Growing up, when my parents went out for the night, we'd often get Stouffer's escalloped apples as a dinner treat. This recipe doesn't have the same thick, syrupy sauce as the frozen one, but it does feed that same memory for me.

It's a more grownup recipe - there's no sugar added past the apples and cider, but if you pick sweet apples, that's plenty. I could have a lot of fun playing with the size of the apple slices; a thin slice might be "like a spiced apple sauce" as described; I used rather thick chunks of apple (one chunk to the bite) to a heartier effect.

The recipe I use for my "old family recipe" fried chicken. Shhhh... don't tell anyone! Although with some crowds, I up the garlic and hot sauce in the marinade, it's just about perfect - flavorful, with a serious, crispy crust. It looks darker than the Colonel's - you might even think it's overcooked - but don't worry, it's delicious. This is the recipe that taught me I like making fried chicken just as much as eating it.

I think of thyme as pork's best friend, but this recipe shows that sage might be a close second. I found the garlic flavor was a little lost, given the effort of studding the ham with slivers. We had a smaller ham than called for (4.75 lbs) and found the 20 minutes per pound timing turned out a well-done roast - a few more minutes would have made it downright dry. A brine, or a closer eye on the roast, would have been nice.

The apples worked very well; reviewed separately.