Gravy: Mini Lesson

For CJR who wanted a backup and I refused to give her one.

My best friend called me today asking me for a "gravy backup" in case she wasn't able to get her gravy to turn out right on Thanksgiving day. I told her, "You don't need backup" and she proceeded to tell me how one year, she tried to make gravy but there weren't enough drippings and so she failed. She was very worried about producing a gravy if there were no drippings.

And I am here to tell you - that you do NOT have to have drippings to make homemade gravy. You merely need this simple proportion.

2 tablespoons butter or turkey drippings (if you are lucky and get them)
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup of hot broth or chicken stock
this produces 1 cup of gravy.

You want more gravy? Simply multiply...

To get 4 cups of gravy (which sounds more reasonable to me...)

1/2 cup of butter or drippings or a combination
1/2 cup of flour
4 cups of hot broth or chicken stock

Now - the more additions you get from the turkey, the better the gravy. If you are able to get a couple of tablespoons of drippings, that will make it taste better. If you are motivated and decide to boil the giblets in some chicken stock to make your own turkey stock - even better. If you are able to get some pan juices, separate the drippings from the juices - even better. If you are unable to do ANY of that - you can still have some pretty delicious gravy.

Basic Gravy
makes 4 cups - easily halved or easily doubled

1/2 cup of butter or drippings, or a combination
1/2 cup of flour
4 cups of hot chicken stock or broth

In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter and/or the drippings over medium heat. Add the flour and mix together, creating a roux (fancy word for a mixture of butter and flour). Cook whisking often, until the roux is bubbly and begins to darken, about 3-4 minutes. Add all at once, HOT broth (hot broth prevents lumpy gravy.) and continue whisking. Bring gravy to a boil, and it will thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Serve HOT.

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Pumpkin Pie: Holiday Recipe #14

For EM who sacrifices for her husband...

Sometimes cooking means that you don't get your way. You have to cook something you don't want to cook, something you don't feel like eating, or sometimes something you just don't eat. I think the third is the hardest sacrifice of the home cook because you put a lot of effort and time into something that you will not enjoy - it is effort for something you will ultimately not enjoy.

But it's a part of life when we get families, spouses, children - we cook not only for ourselves but for those around us. We find ourselves doing things that we don't always want to - but when we see that look of appreciation and satisfaction of those loved ones around us, it certainly makes it all worth it.

My lovely girlfriend emailed me asking me for a pumpkin pie recipe, even though SHE doesn't like it. Her husband enjoys it and she wanted to make it for their Thanksgiving meal. I'm hoping that this pie may convince her that in actuality, a pumpkin pie is a beautiful thing. This pie is silky, smooth, lightly spiced and a blend of delicious complex flavors. So EM - take a bite and maybe you can enjoy the same dessert as your husband.

Pumpkin Pie

(adapted from the back of the Libby pumpkin can)

Makes one 9 inch pie - serves 8-12

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup golden brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin
1 can (12 fl.oz) evaporated milk
1 UNBAKED 9 inch pie crust (recipe below if you want to make your own)

Whipped cream (optional - for serving)

Directions

Mix sugars, cinnamon, salt, ginger in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Add vanilla. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

Pour into prepared pie shell.

Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Flaky Pie Crust

Bon Appétit | 2000 by Elinor Klivans

Makes one 9-inch crust

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Food processor: Mix flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter and shortening. Using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle 3 tablespoons ice water over mixture. Process just until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until dough is firm enough to roll out, about 30 minutes.

Pastry blender: Mix flour, sugar and salt in bowl. Add butter and shortening. Using pastry blender, push through the butter and shortening, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle 3 tablespoons ice water over mixture. Continue blending just until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until dough is firm enough to roll out, about 30 minutes.

Roll out dough on lightly floured work surface to 12-inch round. Transfer dough to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Fold overhang under. Crimp edges decoratively. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

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Caramel Pecan Bars - Holiday Recipe #13

Everyone has that one dessert - the one that just gets them and causes cravings. For some people it is the draw of chocolate that gets them, for others a perfect piece of cake is their weakness, and for others, that rich creamy cheesecake is their idea of dessert perfection. Mine is none of those; my perfect idea of dessert is anything and everything caramel and toffee. There is something about that confection of butter and sugar coming together to make something extra special and delicious.

When I saw this recipe in my latest Food and Wine magazine I simply had to make them. I read the recipe and knew that it would be a bit more complicated than I liked, as I had to make a pastry crust and also a caramel, but I thought the result would be a dessert that perfectly suited my personality and I was right. These are crispy from the pastry, chewy from the caramel and crunchy from the pecans - a perfect bite of textures.

These will be appearing on my Thanksgiving table this year.

Caramel Pecan Bars
(slightly adapted from recipe by Ken Oringer in Food and Wine | December 2009)
Makes 16 bars

Crust
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
1/4 cup ice water
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Topping
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound pecan halves

Directions

Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse the flour with the sugar and salt. Add the cubed butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle on the ice water and vinegar and process until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Turn the crumbs out onto a sheet of wax paper and knead just until the dough comes together. Pat the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until slightly chilled, about 15 minutes. (can be made one day ahead. Allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before rolling out.)

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper. Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of wax paper to an 11- by-15-inch rectangle (1/4 inch thick). Trim the dough to a 9-by-13-inch rectangle and place it in the baking pan. Cut the remaining dough into 3/4-inch-wide strips and press them up the side of the pan to form a rim all around. Refrigerate the dough until firm, about 30 minutes.

Line the dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the dough is just set. Remove the parchment paper and weights and bake the crust for about 12 minutes longer, until lightly golden and set. Let cool.

