What's For Dinner? Part LX

[Cherylptw]

Welcome and please share what's going on your dinner plate this evening. Inspire us with what you're planning for the upcoming days leading to the holidays as they unfold and any other delicious thoughts & tidbits both simple & extravagant.

[JerryMe]

Really hungry. Really cold. Put some leftover spiral ham on a piece of dark rye bread and put it under the broiler w/ some pepper jack and waited until it was nice and bubbly. Actually quite good. Wish I had some peperoncini peppers, but it filled the empty spot.

Will have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

[Retroh777]

Ha! Gonna have to be tasty leftovers! Shopping nite in Florida over here! I relish the leftovers as they do get better the day after! Makes the dinner plate look like a trip thru a cafeteria line.
We tend to freeze lunch size portions so that's a great go-to as well. And yes, there is a bit of turkey actually still left!

[Cherylptw]

Dinner tonight was leftover turkey with stuffing & gravy and leftover broccoli. A fresh pear shared with the pooch for dessert. I'll be eating off that bird another couple of days this week before stashing what's left in the freezer & making stock from the carcass.

New thread started here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/750155

[onceadaylily]

I spent last night getting a jump on the stock (still in the oven), and tucking away meat into the freezer, making a small batch of turkey salad, and finally doing that heavily bastardized take on homity pie (which I think will henceforth be known as Damn Yankee pie). I left just enough meat in the fridge for two more dishes, one of which will be a tonight's turkey pot pie, with gravy made up with a portion of my *gorgeous* drippings (and a stock that I'm crossing my fingers over), peas, carrots, and topped with the last of the garlic mashed potatoes.

Really, the drippings are breathtaking. It's such a lovely deep brown, with red and caramel undertones. If I could find a couch that color, I would be a happy woman.

[mariacarmen]

mmmm, 10 a.m. here, and now i'm starving. your drippings sound heavenly.
"damn yankee pie" - love it!

don't know WFD yet, going to dad's after work to see what's in the fridge.,,

[buttertart]

I'm forever wanting dresses the color of foods. One I'd really like is the color of the inside peel of mangosteens, the most outrageous fuchsia in the world.

[linguafood]

gorgeous.

[buttertart]

In real life, mindblowing.

[onceadaylily]

I have mittens that color.

I'm painting my kitchen this year, and my plan is to find the perfect shade of green to take into the paint store to have it mixed. Kiwi, but softer, like lime rind, but not as dark.

[buttertart]

Nice. The same friend who went orangey from carrots almost lost her mind trying to find the perfect shade of green for her kitchen. It's easier said than done.

[nomadchowwoman]

I feel your paint pain . . . You should have been around when I was renovating/rebuilding (the entire house). My painter thought I was a comedian (of course, I wasn't kidding at all) as I picked slightly different colors, so slight as to be indiscernible, for each (progressive) room. I believe I settled on "celery" for the kitchen--or was it "honeydew"?

[Harters]

Pub lunch was warm and comforting. A pigeon breast salad, served with a poached egg (I'll file that one away to try and recreate at home), followed by braised blade of beef, autumn veg, mash and dumplings. Herself having a butternut squash and sage soup (another one to try at home), followed by a fishfinger sandwich.

As for dinner, there's a jar of pate de Flandres for starters. Then leftover lamb shoulder. That'll get warmed up in the leftover gravy, to which we'll add recurrant jelly, a hefty dollop of English mustard and several splashes of Worcestershire sauce. There's leftover red kale as well. And there's this week's cake making effort by Mrs H. It's supposed to be a flourless chocolate cake but it isnt at all cakelike in texture - much better as dessert, with lashings of cream.

[mamachef]

"Lashings of cream." Hart, buddy? You slay me. I want to dive into a great big bowl of your food every single day. And your sauce, it's sort of Cumberland-ish, right? Served hot?

[Perilagu Khan]

Rainbow trout coated in pearly meal and fried. Fried okry on the side.

[mariacarmen]

what's pearly meal, pk?

[nomadchowwoman]

I don't know, but I'll have some anyway. Rainbow trout: so wonderfully far away from turkey.

[Cherylptw]

Now that sounds great! I have a ton of okra in my freezer from the summer garden....I know what Friday's dinner will be!

[nomadchowwoman]

Tonight's dinner was gumbo made from leftover turkey, smoked chicken, andouille, and both turkey and duck stock. Served with brown rice, crusty bread, and a butter lettuce/bacon/blue cheese/red onion salad.

Tomorrow's dinner will be turkey pot pies and a green salad. Made the filling today; will deal w/the pastry tomorrow.

[tzurriz]

oh that sounds excellent!!!! (the gumbo I mean)

[Cherylptw]

That gumbo does sound delicious...I had my son save me the fat & stock from Thanksgiving's roasted ducks. I can't wait to use it....

[tzurriz]

Turkey soup here made with the turkey stock that cooked overnight on Thursday, the last of the turkey leftovers, the scraps from the veggie tray (broccoli, celery, red peppers, cherry tomatoes, etc), some leftover rice, and chipotle peppers. It was delicious and exactly what we all needed to help fight off this cold going around our house!

[onceadaylily]

I'm putting my stock in the oven tonight (Rhulman's oven method, though I am a bit askance at the inclusion of tomato paste, but being askance makes me all the more curious). If you've used the same recipe I'm getting started with, I'd like to know how it turned out.

[tzurriz]

Sorry, I don't use a recipe. I throw the carcass into my dutch oven, cover it with water, add an onion, a sad carrot, and a few stalks of celery, bring it to a bowl, then pop it in the oven at 225F and leave it overnight. Then I put it in the garage in the morning (34 degrees out there) to cool, skim off the fat, and toss it into ziplock baggies to freeze. I make chicken stock the same way. :)

[Breadcrumbs]

Cloudy skies and chilling winds told me it was time to braise so I found some beautiful beef short ribs at the butcher shop and Mr bc picked out this recipe:

Beef Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine (Costolettine di Manzo Brasate) from
“Lidia’s Italian American Kitchen” by Lidia Bastianich.

I just love this book, everything seems to appeal to us and all the recipes we’ve tried so far have been delicious. I understand the book was published in conjunction w a tv series and I’ll have to see if its on DVD because I’d love to see it.

The house smelled delicious all afternoon as I started out this recipe as directed by reducing a bottle of wine to 1 cup. Instead of finishing on the stove, I popped the dutch oven into the oven to braise. I loved the addition of porcini’s in this recipe, they really deepened the flavour of the final sauce. Also thought grating of the carrots was a good idea as they just melted away until there was nothing left of them except their sweet flavour. Lidia suggests straining the sauce for serving but that seemed like an injustice. My sauce wasn’t “chunky” at all, just rich and flavourful. Love this dish, it would be wonderful for company. Served with olive oil and roasted garlic smashed potatoes. Leftovers will be frozen for another dinner.

[mariacarmen]

Oh BC, i can just taste the sweet richness of your sauce from here! I'm going to have to make these. already found that recipe online: http://www.food.com/recipe/costoletti.... yum.

[ChristinaMason]

That sounds like a great wintry dish.

[LindaWhit]

Oh my, that looks heavenly!

[linguafood]

Berkshire pork loin chops here, prep is TBD. I know they'll be pan-fried, but I am still hoping for someone to recommend a nice rub or sumtin on this very board :-D

Sides - fresh spinach sautéed after a quick blanch with some onion and garlic and some of my Penzey's Indian spices, the man has agreed to make his schmecki pilaf.

Dessert? No. No dessert for us. We are officially in lardass land. Fasting begins tomorrow (incidentally, a *perfect* time to start anything).

[LindaWhit]

LOL! at lardass land. Tee hee! As for a rub for pork chops, here's one I like: http://www.bbq-fyi.com/pork-rub-recip... And here's one I've used on pork tenderloin for grilling - don't see why it wouldn't work on pork chops as well!

3 Tbsp cooking oil
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp wine vinegar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

[boyzoma]

Speaking of Pork Chops, DH had some at our dinner out with my MIL on T-day. They were standard PC's, not overly spiced from what I could tell, but they cut and had the consistency of a fantastic steak. He ranted and raved over them and I would love to replicate that at home. They were moist, juicy and tender. Recipe's anyone? These were about 1/2" thick bone-in chops.

[linguafood]

That sounds great. At this point, however, I've already tossed them in a flour & Hungarian hot paprika & salt mix. Frying some onion along on the side. Pilaf is almost done, so is the Garam Marsala spinach. The residents at casa de lardasses are getting hungry.

[mariacarmen]

Hello, Lardasses! We are your long lost kin, the Muffin Tops. last night the BF found WW-ish recipe for turkey croquettes and baked onion rings, along with a salad of roasted green bell peppers, capers, and shallots, and a cup of his most DELICIOUS SOUP YET - food processed brussel sprouts leftover from thxgiving, onion, garlic, beef broth, sage, oregano, fresh thyme, diced green bell peppers, s&p. parsley and green onions on top. Dessert was clementines he supremed with his own little hands, patiently peeling and pithing each little section at a time, with raspberries. Tonight's dinner will be a lo-cal "asian glazed" chicken legs recipe i found on the skinnytaste.com website with white rice, steamed broccoli, and a cabbage salad. Must. Squeeze. Back. Into. Jeans!

[Breadcrumbs]

Sounds so yummy Maria and pls tell BF, I'm totally impressed...especially w the supremed clementines.

[mamachef]

You can alway lay down and use a hanger to pull the zipper up, as leverage. I say, it's the holidays! Rock on!

[mariacarmen]

don't make hangers strong enough!

the chicken was YUMMY, so there, muffin top!

[Cherylptw]

I've got the turkey I didin't cook for Thanksgiving roasting away in the oven which is stuffed with cornbread stuffing. I'll drain the juices to make a gravy along with a bit of chicken stock if I need it. On the side, blanched broccoli with ancho raisin sauce, mac & cheese I'd made & frozen previously and a salad of mixed lettuce, carrots, and grated apples....balsamic vinaigrette to accompany. Dessert will be peach cobbler also previously frozen from a couple of weeks ago or the turkey sammich I've been waiting two days for, still debating.

[onceadaylily]

I'm planning a second stuffing to accompany a dish later this week, since I get booed out of the room whenever I suggest a cornbread stuffing on T-day. Do you have a recipe you could share?

Oh, and one for the the ancho raisin sauce. Good god, that sounds delicious.

[Cherylptw]

I don't use a recipe, I just wing it. I use about 4 cups cornbread, lightly crumbled on a sheet pan and 4 cups of whatever bread I have available, also crumbled. Today I used some potato dinner rolls that I had stashed in the freezer. Toasted the bread in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, stirring to evenly dry it out then added to a large bowl. Meanwhile, I sauteed one medium onion, a couple stalks celery + the leaves, carrots, diced all in a mix of olive oil & butter until softened then toss into the bowl. I mixed in some dried sage, some Mrs. Dash Onion Herb mix and pepper.

