyone have the definitive recipe and the proper way to cook one? I tried, but came out only fair. My grandmother made a great one, but never knew how she made it, because of the language barrier. Now she is gone and so is her recipe.

Susan Lamontagne Lawrence
So easy to make. I bet you'll get some recipes here.
· Yesterday at 13:35

Lisa Hughes
I would also love the recipe
· Yesterday at 13:37

Brian Parent
I boil pork and hamburger- equal amounts...drain it, then add some seasonings allspice, salt , pepper, then finely chop some onion, and add some stiff mashed potatoes to the meat.. I mix it up in a blender, then put it into a pie shell....still comes out so so. what am I missing?
· Yesterday at 13:40

Gi Trottier
How about Gorton???? delicious!!!
· Yesterday at 13:41

Brian Parent
yes that is what I am trying to make
· Yesterday at 13:42

Diane Auger Cotter
My Mom used to add Nutmeg to it .... other than that, seems you have all of the right ingredients.
· 1 · Yesterday at 13:42

Bruce Alter
http://hilahcooking.com/tourtiere/
· More · Yesterday at 13:43

Louise Laferriere
Go to the files tab above and search pork pie, recipe is there from my grandmother, also use as Gorton. Maybe you have to search gorton, can't remember how I filed it. Enjoy
· Yesterday at 13:43

Michael J Halle
Both of those are my favorites. My mom made the best. I think mybrother, Steven K. Halle, might have the recipe. I will check.
· 1 · Yesterday at 13:47

Darlene Boucher Friedman
There as many versions as there are French Canadian families. Ever family has its own version. Nutmeg? Ewwww. Our's featured poultry seasoning and ground pork. No hamburg or potatoes. I can share if it sounds your families version
· 1 · Yesterday at 13:50

Wayne Sargent
I use equal mixtures of ground pork and lean ground beef. Add a diced onion to the meat while cooking, season with salt and pepper. Then add milk and instant mashed potatoes to a desired consistency. Sprinkle with ground clove and mix in to your desired taste. Place in a pie crust and bake at 350 until golden brown.
Edited · · 1 · Yesterday at 13:51

Susanne Houle Raymond
Here's my recipe: 1lb Pork,1/2 lb hamburger,3 med. potatoes,1 onion (sm) chopped. Spices: Allspice, Poultry seasoning,ground cloves, dash cinnamon.(all spices should be to taste) Simmer meat. Drain liquid if too much is present filling will be runny.Mash potatoes and mix. Pour in pie crust. Top Pie with crust and brush with beaten egg wash. Bake 350 for 45 min.
· Yesterday at 13:51

Steven K. Halle
I do have the recipe.....same as Suzanne but I use boiled potatoes and not mashed
· 3 · Yesterday at 13:54

Susanne Houle Raymond
Gorton is same recipe, but if pork is too lean it will crumble. Found some good Gorton at Gosselin's on Sommerville and Belmont Sts.
· Yesterday at 13:54

Barbara Muntz-Bell
We make them every Christmas. Sully's used to carry them too.
· Yesterday at 13:56

Michael J Halle
Steven K. Halle, please send me the recipe.
· Yesterday at 13:57

Michael J Halle
· Yesterday at 13:57

Vanessa Batchelder
sounds perfect to me the only thing you're missing is the main ingredient"Bells seasoning"got a little Turkey on the front of it in a yellow box it's got all the different seasoning:-) use that with the original recipe and you're golden!
Edited · · 4 · Yesterday at 14:01

Irene Roberge Biron
Always made our pies 2 to one pork and hamburger used real cooked potatoe allspice cinnamon and clove salt and pepper all to taste
Edited · · 2 · Yesterday at 14:05

Michael Drapeau
Look at my last name, I know pork pie:
· 2 · Yesterday at 14:08

Gi Trottier
I am not French but my husband's family was so I'm just saying what they taught me. Brian- your recipe sounds just my m-inlaws recipe for stuffing the turkey[with the mashed potatoes]-she used Gorton in her pork pies -no potatoes-in the gorton she used cinnamon for the spice. She cooked it for hours and stirred it everytime she went by the stove.I guess it doesn't matter which recipe you use, they are all good.
· Yesterday at 14:09

