Still Upper Crust

George Hirsch November 7, 2025

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Mac-n-cheese was considered to be upper crust until the end of the nineteenth century. Believe it or not, Thomas Jefferson served mac-n-cheese at a White House dinner in 1802. I am sure his Mac was made from scratch and not the out-of-the-box version.

I encourage you to make your own. It is easy to do and can be made ahead. It's one of those dishes that pleases children of all ages. It is a fine dish to put on the menu for numerous occasions, from backyard BBQs to state dinners at the White House. Today, I encouraged a family member to serve it at their formal wedding during the reception. It happens to be the bride and groom’s favorite one-pot dish. Just use fresh ingredients, like good cheese, and you can't go wrong. Why not? It was good enough for President Jefferson!

A crowd pleasing favorite served with Oven Fried Chicken, WATCH TV SEGMENT — *A crowd pleasing favorite served with* **Oven Fried Chicken,** **WATCH TV SEGMENT**

Put your own spin on this one-pot dish by adding a variety of ingredients, such as:

Vegetables: peas, broccoli, or mushrooms, cauliflower

Meats: prosciutto, smoked baked ham, or pulled pork

Seafood: crab, lobster, or shrimp

For my Mac-N-Cheese Recipe.

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Spring Crisp

George Hirsch November 3, 2025

Rhubarb Crisp is also known as an early spring tart. Rhubarb, known as the pie plant, is a tart vegetable used to make tasty desserts + sauces, which happens to be rich in vitamins and minerals. Rhubarb is also a sign of spring, being one of the earlier-harvested vegetables of the season in the Northern Hemisphere. This is good news - happy Spring!

Rhubarb Crisp (*see seasonal options below)

Makes 4-6 servings

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4-6 cups rhubarb stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

juice from one orange

1 Tablespoon orange zest, finely grated

1 cup Turbino sugar (sugar in the raw)

3/4 cup flour

Cover rhubarb with half of the sugar (1/2 cup), orange juice, and zests. Marinate for 1 hour. Mix the remaining sugar and flour and combine with the marinated rhubarb. Grease a 9-inch ovenproof casserole or several small individual ramekins; add the marinated rhubarb and sugar-flour mixture to the greased baking dish.

See Below For the topping:

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon.

3/4 cup rolled oats (not instant oatmeal)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

Mix flour, butter, and ground cinnamon until it makes a smooth pastry dough. Add oatmeal and brown sugar, crumble together, and place on top of the marinated rhubarb in the baking dish.

Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until the top is light brown and the top is crisp, and the rhubarb is tender. Serve warm with coffee ice cream.

Tip:

*Substitute Rhubarb in fall, winter, or summer with apples, pears, peaches, plums, or berries with the rhubarb for seasonal dessert variations.

Mix in a handful of pecans or walnuts for a crunchy addition.

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Hot Apple Tart as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

George Hirsch November 1, 2025

The original legend tells that an apple tarte was made upside down by mistake—and so, I call it a confused apple pie. And the tart is still a tart with or without the e. Believe it or not, tarte tatin is easier to make than apple pie and could even have higher appeal because it’s served warm. So put your best pastry move on and make it for your guests for dessert; they’ll love the show!

Tarte Tatin aka Apple Tart

Makes six servings

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2 large green apples, peeled, cut into quarters, remove the core and cut into 1/2-inch slices

1/2 stick of sweet butter

1/4-1/2 cup pure cane granulated sugar depends on the tartness of the apples

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spread room temperature butter in the bottom of a nine-inch nonstick ovenproof sauté pan. Sprinkle sugar completely over the bottom of the pan. Arrange apple slices on top of the sugar. Cover apples with puff pastry dough, but do not stretch the dough. Press the dough lightly around the inside rim of the pan. Cutaway corners of excess dough, so puff pastry fits into the round sauté pan. With the tip of a knife, poke three to four tiny holes in the dough.

