Thanksgiving Wrapup – The Good, The Bad And The Soupy

   Thanksgiving 2011   

A small (actually, a very large) problem cropped up days before Thanksgiving. For unexplained reasons, my Whole Foods only had turkeys in the 14 pound range or ones over 22 pounds. I’ve had a long standing rule of never cooking a turkey over 20 pounds. They’re just too hard to handle, they take too long to cook and they’re really tough to turn upside down after cooking. 

But I had a big crowd and lots of houseguests, so I really didn’t have a choice. I got a 22.68 pound turkey.

For whatever reason, it was one of the best turkeys I ever made.

Here's Tom, before he got turned upside down.

It browned beautifully. And it took less than 5 hours to cook. (Somehow, my turkeys always take less time to cook than whatever I’ve calculated.)

We started with my new favorite dip combination – hummus and tzatziki with lots of goodies on top:

Where's my soup? I forgot to take a picture. It was goooood. 

I tripled my stuffing recipe and had only about a quarter cup left when I deemed it no longer ready for primetime (or eating) on Sunday night. 

 

  

Three out of four of the pies were quite good. (Am I allowed to say that?)

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Sour Cream Apple Pie

Pecan Pie

But the last one, the cherry pie, had real problems. When I was considering which cherry pie to make, my smart friend, Tom, pointed out that the reason cherry pies usually have a lattice crust is so that some of the juice can evaporate. 

I was trying to avoid another latticed pie, because my apple pie had one, but I relented when I saw a pretty good (I thought) recipe in the Bon Appetit Desserts Cookbook, which I’ve been thrilled with every time I’ve used.

Cherry Pie

The resulting cherry pie LOOKED okay, but it was way too soupy. Think of something at the opposite end of the texture spectrum from Comstock Cherry Pie Filling, which (between you and me - and you better not tell anyone) I love. But I would never serve it (in public), and I especially wouldn't at Thanksgiving.

I think what I would do next time is to get the cherries already thickened BEFORE they are put into the pie crust. I DID like that the recipe called for a thicker lattice than I usually do. I think ¾ inch makes a more definitive statement than some little namby-pamby ½ inch lattice.

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I had some inventive young men around (with very strong appetites) who made turkey sliders after Thanksgiving. These were NOT hot turkey sandwiches. They were cold sandwiches with hot gravy installed on them. This was done in a most unlikely way in the form of the slightly repulsively named Moist Maker, which found fame from Friends.

The Moist Maker is a sponge-like piece of gravy-soaked white bread which is stacked between the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and cranberries. (I don’t like any other starch on my turkey sandwich but the bread. To me, mashed potatoes are meant to be eaten hot and stuffing is slightly gratuitous on a sandwich.) But here are various versions of day-after sandwiches, which illustrate exactly how much can fit on a little roll.

Pecan Pies - Done!

Thanksgiving 2011

And the rest of the crusts are made and ready to go.

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I have a great hosting tip for you if you're expecting company. I've tried this once so far and it worked beautifully.

Get out your baking racks and put them on the kitchen counter. Put some cookies on them and people will think you've been slaving away baking all day. It's as easy as that!

Now it happens that I DID make these cookies and they really were cooling on the racks. (So what if I packed them away a few hours earlier and then arranged them back on the rack just before the doorbell rang!)

It gives folks that homey feeling and I promise it'll work for you too. Maybe Oreo's aren't the best choice, though. Stick with something that at least looks homemade.

BTW, these are Toll House cookies with no chocolate chips, just white chips and TONS of toasted nuts - about 3 cups.

My Favorite Appetizer Of All Time

Thanksgiving 2011

That might be a bit of an exaggeration, since I only came across this a week or so ago, but it’s pretty fabulous. In fact, I might even say that this is an appetizer that will change your life. Remember that old favorite - 5, or is it 7, layer bean dip with refried beans and salsa and stuff? THIS is a fresh, lively updated version of that with hummus and tzatziki.