Michael Drapeau
For your pork pie aka: Tourtière
2 (9 in) pie shells
2 pounds lean ground pork
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup mashed potatoes (make sure these are dry when in the pie or the pie will be soggy)
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg,
Some salt and pepper

1. Brown ground beef and ground pork over medium heat until thoroughly cooked. Drain off grease.
2. Mix together cooked meat, potatoes, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
3. Line a 9 inch pie dish with pastry. Spoon pork mixture into pie crust, and top with second pie crust. Brush top crust with egg white. Shield crust edges with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
4. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Remove foil for final 15 minutes of baking to brown edges.
Edited · · Yesterday at 14:15

Murielle Gosselin Bennett
Pork pie is not made the same way as gorton. I think most families had different recipes for making their pork pies. I have the butcher grind 2 lbs. of very lean (fat removed) pork (no beef hamburg), cook the meat in a large pan over medium-high heat until no longer pink, add two chopped onions and 2 cloves of minced garlic, season the mixture with salt, 1/4 t pepper, 1 t cinnamon, 1 t poultry seasoning, 1/4 t ground cloves. Cook about 10 minutes more (it should be light brown). I add 5 to 6 cups of coarsely mashed potatoes and mix well by hand. Taste and add more seasonings, if desired. Divide the seasoned pork and potato mixture into two 8 or 9" double-crust pans. Bake at 400 deg. F for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350 deg. F and bake for 40 minutes more. This recipe is as close as I've come to my mother's pork pies.
· 2 · Yesterday at 14:19

Vanessa Batchelder
I'm sure they all taste really yummy but they all they need that one ingredient to make it perfect
· Yesterday at 14:24

Murielle Gosselin Bennett
Every pork pie I've had has had it's own unique taste. One of my sisters didn't use potatoes in her pies. I don't eat a lot of meat and find that the mashed potatoes bind the ingredients together so the slices don't fall apart. The seasonings make the pies, depending on how your mother or grandmother made them.
· 1 · Yesterday at 14:30

Elaine Tadiello
My pork pies sound yours Muriel...I make up to eight at a time!
· 1 · Yesterday at 14:33

Elaine Tadiello
Oops...Murielle!
· Yesterday at 14:33

Omer Beaudoin
My wife Dolly won the Betty Crocker cook off on her pork pie and crust but the recipe is a family secret.
· 1 · Yesterday at 14:37

Elaine Kastrinos
gorton and pork pie are different-gorton is made with pork butt,the fat is crucial for gorton-1 lb. pork not too lean-1 onion,diced very fine ,1/4tsp. ground cloves,1/4tsp. cinnamon,1/4tsp. allspice-cover with cold water-heat on low until all water absorbed-while still warm,put through food processor(that way you don't have to grind the meat twice in the old days)-pork pie has 2lbs lean pork,onion,1 tsp poultry seasoning,1tsp, allspice,2 small mashed potaotes(or instant) plus 1 egg-my family made this stuff all the time and we still all do-never-ever use beef,not the same at all,precook the pork and seosonings before putting in aunbaked shells
· 2 · Yesterday at 14:40

Beverly Y. Loranger
Brian here is the pork pie recipe I have used for the last 60 years. I am not French,but my wonderful mother in law was from Canada and a great cook and she taught me how to make pork pies. My kids grew up on them and still love them until this day. I always made them at Christmas time.
I always do 3 parts pork to 1 part hamburg I would get fresh ground pork butts from a local corner store market not at the Supermarket. Mix meat and onions together in a pot then cook over medium heat (NO WATER OR GREASE) you have to stand there and stir constantly until the grease from the meat starts to show and still keep stirring NO BOILING add cinnamon, clove, salt and pepper to taste. Stir constantly until it loses its color and that takes about a half hour. I toast several slices of bread and roll them out and as it is cooling after you remove from the stove I add the bread crumbs (today they sell bread crumbs so you can just add those I suppose--this is an old recipe LOL) You don't want to add to many as you don't want it to dry so go accordingly
· Yesterday at 14:41

Beverly Y. Loranger
Sorry about that I hit he wrong key when the meat is cool put into pie shells and bake until crust is brown. The pans I use are real old and not glass so when the pies come out of the oven I slide them out of those pans onto brown paper (brown bags from the supermarket) and let all the grease be absorbed onto the paper and then I wrap them in tin foil and when they are cool enough I put them in the freezer and take them out when I want to reheat them for a meal. I know the secret to all this is having those "just right" pie plates, but I think you can still buy something close to them. I NEVER put potatoes in mine as my mother in law never did either, but a lot of my friends that made them did use potatoes. Good luck and let me know how you make out.
· Yesterday at 14:48

