Thanksgiving

12 Pound Turkey on the Rotisserie

Butternut Squash & Tahini Spread

Carrot Puree With Caraway And Feta

Autumn Salad from Barbrix

Creamed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon 

Mushroom Dressing From Cook's County

Turkey with Orange Noodles (yuk bad picture but good food!)

Apple Pie

Chocolate Pie

Persimmon Pudding with Whipped Cream

Thanksgiving for us is a collaborative event. Tom, Scott, Tim, Shumon, Barbara, Michael and Robert all came to celebrate. Barbara even helped to cook! We make the turkey and some sides and then we order in some food to complement the meal. We were hoping that Bea would join us, but she had recently had surgery and couldn’t make it. She did, however, send over some great wine. Later we delivered her Thanksgiving dinner to her.

We made the same Renaissance Turkey that we cooked last year. It is wonderful and I believe will be an annual event for us. Cathy found a recipe in TheSplendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper for Christmas Capon (Cappone Natalizio). This recipe was for a spit roasted capon, we substituted a Heritage Turkey from McCall’s Meat and Fish. What made the dish so incredible was another recipe from the same cookbook for: Tagliatelle with Caramelized Oranges and Almonds, a Renaissance preparation of pasta that the sliced turkey was to be served over. This is a great recipe, totally different from what people expect (other than those that came to our house last year). You can find this recipe on our blog of: November 23, 2012.

We started with a new dish for us Butternut Squash & Tahini Spread from Jerusalem by Ottolenghi & Tamimi. It was good, but I don’t think we will make it again, I like the other dish we served as an appetizer better: Carrot Puree With Caraway And Feta from Moro The Cookbook by Sam & Sam Clark. With both of the dishes we served Pita Chips from Joan’s on Third. These are absolutely the best chips I have ever had.

After appetizers and drinks we went to the table to start the serious eating. We started with the Autumn Salad from Barbrix. This is a great salad. Next time you are at Barbrix and if you haven’t had the salad you should try it. It is very crispy and I love the blue cheese in it.

As a side, we served a new recipe for us: Creamed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon from Two Dudes One Pan by Shook Dotolo. Bacon is my favorite seasoning. Anything in a cream sauce has to be good. This is a keeper! I really liked it. Expect to see it next Thanksgiving!

What would Thanksgiving Turkey be without dressing. Once again this year we got the Mushroom Dressing from Cook’s County. This is a delicious super rich dressing. Yum.

Deserts were plentiful. From Cook’s County we purchased a Chocolate Pie and an Apple Pie. Tom made a Persimmon Pudding with Whipped Cream.

The dinner started at 6:30 at midnight we finally finished, we have a year to recover!

Butternut Squash & Tahini Spread

Jerusalem Ottolenghi & Tamimi

SERVES  6  TO  8

1 very large butternut squash (about 2-1/2), peeled and cut into chunks (7 cup in total)

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground cinnamon

5 tbsp light tahini paste

½ cup Greek yogurt

2 small cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp mixed black and white sesame seeds (or just white, if you don't have black)

1-1/2 tsp date syrup

2 tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)

salt

Date syrup, which we use here to add intensity, is a popular natural sweetener with wonderful richness and treacly depth. Use it for salad and vegetable dressings, to sweeten stews, or to drizzle over porridge in the morning. It is available from health food stores and Middle Eastern groceries but can be substituted with maple syrup or molasses.

This dip seems to be fantastically popular with anyone who tries it. There is something about the magical combination of tahini and pumpkin or squash that we always tend to come back to Serve as a starter with bread or as part of a meze selection.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Spread the squash out in a medium roasting pan.

Pour over the olive oil and sprinkle on the cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix together well, cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, and roast in the oven for 70 minutes, stirring once during the cooking. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Transfer the squash to a food processor, along with the tahini, yogurt, and garlic. Roughly pulse so that everything is combined into a coarse paste, without the spread becoming smooth; you can also do this by hand using a fork or potato masher.

