The Thanksgiving Issue Part One

 Every home chef needs help, advice and new ideas duringt this time. LUckily - and as always the New York Times Food section comes to the rescue Here, home chefs can get ideas and aid in creating the perfect feast for next week.

Today's Wednesday issue is chock full of great dishes. The Food section;s heavy hitters such as Melissa Clark and Eric Kin have written superb how tos  alongside such new comers as Andy Baraghani  .Novice chefs and first timers will greatly appreciate Ms. Clark's pictorial on assembling the right tools for cooking the bird. she also has a handy explanation of the  differences between organic, heritage and free range pasture raised.There's also a list of the tools needed and surprisingly a turkey baster isn;t one of them. eric Kim has tips on sweet potatoes along with the history  of marshmallow topped sweet potato casserole.(it started in 1917 as a an ad campaign by the Angelus Marshmallow Company in an attempt for more hime chefs to incorporate more marshmallows into everyday recipes His take on this classic dish is  adding heavy cream, freshly ground pepper and bay leaves along with roasted and salted pecans to cut out the sugariness. Yes, there are other sides listed too.Emily Weinstein gives three easy ones. Make one or all three of mashed potato casserole, cranberry cornbread (good the next day warmed and with butter) and creamed kale instead of creamed spinach.

FOr a different take on the holiday there is Andy Baraghani's methodology os keep calm and carry on cooking. He offers a pomegranate glazed turkey with a brown butter sauce along with other recipes that are lighter and brighter int heir take on Thanksgiving foods. His glaze is a mix of pomegranate and orange juices. There is even pomegranate juice in the gravy too.He offers Brussels sprouts but they're drenched in cream as leeks and garlic add to their flavor. Yes he includes cranberries but they're  frozen,cooked with  honey, lemon juice and honey.Tahini is drizzled on top for a unami flavor. For a fun starter Chef Baraghani has a tasty green feta dip, herby with tender shoots of dill, parsley and mint. Greek yogurt and olive oil give it a smoothness , perfect with crackers or pita chips.Every table has to have squash , and his is no different. There is bright orange winter squash with citrus chile crisp.Mashed potatoes get livened up with cheddar and chives.Turmeric gives them a golden hue while a blend of both buttermilk ad heavy cream give the potaotes a creamy mouth feel.He  ends his meal with olive oil pumpkin cake topped with salted maple whipped cream. This is a different take on  pumpkin and a good way to end a feast.

It's Thanksgiving. Its a time to enjoy and not panic. These recipes and the advice with them will help get through this day.

A Taste Of Kindness

 November is the month where there should be kindnesses big and little committed,It could be feeding  those who need it or providing a flavor of one's home to them. Food will always be the tie that binds us together.

I wanted to provide a taste of home for my schools women's volleyba;; team. One  star player is near where my great-grandfahter, my bisnonno came from outside of Torino. Two other players come from the beautiful Veneto area of Northenr Italy where rice is king. I wanted to give these girls a taste of home, sort of like our comforting Thanksgiving food. Mushroom risotto is dish that provides that being loved from the Italian Alps to the Dolomite Mountains. It's an easy cook.It's just sauteing sliced baby Bella's in a mix of plant based butter and Lidl olive oil. I add the tiniest pinch of garlic powder to liven up the mushrooms' flavor

They do have to be rinsed first before cooking.

Each batch  - and there were four!!!! batches has to be sauteed for ten minutes. This draws the water out for the gills (any kind of mushroom acts as a kind of sponge for water).

The rice was from Lidl, a mix of mushroom and truffle flavors. This took three boxes.

It takes a roiling boil and then the arborio  and flavorings  is added to seven cups of water

It takes about twenty minutes to get the rice to be a tender al dente texture.

The end result is a mushroom rich dish that I'm sure the volleyball team will love. It's a warming taste of home, much needed during this point in the semester/

It's November and a time for kindnesses. This pot of risotto al funghi will remind homesick girls of homes. It's the perfect comfort food for this season.

Rethinking Cranberries

Everyone thinks that's it's written in stone that cranberry sauce is to be served at the Thanksgiving table. Yet cranberries cna make n appearance in other, much more appealing forms too.The bright little berries can appear in everything from savory to sweet. Use them in a variety of different ways.