Marilyn Wallace Martin
Poultry seasoning is what my mom used, too. I still make these for New Years Day. Also mix the sauteed pork and onion mixture with a can of chicken and rice soup. That takes care of the poultry seasoning.
· Yesterday at 14:50

Beverly Y. Loranger
Brian, I forget to say that I use this same recipe for my meat stuffing!!!!
· Yesterday at 14:58

Denise Skovira
Remember as you season to "taste" the flavor will get a little stronger as it bakes......miss my pork pie.....you could go to Chez Vachon and have a piece....
· Yesterday at 15:01

Susan Lamontagne Lawrence
You boil the meat? First time I've ever heard that. I've always cooked it in a pan, but not equal amounts, 2 lbs pork to 1 lb beef, with small pieces of onions, and then add small pieces of cubed potatoes as the meat is almost cooked, salt, pepper and cloves and nutmeg. I don't use a blender, just a masher to break up the pieces of potatoes. Put in the pie crust and bake.
Edited · · 1 · Yesterday at 15:08

Sheila Kelley
Sully's make a great Groton.
· Yesterday at 15:08

Steven K. Halle
My recipe also calls for boiling the meat, onions and potatoes together
· Yesterday at 15:13

Elaine Kastrinos
Bell seasoning for sure-my niece sends it to me from Manchester-no other poultry seasoning is it-and Sully's always had a great gorton--are they still open?
· Yesterday at 15:31

Brian Parent
wow!...thank you all for these wonderful family recipes.........now to try some!!!!!
· 1 · Yesterday at 15:36

Susan Lamontagne Lawrence
I do cook mine in a pot, but I've never added water. Once the meat starts to cook, there's enough liquid for the potatoes to cook.
· Yesterday at 15:37

Jan Letourneau Chalifoux
google it!!!
· Yesterday at 16:00

Josanne Hebert
Sorry can't help you.
· Yesterday at 16:04

Jesse Garland
Family secret
· Yesterday at 16:26

Lisa Long Bunker
I make pork pie every year for Thanksgiving. It's simple really. Just buy about a pound of pork & potatoes and brown seasoned (optional) pork; drain. Mash about 2 cups of potatoes and mix with the pork. Spread over 9in. pie crust and pinch the second crust over the mixture. Bake at 350 degrees
· Yesterday at 16:32

Michelle Luster
need to add Royal lunch. crackers to alter a mixture
· Yesterday at 16:32

Lisa Long Bunker
P.S. Compliments from my Memere'..
· Yesterday at 16:33

Douglas Warren
I know my mother wasn't your grandmother, But her pork pie did not have a definitive recipe either. My wife with great difficulty, guessing as best she could what a pinch of this and a smidge of that equated to in 1/8ths or 1/4s of teaspoonfuls makes a pie that is so similar to Moms that my sisters and our daughter all use it. I know one of Mom's secrets was to cut the ground pork, with ground beef,
· Yesterday at 16:34

Judy Osgood-Smith
Doug, was your mom's name Ann?
· Yesterday at 18:32

Diane Campeau
I have moms recipes for both if interested. You have to remember everyone made them differently.
· Yesterday at 18:37

Debra Bridget Breton
I got my recipe from watching my grandmother and getting the ingredients from her. One day I want to try it with potatoes. She didn't use them in hers. She cooked the meat slowly in a tiny bit of water on the stove. Now I want to make one!
· Yesterday at 18:48

Susanne Houle Raymond
Forgot to mention adding a little water in with the meat and onions, Brian Parent.
· 1 · Yesterday at 19:07

Ellen J. Healy
YES! I have my husband's Memere's recipe (remember -- I am Greek!) -- the best! Here it is:
1. Sauté 1 large, chopped onion in butter (I use a deep pan)
2. Add 3/4 lb hamburg and 1/2 lb ground pork
3. Mix and cook until meat is browned
4. Boil 4 large potatoes
5. Mash potatoes, leaving a little of the water
6. Add potatoes to hamburg mixture
7. Add a little boiling water and cook down
8. Season with salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg (a lot of cinnamon!)
Note: this makes a good filling for a pork pie, or a spread for sandwiches (with mustard) or on toast!
Enjoy!
· 2 · Yesterday at 19:11

