Turkey Tips

I am fortunate enough to have many intelligent, extremely skilled men in my life. In years past, as well as this one, one or the other of those men have stepped up and volunteered to cook the main dish for Thanksgiving. That's a man's job anyway, right? The last turkey I cooked was probably 4 years ago even though we always have Thanksgiving at our house. Don't get me wrong; I did have to learn how to cook a giant bird once. I had great references, however, to help me along the almost panic attack inducing way. Butterball has a very comprehensive website, complete with time tables, videos, and tips on everything from buying a turkey to folding your napkins. They really lay it out better than I ever could. I recommended this site to one of my friends from China last year. She had never had turkey before but really wanted to try and make one. Apparently, her turkey came out beautifully and now ranks up there with Kentucky Fried Chicken as her favorite American food.

I have a few quick and dirty guidelines that will hopefully help you along the way.

• For whole turkeys, figure on having about ¾ lb per person, 1 ½ lbs per person if you want leftovers.
• For boneless turkeys and hams, count on having ½ lb per person, 1 lb per person if you want leftovers.
• A good estimate for thawing is 1 day for every 4 lbs when thawed in the fridge, which is really the safest way.
• You can store a completely thawed bird for up to 4 days, refrigerated.
• Cook at 325°F. Cooking times vary according to weight. Cook until the thigh registers 180°F and the stuffing, if using, registers 165°F in the center.

• Get you a digital temperature probe. I have one with an alarm that is great and allows me to stress much less about the food being done or not. You really don't want to worry about giving people food poisoning on top of everything else.
  
• Rub all over with oil before seasoning and baking to help prevent moisture loss. Plus, you don't really need to baste it once you seal the skin with oil.
• The breast cooks faster than the thighs so tent it with foil before baking to help prevent it from becoming dry.
• My brother-in-law is Kitchen Manager at a steak house so I never really have to worry about carving the bird myself. It is really easy to do though. You just make an incision horizontally through the breast near the bottom and then slice vertically. For full step-by-step instructions go to Butterball's site and/or watch the video below.

Sweet Potato Puff

My sister and I disagree about this family favorite. Like most sisters, we've spent the majority of our lives in disagreement, about quite a few things. She doesn't like "all that stuff" that I add to mine. We do agree that a good sweet potato casserole must have brown sugar and marshmallows. We both also agree that Thanksgiving is just not Thanksgiving until you have dressing and sweet potato casserole. Every thing else is up in the air. So I say, "Tough. Don't eat it." Inside I really wish she would and she always does because that's what sisters do, live to make each other miserable and happy in alternating cycles.

Serves 6-8

4-5 large sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled and mashed (OR one large can)
½ c. butter
¼ c. dark brown sugar, packed
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ c. raisins
1 small can crushed pineapple, undrained
½ tsp salt
½ c. pecans, toasted and chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ bag mini-marshmallows (coconut flavored ones are excellent here)

1. Preheat oven 350°.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the sweet potatoes, butter, brown sugar and egg.
3. In a small bowl microwave safe bowl, stir together the raisins, pineapple and pineapple juice. Warm in microwave 30 sec. Let stand 5 min.
4. Meanwhile, grease an 8x8" baking dish. Set aside.
5. Add the raisins/pineapple mixture to the sweet potato mixture.
6. Stir in the salt, pecans, and vanilla.
7. Spread into prepared baking dish.
8. Cover with marshmallows. Press down slightly.
9. Bake 20-30 min or until marshmallows are melted and slightly toasted.

Winter Waldorf Salad

This easy, no-cook, recipe was passed to me a few years ago by my brother-in-law. It was served as an appetizer, along with thick sesame sticks, at his college graduation party but would go lovely as a side dish. This fruit salad really is as beautiful as it is tasty. I just wish I had a picture to show you.

The famous Waldorf Salad was first seen in the late 1800s at the Waldorf Hotel (aka the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel) in New York. Traditionally, it consists of apple, celery, walnuts and mayonnaise. This version has been jazzed up a little to include 3 kinds of apples, raisins, grapes and a creamy, sweet, ginger dressing. Since the salad is better once the flavors marry, allow at least an hour and up to 2 days in the fridge. This fact makes it the perfect make ahead dish.

Serves 10-12, as an appetizer or side

¾ c. mayonnaise
¾ c. sour cream
1/3 c. honey
1 tbsp grated lemon rind
1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
¾ tsp ground ginger

3 large Granny Smith apples, chopped
3 large Golden Delicious apples, chopped
3 large Red Delicious apples, chopped
1 ½ c. diced celery
1 ½ c. seedless red grapes, halved
½ c. raisins

1 - 1 ¼ c. walnuts, toasted and chopped

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the first 6 ingredients.
2. Add the next 6 ingredients. Toss gently to combine.
3. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
4. Just before serving, stir in the walnuts.

