Boston Cream Pie

As any New Englander knows, Boston Cream Pie is actually a delicious cake. Here is how I make mine. Parts of this recipe come from About.com: Boston.

Bake a Hot Milk Sponge Cake in a 9-inch round pan. Remove from pan and cool. 

Split horizontally into two layers. 

Place the bottom layer on a serving plate. Spread with custard (below) or with vanilla pudding. Place the top layer over the filling. You may need to use some toothpicks to keep the top layer from sliding around. 

Glaze the top of the cake with chocolate glaze, below. Let a little drip down the sides. Chill before slicing. 

Custard:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup milk
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Combine the cornstarch, sugar, milk, eggs, cream, vanilla extract, and salt in a saucepan. Whisk until smooth.

Bring the custard to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly. Continuing to whisk, let the custard boil for two minutes.

Remove from heat, and whisk in the butter. Set custard aside to cool, continuing to whisk occasionally.

Glaze:

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

In a double boiler, melt together the chocolate, water, butter, corn syrup, and salt, stirring until smooth. Remove top of double boiler from heat.

Corn Chowder

5 slices of bacon

1 medium onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings

2 cups cooked or canned whole kernel corn

1 cup diced cooked potatoes

2 - 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 tsp. salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon, pour off fat, returning 3 tablespoons to pan. Add onion, cooking and stirring until lightly browned. Add remaining ingredients, reserving one slice of cooked bacon. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer for a minute or two. 

Crumble bacon over each serving. 

Note: You can also add a can of cream of mushroom soup (undiluted), if you wish.

Red Flannel Hash

This should really be called New England Boiled Dinner, Day 2. Use the leftovers from your corned beef and hash, and boil up some beets, and you are in business. As kids, we never touched beets, except for when they were in this dish. Perhaps it was the name, but we just loved it. 

1 1/2 c. chopped cooked corned beef
1 1/2 c. chopped boiled potatoes
1 1/2 c. boiled & chopped beets
1 sm. minced onion
1/2 c. milk
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp. butter

Mix all ingredients except butter. Melt butter in a large skillet and add mixture. Cook over medium heat until a slightly brown and crisp crust has formed. Flip the "pancake" and cook until the other side is crusty.

The original version of this recipe from Cooks.com included some Worcestershire sauce and a dash of cloves. That doesn't sound like what my mom did, but you can do what you like. 

New England Boiled Dinner

That's wear, not dirt. New England style: Use it up, wear it out...

This dish is also known as Corned Beef 'n Cabbage. The day after this supper you always have Red Flannel Hash, which is made from the leftovers. Always. Just as New England is a traditional place, so are its people traditional, no matter where they go. 

My mother made this dish for us in Marin County, California, when we were growing up. No matter where we were, we never stopped being New Englanders.

3 lb. corned beef
1 tsp. peppercorn or 1/4 tsp. pepper
6 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
6 potatoes, peeled and quartered
6 carrots, halved lengthwise
1 med. head cabbage, cut into 6 wedges

In large saucepan, cover corned beef with water. Add peppercorns, cloves, and bay leaf. Cover; simmer 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until tender. Add potatoes and carrots. Cover; simmer 15 minutes longer. Add cabbage and cook an additional 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf. Cut meat into pieces. Serve with cooking liquid and vegetables. 6 to 8 servings.

This version comes from Cooks.com. I don't believe my mother ever wrote hers down.