Yet Another Pumpkin Mousse

 Every year there has to be a pumpkin flavored dessert for Thanksgiving. This year is another vegan pumpkin mousse.It's a different spin on the traditional pie,.

I found the recipe on Delish Knowledge, a blog started by dietitian Alexandra Caspero. I scanned over several  vegan dessert recipes in the past week and saw this. It had me at aquafaba, chickpea bean water that can be whipped into a yummy meringue. This looked good. However I didn't realize just how labor intensive it was.

First of all I decided to double the recipe, knowing there may be one extra visitor on Friday. I had to use half a cup of maple syrup, 1 and 1/3 cups Libby's pureed pumpkin , two teaspoons of pumpkin spice and two teaspoons of vanilla extract.

It was the just mashing everything together. Then came the cream, made with solidified coconut cream.

This took about twenty minutes to half an hour to get the same consistency as regular whipping cream. I used my stand mixer which is pretty powerful., After it was the cream was relegated to the fridge. Then it was onto the third leg of the recipe.

It's mixing one cup and a third of the chickpea water along with half a cup of powdered sugar and half a teaspoon of cream of tartar. This produced a very stiff and perfect meringue as always. The pumpkin mix was added. Unfortunately I made the mistake of adding all the coconut cream instead of a small amount. It lost its' pudding like texture and became soupy.

I'm hoping a night in the fridge will set it, especially with the properties of the coconut cream. The flavor's not bad, sort of a marriage of maple, pumpkin and coconut, the last unexpected. Will  I make this again. Yes, but without the coconut cream. I feel it sort of ruined the texture. Hours later , it's still a big soupy disaster.

This vegan pumpkin mousse is a different alternative to pie. It's tasty and hopefully will set into a kind of pudding mousse hybrid. It'll be a nice dessert after a full Thanksgiving meal.

Gearing Up For Thursday

 Thanksgiving is really the Super Bowl of home cooking. It's a lot of prepping and planning along with praying that the dinner will be a success. For many cooking this year may be a first or a return after many years away. The best bet is have a game plan.  Be prepped and be ready.

The first thing home chefs should do is check out their pots and pans and decide which will work well for the turkey and sides. Do you have a large enough one or a just right size for your smaller bird? if not , then run to the grocery store and get a suitably sized one. Another check has to be for all your appliances. Is the stove working properly? What about the air fryer or immersion blender? Make sure everything is in working order. Another must check is if there's enough wax paper, aluminum foil and Saran wrap. These are also vital for cooking and storing leftovers.First time home chefs and those trying new recipes should have the recipes and their steps down pat. This is not a time for forgetting one step or needing to look over the instructions or ingredients as you're mixing or chopping. Study the steps. Memorize the ingredients. Have you bought everything on your list? Has anything been forgotten? Tomorrow may be your last chance to head to the store and get what you need.Also , decide what dishes you're going to go it on your own or who's going to help you. Kids and partners can easily whip potatoes and cut bread along with ladle sides into bowls.  You can work on the turkey and gravy. Most importantly - defrost the turkey NOW. It takes a whole day just to defrost a mere four pounds of bird. You should have the turkey in your kitchen sink right now.

As for the dishes, tomorrow should be the day to bake all the pies and make all the desserts.Again ask for help. Someone can core and slice the apples along with peel them as you make the crust. Also have assistance if you're making rolls or bread.  (although this can be fun for kids of all ages) Just remember if it doesn't come out right , whipped cream can cover  the pie and butter or gravy can easily disguise any misshapen or burnt crusts or dry crumbs. Keep in mind Wednesday is also a good day to chop veggies for stuffings or even salads. Take a break first from the kitchen, with a quick drive through coffee or sitting in the back yard with a good hot cup of tea. Then go back to food prep. Start with washing and chopping the celery, onion and carrots Slice the Brussels sprouts for roasting.  Afterwards store  the veggies in either aluminum foil which is great for keeping veggies fresh or air tight containers to maintain crispness. If you're making devilled eggs, boil the eggs tomorrow night . It's one less chore to deal with on Thursday. You can also set the table tomorrow so there's less worry about it and more concern put on the kitchen.

