Roasting the Thanksgiving Turkey

The Turkey

I now get 13lb turkeys because Chris smokes the other two. However, I used to get a 26lb turkey and roast it covered in a very slow oven. It turns out extremely moist, I’ve written down the times and temperatures for both. We eat in the evening at 6 p.m. but you can recalculate if you eat at midday.

I generally pick up the turkey on Tuesday, I might prepare the turkey the night before, but make sure the stuffing is completely cooled before placing inside the turkey.

A whole turkey requires 15 minutes to prepare for roasting.
Prepare stuffing separately a day ahead, keep stuffing in a covered casserole in the refrigerator. You can stuff the turkey, but you can also bake the stuffing with the turkey during the last hour of roasting time.
Refrigerate turkey below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
A frozen turkey can be kept in a freezer for up to a year, so long as it is in its original wrapper and has never been defrosted.

To thaw a turkey, there is no hurry, place the turkey in its original wrapping in the refrigerator. Allow 24 hours per 7 pounds to completely thaw.
Or for a faster thaw, place turkey in its original wrapping in sink and cover with cold water. Allow about half an hour per pound of turkey to completely thaw. Change water every 30 minutes. Refrigerate or cook once turkey is thawed. Never re-freeze a defrosted turkey.

The best size is about 13 lbs for a turkey, this is good for about 10 people and leftovers the next few days. I buy two 13 pound turkeys for 20 people.
If you are having 30 to 35 people, and only one oven, then you need a large turkey weighing 28 lbs.
I’ll give you the directions for both sizes.
I generally order the fresh turkey(s) from Nichols a month ahead and arrange to pick up on Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

Make sure you have all the ingredients needed ahead of time.
You will need heavy duty wide length silver foil, turkey pins, a large roasting pan, kitchen string for trussing, Pam spray, 1/2 cup butter, 1 package of bacon.


Ingredients for the stuffing

1 package croutons
1 pound Gianelli sweet sausage
1 stalk celery chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup (Campbell’s)
1 package slivered almonds

Directions for stuffing

Remove the casing from the sausage, break up the sausage meat and saute in two batches in a pan.
Mix all the ingredients together and place in the refrigerator covered.
This can be made the day before.
Never stuff the turkey until the stuffing is completely cooled.

To Prepare the Turkey:
Remove the neck from the breast cavity and the giblets from the neck cavity. Rinse the outside and inside of turkey with water and pat dry with a paper towel.
Rub cavities with salt and pepper, stuff both cavities with the cooled stuffing.
Secure the ends with pins, using string, tie up the turkey (known as trussing the turkey) so that the legs and wings are secure to the sides of the turkey.
Rub the outside of the turkey with salt and pepper. Place 1/2 cup butter sliced into chunks on top of the turkey, then cover the whole turkey with strips of bacon.
Place the turkey in a roasting pan and cover with silver foil, so that the foil is slightly tented, but tightly sealed so that no air escapes.

Turkey done this way is moist and tasty every time,

For a 13 pound turkey....
To eat at 6 p.m.......
9:30 a.m. preheat the oven at 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
10 a.m place turkey in oven.
3:00 p.m. turn oven up to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, keep turkey covered.
4:30 p.m. remove foil, brush turkey with butter, turn oven up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
5:00 p.m. remove turkey from oven  and let stand for one hour before carving.

For a 26 - 28 pound turkey
To eat at 2 p.m. a large turkey is started the night before, well really in the early morning! Preheat oven at 275 degrees Fahrenheit at 12:30 p.m. night before.
1:00 a.m. place turkey in oven covered
7:00 a.m. turn oven up to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, keep turkey covered
12:30 p.m. remove foil, brush turkey with butter, turn oven up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
1:00 p.m. remove turkey from oven and let stand for one hour before carving.

For 26-28 pound turkey
To eat at 6 p.m.
7:00 a.m. place turkey in oven covered at 275 degrees Fahrenheit
1:00 p.m. turn oven up to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, keep turkey covered.
4:30 p.m. remove foil, brush turkey with butter, turn oven up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
5:00 p.m. remove turkey from oven and let stand for one hour before carving. 

Smoked Turkey for Thanksgiving

Our cousin, Chris, smokes the turkey for us at Thanksgiving. It is moist, tender and absolutely
delicious!

We had 2 13 lb birds, he stuffs a whole orange in each turkey, on the third rack he has a silver foil pan, filled with onions with the skins on and quartered, apples
slices in half, celery and a large dollop of red wine.

He also pours more red wine around the turkeys and checks during smoking time to make sure that none of the liquids dry out.

He may add more wine during the cooking time.


Chris smokes his turkeys for a good four hours, checking to make sure the meat is tender and falling away from the bone.

Turkey Tagine -

After I had made the turkey stock, there was this gorgeous tender turkey meat. . . . so I came across this recipe which was on the bbcgoodfoodfoodshow.com. A really delicious way to use up leftover turkey. It even tastes delicious without the turkey!
I found this beautiful picture of tagines in Mourad’s book New Moroccan. He writes the following about the tagine.
‘A tagine is that Moroccan conical-lidded pot used to make braised dishes. But the word has come to mean any braised dish of the kind typically made in a tagine, whether it was actually cooked in one or not. Tagines are traditionally made of terra-cotta and were designed to be a kind of stovetop oven.’
I don’t have a tagine, so cooked mine in a stock pot.
This dish gets better as it sits in the fridge, we loved it!