I don't always do this but today (because I had it on hand) I added a can of reduced fat cream of celery soup and mixed in enough chicken stock to moisten the whole thing. I also sometimes shake things up by adding sausage or other variables but today, just straight stuffing. You might want to add salt, I'm trying to lower my intake but it really didn't need it.

I stuffed mine into the bird but in your case, you can cook it in a casserole for about 40 minutes or until top is nicely brown. The ancho raisin sauce came out really good.

[mebby]

Stuffing sounds great and very similar to the quite delish one I had from my MIL/SIL -- much simpler than my instincts would be and yet so addictively delicious! I also agree with OADL that I would love to hear more about the ancho-raisin sauce -- oh my, oh my does that sound good!

[Cherylptw]

Ancho Raisin Sauce

1-2 dried ancho chiles, seeded
1 cup raisins, divided
3 cups tamarind nectar, heated to boiling
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Steep the chiles and 3/4 cup of the raisins in the tamarind nectar; allow mix to come to room temp. then put all the ingredients into a food processor and puree until smooth. Pour mix into a saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium low heat and reduce to two cups. Stir in the remaining raisins & serve warm. This is good served over carrots, winter squash & sweet potatoes, broccoli & green beans, pork, especially ham and also over desserts such as pound cake & ice cream (yes, even with the cumin)

[mebby]

Oooh...yum! Sounds even better now that I have the details. Thanks for posting.

[krisrishere]

I hope everyone had a wonderful and filling Thankgiving. The hubby and I visited the in-laws in Connecticut and now we're both terribly sick. FYI, coughing is a great ab workout ;) For dinner I have a pot of my grandmother's famous chicken soup on the stove. It's the usual chicken, celery and carrots but with mini meatballs. We pour it over top of some brown rice and sprinkle with sliced hard boiled eggs and parm cheese - it's a family favorite. Hopefully we'll feel better after we eat it!

[boyzoma]

Sorry to hear you are under the weather kris - sounds like the soup should help to do the trick though. Just stay warm and cuddly. Soup sounds devine with the meatballs, rice and eggs. Tomorrow must be a better day. Try a hot toddy with that as well ;-)

[LindaWhit]

Oh yuck - I do hope your grandmother's chicken soup helps with your colds, kris!

[mariacarmen]

the egg puts that soup over the top! yum. are the meatballs made of chicken or beef? add a few drops of hot sauce and you'll feel better in no time!

[krisrishere]

The egg is what makes it! The first time I made it for my husband he said "ew", but now he loves it. The meatballs were made with ground chuck.

[chef chicklet]

As my wonderful sure to be rich turkey stock simmers away on day two, what I'm planning is turkey pot pies. I haven't figured who's or what recipe, or if I'll use my own. I like sherry in my turkey pot pie, and I'm making a pate brisee for the pastry. Can't yet decide on individual pies or one large one. Whichever way I go I know it will be eaten. Also a salad, perhaps a Ceasar salad just because I'm craving one. Dessert , cherry pie from T-Day.

[Harters]

This one is a regular "use up" pie recipe at Casa Harters. This is an Australian website but they've blagged the entire recipe, from Delia Smith's Christmas book (1990).

http://www.abc.net.au/local/recipes/2...

[relizabeth]

We woke up very late and ended up having our lunch (roasted cauliflower, pecans, parsley, garlic over pasta with some very nice parmesan) around 5pm. I just baked a loaf of Broa, a portuguese yeasted corn bread and we are nibbling that with butter and salt and chianti.

[ChristinaMason]

We invited friends over for pie, and I made a pumpkin mac to go along with. So we'll have traditional pumpkin pie, pumpkin mousse pie in a gingersnap-maple cookie crust, oatmeal cookies, spiced walnuts, tea, coffee, and pumpkin macaroni and cheese. Pretty random, but luckily this couple is game for whatever.

[boyzoma]

Wow - what a theme. Pumpkin Mac & Cheese???? First time I've heard of that. Can you share, please?

[tzurriz]

I make a pumpkin mac and cheese all the time. It's delicious. http://k2p2.net/blog2/2010/11/02/mac-...

[ChristinaMason]

:-) I should turn orange tomorrow from all the beta carotene.

Here's the pumpkin mac recipe, as best I can remember. The pumpkin flavor is subtle.

1 lb. elbow macaroni
4 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
2 c. milk (I used a combination of evaporated milk and heavy cream, but any will do)
4 oz. freshly-grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 deli slices Havarti cheese, chopped (or sub. about 1/2 c. of your favorite melting cheese)
6 fresh sage leaves, minced
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crumbled
3/4 c. pumpkin puree
1/2 c. panko

season to taste with:
onion powder (1/2 tsp.?)
garlic powder (1/2 (tsp.?)
chili flake (1/2 tsp.?)
dry mustard (1/2 tsp.?)
nutmeg (a few dashes)
salt, pepper, white pepper

1. In a medium saucepan, cook the macaroni in salted water. Drain.

2. While the macaroni cooks, grate/chop the cheeses. Butter an 8x8-in. casserole dish with 1 Tbsp. butter. Microwave another 1 Tbsp. butter in a small bowl, toss in panko to coat, and set aside.

3. In the same saucepan you used to cook the macaroni, brown 2 Tbsp. butter. When the butter is a rich brown, whisk in 2 Tbsp. flour. Cook 60 seconds, then whisk in the milk. Cook until thick, then stir in garlic powder, onion powder, nutmeg, chili flake, dry mustard, and salt and pepper to taste (probably more salt than you think).

4. On low heat, stir in the cheeses until smooth (reserve 1 tsp. Parmesan). Whisk in the pumpkin puree, fresh sage, and rosemary. Adjust seasoning.

5. Return the macaroni to the pot, tossing well to coat. Pour into casserole dish.

6. Top macaroni with buttered panko, drizzling/spritzing with olive oil or dotting with more butter if desired. Sprinkle with salt and Parmesan cheese.

7. Bake 15 min. at 425F, then broil briefly to toast the breadcrumbs. Enjoy!

[buttertart]

Don't laugh - a macro/veg friend DID turn herself a bit orangey from seriously overdoing it on carrots.

[ChristinaMason]

In Austria, they take beta carotene supplements to enhance the color of their (fake) tans. No joke.

[buttertart]

I remember seeing ads for those in Elle and Brigitte back when foreign magazines didn't cost an arm and a leg.

[linguafood]

A perfect pumpkin-palooza! The mousse pie sounds awesome!!!

[ChristinaMason]

I used Ina's recipe for pumpkin banana mousse tart, subbing additional pumpkin for the banana, skipping the orange zest, and adding a hefty dose of pumpkin pie spice. Also cut back the sugar a tad. Definitely recommend serving this with fresh whipped cream. My friend said she preferred my pie to the traditional pumpkin pie we also had thanks to a fancy local restaurant, Ris. Woot!

I made the crust by pulverizing gingersnaps, honey Teddy Grahams, and maple sandwich cookies (http://www.zeer.com/Food-Products/Saf...) and combining with melted butter.

Incidentally, I accidentally bought fat-free half and half, and this still turned out really well.

[rabaja]

Lamb riblets! Braised with vegetables and wine, although my mother prefers beer so maybe I should call her first.
Have a delicata and celeriac to use as well, so it may be a celeriac mash with roasted delicata, fennel and cippolinis -a favorite combo lately.
It's sunny today, but brisk. A good day to get a dish in the oven and head outside for a little bulb planting/garden clean-up. If I get enough done today I shall reward myself witha martini before dinner.

[rabaja]

The riblets came out wonderfully. Got too lazy for my proposed roasted veg sides so I made do with the last of the saffron linguini and piled on the lamb, sauce and chopped parsley. So my veg was mire poix. I'm ok with that.

[boyzoma]

Pot Roast! Simmered for hours with carrots and potatoes thrown in toward the end then lots of good brown gravy over top. Small arugula salad with a balsamic vinaigrette. What could be better on a cold, foggy day, than great smells coming from the kitchen.

[ChristinaMason]

Yum, I made that recently and want some more! How do you make yours?

[boyzoma]

I have a big old oblong electric skillet that I've had for about 30 years. I sear both sides then add some red wine and water and simmer for several hours until fork tender. Then I add in an onion cut into wedges, some baby carrots and halved Yukon Gold potatoes. The key to my brown gravy is to let most of the liquid cook out half way through the cooking process and the meat browns again along with the spices. Then re add some wine and water and finish cooking. Gravy is always a very dark, rich bit of goodness, with which I use a flour slurry to thicken. Spices vary from time to time, depending on the mood. Usually a little season salt, garlic and a dash of ground clove for the aroma and S&P to taste.

PS: No knife needed for this meal!

[mamachef]

I am so coming to you for dinner, bz.

[boyzoma]

I'll set an extra plate for you. You're always welcome at our table. I'm making this tonight as it is my son's birthday, but since he can't be here, I told him I was making his favorite meal and will also eat it for him :-).

[mamachef]

Chicken! Roasted chicken! Stuffed with saurkraut, apples and bacon. Served with dumplings that have a cube of bread in the middle, g-d willing.

[buttertart]

Went simple both Fri and last night, pasta with pesto and an endive salad and homemade pizza (forgot the salt in the crust, but it was quote good - M doesn't like tomato sauce so I top pizzas with lots of fresh garlic, a couple of sliced scallions, a sliced hot pepper or two, a bunch of small green olives, sliced, pepperoni and supermarket packaged mozzarella). Watched TV for the over-the-hill crowd with it (a John Sebastian-narrated annoying PBS pledge-break special on folk music which featured a snippet of Harry Belafonte singing Jamaica Farewell that made me realize just why my MIL has been in love with him since forever) and a blistering Stevie Ray Vaughan and Albert King studio session that is well worth seeking out. Pecan pie and vanilla ice cream in bed later.
Tonight planning a version of Harters' fish w chorizo (chourico, actually, local Portuguese sausagemaker) and potato dish. Fish will be the frozen tilapia that I've had for quite a while - thin fillets - any ideas on how to best approach them? I understand (thank you, friend) that painting the fillets with soy an hour before cooking them takes away the muddy taste this fish often has - would expect the sausage to assist in that aspect too.

[Harters]

Chorizo is the new bacon. There is little not improved by its addition. That said, tilapia is not common over here and I dont think I've ever eaten it so am not sure.

[buttertart]

It's a farmed white fish formerly known as tilefish, fresh-water. Worse comes to worst we can always eat the sausage and spuds. I'll give it a whirl and report.

[Harters]

Yep, it is farmed here but can't have been successful yet. I've not seen it on a restaurant menu or in the fishmonger. That said, Google tells me that our major supermarket chain, Tesco, is just about to start stocking it on its fish counters. Where it may be successful is that there are none of the ethical concerns about sustainablity that affect many of normally found fish.

[buttertart]

Verdict: better than expected. The fish is annoying to cook because the fillets range from 3/4 in thick at the centres to almost notihng on the edges. Love the flavour the chorizo gave to everything. Liam (see avatar) had a snick of the fish.

[mariacarmen]

damn that looks good. love liam!