It's time to consider them in savory dishes. Stuffings can be given a boost in both color and flavor.. A cup of them gives  a sage laden stuffing a bright , zingy taste. Everyone will love the burst of unexpected sweetness they'll bring to a usually spicy , savory dish. Veggies love this gems as well. A different and colorful side dish is a mix of sweet potatoes and cranberries.If they are too sweet together give them a jolt of saltiness with some crumbled feta.Another sweet but nutritious side are a blend of carrots and cranberries. You can add maple syrup to bring out both their sweetnesses or almonds to cut back on them.Brussels sprouts are good on their own however cranberries some color while the addition of pecans brings in crunch. The sprouts are first sauteed in olive oil and then the cranberries and pecans are added.If you don;t want them in with your cooked veggies, then think about  a cranberry laced salad. Add them with apple slices to a simple Romaine. The dressing should be a simple vinaigrette. Add in a handful of slivered almonds for some crunch and more taste.

Of course there are cranberry desserts. You can make them in two kinds of pie. The first has pulsed or chopped cranberries that have been soaked in sugar for an hour.For more fruitiness orange juice and zest are added to them along with cornstarch and flour to thicken the filling..Ginger salt, and vanilla are also added to this stovetop cooked filling. The second kind of pie is filled with cranberry curd. This is similar to lemon curd except you use the berries.They're mixed with a combination of sugar, eggs , egg yolks ,butter, lemon.  juice and salt. Everything is cooked in the microwave fr a fluffier , lighter curd. The cranberries should be pureed too for a silkier texture in the filling..If you want a lighter dish but with the same fluffy texture.then go for a cranberry mousse.It is slightly tart , not like a chocolate or vanilla mousse. What gives it body and lightness is the addition of heavy whipping cream and gelatin. Orange juice and zest are added to cut down on the intense flavor while there is two cups of sugar needed. It can be  topped with lightly whipped cream for an elegant dessert.

You don;t have to serve that jiggling cylinder of cranberry jelly. Try it in either sweet or saviry dishes this holiday. It's a different and tasty spin on the tradition, whether in a bright salad or a fluffy mousse.

Back InThe Kitchen For Thanksgiving

 There are somethings that are inevitable. Cooking for Thanksgiving. Any home chef can;t escape it. As much as dining out is a temptation, sometimes that just cannot be done.

It will be this way with my kitchen this holiday. I thought it would be a day free of any cooking but unfortunately it won't be.Most restaurants and diners in my areas will be closed for Thanksgiving.I will be cooking. To be honest a vegan Thanksgiving will be easy if I make Gardein's turkey cutlets/ These are breaded plant based cutlets that come four to a package. Gravy comes with them and they're all an easy cook. I can air fry the cut lets  in a few minutes while cooking the gravy on the stovetop. I could also go the more elaborate route although it;s more work. Gardein and Tofurky also makes a stuffing filled loaf however it is elaborate to cook. It has to be tented and basically baked in a 425 degree Farenheit oven first for twenty minutes.The foil tent is removed and its' baked for another twenty minutes for a nice crusty finish.The end result is delicous and it also comes with it's own large packet of plant based gravy. Yet cleaning up afterwards cna be a pain, usually taking two days to thoroughly clean the pan.

Thankfully stuffing is the easiest.I love Lid's cornbread kind which is the closest in taste to scratch.This is an easy blend  of the mix stirred together with melted butter and water. It is perfect with any kind of gravy and I always get a jar of Lidl's turkey one. Again this also tastes like made from scratch gravy and it's good with the Gardein;s turkey cutlets giving them a richer flavor. Unlike other home chefs who go crazy over sides I may just serve one. Lidl is always my go to for sides. I lived their pureed squash which is an easy microwave cook. This is a pureed one,perfect with plant butter stirred in. I also like their Vendomo brand of Italian veggies that also have olive mixed in. This is a sauteed pan fried one that's also very delicious. As for desserts, it;s time to turn to Acme, which I was even going to do if the original plan went through. They have all sorts of freshly baked pies.I plan on getting one pumpkin and one pecan along with vegan whipped cream. Unfortunately all t hese create dirty and messy dishes that need to be cleaned and that means a holiday in front of the kitchen sink.

