Food goodness

I could use some expert counsel from my favorite expert cooking counselors. This year, we're going to DC for our annual friends-and-fun Thanksgiving meal (after the real holiday instead of before), and there are some unusual constraints: 1. Driving down on a Saturday for a wedding, staying overnight in a hotel, making the meal on Sunday. The hotel does not have a refrigerator. This means that the before-the-fact prep has to be pretty limited... I think we might buy and brine the turkey and bring it down in a cooler (in fact, last year we brined the turkey overnight in the trunk of my car anyway to keep it away from critters, so that's actually not unprecedented). But everything else is a little more of a challenge -- I don't have enough cooler space for dishes with dairy products, for example, and that would make me too nervous anyway. I obviously don't want the meal to end with a nice bout of food poisoning for all my favorite people. 2. We'll probably have six hou

Watch the Working Class Foodie video and tell me you're not a little bit in love with Rebecca. 1 pint heavy whipping cream 1 pound mascarpone cheese 1 cup confectioner's sugar 2 egg yolks, beaten 1.5 tsp vanilla 1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice ladyfinger cookies a delicious beer (I used a seasonal beer, but I think I'd use a darker, bolder tasting beer next time - porter or even stout) cocoa powder for Whip the cream with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer with the balloon attachment. Set aside. In a large bowl mix together the mascarpone, sugar, beaten egg yolks, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set this mixture aside. In a shallow bowl, dunk each ladyfinger in beer and then arrange them in a single layer in a glass casserole dish. Spread a layer of the mascarpone & whipped cream mixture over the ladyfingers. Dust with cocoa. Repeat this for the second layer. Cover and chill for several hours, overnight if possible before serving. Serves 12

From King Arthur Flour's Whole Grain Baking . This recipe is one I use at home pretty regularly when I don't have time to fiddle with a regular yeast bread. Alissa, this should be just what you need to get started with baking bread from scratch. 1 1/4 C lukewarm filtered water (don't use tap--the chlorine can kill the yeast) 1/4 C orange juice 3 T molasses 3 C whole wheat flour or white whole wheat 1/4 C nonfat dry milk 1 1/4 t salt 2 t instant/rapid rise yeast 1 T vital wheat gluten (optional) Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan and set aside. Grease well or the bread will stick. You don't want to know what happens if you forget to grease the pan. Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat vigorously by hand if you're the sort to do that or use your KitchenAid like I do and use the paddle attachment. This dough is pretty wet and sticky so the paddle is what you need. Beat on med-high speed for 3 min. Scoop the batter into your

From: Pioneer Woman Ingredients 3 cups Apple Juice Or Apple Cider 2 gallons Cold Water 4 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary Leaves 5 cloves Garlic, Minced 1-½ cup Kosher Salt 2 cups Brown Sugar 3 Tablespoons Peppercorns 5 whole Bay Leaves Peel Of Three Large Oranges Preparation Instructions Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cover. Allow to cool completely, then pour into a large brining bag or pot. Place uncooked turkey in brine solution, then refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours. When ready to roast turkey, remove turkey from brine. Submerge turkey in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water. Allow to sit in clean water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside. Discard brine. Remove turkey from clean water, pat dry, and cook according to your normal roasting method.

I just finished up hosting our first Thanksgiving dinner at our house. We did it early so that we can actually take a vacation next week while everyone else is stuffing themselves silly. I've never cooked a whole bird of any kind, so I did a bit of research first, and this is what I went with. I actually used PW's brine, which I will post next, but I used Alton's method for roasting the turkey. If you're going to use this method, I would recommend watching the YouTube video "Romancing the Bird" to watch how he does it, because the crucial "Turkey Triangle" is not mentioned in this post , but is required if following this method. For the aromatics: 1 red apple, sliced 1 onion, sliced 1 cinnamon stick 1 cup water 4 sprigs rosemary 6 leaves sage Canola oil Directions Click here to see how it's done. 2 to 3 days before roasting: Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F. Make your brine, using your favorite

