Traditional bagels are made of high-gluten flour, yeast, water, salt, and malt. Some bagelries substitute sugar, brown sugar, or honey for the malt. In the name of convenience, we started with basic pantry items and then added more esoteric ingredients to build a more bona fide bagel flavor and texture. After baking nearly 100 bagels, we’re confident that our recipe produces the best in the West.

What to buy: Malt syrup is a natural sweetener made from a mash of corn and barley that is not quite as sweet as honey and has a slightly earthy note; it adds that distinct maltiness that makes a bagel really taste bagel-y. It can be found in natural food stores or online.

Game plan: The bagels are best when eaten within an hour but are pretty darn good for 2 or 3 days. They’ll keep well in a cotton or paper bag, and will need a quick warming or toasting before being consumed. They also freeze well: Once they’ve cooled completely, slice them and store them in a freezer bag for up to a month.

These may be eaten cold in slices with an aperitif or grilled hot with apples and potatoes. For the full effect, put on a thick sweater and eat these outside on a clear Fall day with a very large bottle of cool French cider.

Special equipment: You’ll need a reliable candy/fat thermometer for this recipe. We like this one by CDN.

Game plan: The popcorn balls will last up to 5 days when stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

This recipe was featured as part of our Popcorn Balls for the Holidays project.

Special equipment: You’ll need a reliable candy/fat thermometer for this recipe. We like this one by CDN.

Game plan: The popcorn balls will last up to 5 days when stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

This recipe was featured as part of our Popcorn Balls for the Holidays project.

Special equipment: You’ll need a reliable candy/fat thermometer for this recipe. We like this one by CDN.

Game plan: The popcorn balls will last up to 5 days when stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

This recipe was featured as part of our Popcorn Balls for the Holidays project.

Special equipment: You’ll need a reliable candy/fat thermometer for this recipe. We like this one by CDN.

Game plan: The popcorn balls will last up to 5 days when stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

This recipe was featured as part of our Popcorn Balls for the Holidays project.

Game plan: To reheat the baby food, let it thaw completely in the refrigerator, then heat in the microwave or on the stovetop. Stir well before serving.

This recipe was featured as part of our Make Your Own Baby Food story.

Traditional bagels are made of high-gluten flour, yeast, water, salt, and malt. Some bagelries substitute sugar, brown sugar, or honey for the malt. In the name of convenience, we started with basic pantry items and then added more esoteric ingredients to build a more bona fide bagel flavor and texture. After baking nearly 100 bagels, we’re confident that our recipe produces the best in the West.

What to buy: Malt syrup is a natural sweetener made from a mash of corn and barley that is not quite as sweet as honey and has a slightly earthy note; it adds that distinct maltiness that makes a bagel really taste bagel-y. It can be found in natural food stores or online.

Game plan: The bagels are best when eaten within an hour but are pretty darn good for 2 or 3 days. They’ll keep well in a cotton or paper bag, and will need a quick warming or toasting before being consumed. They also freeze well: Once they’ve cooled completely, slice them and store them in a freezer bag for up to a month.

You can, of course, make this recipe without canning it—just be sure to use or eat it within a week. If that’s an unrealistic venture, use the tips and instructions below to can the chutney.

Special equipment: We’re assuming that you already have basic tools lying around (like cutting boards, bowls, and measuring cups), so here’s the special equipment you’ll need for canning:

• 6 (4-ounce jelly jars)

• 6 lids with sealing compound for 4-ounce jelly jars

• 6 bands for 4-ounce jelly jars

• Boiling water canner or 15- to 20-quart pot with a tightfitting lid

• Canning rack that fits inside the boiling water canner or 15- to 20-quart pot

• Thin, flexible rubber spatula

• Jar lifter

• Deep frying/candy thermometer

Game plan: General canning tips: Before you turn on the heat, be sure to do the following: Read the recipe through, gather all necessary equipment, and check that you have the right amount of each ingredient on hand.