[Retroh777]

Harters! Chorizo is great. Over here I also get Andouille Sausage and add THAT to my chili and beans. It is a great compliment to the ground beef as well. Gives a slight slight bit of heat that does NOT stay with the pallete. NOW, I got to try the Chorizo as well.
Retroh

[Harters]

It's cold today - parts of the UK have registered their lowest ever November temperature. I need lots of spicy, warming food. So bugger this home cooking lark, we're off to the all-you-can-stuff-yourself-with Indian buffet.

[Harters]

Well, I'm back from the all-you-can-eat but wish I hadnt as I could do with some comfort eating. Last weekend, a friend and fellow volunteer with a project I help run had a massive stroke. It's been "on the edge" for him all week but I've come home to an email saying he lost his fight and died this afternoon. The Good Guys just shouldnt die that soon. It's rather put the mockers on an otherwise good weekend.

[LindaWhit]

Aww, Harters, I'm so sorry you lost your friend.

[onceadaylily]

Oh, I'm so sorry, Harters. And you're right about the good guys. It does especially sting to lose someone who chose to live a life of compassion and service. I'm sorry for your loss.

[boyzoma]

Aww, Harters, that is so sad to hear. My condolences to you. I also respect the time you need to grieve and comfort food would certainly help. That said, I should live forever then, unfortunately. I'd say it is a good time for you to have that little comfort drink and think of wonderful times.

[nomadchowwoman]

Sorry for your loss, Harters; it is especially hard when people are too young or the taking is too sudden. Hope you'll have some comfort food soon.

[mariacarmen]

Ah, so sorry Harters. What a shock it must be to his family too. Sounds like his last efforts on this earth were noble. Hope you find comfort soon.

[Breadcrumbs]

Dear Harters, sincere condolences on your loss. Take good care.

[Breadcrumbs]

I picked up some lovely chanterelles and leeks at the market today along with some chicken breasts. When I input those ingredients into Eat Your Books, the Buckwheat Pasta with Roasted Peppers & Endive recipe from "Chez Panisse Pasta, Pizza and Calzone" jumped out at me so that's what we had for dinner tonight.

Unfortunately, no buckwheat noodles in the pantry or at the local supermarket so we made do with regular linguini. The pasta flavours are reminiscent of of Carbonara but without the eggs. Waters suggests that the pasta be served w Black Olive Chicken - boneless skinless chicken breasts are dipped in a melted butter/black olive tapenade mixture and then in fresh breadcrumbs.

This is the first time I've used this recipe and this book and I'll definitely be taking a closer look at the book now as we really enjoyed this meal. I'd cast the book aside after watching an interview w Alice Waters and I found her a little creepy!

[mariacarmen]

your pic made my mouth water! "Honey, cook faster!!"

[Breadcrumbs]

Thanks Maria!!

[Cherylptw]

I had some pintos & Mexican chorizo in the fridge so Iightly mashed part of the beans, mixed in the chorizo & some panko. I formed that into thick cakes, patted in more panko and seared in olive oil..they then went into the oven to finish warming through.

I finally received those green chiles from my daughter this afternoon (the inspiration for this dish) so after roasting & peeling them, some went into a food processor with garlic, onion, chicken stock & a bit of cornstarch for a quick puree then simmered on the stovetop until thickened. The sauce was ladled over the bean & chorizo cakes & topped with oregano sour cream. To help scoop up the goodness, toasted flour tortilla chips; a side salad accompanied just so I can say I had veggies. Yum!!

[mariacarmen]

oh man does that sound good! i'm going to have to remember the oregano sour cream. and those cakes - have never thought to do anything like that with mexican flavors. great idea.

[Cherylptw]

They were so so good! I've done this dish before using black beans too and it was still delicious. I imagine it would work well with just about any dried/canned bean.

[Breadcrumbs]

Sounds delicious Cheryl. I always have chorizo in my freezer and just love your idea of making the bean cakes. Can't wait to give this a try, thanks for sharing! If you see this post, would you mind sharing what type of chiles you used in the sauce?

[Cherylptw]

I used Hatch green chiles but you could use Anaheim or even poblano (which I normally use since I can't get Hatch here, hence the package from daughter). Oh, and if you make these, be sure to make the cakes thick; I make mine thick & round like hockey pucks so that they'll stand up to the browning and you can turn them over without falling apart.

[Breadcrumbs]

Thanks Cheryl, my grocery store has only recently started getting poblanos believe it or not! Can't wait to give this a try and have noted your tip about making the cakes thick.

[mariacarmen]

BF is making me something from a WW recipe, or something like that - we are trying to get back on track while still aiming for yummiosity! Turkey croquettes, so far, are on the menu. As our turkey dinner was not so big and I didn't have all the leftovers at my fingertips (left those at home with BF), I'm still not completely done with Thxgiving flavors.

i don't think i can convince him that homity pie is part of the regimen... but in a few weeks!

[linguafood]

Another (early-ish) gig tonight, so dinner will be a simple affair - some leftover chicken, caponata, and maybe some steamed shrimp with cocktail sauce.

[nomadchowwoman]

Last night, I wanted dinner that seemed not like Thanksgiving. We ate so much Thursday, and, truth be told, as much as I love Thanksgiving--and the whole concept of a day devoted to food, of people gathered 'round the table for hours, of the temporay normalcy of food obsession--I'm not totally in love w/T-giving fare (though we'll be eating it for a few days). I am looking forward, however, to the big bird's yield of sandwiches, gumbo, and pot pies.

At any rate, after making a ton of turkey stock yesterday, I made a small dish of lasagna (layered with pasta, butternut squash/goat cheese puree, chanterelles, parmesan, and a sage-scented chicken stock-cream sauce). I sliced up some leftover pork loin and heated it in its drippings, and we had it and some sauteed chard with the lasagna.

Tonight, we'll have a quick dinner of the T-day leftovers before heading out to hear some music. Very soon, I'll be having a lunch of a turkey sandwich, much like OADL's, but minus the squishy bread--I need a hefty raft to carry the mayo and cranberry sauce that will be loaded onto that baby.

[mamachef]

Your lasagna sounds perfectly stunning, ncw. so very far away from Txgiving day flavors. Straight yum.

[nomadchowwoman]

BTW, mamacef, I wanted to tell you that one of my T-day dressings was inspired by your stuffed chicken breast recipe: I tossed dried ciabatta cubes w/fennel, apple, leek, and sage that had been cooked in bacon and moistened it all w/stock before baking; it was a definite hit (hardly any of it leftover).

[mamachef]

superduper! yaaay!

[ChristinaMason]

yum!

[onceadaylily]

I think Harters just told me what I'm having for dinner: a take on homity pie, using my T-day leftovers.

A bit of diced turkey, a few spoonfuls of garlic mashed potatoes, and three onion gratin (leeks, white onions, and shallots), combined with cheddar and egg, and baked in a pie crust. I wasn't going to cook today, but this sounds so good to me right now.

[LindaWhit]

That sounds good to me right now, and it's breakfast time! LOL

[LindaWhit]

Last night I definitely didn't want turkey leftovers, so out I went to a favorite restaurant for some sangria and a few tapas - Lomo de Buey a las Frutas (beef tenderloin w/dried figs & apricots in a cream-brandy sauce) and Vieras al Azafran (broiled scallops in saffron cream). The beef was absolutely heavenly! Good food, good company, excellent sangria. :-) Manchego y Membrillo for dessert (cheese and quince paste), and I had my tapas quota filled.

Tonight will definitely be turkey leftovers. :-)

[Harters]

Can't recall if I mentioned it, Linda, but we were out for tapas a couple of weeks back. Excellent. Place listed by the UK's Good Food Guide amongst its top 150 restaurants in the country - http://www.elgatonegrotapas.co.uk/

This morning we've been on a hunter/gatherer expedition or, as modern langauge would have it, we've been to a farmers market. About an hours drive away, in the High Peaks of Derbyshire - quite a bit of snow at the upper levels and even down here in North Cheshire, it's about zero. We've stocked up on a fair bit of stuff that will be featuring in WFD in the coming period - pheasant, mixed game that will make a great casserole, pigeon breasts for starters, homity pie, sausages.

Tonight we're roasting a shoulder of lamb. Bought some organic red kale at the farmers market - it'll get simply steamed as recommended by the farmer. His carrots will get roasted as well. As will soem spuds and red onions.

Before that, some mixed sauteed mushrooms that we got at the market - ceps, shaggy inkball, oyster and enoki. They'll go on sourdough toast.

Lemon tart (or tarte au citron for the linguistically pretentious) for afters (same guy at the market who does the homity pie)

[mamachef]

Homity pie? Do you mean hominy, Harters, or is there something I don't know?
Tonight at Chez mama and Mr., we'll be eating a sort of bastard chopped salad with some rare steak (leftovers) tossed in for ballast. Blue cheese, avocado, boiled egg, etc. That is, if the steak lasts past lunchtime. Otherwise, onto the turkey frame-barley soup with carrots!

[Harters]

Nope, I mean homity.

http://www.gourmetbritain.com/recipes_entry.php?item=135

It's origins seem unclear. Some sources suggest that it's a World War 2 creation, fromwhen rationing meant cooks had to be quite creative with non-meat meals. The best known one from that era is Woolton Pie - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolton_pie.

Other sources suggest an earlier origin from the Romany gypsy communities in Britain.

'Tis damn tasty.

[nomadchowwoman]

Yep, that looks pretty darned good.

[mariacarmen]

copied that recipe, looks great. but i can't find anything that says what the word "homity" means.... one site says it was thought to be a local, made-up word. but even made-up words usually relate to some known origin.... right? maybe it was someone's name. anyway, looks really tasty, indeed.

[Harters]

The naming is odd, MC. For something fairly common like this, you'd have thought there was some history to it, but seemingly not. The pie just seems to have burst onto an unsuspecting British public at an unknown date. My vote is that it must predate WW2. If it was from then, there'd be documentation - it'd appear in wartime cookbooks and so on. The fact that internet websites constantly repeat identical wording of the origin does not make it true - bah humbug.

And don't get me started on the origin of Fidget Pie - which definitely comes from the county to the south west of mine. Or perhaps not.

[mariacarmen]

oh my, no, i certainly won't get mired into the fidget pie morass! i would have thought there would be some fowl in there somewhere - i dunno, fidget sounds like it should be some type of songbird, ala "40 and 20 blackbirds baked in a pie!" but bacon? and apples? genius! tho the name still confounds. love the seeming nonsensical-ness of language at times... it's great to find true etymologies, but at times it's good fun to have a mystery.

[Harters]

Fidget pie is lovely. But then isnt anything which involves bacon. I make it occasionally.

[LindaWhit]

I do recall you saying you were going there, Harters - it looks wonderful! Enjoy your roasted lamb tonight. One of my favorite dinners. And that homity pie recipe looks VERY good - is yours store-bought or are you making it yourselves?

[Harters]

LW - bought from one of the stalls at the farmers market. The guy only sells pies - all open (no top crust) and usually has a range of six or so each month (although we only go a couple of times a year). All very homely.