I saw it in a Food Network magazine and I can’t really explain why, but from the first moment I laid eyes on it, I fell in love. I didn’t even notice, initially, WHOSE recipe it was. But it didn’t matter, because I was just using the idea, not that actual recipe. And THEN I wondered where I'd been all these years, since I found many different versions online.

How had I never served hummus and tzatziki, that wonderful Greek yogurt and cucumber concoction, together? I love them both. I knew this had to be a featured hors d’oeuvres over Thanksgiving, if I can wait that long. I may have to serve it the night before.

I personally have to no problem with robust Thanksgiving appetizers, even though H often gives me a hard time. To me, the appetizers before Thanksgiving dinner are an opportunity to stretch your stomach for the meal to come. I would never want to wrestle with that meal on an empty stomach.

Okay here goes, enjoy it…I know you will.

Sue’s Greek 7, Maybe 8, Layer Dip
Printable recipe here

I like serving this on a platter, with the hummus spread out as the base layer. You can certainly contain it in a straight-sided bowl as in this picture. You may want to provide a spoon for easier spreading.

2 cups hummus, homemade or bought, any flavored version you like

1 recipe Sue's tzatziki (see below)

diced cucumbers (can be leftover from the tzatziki)

optional: a handful of diced tomatoes, drained in a strainer for 10 minutes

a handful of feta (more than that makes the tzatziki taste like cottage cheese)

a handful of chopped dill

3 scallions, chopped

a handful of small pitted olives or larger olives, sliced

Layer the ingredients in the order listed. (You may not need quite all the tzatziki. Save the extra to serve as a dip by itself or on top of anything from pita chips or kebabs to veggie burgers.)

Serve the Greek 7 Layer Dip with homemade pita chips (recipe below).

Sue’s Tzatziki

1 cup 2% Greek yogurt

1 cup WHOLE milk (I know!) Greek yogurt

1 English cucumber

¼ tsp. Kosher salt

1 tbl. fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, center stalk removed and pressed

2 tsps. dill, finely chopped

1/4 tsp Kosher salt

Place the yogurt in a strainer lined with damp cheesecloth. Strain it over a bowl for 30 minutes.

(Because it’s Greek yogurt and already strained, you can skip this step, but it does remove a bit of liquid.)

Cut the ends off an English cucumber and peel. Cut into a small dice. Place in a small strainer over a bowl and stir in ¼ tsp. Kosher salt. Let sit for 20 minutes.

Place strained yogurt in a bowl. Add a good amount of the cucumbers (no need to rinse) into the yogurt. (Remember it’s YOGURT with cucumbers, not the other way around, so you may not need ALL the cucumber for the tzatziki. Set the rest aside to sprinkle on top of the dip.) Stir in lemon juice, garlic and dill. Stir in Kosher salt to taste, starting with ¼ teaspoon. Cover well and refrigerate overnight, or at least 3 to 4 hours.

Baked Pita Chips (1 pita - I prefer wholewheat - makes 16 chips)

Cut each pita into 8 wedges. Separate each one in half. Lay pita on a baking sheet in a single layer (they can be jammed next to each other.) Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 7 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool and store in a ziplock bag. You can reheat them in a big jumbled pile in the toaster oven for a minute or two before serving.

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I loved this dip recipe so much that I used it as an excuse to have some gal pals over to sample appetizers and my fizzy Cosmo's, which will be my signature cocktail on Thanksgiving.

I also served my little tarts along with the Greek dip and gussied-up baked prosciutto.

Bake the prosciutto on a foil-lined baking sheet at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until completely crisp. Cut prosciutto into long pieces. Cover with a thin slice of Gruyere and a grape slice, or just pile on the plate and let folks assemble them however they wish.

Fizzy Cosmo
Printable recipe here

This is made to my (very sweet) taste. Definitely adjust the amount of vodka to suit your own palate.

4 parts cranberry or cranberry-raspberry juice

3 parts Absolut Citron

2 parts Rose’s Lime Juice

1 part Triple Sec

Prosecco

Mix together first four ingredients. Chill well. Pour into champagne glasses two thirds full. Top off with Prosecco.