Tagines

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion thickly sliced
3 carrots thickly sliced
3 parsnips thickly sliced
1 head of broccoli cut into large pieces
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
4 teaspoons ras el hanout (a mixture of 1 teaspoon each of allspice, cardamon, cumin
 cinnamon, coriander and salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, ground cloves and nutmeg)
2 cups turkey or chicken stock
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 can chickpeas drained
3/4 cup of dried apricots, prunes and cranberries, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups leftover turkey cut into chunks
Salt and pepper

Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook gently for 8 minutes until softened. Add the carrots and parsnips and cook for 8 minutes until starting to soften and brown, about half way through add the broccoli.
Stir in the garlic and ras el hanout mixture and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the turkey stock, tomatoes, chick peas, dried fruit and 1/2 cup water. Add salt and pepper, bring to a simmer and cook covered for 25-30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Add the turkey and simmer for 5 minutes to warm through.
Serve with couscous.

Turkey Stock for Thanksgiving

I make this a couple of weeks ahead of Thanksgiving and freeze it. Then we have it to make the gravy and use in the stuffing. I found this recipe on the Epicurious website.

Ingredients

6 lbs turkey parts (thighs, neck, legs)
20 cups water
3 onions trimmed, skin left on, cut in half
3 celery stalks cut into two inch lengths
3 carrots cut into two inch lengths
6 parsley stalks
10 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, place the oven rack at the lowest point nearest to the heat.
In a roasting pan, place the turkey parts skin down and roast for 45 minutes, turning once until golden brown.
Transfer the turkey to a large stock pot.
Place the onions face down, the carrots and the celery on the same roasting pan the turkey parts were on.
Roast for 20 minutes and then add to the turkey in the stock pot.
Take the roasting pan, straddle the pan over two burners on the stovetop, add two cups of the water and scrape up the bits and stir for 3 minutes. Add to the turkey and vegetables in the stockpot.
Place 6 parsley stalks, 10 black peppercorns, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 bay leaf in stockpot
Add the rest of the water, 18 cups.
Cover, bring to a gentle boil and simmer for three hours.
Strain the stock in a colander.
This can be frozen for future use.

The meat is lovely and tender, I am going to make a tangine tonight with couscous or a turkey pot pie. Haven’t decided yet!

Stuffing for the Thanksgiving Turkey

Turkey by Daniela

Ingredients
1 package croutons seasoned with herbs
1 package slivered almonds
1 stick celery chopped
1 can cream of mushroom
1 clove garlic chopped
Gianelli Italian Sweet Sausage

Directions
Remove the outer skin, break sausage up a bit and saute sausage in a pan first.
Next, mix all the rest of the ingredients together,and stuff in bird.
If you are not cooking the turkey right away, allow the stuffing to cool first then stuff the bird. I generally make this the day before so the stuffing is thoroughly cooled.

I triple this recipe, using 2 1/2 lbs. sausage and bake the rest of the stuffing in the oven, covered, adding some turkey stock to keep it moist. Bake at 300 Degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour.

Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving

Makes 2 pies

Ingredients for the dough
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crisco
1/4 cup water

In a bowl, place 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup crisco. Rub the flour and crisco together with your fingers until it is blended like bread crumbs. Add 1/4 cup cold water and mix together to form a ball. Let rest while you make the filling


Ingredients for the filling

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
4 large eggs
1 can pure pumpkin 29oz
2 cans 12 oz each evaporated milk

Directions
Mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tsps. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground ginger and 1/2 tsp. cloves in small bowl.
Beat 4 eggs in large bowl. Stir in 1 can pure pumpkin and sugar - spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
Halve the dough and roll out the dough on a floured board. Place in 9 inch pie dish sprayed with Pam. Press into the base and round the edge, flute edges.
Pour filling into pie shells.
Bake in preheated 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 mins. or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

Ghost Train Corfe Castle

On the Swanage Steam Train from Norden to Swanage, passing by beautiful Corfe Castle . . . so many wonderful memories

Creamed Corn - Thanksgiving Side Dish

During the summer I husk any left over corn, pop it in a freezer bag and keep in the freezer till Thanksgiving. Adding the corn to this dish makes a big difference to the flavor and texture. I mix this up on the same day and keep in fridge till ready to bake.


Ingredients (to every can of creamed corn, beat up one egg. )

3 cans creamed corn
3 eggs
Salt
Pepper
Sugar
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
3 cups frozen corn

Directions

Beat the eggs first with a dash of salt and pepper and a very little sugar.
Gradually add corn, beating all the time. I also freeze corn from the summer and throw approximately 3 cups in as well.
Pour in pyrex dish and top with nutmeg and cinnamon.
Bake at 300 Degrees F. for one hour.

Carrot Cake for Thanksgiving Dessert

This year Leila asked for carrot cake for Thanksgiving! Years ago in the late sixties when I was living in London,  an American girl gave me a carrot cake recipe. I remember she was from California and insisted this was really healthy . . . . probably not but it tasted really good! This particular icing is sublime.