Green Beans Amandine

I devised this recipe shortly after I moved in with my husband. I like to round out my Thanksgiving feast. Growing up it seemed like we had three choices: 1) potatoes, be them mashed, scalloped or in a salad 2) starchy vegetable, usually either corn, rice or sweet potatoes 3) cheese covered versions of 1 or 2. In my world, this just is not satisfying anymore. I need variety. It is the spice of life, right? Long story short, I was greatly in need of more variety and had settled on something green. OK, so my husband is probably one of the pickiest eaters that you have ever known. If it doesn't come from a can then he most likely won't eat it. This is in contrast to my family who eat from the garden 9 months out of the year. So my quandary was this; what can I fix that's not green bean casserole, heaven forbid, but is also not straight from a can? Hmm, almonds are good, so is butter and maybe if I use enough butter and cook it to death then he won't notice the onions...Yeah, that might work.

Well, you don't actually cook it to death. This recipe can actually be made in about 15 minutes. You can use any smoked meat. My dad always throws in some uncooked bacon to his fresh from the garden, well, anything. Matter of fact, I seriously considered using smoked turkey wings instead of ham for flavor but my hubby freaked out and accused me of sabotaging his one side dish. I rest my case on the pickiness.

Serves 8

2 lbs fresh green beans, 1 ½" pieces (or 3 (14oz) cans cut green beans, undrained)
1 small ham hock, fully cooked
1 c. water (reduce to ½ c. if using canned beans)
2/3 c. slivered almonds
1/3 c. minced onion
3 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp salt, to taste

1. Add green beans, ham hock and water to a large pot.
2. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 12-15 min for fresh or 10 min for canned.
   
3. Drain and set aside. You can either discard the ham, shred in into the green beans or reserve it for a later use.
   
4. Add butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
5. Add almonds and onion. Saute until translucent.
6. Stir in green beans and salt. Toss well to coat.
7. Serve warm.

Southern Cornbread

I feel a little silly posting a recipe for cornbread but I've had some really bad cornbread before. Against the advice of my husband I'm posting the super simple recipe that I use 2 or 3 times a week. You can use any of the liquids listed but each will give a different texture. Water cornbread is very coarse, buttermilk cornbread is creamy and milk is somewhere in between. I forbid you to add sugar to your cornbread, unless, of course, you're OK with being a Yankee. True Southerners never add sugar; that's just blasphemous.

For the really crisp crust that defines good cornbread you need to get yourself a cast iron skillet. I unfortunately did not get my Mama's decades old skillets. They went to my sister when my Mama moved to her new house and decided that she was no longer going to cook. Sadly, I had to begin to season my own. After about 10 years, my skillets are now starting to gain that smooth, thicken black iron look. They are also highly non-stick. When I get a chance I will make a post on the care of cast iron skillets. You can substitute a small baking dish (8x8 or similar) but the crust will not be a crispy.

A friend asked me once what was in that covered coffee cup that sits beside my stove. Bacon grease, of course. Saving bacon grease for cornbread is just something I learned growing up. Because grease is very hydrophobic it doesn't go bad for a very long time. If this idea seems strange just use vegetable oil and butter. Be forewarned though that it will just not be the same.

Serves ~8, Makes 1 - 8 or 9" pone

1½ c. cornmeal mix
1 c. milk, buttermilk or water
1 egg, lightly beaten
2-3 tbsp bacon grease (or 2 tbsp vegetable oil + 1 tbsp butter)

1. Preheat oven 450°.
2. Heat skillet over medium high heat until very hot.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, milk, and egg. Stir well.
4. Add grease to hot skillet.
5. Immediately pour cornbread batter into skillet and place into oven.
6. Bake 20-25 min or until golden.
7. Flip pone out onto heat-proof plate and serve warm with butter.

Cornbread Dressing

True Southerners don't eat stuffing. Let's not even think about those seasoned dried out bread squares that come in those little bags at the grocery store. Southerners don't really stuff their turkeys either. We have dressing which is quintessential with turkey or ham but also considered a side. Think of it as a savory bread casserole. It is one of many, many sides that cover tables (yes, tables with an s) on any major holiday at almost all homes south of the Mason-Dixon line. Really good dressing has to have cornbread as its base. Trust me. I've had people that meant well but were trying to reinvent dressing serve me really weird, not so tasty dressing using everything from sweet potato bread to pumpernickel. Nope, sorry, not going to work. Oh, and by the way, do not put sugar in your cornbread. That is a very Yankee thing to do and it will not be tolerated.

Growing up my Mama only used cornbread in her dressing. She also boiled a chicken and shredded that into it. As I've gotten older and now have taken over the Thanksgiving reins I do add both crackers and day-old bread to mine. The cracker and bread add both lightness and additional flavor. I've opted to leave out the shredded chicken. It's just overkill with so much meat already. I reminisce about Mama's heavy, savory dressing but tend to like mine better.

Serves 6-10

2 pones cornbread, crumbled
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bunch celery, chopped (4-5 stalks)
¼ c. butter
1 stack saltine crackers, crushed
3-4 pieces stale or lightly toasted bread, crumbled
1 tbsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp ground sage
¼ tsp dried thyme, leaves or ground
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt (use less if making broth with bouillon)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
~5 c. chicken or vegetable broth

1. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and celery and saute until translucent. Do not brown.
3. Set aside to cool slightly.
   
