Making Cookie Dough!
Well... I've gotten about six different doughs in the fridge right now... I started off with a Hazelnut Thumbprint yesterday. It was a bit of an experiment... I used the Walnut Butter Cookie Recipe, but changed the nut to hazelnut and used a Madeira Creme flavoring I bought at Fante's in South Philly a while back. If you've never been to Fante's, think FUN kitchen store with everything you've ever wanted in your life - at affordable prices! It's a South Philly institution and we head down there whenever we can. I love it!
So... back to cookies... I filled them with raspberry jam... YUMMERS!! The great thing about all of our nut-and-butter cookies is that they'll work with any nuts, any flavorings... There's really just two basic recipes, but we can make a dozen different cookies with them!
THEN... because I had made a Cream of Broccoli Soup for dinner, but hadn't made dessert (man does not live by dinner alone - dessert is a MUST!!) I made a batch of the Lemon Coconut Cookies... These I did a bit different, too... (The early cookies are always about experimentation, to see if it's even possible to improve on perfection...) Tee-hee. I made them as thumbprints and filled them with Lemon Curd and then a few ribbons of toasted coconut. Way good!! We'll make them both ways this year! (I seem to be on a thumbprint kick this year.....)
I also made the Rolled Cut-Out Cookies, but made them as Chocolate Peppermint. Not sure how I'll finish these off. Maybe make a Chocolate Creme filling and sandwich them, or just do a chocolate dip... Hmm... maybe both!! And the Pecan Balls... and the Vanilla Almond, and my Mom's Christmas Spice Cookies...
Victor has the apricots soaking in apricot brandy for Aunt Emma's Apricot Cookies... I'm bummed, because out local grocery no longer carries lard. Damn!!! It's healthier than Crisco, fercrissakes!
It's a bit after 8pm, we're waiting to see if the storm of the century actually arrives at midnight as forecasted, and if it does, whether I make it to work tomorrow. If I do, then we have cookies to bake on Saturday - along with a few dozen more batches of dough. If I get to stay home, we'll bake tomorrow!
In any event, we have plenty to eat in the house, and the oil man filled up the tank today. We're set.
Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market
It's a great place to spend the day - and a lot of money - but the quality... oh...my...goodness... The quality is unbelievable. Fresh. Organic. Wonderful.
The Ferry Building opened in 1898 as the main departure/arrival point for the billions of ferries that plied the bay before the Bay and Golden Gate Bridges were built. In 1957, the Embarcadero Freeway went up in front of it, and sealed its fate for the next 42 years - until the 1989 earthquake. The freeway was supposed to circle the city and connect the bay and Golden Gate bridges, but when the folks saw what it had done to the waterfront, they said NFW! and it became a long offramp to Broadway Street. I have vague recollections of it being built. the plan was also to make 19th Avenue a freeway from the peninsula to the GG Bridge. (We lived on 19th Avenue at the time!) Anyway... The freeway came down, the Ferry Building went through a multi-million dollar renovation, and the Ferry Plaza Marketplace was born!
The shops are all high-end inside, with an organic farmer's market outside 4 days a week. Everything from Stonehouse Olive Oil (I LOVE their Blood Orange Olive Oil!!) to Caviar, and Cowgirl Creamery to Peets Coffe and other great foods. A fun side note.. I used to work for Tsar Nicholai! Well - I worked for California Sunshile Fine Foods - which is the umbrella company for all the different ventures. I was the shipping manager, shipping gourmet foods all over the world, as well as purchasing all of the specialty produce at the produce terminals in SF and at thr airport every morning at 4:00am. I also ate a LOT of really, really, really good caviar!!! It was a fun job!
But I digress - again...
The Farmer's Market itself is just plain awesome. There are scores of booths set up selling everything from Watermelon Radishes to Brussell's Sprouts still on their stalk. Every imaginable (and a few unimaginable!) fruit and vegetable all lovingly grown in Northern California.
