http://www.chow.com/boards/31 Sat, 30 Sep 2006 11:11:32 GMT Keep track of the lastest threads on Chowhound http://www.chow.com/topics/670000#5212174 I learned that I have reached my lifetime limit of whole turkey roasting. Hardly anyone even bothers to look at the whole bird (we carve in the kitchen). It's a pain to shlep it home, rinse it, brine it, rinse it again, dry it, haul it into the pan, and then I need to recruit my son to lift the pan in and out of the oven (I'm a weakling). From now on it's turkey parts. Cooking will be faster, I'll be able to remove each part from the pan as it's done, with no risk of anything being dry or undercooked, carving will be a breeze, and I can add a third breast for extra white meat. Some traditions aren't worth the trouble, and since the food police scared me off putting stuffing in the bird some time ago, I no longer see the advantage of a cooking a whole turkey. Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:35:53 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670000#5212174 http://www.chow.com/topics/669995#5212171 Happy to oblige: The pumpkin pie: 1. Filling--Look for "Spiced Pumpkin Pie" on Epicurious--but, per the consensus of comments, I added one additional egg and upped the spices by 50%. Note the additional egg also increases the cooking time. ( I just kept testing with a toothpick until it came out clean, but not dry.) This recipe definitely has the taste of molasses, which I think complements the pumpkin beautifully, but if that's not a taste you favor, this isn't for you. 2. The crust recipe is not traditional, but I have an visceral fear of rolling dough, and didn't want to use a prepared crust, so this solved the problem. It's more of a tart dough, and doesn't look that pretty, but tastes very good, and is dead easy. it's here: http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/10/easy-no-roll-pie-crust/#more-1743 The cheesecake recipe is under "Espresso Chocolate Cheesecake Harris" in Epicurious. Per one reviewer's suggestion, I used chocolate teddy grahams for the crust instead of chocolate wafers, and the result was delicious. Warning, this is a fairly complicated recipe and took quite a while. It's extremely rich, so portions can be small and a multitude served. I used a slightly larger pan than called for, so had to be very careful spreading the crust so as not to have bald spots, but just cut the baking time down a bit and it came out perfect. Don't skip the aluminum foil wrap. Enjoy! Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:13:46 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669995#5212171 http://www.chow.com/topics/670161#5212169 not sure if the Kiev recipe/method in this article is actually Julia's, but it might be worth a look... http://photos.newsminer.com/news/2009/sep/09/julia-child-was-no-chicken-when-it-came-cooking-an/ Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:05:24 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670161#5212169 http://www.chow.com/topics/285743#5212141 For parties in my house (three generations lived together in a big ol house in NH) My Aunt and Uncle would grind bacon, cheddar cheese,and onion together and put a generous amount on a Pepperidge Farm firm white bread and then gril it until bubbly,then cut into bite sized 1x1" pieces. After doing my first 4H demonstration- "packing a peppy lunch box" when I was nine.. The next year, 1955, I did the Special noodle casserole I think it was from Parade magazine. Cottage cheese, sour cream,Chopped onion, salt and pepper, tobasco, and Worcestershire sauce mixed with cooked thin egg noodles in a buttered casserole with toasted bread crumbs on top.I still make this! Sat, 28 Nov 2009 07:37:56 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/285743#5212141 http://www.chow.com/topics/363332#5212133 Yes!!! I thought the same thing. Marscapone and chocolate sauce. Yes please. Sat, 28 Nov 2009 07:15:28 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/363332#5212133 http://www.chow.com/topics/670108#5212121 Snow ice cream = Americanized Taiwanese shaved ice. :-) Sat, 28 Nov 2009 06:54:38 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670108#5212121 http://www.chow.com/topics/669067#5212108 To report back... first off, thanks for all the suggestions... I took inspiration from Martha Stewart's mother's recipe that uses cream cheese, butter, milk and heavy cream. Ended up using more milk than called for. I thought they were just okay. I was afraid they would be gummy, but they turned out alright over the stove... I had to add a bit of chicken stock to loosen them up... My grandmother asked for the recipe, but that's really no indication. Everyone said they were good, but I would do something different next year. People raved over my roast chickens, so I considered that my main victory of the evening. Thanks again! Sat, 28 Nov 2009 06:38:02 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669067#5212108 http://www.chow.com/topics/670078#5212064 Entree - You could do a pasta dish that has variable additions - i.e. start with a smooth tomato sauce (or pesto if the kids like it...), and have options for the adults (and kids if desired) like sauteed mushrooms or other veggies... You could also do enchiladas (with minimal cheese) that replicates their Mexican preference, but do it with greater flavors and higher quality ingredients.. easy to make ahead and reheat on site Another easily vegetarian meal is chili... though not particularly Xmas-y... might be nice with some cornbread and greens on the side Side - What do the kids like? And what I might suggest would depend upon the entree... Greenie Beanies? Mashed Cauliflower (kids might think it's potatoes...)