Ingredients

3 cups grated carrots (put through meat grinder)
3 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Mix all the above together in a bowl.
Bake in slow oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 2 1/4 hours or until tooth pick comes out clean. Avoid letting the cake become dry.

Frosting
4 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 lemons squeezed
Icing sugar (add according to how sweet  or not you desire the frosting to be) This is vague, I shall adjust once I’ve made it again!
1 teaspoon vanilla

So once the cake has cooled, ice the cake and enjoy.

Dolly's Pecan Pie - Thanksgiving Dessert

 

Dolly's pecan pie  .   .  . named after Dolly who once came to a family dinner as a friend of one of the guests. She brought along the most delicious pecan pie we had ever tasted, the pecans were from  her parent's tree in their garden down south! She graciously wrote down the recipe, we've been forever grateful.

Ingredients

3 eggs
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
dash of salt
1 cup of dark cayo syrup or use white cayo syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup whole pecans
Uncooked pastry shell (see recipe below)

Directions

Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Combine everything except the whole pecans, pour into pastry shell, add whole pecans on top and bake for 40 - 45 minutes.

I make two of these for Thanksgiving.

Dough for Pastry Shell

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
1 cup spry
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ice cold water

Directions

Place 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl and mix together briefly.
Add 1 cup spry and rub the spry and flour together with your fingers until the flour looks like  coarse bread crumbs. Don’t overwork the flour. Gently add some of the water and mix the flour around with your hands, it shouldn’t be too wet and mushy, nor too dry. The flour should be beginning to bind like a dough, mold it together with your hands so it is in one ball.
Some people leave the dough in the fridge to chill, but I generally use it right away, sprinkle the cutting board with a bit of flour, place the dough on the flour and flatten the ball with your hands before rolling out to fit the pastry dish.
This recipe is enough for two pastry dishes.
Pecan pie only has pastry on the bottom.

Chocolate Cream Pie - Thanksgiving Dessert

Epicurious is a great site for recipes, this one is delicious. I’ve made it with an ordinary pie crust as well and it’s still excellent.

Ingredients

The crust

1 1/3 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (approx. 26 Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
1/4 cup sugar

The filling

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teasp. salt
4 egg yolks
3 cups milk
5 oz. bittersweet chocolate melted
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate melted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
1 teasp. vanilla

Topping

3/4 cup chilled heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

Make the crust first.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Stir together the crumbs butter and sugar and press on bottom and up sides of a 9 inch pie plate. Bake until crisp, approx. 15 minutes and cool.

Next make the filling. Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt and yolks in a saucepan until combined well, then add milk in a steady stream whisking constantly. Bring to boil over moderate heat, whisking, then reduce heat and simmer whisking one minute until thick. Whisk in chocolates, butter and vanilla. Cover filling with a buttered round of wax paper and cool for 2 hours.

Spoon filling into pie crust and chill for at least 6 hours.

Just before serving,mix heavy cream and sugar together with an electric mixer until the cream is stiff. Spoon on top of pie
This pie is also good without the cream topping!

Sweet Potato and Leek Gratin for Thanksgiving

Can be made day before, reheat at 300 degrees F. covered. Serves 6

Ingredients

2 large leeks (1 lb total)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, more for the pan
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 oz pancetta or country ham
1/4 cup minced garlic
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon coarse salt
black pepper
2 medium sweet potatoes
3 medium Idaho potatoes


                                                                      Directions

Take the 2 large leeks, trim, half lengthwise, slice 1/4 inch crosswise, swished and soaked in enough cold water to cover. Lift the leeks gently from their soaking water so that any grit stays behind. Drain them in a colander.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add 6 oz pancetta diced in 1/4” pieces, stirring occasionally until golden (about 4 mins). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. If there seems to be too much oil in the pan, pour some of it off at this point, leaving a small amount for the leeks. The dish can become too oily.
Add the leeks and 1/4 cup minced garlic to the pan,cover and reduce the heat to low. Sweat the leeks and garlic, cooking slowly and stirring occasionally until the leeks are softened (about 5 mins). Don’t let the leeks or garlic brown.
Add 2 cups heavy cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 mins. Stir in the ham, 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon coarse salt and a shake of pepper to taste. Set aside.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 2 quart casserole dish (or spray Pam). Peel and slice 2 medium sweet potatoes between 1/4 to 1/8” thick. Repeat with 3 Idaho potatoes,

Arrange one overlapping layer of Idaho slices on the bottom of casserole. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Spoon 2 tablespoons leek cream evenly over the potatoes. Add a layer of sweet potato slices, season lightly with salt and pepper and spoon on another 2 tablespoons of leek cream. Repeat with remaining potatoes until all are used. Press down firmly on the potatoes with hands and drizzle remaining leek cream over them.
Bake until the gratin is golden on top, 50 - 60 minutes.
Let rest in a warm place for 15 min.

Mexican Avocado Dip with Corn Chips - Thanksgiving Hor D'Oeuvre

This dish is best made the same day, since there is a lot to make the same day at Thanksgiving, I will chop the scallions, the tomatoes, the black olives and mix the mayonnaise, sour cream and taco seasoning mix the day before. Not the avocado as it tends to turn black. . . I put everything in separate containers and it speeds everything up in the morning, easier to assemble everything. I use a rectangle pyrex dish.