It's a must-stop and must-see if you're ever in San Francisco!
Dungeness Crab
Start with 30 pounds of fresh Dungeness Crab, minutes off the boat (THANK YOU, NICK!!) add fresh, hand-made ravioli from The Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market , add Family and Friends, and a good time is assured!
We flew to San Francisco over the weekend to visit my dad (I'm a San Francisco Native who moved east!) and my sister Eileen decided that since Crab Season just started, we should do a crab feed Saturday. Her best friend Renee's son Nick works down on the piers, and was able to score 30 pounds of fresh crab for us at a ridiculously low price. (It really helps to be a native San Franciscan!) It was a really quick trip - we flew in Friday morning and flew out Sunday morning. Not even enough time to get a proper jet-lag!
Victor and I headed down to the Ferry Building early Saturday morning (more on that later!!) to do a bit of shopping and see what we could find to compliment the feast, when we came upon a vendor selling fresh hand-made pastas. He had a dozen different varieties, and every one looked better than the last, but we decided on Arugula, Pear, and Goat Cheese Ravioli, Porcini Mushroom Ravioli, and 3 Cheese Tortellini. They were a great choice!
There's just nothing better than fresh crab slathered in butter and garlic (keep it simple!) along with crusty San Francisco Sourdough, and fresh pastas with a fresh sauce! Victor - the resident Italian - made a fresh tomato sauce that complimented all the pastas. His original plan was to make three sauces, but... one simple sauce sufficed quite nicely!
The crowd included Eileen and Mike and their son Sean, my brother Mike and Debbie, with their kids Bill and Katie, and Bill's friend Nick (another Nick!) my sister Judy, with her son Justin, and her daughter Jennifer, with 5 year old Tommy, Renee and Tim - parents of Nick our Crab provider) and last, but not least, my crab-hating father. We started eating early - and continued eating well into the night. Judy supplied a decadent Chocolate Cake for dessert, and a good time was had by all!
On a side note... Friday morning, upon arrival, we went up to the rental car counter to pick up our car. Chatting with the woman behind the counter, she handed me a map of the city. I laughed and handed it back, saying I was born and raised in the city. She immediately replied in thrue San Franciscan fashion "What School?" (All San Franciscans immediately ask 'what school' - meaning high school.) I said Lincoln, she said she went to Star of the Sea. Year? '69. She knew my ex-sister-in-law and all sorts of girls I know and knew! We talked about mutual friends, et al, as the line grew behind us. I miss San Francisco!
Getting Ready For Baking Cookies
It's time. Christmas Cookies wait for no man - or woman - and the time is upon us to start the yearly tradition. We used to start the baking the weekend after Thanksgiving. Back in those days, we were both off the whole 4-day holiday weekend. Friday was Decorate-The-House-For-Christmas-Day, and Saturday and Sunday were Start-the-Cookie-Baking-Days.
Nowadays I'm working that weekend, so "tradition" has had to change a bit. Even the cookies we make every year have changed a bit. Oh... we still do all the family favorites, Aunt Emma's Apricot Cookies, for example, but we've been playing with and tweaking recipes for a log time, now. Aunt Dolores' Rum Balls were originally rolled in cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Now we dip them in chocolate and make the most wonderful rum ball truffle! And then there's the year I made Uncle Rudy's Pizzelle's, but made an Amaretto/Almond version, as well. Victor's mother wouldn't even look at them, let alone eat one! They've begrudgingly become a favorite. And many cookies have become a variation on a theme. We make at least three different butter/nut cookies whose original recipes were slightly different but the only real difference was their shape. So - we kinda almost make the same cookie three times, but with different nuts and some are shaped one way, some are dipped in chocolate, some are rolled in cocoa or powdered sugar... They're all excitingly different!
