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Archive for the ‘Thanksgiving’ Category
My two grown children are coming here for Thanksgiving, and I am THRILLED. I’m proud to say that I’m close to all of my kids, and that holidays spent together are not an obligation but a celebration made even more special by the fact that we don’t actually see each other often, although we talk to each other on a very regular basis.
Like, damn near every day.
One of the things I do when I know the kids are going to be here is make a menu of their favorite dishes. In fact, last evening I called Darling Daughter (who currently resides in every mother’s nightmare Las Vegas) and asked her what she’d like to eat while she’s here. After acknowledging that yes, chicken and dumplings would be served at some point, we put together a tentative menu. After settling the basics with my lovely daughter, I IM’d Oldest Son, outlining what we’d be eating over the course of the week.
Just to make sure all that home cooking would suit him, you know. He responded in typical person with a penis Oldest Son fashion:
“Sounds good to me! All I see is, ‘This day, we’re having yummeh foodz, then this day we’re having more yummeh foodz, and then this day yummeh foodz again, etc.’”
It’s so nice to know I’m appreciated. No, really. It is.
At any rate, as Oldest Son pointed out, all teh yummeh foodz will culminate in The Epitome of All Yummeh Foodz:
And with Thanksgiving comes leftover turkey. Often, so much leftover turkey that you stand around saying, “There’s no way in HELL we can eat this many sandwiches.” (Although Beloved will give it the good ol’ college try.)
Well, stock up on the canned soups, folks, because I’ll give you a couple of recipes that will make pretty good use of that leftover turkey. Nothing fancy or gourmet (and certainly not diet-friendly) by any means, but good, solid, comfort fare that will warm not only your stomachs but hopefully your hearts as well.
This dish was originally passed on to me as a good use for leftover chicken. Me? I have a hard time telling leftover chicken from leftover turkey. Turkey works well, trust me. And whatever leftover poultry you use, this is pretty tasty.
Enchilada Casserole
serves 6 generously (and can be easily doubled)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
12 flour tortillas, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 – 3 cups leftover cooked chicken or turkey, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chilies, drained
8 ounces (about 2 cups) shredded cheddar cheese
8 ounces (about 2 cups) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Preheat oven to 350° F; lightly butter a 2-quart glass baking dish.
In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat; stir in the onion and cook until tender and almost translucent. Stir in the soup, sour cream, coriander and cumin. Mix well and set aside.
Layer half of the tortillas, chicken or turkey, chilies, soup mixture, and cheeses in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, poultry, chilies and soup mixture, reserving the remaining cheeses.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until heated through. Remove foil, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and return to oven for 10 – 15 minutes, until the cheese melts and begins to brown slightly. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Next week: Quick and Easy Turkey Pot Pie.
The Spin Cycle this week is all about Fall recipes – and what recipes represent Fall better than Thanksgiving recipes??
You’ll be hard-put to find any American family that doesn’t have their own menu of favorites for this day of feasting and thanks that officially kicks off the Holiday Season here in the United States (it’s the ultimate “man’s holiday” for, as Beloved will quickly point out, you get to eat too much, drink too much, watch a lot of football and you don’t have to buy anyone a present).
Last year in early October, my good friend Tricia asked if I was going to post some of my Thanksgiving recipes before The Big Day smacked us in the face. I not only posted them, but made an entire series out of them called Thanksgiving Thursday.
So, since today is Thursday, and we are five weeks away from Thanksgiving, I give you a recap of all of my Turkey Day Recipes.
You’re welcome.
The Turkey From Hell
There was a time when, if you suggested I change my Thanksgiving menu, you’d have been met with flaming crosses and cries of, “Heretic!!”
It simply wasn’t done.
Cornbread Dressing
Along with the turkey and cranberry sauce, stuffing – or in the case of us Southerners, dressing – is the centerpiece of any truly worthy Thanksgiving meal.
For those who might be confused, stuffing is, well, stuffed inside the turkey; dressing is cooked in a separate dish. For the most part, Southerners – and I am one – make dressing. While I’m not sure why it’s a widespread Southern tradition, I can tell you why I cook the dressing outside the bird.
Cranberry Sauce
As I said in last the last Thanksgiving Thursday post, turkey, dressing/stuffing and cranberry sauce are the cornerstone of any Thanksgiving feast. The side dishes often vary, but these three things are almost always on the table in one form or another.