4. Preheat oven 350°.
5. Grease a 13x9" baking dish, set aside.
6. Combine all other ingredients in a very large mixing bowl. Mix well.
7. Add celery and onion mixture to dry ingredients.
8. Add enough broth to dressing mixture until it is slightly loose. Stir well to combine.
   
9. Pour dressing into prepared casserole dish.
10. Bake ~40 min or until lightly golden and slightly firm to the touch.
11. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Corn Casserole

I commandeered this super easy recipe from Paula Deen a few years ago. It's one of those stick to your ribs kind of dishes that fits perfectly into any Thanksgiving meal. I add slightly more liquid than the original recipe because in my opinion Paula's casserole was, well, dry. I've also substituted in frozen creamed corn because I love the sweetness that you get from those weird little logs.

Serves 6-8

2 logs frozen creamed corn, thawed
1 (8oz) package Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 c. sour cream
½ c. melted butter

1. Preheat oven 350°.
2. Grease an 8x8" baking dish, set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir corn until no longer clumpy.
4. Add muffin mix, sour cream and butter.
5. Stir until well combined.
6. Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish.
7. Bake 45-60 min or until golden.
8. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Kluski and Kapusta

This is a continuation of my discussion of our Polish Thanksgiving. I'm trying to get all my favorite dishes in before Thanksgiving, which is only 4 weeks away, so that all of you can add them to your feast if you so desire. I will try to post pictures later as we make them. My mother-in-law loves this dish. Love is probably an understatement in this case. She will single-handedly eat the entire dish if you don't physically keep her away from it. That being said, this is a staple at our holiday table. We only eat this once or twice a year because we do try to keep our arteries from being terribly clogged. My mother was aghast when I told her how it was made. I have noticed that she doesn't pass it by on the buffet table though.

Kluski is the Polish term for dumplings without a filling. It can also refer to any variety of noodle, such as the egg noodle that is often seen here instead. Kapusta is the Polish word for cabbage. In this popular dish, the kapusta has been pickled into sauerkraut. We usually eat this as part of a large meal but you could serve it as a main dish, perhaps with some crusty bread and kielbasa.

We opt for store-bought dried Italian potato gnocchi instead of the more commonly used egg noodle or other kind of dumpling. You can find them in with the dried pasta at the store. It is sometimes hard for us to find the gnocchi in our stores however. Usually, when we see it at the grocery store, no matter the time of year, we'll buy up 3 or 4 boxes just in case. I have made it using Polish potato dumpling mix but they tend to fall apart on me. The gnocchi absorb the other flavors perfectly and add just the right contrast to the sauerkraut, soft and yet slightly chewy at the same time.

Serves 8-10, as part of a large meal

12 oz bacon, chopped
32 oz shredded sauerkraut (1 large jar), well drained
1-2 lb potato gnocchi, cooked almost tender

1. Add the bacon to a large saucepan or pot. Brown until crisp.
2. DO NOT DRAIN THE GREASE.
3. Add the sauerkraut.
4. Add the gnocchi.
5. Stir gently until all ingredients are well coated.
6. Cover, reduce heat to low.
7. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 20-30 min or until the cabbage is lightly brown and the gnocchi have absorbed flavor.
8. Serve warm.

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes ~2 cups; enough to frost 24 regular cupcakes, 60 mini cupcakes, a 2 or 3 layer cake

8oz cream cheese, softened
¼ c. butter, softened
1 lb powdered sugar
1 tbsp + 1 tsp orange juice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ground cinnamon

1. Combine the cream cheese and butter. Cream until light and fluffy.
2. Add the powdered sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Beat until smooth.
3. Add the orange juice and continue beating until smooth and fluffy.
4. You can chill the frosting at this point and rebeat slightly just before using. You can also heavily chill the frosting and then whip. If you decide to whip the frosting if must remain thoroughly chilled up to the point of serving.

Festively Fall Pumpkin-Spice Mini Cupcakes

Let me tell you my apple story. Every Fall we go to northeastern Tennessee for vacation. Usually we do some hiking and camping but one of our favorite things about this season is the food, of course. Fall festivals abound around the country during this time of year, especially in a little nook of Tennessee known as Apple Country. If you're ever in the Erwin, TN area around the first of October make sure to check out their AppleFest. The little town has an excellent, several block display of everything Autumn, including the famous Blue Ridge Pottery. Local farmer's markets and hometown festivals are the best places to breathe in the warm, wafting, mingled fragrance of kettle corn, funnel cakes, caramel everything, sausages, earthy pumpkins and fresh, crisp apples.

My grandmother was an excellent cook in her heyday and one of her specialties was fried apple pies. Shortly before our trip last year I was visiting my Daddy and we were reminiscing about those pies. Off-handedly he said if we happened to see any dried apples to pick some up and he would take them to my grandmother. Let me translate for you: You better not come back from Apple Country without some dried apples. So, we did happen to see some, lots, at the Apple Barn in Sevierville. A cell call later and we had 10 lbs, that's right - 10 lbs, of dried apples in our trunk. A couple weeks and about 450 miles later I showed up on my Daddy's doorstep with the requested apples. What?! You don't want them?! You all of a sudden don't think she can't cook anymore?!....but...I did call you and ask how much you wanted right?...but, it's 10 lbs of dried apples. Keep them, right, what am I going to do with 10 lbs of dried apples? To put this in prospective: There are roughly 3 fresh apples to a lb, 4 lbs of fresh apples makes 1 lb dried apples. 10 lbs dried apples = 120 fresh apples.