[Cherylptw]

Thanksgiving yesterday was at my son's boss' house with whom he is good friends...the usual suspects appeared: turkey/stuffing/gravy, green bean casserole, garlic mashed, cranberry...my son brined a couple of ducks then roasted & glazed with a lavender honey drizzle. I brought the smoked turkey cooked collard greens & a relish of fresh cranberries, grated apple, roasted red grapes, tangerine segments & dried cherries. There were apple, blueberry and sweet potato pies.

It was good BUT as soon as I got home, I wished I'd cooked my turkey as I love Thanksgiving leftovers and was craving " the sandwich". So this afternoon I took the bird out of the freezer to thaw for Sunday; I can't wait! As for dinner today, simple hot sausage sandwiches topped with mustard & chili and a lettuce/tomato/cuke/smoked gouda cheese salad with sweet onion vinaigrette.

[onceadaylily]

We're having turkey sandwiches. I know, I know! Crazy. Let me give you the recipe, since I know there is going to be a clamor.

-Bread of choice (squishy white is mine . . . Yes, I said squishy white, I did, I said it)
- Mayo (let's not argue)
- Cranberry: chutney, sauced, or jellied (all are welcome)
- Turkey (hunked, sliced, or slivered)
- Salt and pepper to taste

You lay out the bread, and then smear each slice with mayo, sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Add the cranberry 'whatever' to the top slice, *carefully* swirling the cranberry into mayo. Do not overwork it; the cranberry and mayo should be merely swirled, *not* mixed. If it's pink, you did it wrong. Add the turkey to the 'merely' mayoed slices of bread, and top with the bread adorned by cranberry *and* mayo. Cut each sandwich (diagonal is the best, really). Enjoy, and repeat.

[mamachef]

"chunked.: the best way to eat leftover turkey breast. I've been nibbling so hard, all the livelong day - but what you're doing is 'zackly what I'd do - If I could.
Mayonnaise and cranberrry and a little dry breast. Match made in hebbin.

[boyzoma]

Love the sandwich - especially the squishy white. But, for me, no cranberry but definitely some sweet hot mustard and some iceberg lettuce (in all honesty, Hickory Farms is my go-to for the mustard in this sandwich).

[LindaWhit]

Like you, I like sweet-hot mustard with plain tasting meats - Olde Cape Cod Sweet & Hot Honey Mustard is my favorite in that genre. But when you have cranberry-orange relish, that also works with turkey sandwiches. :-)

[mariacarmen]

ugh, OADL, somehow i managed to make a TERRIBLE turkey sandwich for lunch today. sister brought over turkey leftover from her partner's family dinner, which had been grilled, was perfectly yummy and tasty. we had some 3 or 4 day old bolillos, which i toasted, with mayo and some brie cheese. We found a can of VERY OLD cranberry sauce that my dad wanted last night (with my beautiful homemade cranberry sauce with clementines and time sitting at home!) It just didn't taste right. I mean the whole thing, not just the CS. it wasn't bad or spoiled anything, just not great tasting. bleaaagh.

[Harters]

OADL - I agree on the basics here. That is one of life's great sandwiches. And my Boxing Day standby.

It simply has to be cheap supermarket white sliced bread. This is a long standing traditional butty with me - predating cranberry starting to be available in the UK, so traditionalist that I am, it just has to be mango chutney.

[onceadaylily]

Ah, I flaked out on my chutney this year. I couldn't find hazelnuts, so I scrapped the whole thing The chutney is cranberry hazelnut that I bought once from a local woman, and have been trying to recreate ever since (I'm getting close). The boyfriend loves mango though, so he'd likely be very interested in your version.

[buttertart]

Thanksgiving night tradition at my MIL's: turkey with cold butter AND mayonnaise and too much salt and pepper on the leftover soft dinner rolls that she has made since forever and which are perfection itself. Cranberry sauce on the side.

[linguafood]

Since there was no bird yesterday, I'm making Tom P's lemon preserve roast chicken. We've invited the couple who hosted the thanksgiving dinner, who will hopefully bring along some of the leftover sides from yesterday - roasted Brussels sprouts & arugula salad with lemon oil, shrimp, and shaved parm.

If it's just the two of us, we'll have plenty of bird left tomorrow, and sides will probably be a simple salad and some purrtaters.

[Harters]

We've been out for lunch. A rather odd, if quite pleasant, meal. At the training restaurant of the local catering college which opens a few occasions each week to the paying public. It allows the trainee chefs and servers to practice their craft in front of real people and , of course, when they've completed their course, they leave with a nationally recognised qualification. The two students who were "in charge" of front of house were really good and I'm sure will soon be off to work at some higher end place.

So, we already eaten three courses (bargain price - £7.95) but if we're properly hungry later on, some chickne thighs are out of freezer. They'll get coated in a mix of wholegrain mustard, honey and tandoori curry paste and then baked, along with a little water in the dish. Just before serving, the pan juices will get boiled down and a little yogurt stirred in. There'll be rice and chapattis and, maybe, a little salad. And homemade chutney. And I've got a packet mix for halva that just needs mixing with milk.

[buttertart]

I've got to get something Indian (or Indian-inspired) into me this weekend or I'm gonna burst. This sounds very appealing. Who puts out the halva mix? I've never seen it here.

[Harters]

Indian company called Gits. Which, at least on this side of the Atlantic, is an amusingly unfortunate name.

They make quite a range of products. http://www.gitsfood.com/

[buttertart]

It is an unfortunate name! Too bad they didn't take counsel before naming the company.

[mamachef]

gits yo's.

[mariacarmen]

Starting to smell like Thxgiving here - have the roasted/mashed turnip/potato/fennel mash with rosemary butter done, the cranberry/clementine/thyme sauce done, the brussel sprout saute with candied pecans, apple and parm waiting in the wings, and a turkey leg and then a brined breast roasting in the oven! our oven is a bit of a pain - it goes from 250 to 450, so have to continually open it and let it cool down to 350. Breast is covered in foil, both pieces have an herbed butter under the skin..... and a pumpkin custard with dark rum is waiting to pop in the oven as soon as the turkey's done for dessert. We'll open a bottle of rose.... and my mini thxgiving will be complete! This would have been the first time in about 20 years i didn't cook a thxgiving meal, so I'm glad i did it for just me and the boy. I think my mom would have wanted me to cook!

Again, enjoy everyone!

[onceadaylily]

That is quite the 'mini' Thanksgiving, MC, especially with a bi-polar oven. I hope the two of you have a wonderful time.

And when festivities are over, I'd like that pumpkin custard recipe.

[mariacarmen]

ask and ye shall receive:
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1713,...
easiest thing ever. i made it one medium sized souffle dish instead of the individual ramekins. turned out great.
our turkey parts: the brined breast came out great, but the leg was a little tough. it came out first and sat wrapped in foil (my mistake) so it continued to cook, i'm sure. but still all very tasty. Thanks OADL, enjoy yours too!

[mamachef]

Yaaaaaay! And, mc? I KNOW your sweet mama would've wanted you to cook.
Happy, Thankful Thanksgiving, y'all. Please, stay safe. Eat lots, don't drink and drive, yah yah yah yah....just be cool.

[mariacarmen]

Thanks for your advice on the turkey, Mamachef! I hope your day was great and that you relax tomorrow with oodles of your delicious leftovers!

[Breadcrumbs]

Tonight I made the Mexican-Style Shrimp Cocktail from the newish Fiesta at Rick’s cookbook and the White Bean and Chicken Chili from Giada at Home.

This is the first recipe I’ve tried from Rick’s new book. The sauce for the shrimp is tomato ketchup based with Mexican hot sauce and clam juice among other things mixed in. The flavor reminded me of those in one of Canada’s favorite cocktails, the Bloody Caesar. It was good but I wouldn’t say it was outstanding…I don’t see myself serving this to guests at my next “Fiesta” but it was fine as a starter for a casual dinner for the two of us. Rick suggests it be served with saltines or tortilla chips. We tried both and had a definite preference for the saltines.

Giada’s chili recipe is simple to make and uses ground chicken. I simmered it for over an hour so it reduced and thickened nicely. The dish is topped with parmesan which seemed a little odd for a Mexican-style dish but we went with it and it turned out to be a good addition. Was this the best chicken chili we’ve had? No. It was a good quick dinner but I won’t likely make this again with so many other recipes to try!!

To all our Hound-neighbors to the South, warmest wishes as you celebrate Thanksgiving.

[mamachef]

A change in dinner plans hath occurred. While I was carving turkeys in SF, Mr. was out shopping and came back with a two-inch thick sirloin, which has been requested for dinner as "I won't be seeing any red meat for awhile." So. Nix on the egg and bacon sangwidges; hello marinated steak and leftover mashed papas which I'll stir some sour cream and green onion into; and some salad of some sort, with tomato/basil vinaigrette. Which Himself will make.

[LindaWhit]

Himself has chosen well. ;-)

[rabaja]

I think dinner will be more chicken soup, it's just so cold here and it's what I crave.
Trying to pick up around the house after four days of candy making, so I can get into TDAy prep gear.
At least running around and having the oven on will keep me warm! (I know I'm a wimp, it's like, 48F here) Roasting shallots for an obscene amount of gravy for tomorrow and plan on whipping up a lemon tart, a chocolate cake and hopefully more chocolates to bring for family to try.
About to really get serious with my prep, and even change out of my PJ's (gotta wash my favorite pair so I can wear them ALL WEEKEND LONG, ha!). A quick run to the store and then back home for carols and cooking, best time of year.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone, whether you celebrate this day or not, I hope you all enjoy a lovely long weekend, full of joy and wonderful food to keep your hearts and bellies warm and happy.

[buttertart]

Not sure about tonight, but tomorrow is pheasant with sauerkraut, apples, and bacon for the two of us - not going home (Iowa) because running out of time I can take off this year.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE - ENJOY THE COOKING AND THE TOGETHERNESS!

[linguafood]

Today is prep work for our decidedly non-traditional thxgiving potluck at a friend's house tomorrow. We learned on Monday that there will be no turkey, but sesame-crusted tuna steaks instead....
(thankfully, I bought a nice plump 5 lb. chicken at the farmer's market yesterday, so our craving for dead birds will be fulfilled a day later, courtesy of Tom P's amazing-sounding preserved lemon recipe).

Our prep work for the aforementioned potluck tomorrow involves salt caramel ice cream by the Armenian, and Sicilian caponata by the German.

Dinner tonight.... probably fish n chips at the local pub where I'll be singing a few --

[onceadaylily]

I know this holiday isn't complete without a huge gathering for so many people. But . . . confession? I'm not one of those people.

On Thanksgiving it's just the two of us. After we moved to Chicago, and traveled back for every holiday (trying to divide a short amount of time between two families), or wind up spending a holiday apart because of our work schedules, I asked if we could have Thanksgiving here, just us, and make that 'our' holiday together. He was *thrilled* to blame me for not having to drive nine total hours in the course of a day and a half, and we've done it ever since. We cook together (usually with Billy Holiday singing in the background), and drink wine, watch movies, and enjoy our Christmas tree (since we won't be here for Christmas).