Bourbon Molasses Sweet Potatoes with Buttered Pecans
Sweet Potatoes! I love ‘em. I have come to the conclusion that there is little you can do with a white potato that you can’t do better with a sweet potato. I used to say there isn’t anything you can do with a white potato that you can’t do better with a sweet potato, until a young acquaintance of mine mentioned scalloped potatoes.
I believe she had a point.
Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts
I’m weird, and I’ll be the first person to admit it, but I LOVE brussels sprouts. (I love hominy, too, so there you go.) When I ran across the original recipe for this, I just had to make it and once I’d made it, I stuck it right in the Thanksgiving repertoire. I’ve converted die-hard brussels sprout haters with this recipe.
Pumpkin Pie
Nothing says “Thanksgiving” quite like pumpkin pie. I know very few people who don’t like it (The Young One and Jolly come immediately to mind), and those who love it love it A LOT; I’ve seen Oldest Son, Miss Jacki and TC eye the last piece of pumpkin pie as if they were a cat burglar casing the Hope Diamond. The recipe I’m about to give you is my grandmother’s; I have no idea where it came from. All I can tell you is that after almost 46 years of eating pumpkin pie, I have never eaten one I like better.
Apple Pie
Apple pie was not in my Thanksgiving repertoire for many years – my grandmother was usually in charge of the pies at family functions and she more or less restricted herself to pumpkin and pecan. Once in awhile I would wheedle a mincemeat pie out of her, but since she and I were the only people who would eat it, that didn’t happen very often (and it’s for that reason I haven’t made one in many, many years – even Beloved doesn’t care for mincemeat and he’ll eat just about anything).
Pecan Pie
Pecan pie seems to have originated as a purely Southern dessert. It belongs to a group of pies referred to as “transparent pies” and includes such favorites as Shoo-fly, Jefferson Davis and Chess pies. Fillings are usually based on brown sugar, molasses, or corn syrup. These are usually thickened with eggs, but sometimes, as in Shoo-fly pie, with a flour base, or Chess Pie, which includes eggs and corn meal.
Lemon Chess Pie
According to Wikipedia, “Chess pie is a dessert characteristic of Southern U.S. cuisine. Recipes vary, but are generally similar in that they call for the preparation of a single crust and a filling composed of eggs, butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. What sets chess pie apart from many other custard pies is the substitution of corn meal for flour. Some recipes also call for corn syrup, which tends to create a more gelatinous consistency. The pie is then baked. The resulting pie is very sweet and often consumed with coffee in order to offset this…” The addition of lemon to the recipe helps the sweetness issue quite a bit, and lends a very pleasing overall tartness to the dessert.
Pie Crust
Anyway, pie crust. It’s not as hard as you might think; the secret is to not over-mix or under-mix the dough. If you over-mix the flour and fat (be it shortening or butter or cream cheese or lard) before adding the liquid, you’ll moisture-proof the flour, preventing it from absorbing the water, and the crust will be too fragile to roll. If you under-mix the flour and fat, the flour will absorb the water too easily and form too much gluten, giving you a tough crust.
Now, aren’t you just thrilled you know that?
What are your favorite Thanksgiving dishes, and will you post them on your site? Pretty Please?
According to Wikipedia, “Chess pie is a dessert characteristic of Southern U.S. cuisine. Recipes vary, but are generally similar in that they call for the preparation of a single crust and a filling composed of eggs, butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. What sets chess pie apart from many other custard pies is the substitution of corn meal for flour. Some recipes also call for corn syrup, which tends to create a more gelatinous consistency. The pie is then baked. The resulting pie is very sweet and often consumed with coffee in order to offset this…” The addition of lemon to the recipe helps the sweetness issue quite a bit, and lends a very pleasing overall tartness to the dessert.
The origin of the name is somewhat unclear, although folklore suggests that when asked by her husband what kind of dessert she was making, a Southern housewife answered “jes’ pie.” I rather like that explanation, myself.
This was my mother’s hands-down favorite pie and began making an appearance on her holiday table the last ten or so years of her life. After I moved up north, I realized I hadn’t had one since Mom passed away, and began searching for a recipe that she would have liked. What I eventually came up with is something she would have loved. To me, it tastes like home.
Lemon Chess Pie
serves 8
1 unbaked 9″ pie shell
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons lemon zest, grated
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
1/4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Whisk together the sugar, flour, cornmeal and salt. Add the melted butter, zest, lemon juice and milk; mix well. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Pour filling into the unbaked pie shell and bake until the top is a crisp, golden brown, about 45 to 50 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
Pecan pie seems to have originated as a purely Southern dessert. It belongs to a group of pies referred to as “transparent pies” and includes such favorites as Shoo-fly, Jefferson Davis and Chess pies. Fillings are usually based on brown sugar, molasses, or corn syrup. These are usually thickened with eggs, but sometimes, as in Shoo-fly pie, with a flour base, or Chess Pie, which includes eggs and corn meal.