Give all your equipment a once-over: Examine your canning jars for nicks, cracks, uneven rims, or sharp edges that may prevent sealing or cause breakage; check that the lids have no dents and that the sealing compound is even and complete; and check that the bands fit properly.

Finally, have your jars, lids, and bands already sanitized before you start, and prepare only enough for one canner load at a time.

Chutney-specific tips: Select fresh plums at their peak, and use firm, uniform-size produce free of any cracks, spots, or growths.

This recipe was featured in our canning story.

Mild: NM 6-4

Medium; Big Jim

Hot: Sandia

Extra hot; Lumbia

The mild and medium are what is usually sold commercially and most recipes are based on those. Be careful with the hot. They are blazing.

Until the pepper is cut, there doesn’t seem to be a way to tell the heat level. Local markets sometimes mix the medium and hot together … Hatch roulette. For safety, ask for peppers from an unopened box. Better yet, buy a whole box. They freeze beautifully.

Choose chiles that are bright green, smooth, symmetrical, heavy for their size, mature and crisp

Because of the thick skin, the whole peppers are often roasted and the skin removed. The most common methods:

- In the oven or broiler until skins blister … about 7 minutes at 450 degrees

- Grill outdoors until skin blisters

- On the stove, use a heavy pan and on high heat, roasting for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally until skin blisters

If roasting in a pan or oven, select peppers that are flat and straight to increase surface area exposed to heat. Chiles that curl up tightly are difficult to blacken

Peppers last longer in the freezer with the skin protecting them and the skins will come off easily after thawing. Bacteria can grow on the peppers, so they should be frozen within a day of roasting and thawed in the fridge.

Affinities: cumin, sour cream, cheese, pork, eggs, chorizo, tomatoes, garlic, onion, corn, potatoes More info and recipes can be found in this Chowhound topic

Not your usual Hatch New Mexican green chile recipes … Hatch vodka, pie, kugel, mashed potatoes, calabacitas, etc. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/434370

Special equipment: We’re assuming that you already have basic tools lying around (like cutting boards, bowls, and measuring cups), so here’s the special equipment you’ll need for canning:

• 4-ounce jars

• Lids with sealing compound for 4-ounce jelly jars

• Bands for 4-ounce jelly jars

• Boiling water canner or 15- to 20-quart pot with a tightfitting lid

• Canning rack that fits inside the boiling water canner or 15- to 20-quart pot

• Thin, flexible rubber spatula

• Jar lifter

• Deep frying/candy thermometer

What to buy: Bottled lemon juice may sound counterintuitive, but it helps ensure a uniform acidity level, which is vital to proper canning.

Game plan: General canning tips: Before you turn on the heat, be sure to do the following: Read the recipe through, gather all necessary equipment, and check that you have the right amount of each ingredient on hand.

Give all your equipment a once-over: Examine your canning jars for nicks, cracks, uneven rims, or sharp edges that may prevent sealing or cause breakage; check that the lids have no dents and that the sealing compound is even and complete; and check that the bands fit properly.

Finally, have your jars, lids, and bands already sanitized before you start, and prepare only enough for one canner load at a time.

Blueberry jam–specific tips: Select fresh berries at their peak, and use firm, uniform-size produce free of any cracks, spots, or growths.

The jam is ready when it passes the plate test: Once you draw your finger through the cooled jam (see below), it should hold together on the plate without being runny. Don’t wait until it is a solid, unmovable mass or it will be overcooked and caramelized.

This recipe was featured in our Make Your Own Preserves story.

What to buy: There are several types of veal on the market, so be sure to ask your butcher for milk-fed veal from calves 12 weeks or younger. This creamy, white, fine-grained meat will lend the best flavor and texture to the sausages.

Special equipment: You’ll need a grinder and a stuffer in order to make sausage. We’ve used various types in the past, but this recipe was tested using the special attachments for a KitchenAid stand mixer.

Game plan: If you choose to wear latex gloves, replace them with a fresh pair after each grind of meat and before stuffing the casing. Be sure to keep the meat and equipment ice cold during every stage of the process—it reduces the risk of food-borne illness and makes the stuffing process less cumbersome.