Would You Call This Man With Your Thanksgiving Questions?

   Thanksgiving 2011   

Alton may not always be my favorite, but he is a true cooking wonk and I would trust him with any technical turkey or related questions. You’ll have a chance to ask him and some of his Food Network cohorts any questions you like on Thanksgiving Live!, a Skype call-In show on Sunday, November 20 from 12 pm to 2 pm EST on the Food Network. Also answering questions will be Bobby Flay, Anne Burrell, Alex Guarnaschelli, Sunny Anderson, Ted Allen, Rachael Ray and Melissa d’Arabian.

For more information, click here.

You’ll be asked for the following information and you may be contacted for more information.

Name
Location
Email
Home telephone number
Skype name
Your Thanksgiving question

Thanksgiving Sprouts Postscript And Pie Notes

   Thanksgiving 2011   

Butter restaurant chef and Next Iron Chef competitor, Alex Guarnaschelli was on Good Day New York this morning doing a few vegetable recipes. In the same vein as the Brussels sprout salad I talked about yesterday, she made a cole slaw with purple cabbage and Brussels sprouts. She likes to consider the leftovers when she plans dishes and she said this is a wonderful addition to turkey sandwiches.

I don’t think cole slaw is strange for Thanksgiving, because my mother always used to say that you needed - forgive me - a gassy vegetable on the table. For years, I served braised red cabbage and apples and then I made room for other things. I like this idea.

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Thanksgiving Update...

I planned to make my Sour Cream Apple Pie  crust (and freeze it) and I realized didn’t have any apple juice. So out came my trusty (and so basic) juicer and I made the most delicious Granny Smith apple juice for the pastry. 

Honestly, I’ve made this crust DOZENS of times and it’s never been so good. It tastes like apple-y sugar cookie dough.

I’m also making 2 pecan pies – they freeze beautifully. Plus the filling is a cinch and I feel more secure with an extra pie in the house. I used this pastry recipe for the first time. Fantastic! I haven’t baked it yet, but it looked fine and rolled out SO easily (right after I made it, not chilled).

  

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A pastry rolling-out note: I really believe one of the big reasons that people buy ready prepared pie crusts is because they hate to wrestle with rolling out cold dough. I haven’t done that for YEARS!

As soon as the dough is made (making it in a food processor keeps it cooler) I roll it out. I used to use two sheets of plastic wrap. Now I use Silpat on the bottom and plastic wrap on the top. (I hate baking on Silpat, but I like it for rolling out dough.)

After it's rolled out, I fit it into the pie dish, configure the edges however they’re going to be, cover it with plastic wrap and freeze the whole thing. I take the crust out of the freezer as I’m making the filling and that’s enough time for it to thaw.  

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Recipes in this post: 

• Alex Guarnaschelli’s Purple Cabbage And Shaved Brussels Sprout Cole Slaw
• Brussels Sprouts Salad a la M. Wells
• The Silver Palate's Sour Cream Apple Pie
• Good Housekeeping’s Pastry for 9-Inch Pie
• My Mother’s Best Ever Pecan Pie

Thanksgiving Sprouts

   Thanksgiving 2011   

Let’s talk vegetables for Thanksgiving. Unless I’m cooking in a mess hall or restaurant (which, as of this moment, I’m not), my first thought is about how much oven or burner space I’ll have and at what time of the day I’ll have it. Once the turkey is out, the oven can be loaded with all the other things that need heating - the stuffing, if you’re doing it separately; the sweet potatoes; rolls etc.

When I do have the space, I love the ease of roasted Brussels sprouts and here’s a super easy way to cook them. PS The addition of a half cup of raisins (yellow is my first choice), makes a huge difference. It's a sweet counterpoint to the slightly bitter (in a good way) vegetable.

