Another Successful Dinner!

 

It's over. Everyone has gone home. The house is quiet, again. The clean-up is complete. And the memories linger on...

It's become tradition that we host Thanksgiving Dinner. A tradition we help foster by saying "We'll do Thanksgiving next year" while everyone is still trying to digest dessert. As I said before, it's my favorite holiday.

This year was even more special because Little Gram joined us (She will be 103 in 2 weeks and is still sharp as a tack!) as well as Debbie and Stephen, down from New York. And Joann and Walter, Pauline and Bob, Steve and Marie with Leah and Nick, Joanna and Tom with Gino and Elizabeth, Nonna, and Victor and me. 18 folks around the very crowded and overly-laden table. What fun!

We started with the appetizers... Little Gram's Eggplant Appetizer, and her Arangini... and Fried Wontons stuffed with Gorgonzola, Ham, and Green Onions with a spicy peach dipping sauce, Linda's Chicken Liver Pate with Cognac served with Pumpernickel toasts spread with Tarragon Butter, Bruschetta with Garlic and Eggplant , Bruschetta with Sweet Kalamata, Baked Brie with Raspberries and Apricots, 5 more cheeses with assorted crackers, 3 different olives, bracciola, roasted peppers, marinated artichoke hearts, and Purple, Orange, and Green Cauliflower florettes with a cheese-style yogurt with sundried tomato dip. That was just the beginning!

A side note on Little Gram's recipes. She's 103. She critiqued them! She thought the Eggplant was great, but "In the summer you should add some fresh mint or basil on top. You can't get good fresh herbs this time of year." She also wanted to make sure we fried the eggplant every time we made it. "Some people bake it or even boil it, but if you want it to taste right, you have to fry it."

And to Victor, she marveled at the Arangini. She said she had stopped making them years ago, because they always tasted a bit bland to her. Victor admitted he futzed with the recipe a bit, adding some Italian herbs and a few red pepper flakes. She loved them, and even asked if she could take one home with her! Did I mention she's 103?!?

And then there was dinner. The requisite turkey, stuffed with a whole wheat, cranberry walnut stuffing. The main stuffing was Victor's mom's traditional chicken liver stuffing that Marie and Nonna brought. Marie also brought 2 types of sweet potatoes;  marshmallows on top of one, and the second a casserole with brown sugar and pecans. YUM! Three types of homemade cranberry sauce (Apple Cranberry, 4-Cranberry, and Cranberry, Blueberry, Gooseberry) and 1 can of jellied Ocean Spray in my Mom's cut glass dish.

Homemade Pumpkin Rolls with Cranberry Butter, Green Beans with Lemon Balsamic vinegar, waffle-cut Tri-Colored Carrots with Honey and Dill... and Cranberry Stilton Salad with Pumpkin Dressing.  And a vat of Gravy. (I like LOTS of gravy!!)

Tom brought his Award-Winning Homemade Wines (along with a couple he said were just for cooking - his "just for cooking" wines are better than most you can buy at the State Store!) and there were Apple-Tini's for the ladies...

The pot of Ultra Dark Sumatra coffee was perking away as we set up the table.  Leah wanted Victor to make the November Bon Appetit  Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Bourbon Sauce. It was great! Joann brought an apple pie, Debbie made a Chocolate Polenta Cake with Raspberry Cranberry Coulis AND Chocolate Chip Cookies. Nick made Pumpkin Pie, Leah made a Pecan Pie AND Ginger Snap Cookies. Joanna brought a huge Fruit Compote, and I made a Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap crust and a Pumpkin Creme Fraiche topping, and I brought up one of the Apricot Macadamia Nut Fruitcakes I make every year. It was gastronomic heaven on earth!

The turkey carcass is simmering away on the stove right now. Tomorrow we start decorating for Christmas and there will be Homemade Turkey Soup for dinner. Some of that vat of gravy will be going into it, as well as some of the other leftovers - just as my mother used to do. It's slightly different every year, yet comfortably the same.

And so ends another great Thanksgiving Feast!

Thanks to everyone for being here, thanks for all the fantastic foods you brought, and see ya all again next year!

Tradition is good!


Born to Cook or Born to Eat?