Thanksgiving will be a success and run smoothly if there's planning and prep beforehand. Be ready tonight and tomorrow. It'll ensure you creating a better holiday dinner on Thursday afternoon.

Italian Beans On Toast

 These days our kitchens and selves  are overworked and over busy, thanks to us cooking at home. There is an easy solution for lunch or dinner however - an Italian version of the English beans on toast.

I adapted this recipe from the great chef Tejal Rao's recipe for the New York Times Food section. Hers is cooking cannelini beans overnight . They're then put on  oven toasted sour dough bread and floated in their own brown and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. I did an easier riff. It was taking Target's artesan bread and cutting it in half. Olive oil was brushed on both sides.

The slices were toasted for four minutes in a 340 degree F air fryer which got them crispy. As for the beans I used cannelini 

I reserved some of the bean water, mixing in a good drizzle of olive oil and different spices.

 A mix of oregano, garlic and onion powder was added in but you can use fresh garlic along with rosemary  instead. Toss in some pancetta if you want or diced salami. Be creative with the beans.  I let the bean mix cook for about two minutes in the microwave. Super easy.It was then ladled on the toast.

A generous sprinkle of Parma Vegan Parmesan cheese was added.

It was a simple and quick supper that went over well in my house. I will definitely make it again , especially on those days when I'll be baking holiday cookies or house cleaning. These beans on toast also make for a simple but filling Saturday or Sunday night supper. It's  easy to whip up and delicious to eat. You may want to make double. Any leftover beans can be eaten cold as a salad or reheated for more toast the next day.

This is the meal you make when you've had a busy day.It's tasty but better yet it's so easy to create . A few minutes  and you have a warn and filling dish , that has crunch and a lot of flavor. Try it for lunch or dinner.

Celebrating Our Native Foods

 Thanksgiving is a time of celebrating what the indigenous people have given us. We need to acknowledge their contribution to this great table of ours. We can use these ingredients and recipes in our own holiday dinners as well.

The New York Times Food section touched upon this Wednesday. Brett Anderson wrote about this after witnessing a buffalo hunt on fort Peck Indian reservation Montana. The indigenous tribes always thank what they've killed or picked , making sure others have food as well. That was probably the idea of what we know as the "First Thanksgiving." it was probably more of a harvest festival in 1621 in which the belief of giving back was established. Thanks to the various tribes throughout North and South america, we have a variety of different foods. The Pilgrims probably received the Three Sisters, squash, beans and corn from the Wampanoag tribe. These can easily be incorporated into our modern day dishes. squash is a no brainer. acorn squash is a nice side and can easily be microwaved if you don't have room in the oven.You can add a mix of butter and brown sugar for the hollowed middle. Squash can be easily pan roasted too. Beans can be used as an extra in salad or as a tasty hot side.Baked beans are a no fuss make and can be cooked in a crockpot. Corn is another side that will compliment the turkey. You can easily serve ti hot or cold as a salad, mixed with chopped peppers. Of course it is good , being one of the main ingredients in cornbread.

The indigenous tribes fo Mexico and Central America gave us some of the best and most famous ingredients. Without them we wouldn't have tomatoes or potatoes. Tomatoes have been gracing American salads for generations but they're also good Provencale style, sauteed in a garlicky mix of olive oil and butter and topped with heaping amount of breadcrumbs and herbs. Potatoes are another Thanksgiving veggie that have often been the shining costar. Many have them mashed but they're truly delicious Hasselback style, sliced through to form crispy chips and seasoned with oil, salt and whatever  minced herbs you'd like to flavor them. You can even top them with turkey gravy if you'd like. Sweet potatoes are another indigenous tuber from Central and South America. They  too, are great roasted Hasselback style, especially when they're sprinkled with cinnamon or honey mixed with butter.Many home bakers will also bake them into pies and even tarts.For something a little different and easier, try them in small individual galettes spiked with cinnamon, cardamon and nutmeg. 

