Thanksgiving 2008

Where I ask, did this year disappear to? It doesn't seem right that it is already the end of November, especially since I just got used to writing/typing "2008" on all my business letters. My mother called me up a couple of weeks ago and tricked me into hosting Thanksgiving at my apartment. I'm pretty game for the adventure since I have been a very bad home cook lately. She tried to get me to agree that I would give her all of the leftover turkey - but funk that! I paid $44 dollars for that 20lb organic, corn-fed, farm raised piece of gold...it's going in my belly for days. Plus, I have never left her house with any kind of Thanksgiving rememberance of the meal!

Just for comparison, here is what I planned last year, and the year before.

And now...for this year's (not so) exciting offering. Or as I like to say - more of the same. There's a reason it's called "tradition."

To start:
Jumbo shrimp cocktail
Cheese and fruit platter
Risotto rice balls (because they were such a HUGE hit!)
Bacon wrapped pineapple

Dinner:
Butternut squash soup
Turkey
Stuffing
Mashed potatoes
Fall fruit salad
Roasted brussel sprouts (not everyone is thrilled about this veg)
Tossed salad
Cranberry and pitted date conserve
Sweet potato biscuits

Dessert:
Chocolate torte with a chocolate ganache
Caramel pumpkin pie
Vanilla ice cream / homemade whipped cream

My sister also requested a cranberry jell-o salad, and since I want to make her smile, I just may make a small batch of it...plus, I have that Jell-O cookbook that I've been threatening to break out.

Weekly menu planning

Sorry I've been absent for so long. I have a good excuse though - our oven is (still) broken. The stovetop work just fine, but the oven fills the house with gas and doesn't heat up. We almost killed ourselves! I didn't think I used the oven all that much. I do. When I can't use it is when I get these sudden intense urges to bake. My toaster oven just doesn't make the cut.

Monday - Cream of Tomato Soup
Tuesday - Poached Chicken Florentine
Wednesday - Broiled Mahi-Mahi with Pineapple Chutney
Thursday - Capellini with Grilled Vegetables
Friday - Hamburgers with all the Fixins'
Saturday - Sausage Ravioli with Tomato-Basil Coulis

The original recipes will have to be adjusted as some of them require that gentle oven heat (or the broiler), but I'll make do. It's time to start blogging again!

Weekly menu planning

For the week of Monday 5/26 - Saturday 5/31:

The grill is out, and the propane is flowing! Thank goodness. It kills me to use the oven, until the a/c is up and running.

Monday - BBQ Grill Out: Baby Back Ribs, Sesame-Soy marinated Chicken, baked beans and salad
Tuesday - Thai Lettuce Wraps
Wednesday - Pasta with Peas, Cream, Parsley and Mint
Thursday - Brown Sugar and Ginger Glazed Salmon
Friday - Kat's Hamburgers Supreme
Saturday - Orzo with Grilled Shrimp, Summer Vegetables and Pesto Vinaigrette

Weekly menu planning

Last night, I went through a couple of my favorite cookbooks, marking recipes that I wanted to try. For the life of me, I can not remember a single recipe that I book-marked - I was just so tired! I've picked my weekly menu based off of what I have available in my pantry and freezer, in hopes that I will spend my time at home doing things I enjoy and not in the market waiting in line at the register.

I'm also packing up my knives at some point this week and sending them to Shun for either a replacement or a grind down. Both my shantoku and pairing knives have chipped. The warranty department told me that the turn around time is approximately 2 weeks. I have no idea how I am going to function without them!

Monday - Wonton and Bok Choy Soup
Tuesday - Chicken with Mushroom Sauce
Wednesday - Potato tart with a side salad
Thursday - Country Fried Steak
Friday - Chicken and White Bean Chili
Saturday - Shrimp and Sweet Potato Cakes with Slaw

I also plan on making a special batch of brownies for dessert at some point during the week.

Weekly menu planning

This is the plan for this week:

Sunday - BBQ ribs with a pear, walnut and goat cheese salad
Monday - Satay of beef
Tuesday - Chicken Picatta
Wednesday - Marinated Tofu with red curry, peas and scallions
Thursday - Chicken Lasagna roll-ups
Friday - Pizza
Saturday - Grilled Salmon with lime-butter sauce

Alternate: Sausage and Pepper Bowties

Weekly Meal Planning

Monday - Leek Fritatta with Cranberry and Walnut Salad
Tuesday - Indian Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes with Steamed Brown Rice
Wednesday - Ditalini with Pesto, Bean and Broccoli Rabe
Thursday - Polenta and Vebetables with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Friday - Dinner out
Saturday - Curried Red-Lentil Stew with Vegetables

Vegetarian? Yes. Vegan? Almost. Does Nathan know? Not yet.