Spread the butternut in a wavy pattern over a flat plate and sprinkle with the sesame seeds, drizzle over the syrup, and finish with the cilantro, if using.

Creamed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Two Dudes One Pan

Shook Dotolo

1       tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt

2       pounds Brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed

12     ounces sliced bacon, halved crosswise

2       shallots, halved and thinly sliced

3       garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3       cups heavy cream

1       teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Jon: A lot of people who say that they don't do Brussels sprouts end up getting into this dish. Cream and bacon mellow Brussels sprouts' cabbagey qualities.

VINNY: We add so much bacon, butter, and cream, though, you'd have to be insane not to totally get into this dish! We get a lot of requests for these Brussels sprouts around Thanksgiving. There are a few families whose Thanksgiving dinners we've been catering for years; we've become a part of their tradition. That's really cool.

FILL a Dutch oven with water and bring to a boil. Add the 1 tablespoon of salt and the Brussels sprouts. Cook until tender but not mushy, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain the sprouts, then place them under cold running water to stop the cooking. Drain again, transfer the sprouts to a cutting board, and halve lengthwise. Set aside.

Wipe the pot dry and place it back on the stovetop over I medium-high heat. Add the bacon (if it doesn't all fit in the pot, cook the bacon in two batches) and cook until both I sides are browned and crisp. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined I plate to drain. Once it is cool enough to handle, crumble the bacon.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat and add the shallots and garlic to the pot. Cook over medium-high heat I until lightly browned and fragrant, about 2 minutes, and then add the cream. Simmer the cream until it has reduced by half, 5 to 7 minutes, and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and the black pepper. Stir in the Brussels sprouts and gentry coat in the sauce. Turn out into a serving bowl and top with the crumbled bacon.

Serves 6 to 8

Chicken and Turbans

Shumon was joining for dinner. We decided to cook with Barbara an old stand by: James Beard's Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic from a recipe in the New York Times. I probably haven’t made this in 20 years. The obvious joke is that with cooking the Garlic looses it pungency and 40 cloves of garlic are quite acceptable in mixed company.

To start we had an Arugula Salad with Dates and Parmesan Cheese. I like this salad, it is very tasty with the sweetness of the Dates and the tanginess of the Arugula. It is a nice contrast.

With the Chicken we made Potato-Parsnip Puree from the Food of Campanile Mark Peel & Nancy Silverton. This is a rich mashed potato Puree. The parsnips make it special. The recipe can be found on our blog of: May 10, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

Shumon insisted on wearing a turban that he wrapped around his head. It must have been the effect of the garlic.

New York Times

James Beard's Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic

By MOLLY O'NEILL

INGREDIENTS

                  4 ribs of celery, cut into long strips

                  2 medium-size onions, coarsely chopped

                  6 sprigs parsley

                  1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

                  2/3 cup vegetable oil

                  16 chicken legs, any mix of drumsticks and thighs

                  1/2 cup dry vermouth

                  2 1/2 teaspoons salt

                  1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

                  Freshly grated nutmeg

                  40 cloves garlic, unpeeled

                  French bread for serving

PREPARATION

1.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cover the bottom of a heavy 6-quart casserole with the celery and onions and add the parsley and tarragon. Place the oil in a shallow dish. Dip the chicken pieces into the oil, coat all sides evenly and place in the casserole. Pour the vermouth over the chicken and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and a few gratings of nutmeg. Tuck the garlic around and between the chicken pieces.

2.

Cover the top of the casserole tightly with aluminum foil and fit the lid over the foil to create an airtight seal. Bake for 1 1/3 hours without removing the cover. Check for doneness; return casserole to the oven if the chicken seems underdone. Serve the chicken along with the pan juices, the garlic and thin slices of heated French bread spread with garlic squeezed from the root end of the clove.