... Something roasted for simple flavors? Dessert - Black Bottom Bars http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/752742-Bittersweet-Chocolate-Black-Bottom-Bars Jacques Torres' Choc Chip Cookies - http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/11/leites-connusmate-chocolate-chip-cookie/ You might also considering doing a fun meal... especially for the kids... like a Dipper Meal including dips and spreads for appetizers, fondue for entree, and dipped strawberries for dessert (use up your chocolate) and angel food cake (use your flour) Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:35:42 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670078#5212064 http://www.chow.com/topics/670127#5212056 The ham bone buried deep inside the ham is not going to pickup as much smoke flavor as the hock, especially if you use the meat and skin of the hock as well as the bone. The skin and sinews in the hock are a good source of collagen (gelatin), better than the bone itself. Using a mix of smoked and fresh hocks would be one way of tempering the smokiness. It is also likely that hocks are smoked longer than regular wet-cured hams, since they are intended for seasoning. Many hams are aimed at a market that wants mild flavor. The exception would be dried cured hams, but those need soaking before cooking to get ride of excess salt. Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:27:48 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670127#5212056 http://www.chow.com/topics/670023#5212046 I keep it in the fridge in a jelly jar with a lid until I use it. Sometimes a couple of months. It never has gone bad. Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:20:30 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670023#5212046 http://www.chow.com/topics/670133#5212008 hmm, foil shouldn't stick to pie dough--it has too much fat. Also, all-butter pie crusts will shrink a lot more during baking than crusts made with shortening or lard (butter has a higher water content, which evaporates) so if you stretch or pull dough at all during placing in pan/primping crust, that will just shrink back during pre-baking. I think chunks of butter are ideal in the dough--that's what creates flakiness. however, if the crust slipped down sides of pan and collapsed on itself, then it sounds like there was too much fat it in--it was too greasy. I say start with a simpler recipe than CI's, either Todao's above (I don't like the taste of an all-shortening crust but the egg in it will add nice structure) or one from the joy of cooking or something like that. I find that CI recipes are sometimes too complicated and intimidating. pie crust shouldn't take a long time or be complicated (i can't imagine grating the butter--who has time for that). Pies used to be an everyday thing in parts of the US and no one was fetishizing the process the way we do today. They were just combining some fat and some flour, adding water, and rolling it out. If you feel you always cut in the fat either too big or too small, try my suggestion from above. Take two-thirds of the fat and cut it in really small. keep working it until the mixture feels almost like coarse cornmeal. Then take the last third of the fat and work it in until it's in pea-sized pieces. I just made a crust tonight (took me five minutes to put the dough together) I put about a cup and a quarter of flour in a bowl. to that I added 3 oz of cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of butter. I worked that together with my fingers until it felt sort of crumbly. then I added two tablespoons of lard (not the supermarket kind but some leaf lard I render myself) and worked that in just until little pea-sized bits remained. (this is less fat than is usually in a pie crust, but i find i can get away with it when i use cream cheese.) then added about 3 tablespoons water that had a smidgen of vinegar in it. Tossed and folded with a fork until it came together, then quickly formed it into a ball with my hands. went into fridge for about 20 minutes (yes, longer is better, but I didn't have the time). Also, another trick for a better bottom crust (not for prebaked shells) is to put the pie on the floor of your oven (on a baking tray) to bake for the first 15 minutes. Practice again and let us know how it goes. Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:38:59 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670133#5212008 http://www.chow.com/topics/669895#5211979 Large frying pan works fine. I cook everything I'm going to be putting into it first (egg, onion, etc.) then take it out. Then I put a fair amount of oil in the pan and use day-old (cold) rice. I find freshly made, hot rice gets too clumpy. The cold rice is easy to break up into individual grains that can be sauteed in the oil, when it gets hot I add the other precooked stuff. I add a little soy sauce and hot chili sauce after everthing is done, just before dishing it out. Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:20:39 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669895#5211979 http://www.chow.com/topics/669901#5211974 k-e, I'm curious. Why do you and others use Jimmy Dean? Do your markets not carry bulk sausage? Or is there something in particular you like about JD? It seems to get mentioned on occasion. I'm not a sausage-snob (well, a bit actually) but using that for a really special meal wouldn't have been my first choice. You're such a good cook that I figured you were the right one to ask. Tx, kiddo. Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:16:57 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669901#5211974 http://www.chow.com/topics/669351#5211968 This is exactly what happened with mine. Smoked at 350 with some cherry wood about 3 1/2 hours to internal temp of 125. Held in a primed cooler for about 4 hours and stuck it in a warm oven for 20 minutes just before serving. Great crust, the cap was more on the medium to medium well side (but amazingly delicious with a heavier smoke flavor than the eye) and the eye was uniformly med rare. Everyone loved it... though I skimped a bit on the salt. Horseradish whipped cream was a nice touch. Thanks again for everyones help! Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:11:41 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669351#5211968 http://www.chow.com/topics/669877#5211966 Probably a clever marketing ploy to sell more product. Although maybe smoked salt loses its smokiness over time (I've never tried it). It definitely wouldn't lose its saltiness. Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:09:51 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669877#5211966 http://www.chow.com/topics/570815#5211954 Minus 8 sorbet sounds magical. Care to share the recipe? Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:02:51 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/570815#5211954 http://www.chow.com/topics/656211#5211944 Coll, here it is. It's number 48. It's also in the video.... http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/18/dining/18mini.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1 Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:53:22 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/656211#5211944 http://www.chow.com/topics/523483#5211940 There's chemical toxins (some of which are produced by bacteria) and bacterial toxins. Generally only chemical toxins will kill you instantly (eg. botulism), bacterial toxins will take a while to make you sick to the point where you might die. The kind of toxins from re-freezing meat will be bacterial toxins, eg. e. coli or salmonella that might be at a certain concentration when packaged, stay at that concentration when frozen, and become active again when thawed. That's why it's important to thaw in the fridge, the bacteria don't multiply at fridge temperatures so you're not dealing with larger concentrations of toxic bacteria just from thawing and re-freezing. If you thaw on the countertop, the bacteria on the surface can multiply and when you freeze it again it's still there, ready to multiply some more when you again thaw it on the countertop. Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:48:45 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/523483#5211940 http://www.chow.com/topics/669968#5211929 It's a small pile of foodie-grown-ups now, rather than a table-with-all-the-leaves-added-plus-kids-table. So we've migrated from traditional turkey to "oh boy! It's November! Let's talk about what we could make this year! How about guinea fowl?". It has been a LOT of fun doing that, these past few years. Even if the dinner doesn't turn out perfectly, the business of shopping and planning and cooking and tasting is a family affair, and SO engaging! (PS: Delia Smith's guinea fowl is really good, and makes a FANTASTIC pot pie if you've made 2 and have leftovers!) Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:39:13 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669968#5211929 http://www.chow.com/topics/670139#5211924 The duration was 24 hours. Thanks Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:33:43 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670139#5211924 http://www.chow.com/topics/403665#5211899 salad's actually the right answer. something cool and snappy to cut through the hopefully very dense flavor of your PeF. ...There's more than one kind of salad? Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:15:27 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/403665#5211899 http://www.chow.com/topics/669043#5211869 For anyone keeping score, we had this pie for Thanksgiving. It was excellent and it will now be a permanent part of our holiday menu. I made it without the meringue. Over dinner I asked for opinions and we were equally divided about whether we would have liked it better with or without a conventional meringue. The brown sugar meringue I proposed in the original post would definitely have competed with the lovely maple flavor. Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:51:53 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669043#5211869 http://www.chow.com/topics/668913#5211858 I read that as well regarding the dark corn syrup. Any time you caramelize sugar, though, you lose some sweetness and you gain some bitterness (very dark caramels have almost no sweetness), and dark corn syrup is pretty sweet, so... I have a feeling that they're playing the same game. Although... dark corn syrup, unlike light, never had HFCS listed in the ingredients. My gut feeling, though, is that where there's sweetness, there's bound to be fructose. I just scoured the Karo FAQ for a second time today. I mean, come on, do they really there's a question out there that's asked MORE frequently than 'Do your syrups contain high fructose corn syrup?' That's like a margarine manufacturer not talking about trans fats- it's ridiculous. Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:45:30 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/668913#5211858 http://www.chow.com/topics/670132#5211854 Well, I only make enough for myself and I keep that in the fridge. I can fruit preserves myself as well but you have to appreciate the significant hygiene issues. If you aren't ABSOLUTELY sure of the acid content and, therefore, the stability of mustard I wouldn't offer it as anything but a fresh food to be refrigerated. Once refrigerated there's no particular rush to use it up. My recipe makes a couple cups of mustard and, while it takes me months to use it up, there's no indication it's tired in any way at the end. Care to share any of the recipes you found? I use this YumSugar recipe. http://www.yumsugar.com/3414781 I make it with about 1/3 yellow mustard seeds, 2/3 brown mustard seeds and a mellow pomegranate vinegar and honey. After it's mellowed for several weeks I add in some puréed fruit preserves to round out the flavor and take some of the edge off the heat. Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:42:02 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670132#5211854 http://www.chow.com/topics/670115#5211842 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLIFL3aDty0 video step by step http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6649570 Dorie Greenspan is my favorite rugelach source http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/347827 rugelach post on CH http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/564196 and, this Cookie-palooza is a wonderful recipe/link swap. Please add yours, heylids! Enjoy & happy baking! Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:34:34 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670115#5211842 http://www.chow.com/topics/616227#5211767 Thanks to this post I tried making it with sour cream. I'd only heard of using buttermilk before. This worked wonderfully! And I will surely use up the sour cream whereas the buttermilk might have gone to waste. In fact, I already had S.C. so it was a no brainer! Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:37:52 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/616227#5211767 http://www.chow.com/topics/670085#5211759 An out-of-the-box reply: Fill a clear vase with them and then fill with water. It will probably keep thru Christmas and looks really cool! Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:32:56 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670085#5211759 http://www.chow.com/topics/670010#5211757 Yes, I think it depends on how much skin goes into the stock. I've made some great soup from smoked turkeys. Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:30:39 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670010#5211757 http://www.chow.com/topics/670107#5211753 Two or three years ago the New York Times ran this article reporting on one cook's experiments with all different kinds of fats in pie crust. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B01E6DC173EF936A25752C1A9609C8B63&sec=&spon=&emc=eta1 The author actually liked the suet crust almost as much as the one made with leaf lard. She favored a 70/30 ratio of butter to other animal fat (suet, lard, etc.) I've been making mine with butter and lard in those proportions ever since, with very satisfactory results. Hope that's helpful! Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:28:21 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670107#5211753 http://www.chow.com/topics/668022#5211736 I meant to include these links that might be helpful: USDA home canning guides http://www.canningpantry.com/home-canning-guides.html Ball canning: http://www.freshpreserving.com/pages/guides/320.php National Center for Home Food Preservation: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/index.html Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:13:15 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/668022#5211736 http://www.chow.com/topics/669843#5211724 my guess is that the stronger flavors in your stir-fries help mask the cornstarch. anyway, lesson learned :) Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:05:22 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669843#5211724 http://www.chow.com/topics/669028#5211722 I'm alone tonight, so I had some of my husband's (admittedly) terrific turkey and Trader Joe's Coastal Gewurtztraminer. I chopped up some cranberries and mixed them with oranges, and those were really good. I tried TJ's new milk chocolate bar, but it was way too sweet. Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:04:49 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669028#5211722 http://www.chow.com/topics/408399#5211720 I use whenever I want a light sauce (no heavy puree} chicken,shellfish ,fava or other beans or vegetables etc. Basil ,garlic,and onion are also added Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:03:58 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/408399#5211720 http://www.chow.com/topics/669902#5211614 yes, i was thinking about that, too. i don't know if they were pressured first, or just slow cooked, but you are right. cooking bones for (way) too long can make it bad. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:48:18 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669902#5211614 http://www.chow.com/topics/670021#5211592 I've found a close substitute for buttermilk in the following. It's thick and tart like butter milk. 2/3 cup plain yogurt 1/3 cup 2% milk 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar Mix well and allow to sit for about 5-minutes before using. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:31:54 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670021#5211592 http://www.chow.com/topics/670098#5211573 you could give the ham a rinse in water and a little soak in milk to subdue the salt. i'd go for mixing the ham with the asparagus (diced) and an equal amount of stuffing and an egg. portion out and roll in bread crumbs. saute in butter til browned, or as kind of a take on arancini, you could put a chunk of mild cheese in the center and make more of a ball than a patty. saute then finish in the oven. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:15:52 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670098#5211573 http://www.chow.com/topics/595856#5211568 Controlling humidity in a fridge is tricky. I find the humidity inside the fridge tends to be higher than ambient, so adding a bowl of water might be exactly the wrong thing to do. If you're going to dry meats fairly often, a humidity monitor would be a good investment. Here's a basic $20 model that I use: http://www.amazon.com/Caliber-III-Digital-Thermometer-Hygrometer/dp/B0007W1EA6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1259363125&sr=8-4 Or just check the weather reports and wait until temperature and humidity are in the right range. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:12:01 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/595856#5211568 http://www.chow.com/topics/669845#5211545 Thanks for the ideas! We decided to spoon the unset gel/glaze off and chuck it, and made up a batch of weetened whipped cream with the juice and zest of one lemon, to spread on top. It was actually quite tasty, though the crust was a bit soft where it had been absorbing the unset liquid overnight. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:55:53 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669845#5211545 http://www.chow.com/topics/670086#5211523 Here's another really good post about sauerkraut, that I've followed very successfully. It's a little more specific about the brine you may need to add. http://www.chow.com/stories/11845 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:47:34 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670086#5211523 http://www.chow.com/topics/670101#5211518 Hi: Since there is a very similar thread in progress, we ask that posters post there, so that we can keep the discussion consolidated: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/669995 Thanks! Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:43:44 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670101#5211518 http://www.chow.com/topics/670082#5211503 You can start making things that keep well in the freezer like cookie dough (or some baked cookies that contain butter), cakes and breads. I'm making assorted cookies, quick bread, pound cake & rum cake to send to my son. I'll start making the cookies and quick bread next week and freeze. I'll make the rum cake about a week before mailing. I'm also making granola which I'll make a few days before mailing.... You can make rum cake and/or fruit cakes now, if you want and I imagine you can make other baked goods now that contain a nice amount of alcohol, which would retard bacteria growth...wrap well and keep in a dry dark place to "marinate" Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:32:44 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670082#5211503 http://www.chow.com/topics/572510#5211471 thanks to this thread I too was going to deviate from the slurry & do a roux. Unfortunately my fried made the turkey in a non stick pan and there was no fond so I stuck to my slurry method. I did add a little apple cider to the finished gravy and it gave a real nice almost barely there sweetness. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:14:55 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/572510#5211471 http://www.chow.com/topics/459930#5211440 I followed the LA Times recipe. Had a 13 lb fresh Diestel turkey. Overall, it was a very good turkey. I could see the juices running as I carved it about an hour after it came out of the oven. My skin wasn't crispy, but that was probably due to the fact that it had to sit under foil for a while, the bird cooked way faster than I anticipated. My gravy was just a little too salty, so next year I'd probably make some turkey stock ahead of time and avoid using the juices. I'd definitely use this method again. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:50:31 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/459930#5211440 http://www.chow.com/topics/493153#5211418 I've recently been on a rice pudding kick, which I make in the laziest of all possible ways, and I bet it could be adapted quite well to something more risotto-like. I'd cook it in milk and then add condensed milk at the end, rather than starting it in condensed milk. For rice pudding, I cooking it in the microwave, starting with leftover cooked rice and quite a bit of milk (maybe 2 times as much milk as rice), in a big bowl, cooking on medium heat and stirring every couple minutes until it boils and gets thick. This probably takes 6-10 minutes for around a half cup of rice, so could take a while for more. Once the rice is breaking down and the mixture is getting thick, I take it out and mix in an egg yolk that I've stirred with sugar and a little cream. If you start with arborio, and use condensed milk at the end, maybe this would be close to what you're looking for? Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:36:06 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/493153#5211418 http://www.chow.com/topics/670092#5211410 Thanks to this board I cooked stuffing in a crockpot and pre-made mashed potatoes and kept them hot in a crockpot for the first time. Fantastic timesavers-thanks to all who shared this knowledge! Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:32:03 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670092#5211410