On the stovetop, begin to cook the tart on high heat until the dough begins to bubble. This will take about 3-4 minutes. By cooking on the stovetop, you are browning the sugars and apples. If the dough bubbles up too high, gently pierce the dough with the tip of a knife to allow excess steam to escape. Once the tart has been cooked on the stovetop, place it in the oven for ten to twelve minutes or until the pastry is light brown and fully baked.

Remove the tart from the oven and allow it to set for about thirty seconds. CAREFULLY place a large serving platter inverted over the tart. With a towel holding the hot pan and another hand on top of the inverted platter, turn the platter right side up and unmold the tart from the sauté pan.

Top with powdered sugar. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream or ice cream.

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Crock of Beer Chili

George Hirsch October 31, 2025

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Rise early, fire up that cooktop, and start chopping. Those flavors will come together deliciously on a cold day. This recipe calls for one bottle of IPA beer; by all means, use your favorite microbrew. I always advise cooking with only what you would drink!

This hearty recipe showcases aromatic spices that blend beautifully to create a robust flavor. You can easily substitute turkey or pork for beef, depending on your preference. If you're looking for a delicious vegetarian option, simply replace the meat with eggplant, butternut squash, yams, and extra onion for a satisfying meal.

IPA Chili

Makes 6- 8 servings

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2 pounds sirloin or chuck - cut into 1/2 inch pieces or a ground beef combo

4 slices maple-cured bacon, chopped

10 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup sweet onion, chopped

4 scallions, chopped

2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

1 fresh serrano chili pepper, chopped

1 Tablespoon each: cumin, oregano, basil, and thyme

1 teaspoon cinnamon

12 ounces of good IPA

2 cups canned plum tomatoes with juice, chopped

1 Tablespoon cider vinegar

1 16-ounce can of red beans, rinsed and drained

2 Tablespoons cilantro

Preheat a large soup pot over medium-high heat.

Add bacon and allow the bacon to get a light golden color. Add garlic, onion, olive oil, scallions, jalapenos, serrano, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beef and cook until it becomes lightly browned. Drain off any excess fat—season with cumin, oregano, basil, hot pepper flakes, and cinnamon.

Add beer and reduce liquid for one minute, add tomatoes and vinegar.

Lower temperature to a gentle simmer. Stir, cover pot, and cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add beans and cook for 30 minutes or until the meat is tender.

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Cane Charred Shrimp

George Hirsch October 27, 2025

Want a quick and easy recipe? Better yet, and mouth-watering delicious? Of course, you do. Shrimp is easy and fast to prepare, and as always, I constantly repeat a crowd pleaser as either an appetizer or the center of the plate. The only tip of caution is, do not overcook the shrimp! It cooks fast, within minutes.

This particular Cane Charred Shrimp Recipe has been in my back pocket, so to speak, for years. It's been on my restaurant menus, in my cookbooks, and I've even prepared it many times for dinner parties.. A classic. Why? Because of all the wonderful comments of those who have enjoyed it!

CANE CHARRED SHRIMP
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Makes 4 appetizer portions, or two dinner portions

1 pound large (26-30 size) shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 rosemary or wooden skewers
Thread shrimp onto the end of each rosemary skewer.

Step 1- Shrimp marinade:
1Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
2 teaspoons soy sauce
3 Tablespoons Ketchup
1 head caramelized garlic
2 Tablespoons green onion, chopped
Juice one lemon
1/4cup olive oil
1 teaspoon each thyme, basil, oregano, paprika, hot pepper flakes

Step 2- For cooking the shrimp:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 sweet white onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. Cane or corn syrup

In a medium bowl, combine all marinade ingredients. Pour over skewered shrimp. Marinate for 10 minutes.

Preheat a cast-iron or heavy-duty sauté pan. Drizzle olive oil into a hot pan, and add marinated shrimp. Add ginger, red pepper, and onion, and cook for one minute on high heat. Turn shrimp and pour marinade over shrimp. Drizzle corn syrup over shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes or until shrimp are cooked. Be careful not to overcook shrimp.

Serve shrimp warm or chilled on small plates, and pour sauce over the shrimp.

NOTE: Serve cucumber slices with shrimp as a refreshing accompaniment.