Ingredients

I jar salsa (mild or medium)
2 avocados
1 package dehydrated taco seasoning mix
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
2 tomatoes chopped
1 can Californian large pitted olives chopped (drain liquid)
1 Bunch scallions chopped
grated cheddar cheese

Directions

Peel avocados and spin in blender or food processor until smooth.
Spread this mixture over the bottom of a pyrex dish.
Empty the whole jar of salsa and spread over avocado mix
Mix together taco seasoning mix, mayonnaise and sour cream, spread over salsa.
Add a layer of chopped tomatoes
Add a layer of chopped olives
Add a layer of chopped scallions
Top with grated cheddar cheese.


Cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator.

Serve with corn chips.

Creamy Cranberry Relish-for Thanksgiving

This very delicious dish was handed down to me by my mother in law. I make it every year, it is very sweet and disappears the same day.
I make it the morning of Thanksgiving, so easy to make my grandchildren now mix it all together for me, and we cover it with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge till ready to eat.

Ingredients

3 oz cream cheese
2 cups cool whip
1 11 oz can mandarin oranges
14 oz cranberry orange relish
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 8 3/4 can crushed pineapple
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Buy all ingredients except cream cheese ahead of time, cool whip can be stored in the freezer 3 weeks ahead.

Directions

Have the cream cheese and cool whip at room temperature.
Drain the mandarin oranges and put the segments on a paper towel.
Drain the crushed pineapple.
Beat the cream cheese and cool whip with an electric mixer until thoroughly blended. Add  cranberry/orange relish, 1 cup mini marshmallows, crushed pineapple (drained) and the mandarins, leaving some aside for garnish at the end.
If using walnuts, chop coarsely and add to the mixture.
Put relish in a glass bowl, garnish with remaining mandarins and chill for several hours.

Shrimp with Horseradish Dip - Thanksgiving Hors D'Oeuvres

So I make the shrimp and dip on the same day .............. however, I do get jumbo shrimp ahead and keep them in the freezer. I can also buy the cocktail dip ahead. My friend, Maryanne, told me today that fifty years ago a chef in Utica gave her a tip about the boiling water part. He said if you bring the water to the boil, add two stalks of celery with all the leaves on, wait a moment then add the shrimp and proceed until the shrimp are pink. The taste is magnificent and you have a successful shrimp dish every time.


Ingredients

1 Bag of Jumbo Frozen Shrimp
Salt
Cocktail Sauce (or homemade dip see below)
Fresh Lemon Wedges
Tabasco Sauce

Directions

In a large saucepan, bring salted water to the boil.
Drop the frozen shrimp into the boiling water, the shrimp are done when they turn pink. Might take no more than 6 minutes. Test one shrimp by removing it from the water and cutting open with a knife.
If done, drain immediately and then plunge the shrimp into cold water filled with ice cubes. This stops the cooking process.
You may have shrimp with  shells. Peel shells off and make sure the black vein along the shrimp’s back has been removed, remove this by slitting over the vein with a knife, it comes right out in one string.
Place shrimp on ice cubes and store in fridge until just before serving.
Serve with a cocktail sauce and lemon wedges. If you like, you can add  a little tobasco sauce and lemon juice with the cocktail sauce.

Homemade Horseradish Dip

Ingredients

Mayonnaise
Tomato Ketchup
Tabasco Sauce
Grated Horseradish
Juice of 1 Lemon

Directions

Make a dip using one tablespoon mayonnaise, 3/4 cup tomato ketchup, a shake of Tabasco sauce, a teaspoon grated horseradish, and a tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice. Add extra Tabasco and horseradish if you like it more spicy.

Thanksgiving Menu for 2015

I do make a list of the dishes we are going to feast on, partly to keep my head straight and to gently start stocking up on the various non perishable items I can buy ahead and have on hand.
So this is the menu so far, it may change or have some additions, but it's a good place to start.
I think there will be at least 40 of us this year. The following posts will be the recipes for each dish.


Menu 2015

Shrimp with dip____________________________________________________
Cheese with Crackers_______________________________________________
Vegetables with dip_________________________________________________
Spring Rolls_______________________________________________________
Mexican Dip with Corn Chips__________________________________________
Stuffing____________________________________________________________
Turkey (3) _________________________________________________________
Gravy (jason)________________________________________________________
Tabuli with Romaine Lettuce_____________________________________________
Peas________________________________________________________________
Creamed Corn (2)_____________________________________________________
Green Bean Casserole_________________________________________________
Sweet Potato & Leek Gratin (2)____________________________________________
Mashed Yams__________________________________________________________
Cranberry Relish _______________________________________________________
Creamy Cranberry Relish_________________________________________________
Fresh Cranberry Sauce___________________________________________________
Jellied and Berry Cranberry Sauce__________________________________________

Cheese Cake (2)__X______________________________________________________
Pumpkin Pie (2)_________________________________________________________
Pecan Pie (2)_________________________________________________________
Apple Pie (1)____X______________________________________________________
Fruit Platter____________________________________________________________
Carrot Cake______________________________________________________________
Chocolate Cream Pie_______________________________________________________

So far I've made the cheese cakes and apple pies, they are sitting happily in the freezer. I make a copy of this and write down all the stuff I should pick up at the grocery store in the weeks ahead.
I'll use this same list to write down the items that I need to get closer to the date and then another copy with all the times and days of preparation! Otherwise I'll go around being muddled.