I have no idea WFD tonight, and I'm going to be cooking all day. I have to make room in the fridge for the dishes I'm preparing in advance, and suspect I might be in denial about being able to wedge one more thing in there, so we might well wind up eating pickles, peppers, and condiments for dinner, just to free up the shelf space.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

[mamachef]

Have a happy, thankful day, today, this day, every year y'all. Even the day before. There's a holiday spirit in the air. People are smiling and much more tender at this time of year. G-d (or whomever you pray or talk to) bless us, every one!!

[nomadchowwoman]

WFD? Who knows--possibly pickings from the preparations; probably Chinese take out; definitely no fowl!

I do want to take this opportunity to wish all you Hounds a wonderful Thanksgiving. If there is any day we can call our own (and included at this table are those Hounds, too, who don't observe this holiday), it's tomorrow's celebration of food and sharing. Whether you're feeding the masses, going to Grandma's, or having dinner at a restaurant, may you emerge well-nourished, by delicious food and good memories. My thanks to all you Hounds who make me laugh, share your recipes and inspire my cooking, feel like friends. May we keep in our hearts those suffering losses and in other ways less fortunate.

And to those doing the lion's share of the cooking and stressing out just about now--relax and remember, you like cooking!

[Harters]

We don't have a national day of celebration in the UK and I'm sometimes a tad envious of those newer countries which do have such a day. For those of us who live to eat, rather than eat to live, I can think of none better than the American Thanksgiving. Have a great day, Yanks.

[onceadaylily]

Well said, NCW. I agree wholeheartedly.

Happy Thanksgiving, to both of you.

[mariacarmen]

Fanks, Harters, and to everyone else too! Having ours a day early, me and the BF, a reduced version, but looking forward to it. Everyone, enjoy!

[LindaWhit]

Here, here, ncw! Well said. And Harters, please join us in our Thanksgiving celebration - the virtual table always has room for more. :-)

[Harters]

Thanks, LW - but please don't ask me to carve the virtual turkey. Carving is not my strongpoint.

[LindaWhit]

No, no, no - you're our guest! If you *would* pour the wine when it's necessary (for guests AND the cooks!), that is all that shall be required of you. Carving will be left to the turkey professionals. :-)

[boyzoma]

I will virtually supply some wine and some sides. Any specific requests? I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful holiday. Oh and don't forget to wear something with elastic in the waist!

[LindaWhit]

Elastic waistbands are di rigueur, of course, as are two types of cranberry sauce (canned sauce that "schloops" out of its can for those aficionados, and otherwise for the rest of us :::grin:::).

As for the sides,I would ONLY ask that we *not* do green bean casserole, pleasenandthankyou. I think Harters will thank us. Tee hee!

[Harters]

Hmmm. I think I'll pass on the green bean casserole.

I will bring along some very good English wine - perhaps this one we can have as an aperitif. http://www.denbies.co.uk/Publisher/Ar...

[LindaWhit]

A very fine choice, Harters. :-) I do wish you could join us - hope you at least have a good Thursday! :-)

[mariacarmen]

mmm, that sounds so refreshing. I've had the Muller
Thurgau, but not the Bacchus or Ortega grapes.

[mamachef]

Working two jobs today which will involve much tasting before serving, so I'd say my dinner will be turkey scraps, spoonsful of gravy, a bite of cran. - the usuals. I'll try not to nibble too much so as not to wreck tomorrow's home-feast. So this evening, I think we're having scrambled egg and bacon sandwiches, at which point the kitchen is closed to further entry till manana.

[LindaWhit]

I want something easy, so I'll make a meat sauce for spaghetti (ground beef, sweet Italian sausage, red bell peppers and onions, mushrooms if I have any left) for spaghetti. Some garlic sourdough bread, a small salad, and it's easy to make, eat and freeze and get out of the way of the turkey breast for tomorrow's dinner. :-)

[Harters]

Fridge & Freezer raid at Chateau Harters.

Mozzarella & Tomato puff pastry tart (bought) & salad. Preceeeded by some copa & mortadella, olives, Pepperdews and other antipasti "stuff" from the fridge.

[Cherylptw]

The past couple of days, I've been busy baking for others who've ordered my desserts so they don't have to do it for Thanksgiving. Didn't have time to cook so it was leftover spagNballs from Sunday. Caesar salad to go with.

[ChristinaMason]

No pierogies after all. DH made dinner again. Tonight it was risotto with saffron and parm. regg., sauteed glazed chicken chunks, and some leftover greens (that is the pot that keeps on giving, damn). It was delicious. Boont Amber to drink.

I think I'll have some maple sandwich cookies and vanilla ice cream for dessert. The rest of the cookies will become part of my pumpkin mousse pie crust (along with gingersnaps) tomorrow.

[nomadchowwoman]

Like many of you, I'm sure, I've started the T-Day prep, so it's leftovers tonight: the last of the duck cannelloni, broccoli w/lemon butter, and a salad of butter lettuce and blue cheese. I hope that will free up a little fridge space; it's getting dangerous in there.

[ChristinaMason]

I love, love lemon butter on broccoli. A dash of nutmeg is so good, too. Happy T-day cooking!

[ChristinaMason]

Ugh, dinner, I have no idea. I need to make my contributions to Thanksgiving at my dad's. I usually host, but with a packed work schedule, he's taking over. Going to attempt some sort of pupmkin chiffon pie in gingersnap crust, plus my old standby, homemade cranberry sauce with clementines, walnuts, and star anise.

Dinner will probably be something I grab from the frozen section. Pierogies sound good; maybe a nice tangy salad alongside.

[Breadcrumbs]

Christina I love the idea of clementines in the cranberry sauce. I always use oranges and never thought of the clementines, even though we have them in abundance at this time of year. I'll definitely do this w our Christmas dinner. Enjoy those pierogies!

[nomadchowwoman]

Christina--do you have a recipe for that cranberry sauce? I've decided to make a "selection of cranberry sauces," and I've been trying to decide on a third. Yours sounds like a winner.

[ChristinaMason]

I follow the basic cranberry sauce recipe on the back of the Ocean Spray bag, cutting back on the sugar slightly. I toss in a star anise pod and cook the berries until they are just soft and a few have split, then take the pot off the heat. Then I squeeze in a little clementine juice (from maybe half a clementine; you could also use Grand Marnier or OJ). When the berries have cooled, I add deseeded clementine segments (no need to cut into supremes, but you could, I suppose). I stir in a little orange zest, remove the star anise, and toss in a good handful of toasted chopped walnuts (usually shortly before serving, but it doesn't really matter; they just stay a little crisper).

It's almost as good with canned mandarin oranges.

By the way, I have been making this sauce for several years. I talked to my dad today, mentioning I only picked up one bag of cranberries because we always have so much leftover. His response? "Bag? I thought you used canned!"

Ouch.

/end parentheses abuse

[nomadchowwoman]

Thank you so much CM. I wanted a booze-less one, and with the nuts and star anise (Yay! I get to use one; they are so darned cute), this will be quite different from the others.

I'd say, take your dad's remark as a compliment. I suspect that your CS evokes that nostalgia so many people have for the canned stuff; it certainly can't be that it tastes canned.

Off to get more champagne; I found a bargain two days ago, and have been regretting not buying more since. (I may want a sauce w/out booze, but I definitely don't want a T-day w/out sauce!)

And, Christina, if there is such a thing as parentheses abuse (debatable), we should form a support group, and I should be the charter member.

[mariacarmen]

CM - (I am going) to try this (myself!) (thanks!)

[mariacarmen]

that cranberry sauce does sound wonderful... i'm going to copy it for the "mini" thxgiving dinner i'm doing for the BF and me tomorrow, Wed., after a nice, hopefully calm day at a Musee d'Orsay exhibit at a local museum (i'm banking on everyone being on the road to somewhere else!) Bought a leg and half breast from local butcher. will probably do a Bon Appetite prep of mashed roasted fennel & turnips (i think) with rosemary butter. something with brussel sprouts and bacon too.

what do people think-start the leg first, breast later, right? but how long do you think they'll take, being parts and not a whole bird? like an hour? i'm not brining or anything, just a straight roast with some type of spice/herb rub.

[Breadcrumbs]

I was inspired by Ruth Lafler's "Recipe File Project" and although there are hundreds of recipes in my binders that have been waiting patiently to be made, I just happened to have a recipe in my purse on a page I'd torn out of a magazine at the airport (its a sickness this recipe collecting addiction, I know!!)

The recipe is for Alton Brown's Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes so I've decided to serve it with the yummy sounding "Cajun Meatloaf" folks here have been talking about recently. It's from Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen book. I've never made this meatloaf before so will be sure to report back w my results...including Mr bc's take on this since he's not a huge fan of meatloaf or chipotle!!! oops!

[boyzoma]

Tonight will be sloppy joes and a side of cottage cheese. Had to pull all of my peppers yesterday (most of which are pretty small) since the temp got down to 18 degrees here along with some snow. So will saute up some of those since I already have hamburger thawed out. Simple easy meal for a cold day.

[mamachef]

Well, it's Tuesday and that means tacos, or at least something vaguely Mexican-ish up at the frat. So, tonight's a taco bar, because I can race in and do the prep. and then leave it covered and race back out. Soaked a bunch of pinquitos and cooked them at home yesterday with a lot of onion and cilantro and tomato; kept them vegan. The meat's Carne Asada, seared on the flattop with more onions and several peppers and chiles; garnishes are all the usual suspects. Some oven rice baked with lime and chicken stock and onions. If I time it right, just a couple hours in-house today which works out just fine. At home, we're going to finish off the potato soup, and per the suggestion of Chefj to Perilagu, a frisee salad with lardons and poached egg. Sliced pears and comte with brandy later.

[mariacarmen]

ooh i haven't made my frisee salad in way too long. I make it with little cubes of crisply fried potatoes too, beside the lardons and egg - like breakfast in a salad.

[mamachef]

I LOVE that idea, mc. And now you've got me thinking: sauteed greens of some sort, topped off with the usual suspects AND those cubes of crispy brown potato? Gawww, that's just a flavor-and-texture fest, especially with a shot of sherry vinegar on the greens...hungry now.

[mariacarmen]

ummmmmmmmmmm think that's wfd for my dad now!

[mamachef]

Please tell what kind of greens you use if you end up doing something like this!! Sturdy braised shredded lettuces would probably work, or Chinese greens of some sort, or spinach..or kale...quandry....

[mariacarmen]

i was thinking spinach - easier to please dad's palate. will let you know!

[mariacarmen]

So Mamachef, i did nothing of the sort. Got here at 5:30-ish after work and my sister was already heating up leftovers for my dad, and she had steamed crabs for the two of us! which we proceeded to meticulously pick apart and dip in a drawn butter/lemon/garlic sauce. I did, however, take some leftover rice and mixed it with chopped chicken, parmesan, green onions, garlic powder, salt & pepper, and 2 eggs and attempted to make a rice tortilla out of it. for his lunch tomorrow it was ugly. it fell apart. it tasted fine, just not very pretty. Luckily, my dad won't care that much about the aesthetics of it.