Weekly Meal Planning

For the week of January 21 - January 26.

Monday - Mushroom and Barley Soup with Crusty Bread for dippin'
Tuesday - Grilled Chicken Kebabs with Greek Salad
Wednesday - BiBimBob (Korean Vegetable Rice Bowl)
Thursday - Sweet and Sour Chicken Thighs with Carrots over rice
Friday - Shrimp and Sweet Potato Cakes, with Cabbage and Apple Slaw
Saturday - Penne with Chicken, Shiitake Mushrooms and Capers

Christmas Dinner - start to finish

My family's Christmas tradition was thrown out the window this year when my mother decided to have dinner with the steps - leaving me and my sister to fend for ourselves. We tried to make the best of it, and I invited my sister and her children to celebrate at our tiny apartment. We set up two card tables, I bought some new dishes and linens and tried some interesting recipes full of fat and flavor! And, you know...we had a great time. My mother better watch out, because we may have started a whole new tradition without her! (One that includes wine!)

Christmas Dinner Menu:
Risotto Cakes - your favorite risotto recipe, chilled, rolled into balls and flattened, then pressed into Italian-style breadcrumbs and fried in oil. Serve with a simple salad and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese to bring it on home.
Olives / Sweet Baby Pickles
Shrimp Cocktail
Onion, Apple and Potato Gratin
Slow Roasted Prime Rib with a Madeira Wine Au Jus
Roasted Baby Carrots with Herbs
White Chocolate and Spiced Pear Tiramisu

It was heavenly. Especially dessert.

And, now for your blogging pleasure....the recipes:

ROASTED PRIME RIB with a MADEIRA WINE AU JUS
1 9- to 9 1/2-pound prime rib beef roast, excess fat trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 medium onions, peeled, quartered
2 1/2 cups beef broth
1 3/4 cups Madeira
1 1/4 cups dry red wine
4 large fresh thyme sprigs
4 large fresh parsley sprigs
3 large fresh rosemary sprigs
1 bay leaf

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 450°F. Place beef, fat side up, on heavy large rimmed baking sheet. Rub with oil; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast beef 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Place onions around beef. Continue to roast until thermometer inserted into center of beef registers 125°F for medium-rare, stirring onions occasionally, about 2 hours 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine broth, Madeira, wine, thyme, parsley, rosemary, and bay leaf in medium saucepan. Boil until mixture is reduced to 2 cups, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Discard herbs. Transfer beef to platter. Using slotted spoon, transfer onions to same platter; tent with foil. Let stand 30 minutes.


Nothing goes better with a slab of pink beef, then a side of tender potatoes! I was going to do a regular old mashed/smashed potato, but that seemed a little on the boring side. Instead, I found a recipe that combined onions, apples and potatoes (3 classic flavors) - but still remained on the healthier side, omitting all of the cream and cheese from a traditional gratin. It was a gamble that paid off!

ONION, APPLE AND POTATO GRATIN

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, divided
2 pounds onions, sliced
2 tablespoons (packed) chopped fresh thyme
4 teaspoons fine sea salt, divided
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 pounds Baby Yellow and Red potatoes, left unpeeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
2 pounds Granny Smith Apples - peeled, halved, cored, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Butter 13x9x2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Melt 6 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions, thyme, and 2 teaspoons salt; sauté until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; sauté until onions are tender and begin to color, about 8 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Add remaining 6 tablespoons butter, 2/3 cup water and wine to skillet; stir and swirl skillet to combine. Bring to boil. Cool onion mixture to lukewarm. Combine potatoes, apples, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and onion mixture in large bowl; toss gently to blend.

Transfer to prepared baking dish, spreading evenly. Cover dish with parchment paper, then cover with foil, shiny side down. Bake gratin until potatoes are tender, about 55 minutes. Uncover and bake until top browns and juices bubble thickly, about 20 minutes longer. Let gratin stand about 15 minutes before serving.

(Photo Credit: www.epicurious.com)

Last, but not least...DESSERT! The photo can speak for itself, no? Although this recipe was a tad time consuming, it was so worth it. The layers were creamy and delicious. I'm not a fan of white chocolate - but this recipe made me a believer for sure!


