A Buttermilk Brined Turkey

 Thanksgiving turkey always comes with a lot of questions. Should it be brined? Roasted? Deep fried?  Should you just serve the breasts or the whole bird? What's the tastiest way to cook it? There is now one definitive answer  -brined in buttermilk.

 Famed chef and cookbook writer Samin Nosrat wrote about two different kinds of turkey cooking methods in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. She is known for her buttermilk brined chicken and has gotten many requests for a turkey version.it This three ingredient wonder is the star of her cookbook, Salt.Fat.Acid, Heat. She finally gave in and experimented with it to produce a tender , tasty bird with darkened skin. She also gives recipes for chicken and turkey breast also brined in the famed buttermilk and sea salt mix. The chicken is a perfect sub in for those celebrating with two or three people this year. There's the delicious main course without the large amount of leftovers. This also applies to turkey breast, another good ideas for those celebrating small this year. The key for all to be successful is the amount of sea salt used. You should use about seven tablespoons which is about 128 grams.  The turkey breast and chicken  only needs about two tablespoons of salt. What you use is up to you, Sea salts vary. You can experiment with different kinds to get the right flavor or a flavor that your family likes.

The star of the recipe however is the buttermilk. Ms. Nosrat uses three quarts of it for the turkey, two cups for the chicken and turkey. Again what brand you use is up to you. marinating times vary. The turkey will take two days while the breast takes twenty-four to thirty-six hours. The chicken takes the least amount of time - twelve to twenty-four hours. The last is perfect if you want to free up the refrigerator for sides or dessert. The turkey is spatchcocked or butterflied. This is simply removing the backbone and flattening it out.Why do this? it reduces the cooking time in half along with ensure a bird with a lovely, golden skin instead of a blackened one. There's a greater surface area for browning then. Spatchcocking also streamlines the entire brining process too. without its' spine a turkey can be easily folded in half and slipped into a two gallon zipper top. bag. It also makes for easier roasting in the oven too. The turkey is cooked for about an hour and forty minutes  If you're using a ten to fourteen pound bird. A three to four pound chicken takes about an hour while two and a half pound breast takes about forty minutes for a boneless one and fifty minutes for a bone in breast.

What is the best method for the tastiest turkey? Brined in buttermilk and sea salt. It'll give you the perfect flavor that delicious and memorable.

Three Years Without The Master Chef

 It is now three years without the Master Chef, my Mom in my life. I can't believe that even during this year time has gone by so quickly. I wonder what she would have made of this pandemic.

Actually I do know what she would have done. Stocked up and worried that what she had bought was not enough. I know she would have bought essentials like pasta, knowing it would keep for long periods of time. We may have had one too many dishes of spaghetti and penne over the weeks. She definitely would have made an excess of pesto for us and for family and friends. As far as frozen food, the freezer would have been well stocked and even organized. There would be variety too, with everything from frozen spinach to squash to peas. She may have even thrown in some pints of ice cream (real ice cream, what we eat now - the oat and almond milk types would have made her gag). As far as baking - maybe. We were never big cake and pie eaters. She may have tried baking a sourdough loaf - just to try it.  As far as eating out, which was her favorite past time in later years, that would have bothered her to no end. She loved going out to any kind of eatery - fast food, diner , restaurant.It wasn't just for eating but to try new dishes and talk with people. Staying in for six months would have done her in. We would have probably wound up in a lot of parking lots , eating from containers.

The pandemic would have definitely brought out my Mom's generosity. She was famed for it, inheriting it from her parents. She would have cooked whole meals plus desserts for friends who were sick or went through loss. Recipes would have been doubled or even tripled just so those close to us wouldn't have to go out and get their own meals or do their own food shopping. As far as shopping, no, we would do that. Surprisingly she never liked food shopping. The lines were too long. It was too tiring at times. She would have let her kids do all the work, worrying about us like crazy. She may have used services like Stop & Shop's Peapod or Amazon Prime's Delivery. She may have gone with Target's too, making sure we had more than enough staples plus toilet paper. (that would have gotten her going on some funny riffs). I'm sure she would have over ordered from these places as well, giving the extra to family and friends so they wouldn't have to go to the stores. 

My Mom would have been a pro at this pandemic, It would have worried her  - never scared her. Our kitchen pantry would have been filled. Our fridge stocked, and us well fed. She was a master chef but also a master planner too.

Winnowing Down Thanksgiving

 Yes, this will be a different Thanksgiving this year. The holiday table will be only three or four people at the most,thanks to the virus flaring up again. Luckily the traditional dinner can be whittled down . There can still be delicious dishes and traditional flavors but done a bit differently.