Fresh Cranberry Relish for Thanksgiving

I generally make this at least two weeks before Thanksgiving and keep it in the fridge.
Can be stored in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. I have a friend who eats it straight out of the jar, she gets her own jar every year!

Ingredients

2 12 oz packages fresh cranberries
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 12oz frozen orange juice
2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
2 cups chopped celery stalks
2 cups chopped pineapple
2 cups chopped  peeled apple
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Wash cranberries first, discard any berries that are not firm.
Then in a saucepan put 2 cups sugar, 2 cups water and the drained cranberries. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
Let cranberries cool while you are chopping the other ingredients.
In a large bowl, place the frozen orange juice and add the cranberry mixture to the frozen orange juice. This speeds up the thawing process.
Add remaining ingredients, mix well and then refrigerate for at least one week. This can be stored for up to 3 weeks.

Cheese Cake make ahead and freeze for Thanksgiving

This is from Vincent Price’s Cookbook, now out of print, but a fabulous recipe book. This cheese cake is unusually light, not dense or heavy. I make this every Thanksgiving, it freezes well so I make this ahead of time. This can be made up to a month ahead and kept in the freezer.

I doubled Vincent Price’s recipe so I used a 12 inch spring form cake pan instead of an 8 inch pan. Using a 12 inch spring form cake pan, grease the inside of the pan with 2 tablespoons butter and then coat the butter with graham cracker crumbs. Coat the sides first by turning the pan on its side, and shake the pan so the crumbs can stick, keep turning the pan and adding more crumbs as needed. When the sides are well coated, shake a light coating of crumbs onto the bottom of the pan. Put spring form cake pan in freezer for at least 30 minutes.
If you want to make this recipe with an 8 inch cake pan, cut the ingredient amounts in half.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
24 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
8 egg yolks
4 tablespoons flour
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit
Put 24 oz cream cheese in a large bowl and let it come to room temperature.

Pour 4 cups heavy cream in a saucepan and heat over low heat, not allowing the cream to boil.

In a separate bowl, separate 8 egg yolks and the egg white.
To the cream cheese and egg yolks, add 1 1/2 cups sugar, 4 tablespoon flour, 3 teaspoons vanilla and 1 teaspoon salt. Beat thoroughly until with an electric mixer until mixture is smooth and creamy.

Turn speed to lowest and gradually pour in 4 cups scalded cream

Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry.
Add to cream cheese mixture and fold the egg whites in lightly.

Pour mixture into prepared spring form cake pan, then set pan in a shallow pan containing 1 inch of hot water.
Bake in the oven for 1 1/2 hours.
Refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving.
Also freezes well.

Apple Pie - make ahead and freeze for Thanksgiving

Apple Pie

In the beginning of October, the apples are perfect. I especially like Northern Spy apples  and mix them with a few other sweet apples. I make several and freeze them. I used to bake them and then put them in the freezer but now I’ve learned that in fact they taste better if frozen uncooked. It’s texture and consistency will be more like a fresh pie.
Wrap the pie in foil and then place in a large freezer bag, when ready to bake, do not thaw, just remove from freezer and put in the oven while still frozen. Bake in oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 mins, then lower the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 40 minutes.
If you decide to freeze the pie baked, remove from freezer at least 3 hours before baking, then bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes.

Ingredients

For the Filling
8 Northern Spy Apples
2 tablespoons sugar
1 lemon squeezed
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter

For the Dough
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup of crisco
1/4 cup cold water

Directions

To make the dough, place 1 cup flour in a bowl, add 1 teaspoon salt and mix together.
Take a cup of crisco and add to flour, rub together until the flour and crisco are like breadcrumbs
Add 1/4 cup of cold water and stir the dough around until it is bound together.
You can put in fridge for half an hour

Take a pyrex round pie dish, spray with pam.
In a bowl, peel and slice 8 apples, add 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 lemon squeezed, 2 tablespoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. Mix altogether.
Place apple mixture in pie dish, add 1 tablespoon butter.

Roll out dough and completely cover the dish. Have a bit of the dough overlapping
Pinch around the edges in a crimping way.
With a knife make a slash in the center and then 4 more circling the center slash, this allows the steam to escape while cooking.
Bake in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 - 40 minutes.

Thanksgiving Coming!

I'm going to keep a kind of diary about preparing for Thanksgiving and what I do, one day I may forget so this will help me too. There are going to be between 37 and 40 people, I think.
I've posted a picture of Chris steaming the turkey last year, it's a great relief to report that he will be doing it again this year! His turkeys are so moist, we use 13lb turkeys and he has space for two.
I do one in the oven. I have ordered 3 turkeys from Nichols, 13 lbs each, they looked a bit surprised and told me I was the first to order. .

