By Lenora Dannelke
Headshot by Adam Atkinson
Recipe Photos by Alison Conklin

When Carrie Havranek decided to tackle her first cookbook, her culinary chops were well suited to the task. The Easton-based food writer and editor had plenty of professional experience covering her favorite topic (food!) and she is quite adept in the kitchen.

Tasting Pennsylvania: Favorite Recipes from the Keystone State proved to be a multi-year journey that encompassed far more than just writing skills, from testing and adapting recipes to food styling and propping drool-worthy dishes for the photographer.

“It was ‘self-everything’ project,” she laughs, noting that the process was delayed near the end when she broke a finger. However, the efforts paid off when the book was tagged an Editor’s Pick on Amazon shortly after the August 2019 release. Following are a few behind-the-scenes glimpses of her experiences:

What was the spark that started this project?
It was a happy accident. I had been doing a lot of work in the region and was deeply involved in the Easton Farmers’ Market—that was part of my education—but I turned out to be a great candidate based on my experience. [Farcountry Press publishes a series of state-by-state regional specialties.]

How did you acquire the 108 recipes from chefs, bartenders, farmers, and others?
I was one or two degrees separated from many of the sources [in eastern Pennsylvania]. Everybody else I just contacted cold—and only one person turned me down!

What was the timeline like for testing and photographing the recipes?
I was testing them in batches—things that looked funky I would test ahead of time before making them to shoot. Sometimes I had to test a few times, and most recipes needed to be adapted. The recipes had to work, so I’d talk with the chefs and go back and forth with them to tweak or troubleshoot. [Note: Restaurant recipes can be challenging to “translate” into home cook-friendly formulas. Issues that arise may include accessing ingredients not readily available to non-pros or reducing enormous yields to family sizes.]

Fluffy Herb Biscuits

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 package (about 1 1/8 tsp.) active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup water, warm (100 to 110 degrees)
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 T sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 T chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 T chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 T butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand for 5 minutes.

Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, rosemary, and thyme in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the yeast liquid and then the buttermilk and stir just until moist. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured surface and knead lightly five times. Roll the dough to 1/2 inch thick and cut with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter. Place the biscuits on a greased baking sheet and freeze for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up slightly. Brush the melted butter over the biscuit tops. Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from the oven and transfer to wire racks to cool completely. The biscuits are best the day they are made but can be reheated gently or toasted for a day or two afterward.

Makes about 18 biscuits

Courtesy of Talula’s Table, Kennett Square
Chef-owner Aimee Olexy

Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, and Ginger Bisque

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/3 cup chopped onions
• 2 to 3 T butter or oil
• 4 cups deseeded, peeled, and chopped long neck squash [neck pumpkin]
• 2 cups peeled and chopped sweet potato
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/8 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 4 to 6 cups water or chicken stock, just enough to cover
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sour cream, sprinkled with cinnamon, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

In a large stockpot, sweat the onions with butter or oil until soft, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the squash and sweet potato, then the ginger, salt, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, nutmeg, and sage. Add enough liquid to barely cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to simmer until the vegetables are just soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Once the vegetables have softened, add the cream and gently heat. Purée the soup with an immersion blender (or pour into a blender and purée). If desired, strain through a sieve for a smoother soup.

Garnish with a dollop of the cinnamon-spiked sour cream and serve hot.

Serves 6 to 8

Courtesy of John J. Jeffries Restaurant, Lancaster
Chef-owner Michael F. Carson

Peanut Butter Buckeyes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 1 pound powdered sugar
• 6 oz. semi-sweet morsels
• 3 oz. bittersweet morsels
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 T canola oil

DIRECTIONS

Combine the butter and peanut butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together briefly to incorporate, just a few seconds. Slowly add the powdered sugar, mixing at low speed. If the mixture is too tacky, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too dry, add a little more peanut butter. The dough should be pliable but firm. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour or up to overnight.

Remove the dough from the fridge. Scoop out a walnut-sized chunk of dough and roll it into a ball. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with wax paper; repeat with the remaining dough. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Melt the chocolate chips, vanilla, and oil in a double boiler. Using skewers or toothpicks, dip the peanut butter balls three-quarters of the way into the chocolate, leaving the top exposed to look like a buckeye. Transfer to parchment or wax paper to dry and harden at room temperature (in hot weather, you may need to refrigerate them).

Makes about 42 cookies

Author Carrie Havranek heavily adapted this recipe from an online wedding cookie table community.