WHITE CHOCOLATE AND SPICED PEAR TIRAMISU

Spiced Pears:
1 750-ml bottle dry white wine
2 cups pear juice or pear nectar (Goya has a great pear nectar)
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 1-inch-diameter rounds peeled fresh ginger (each about 1/8 inch thick)
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
5 large firm but ripe Anjou pears, peeled and cut in half with stems and core removed

White Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse:
7 ounces high-quality white chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup poire Williams (clear pear brandy - beware, you are going to drop $20 for a small bottle - but I can't imagine substituting anything else)
1/4 cup water
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 8- to 8.8-ounce container mascarpone cheese (found in the specialty cheese case at the market)
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

Trifle Assembly:
3 3-ounce packages soft ladyfingers
2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup minced crystallized ginger
White chocolate curls**
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

For spiced pears:
Combine first 5 ingredients in large saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Add pears and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until pears are just tender when pierced with knife, about 35 minutes.

Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to plate. Boil poaching liquid in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until slightly thickened and reduced to generous 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Strain into 2-cup measuring cup; discard spices in strainer. Cool. Cover and chill pears and pear syrup until cold, approximately 3 hours.

For mousse:
Combine white chocolate, pear brandy, and 1/4 cup water in top of double boiler set over simmering water. Stir until smooth (mixture will be very liquidy). Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; discard bean. Transfer white chocolate mixture to large bowl; gradually add mascarpone, whisking until mixture is smooth. Cool mascarpone mixture until barely lukewarm.

Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup cream in medium bowl until peaks form. Fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture in 4 additions. Cover and chill white chocolate mousse until set, about 3 hours.

Pears and mousse can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

For trifle assembly:
Cut pears lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Arrange ladyfingers, rounded sides down, in single layer in bottom of 12-cup trifle dish (about 8 inches in diameter and 5 inches deep), covering bottom completely (using about 15 ladyfingers). Drizzle 5 tablespoons pear syrup evenly over ladyfingers. Using small offset spatula, spread 1/3 of white chocolate mousse over ladyfingers, making layer slightly thicker around outer edges of dish to allow mousse to be more visible (center of mousse layer will be thin). Starting at outer edges of dish, place pear slices in single layer with curved edges against sides of dish atop mousse, covering completely. Repeat layering of ladyfingers, syrup, mousse, and pears 2 more times. Cover with fourth layer of ladyfingers (some ladyfingers and pear slices may be left over). Drizzle ladyfingers evenly with 5 tablespoons syrup.

Using electric mixer, beat 2 cups whipping cream in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup pear syrup and beat until stiff peaks form. Working in batches, transfer cream to large pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe rosettes all over top of trifle, mounding slightly in center. Sprinkle with crystallized ginger. Garnish with chocolate curls.

Sift powdered sugar over trifle just before serving.


**To make chocolate curls, place one 3 1/2-ounce bar of white chocolate on a plate and microwave on high at 5-second intervals just until slightly softened, but not hot or beginning to melt. Using vegetable peeler and starting at one long edge of the chocolate bar, shave white chocolate into curls. If the shaved chocolate breaks into small shards, it's not soft enough, so place in microwave again for a few seconds. If the chocolate becomes too soft, let it stand at room temperature or chill briefly until it firms up a bit.

Thanksgiving menu 2007

I am cooking my very first whole turkey this Thursday, and I am waiting patiently (not!) with eager anticipation. Nathan and I have decided to break away from the family scene this year and have Thanksgiving dinner with just the two of us. We are planning some major leftovers to justify purchasing an 18 lb. bird for only 2 people! (You can see last year's Thanksgiving menu here!)

On the menu this year:

Deviled Eggs
Baked Artichoke Flowers (made with wonton wrappers)

Roasted Turkey with gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Homemade Stuffing
Steamed Broccoli and Baby Carrots
Individual Green Bean Casseroles
Cranberry Fruit Conserve
9-grain rolls

Pumpkin-Ginger Cheesecake Pie with fresh whipped cream

Note to self: pick up a new meat thermometer before Thursday.

Tell me your Thanksgiving menu!!! (Or post a link in the comments so I can check you out!)

Smells like feet - and weekly meal planning

The other day I made the Meditteranean Risotto that I had on deck in last week's dinner menu. The idea was so appealing...I adore sun-dried tomatoes, olives and feta cheese. I love rice and the creaminess of risotto. I thought the dish would be a slam dunk!

However, when feta cheese is heated up, it smells like old, disgusting, wet gym socks. In this dish, it tasted about the same also.

Looks pretty though!

I really, really wanted to like it! I tried so hard to encourage myself to continue eating it - but in the end, I gave up. I don't know why I kept the copious amounts of leftovers...maybe I'll revisit the risotto cold. Maybe. Probably not.

Monday - Calzones
Tuesday - Roasted Garlic and Citrus Chicken
Wednesday - Moraccan Spiced Chickpea Soup with Sandwiches
Thursday - Tofu Ka-bobs with Mustard Dipping Sauce
Friday - Pizza