Techno Granny Borrowed Famous Chef Recipe for Thanksgiving

Okay we are back to grandmothers, even Techno Granny cook, and she does, and also passes on her favorite recipes. Okay, haven't tried this one yet but I have eaten the pumpkin soup and know someone who makes the boreks every Thanksgiving although she doesn't call them that. So this is on the menu as an appetizer for Thanksgiving dinner. I have been the designated turkey cooker ever since my mother's demise because I made the mistake of cooking a "fresh" unfrozen turkey. So this year along with the turkey I am bringing:

Roasted pumpkin soup with apple and smoked bacon boreks (savory pastries), a recipe recently published in Reuter's. Chatting with chef Lynn CrawfordCanadian chef Lynn Crawford is the only female executive chef at Four Seasons worldwide, and was the first female contestant from Canada on the program "Iron Chef America."

By the way, these articles come to me by e-mail once or twice a week in an e-mail entitled NAWBO Smart Brief which I use as my personal "reader service."

If it is good enough for a female Iron Chef and Four Seasons clientele, I figured the La Monica clan would like it also.


Roasted pumpkin soup with apple and smoked bacon boreks (savory pastries)
Roasted pumpkin soup -- Serves 4
4 cups roasted pumpkin
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon cumin, toasted
1 tablespoon mustard seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons dill, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot over medium heat add the olive oil, butter and onions. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the spices and garlic and continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin and stock and bring to a boil. Simmer the soup for 30 minutes then blend well. Stir in the honey and season. In a small bowl combine the yogurt with the chopped dill and season. Pour soup into a bowl and top with yogurt.
Apple and smoked bacon boreks
1/2 pound bacon, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
2 cups apples, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup leeks, finely diced
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/2 pound phyllo dough
1/4 pound butter, melted
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375. In a saute pan over medium high heat, add the bacon and cook until golden brown and crisp. Drain off excess fat. Add the leeks and cook until soft. Add the apples, honey and parsley and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove mixture from heat to cool. Unfold the phyllo and place one sheet on the counter. Brush lightly with the melted butter. Top with another sheet of phyllo and brush with melted butter. Repeat until there is 4 layers of dough. Cut the dough into 2 inch strips. Place one teaspoon of apple filling onto the bottom of each strip of dough. Fold into triangle shapes ensuring that all of the filling stays inside of the folds. Continue to make boreks until all the mixture has been used. Place the boreks on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

I will let you know post Thanksgiving how everyone liked the pumpkin soup and savory pastry. Sounds yummy, doesn't it?