[Harters]

Pork, chorizo & lemon zest burgers. Buns smeared with aioli. Small handful of rocket on top of each burger.

Blacksticks Blue cheese for afters, with an apple.

[mariacarmen]

oh that sounds great. good contrast of flavors.

[ChristinaMason]

DH made dinner tonight (bless him). Some fresh peppercorn-flecked pappardelle (bought from our favorite Italian market, Vace) tossed in a Danish blue cheese, ground chicken, and beer sauce. Sauteed green beans, turnip, and yellow squash alongside.

I'm enjoying a Rasputin Imperial Stout and some leftover Chex mix for "dessert." Why am I so hungry today?

[mamachef]

Sleeping all day yesterday just took it all out of you and you're replenishing today, girlfriend. But, that sauce is intriguing. Are the ingredients you mentioned the only ones involved? Can you share this one?
Dessert sounds mahvelous. I myself am treating me to some really good salted pretzels dunked in Cherry Garcia ice cream, and it's working really well.

[ChristinaMason]

Ask and ye shall receive. The recipe, according to DH:

In olive oil, saute a small minced shallot and two cloves minced garlic. Add chili flake, oregano, sage, and salt and pepper to taste.
Off heat, add a tbsp of flour add a half cup of gorgonzola cheese, a half cup cream
and half cup of milk. Stir until melted, then return to heat and add a quarter cup of light amber beer (he used Boont Amber). Cook a few minutes and add chopped parsley.

Separately, brown 1 lb. ground chicken breast. Sieve the sauce before adding the chicken and drippings to the sauce. Heat through. Serve over pasta.

[mamachef]

CM, I knew that sounded good. Please thank DH for me. I'll be using this. Pepper pappardelle, you say? Excellent.

[ChristinaMason]

I think it would be even better with seared, sliced chicken breast.

[krisrishere]

Busy week this week - just got back from PA yesterday and we're leaving at 3 AM on Wednesday for Thanksgiving in Connecticut. Between loads of laundry I was able to brine 2 pork chops. I'll rub them with some chili powder and grill. My fridge is pretty much cleared out and the only vegetable I have on hand is frozen corn - that will have to do!

My father-in-law offered to buy the groceries for Thanksgiving if I agreed to cook, so of course I said yes. I sent him a menu along with a detailed shopping list..well the husband was just on the phone with him and all I heard was, "You bought 5lbs of kosher salt?!?!?" Looks like dad went buck wild at the grocery store. ;) Oh, just got confirmation that dad bought 2, 22lb turkeys for 8 people. HA!

[LindaWhit]

Holy crap, that's a LOT of turkey! Hope your FIL has TWO ovens, kris! LOL

[krisrishere]

God, I wish! I asked my husband why he bought so much food and his answer was, "he wants leftovers". Ya think? lol

[onceadaylily]

Aren't we all just in it for the sandwiches? Well, and the day-after stock-making. And the tetrazzini. And the cream of turkey soup with nutmeg. And the potato pancakes.

I like the way your father thinks.

[LaLa]

or the hot browns.....yum

[boyzoma]

Oh yum. Kentucky Hot Browns. Now I haven't had those in a while! I'll have to make sure I've got the fixings.

[LaLa]

I am pretty sure it is the only reason I make the turkey!LOL

[mariacarmen]

please - for the uninitiated - pray tell, what are Hot Browns?

[mamachef]

mc, a Hot Brown is an open-faced turkey sandwich with mornay sauce and bacon; sometimes sliced tomatoes. It originated at the Brown Hotel in Lexington, KY.

[mariacarmen]

omg, that sounds.....great!

[boyzoma]

Oh mine have to have the tomatoes. Just an extra flavor profile. I didn't even know about these until I saw a "throwdown" with Bobby Flay. After that, it was a must have.

[LindaWhit]

LOL Couldn't have figured that one out, kris. ;-)

And OADL - turkey stock is something I *don't* make - I prefer chicken stock, so I don't use the carcass for stock or soup afterwards. Sacrilege, I know.

[onceadaylily]

I've found that much of the holidays is about feeling as if your are perpetrating sacrilege, whether it's not being fond of turkey, or being pleased that you can just sleep in instead of hosting.

I baste my turkey in so much chicken stock that *I* am beginning to wonder if I like turkey.

[chef chicklet]

I've got a 21lb turkey, and a huge ham. 11 guests 2 are young kids. I love sharing the leftovers.

[mamachef]

Lazy, lazy days here before things heat up tomorrow. I'm letting the fellas "fend" for themselves; not hard with the liberal foodplan at Cal. At home, we're having Top Secret Potato soup and Mufulattas (sp.?) that I made yesterday and that have been soaking and assimilating for 24 hours. Perfect by dinnertime.

[onceadaylily]

Does 'top secret' mean you don't share the recipe?

[mamachef]

oadl, I ordinarily would....but it was sent to me and I made a promise....and this promise, I cannot break as it would put me on target as a total promise-breaker.....

[onceadaylily]

The funny thing is, I wouldn't have even been tempted to ask, if it hadn't been labeled so intriguingly. I'm in a contrary mood, I think. Kept promises keep the wheel round.

[Breadcrumbs]

If all goes well, tonight I'll finally be cooking from Paula's Wolfert's "World of Food"!

Planned as a starter are the Chanterelle and Cheese Croquettes with Mesclun. Next up, Pan-Fried Pork Chops with Sherry Vinegar and French Cornichons to be served with the Zucchini with Thyme and Black Olives.

[onceadaylily]

After spending three hours rushing about to get everything I needed for Thanksgiving yesterday, I came home unable to find canned pumpkin, frozen pearl onions (I'm *not* peeling my own this year, no way, uh uh), or hazelnuts, which means I have to make a second trip out, and possibly revise my menu for Thursday. I also realized that I came home without any actual groceries for the three days leading up to Thanksgiving. I realized this when we were unpacking the groceries yesterday and the boyfriend asked, "So, what's for dinner tonight?" I said something like, "Oooh" followed by a swear.

I've stared deep into the pantry, willing an easy dish dish to come forth, got sidetracked by an inventory that reveals me to be a bit scattered of late (who the hell is buying all of this frosted shredded wheat?), and think I've settled on French toast, and a frittata (with red and green bells, onions, and cubanelles). I had planned on making an apple crumble today, but might hold onto those honey crisps for Thanksgiving, since I can't find any damn PUMPKIN (the shortage *is* over, right?). Which is fine, since I was so stunned at the lack of frozen pearl onions, that I forgot to grab the vanilla ice cream while I was in frozen foods.

[mamachef]

oadl, I had major luck at the canned-food discount store re: the pumpkin thing. I don't know why or how it found it's way there, since there's none on the "real" grocery shelves, but there you have it. It's worth a shot.

[onceadaylily]

I've planned on making another run tomorrow, and (should the big box fail me again), hit up the local Walgreens, which does tend to carry canned goods. However, the boyfriend pointed out, "I don't like pumpkin pie like *you* like pumpkin pie." I was foolish enough to try and get my supplies on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. The store was mobbed, and so many shelves picked clean. I'm hoping they were just overwhelmed in their restocking.

[rabaja]

Maybe you should have frosted shredded wheat for dinner for the next few night. Just think how good that turkey will taste!
I personally think take-out is imperative in the days leading up to hosting Thanksgiving and/or Christmas. No fuss, no muss.
I am not hosting this year, just making gravy and desserts. Which is why chicken soup is what's for dinner tonight. Good old-fashioned, clean-out the fridge, keep colds-at-bay chicken soup.

[onceadaylily]

:)

We always get Chinese on on the Wednesday before.

[LindaWhit]

OADL, the pumpkin shortage IS over....I know there's Farmer's Organic brand at Whole Foods. I wish you lived close - I'd give you one of the 4 cans of pumpkin *I* have!

[onceadaylily]

Ooh, WF. I never think to shop there, unless I want to hit up the olive bar. I only checked at my little ethnic market and at the big box, both of which were so packed with holiday shopping mercenaries that we were glad to escape with the required root vegetables, a plethora of sage, a big bird, and some cat food.

Honestly, I don't know what I would have for breakfast on Friday if I don't score some pumpkin. Whole Foods is going on the list for tomorrow's trip.

[LindaWhit]

Here's what the can looks like, OADL (pic below for your reference) - make sure it's NOT pumpkin pie MIX - just the cans called "Organic Pumpkin". (And now you can also pick up some olives :::grin:::)

I made my shopping trip today and got everything I needed at a local chain supermarket...was planning on going to WF, but needed some "regular stuff" that I prefer getting at Roche Bros. or Market Basket, so I figured I'd check their turkey breasts out....and found a good sized one for the 4 of us for Thursday.

[onceadaylily]

I never buy the mix. Mixes are too heavy on the cloves, and too light on the ginger. The first time I saw that olive bar, I gaped in awe.

[JerryMe]

Ha ha - I just have to say OnceADayLily - That yes, come home w/ a ton of stuff from the market and curse cuz' I haven't actually thot or planned for eating TODAY! Did that this week.

[mariacarmen]

ok, cooking a bit after all, for aunt and dad. roast chicken is still defrosting and will be rubbed with garlic powder, paprika (sweet and smoked), tarragon, thyme, lots of sea salt. Loved the results of the last chicken - high temp produced that very crispy skin, and the BF told me that the next day's serving with the rub under the skin of the breast was EXTRA flavorful. also have butternut squash roasting, quartered and de-seeded, with chunks of butter, and heavy sprinkling of brown sugar and cumin. avocado shallot tomato salad will accompany.

me - going out with good friend for more happy hour apps, wine and talk about moms.

[ChristinaMason]

I've got a pot roast with potatoes, carrots, and celery simmering away on the stovetop. I'm combining elements of the Cook's Illustrated pot roast and brisket recipes (wanted those caramelized onions), plus my own tweaks. Hope it's good.

[ChristinaMason]

This turned out really well. I can't see leaving CI's recipe as-is, however. I think it would have been really thin and bland.

[Breadcrumbs]

I haven't tried CI's pot roast (don't think its in my "Best Of" book) but there was a CI stew recipe I tried and I remember thinking the same thing about the sauce, too thin! I too needed to make some adjustments ....I removed some veggies and broth and pureed to thicken then added it back in. Maybe their taste-testers have a preference for thin broth!

[ChristinaMason]

<I removed some veggies and broth and pureed to thicken then added it back in>

Great minds think alike! I did the same thing. Cook's would have you strain them out if you add in chunks of root vegetables toward the end.