Luckily, dried apples keep very nearly forever. A year later, I still have over half of them. Which leads us to the cupcakes that I made last night. These little jewels scream Fall. An earthy, spiced cake with flecks of crystalline ginger and apples topped with lightly spiced, fruity cream cheese frosting. These would be great topped with buttercream frosting too. I can almost hear the festival vendors hawking their goods.

I was bound and determined to make these as minis, despite the fact that I don't have a mini cupcake pan. I just took a couple of my glass 13x9 baking dishes, lined up the little liners edge to edge and plopped the batter down into each using my mini cookie scoop. If you go this route, make sure not to touch the batter at all once it hits the liner because it has a tendency to collapse the cup. Don't worry, the batter ball will ooze down and settle as it bakes. I was pleasantly pleased with my results. The edges of tiny cakes were slightly warped and wavy, which somehow made them look fancier.

**A quick note about nutmeg. I am not usually the kind of cook that has to have this or that particular form of spice or salt. Freshly ground pepper, pure vanilla extract and freshly ground nutmeg are my exceptions. Freshly ground nutmeg has a totally different flavor, well not totally, but definitely different flavor notes than store bought ground. Pre-ground seems to be sharper without the fruity backnotes of the freshly ground. If you haven't tried grating it yourself you should, at least once. You could get one of those snazzy microplane graters, but why waste the money? I just lightly rub the whole nutmeg against the smallest holes on my box grater.

*** Remember, if you frost with cream cheese then you'll need to store the cupcakes in the fridge.

Makes ~5 dozen mini cupcakes (probably ~24 regular cupcakes)

1 box spice cake mix
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 tbsp finely chopped crystallized ginger
¼ c. dried apples, finely chopped
1 c. canned pumpkin puree
½ c. butter, softened
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven 350°.
2. Set up liners in a 13x9 baking dish (mine holds 24) or a mini cupcake pan.
3. Combine the cake mix, spices, ginger and apples. Stir well to incorporate the spices.
4. Add the pumpkin puree and butter. Stir until smooth.
5. Add the eggs and vanilla.
6. Beat until the batter is fluffy and smooth.
7. Fill each mini cupcake liner with about 2 tsp of batter. (Alternately, fill regular cupcake liners ½ - ¾ full)
8. Bake 24 minis 15 min or until a toothpick comes out clean. (I had to bake in shifts because my oven is relatively small.)
9. Remove to wire rack and cool completely.
10. Frost using my Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting, Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting or as desired.

Ruskie Pierogi

With that crisp smell of Autumn in the air, I long for German food. Well, let's clarify that a little. Not exactly German, but Polish food. Close enough right? I mean, the countries do border each other and were at one time one kingdom. My mother-in-law is of Norwegian descent and my father-in-law is Polish. When my hubby and I first started dating I was quickly coerced, I mean gently shoved, into trying Polish cuisine. Well, it wasn't really a choice. It was either eat it or spend our first Thanksgiving together without food. Turns out, I love it despite my initial hesitation of all things sauerkraut. I could eat my weight in pierogi, bratwurst, or kaluski and kapusta. It gets a little confusing with all the Oktoberfest jargon though.

Our family celebrates this regional cuisine, along with the trusty turkey and southern cornbread dressing, in November during the US Thanksgiving holidays. The original Oktoberfest, however, was held October 12, 1810 in Munich to commemorate the marriage of Ludwig I of Bavaria and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Traditionally, the festival always ended on the first Sunday in October, and began 16 days prior to that date. The royalty decided to hold their anniversary festivities at the end of September because the weather is usually nicer in Germany then. Most recently, though, the dates have been extended to include German Unity Day which is October 3, regardless of what day of the week that actually falls on.

Pierogi is the Polish term for stuffed dumplings. When someone says they had pierogi though, you never know exactly what they were eating because Polish people use this word indiscriminately to mean any kind of filling from fruit to meat. For those poor souls who don't know what a pierog looks like, they are very similar to oversized half-moon ravioli, Chinese pot stickers, or the tiny fried pies that my grandmother used to make. Unfortunately, we don't make them very often, usually once or twice a year because they are relatively time-consuming. I will post a sumptuous picture of these little jewels later.

This is my mother-in-law's version of the Ruskie Pierogi, literally translated as Russian Pierogi. Don't ask me why they call it that. Maybe for "ruski" which was the Polish word for the Ruthenian region of Bavaria, or today's Ukraine. Ruski Pierogi are made with onion, potatoes and cheese, traditionally farmer's cheese. We have southernized it and now use Velveeta Cheese. Also, partly for time conservation and partly from popular opinion, we use jumbo pasta shells instead of the potato pastry. I just can't express how much I love these. Crispy on the edges, gooey and cheesy on the inside, savory onion butter dripping all over, mmmmmm. It doesn't get much better than this. This recipe feeds a Thanksgiving crowd. You can scale as needed. I usually fill the shells the night before, chill them and then pour over the onion and butter and bake just before serving.