Ingredients 
2  Turkeys 13 lbs each (I use Plainville turkeys which are all natural, no hormones and antibiotic free)
1 whole orange
3 onions with skins
4 apples unpeeled
large jug red wine
1 whole celery

Directions

 2 x 13 lb Plainville turkeys,  stuff a whole orange in each turkey.
On the third rack put a silver foil pan, filled with onions with the skins on and quartered, apples sliced in half, celery and a large dollop of red wine.  Pour more red wine around the turkeys and check during smoking time to make sure that none of the liquids dry out.  Add more wine during  cooking time.


Smoke the turkey for 4 hours, check to make sure the turkey is tender.

Cabbage and Carrot Slaw with Walnut-Za'atar Pesto

A great salad found in Bon Appetit, not so great the next day but delicious made and eaten the same day! The pesto can be made a day ahead and chilled covered in the fridge.

Ingredients
Pesto
3/4 cup walnuts
1 garlic clove, finely grated
2 oz. Gouda cheese finely grated
1 teaspoon za’atar
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt

Directions for Pesto
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Toast walnuts on a baking sheet, tossing once until golden brown, approx. 8-10 mins.
Leave aside to cool.
Process 3/4 cup walnuts, 1 garlic clove finely grated, 2 oz. Gouda cheese finely grated, and 1 teaspoon za’atar in a food processor until nuts are coarsely chopped. With motor running, stream in 1/4 cup olive oil until coarsely ground. (actually I put the whole lot in and it came out fine, I skipped the streaming oil bit) Season with Kosher salt.

Pesto can be made one day ahead and chilled covered.

Ingredients
Cabbage and Carrot Slaw
1/4 cup dried currants
1/2 cup whole-milk plain Greek yoghurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1/2 small green cabbage
1/2 lb carrots shaved lengthwise
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Za’atar to sprinkle on top

Directions for Slaw
Place currants in a bowl and cover with very hot water. Let sit until soft and plump, about 8 mins.
Next, whisk 1/2 cup plain Greek yoghurt, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Thin with water until the dressing is a consistency of heavy cream.
Drain currants, add to dressing, along with 1/2 small green cabbage, outer leaves removed, very thinly sliced, 1/2 lb carrots shaved lengthwise and 1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley. Toss to coat. Season with salt.

To serve........

Swipe platter with walnut pesto and arrange slaw over.
Sprinkle with za’atar.

Tomato Peach Salad with Tofu Cream

Found in Bon Appetit, served last night, pronounced the most delicious dish I had ever made!!

Ingredients

8 oz. silken tofu
sherry vinegar
olive oil
soy sauce
kosher salt
black pepper
3 tomatoes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 medium peaches
1/2 red onion
2 ears of cooked corn on cob
fresh tarragon
fresh chervil (which I couldn’t find)

Directions

To Make the Blended Tofu Cream(can be made a day ahead and chilled in fridge)
In a food processor or blender put
8 oz silken tofu
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce and blend until light and creamy
Season tofu cream with salt
Cover and keep in fridge.

For the Salad
Whisk 3 tablespoons olive oil,
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce in a large bowl.
Season with salt and pepper
Add
3 tomatoes cut into 1 inch wedges
2 peaches skin cut into wedges
1/2 a red onion thinly sliced
fresh corn kernels from two corn ears
1 pint cherry tomatoes sliced lengthwise in half
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chervil chopped
Mix together.

Swipe tofu cream on a platter and arrange tomato salad over top.
Serve with warm bread (Garlic Tuscon bread was good)

Pesto with Tuscan Kale and Collard Greens

Inspired to be more adventurous by Dean and Jason, the most creative cooks, who made our week together like being on a luxurious cruise with unbelievable dishes served to us, this was not actually made by them but was in Bon Appetit. I’ve been flipping over the pages, kind of skipping this recipe, but returning back from our time together, I thought I’d be brave and try it. The chefs Joe Sparatta and Lee Gregory at Southbound in Richmond, Virginia make a pesto with collard greens and peanuts. This recipe adds Tuscan Kale and I used pinenuts instead, not having any peanuts. However you could use almonds or walnuts. Served with linguine and a salad makes a nice meal. The pesto can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge. Can also be frozen.

Ingredients
                                                                               

1 bunch of collard greens
1 bunch of Tuscan kale
Kosher salt
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
     cheese (or pecorino)
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pinenuts (or unsalted
roasted peanuts/almonds/walnuts)
1 tablespoon finely grated
     lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
ground black pepper                                 


Directions

Remove the stems from the collard greens and Tuscan kale by ripping the leaves away.
Chop the leaves coarsely and wash in water.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add salt, and cook the greens and kale for 30 seconds. Pour through a colander and place the greens and kale in iced water to stop the cooking - this preserves the bright green color. Drain and squeeze out any excess water avoiding a watery pesto.
Place the greens in a food processor, add 3 cloves garlic finely chopped, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup pinenuts (or unsalted roasted peanuts/almonds or walnuts), 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, ground black pepper and salt to taste.
Process on low speed until a coarse but well blended mixture forms.