I’m loosey goosey about the temperature for roasting vegetables, because I try to fit them in to whatever else I’m cooking. Basically, I cook the Brussels sprouts at 400°F for about 25 minutes. If something else needs a higher or lower temperature, adjust the cooking time about 5 minutes for every 50 degree difference – 350°F for 30 minutes, 450°F for 20 minutes.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts (serves 4 normally, but 6 to 8 as part of a Thanksgiving meal)
Printable recipe here

2 tbls. good olive oil

A big pinch of Kosher salt

1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

½ cup raisins

optional: a handful of roasted prosciutto*

Mix together olive oil and salt in medium mixing bowl. Add Brussels sprouts and mix well. Line a baking sheet with foil and Pam it. Spread out Brussels sprouts in a single layer, cut side down. Cook in a preheated 400°F oven for 25 minutes or until browned on the bottom and tender in the middle. Mix with raisins, and prosciutto if using.

*Bake the prosciutto on a foil-lined baking sheet at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until completely crisp. It’s no problem if the oven is needed at a different temperature. Just adjust the temp and time as you would for the Brussels Sprouts – higher, then shorter; lower, then longer. (That’s kind of a life lesson, isn’t it?)

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Another excellent way to use Brussels sprouts is in a recipe from Food52 for a Brussels sprout salad - Brussels Sprouts Salad a la M. Wells. It’s become one of my favorites. I might leave out the cheese for Thanksgiving, but otherwise it’s perfect. The speck called for in the recipe is smoked prosciutto. If you have no speck around, just use cooked and crisped bacon or regular prosciutto (you can cook that too) OR leave it out. The Brussels sprouts add an unbelievable crunch to the salad and they are sliced so thinly that their flavor doesn’t overwhelm the dish. Even non-believers may like them. (I use a knife to slice them, not a mandolin.)

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Thanksgiving Update...

Cranberries – MADE!

Um… that’s about it…But I AM thinking a lot. I haven’t gotten to the making-lists part, but that’s coming…and I do have the pecans in the house for the pecan pies.

Tiny Thanksgiving Tarts

Are you getting your Thanksgiving menu thoughts in order? I’m beginning to. Just to make myself get more serious, I’m going to give this nifty subtitle to every post having to do with Thanksgiving this month:

   Thanksgiving 2011   

Appetizers are on my mind today. I love tiny phyllo tart shells as a base for quick and super-delicious snacks. Ideas for fillings are limitless, but here are three, which make a varied and pretty presentation. The standard rule is 3 to 4 hors d’oeuvres per person, but factor in the huge meal to follow and anything else you might be serving as an appetizer.  

Before baking:

Bake the tarts on a foil-lined baking sheet in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Printable recipe here.

Black Bean and Cheddar Cheese Tarts

1 can black beans

1 onion, chopped

1 tbl. olive oil

1 small carrot, diced

2 tsps. cumin

grated cheddar cheese

frozen phyllo tart shells

Rinse and drain can of black beans well. Completely soften onion and carrot in olive oil in small saucepan. Add cumin and stir on low heat for 2 minutes. Add black beans and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes over medium heat.

Fill tart shells with black bean mixture. Top with a bit of grated cheddar cheese. Bake as directed above. If desired, top with a dab of salsa.

Fig, Cheese and Toasted Almond Tarts

Next time, I’m definitely using Bleu cheese, but you can use goat cheese or cream cheese, flavored or not.

Layer into each frozen phyllo tart shell (in this order): a dab of fig jam, a small bit of Bleu cheese, goat cheese or cream cheese. Top with a well-toasted almond. Bake as directed above. 

Fig and Prosciutto Tarts

 

Layer into each frozen phyllo tart shell in the order given: a dab of fig jam, two tiny squares of mozzarella cheese and a folded 1“ square of prosciutto. Bake as directed above.

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Another quick idea is strips of crispy baked prosciutto topped with a Parmesan cheese slivers. (Bake the prosciutto on a foil-lined baking sheet at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until completely crisp.)

Garnishing them with real herbs is probably a better idea than drawing them in.