Celebrate and use these indigenous North , Central and South American ingredients in your Thanksgiving menu this year. They are delicious but also a reminder of what was given to our ancestors. It was the tribes way of including us on their shores.

Fortify Yourself This Holiday Season

 Thanksgiving ushers in the season of eating - badly. We glut ourselves on rich main courses and party foods, finishing off with richer desserts. Yet , eating badly can make us sick and even vulnerable , especially during this holiday season. We have to eat better. We have to eat with our health in mind and not our taste buds.

After a spectacularly lousy year we feel that we want to treat ourselves with all sorts of goodies. Who wouldn't? However Covid-19 is roaring back with the speed of a bullet and the ferocity of a wild beast. It's time to fortify ourselves with the right foods and beverages. First of all  we should limit the amount of salt in our diets. Cut back on those chips and dips. You can still have a fun plate of crunchies and dip for movie night or your Zoom holiday parties. Just make them  unsalted or homemade tortilla chips and a fresh made salsa. Chop up some tomatoes and onions and add  equal dashes of cumin and chili powder for a more authentic flavor and bite. Guacamole also can be made healthier (although it is to begin with ). Mash avocados with minced red onions and jalapeno for a zingy and delicious dip. Another salt free party snack is herb popcorn. This is mixing the classic with rosemary, and thyme. Using it will make the herbs stick better to the kernels. Also cut down on such salty sauces as soy and packaged and jarred gravies. As yourself if your dish really needs them. You could switch to a low sodium version or just skip it completely. Adding water or olive oil can moisten a dish.

Sugar is another bad ingredient, yet it's really the star of the season. How do you not serve pie this Thursday or bake a ton of cookies for Christmas? Surprisingly enough you can bake a healthy pumpkin pie. It's just replacing sugar with maple syrup ,a  natural sweetener. Also use coconut sugar instead of brown and almond milk instead of whole dairy. Is there a healthy pie crust? Yes, if you use whole wheat flour instead of refined white and coconut oil instead of lard. You may want to skip the sugary sweet pecan and opt for a healthier apple one. There are some good apple pie recipes that require spelt flour for the crust and way less sugar. That all important cookie season is just around the corner. How do you make a sugar cookie without the chief ingredient? Add fruit which has natural sugars. You could sub in bananas for sweetening along with natural apple sauce.There are other sugar free versions of classic holiday cookies such as gingerbread and rolled cookie cutter cookies. If you're wondering about icing the cookies, then think of all natural Swerve, made from stevia. You can also use it for cake and cupcake icing too. If you're making the last , go easy on the sweet decorations. Use shaved dark chocolate instead for a fancy look.

We need to eat healthy this holiday season. We just have to cut down or cut out the bad stuff and sub it in for good.It'll be your best protection in being just a bit more healthier and resilient during this holiday season

Little Chefs At Thanksgiving

 Any home chef needs help in the Thanksgiving kitchen, Now with the holiday winnowed down to immediate family, it'll get even crazier. Yet if you have kids, you have help. Any age can help you and can delight in creating a tasty and memorable holiday dinner. They'll think of it as fun too. 

Melissa Clark wrote about this in her A Good Appetite column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. She , herself, is putting her own twelve year old daughter to work, mostly as a diversion. As with other kids across the country, she won;'t be able to see her grandmother or play with her cousins. Thanksgiving will be a remote activity this year for  her. It applies to tweens and high schoolers where  Thanksgiving football games and dances were always the highlight of the season. Yet cooking is fun and tasty. It allows kids to become deeply invested in the process, along with experiencing the joys and flavors of holiday cooking. She gives three recipes which can involve all ages, even three year olds. What about clean up, some worried parents may fret. Cleaning as you go is as vital as properly holding a knife according to Ms. Clark.  Yet kids will be messy. Her advice? Let them. Just take a deep breath and let them drop a Brussesl sprout  on the floor or splash gravy on the stove top. There are two useful tips - one, have a damp cloth at the ready for wiping up splatters and spills, and two, use trash bowls that are easy to reach.