Lobster Bisque

Inspired by The Cook’s Bible – Kimball

Ingredients
shells from 3 lobster carcasses meat removed and cut into pieces, you can use shells from 1 lb shrimp or ¾ lb crab.
½ cup dry sherry or cognac
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken broth
3 cups chopped tomatoes
4 cups water
2 tblsps olive oil
2 tblsps butter
1 chopped Spanish onion
2 cloves garlic crushed
3 chopped carrots
3 stalks chopped celery
1 bay leaf
10 sprigs parsley chopped
1 teasp. fresh thyme or ½ teasp. dried thyme
salt and ground black pepper
3/4 cup uncooked rice
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions
Make the lobster broth first.
Remove any lobster meat from the carcasses and reserve.
Place the shells from 3 lobster carcasses by placing in a large pot. Add 4 cups water, 2 cups chicken broth, 1 cup dry white wine, half a cup sherry (optional) Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours covered.
While the broth is simmering, prepare the rest of the ingredients by chopping 1 Spanish onion, 3 carrots, 3 stalks celery, 10 stalks parsley, 3 large tomatoes and 2 cloves garlic.
Next drain the broth through a colander into a large bowl, discard the lobster carcasses
Heat oil and butter in the pot.
Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery parsley, tomatoes , garlic, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme) salt and pepper.    Cover and cook for 15 mins. Do not let vegetables get brown.
Next, pour the reserved lobster broth into the pot add 3/4 cup rice and bring mixture to a boil.
Simmer covered for 20 mins.
Blend in food processor to a puree
Return the pureed bisque to a pot
Any reserved lobster meat you may have should be cut into pieces and added to the bisque
Reheat bisque and add 1/4 cup heavy cream.
Just allow the bisque to gently reheat, do not boil.

Baked Halibut

Yesterday, I worked late and wanted something for dinner that wouldn't take too long to prepare. I bought some halibut at Fins and Tails, the gentleman wrapping the fish told me that halibut was his favorite fish so I asked him how he prepared it. This is his recipe and it was perfect and easy! Served with broccoli and a nice salad.

Ingredients

Halibut steaks (quantity depends on how many people eating, halibut is quite thick so one per person is fine)
Butter
Breadcrumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Spray a cookie sheet with Pam
Wash the fish and pat dry with a paper towel
Place the fish on the baking sheet with a knob of butter on top of each fish.
Bake in oven for 10 to 12 minutes or till almost done, then remove from oven, add a little more butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
Change the bake to broil and broil until browned. Takes a few minutes more.
Serve with lemon wedges

Quinoa Salad with orange, cranberries and pecans

I like this salad, it is very light and refreshing.
I use pearled quinoa and an organic brand of dried cranberries, not craisins, they tend to make the quinoa change color. You can be
creative and add chopped fennel, pears, or grapes the ingredients are endless. I've eaten
this for breakfast the next day!

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1 orange - grated rind,
      segments removed and juiced.
1 lemon - grated rind,
       squeezed lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 crisp apple (fuji)
1 stalk celery chopped
1/4 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
1 cup mixed baby arugula, kale & radicchio
1 orange pepper chopped
10 sugar snap peas cut into thirds
1/4 cup chopped parsley (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Rinse 1 cup quinoa in a large bowl of water, drain the water and place in a saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to the boil, and then simmer, covered for 15 minutes or until moisture has evaporated. Fluff with a fork and spread out in a pyrex dish to cool.

Meanwhile, wash the orange and lemon, grate the rind off both the orange and the lemon, being careful not to grate the white pith part. Place the zest in a large bowl.
Cut the orange in half and cut out each orange segment and add to the bowl, then squeeze the juice into the bowl. Slice the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl.
Add 4 tablespoon olive oil to the juices and mix with a spoon.
Wash an orange pepper, remove the seeds and chop. Add to bowl.
Chop one stalk celery, chop 1/4 cup pecans (or walnuts), peel and chop an apple and add to bowl.
Wash 10 sugar snap peas and slice into thirds, add to bowl.
Wash 1 cup of baby arugula, kale and radicchio, pat dry with paper towels and add to bowl.
Add 3/4 cup dried cranberries
Stir in the quinoa and fold all together.
Season with salt and pepper.
If you like, you can add some chopped parsley (1/4 cup) and 1 tablespoon chopped mint.
Store in fridge, very good chilled.

Baked Chicken with a Zahtar Lemon Rub

Zahtar is a spice that can be purchased at any Middle Eastern specialty store.
It is a blend of thyme, sumak and sesame seeds.

Ingredients

3 lbs chicken parts (breast/thighs/leg) with skin and on bone
2 Lemons squeezed
2 cloves garlic chopped finely
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup zahtar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Wash the chicken
In a bowl, mix the juice from two lemons, 2 cloves garlic chopped finely and 3 tablespoons olive oil with 1/2 cup zahtar.
Pat the chicken dry, rub with a teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Rub the zahtar mixture all over the chicken parts and let sit in the fridge to marinate for at least one hour. Can be left overnight.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spray the bottom of a roasting pan with Pam spray and lay the chickens out evenly in the pan. Pour any remaining marinade over the chicken.
Bake for 45 minutes.