Serves 10-12

5 lb red skinned-potatoes, peeled and chunked
1 large block Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 lb jumbo pasta shells, cooked almost done
½ c. butter
1 jumbo onion, or 2 medium, finely chopped

1. Boil potatoes until fork tender.
2. Mash slightly and then while still hot add cheese and continue mashing and stirring until smooth.
3. Fill each pasta shell with the potato mixture.
4. As you go, place the shells open side up in a greased 13x9" baking dish, stacking is fine.
5. Preheat oven 350°.
6. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, add the onion and cook until translucent.
7. Pour onion mixture evenly over shells.
8. Bake 25-30 min.

Our Carbonara Breakfast

Last Sunday we woke up starving, which is normal. Because we've been so busy lately and thus neglecting grocery shopping there weren't many options as far as breakfast without going out. Hmm, bacon, eggs, cheese. No, not bacon and eggs which would have been much more normal. I decided on carbonara because I'm just weird like that. After searching my shelf for about 30 seconds and not finding a recipe I was not deterred. I figured that I knew enough of the basics and so barreled on. Boiling pasta, check. Crispy bacon (this time with peppers and garlic), check. Now, hmm, how does the egg sauce go? I ended up making it in a moderately time consuming way. Then, I made the mistake of adding olive oil at the very end. I wanted a shiny sauce but instead the olive oil caused my creamy concoction to break slightly. Oh well, it was just a casual breakfast anyway and was still very tasty. I did, however, underestimate the richness of this dish and we decided to cut the meal with ice cream of course. It was an interesting way to start the day. For a more traditional, and reliable, method for making carbonara check out this Italian Food Network video.
You can also watch PrincessDiana161 on YouTube, who, along with her husband Frankie, is hilarious. She has quick version for making carbonara where you cook the eggs in the steaming hot pasta. Although it looks super easy and is probably safe, I like the idea of cooking the eggs in a pan better.

Serves 4-6

1 lb pasta (I used long cut ziti)
1/2 lb bacon, chopped
1 small bell pepper (I used a small red mexibell and half a green bell)
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
3 eggs
1/4 c. ice water
1/4 tsp black pepper
2-3 c. boiling pasta water
1/4-1/2 c. parmesan, grated

1. Boil the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving the water. Put the pasta in a large mixing bowl, cover, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon and peppers over medium heat until crisp. Add the garlic and cook 1-2 min. Remove bacon mixture to a small bowl.
3. Drain all but 2 tbsp of the bacon grease and return the pan to medium-low heat.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the eggs, ice water and black pepper until frothy.
5. While stirring adding the egg mixture to the grease. You want the eggs to begin to thicken but not scramble. Stir continuously. If the mixture begins cooking too fast remove pan or turn heat down.
6. Add the boiling pasta water a ladle at a time, cooking about 2 min between additions.
7. After you've added about 2 c. of water, add the parmesan and continue stirring. Your sauce is done when it is creamy and thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
8. Add the finished sauce to the pasta, along with the bacon mixture.
9. Stir well to combine. Serve immediately.

Shepard's Pie

We've been eating out a lot lately due to the fact that we've been spending so much time planning our up-coming camping trip. Well, I was just absolutely tired of take-out. It was all starting to taste the same even though we we have plenty of choices. I wanted something homey and comforting. Looking back, this is probably the first time in my life that I've ever had Shepard's Pie. Now, my version would probably be more aptly called Cottage Pie or some such because it doesn't actually use lamb. My husband, however, refuses to call it anything except Shepard's Pie, so, Shepard's Pie it is. Although I feel like this recipe is more or less traditional, it is a mishmash of several recipes that I came across. I felt like it need a bottom crust but just could not bring myself to making a pasty dough. After throwing several ideas around I settled on pressed stuffing. It was pretty funny. I brought everything home from the store and laid it all out on the counter. Because I was in a hurry, I called my hubby in to help prepare it. He takes one look at the stuffing mix, glances at me and asks what it's for. "The shepard's pie, of course." A second or two goes by. I could see the confusion working across his face. Then, he responds with, "But we don't like stuffing..."

We really liked this casserole though. Normally, my husband and I will eat about half of any given casserole and then it just sits in its little chilled tomb until I either throw it away or feed it to the dogs. This time though, and maybe it was the take-out rut, but the 13x9" pie was gone in 3 days. I've been thinking a lot about making a version using chicken and chicken gravy instead of beef. Hmm, maybe this next week.

There are essentially 3 components to this casserole. 1. pressed stuffing crust 2. beef and veggie filling 3. mashed potato topping. I used instant mashed potatoes simply for convenience. It was 6PM after working a busy day and skipping lunch. If you have the time, make up some tasty real mashed potatoes by all means.

Serves 6-8

Preheat oven 350°.

Crust

6 oz package stuffing mix (I used cornbread flavor.)
1 c. water
2 tbsp butter

1. Combine all ingredients in a small microwave safe bowl.
2. Cover, heat on HIGH ~4min. Stir.
3. Pour stuffing into greased 13x9" baking dish. Cover surface with plastic wrap and press mixture firmly into pan, forming a crust. Remove plastic and set aside.
   