From: Simply Recipes Ingredients 1 pie crust (homemade or store-bought) 2 tablespoons olive oil 2-3 large red onions (about one pound total), thinly sliced Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup heavy cream 3 large eggs Pinch nutmeg 6 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (1 1/2 cups) Pre-Baking the Crust 1 On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Fit into a 9-by-1 1/2-inch round tart pan, pressing dough into corners. Transfer to freezer to chill for 30 minutes. 2 Preheat oven to 350°. Line pastry with parchment paper, wax paper, or aluminum foil, pressing into the corners and edges. Fill at least two-thirds with baking weights - dried beans, rice, or aluminum pie weights. Bake first for 15 minutes, remove from oven and let cool a few minutes. Carefully remove parchment paper and weights. Poke the bottom of the pie pan with the tines of a fork and return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes or until lightly golden. (Fork hole

There is nothing in this recipe that is even remotely related to chop suey or Chinese food in general. In fact, I have no idea why they call it chop suey. To me it's sort of like homemade hamburger helper. All I know is that it was quick, used one pot, was not expensive, and the kids gobbled it up. So that's a winner, in my book. Adapted from Cheapy, Healthy, Good 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided 1 3 lbs ground turkey ½ lb (2 c.) uncooked elbow macaroni ½ cup minced onion ½ cup chopped green pepper and/or celery (I used both, and probably used a little more than half a cup) 2 8-oz cans tomato sauce 1 cup water 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teapsoon pepper 1-1 ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1In a large nonstick skillet or saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add turkey, onions, and peppers/celery. Cook until browned, breaking it up with the back of a spoon as you go. Add macaroni and cook another minute or so. Add tomato sauce, water, salt, pepper, and Worcestersh

Quick is relative, because this still takes an hour to make. But it's quicker than doing it the traditional way, which takes for-ever. Adapted (slightly) from The Kitchn kosher salt freshly ground black pepper 6-8 large (about 3 pounds) chicken thighs, skin on 3/4 cup (about 1 ounce) dried wild mushrooms (I used way more than this -- I just used the whole package) 1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) chopped bacon 1 large onion chopped into 1/2-inch pieces 2 medium carrots, cut into large bite-size pieces 5 large cloves garlic, peeled and gently smashed 2 tablespoons tomato paste 3 cups dry, fruity red wine (zinfandel, burgundy) 1 cup chicken stock 2 bay leaves 4 whole sprigs fresh thyme Lightly sprinkle the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. Set aside. Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and pour enough boiling water over to just cover. (I used a cup) Over medium heat in a 4-6 quart (large enough to accommodate the chicken) deep skillet or dutch oven with a lid, brown the bacon,

This is a Weight Watchers recipe that is surprisingly rich-tasting and delicious. 20 oz butternut squash, fresh, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch chunks 8 oz uncooked bow ties [I used whole wheat rotini; obviously the type of pasta doesn't matter much] salt & pepper 1 cup(s) buttermilk 1/4 cup plus 4 tsp Parmigiano Reggiano, [I used romano] 3 Tbsp fresh sage, minced Place squash on prepared baking sheet and roast until tender and starting to caramelize, about 25 to 30 minutes. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. After squash has been roasting for about 15 minutes, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and return to pot. Add squash, buttermilk, salt and pepper to pot; toss over low heat to warm through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and sage; toss to mix and coat. Spoon about 1 1/2 cups of pasta into each of 4 serving bowls; top each with 1 teaspoon of remaining Parmesan cheese and serve immediately. (7 points per serving; 5 i

I doubled this recipe, so that it would fill the slow cooker I've got. Also, Ernie said he would suggest adding some potato to it the next time, so bear that in mind. I didn't try it (I was eating clam chowder), but Gaby devoured hers. from A Year of Slow Cooking 1 quart chicken broth (4 cups!) 1 tablespoon butter 1 cup finely chopped onion, or 1 tablespoon dried minced onion flakes 1 (32-ounce) package of frozen corn 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 (6-ounce) can lump crabmeat, drained and picked throug 1 cup half and half or heavy cream (to add later) Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Pour the broth into your crockpot, and add butter and onion. Stir in frozen corn, garlic, butter, and the crabmeat (make sure you pick through canned crab---shells often occur!) Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, high for 4 hours, or until the onion is cooked through and translucent. If you'd like a thicker broth, pulse a few times with an immersible blender, or scoop out a cup or so and blend in a tradi