You may be tempted to cook up your sausages right away, but aging is important to developing the flavor, so don’t skip this final step.

This recipe was featured as part of our Make Your Own Sausage project.

What to buy: There are several types of veal on the market, so be sure to ask your butcher for milk-fed veal from calves 12 weeks or younger. This creamy, white, fine-grained meat will lend the best flavor and texture to the sausages.

Special equipment: You’ll need a grinder and a stuffer in order to make sausage. We’ve used various types in the past, but this recipe was tested using the special attachments for a KitchenAid stand mixer.

Game plan: If you choose to wear latex gloves, replace them with a fresh pair after each grind of meat and before stuffing the casing. Be sure to keep the meat and equipment ice cold during every stage of the process—it reduces the risk of food-borne illness and makes the stuffing process less cumbersome.

You may be tempted to cook up your sausages right away, but aging is important to developing the flavor, so don’t skip this final step.

This recipe was featured as part of our Make Your Own Sausage project.

What to buy: There are several types of veal on the market, so be sure to ask your butcher for milk-fed veal from calves 12 weeks or younger. This creamy, white, fine-grained meat will lend the best flavor and texture to the sausages.

Special equipment: You’ll need a grinder and a stuffer in order to make sausage. We’ve used various types in the past, but this recipe was tested using the special attachments for a KitchenAid stand mixer.

Game plan: If you choose to wear latex gloves, replace them with a fresh pair after grinding the meat and before stuffing the casing. Be sure to keep the meat and equipment ice cold during every stage of the process—it reduces the risk of food-borne illness and makes the stuffing process less cumbersome.

You may be tempted to cook up your sausages right away, but aging is important to developing the flavor, so don’t skip this final step.

This recipe was featured as part of our Make Your Own Sausage project.

What to buy: We used Everclear 151 grain alcohol in these bitters. Its lack of impurities and sugar allows it to pick up the flavoring elements much faster than vodka.

Dried orange peel is the key flavor note in these bitters. It can often be found in the bulk tea or dried herb section of grocery stores.

Gentian extract is taken from the root of the gentian flower and used to aid in digestion; it packs a potent kick.

Game plan: Simply straining the alcohol through a fine-mesh strainer will leave a few cloudy particles behind (which aren’t harmful). If you want completely clear bitters, strain through a coffee filter nested in the strainer.

The bitters will last indefinitely when stored in an airtight container in a dark spot.

This recipe was featured in our Bringing Bitters Back story.

See our other Halloween candy bars: Peanut Butta Cups, Almond Jay, and Twixt.

Download the Snickles wrapper

• Kitchen scale
• Tape measure
• Deep-frying/candy thermometer
• Pastry brush
• Chocolate thermometer, such as CDN’s
• Poultry lifter

What to buy: Professional pastry chefs use a type of chocolate known as couverture (it has more cocoa butter than normal chocolate) because it sets up well. The only trick is that you need to temper it. For this recipe, we used El Rey 41 percent milk chocolate Discos; they can be found at specialty grocery stores and online.

Game plan: From experience we can say it’s best to avoid tempering chocolate on a hot day. If you can’t, be sure to work in an air-conditioned space. Chocolate behaves best in a room-temperature environment (mid-60s to low 70s).

Once your chocolate is in temper, it stays there for only a short time, so have everything ready to go and work quickly.

What to buy: Try to avoid farm-raised salmon from the Atlantic; instead go for Alaskan wild salmon.

Game plan: The salmon will hold up for 4 or 5 days once it’s cured.

We’re Cured

You can use our home-cured salmon in any recipe that calls for smoked salmon.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Heirloom Pea Pancakes with Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraîche

Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwiches

Smoked Salmon and Mozzarella Calzone

The salmon is also great served simply: over a salad, scrambled into eggs with a little sour cream and chives, or topping your favorite schmear. Or try serving it straight up, paired with Marinated Potatoes and Fennel.

Videos

Aida Mollenkamp walks through the steps in our video on curing salmon.

Pesky pin bones! Watch this video to learn how to get rid of them.