BrInging In The New

A lot of us have inherited kitchen heirlooms. We may have our great grannie's jam jar or ice cream maker, our grandmother's bakeware set or our moms old Farberware . As much as we treasure these items it is time to move on. After all glassware cracks, pots and pans rust. That's just a fact. The problem is how do you get rid of something that your fmaily has been using for generations?

To be honest I still use pans and gadgets from my great grandmothers and grandmother. The pots and pans are still serviceable although I tend to use them maybe once or twice a month. I want to preserve them. I still have my Bavarian German great grandmother's rolling pin (although this has been recently updated with a brand new OXO one) I still have my Piedmontese great grandmother's ravioli cutter (which amazes me because we're Northern Italian and not really ravioli eaters). This last is rarely used. It's over one hundred years old.

The best bet for antique kitchen and plateware (anything over fifty years old) is to either display it behind glass or carefully wrap it and store away. Some gadgets such as hand held can openers still work but can rust easily. For them and other gadgets like peelers and corers it pays to get the newer models. These are more ergonomically suited to hands and won't cause any aches. They;re also easy to wash and dry too.

What to do with kitchen heirlooms are always a quandary. My advice is just treat them as you would your regular antiques. Bring them out to show and be proud of - they are your family's after all. As far as using them, no . Stick with the newer models.

Coupon Clipping A Holiday Must

Food is still expensive these days even though most supermarkets are offering discounts and twofers. Planning a holiday meal can be an expensive proposition. What do you do? Cut corners? have smaller gathering?s. No, stick to that other time honored tradition coupon clipping.

This is the time of year to take advantage of all those thick booklets of coupons stuck in your Sunday papers. There are always great deals on everything from basic ingredients like sugar and flour to extras such as gravy or ice cream. I found that Pillsbury has all sorts of coupons for their items. This is perfect for holiday baking especially if you plan to bake a lot or give treats away as gifts. Canned goods are also featured big in the Sunday circulars. You'll always need the canned veggies as sides so stock up on them. Also some stores have two for one pricing along with coupons for added discounts. Essentials like green beans , corn, and tomatoes will be costing next to nothing.

I've found that the Sundays papers aren't the only place to scour for deals. Online coupons saver sites offer you printable coupons that are good anywhere you shop. One site that has almost everything is Mommysavesbig. This is more of a blog but you can click on anything grocery item and a coupon will pop up. There's also the famed Couponmom which will even get you discounts off laundry soap and paper goods. I like this site most of all because it offers you a variety of deals on a variety of items.. Smartsource is another place where you can save on all sorts of ingredients for your Thanksgiving and holiday parties.

Be a smart shopper this holiday season. Coupon clip to save on your holiday meals and treats. Don't scrimp when you can save big time!

Breadcrumbs - A Kitchen Staple

Breadcrumbs are an important staple in any kitchen . The best part is that you have a choice. They can be store bought or homemade, plain or flavored. You even have the choice of American, Italian or Japanese style. They are good for coating veggies or even for thickening soups. Use them regularly for tastier and more textured foods.

American breadcrumbs can easily be bought. I prefer Stop and Shops or the A&P's generic brands. They are great in one of my family's classic recipes aptly titled panne pesto or breadcrumb soup in Piedmontese. In this they act as a thickener, binding with beaten eggs to create a thick, tasty potage. I also like these plain breadcrumbs for fried cauliflower. They add a golden look and stay on much better in the hot frying oil. They also give the veggie some crunch and don;t interfere with its; nutty taste. For scallopini thought I do prefer Progresso flavored which has seasoning and garlic added. For tempura it's best to use the finer ground and much dryer panko breadcrumbs.These add a delicate crunch ad taste to any vegetable or meat.

Breadcrumbs are easily made. You can take a loaf of bread and cube it and spread it out on a cookie sheet. then dry out on a low oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Then put in a food processor or blender and grind accordingly. I like using stale French or Italian bread for breadcrumbs. The results are much better. For panko, use Saltines along with thyme, basil and chili powder for the original flavor.

Breadcrumbs are a kitchen staple that are easily made or bought. They are versatile to use in any dish from soup to sides to the main course. Always have some on the ready for your cooking needs.

Good Gravy

The holidays will soon be here and that means sumptuous meals , primarily roasts. What goes with a good roast turkey or roast beef? gravy. it literally can make or break a dinner. A badly made gravy will be remembered for decades. So will a good one. the trick is knowing how to make the last.

Most gravies are nothing more than a well made mix of roux, pan dripping and turkey or chicken stock. The problem is how much to put in . A good gravy requires at least four cups of hot (not boiling) stock . The next part is going to be the deal breaker. This is the roux made with half a cup of flour and the turkey or beef drippings. Don't go crazy with the flour or you'll have lumps.
Whisk this together until smooth and then add the stock.Continue stirring until you have a smooth, satiny looking sauce. Add a dashes of fresh ground sea salt and peppercorn to enhance its; flavor.