Topping

Make 8 servings, about 4 c., of mashed potatoes. Then before baking add in one egg yolk and 4 oz shredded cheese.

Here's what we did: When making instant potatoes, we always use Hungry Jack brand.

2 2/3 c. instant mashed potato flakes
1 1/3 cup half & half
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 1/2 c. water
1 egg yolk
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Combine flakes, half & half, salt, butter, mayo, and water in a medium microwave safe bowl. Cover, heat in microwave on HIGH 5 min.
2. Add cheese and egg yolk. Stir well.
3. Set aside.

Filling

1 lb ground chuck
1/2 tsp black pepper
16 oz package frozen peas and carrots
12 oz jar brown gravy (I used Heinz Homestyle Brown with Onions)
6 oz water

1. In a large saucepan, season beef with pepper and brown. Drain grease off.
2. Add peas and carrots, gravy and water. Stir gently.
3. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until peas are hot to the touch, about 5 min.

To Assemble

1. Pour filling evenly over crust.
2. Spread mashed potatoes evenly over filling.
3. Sprinkle with additional shredded cheese. (Optional)
4. Bake 25 min or until bubbly and potatoes are just starting to brown.

Cake Memorabilia

I was going through some old pictures the other day and they brought back a lot of memories. I figured that I would share some of them on here. Hopefully you'll get a few laughs out of it.

The Smurf Cake, see the recipe here.

Wait, don't cut it! I don't have a picture yet.

Yes, that is supposed to be a pumpkin.

Just a really weird cake.

It does taste better covered in wax, thank you very much.

Hey, who put their shoes on the table?

A very girly girl cake, complete with fluttering butterflies.

This is what happens when you travel over 100 miles with a cheesecake in your trunk in order to share a birthday with a hippy in a hotel room. It was a great night.

Proof that cakes can be beautiful and tasty without frosting.

And finally, why drink rum when you can get drunk by eating it?

The Ever Elusive Meatloaf

A great meatloaf recipe is like my own personal holy grail, a great treasure but never quite achieved. Both of my parents are excellent cooks. When I was a kid my Mama owned several classic recipe books, including the prerequisite giant Betty Crocker tome, stuffed full of clippings and notes. None of these was I actually allowed to touch. It was the Calling All Cooks, dogeared and slightly grimy from my Daddy's fingers, that was the first recipe book that I remember using. This book was relegated to him because the recipes were reader submitted which meant risky. Mama was and still is very practical and no nonsense when it comes to cooking. She simply didn't have time to fiddle with an untested recipe and then likely see it fail. Daddy was different. He saw it as a challenge. I think my enjoyment of all things culinary, that calming feeling of getting lost in cooking and of pouring over recipes, first began to take shape when serving as a sous chef in my Daddy's kitchen. Over the years I have tweaked and altered a recipe that came from the yellow Calling All Cooks until it really no longer resembles its origin. While it is good and receives gracious compliments from my friends and family, I still feel unsatisfied and will continue my seemingly never-ending quest.

Serves 4-6

Meatloaf

2 tbsp butter
1 large onion, finely chopped; reserve 1/4 c. for glaze
½ green bell pepper, finely chopped, reserve 2 tbsp for glaze
1 ½ tsp garlic, minced
2 eggs
¼ c. ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ c. heavy cream
2 c. fresh breadcrumbs
1 lb ground chuck
½ lb ground pork
1 packet beefy onion soup mix
¼ tsp pepper

1. In a skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
2. Add onions and bell pepper.
3. Cook until vegetables are softened.
4. Add garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat. Set aside to cool slightly.
6. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
7. In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and vegetable mixture.
8. Mix until just combined well. Do not over mix.
9. Press meat mixture firmly into a large loaf pan.
10. Top with glaze if desired.
11. Bake 45 min - 1 hour or until sauce is glazed and meatloaf is done through.
    
12. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Glaze

¼ c. canned tomatoes, chopped or crushed
¼ c. onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp green bell pepper, finely chopped
½ tsp garlic, minced
¼ c. canned tomato soup
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp red wine vinegar
¼ tsp pepper

1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well.
   
2. Pour the sauce over the uncooked meatloaf.

Rice Krispie Treats

I honestly don't know anyone who dislikes Rice Krispie Treats. How can you not like something with a name that contains the word "treat"? I know my Mom loved these; marginal cooking and extremely kid friendly. I mean, come on, can anyone say "Bake Sale"? There are many, many versions of these gooey wonders, some requiring way, way too much effort. I work just across from a bagel shop that sells giant, hunky squares of krispie marshmallow deliciousness as big as my hand. Back in the day, before adolescent dietary guidelines, the basket next to my lunch lady cashier was always full to the brim with tiny, slightly stale, cereal squares held together by what must have been a marshmallow substitute complete with plenty of high fructose corn syrup and trans fat. We as Americans love these squares of gooey goodness, for better or worse. I was completely surprised to learn recently that it's hard to find marshmallows in some countries. How can you not make or stock marshmallows? You need them for Rice Krispie Treats. You must have the Treats! Everyone loves the Treats!