Pecan pie is Beloved and Darling Daughter’s favorite pie, and I’ve made the same recipe for many, many years – the one on the back of the bottle of Karo syrup. It’s the recipe my grandmother made, and is the pie I grew up with; it is comforting and intensely sweet. However, over the last few years, I’ve made a couple of modifications to the recipe that reduces that sweetness a little and keeps the pecans crisp instead of “chewy.” If you can’t find Lyle’s Golden Syrup, feel free to use light corn syrup.
Note: If you omit the pecans and substitute the vanilla with 3 tablespoons bourbon, you will have a Bourbon Pie.
Pecan Pie
serves 8
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup sugar
1 cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup pecans
1 – 9″ unbaked pie shell
Preheat oven to 325 F. Spread the pecans on a cookie sheet or other shallow baking pan and toast in the oven, stirring frequently, 7 – 10 minutes, or until fragrant. Remove from oven and cool completely. (If making ahead, keep in an airtight container until ready to use.)
Increase oven heat to 350 F.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, syrup, salt, butter and vanilla together well; stir in the pecans. Pour into pie crust.
Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between the center and edge comes out clean (the middle may look slightly underdone; this is fine). Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
Apple pie was not in my Thanksgiving repertoire for many years – my grandmother was usually in charge of the pies at family functions and she more or less restricted herself to pumpkin and pecan. Once in awhile I would wheedle a mincemeat pie out of her, but since she and I were the only people who would eat it, that didn’t happen very often (and it’s for that reason I haven’t made one in many, many years – even Beloved doesn’t care for mincemeat and he’ll eat just about anything).
However, while the kids all have their favorite pies – Oldest Son loves pumpkin, Darling Daughter prefers pecan, and Miss Jacki will eat any kind of pie you put in front of her, Jolly doesn’t like either pumpkin or pecan pie. She likes apple pie. Since I do too (it’s my hands-down favorite pie of all time), and there’s nothing I like better than throwing another dish on the holiday menu (I never claimed to be in my right mind), apple pie became part of the Romanesque orgy we call Thanksgiving dinner.
Oh, and The Young One? He’d rather have warm chocolate souffle. There’s one in every family.
I’ve been refining my apple pie for many years. The version I make now uses a method that Rose Levy Berenbaum perfected for her fruit pies, and it makes a damn fine pie. It’s a little more involved than most standard apple pie recipes, but I promise you it is well worth it.
Note: I put a mixture of tart apples and sweet apples in my pies – I think it just makes for a tastier pie. Make sure, whatever type you prefer, to use firm apples that stand up well to cooking. Granny Smith and Macintosh are good tart baking apples, and Jonathan and Gala apples are sweet varieties that withstand cooking fairly well. Don’t use Golden or Red Delicious – they seem to turn to mush too easily. I also don’t slice my apples very thinly; we’re shooting for tender yet firm apples in the pie. Slicing them too thinly can easily turn your pie into an “applesauce pie.”
Apple Pie
serves 8
Pie crust for a 2 crust, 9″ pie
2 1/2 pounds baking apples (about six medium), peeled, cored and sliced at least 1/2″ thick
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
In a large bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and toss to mix. Allow the apples to sit for about an hour.
Transfer the apples and their juices to a colander suspended over another bowl for about 15 minutes, capturing the juice. You should have between 1/2 and 3/4 cup of liquid. Return the apples to the original bowl and toss with the cornstarch. Set aside.
In a small saucepan over over medium-high heat, boil the liquid from the apples with the butter until syrupy and slightly caramelized. Swirl the liquid but do not stir it. You should have between 1/3 and 1/2 cup of syrup, depeding on how much liquid you started with. Pour over the apples, tossing gently. Don’t worry if the syrup hardens slightly on contact with the apples; it will dissolve during baking.
Pour the apple mixture into a pie plate that has been lined with the bottom crust and trimmed 1/2″ wider than the plate. Brush the edges with water, and cover with the top crust, trimming it to fit the bottom crust; press down all the way around to seal. Crimp the border using a fork or your fingers, then slash the top crust 3 – 5 times.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 F and bake for another 40 to 50 minutes. Cover the edges with foil if the crust seems to be browning too quickly.
Allow to cool for at least 4 hours before serving.