It's hard to escape Thanksgiving cooking and cleaning. There is a lot of work to create a great dinner. However it's worth it for a good, memorable meal.

Dine In Or Eat Out?

 Thanksgiving is coming. Some home chefs embrace it. To them baking pies the  Wednesday night before is exciting, as they plan going whole Gordon Ramsey or Carmie form  "The Bear" the next day. Some despise it and want to eat out.  There's nothing like being served good food without the headache of cleaning up and spending the day with their hands plunged in dirty dishwater.

What camp are you in? This year I'm in the eating out one.Diner Thanksgivings can be fun. You order the special or pick and choose what you want. Then there's the take home dessert.

Let us know what you're doing. Either way it's good and good eating.

Met Dining A Standing Ovation

 Opera singers can definitely sing for their supper, especially if they're performing at New York's Metropolitan Opera. This classic venue has one of the city's top quality restaurants. Its not just for patrons. Staff, from tenors to props people can dine there and have a good meal.

Regular contributor Melissa Clark wrote about it in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section.  Dining at opera houses is nothing new. The first ones appeared somewhere in the NIneteenth Century and many dishes  like Peach Melba and Pasta alla Norma were created in their kitchens , named after famous singers like Nellie Melba and composers like  Vincenzo Bellini. It was no different for the Met. When it moved from Broadway in 1966 to Lincoln Center, the architects reserved generous square footage for eating and dining . The e new building would have two sits down eateries . a moderately priced Cafeteria for staff members and their guests along with a half dozen bars scattered throughout the premises. There have been some changes over the years. The Top of the Met once situated on the sixth floor  closed and now is where the company's administrative offices are. Everything is handled by the Patina Group which also runs operations for the Walt Disney Company and the PGA.

How is the food? It is Gilded Age expensive. Opera lovers can pay $196 for Royal Osetra Caviar and for the lesser kind The Classic Osetra  $166. even a bowl of their squash and parsnip soup is a weighty $36. Yet diners want a good meal  and nothing heavy according to Jerry Duque  or JD ,a captain at the restaurant."They don;t want to fall asleep" nothing it would be the city's most expensive naps. Serving around 150 guests at the same time is a feat. All food must be cooked and served in under an hour.It's a highly choreographed endeavor that brooks no mistakes. There is parcooked lobster, seared chicken and salmon shingled with potatoes , all waiting to be served. One overcooked beef tenderloin could throw  a wrench in the operation. There are the chimes that tell diners it's time to get back to their seats before the second half begins. Mostly ninety-five of the dinners go for the quick bites during intermission. They feast on the Met's famed crab cakes while the bars offer sandwiches and chocolates. Staff and performers head to the cafeteria to get a bag of chips or a hot meal like braised chicken and mashed potatoes.

The Met has been known for showcasing the best voices and classic opera. It's also known for good food and elegant dining. It's all part of the opera experience.

EIght Years Without The Chef

 It is still tough to run a kitchen without the Master Chef.It has been eight years since we lost our Mom ,a phenomenal home chef who should have opened her own restaurant but was also kind and caring.

What is going on in Washington would have shocked her. A lifelong Democrat ,like her parents and husband,she would have been horrified at what is happening in Washington. She would have been one of the first to give and one of the first to protest. She would have proclaimed that it was not right, especially children to have to suffer. We would have donated cans and loaves of bread. She would have urged our favorite restaurants to offer discounts and even free meals to those on SNAP. There would have been encouragement to friends and family to to the same. - donate and urge eateries to participate. 

Caring has always been part of the family mantra. My Mom saw how her father, my grandfather, made sure his brothers and their families ate during the Depression. He was lucky, being a manager in a dye house in Hudson County so he always had a steady job..He made my grandmother buy extra cold cuts for them along with her also buying food for her sisters ' families too. Both strongly believed in putting others before themselves.My mother  and her brother absorbed those principles and applied them in their relationships with friends and neighbors. All four  would have been out there , making sure people received parcels, possibly even cooking for those who needed a hot meal and a friendly table to sit at. Children would have received extra treats like cookies and candy to make the tough times bearable. They would have made sure animals were also fed, seeing cats and dogs as vital parts of any family.

My Mom would have been appalled at what's happening in her government. She would have protested. she would have donated. She would have helped when a government could not.