I also caramelized the onions separately, adding a little brown sugar, before adding in the celery, carrots, and garlic. I upped the seasoning with some garlic granules, onion powder (to replicate that Lipton Onion Soup Mix vibe), a good bit of Worcestershire, some cayenne, and a splash of soy. I also thickened the broth slightly with a cornstarch slurry---I don't like a watery sauce at all. The flavor from the 1/2 c. red wine called for was a little unusual but not unwelcome. I would make it again with my changes.

[Breadcrumbs]

Hi Christina, your changes sound great. Love the soy idea, adds so much more than just salt. I don't know if you've ever tried potato flour for thickening but I really like it as an alternative to cornstarch. Like you, I'm a fan of the onion flavour. We recently visited The Spice House in Chicago and I picked up some Toasted Onion Powder which is wonderful...if you like the Lipton Onion Soup mix, I'm betting you'll really like this too!

[ChristinaMason]

Do you need to mix the potato flour into a slurry before adding, as with flour and cornstarch?

[Breadcrumbs]

I don't Christina, I bought a nifty little container from the Pampered Chef, I think its intended for icing sugar. It's like a mug with a sieve top. I keep my potato flour in there and just sprinkle it directly into dishes as I need it and I've never had a problem w it clumping...its quite fine.

[mamachef]

I've got one of those, and I think it's about sixty years old. Fine kitchen tool. I use it for sifting cocoa/confectioner's sugar.

[Cherylptw]

Tonight it's meatballs & spaghetti made with italian turkey sausage (I don't eat pasta often, so am looking forward to it). On the side, a salad of lettuce, roasted tomatoes, cukes & mandarin oranges; orange balsamic vinaigrette to dress. Fresh fruit of some sort for dessert.

[Breadcrumbs]

Tonight's menu was completely inspired by yesterday's trip to the market where I found a fresh leg of Ontario lamb, beautifully fragrant fennel bulbs, cheddar cauliflower and baby blue potatoes.

We're starting off with a Roasted Fennel Soup

Then it's Ina's Easy Provencal lamb (a scrumptious looking roast leg w tomatoes, garlic rosemary and honey) The book photo was just calling to me!

Served w brochettes of baby blue potatoes and baby zucchini marinated in lemon, evoo, oregano, garlic and rosemary then grilled and along w that, parmesan crusted cauliflower (florets steamed then dipped in egg and breadcrumb/parmesan mixture then baked til crispy)

Needless to say, we skipped lunch in favour of a long hike w the dog today in anticipation of this meal!!!

[mariacarmen]

what a meal to look forward to! enjoy.

[nomadchowwoman]

The whole menu sounds fabulous, but one of my favorite things in the world is roasted fennel soup.

[THewat]

I have some fennel in the fridge that I don't know what to do with - can anyone provide a soup recipe? And how much does it taste like licorice?

[nomadchowwoman]

The flavor really softens w/cooking. Here's a super easy way to prepare a delicious soup.

Heat oven to 375. Generously butter a baking dish that will hold the fennel, cored and cut into wedges. Scatter several peeled cloves of garlic (or leave out garlic) around the fennel. Dab the fennel w/a little more butter, and season w/salt and pepper. Meanwhile, heat chicken (or vegetable) stock/broth (enough to come about halfway up the baking dish). Pour over fennel. (Now, if you happen to have a parmesan or similar rind, stick it in there; it adds great flavor but is totally unnecessary.) Cover dish w/foil and braise until fennel is completely tender (maybe 90 minutes). Transfer everything (except rind) to a blender, and puree w/additional stock. Transfer to saucepan, add enough stock to reach desired consistency, adjust seasoning, and add a little cream if you like, but this soup is perfectly delicious w/out cream.

Alternately, you can roast the fennel and garlic (tossed in olive oil) in the oven until soft and puree it w/ stock.

[THewat]

you're the best.

[Breadcrumbs]

Thanks all, dinner was lovely and like you nomadchowwoman, for me, the soup was the star of the meal as this is also a favourite of mine too. That roast was pretty yummy too I must say.

THewat, looks like nomadchowwoman has you covered w a recipe. I make mine the latter way she suggests. I remove the outer layers and core the fennel then chop, and toss w chopped onion (usually 4 parts fennel to 1 part onion). I toss them together in evoo then spread evenly on a jellyroll pan and roast at 400 for 20 -30 mins (just until their edges start getting a bit of colour. While that's in the oven, I put a large, heavy bottomed pan on med-high, toss in a little evoo and saute a large potato that I've peeled and chopped into 1/2" cubes. Throw in the roasted veggies and add about a litre of vegetable stock. I then let that all simmer together for about an hour then I puree. Today I also toasted some fennel seeds in a dry pan then ground them and added that to the potatoes as they sauteed. I LOVE fennel so if you're not sure, you could skip this step. The potato thickens the soup nicely but if you're in the mood for something more decadent, you could always sitr in some cream or milk. If you have guests, its also nice to serve w a little dollop of sour cream on top. You can also add a bit of lemon juice if you wish, that's nice too. As nomadchowwoman pointed out, the soup is also scrumptious w roasted garlic too! If you're lucky enough to get some fronds on your fennel bulbs, don't throw them out, they make a beautiful garnish and taste delicious. Enjoy!

[ChristinaMason]

Sounds fab. I'll have to try this.

[boyzoma]

Tonight will be DH's Cajun Fettuccine Alfredo with sauteed mushrooms, a side of mixed veggies and a little salad. Simple, but filling.

[linguafood]

After the lovely, buttery & sweet grilled trout last night, we're craving something hearty tonight - beef. What kind is TBD, depending on what lifts our luggage. I am craving rip-eye, but a sirloin roast might work, too. Sautéed fresh spinach on the side with a dash of cream freeeeesh, and maybe a small potato gratin. Might whip up a Béarnaise for the meat, depending on how ambitious I feel...

Hungry now.

[mariacarmen]

the thought of your trout dinner is making me hungry again!

nothing to report here. family in town for service yesterday, made a small spread of cold cuts, cheeses, my frenchy potato salad, olives, chips, etc., and baked goods my cousin sent up with my aunt. dinner was out, local Peruvian. Today lunch will be local Bolivian (it's like we get together and we've never had anything but andean cuisine before in our lives!), tonight i think I'll be in food coma.

Oh, to Harters: a German deli in my parents' nabe carries a smattering of English products (salad creme, heinz baked beans, etc.) and i picked up a jar of Somerdale's Double Devon Cream, the clotted stuff, to serve with a German ginger-spiced loaf from the same place. On tasting it, it had a very distinct, bitter taste. I could still taste the rich cream flavor underneath, but there was something decidedly wrong about it - or, my question is, is it possible it's supposed to taste like that? it didn't taste like spoiled milk, it didn't smell funny, just had a very pronounced bitter edge to it. Methinks I'll be returning it, opened or no.

[Harters]

I think your clotted cream may be "off". It should taste sweet as normal cream - but richer.

As far as I know Somerdale are a responsible supplier so it should be a quality product. A quick Google indicates that they represent a number of British dairies and market their products for export to North America.

Traditional use, BTW, is on a scone with strawberry jam. In Devon, the cream traditionally goes on the scone first and is topped with jam. Next county, Cornwall, it's jam first, then cream. Important thing is just to use lots and lots of both cream & jam.

[mariacarmen]

i figured. bummer. i was looking forward to slathers of it.

[nomadchowwoman]

That trout did sound divine!

[linguafood]

It was, and what's even better is that it's another one of those incredibly uninvolved, simple dishes. I guess I should be happy we have a trout guy at our farmer's market whose trout is at most a few hours out of the water. Freshness does go a long way!!

[Harters]

The Bury black puddings we bought the other day get their airing in this dead easy saute.

Some smoked bacon goes in the pan and, once the fat has started to run, so does some thinly sliced red cabbage and pre boiled new potatoes. Once they're well under way, chunks of the pudding and slices of apple go in. Finally a dressing made with honey, wholegrain mustard, olive oil and cider vinegar goes in. A quick stir round and that's dinner. Except for a scattering of hazelnuts on top.

Simples. And not for the faint-hearted who like hissy-prissy flavours.

[mamachef]

Simple, and sounds freaking delicious, Harters. Not for the faint of palate though. Love the interplay of the delicious umame puddings and sweet-spicy dressing. If I could get those puddings, I'd make this in a heartbeat. Can you think of a sub. for them?

[Harters]

I can get all regionally passionate about black puddings - they really are probably *the* iconic foodstuff from north west England and Lancashire in particular. But I reckon any good blood sausage would do at a pinch - Spanish morcilla, German blutwurst, French boudin noir.

Never trust Wikipedia but here's the link anyway.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_pudding

And some other regional stuff which pops up from time to time in my cooking
http://www.manchester2002-uk.com/eat&...

[mamachef]

Sweeeeeeet. Thanks for the ideas and being willing to share. I'm going to give this a shot with Morcilla, I can get some good stuff around here.

[Harters]

I usually find morcilla is a bit on the sweet side in comparision with black pud (which is entirely savoury). It'll work but I think you'll want to adjust the sweetness in the dressing to re-balance things.

[mamachef]

So heavier on the mustard and acid components then. Ok, good advice. I don't want this to be cloying.

[Harters]

We've just finished dinner. This was an absolute cracker of a dish - best thing I've put on a plate for weeks. Even the hazelnuts - I thought that was going to be a bit of an affectation but the crunch really worked with the softness of the pud and apple - and the cabbage still had a good bite.

I want to eat dinner again!

[LindaWhit]

I'm making oven-roasted baby-back ribs for dinner tonight with a Baharat spice rub and an apple cider/applesauce BBQ sauce. Carrot raisin salad and roasted potatoes alongside (I don't feel like having potato salad).

***Dry Rub - Baharat Spice Mix*** (from Chef Ana Sortun of Oleana, Cambridge, MA)
3 Tbsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp crushed red pepper, or more to taste
(OR use hot paprika in place of the crushed red pepper flakes)

***BBQ Sauce***
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder

[Cherylptw]

Leftovers tonight: (Great Northern) bean & pork chili and giant cornbread muffins warm from the oven. I still have some peach cobbler in the fridge so that'll be dessert later.

[nomadchowwoman]

Making duck cannelloni w/leftover duck. Just made the duck/wild mushroom ragout and the bechamel. About to tackle the pasta (and finally try out the KA pasta attachment my mom gave me as a b-day gift several months ago). Then I must make some kind of sauce; I'm thinking a light tomato/duck stock sauce made w/a little gin and finished w/ a bit of cream.

Will serve that with a spinach/beet/satsuma/red onion salad topped w/toasted pistachios and some warm ciabatta. And we'll open a nice red, not sure exactly what yet.

[bushwickgirl]

I'll be there shortly with wine!

[nomadchowwoman]

Come on down, there's plenty!

[linguafood]

do you have room for one more? duck canneloni!!!! yowzah.

[LindaWhit]

I'll bring another bottle as well!

[nomadchowwoman]

Wish you all could have come. There was plenty: I ended up w/two lg. baking dishes of it (and no room in my freezer so, except for tonight, I suspect we'll be eating it 'til T-Day).