With apologies to Shakespeare, That is the question...

In my years (and in my job) I've met many people of both categories. Some folks can't wait to get into the kitchen and start creating! They take great delight at new foods, new recipes, or in ways to make old recipes new again. And then there are those who won't go near a kitchen to make a cup of coffee, and if they can't microwave it, don't want to know about it.

Being of the first persuasion, I must admit I don't quite understand the latter. But in my job, I have to figure out ways to bridge the gap. And that means coming up with recipes that are easy enough for the most culinarily-challenged amongst us, but also exciting enough for those who actually know their way around the kitchen. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes not so...

Working with my partner-in-culinary-crime, Ruth, is the best! Ruth has the common-sense approach to food that I sometimes lack. I can spend half the day creating something. Ruth has two growing boys who want to eat dinner before the 11 o'clock news comes on. I've learned a lot about how to cut steps and simplify things from her. There was a time in my life where, if I was making a tuna sandwich, I'd have to start off by baking the bread and making the mayonnaise! I've gotten better over the years, but I still want to eat as fresh and unprocessed as possible.

If you pick up a copy of Gourmet magazine, you will generally see things like "1/4 cup (1 oz) bittersweet (agridulce) pimentón de la Vera (smoked Spanish paprika; available at La Tienda; tienda.com)" Right off the bat it sounds intimidating. Now, a true food-o-phile might make that trek to find that one special paprika, because, well, it is unique and tasty. But gosh and by golly, you can make the dish with the paprika in your cupboard! No, it's not going to be exactly the same, but I can pretty much guarantee it will be pretty darn good! It's a matter of using what you have and not being afraid to to substitute one thing for another. It's also not being afraid to make a mistake! The absolute worse thing that can happen is you throw it out and call for pizza.

Which leads me back to the recipes we create for work. If you browse through the recipe lists, you'll find a lot of reasonably simple-to-produce items. Many of them started out much more complicated, and any of them can be enhanced to fit your mood, budget, or cupboard offerings. Ingredients can be upgraded, and even the simple act of using a special plate or bowl for serving - people do eat with their eyes, after all - can have a great impact on how something is received.

Many (okay, most!) of us do not have the luxury of being able to spend hours in the kitchen every day, but that doesn't mean our meals have to come out of an overly-processed box. A little bit of imagination can turn anyone into a competent cook. A lot of imagination can turn you into a great one!


Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving may be my favorite holiday of the year. It's all about food. No gifts to buy, no worries about getting the right size/color/style. It's food. Vast quantities of fun, fattening food.

What other holiday has so few expectations, other than a table loaded with food? It's a gathering of family and friends - and food. Did I mention it's all about food?!?

We're doing the family feast again this year. It's become tradition since we moved east. (Actually, it was tradition when we lived on the west coast with my family, too. ) Our first Thanksgiving in San Francisco was the only one I ever really stressed over. There are six kids in my family, 13 grandkids, plus parents. It was to be dinner for about 28. I decided I wanted a "sit-down" dinner. We hadn't had one in years, too many people, not enough table space. it's been "buffet style" for as long as I can remember... We had a reasonably big house. I figured I could do it with a little ingenuity - no problem.

And then the stress started...

Our house was built in the early 1920's and had great arched windows, a great arch between the living room and the formal dining room. The rooms were good-sized, but neither would hold the 20 foot table needed for everyone to sit comfortablly. So... I started at one end of the dining room and began putting tables together - from one end of the dining room, through the arch, and into the living room. The arch opening was about 6 feet. With table and chairs, the only way one could get into the room, was to put the table flat up against one side of the opening. - which meant the chairs by the arch were up against the wall on either side. So much for being able to talk to your neighbor or pass the mashed potatoes. Victor just looks at me like I'm out of my mind, but doesn't say anything. He's being supportive. If I want a sit-down, well... go for it. Stupid, but go for it...

I set the table, linens, plates and glassware - the whole shebang. I'm trying to ignore the fact that there are going to be 28 people in he house and the living and dining rooms are now filled with tables and chairs, you can't move from one room to another without having to walk through the kitchen, and there's not going to be any place for anyone to sit EXCEPT at the huge table, and conversation is going to be impossible if you're sitting up against a wall. Can we say "denial" boys and girls?!? Can we say STRESS?!? Why won't this work?!? It HAS to work!!!