Melissa Clark wrote about this in today's New York Times Food section.it's what's been written about before here. Some of her suggestions are similar to what was written here a week or two ago. You can have a smaller bird, but you can also opt for either serving all dark or all white meat. She chose thighs which are a lot easier to deal with than breasts. However Ms. Clark suggests that if you like white meat more along with having leftovers then go for the breasts. Her recipe has the meat paired with quick pickled onions and cranberries for a different spin. Of course there's stuffing,The amount just have to be halved or quartered , depending upon how many will be at your table. You do want to fill the stuffing up to the top of the pan so you have that famed crusty top She gives a recipe that has not too crusty white or whole wheat bread baked with turkey, chicken or vegetable broth and a variety of fresh, soft herbs such as parsley, chive tarragon, mint basil or cilantro. Choose three You can also go for sage which is the standard herb for stuffing. Scallions are also added. Gravy has to be served too.Just remember to halve or quarter the measurements (unless you want a lot for leftovers).

What about the classics? Do serve mashed potatoes, Just halve or quarter the recipe. They do have one flaw - getting cold very quickly. Make them before you sit down or pop them into the microwave to keep them warm. Should there be a casserole on the table too? Yes, according to Ms. Clark. There's a choice of green bean, sweet potato, spoonbread or mac and cheese.Just whittle down the amounts again and keep in mind the depth of the pan used is less important. You'll still have a crunchy top with a soft middle. You can serve vegetable sides too. Ms. Clark gives the recipe for a zingy maple roasted squash with sage and lime. Cayenne cooked with maple syrup livens up ordinary squash during baking in a 425 degree F oven for fifteen to twenty minutes. As far as pie, Ms Clark is a fan of baking an entire one, enthusing about having the leftovers for the upcoming days after. Yet for those who feel that a pie many be too much, she gives the recipe for pumpkin sticky toffee puddings. These are a spin on the classic British Christmas classic, complete with chopped dates and brown sugar. The spin comes from adding pumpkin puree (and not filling which is already spiced). They're topped with the traditional brandy and bourbon , again with pumpkin puree , heavy cream and butter. You can add whipped cream and sea salt for more flavor.

Thanksgiving will be a very small affair this year. Yet you can still have the same delicious flavors, just cut down on the amount. It will still be big on flavor but little on servings.

Happy Veteran's Day to all those who have served. My admiration always.

Pie Variations

 It's pie season and many home bakers will turn to the traditional for their Thanksgiving desserts. Yet it's the same boring kinds, apple  pumpkin and the occasional pecan. What can be done to make them more exciting? Vary the recipes

Apple pie almost cries out to be something different.You could start out with the crust, adding a teaspoon of cinnamon or cinnamon and nutmeg combined. Another idea is sprinkling brown sugar on the crimped edges for a crunchy and sweeter pie. A really decadent idea is using cinnamon bun dough for the crust. This also includes using the icing too. To balance out this sugariness, use tart Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples.Caramel and the fruit go perfectly together. Salted caramel works well because of the underlying current of savoriness in it. Do you go with a store bought sauce or make it yourself? A homemade caramel sauce is nothing more than granulated sugar , butter and heavy cream cooked together. It produces a nice  thin sauce that you can use  later on cakes and even pancakes and waffles.A chewier version would be adding nuts, namely walnuts. These can be whole or halved. They can also go on top as part of a streusel topping. Streusel is an easy make, combining dark and white sugar with flour and various spices like cinnamon and ginger. Butter is added for more flavor and to bind the other ingredients. It's then scattered op top of the pie and baked with it.

There's not much you can do with pumpkin pie. A different way of making it is in a galette This is a free form pie that baked on a cookie sheet. It makes for a lighter slice with less filling.Some home bakers add a layer of sweetened cream cheese to give it some zing.You could also make just the filling in mousse form. This is an airy version made with eggs for binding and the same spices. It's the perfect dessert without the soggy crust. Another idea that's completely fun are pumpkin pie shots. This is layering the filling over cinnamon and crushed graham crackers in shot glasses. Top with whipped cream and cinnamon. Some home bakers are combining this pie with another Thanksgiving classic - pecan. Yes, they can be combined, although pecan is better on its' own.It's layering the two fillings with the pecans being placed on top. You could easily make a traditional pecan pie however it may be too sweet. Think about adding dark chocolate to counterbalance it. Ditch the corn syrup which can be tooth achingly sweet and sub in maple syrup instead. Use four ounces of eighty-five to ninety per cent dark cacao. Bourbon pecan pie is a Southern specialty. Two tablespoons of bourbon will do it, giving the super sweet filling some strong zing.

Pies do rule for Thanksgiving. Yet the same ones , apple, pumpkin and pecan can be ho hum. Liven them uo with different variations for a unique holiday dessert.