Today w/leftover pasta I'm making ravioli filled w/a puree of butternut squash, goat cheese, and roasted garlic. It will be dressed w/sage butter and pecorino romano. With that, some roasted shrimp and a salad of arugula and radicchio w/a lemony dressing and some toasted pine nuts. Friends are coming over to watch a football game, during which I'll set out some olives, almonds, and slices of fennel salami. We'll eat dinner after the game is over--and they're bringing dessert.

[SherBel]

I have some leftover mashed potatoes, and I'm craving fish cakes. I'm going to buy some cod, pan roast it, flake it, and then add it to the potatoes with lots of fried onions and an egg. I'll form cakes bread them and pan fry them, and serve them with old-fashioned egg sauce, which I love. Maybe some broccoli on the side.

[PamelaD]

I aquired a chicken today and was planning on roasting it (spatchcocked), but a friend just lent me a clay roasting pot. I have some home-dried herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage) to spread under the skin....
Will serve with soft polenta (with goat cheese) and brussel sprouts (with bacon).

Any opinons on oven roasting vs clay pot??

P

[Breadcrumbs]

Well, selfishly, I'll throw a vote towards the clay pot version as I've never roasted in one and would be interested to learn how it turns out. Sounds like you have a lovely dinner ahead.

[LindaWhit]

Clay bakers keep the chicken moist, but I've always found the skin doesn't crisp up the way I like, so my clay baker has been relegated to storage. I stick with oven roasting.

[boyzoma]

DH pulled a nice big bone-in rib-eye out of the freezer this morning that we can share, so to go with that, I pulled some shrimp out of the freezer to make a nice shrimp salad and have some Yukon Gold's that I will bake as well that will have some sour cream, bacon and chives.

[linguafood]

A very large, whole steelhead trout, basted with some olive oil, rosemary & sea salt and then grilled till the skin is all crispy. Squeeze of lemon to dress.

Sides as of yet undetermined, but probably something green - sautéed sugar snaps (for the alliteration alone it'd be worth it), or a simple salad of Belgian endives with citrus.

[ChristinaMason]

damn, that sounds good.

[bushwickgirl]

Tonight, and since it's still early, it may change, but it's breakfast for dinner, a toss up between sausage gravy and biscuits or eggs, any style, sausage patties and grits. I'm leaning towards sausage patties and eggs, as I'm doing baking of other things (biscotti) which has used up precious counter/prep space for making biscuits.

[mamachef]

bushwick, you're a gurrrrrl after my very own heart. Breakfast for dinner is such a good option, especially with all the hardcore holiday cooking already taking place in the Land of My Kitchen. Tonight is Uovo alla Purgatorio, or Shakshuka: eggs simmered in spicy tomato sauce. In the interest of ballast, I am going to go ahead and make biscuits, thinking a sharp cheddar-herb would work well with this. Some seared spicy Italian sausage on the side, and dessert will be whatever either of us feels like scrounging from the Top-Secret Hidden Candy Drawer.

[LindaWhit]

I hadn't realized a new thread had already been started, since the other one was barely at 200. So I'll repost here:

I have some apple cider that's beginning to go, so I'll use a bit of it in tonight's dinner (and probably the rest with ribs tomorrow). Having apples and sweet potatoes in the house makes it an easy decision for dinner. IIRC, the last time I made this, the sweet potatoes and apples ended up mushy (cut too thinly) so I'm going to quarter the apples and leave the sweets in 1" thickness (vs. slices and 1/2" slices, respectively). I think peas alongside.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Baked Chicken With Sweet Potatoes & Apples

Recipe By :Linda
Serving Size : 2 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Poultry

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 small boned and skinned chicken breast halves
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 large sweet potato -- peeled, par-cooked, and then cut into 1 inch slices
1 large apple -- peeled and quartered
2 tsp grated orange peel
1/2 cup apple cider

Mix together ginger, nutmeg and pepper; sprinkle on all sides of chicken.

In shallow 2-quart baking dish, arrange chicken in single layer. Place sliced sweet potatoes and apple quarters around chicken. Sprinkle with orange peel and pour apple cider over all. Bake in 400°F. oven about 1 hour or until fork can be inserted in chicken with ease, basting with liquid in dish several times.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 276 Calories; 2g Fat (7.0% calories from fat); 29g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 68mg Cholesterol; 88mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 1 Fruit; 0 Fat.

NOTES : Adapted from a recipe at http://www.eatchicken.com

[Harters]

Linda - Does this not end up being a bit sweet? Or does the orange peel counterbalance?

[LindaWhit]

The ginger gives it a good bit of spice, Harters, and the apple cider I use is unpasteurized (and as I said, it's begun to ferment a bit in my fridge) so it's actually more tart than sweet. But yes, there is a hint of sweetness to it what with the cider, nutmeg and apples.

[rabaja]

Well, the crab last night was one of the best I've had in a long time. So buttery, I ate it as is. It really needed nothing to compliment it.
The salad I'd intended to dress and have WITH the meat was lovely too. Afterwards, by itself as well.
Tonight is promising to be another cold and rainy one. I wish I had the beef burgundy you all are getting ready to enjoy in my fridge, but alas, did not plan so well.
Maybe I'll pull out my lamb chops, they deserve to be eaten. With a nice wild rice/brown rice pilaf maybe, and I did get my first celeriac of the season at yesterdays farmers market.
Not too shabby.
I am hoping to get home from work this afternoon with enough time and energy to pull off a braise of some kind for Sunday supper. Got MStevens book yesterday from the library, which everyone on the COTM thread seems to adore.

[Breadcrumbs]

I love crab, one of my favourite meals and like you, I get so involved eating it, everything else gets forgotten in the moment!! Glad it turned out well.

Funny you mentioned the celeriac and the braising book because I was just looking at a lovely braised celeriac recipe in MAOFC. It has bacon. Need I say more!!!

[Harters]

Have to say, I do a very decent celeriac & bacon soup - the two do go together excellently.

[Breadcrumbs]

Mmmm Harters, that sounds truly scrumptious!!

[Harters]

Fry an onion & a clove of garlic for a bit then chuck in around 350g smoked bacon and let that get going then add 350g celeriac and fry for a couple of minutes. Add in about 1ltr veg or ham stock and simmer till the celeriac is soft. Whizz in a processor.

If you had another rasher or two of bacon, it'd have been a great idea to have chopped it and fried till crisp. Scatter the bits and a little fresh thyme on top as you serve (4 decent sized portions)

[mariacarmen]

thanks, was just about to ask!

[Breadcrumbs]

Harters, thanks so much for sharing this. I've added celeriac to my grocery list for next week, I just have to make this. Love the thyme & crispy bacon on top too...I can almost smell it now!

[Breadcrumbs]

Well, I couldn't stop thinking about this soup Harters so we took a drive to our local farm market today and I bought up all their remaining celeriac...this should keep me "in soup" for the full winter!! I'll be making it this week! Thanks again.

[mariacarmen]

my sister has a ritual with crab. she turns up the heat in her house full blast, puts on shorts, gets down on the floor in front of the t.v. with newspapers out and and a steamed crab, and meticulously picks every little last teensy bit of meat out of every crustaceous cranny. she frowns at me if i leave anything behind!

[nomadchowwoman]

I'm one of the many Stevens enthusiasts; love that book.

[Breadcrumbs]

Tonight it's all about Italy. To start, 2 kinds of Bruschetta: a ricotta w spicy broccoli rabe and, "alla Romana" w an anchovy egg puree over buffalo mozzarella. Pasta as our main. Mr bc picked Garganelli & Chicken Ragout w Saffron from my "La Mia Cucina Toscana" cookbook (which I LOVE...so many yummy recipes.) First time I've made this pasta though so we'll see how it goes.

[chefmindy]

Tonight is:

A starter of French Onion Soup, with fresh bakery baguette and Swiss to top.

Beef Bourguignon over a bed of egg noodles.
Asparagus and cherry tomatoes sauteed with garlic, olive oil and Balsamic reductions....

Am completely excited!

[tzurriz]

We had beef bourguignon over egg noodles last night. It was so good. The leftovers will probably be lunch today. :) I was going to serve them for dinner, but I doubt they'll last that long.

[chefmindy]

I get so excited when I make it! The wine....oh man. Do you find it's better after a day? The wine gets a chance to become more prominent after being in the fridge. My girlfriends think it's weird how I serve it over egg noodles, they do roasted or mashed potatoes...personally, its nice to see someone else who uses egg noodles. I enjoy the texture.

[tzurriz]

I love it, same day, next day, whatever. And it has to go over egg noodles, it's like law or something. :)

[Harters]

I need to get some chicken stock frozen away for the Christmas lunch gravy so we're roasting a bird for dinner.

I'm also having having a trial run of a festive vegetable idea - basically serving them in a loaf shape. So, some carrots, swedes and celeriac are getting boiled separately. They'll then be mashed (but still retaining some texture) and seasoned and mixed with a little beaten egg. They then go into a loaf tin in the three layers and it's baked for about 30 minutes. The theory is that you can then turn out the "loaf" and slice it to serve. If it works, it should be damn pretty (and I'll think about exactly what root veg I'll do on Xmas Day). If it doesnt, it'll get mixed up and fried as a sort of "bubble & squeak" tomorrow.

There's veg soup to start and cheese & celery for afters.

[mariacarmen]

That does sound pretty - does it bake in a bain-marie or just in the oven? and what's a swede?

[Harters]

Maria - swede is what I believe Americans call rutabaga. . It's also what the Scots call a turnip when they refer to "Neeps" as in "neeps and tatties". Although it gets confusing as they also call turnip a turnip. And it bakes straight in the oven.

I'm already thinking how different colour combos could work for different meals - you've got a sort of veggie tricolour flag there - so say, carrot/brussel sprouts/potato for an Irish based meal?

[bushwickgirl]

Yes, it's what we call rutabaga, specifically, which I love.

I enjoyed the pet photos while they lasted, and I was surprised they lasted as long as they did.

[mariacarmen]

oh, ok, but we have turnips AND rutabagas here, and i know they're similar but not exactly the same, right?

[Harters]

I think it's size & colour that distinguishes them. Turnips are usually smallish and white fleshed. Swede/rutabaga larger and orange fleshed.

[bushwickgirl]

Exactly. The rutabaga found in supermarkets/farmer's markets this time of year are usually waxed. Turnips are white with purple tops, and smaller. I prefer rutabaga for mashing, but turnips are good.

[Harters]

Ah well, the veggie loaf wasnt a winner. It didnt hold its shape well and the flavours of the veg just blurred into one. Nothing really shone. Back to the drawing board for the festive lunch - it's been a couple of years since we've had to cook the big event and we like to do "something" a little different from the entirely traditional.

[Breadcrumbs]

Sorry to hear it didn't work out the way you'd hoped but we know you've got great leftovers for breakfast!!

I know these weren't all the veg you were looking to use but I think the visual effect is what you were after so I've pasted a link to a recipe below in case its something you want to play with:

http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/hol...

[mariacarmen]

good thing you tried it out first! ah well... it sounded yummy.