Eats of Eden: Smothered and covered

Apples are piled high with butter, brown sugar, and spices.

In case you hadn't noticed, I love food.

And, honest to goodness, I am not a food snob.

Yes, I appreciate a gourmet meal. My recent anniversary dinner at Restaurant Muramoto was a four-course culinary adventure; I had potatoes I can't even explain. But I ate as much as MVH, who is half again as big as I am, and I could not bend after the meal. I got home and leaned against a wall while watching TV.

And yes, I drop a "from scratch" every once in a while. (I'm mostly feeling out other enthusiastic home cooks.)

But the act of eating truly is made by where you eat and with whom you dine, and the lowliest of locales and ingredients can be elevated by a memorable atmosphere and good company.

Start by peeling and coring two apples, or one apple if you feel like splitting this dessert.

One of my favorite lowly locales is Waffle House. The food isn't fancy, organic, or healthy, but the waitresses call you "hon" and you get your food fast. Plus, I'm a breakfast-for-dinner girl, which further endears WH to me.

This apple recipe got me thinking about Waffle House hashbrowns. You can order WH hashbrowns smothered (with onions) and covered (with cheese). Other options include scattered, chunked, diced, peppered, capped, topped, and "all the way." (Click here for a menu to crack the code.)

Two bowls, two apples, one bottle of New Glarus Berliner Weiss.

These apples are smothered in brown sugar and covered in butter, and they're utterly homey and warming on a cool night. Enjoy a simple treat that gets the job done.

Apples, smothered and covered
A Sie macht original recipe

This recipe serves two — two apple halves (or one whole apple, if you will) per person. This recipe would be a breeze to increase for many guests. I imagine slipping the apples in the oven and returning to the dinner table for more conversation and digestion.

2 apples (I used two Wolf Rivers, but any firm baking apple will do.)
4 tablespoons butter, divided
4 heaping teaspoons brown sugar, divided
Cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Peel and core apples. Slice apples in half vertically. Place halves sliced-sides up in baking dish.

Top each half with 1 tablespoon butter, a generous teaspoon brown sugar (I used a regular teaspoon, not a measuring spoon), and spices to taste (cloves are aggressive; be cautious — unless you love cloves more than cinnamon).

Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Take the baking dish out of the oven, and baste the apples with the melted sugary butter. Return the apples to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes.

Melted ice cream floats atop melted butter. Sometimes, your spoon just isn't big enough.

The apples should be soft but not mushy when pierced with a fork. Drizzle the sauce over the apples. (Please don't let spiced butter sugar sauce go to waste!) Serve with vanilla ice cream.

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