Make the topping: In a large saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, honey and salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until foamy and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Add cinnamon and cream and cook, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer inserted in the caramel registers 240° (soft ball stage), about 10 minutes longer. Add the pecans and cook for 2 minutes longer. Pour the filling over the crust, spreading it evenly. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the crust is golden and the topping is bubbling. Let cool completely. Remove onto a cutting board. Cut into bars and serve.

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My idea of a perfect ending to a meal

Cheap basic candy thermometer...

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions: Thanksgiving Recipe #12

A while back someone asked me about caramelizing onions, which is one of those things that people take as granted as being easy - which it isn't. Caramelizing onions takes the patience that most moms don't find themselves with at the end of a long day.

But in reality, it's not that difficult in terms of technique - it's really about leaving them alone. You put the butter in the pan, toss the onions in with some salt and you just let them cook over low heat. The smell is phenomenal and the deliciousness is well worth the time. And take the green beans and toss them with the onions and you now have something special and delicious.

For those who want to prepare these ahead of time, I would caramelize onions and set them aside in the fry pan. Cook the green beans and shock them in cold water to keep the green. When you're almost ready to serve simply toss the green beans in with the onions and you have a fantastically simple but delicious side dish.

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions
Serves 6-8

Kosher salt
3 pounds green beans, trimmed of stem end (I like the pretrimmed French beans at Costco)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, sliced thin
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt

Fill a large pot with water. Add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Add green beans and cook for about 5-7 minutes; the beans should still be crisp. Drain the beans and then run them under some cold water to stop them from cooking. Reserve the beans while you start the onions.

In a skillet, over medium low heat, add butter and olive oil and heat until the butter has melted. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook stirring occasionally until the onions caramelize, 30-40 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

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The perfect addition to your table

Thanksgiving Recipe Compilation

Several of my readers informed me that they would be surfing my blog to find their Thanksgiving menu. I thought it might be helpful to go ahead and compile the recipes that I have made into one list so that people could see their choices.

Here is my list of potential Thanksgiving dishes...I hope you try at least one on here!

Appetizers
Hot Artichoke Dip
Pears and Arugula, wrapped in Prosciutto
Roasted Shrimp Cocktail with Homemade Cocktail Sauce

Salad
Pear, Candied Walnut, Gorgonzola Salad
Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

Bread
Honey Corn Muffins

Stuffing
Cornbread Stuffing
Maple Cornbread Stuffing with Apples and Sausage

Sides
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Roasted Sweet Potato Circles
Garlic Broccoli
Sweet Potato Casserole with Apples and Pears
Green Bean Salad
Green Bean Bits with Garlic
Green Beans with Caramelized Onions

Dessert
Sweet Potato Pie
Pumpkin Cupcakes
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Pumpkin Chocolate Coffee Cake
Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownie
Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Crust
Caramel Pecan Bars
Pumpkin Pie

Simple Cornbread Stuffing/Dressing: Holiday Recipe #11

For JJ, who encouraged me to try this recipe.

I am a recipe loyalist. If I have a recipe that I LOVE, I generally stick with it, especially when it comes to Thanksgiving meals. I like to stick with things that I've made for the past 15 years, sort of as a way of "keeping tradition." I want to say things like, "This is the same stuffing I've made for 25 years" somewhere down the line. I like the idea of that. Therefore, I've been making the exact same stuffing recipe, New England Sausage Stuffing with Maple Cornbread, since 2001. This year would be my 8th year making it, on my way to hitting 25 years of the same tradition of stuffing in my family.

Only I'm pausing for a moment to decide if I want to make that one or this stuffing recipe that my friend JJ asked me to try. This cornbread stuffing/dressing has a far shorter ingredient list, is less uncluttered and really is about the cornbread flavor. It benefits from homemade cornbread muffins and is simply to prepare the day of your party. I have to say that I was skeptical at first (I LOVE my sausage apple stuffing) but after making it, found myself a bit torn. If you have time, try this one out - as it is so simple to make you could easily make it for dinner this weekend to test it out.

Just as a note, I'm not one who believes in stuffing a turkey with stuffing...so technically this is a "dressing" and not a "stuffing." I cook mine in a casserole dish and it gets his lovely golden crust on top.

Caramelized Onions and Cornbread Stuffing/Dressing (Recipe by Tyler Florence)
Serves 6-8

2 tablespoons butter
2 onions, chopped
6 large cornmeal muffins, cubed (I used this recipe)
Handful fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes, or until soft and caramelized. Add sage and scrape into a large mixing bowl. Add the cornbread pieces, season well with salt and pepper, and give it a good toss until it's well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, cream, and stock, and pour that over the cornbread. Stir the stuffing together and stuff the cavity of the turkey. You could also spoon it into a buttered baking dish and put it in the oven along with the turkey. Bake until hot and crusty on top, about 30 minutes.

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Honey Cornbread Muffins: Holiday Recipe #10

For JN, fellow teacher and cornbread baker

I normally do not do any sort of bread at my Thanksgiving dinner...mainly because I have too much other stuff to prepare and it's just not a priority on my list. But friend asked me about cornbread a while back, ad I thought I'd give it a bit of a whirl. The great thing about a cornbread muffin is that mix up really quickly, bake quickly and get eaten quickly. (Daughters gobbled up two each before I could tell them to leave me six for the stuffing the next day.)

Oh yes, these will be used in a cornbread stuffing I am trying out, but they were so good as they were, I wanted to post it as its own.

These would be excellent with the Turkey Chili.

Honey Cornbread Muffins (adapted from The Neelys)
Makes 12

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup honey
Special equipment: paper muffin cups and a 12-cup muffin tin

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Into a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, butter, and honey. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed.

Place muffin paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. Evenly divide the cornbread mixture into the papers. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden.

Serve with butter and honey.

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