As I seem to have had a slight stroke, probably from lack of sleep and copious amounts of caffeine and sugar, please bear with me. There is a recipe forthcoming, I promise. This concoction is almost totally straight from the cereal box. I seem to have a mental block when it comes to making these sweets though. I never can remember the right ratios and my little treats often tend to become super sweetened, buttered, crumbly cereal chunks. Not tasty. Thanks to David Lebovitz, however, I feel much more confident in my treat making ability. White chocolate, why did I never think of that? Aside from taste, the chocolate helps bind the other ingredients upon cooling, forming a structurally sound square. I use white almond bark, aka dipping/coating chocolate, because that's what I have in my pantry and I often have trouble finding white chocolate bars. Chips just don't melt right because of the lecithin, which is really the point of the additive anyway.

Makes 12-24 squares

1 ½ tbsp butter + enough to butter baking dish
1 square white almond bark, or 1 ½ oz white chocolate
5 oz mini marshmallows
3 c. Rice Krispies cereal

1. Butter an 8x8 square baking dish.
2. Place the butter in a medium-sized, microwave safe bowl. Heat until melted, ~30 sec on High.
3. Add the almond bark, or chocolate, to the butter. Continue heating at 30 sec intervals until just melted. Stir to combine.
4. Add the marshmallows and heat until puffed up and gooey, ~1 min on High. Stir until smooth.
5. Add the Rick Krispies. Stir well to coat completely.
6. Scrape mixture into prepared pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and press firmly into pan.
   
7. Cover. Allow to cool and firm up.
8. Cut into bars or squares. I've found that a metal spatula works great for this purpose.

Savory Mexican Rice

I used to be surprised when someone told me that they couldn't make rice. It seemed so easy, one of those elementary dishes that you start making when you're a kid. Then, more and more people told me that they had difficulty and, therefore, either used instant rice or avoided it all together. I reevaluated my opinion and finally chalked up my rice knowledge to my Daddy who was somewhat of a drill sergeant in the kitchen. "You have to learn to cook or you'll never find a husband." Right...

The quick and dirty of making rice is using a 2:1 ratio, twice as much liquid as uncooked rice. For 4 servings, you'd be safe with 2 cups of water and 1 cup of rice. Then, for long grained rice (the most popular variety used at home) all you need to remember is Boil, Cover, Reduce Heat, Cook 10 min, Let Stand 5 min, Fluff. This is called the absorption method. A couple of things to know are the more water you add and the more you stir it, the mushier and stickier your rice will be. Stirring releases starch within the rice; that's why risotto is cooked slowly and stirred a lot during cooking.

There are probably more varieties of rice than you care to know. Most of the common ones are just more or less processed; for example, brown rice simply contains the hull, or bran layer, that has been removed from your standard white rice. I briefly considered outlining the varieties here but opted to direct you to a company that does that for a living. Sage V Foods contracts directly with farmers to grow specialty varieties of rice and organic rice. Their site lists the more popular varieties. If Sage V doesn't satisfy you then I promise Wikipedia will.

Instant or quick cook rice has been precooked, usually steamed, and then dehydrated. While I personally don't like the texture offered by these precooked rices, they are getting better. Look for a brand that cooks up in 10 minutes. Any less and you'll be compromising quality for convenience.

This recipe leans a little away from your standard rice dish. It's great served with fajitas and black beans, which is what I designed it for. I love jasmine rice, a type of aromatic rice. Aromatics have a nutty flavor that I savor. Generally, you need to add about ½ cup more liquid when using jasmine rice as opposed to regular long grain. This dish calls for a good bit of saffron. I usually horde mine and then never end up using it. If you find saffron too expensive, substitute turmeric but be careful not to overwhelm the dish.

Serves 6-8

2 c. jasmine rice, uncooked

4 ½ c. chicken broth

½ can Rotel tomatoes and chilies (Mexican with cilantro and lime), finely chopped

good pinch saffron, 6-8 threads

2 tsp salt, more or less to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan.
   
2. Bring to boil, uncovered, over med-high heat.
   
3. Stir and shake pan to settle rice.
   
4. Cover, reduce heat to low.
   
5. Simmer 15 min and then turn off heat.
   
6. Let stand 5-10 min. Fluff with a fork.

To reheat rice:

Place only amount needed on serving plate. Sprinkle rice with water and then cover completely with a damp paper towel. Heat on High in microwave 2 min, stir, repeat as needed.

Rotel Dip

This super easy, hearty dip is almost a meal itself. Now that I think about it, yeah, I could probably sit down and eat a bowl full. My arteries would immediately seize up but you have to die of something, right? Never underestimate the appetites of your guests though. I turned around and it was gone, so sadly, no picture. Next time. (Updated since**) Imagine a creamy, off-yellow blend of cheese and sausage with flecks of red and green floating throughout. A southern dish with a definite southwest flair.

Make sure to serve this with a full-bodied chip, something that won't crumble under the weight of a pool full of warm, melted cheese and meat. Those little scoop chips, both tortilla and corn, work really well. I like to make this in a Crockpot, or as one of my friends calls it, a Slow Cooker. You can also use the microwave or stovetop. Remember to keep the heat ultra low and stir often. However you choose to melt things down, check on it frequently, maybe every 20-30 min during service, to check for burning. While cheese crisps are good, you don't want that here. It's no problem to keep the cheese warm for 6-8 hours before it starts to become dry as long as the dip remains covered.