And I was so happy to get home on Monday to see my spices had arrived! Cocoa powder, cinnamon sticks, vanilla, 2 sea salts, the best unsweetened coconut available... Atlantic Spice Company (and their sister company San Francisco Herb Company) have some of the best herbs and spices - at definitely the best prices - around. I've been shopping at the SF Store on 14th Street for years, and was thrilled to find their internet site when we moved east!
The baking itself isn't complicated - it's just a matter of being organized. I have excel spreadsheets of recipes and ingredients that make doubling, tripling, or even quadrupling recipes a snap. AND I have it set up to help with the shopping for those 25 pounds of butter and 50 pounds of flour, rum, brandy, vanilla, and sugars we'll use. Double ovens, a ream of parchment paper, and a dozen cookie sheets help, too. But while I speak of production baking here, don't be scared off! Every one of these recipes is easy enough for the most novice of bakers. their beauty is their simplicity - and their versatility. Making a single batch or ten, it's all the same.
Here are some of our traditional cookies we make every year.
We also like to incorporate at least one new recipe into the mix. Not sure exactly which one it will be this year...
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!
The Farmer's Market at 6:00am
It was still pitch black outside, and a balmy 27 degrees when I left the house at 6am to head down to the Lancaster Farmer's Market. It's the annual Day Before Thanksgiving pilgrimage… I braced myself – not for the cold, but for the scene I knew I was about to encounter.
Generally, I don’t like huge crowds. Oh, there are times when it can be fun, but, as I get older – and crankier – I prefer a little less chaos, and those fun times are fewer and farther apart. You will never see me in a mall at Christmastime, and unless there is absolutely no getting around it and I have to have ‘it’ right now, I eschew lines, as well. Except today.
It was 6:10am when I walked into the market, and it was already packed. People were 6 deep at the counter where I was to pick up the turkey. And people 7 deep behind the counter matching turkeys to the right customers. It was a model of chaotic efficiency – you’d think they had done this before! And while most people were in a jovial mood, there were a few who had their cranky pants on really tight. One woman was just plain rude to the poor girl helping her, and the kid was getting flustered. Transaction finally completed, the woman turned to leave, and I stuck my tongue out at her as she walked away – which brought a huge grin to the girl. She visibly relaxed – and was on to the next – friendly – customer. Empathy is a strong emotion.
With my 31.58 pound turkey, and 2 pounds of chicken livers in hand, it was out to the car. No sense trying to shop in a crowd carrying 34 extra pounds… Then it was back in and on to the produce. Well, actually, for a cup of coffee. Armed with my coffee, I hit my favorite produce stand. People were queuing up for this and that, but I just stood back staring. Too much stuff! I already have my menu in place, but… those fresh peas are calling to me… the Brussels’ Sprouts are tiny and compact, the lettuces are gorgeous and glistening… and the vibrant colors of everything on display. Purple and green cauliflower! I’m feeling overwhelmed!
I take a deep breath and move in. Potatoes, green onions, red leaf lettuce, tomatoes… heck, I have to get some of those colored cauliflowers – not sure what I’ll do with them, yet, but I need them! I could rewrite the whole menu and go vegetarian. There’s just so much I could do with all of this! But I start thinking of refrigerator space – or lack thereof – and settle for the things I really need. Reality sucks.
Another trip out to the car. Potatoes are heavy.
Then in line for baguettes. The bakery is really teeming with people – both in line and behind the counter. I make my way up and there’s a kid all of 15 – without a clue what to do. My luck I draw him. Oh well. I ask for 2 baguettes and 2 whole wheat Portuguese rolls. He seems confused, and I point to the French (in his defense, they do have three different baguettes) but the Portuguese rolls throw him completely. He picks up a multiseed roll, and I say no, the WW Portuguese, a bit farther down. “Oh, the sourdough?” “No… the whole wheat Portuguese.” “oh. These? “That’s it.” “Four, right?” “Yes, four will be fine.” Why argue…..
Armed with the breads, I walk amongst the throngs, looking at all the great foods on display, getting ideas for things to make at home.