Ms. Clark gives recipes that even adults would love.  There is a scallion cheddar cornbread stuffing, a traditional one zinged up with a topping of grated sharp Cheddar and Parmesan. Little ones - and bigger ones can easily crumble stale cornbread into big crumbs for the base.  Supervised older kids can saute the veggies such as celery  and scallions on the stove top , Tweens will love making sweet potatoes with sour cream and pecans. This is cutting the potatoes into wedges, like those popular potato wedges most restaurants serve. It's then mixing with garam masala and coconut oil. They're then roasted in a 350 degree oven for half an hour. a mix of sour cream, lime juice and salt is drizzled on top and them finished with a sprinkling of toasted pecans. The dessert is a tasty kid and adult friendly  pumpkin fudge torte. The base is a deeply rich cocoa torte that also has pumpkin puree added along with brown sugar. It's topped with a pumpkin cream  which is blend of pumpkin puree, confectioner's sugar, ans heavy cream. The kids can easily make the topping, then serve it over the torte. It's finished with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon, which even little ones can do.

This Thanksgiving will be different for the kids.  Make it fun by getting them involved in holiday cooking and baking. They'll enjoy it as will you.

Ina Baugarten Why We Need Her Now

 Is there was any popular cook than Ina Garten? She has a large cult following that includes  Jennifer Garner, Taylor Swift and Katie Couric, the last her neighbor in East Hampton New York. The question is why is she and her cookbooks so popular and why do we need her especially during this fraught holiday season?

Julia Moskin answered this question in today's New York Times Food section. She went to Ms. Garten, also known as The Barefood Contessa, after her famed deli in her posh Long Island town.The reason for the big fan base is because she is like us. Ms. Garten states that she finds cooking hard and is not a trained chef. She just loves it, which most of us do. Yes it can be a challenge and a chore - and she definitely understands that. She brings that knowledge and a bursting enthusiasm to the screen which makes her identifiable. However she is not your  go-to television chef for ordinary recipes. It's more upscale bistro food for those with disposable incomes. Yet she still remains the darling of the culinary world, especially when she opened up her pantry on Instagram during the pandemic. It came with the question "Does anyone have something they don't know what to do with?" In March she gained a million more followers. It was the first time she invited regular contact with her followers. Through them, she learned no one was using dried beans and sourdough was over quickly. The need for her baked mac and cheese recipe crashed her website. On April 1st she posted herself making a Cosmopolitan That got her three million more fans. They love her, probably because she has a fondness for fats, heavy cream and pancetta, lush ingredients that make any recipe sing. Surprisingly she started out as an analyst in the Carter White House of Office of Management and Budget. she left to start her celebrity loved deli The Barefoot Contessa in East Hampton, New York.

Ms Moskin includes Ms. Garten's favorite recipes. There is the flavorful cacio and pepe cheese puffs, the perfect hors ' d'ouevres for any dinner,These are cheesy biscuit  like balls, about the size of Hershey's kisses. They're zinged up with Pecorino cheese and freshly ground pepper. The recipe is rife with five (!) eggs , butter and whole milk. A great side dish for next week is pureed potatoes with lemon. These are Yukon Gold spuds cooked with two whole sticks of butter and a cup of whole milk. To balance out the richness is a tablespoon of grated lemon zest. Another would be perfect side is Ms. Garten's recipe for charred carrots with orange and balsamic vinegar. It's a colorful dish of rainbow carrots oven roasted and drizzled with a mix of orange juice and zest mixed with balsamic vinegar. Of course the star is the turkey breast roulade with garlic and rosemary. This is a riff on a Florentine pork roast. There are ingredients not usually associated with turkey, like fennel seeds garlic and rosemary. The only traditional herb is  sage.  The breast is butterflied and stuffed with prosciutto and an herbed onion mix. It's basted with a mix of dry white wine like Chablis and water. It's cooked for about one and a half hours until the skin is golden brown in a 350 degree F oven. . It's then tented with foil and cooked for fifteen minutes more.

Ina Garten will continue to be our go to chef for well after the pandemic. She is one of us , but with tasty  upscale recipes that she urges us to make. We can all give these delicious recipes a try for Thanksgiving and other holiday dinners.