I was craving clam chowder the other day after watching a food show where they were making clam chowder. So I went looking for recipes, and found this one, which wasn't hard at all. So, so good. If you don't like clams, though, go ahead and skip this because it's got lots of clam flavor. Adapted from Epicurious 3 8-ounce bottles clam juice 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter 3 slices bacon, finely chopped 2 cups chopped onions 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 bay leaf 1/4 cup all purpose flour 7 6 1/2-ounce cans chopped clams, drained, juices reserved from 6 of the cans 1 1/2 cups half and half Bring bottled clam juice and potatoes to boil in heavy large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until bacon begins to brown, about 8 minutes. Add onions, g

This is fantastically easy, and a one-dish meal. That's my sort of cooking. adapted (slightly) from Serious Eats 1 tablespoon olive oil 6 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 anchovy fillets, rinsed and minced salt and black ground pepper 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 3 cups water 12 ounces rotelle (3 ¾ cups) 1/2 cup red wine 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup minced fresh basil 1/3 to 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped handful of capers 1 cup shredded or minced part-skim mozzarella cheese Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Combine oil, garlic, pepper flakes, anchovies, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet and sauté over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, water, rotelle, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed to maintain vigorous simmer, until rotelle is almost tender, 15 to 18

From: Use Real Butter 3 heads of broccoli, trimmed and divided into bite-size pieces 1 small red onion, small dice 4-6 slices bacon, fried and crumbled 1/2 cup cashews, roughly chopped 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1 cup mayonnaise (or 1/2 cup mayo and 1/2 cup plain yogurt) 2 tbsps sugar 4 tbsps vinegar (I used red wine vinegar) Combine the broccoli, onion, bacon, cashews, and cranberries in a large mixing bowl. Mix the mayonnaise (and yogurt, if using), sugar, and vinegar together and pour over the vegetables. Toss together and refrigerate for a day for best flavor.

Warning: Do not attempt the following recipe(s) if you don't like goat cheese. Every part of them has goat cheese. And that is why they are delicious, especially the biscuits, which are hands down the best ones I've ever made (although I haven't ever tried the ones Kelly posted a little while ago). Not really adapted in any substantial way from Joy the Baker/Mark Bittman/another guy. Curried Sweet Potato Soup serves 6 to 8 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup coarsely chopped onions 1 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon chopped ginger (I used powdered; why do I keep forgetting to buy fresh ginger) 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (I didn't have any and threw a whole pod in, which I kept in until I was ready to start blending. Not sure if it did anything or not; it's hard to tease that out from the rest of the spices) 1/4 teaspoon turmeric (in a lovely feat of grace, I dropped the entire bottle in and

Adapted from: Fine Cooking , by way of Lancaster Farm Fresh CSA blog This was kind of like a souffle, I guess. I've never made a souffle. :) But I do know it was DE-licious. We both had seconds. I actually made this in 4 smaller ramekins and reduced the time a bit - just keep an eye on it and remove from oven when it is browned around the edges. Serves 6-8 1 small cauliflower (about 2 pounds) 2 tablespoons olive oil; more for the gratin dish Kosher salt 1¾ ounces freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 3¾ cups milk 4 Tbsp unsalted butter ½ cup all-purpose flour 3 large eggs 2 large egg yolks 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil freshly ground black pepper Directions 1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees. 2. Core the cauliflower and separate it into florets. Cut the florets into ¼-inch-thick slices. Put the cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with wo Tbsp olive oil. Spread in an even layer, season with ½ teaspoon salt, and roast until tender,

Okay, Food Goodness Ladies, it's that time of year. Time for Paula Deen's pumpkin gooey butter cake. Whenever I ask Michael which dessert is his favorite he always says it's difficult to choose but he always, always names this one specifically. So, I was thinking that this year I would try to lighten it up a bit. I know, it's called gooey butter cake for a reason but last year when I made it I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if I cut back on the butter and sugar just a bit. Here's a link to Paula's website wherein her son has lightened up the original gooey butter cake . I don't know, am I being difficult about this? Should I just leave well enough alone or should I fiddle with it? What do you think?