Looking at all the wonderful stuff, I wonder for a moment why I make so much stuff when I could just buy it already done. The reason, of course, is because I LIKE making it. That’s there’s a feeling of satisfaction knowing that *I* made that – even if it comes out slightly less-than-perfect.
I don’t mind taking shortcuts here and there, but Thanksgiving isn’t about shortcuts – it’s about traditions. And one of my favorite traditions is walking through that crowded market at 6:00am the day before Thanksgiving – and thinking about all the great things that can be made with all that great food!
And now… on to the kitchen. There’s work to be done!
Sunday Breakfast...
Sunday Breakfast has to be one of my greatest delights. Fresh coffee brewing, a leisurely perusal of the newspapers, and an abundance of breakfasty ideas, it's the perfect way to start/end the week. However, I work on Sundays. Of course that doesn't stop me from wanting - or cooking - breakfast. I just cook for about twenty instead of two. Sunday Breakfast at work is a tradition I wholeheartedly endorse - even if I have to do the cooking! It's a great way to start off one of the busier days of the retail work week!
Today's gastronomical delight was Pumpkin Pancakes with a Pumpkin and Walnut Crème Fraîche. I took a box of Baking mix, a box of Pumpkin Bread Mix, 1 can of pumpkin, 6 eggs and a quart of milk for the Pancakes. The topping was 2 containers of crème fraîche, a jar of pumpkin butter, and about a cup of chopped walnuts. On the side there was fresh pineapple with toasted coconut ribbons and sprinkled with turbinado sugar. Yummy.
I didn't get to read the paper, but I did have the freshly brewed ultra dark Sumatra coffee...
Dinner is SO much better...
...when someone else cooks!
When I was down at the farmer's market last week ordering the turkey and buying that big ol' stewing hen, I also picked up a few chicken breasts. Into the freezer they went... They're great for those "what do I have/want for dinner" days. No planning involved, they work with anything.
I was off work today, so Victor and I went out looking to maybe purchase a few more serving bowls for Thanksgiving. We both have a serious bowl and platter fetish. We have more than we will ever need, more than we could ever use - but they're not necessarily the exact size I may want or need for a large gathering. Okay - it's just an excuse to get more, but what the heck. Any excuse to buy more works for me!
We hit a couple of local stores, didn't see anything we liked, but did make it home with more Christmas decorations! If you think the bowl/platter fetish is bad - the Christmas decoration fetish is worse. Santa comes to our house when he needs something! (But that's for another post for another day!!)
Back to the chicken breasts... I pulled two out of the freezer and set them on the counter to thaw. I was just going to do some simple breaded cutlets, maybe oven roast a couple of potatoes. Simple, no brainer, no thought process involved.
I had to do a bit of Family Tree updating and Victor asked if I had any plans for the chicken, because he'd cook dinner. I said I was thinking chicken cutlets, but if he's cooking, I'm eating - have at it! (I'm easy that way!!) He headed to the kitchen, I headed to the office.
About 20 minutes later, I smell the most wonderful aroma coming from the kitchen! The kitchen is at the other end of the house, so it has to be GOOD for it to travel all the way back here! And it was! Cave-Aged Gorgonzola Scalloped Potatoes were in the oven! OMG! I'll repeat. OMG! Can we say fabulous boys and girls?!? I wanted them THEN - but had to impatiently wait another ten minutes. It seemed an eternity. But oh so worth the wait!
Thinly sliced potatoes, layered in a shallow casserole with butter, parmesan, and gorgonzola, with just enough broth to cook them. Crusty-crunchy on the top, melt-in-your-mouth perfection underneath. Just the right amount of everything. No one flavor was overwhelming, yet every one was distinct. One of those magic moments - and done with what was in the kitchen - no cookbooks involved.
The chicken cutlets were perfectly thin, breaded, and fried in olive oil. Fork-tender, with the perfect combination of crunch and flavor. There should have been enough for Victor to have a cutlet sandwich tomorrow while I'm at work. Somehow, both plates were emptied.