Serves 6-8 as an appetizer

1 (10oz) can Rotel tomatoes and chilies (I use Original)
1 (32oz) block Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 lb sausage, cooked and crumbled

1. Combine all the ingredients in the Crockpot. Don't worry about stirring right away.
   
2. Set to Warm 30-45 min before guests are due. (If your Slow Cooker doesn't have a Warm setting, use Low for ~15 min)
3. Stir to combine as the cheese melts.
4. Once everything is melted and combined, it's ready to eat.
5. Vary the temperature between Warm/Low and OFF over the service time so that the cheese doesn't burn.

Buttery Birthday Cake

I make a lot of cakes. As my friends and I have gotten older and moved away from our parents, store bought cakes have become the norm. I feel guilty somehow to let my loved ones cut into a cake made without love on a special occasion. I, therefore, volunteer to make birthday, graduation, anniversary, and baby shower cakes, not to mention selling a cake here and there. I'm explaining all this so that you can share my annoyance and dismay when, last night, it took me 6 hours and 2 attempts to finish one two-layer birthday cake. Yes, you read it right, six hours. To put this into perspective, it took me 12 hours to make my three-tiered wedding cake, including decoration.

The main reason that my first attempt cake failed were the crappy baking pans. These happen to be my "new" pans, replacements for my old trusty ones. For some reason, I felt that my no-name, consistently good pans were sub par to Wilton brand ones. Wilton is THE name in baking, right? I purchased 2 round cake pans and 1 baking sheet. All of these are crap. They burn food, cook unevenly and tout themselves to be extremely non-stick, although food always sticks, even with greasing. I unsuccessfully pulled out all the tricks trying to make these pans work, including lowering temperatures and cooking times. The pans have been relegated to expensive garlic toast makers.















All of that aside, this butter cake was a birthday gift for one of my friends. (I love you man or I would have totally bought one of those grocery store cakes.) My second attempt, using my trusty, scratched-up, no-name pans was successful. I used a recipe from the Cake Bible for the actual cake and frosted it with my own Speedy Vanilla Bean Frosting. The cake itself is dense, buttery and melt-in-your-mouth if ever so slightly dry, although my friends were polite enough to disagree. The vanilla bean lends a perfumey, heady quality to the frosting that makes such a simple combination come alive and seem exotic.

We are children of the 80s and need our bursts of color. Our mothers injected enough food coloring into our little bodies so that if our birthday cake isn't some shade of cartoon character then we feel deprived. This cake was actually much more elegant before I chose to make it Smurf colored. But, hey, what are you going to do? At least we weren't born a decade earlier; the whole cake would have been a psychedelic, liquor-infused jello concoction and probably topped with coconut.

Makes one 9", 2 or 3 layer cake

6 egg yolks
1 c. milk
2¼ tsp vanilla
3 c. sifted cake flour
1½ c. sugar
1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
12 tbsp (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1. Preheat oven 350°F.
2. Grease and flour cake pans.
3. In a medium bowl, lightly combine egg yolks, ¼ c. milk, and vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low for 30 sec to blend.
5. Add butter and ¾ c. milk to the dry ingredients.
6. Mix on low until moistened. Increase speed to medium (high if using hand mixer) and beat for 1½ min.
7. Scrape down sides and add egg mixture in thirds, beating after each addition.
8. Pour batter into prepared pans, smoothing the surface.
9. Bake 25-35 min or until a toothpick comes out clean.
10. Cool in pans for 10 min, then cool completely on wire rack.
11. Frost as desired.

Speedy Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting

After my cake catastrophe, I didn't have time to make my planned Italian Buttercream Frosting. Last night, I just could not fathom making a syrup, streaming it into egg yolks and slowly adding butter to emulsify the whole thing. I wanted something quick, easy and preferably requiring only one bowl because after 2 cakes, most of my mixing bowls were in the dishwasher.

This modified method served my purpose well, providing me with a smooth, creamy frosting, if not exactly traditional. Matter of fact, most cooks usually use this method because true buttercreams are so time consuming. This method does leave you with a very light and very sweet frosting. I find that warming the half and half helps dissolve the sugar, making the frosting creamier. This frosting will keep about a week at room temperature and even longer in the fridge. If it is as hot and humid there as it is here, chilling it will make the frosting easier to work with. If you do decide to chill it, remember that the frosting will become stiffer because the butter will solidify some. You can either beat it lightly before using or add additional liquid to make it spreadable if you intend on keeping it cold. However you store it, cover the frosting tightly to prevent it from becoming crusty and dry.

Makes ~2 c., enough to frost one 9", 2 layer cake

1 c. butter, softened
4 c. powdered sugar
3 tbsp half & half
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, scraped

1. Using a mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy.
2. Slowly add powdered sugar.
3. Continue beating until smooth.
4. Place half & half in a very small bowl or teacup.
5. Add vanilla bean caviar to half & half, then warm in microwave 15 sec on HIGH.
6. Add vanilla extract and half & half mixture to the creamed mixtured.
7. Beat to incorporate.