YIELD

8 servings

          

Barbara Cooks Risotto

Barbara was visiting us from San Francisco. She doesn’t cook a lot, and wanted to join us in the kitchen. She wanted to pick up some techniques (not that we know that many) and generally participate in the cooking.

Tom had grown some Jerusalem Artichokes in his garden and brought them over. We found a recipe for A New Artichoke Soup in Tender by Nigel Slater. We invited Tom and Scott to join in the dinner since it was from their harvest.

The soup is excellent. By the way it turns out that Jerusalem Artichokes have nothing to do with Jerusalem or Artichokes, it is a part of the daisy family. Who knew? The spinach topping on the soup really gives a nice kick to the recipe.

For the main course we made Sausage and Mushroom Risotto. We love the hearty risotto. Of course, we got the sausage from McCall’s Meat and Fish. The recipe is called Risotto con Luganegh (Risotto with pork sausage) and is from The Cuisine of Venice & Surrounding Northern Regions by Guisti-Lanham Dodi. This is our go to Risotto recipe. It is excellent! It can be found in our blog of: April, 21, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

Tom brought dessert. Another sweet end to a great meal. Barbara graduated from being just a sous-chef.

A new artichoke soup

Tender

Nigel Slater

I have long made a simple artichoke soup by adding the scrubbed tubers to softened onions, pouring over stock, and then simmering until the artichokes fall apart. I often add a little lemon juice, bay leaves, and sometimes a thumb of ginger. I blitz it in the blender, then stir in lots of chopped parsley. Some might introduce cream at this point but I honestly don't think it's necessary. The soup is velvety enough. It has become a staple in this kitchen over the last few winters; its warm nuttiness is always welcome on a steely-skied January day.

Late in the winter of 2008, possibly having had one day too many of what Beth Chatto calls "dustbin-lid skies," I changed the soup's tone by adding a stirring of bright green spinach. As often happens, it came about by accident—a bowl of creamed spinach left over from a boiled ham lunch— added to the soup just to use it up. The magic in this soup is in the marriage of earthy cold-weather food and a shot of mood-lifting chlorophyll. Spring is obviously stirring.

enough for 4 to 6

large leeks — 2

butter - 3 tablespoons

Jerusalem artichokes -1 pound

bay leaves - 2

light stock or water - 4 cups

for the spinach

butter - a thick slice

large spinach leaves — 1 pound

creme fraiche - 2 heaping tablespoons

ground nutmeg

Finely slice the white and palest green part of the leeks, wash thoroughly in plenty of running water, then drain. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the sliced leeks, then let soften over low to medium heat for fifteen to twenty minutes. They need to remain green and white and shouldn't brown at all. I find the easiest way to achieve this is to place a round of wax paper on top of the leeks, followed by the pan lid. A regular stir will help.

 Rinse and coarsely chop the artichokes and add them to the leeks. Continue cooking for a few minutes, then add the bay leaves and stock or water, and bring to the boil. Decrease the heat so that the soup bubbles gently, partially covered. It will take about twenty-five minutes before the artichokes are tender. Blitz the soup in a blender until smooth. I should probably remind you not to overfill the blender container. Pour into a bowl.

Make the spinach cream: Melt the butter in the artichoke pan and add the spinach. Turn it from time to time until it softens. Press the spinach against the side of the pan and drain off the liquid. Do this thoroughly. Transfer to a blender and add the creme fraiche, a tiny pinch of ground nutmeg, and a little salt and blitz.

Warm the artichoke soup (it may be hot enough already if you have worked quickly), spoon into soup bowls, then add a couple of spoonfuls of the spinach to each bowl and mix the two lightly together as you eat. 

Spaghetti Bolognese

We made a Caesar Salad using the recipe from The Zuni Cook Book by Judy Rodgers. This is our all time favorite recipe. We modify it by throwing all of the dressing ingredients into a blender. It makes it real simple and works just fine. You can find the recipe in our blog of: July 25, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

We made Spaghetti Bolognese from Two Dudes One Pan. The cookbook is a fun cookbook with lots of easy recipes. 