Can there be gravy mishaps. Of course. The mos t important part is and should be well cooked. This is what gives the gravy its' color and slightly nutty flavor. Another is constantly waching it. it should be made right before the roast is served the table or it could get burned.

A good gravy will be remembered for decades. So will a bad one. Use care and concern to create one that is the jewel of your holiday table, one that will complement the roast.

A New Southern Tradition Smoked Turkey

The usual Thanksgiving turkey is either roasted or fried. However in the South most of the birds are smoked. This is an unusual way to approach the bird but it produces tender, flavorful meat. People can't smoke their own, hence Greenburg Turkeys. This is a third generation family business that take supermarket birds and create tender and delicious slices of juicy meat.

The piece, written by new Dining regular, John T.Edge tells about the Samuel I. Greenburg family and how for three generations they've supplied smoked turkeys. Their target was initially Texas Jews but quickly expanded into the Christian community.Its' founder was originally a shochet or a kind oi butcher that slaughtered geese and turkey according to Jewish rituals. The company is now run by the grandson, also named Sam and has a healthy business around the holidays.

Just how are turkey's smoked? Basically the same as hams. They were first smoked and still are smoked over hickory logs in a pit There are twenty pit houses to cater to the large volume.The birds come out not with a golden brown caramel color but more like a burnt umber with a black licorice wash. The birds have a special spicing on them (from the founder's mother's, Jennie, recipe). The result is a unique taste that have brought the Greenburgs fans for several generations. Some customers even serve the bird cut up and mashed as appetizers instead of with the meal.

There's nothing like starting the holidays off with a good , flavorful turkey. Instead of roasting or frying it try a smoked one. It'll be an unusual twist on a Thanksgiving staple.

Thanksgiving Comes Early At The NY Times

Today's New York Times Dining section is entirely devoted to Thanksgiving. Even though the holiday is two weeks away there are endless articles about turkey , stuffing and where to eat. This section really does requires two days of writing about . Some of the articles are down right intriguing while others are merely helpful. I'll go with the best first.

One of the most fascinating is an article pertaining to a lost stuffing recipe of Marilyn Monroe's. It's hard to imagine the screen goddess brandishing a whisk or furiously mixing something yet a recipe has turned up. It has no eggs and definitely no garlic (it's firmly stated at the beginning of the ingredient list) but doe shave pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. Food historian,Anne Mendelson figures that maybe it came when la Monroe was married to Joe DiMaggio. He came from an immigrant Sicilian family hence the ingredients and probably didn't want to be considered too ethnic hence the garlic ban. Matt and Ted Lee wrote the article which is a must read and a must save for recipe files.

Another article that caught my eye is by Dining regular Sam Sifton.It's about where to have a family Thanksgiving in New York. Let's face New York is more of a town of eaters than chefs so it makes sense that most eateries are open on this usually stay at home holiday. After all city homes are small enough. They can't accommodate thirty people and one large twenty pound bird. Some restaurants have given their recipes so you can give your feast a gourmet twist this Thanksgiving.

The holiday will be here in two weeks. Luckily the Dining section editors have realized this and given us a sort of guide for the big day. Use it well and see what happens.

Getting Gizmoed Up

With Thanksgiving a scant two weeks away and Christmas and Hanukkah close on its' heels it's time to get your kitchen ready for the feasts and frenzies ahead.What helps are the little things. those kitchen gadgets and gizmos that every cook needs for creating the perfect meal. Now is the time to try out the old and get new if you have to.

Thanksgiving calls for all sorts of tricked put equipment. One necessary is a meat thermometer. This will be your best friend on Thanksgiving Day because it will tell you exactly how hot your bird is and when you should take it out of the oven. Also save it for Christmas hams and New Year's carving boards. Another necessary must have are turkey lifters. These are fork like tongs that make hauling the bird from the pan to the platter easier. If you haven't already buy yourself a good kitchen timer. You can get these at everyplace from Target and K-Mart to Williams and Sonoma to Bed Bath and Beyond. They are important in no just timing baked goods but also vegetables and sauces.

Remember that baking also requires a fair amount of helpful gizmos. Thanks to silicon, there are also sorts of cool baking bans that give evenly baked cakes in fun holiday shapes. Also have silicon spatulas too because these are easy to work with and also to clean.I also find that the small thing s like those stones used for pie baking come in handing in creating the perfect pumpkin or pecan pie. One big gadget muss is a combo cookie press and decorator. This helps in creating beautiful spritzes , wreathes and trees along with giving cakes and cookies a professionally done frosting.

With the holidays around the corner it's time to bring out the gizmos. These are handy and important despite their small size . They make the holiday kitchen a much easier and much more fun place to be.