Jamaican Goat Curry

My son wanted to do a dinner with a Jamaican theme, and we talked about making something with goat. We had previously tried cooking with goat meat but it was frozen and quite tough. So I felt a bit hesitant to try it again nor was I exactly sure where to find goat meat in Syracuse. However, incredibly there was an article in the local newspaper about the wave of new stores that have appeared on the North Side, reflecting the needs of the many diverse international refugees who have settled in Syracuse. There it was! Pyramid Halal on Lodi Street, specializing in goat, camel, lamb and house smoked chicken. The goat meat is fresh and the owner, Hani Mahmoud, will cut the meat for you on the premises. My son in law is Dominican and we asked his mother whether she marinated the meat in lemon juice first...... I had read on line that using a mixture of lemon juice and white vinegar takes away the gamey taste and makes it more tender. After washing the meat in water, she rubs it with either a lemon or a lime.
The Jamaican curry is similar to regular curry but also has allspice in it, so it is suggested to mix curry powder with some allspice.
I found this recipe in Simply Recipes.com, but have made some additions and changes as I went along.

Ingredients

2 lemons
1/2 cup white vinegar
5 lbs goat meat cut into two inch chunks with bone still on.
1/2 cup vegetable oil
12 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons allspice
Salt
3 onions chopped
3 habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers, seeded and chopped
4 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 whole head of garlic peeled and minced
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped
(wear gloves to seed and chop peppers)
2 25oz cans coconut milk
1 35oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons dried thyme
4 cups water
10 Yukon yellow potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks.
10 carrots peeled and chopped into half inch rounds

Directions

In a large bowl, wash the meat first in cold water, drain in a colander.
Place the meat in a dry bowl and squeeze two lemons and add 1/2 cup white vinegar. Let the meat stand in this mixture for at least 30 minutes.
In the meantime, mix 12 tablespoons curry powder and 2 tablespoons allspice together and leave in a small bowl.
Next  chop 3 onions, seed and chop 3 habanero peppers (I couldn’t find Scotch bonnet peppers) and 1 jalapeno pepper. WEAR GLOVES! Put the onions and peppers in a bowl.
Now take a whole garlic, separate the cloves, skin them and mince very finely.
Put in a small bowl.
Peel and chop finely a 4 inch piece of fresh ginger, add to the minced garlic,
Pat dry the meat which you have cut into 2 -3 inch chunks, leaving the bones on. Sprinkle meat with salt.
Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a sauce pan, adding and mixing in 2 tablespoons of the curry powder. Heat until fragrant. Saute the meat until brown. Saute the meat in small batches. Be careful to watch that the curry powder mix doesn’t burn, add more oil as it tends to dry out in the pan. Put the meat in a very large pot.
Next add the chopped onions and peppers, there is a large amount of onions, so do two batches. Saute until the onions begin to brown. Add to the pot. Add the garlic and ginger to the second batch of onions once they have started to brown and saute for a couple of minutes. Add to the big pot.
Pour in the coconut milk, the crushed tomatoes and 4 cups of water.
Add 2 tablespoons dried thyme.
Stir.
Cook very slowly over low heat, could take 3 - 4 hours, the meat needs to be very tender and  almost falling off the bone.
Peel the potatoes and carrots and chop into bite size pieces, I actually cooked the potatoes and carrots in two separate pots until just beginning to be tender, then added to the stew. I made the stew a week ahead and froze the stew without potatoes and carrots. Then on the day, slowly heated the stew and added the cooked potatoes and carrots to the simmering stew.
Or, once the meat is tender, add the Yukon potatoes and carrots and continue simmering until the vegetables are tender.
There may be fat on the top, you can skim this off.
The stew can be made several days ahead, it gets better the longer it sits.
 

Grilled Whole Striped Bass

Even though it’s winter in Syracuse, there are still treasures to be found at the Farmers’ Market. David bought a beautiful whole striped bass that had been gutted and scaled. It weighed about 1 1/2 pounds which was plenty for the two of us. The gentleman he purchased it from farms his own bass buying them when they are very young. This recipe doesn’t take long, broiling the fish fast and the sauce gives it a robust taste.

Ingredients

1 whole striped bass head on, gutted and scaled
2 lemons
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped green onions
3 tablespoon chopped mint plus 4 sprigs
2 teaspoons oregano
1 large clove garlic chopped finely
1 tablespoon chopped fennel

Directions

Preheat the broiler with the oven rack 6 inches down from broiler.
Wash the fish inside and out and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut 4 slashes down to the bone on one side of the fish.
Sprinkle salt and pepper in cavity of fish.
Combine 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 cup chopped green onions, 3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves, 2 teaspoons oregano, 1 large clove garlic chopped finely and 1 tablespoon chopped fennel. At this point you can blend it all in a processor, but when I made it I forgot this step and it was delicious without blending! Reserve 3 tablespoons of the sauce in a small bowl to serve with the fish. Spread sauce in cavity and over both sides of the fish, rubbing into cuts in flesh. Slice the other lemon in half, make 3 large circular slices and place the lemons inside the cavity and 2 of the mint sprigs.
Line a baking sheet with silver foil, place the fish on the silver foil.
Have the oven rack 6 inches away from the broiler, broil for approximately 6-8 minutes each side, or until crispy brown and the fish is flaky, the length of time depends on the heat of the broiler. Test to make sure the fish is flaky. The recipe I was following said 5 minutes on each side but it wasn’t done at all, the flesh still clinging to the bones, so I had to put it back in the oven.
Serve with lemon wedges and mint sprigs.