AND he did the dishes while I ran back here to - well... gloat is probably the only honest word I can use! I'm properly stuffed, my stomach is smiling, and life is good. Later on there will be a chocolate cake with a thick chocolate ganache I made a couple of days ago.
All I have to do now is figure out what I'm cooking the store crew for breakfast tomorrow.
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.
Cranberry Sauce
As a kid growing up, I thought all Cranberry Sauce came out of a can, placed on a pretty dish, and sliced along the can indentations. And that's exactly how it was for the first twenty years of my life. That can of Ocean Spray sitting in the fridge a week before Thanksgiving, chilling away and awaiting it's debut on the always overly-laden Thanksgiving table. Imagine my surprise when I found out that cranberries were actually a fruit one could buy at the store, and that cranberry sauce was so simple to make! I always thought that cranberries came from Massachusetts, but... it seems that Wisconsin actually produces over 50% of the country's cranberries, with Massachusetts a distant second with 30%. Ya learn something new every day.....
This Thanksgiving, along with a homemade cranberry sauce or two, I'll have one can of Jellied Cranberry Sauce, sliced along the ridges, in the same fancy cut-glass dish my mom used every year. Somehow it just seems like the right thing to do.
So on to making some cranberry sauce... The basic is merely 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar, and one 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries... Bring water and sugar to a boil, add crannerries, bring back to a boil, and simmer about 10 minutes. Basic. Easy.
But cranberries lend themselve to so many other flavors, (or, so many other flavors lend themselves to cranberries) that with just a tiny bit of imagination, you can make a cranberry sauce from just about anything!
A few years back, we decided to showcase homemade cranberry sauce at work, and I spent the day playing with cranberries and all sorts of other fun ingredients. Cooking is great fun when someone else is paying for the ingredients! Here's a few of the ones we came up with...
Cranberry Raspberry Sauce
• 12-ounce package cranberries
• 1 bag Frozen Raspberries, thawed
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup 100% Cranberry Juice
In a heavy saucepan combine the cranberries, raspberries, sugar, and the cranberry juice. Simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until the cranberries have burst and the sauce is thickened. Cool and refrigerate.
Triple Cranberry Sauce
• 1 cup 100% Cranberry Juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 12-ounce package cranberries
• 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries
• 3 tablespoons Orange Marmalade
• 2 tablespoons Cointreau or Grand Marnier
• 2 teaspoons minced orange peel
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Allspice
Combine cranberry juice and sugar in medium saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add fresh and dried cranberries and cook until dried berries begin to soften and fresh berries begin to pop, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in orange marmalade, orange juice, orange peel and allspice. Chill.
Maple Cranberry Sauce
• 2 12-ounce packages fresh cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups Maple Syrup
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Combine all ingredients in saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until cranberries pop, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Cool completely.
Apple Cranberry Sauce
• 1 12-ounce package cranberries
• 1 3/4 cups Fresh Apple Cider
• 3/4 cup Honey
• 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
• 1 cup Granny Smith Apple Rings, diced
• ¼ tsp Ground Cloves
• Pinch of salt
Combine all ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat. Simmer until berries burst and sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks. Refrigerate sauce until cold.
Cherry Cranberry Sauce
• 2 1/2 cups Cherry Cider
• 1 8-ounce package dried Montmorency Cherries
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 12-ounce package cranberries
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves
Bring cider to simmer in large saucepan. Add cherries. Mix in sugar, then cranberries and cloves. Cook over medium-high heat until cranberries burst, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Refrigerate until cold.
Cranberry Orange Sauce with Walnuts
• 12 oz cranberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 jar Mandarin Oranges, drained
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Combine first 4 ingredients in medium saucepan; bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook until cranberries are tender and mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in orange pieces and walnuts. Transfer to bowl. Cover and chill.
And this doesn't even begin to touch on Cranberry Chutneys...
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!