Ann-Marie Legendre
Gorton and pork pie pretty much have the same incredients, just different. I make both.
· Yesterday at 19:20

Susanne Houle Raymond
Brian Parent no potatoes in Gorton.
· Yesterday at 19:22

Ann-Marie Legendre
Right Susanne, white bread, but no potatoes!!!
· Yesterday at 19:23

Ann-Marie Legendre
Gorton strictly ground pork, stuffing 1/2 ground pork, 1/2 ground beef. Old recipe is 1/3, ground port, 1/3 ground beef and 1/3 ground venison!!
· Yesterday at 19:25

Elaine Kastrinos
New England food is still the best,nobody out here knows how to make good beans or chowder and forget about good hot dogs
· Yesterday at 19:26

Ann-Marie Legendre
Elaine - when I lived in San Diego, my mother would send me care packages, especially with "yellow" "sharp cheese", orange cheddar cheese was never an option for me
· Yesterday at 19:28

Susan Lamontagne Lawrence
I do too Susanne Houle Raymond.
· Yesterday at 19:43

Josanne Hebert
Bell seasoning great for stuffing and making meat balls
· Yesterday at 19:47

Josanne Hebert
I have mafe baked beans for almost 43 years. My husbands aunt madegreat pork pie. I am not into it so never got thhe receipe. Sorry i can't hekp with that
· Yesterday at 19:52

Josanne Hebert
I find everyone s their food a little different which is good so everybody adds a dash of this and a dash of that and that makes teceipes of pur family receipes so unique and not always written down. That is how i learned hhow to cook. That is how my son has learned to cook.its great
· Yesterday at 20:01

Simone Rivet
You can get the Canadien recipe on line~~~ and it's good~~~
· Yesterday at 20:03

Ellen J. Healy
Brian, I forgot a very important ingredient: ground clove! This is what I use a lot in the last step -- sorry! The clove really gives it a nice flavor!
· 1 · Yesterday at 20:12

Jan Arsenault
Yes, the little bit of clove is important! My family version from PEI uses shredded pork butt- NO ground- with the mashed potatoes. I never seem to see it with the shredded pork- it's yummy!
· Yesterday at 20:53

Wayne Vetrone
@Brian -- make a Sicilian pork pie. 1000x better.
· 11 hours ago

Rick Beauregard
There is a great cookbook from the French Canadian Genealogy society "Je me souviens la cuisine de la grandmere". Crepes, gorton, tortieres, it's all in there. Bon apetit!
· 1 · 8 hours ago

Billy Black
My mother has been making pork pies and gorton all my life and as everyone says their mom's has always been the best I must say I haven't found any that compares to my moms....seeing alot of great recipes but the one missing ingredient seems to be the Belles seasoning as mentioned earlier...for both my mother always boils the meat as well...Hopefully this is of some help
· 4 hours ago

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Friday, April 25, 2014

Take a Bite Out of This!

Tough day yesterday. I had a tooth yanked out, then replaced by an implant drilled into my upper jaw. It's still throbbing and aching. Poor me.

I was looking for a soft breakfast this morning. If I'd planned ahead, I'd have made rice porridge. Instead, I made my version of milk toast.

I broke up a leftover matzoh into a cereal bowl. I heated a cup of milk and plumped a half handful of raisins in it, then poured it over the matzoh. When the matzoh had softened substantially, I sprinkled a little cinnamon on top. Nice soft banana on the side.

Maybe someday I'll have a breakfast steak. Just not today.

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Friday, April 18, 2014

Our Crepe Experience

We spent the last full day of our recent cruise in Cannes and Antibes. We walked through the streets of Cannes, looking at the old city and the very fancy new shops. Perhaps our favorite stop was at this crepe stand by the boat harbor. My wife had a crepe made with lemon juice and sugar. I had one made with Grand Marnier and sugar. Life rarely gets better.


The crepe stand















The folks in front of us, ordering



















Making our crepes (the brown jar is Nutella)




















Anticipation



















Enjoyment



















Crepe magnifique

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Tuesday, April 01, 2014

A Proper Scone

This is a proper scone, not those 300-pound triangles with icing that are sold at Starbucks!

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