Reality struck. I un-set the tables, scattered the chairs about for informal seating, and set up two buffet tables in the dining room - one for dinner, and one for desserts. There was plenty of room, plenty of food, and no one seemed to either notice or care that we weren't all sitting at one huge table. We ate, drank, laughed, ate, ate, laughed, and ate some more. Sitting on the couch, on folding chairs, on the floor using the coffee table to hold plates.

A great time was had by all, and an epiphany moment for me... It's all about the company, not the table.


How Many Pots...

We play a fun game in the kitchen... It's "How Many Pots Can You Dirty Making Dinner?" Victor is king of the one-pot meals, while I seem to be able to dirty half the kitchen - even if it's just a simple dinner. What can I say?!? I'm gifted that way!

And while we both like the same foods, our style of cooking is decidedly different. Victor is often more adventurous and will spend more time making something. I'm a throw-it-in-the-pot-and-see-what-comes-out kinda guy. I want it ready by the time the rice is cooked. (Not that I won't spend the time to do something fun or different, but on a school night, it's usually something simple.)

He leans toward Red Sauce/Italian, and I'm a bit more clean out the refrigerator stirfry or soup. So tonight I worked until 7pm, and when I came home, I was greeted by a most wonderful aroma wafting through the house. Victor had a chicken noodle casserole in the oven, and hunks of garlic bread were waiting to go in...

Under normal circumstances this wouldn't be unusual, except, Victor's never made a casserole in his life! Oh, he can make a baked ziti that could bring tears to your eyes, and lasagne, and any number of other fantastic Italian-inspired dishes, but a chicken and noodle casserole? Not part of the repertoire. Those are the things I do...

But he did it tonight, with some of the aforementioned chicken and broth from that ol' stewing hen! Succulent pieces of chicken, celery and carrots, lots of peas and mushrooms... Extra-wide egg noodles from the local noodle company in Lancaster County... And the most delicate sauce... It was heaven! The count was four pots and two baking sheets - plus the casserole dish for dinner! Five pots if you count the stock pot that the chicken stock was in in the fridge.

Victor won this round... but Thanksgiving is coming up!


Fall

A blizzard of leaves drove through yesterday. With the howling winds came the inevitable drop in temperature. Cold weather always means soups, stews, and casseroles to me - and I was prepared!

I was at the Lancaster Farmer's Market in Strafford on Wednesday to order our 32+ pound Thanksgiving Turkey, and picked up a 6 pound stewing hen while I was there. It went into a big ol' pot yesterday, along with some wine, chopped onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and bay leaves, and simmered all day. (I didn't peel any of the vegetables, and used the onions, skin and all - onion skin adds flavor and helps make a nice, rich colored broth.)

The aroma wafting through the house was wonderful! It reminded me of childhood at my grandparent's house in Bakersfield, CA. My grandmother made the best Chicken and Rolled Dumplings! I wish I had her recipe (not that she ever followed one, but I'd love to know how she made those light and delicate dumplings!) Not feeling that adventurous, I took about a third of the broth and chicken and made a quick stew that I topped with a simple homemade bread dressing, and then baked off in the oven. It was yummy!

A simple unattended simmer on the stove has provided us with several meals. I now have about a gallon of rich broth in the fridge that will go into the freezer today. Some will be used at Thanksgiving for the gravy. And the chicken meat is sitting in a tupperware container - ready for whatever gastronomical delight we come up with! This is what "fast food" should be!

I love this time of year!

For those who may not know, here are a few chicken tidbits for ya...

A broiler/fryer can weigh up to 3 1/2 pounds, is usually around 2 1/2 months old and is best, as the name implies, when broiled or fried. The more flavorful roasters have more fat and are perfect for roasting and rotisserie cooking. They usually range between 2 1/2 and 5 pounds and can be up to 8 months old. Stewing chickens usually range from 10 to 18 months and weigh from 3 to 6 pounds. They're more flavorful but less tender, and are best stewed or braised.

Bon appetit!


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