Vinny’s Spaghetti Bolognese

Two Dudes One Pan

Shook and Dotolo

Jon: If you think that Bolognese is a tomato sauce with some ground beef in it, then you're in for a bomb-ass surprise! This sauce is tricked out with ingredients that combine to make it seriously delicious. Freeze whatever is left over and pull it out when you crave something really fine. When Vin steps up to the stove to make his Bolognese, I know to clear the area; he gets really intense when he's making it.

Vinny: I eat pasta Bolognese at least once a week; it's definitely my number one favorite pasta dish.

2         tablespoons olive oil

2         medium carrots, peeled and very finely chopped 1 small yellow onion, very finely chopped 1 celery stalk, very finely chopped

3         garlic cloves, very finely chopped

5         ounces pancetta, finely chopped

12         ounces ground chuck

12         ounces ground veal

12         ounces ground pork

1-1/2         cups dry white wine (such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc)

5         tablespoons tomato paste

3         cups whole milk

1-1/2         teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme

2         tablespoons plus

2         teaspoons kosher salt, plus more if needed

1         pound spaghetti

2         tablespoons heavy cream

1         tablespoon unsalted butter

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

HEAT the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chopped carrots, onions, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring often, until it is just starting to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the ground meats and cook, stirring often, until they begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Pour in the white wine, bring to a simmer, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and, once incorporated, add the milk, thyme, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low (the sauce should occasionally bubble) and cook until thick, about 1-1/2 hours, stirring often so the sauce doesn't brown on the bottom. Remove from the heat and keep covered until ready to serve.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and the pasta and cook according to the box instructions until the pasta is al dente; drain. Stir the cream and butter into the sauce until completely incorporated. Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary. Place the pasta in a serving howl and toss with the sauce. Serve with lots of grated Parm.

SERVES 8

Black Rice and Tuna

We started with a pear and Pear and Blue Cheese Salad.

We saw a recipe for Tuna au Poivre With Red Wine Sauce in the New York Times and decided to make it. We invited Tom and Scott over to join us for dinner.

McCall’s Meat and Fish sells Black Rice and we thought that would be the perfect accompaniment for the tuna. It is very different from white rice. It is much chewier and slightly smaller. Once again we started with my favorite Bread from McCall’s: it is made with Bacon and Cheese it is only sold on the weekend and they usually run out by noon. It is yummy!

The sauce is for the tuna is delicious, and we ate every bit! We had purchased quite a bit of Tuna and I expected there to be leftovers. I guess it is a testimony to the recipe that we ate it all!

Tom and Scott brought an assortment of desserts from Proof Bakery.

Tuna au Poivre With Red Wine Sauce

By DAVID TANIS

New York Times

TOTAL TIME

40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

            1 1/2 pounds fresh tuna, cut into 6 steaks about 1-inch thick

            Salt

            2 garlic cloves, smashed to a paste

            1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, lightly toasted and ground

            1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly toasted and ground

            2 teaspoons coarsely crushed black peppercorns

            2 tablespoons olive oil

            1 tablespoon butter

            2 shallots, finely diced

            1/2 cup red wine

            2 1/2 cups chicken broth

PREPARATION

1.

Season tuna steaks with salt. Sprinkle with garlic, coriander, fennel and black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Rub to coat evenly with spices on both sides. Let marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes (or refrigerate for up to 4 hours and bring to room temperature before cooking).

2.

Make the red wine sauce: Melt butter over medium-high heat and add shallots. Cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add chicken broth and reduce until 1 cup sauce remains, about 10 minutes. Season with salt, set aside and keep warm.

3.

Set a wide cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat (or use 2 smaller pans). When hot, lay in steaks and sear for 2 minutes, until nicely browned. Flip and cook 1 minute more for rare, 2 minutes for medium rare. Arrange tuna on a platter or individual plates. Spoon wine sauce over each steak.

YIELD

6 servings