A New Kind Of Thanksgiving

 Unfortunately this is not going to be an easy Thanksgiving. Many of those big , family ones from years past have to be cancelled and rethought. There is a plus in this - less cooking. That means that elaborate dinners will be postponed and smaller ones will be cooked. That also means easier recipes made in half the time.

Of course turkey will always be the main attraction. Select a smaller bird - namely a four to six pound one. Cooking time will be a lot less. Usually bigger birds take anywhere from four to five hours to thoroughly roast. A smaller one will only take an hour and a half.You could make a homemade stuffing and be prepared for leftovers (which do work the day after paired with gravy and sliced turkey). A more simpler way is getting Stovetop Stuffing which would considerably cut down on prep and cooking time. It's just a quick mix of butter, margarine and water and then cooking for only twelve minutes.There probably won't be any leftovers too.What about the sides? You can nix the traditional drenched in mushroom soup green beans and just try the more refreshing string bean almondine. This is a zingy lemon drenched veggie dish  , decorated with slivered almonds. Should you serve sweet potatoes or yams? Yes, but think about roasting four of them for the family. Again, this is a better version and tastier too as it's not covered in marshmallow goo. If you want to make a small green salad, go ahead. If you want to cut down and serve just the turkey and salad, that's fine too. As for the cranberry sauce, why not put dried cranberries like Craisins in the salad for a twist on tradition.

Thanksgiving means pies too. Yet  is it worth making a whole pie for just four or five people? An easier idea is a galette.It's baked on a cookie sheet and has an easier to make crust.It's usually made with fruit such as seasonal apples or pears yet you can also make a pumpkin pie one. This is a rolled out crust with a thin layer of pumpkin filling spread on top. The dough ends are then folded over and the entire pie is baked at 400 degrees F for only half an hour. You can serve the slices with a dollop of maple syrup infused whipped cream. Another easy idea is individual desserts. Think apple crumble in ramekins. It's layering apples with a streusel topping of rolled oats,light brown sugar, walnuts and butter and then baking them in a 375 degree F oven for half an hour to thirty-five minutes. The mix is good for six ramekins , Don't worry about it being too much for four people. Guaranteed, there won't be any leftovers. Have the family top the crumbles with whatever they want, creme fraiche, vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Pecan pie is another tasty Thanksgiving dessert however a whole pie is too much. Think turning this popular treat into bars.It's a buttery cookie bottom topped with the mouth watering blend of brown sugar, heavy cream and pecans.It's the perfect weekend snack too, especially for movie night.

Yes, Thanksgiving will be different this year. It will be smaller but easier to handle. The food will be a snap to cook and bake. That means more time , spent with family and enjoying the day.

Kinder Times Hopefully

 With the Biden-Harris victory there should be a new era of kindness rushing in. The problem is it may take a while to get to the food and wine industries. There still will be hatred and harassment of women, and minorities. Can we make it change?

This question comes in light after The New York Times cracked open a case about male sommeliers sexually harassing female contenders for their positions at the Court of Master Sommeliers. Regular contributor Julia Moskin wrote about this in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. Nine men were accused of sexual misconduct towards women considered candidates for the court's top title of master sommelier. These men already hold that title and wield a strong amount of influence for the women to advance. An apology from the twenty -seven women in the 165 member court has been issued.Supposedly relationships between male and female members are common yet those liasons escalating into something bitter are rare. Yet this also extends to the food industry as well. We've seen it with the charges against Mario Batali and Ken Friedman , owner of Greenwich Village's Famed Spotted Pig. It should have been a wake up call for other for other chefs and restauranteurs around the world. Hopefully it will.

 With a new administration bent on healing and equality, America could lead the world in treating sexual misconduct and racial inequality in the  restaurant and wine industries. It starts with supporting businesses as small as a food truck pushing bulgoki to up and coming wineries and vineyards.It also starts with thoroughly investigating claims  about prejudice regarding hiring as well as in house promoting. Luckily , it hasn't hit the supermarkets (unless it has and all the big chains are adept at covering up scandal).Sadly it does occur in the fast food business and whatever problem is usually resolved - mostly with some kind of reparations. However it shouldn't happen in the first place. Another must change is promoting more minorities in the fast food industry. Wendy's, despite some gaffes in recent years (namely the symbol of white supremacy Pepe the Frog in a Wendy's jumper and red braids) has a good reputation of promoting Black and Latinx in more managerial positions. McDonald's does not have this reputation. In fact a few weeks ago Black franchise owners sued the chain for placing their franchises in high crime areas where they had higher operating cost, high employee turnover and lower sales.Burger King is the better of the two this way. They haven't had anything like this happen.

The Biden-Harris administration will bring a sense of freshness and unity in an already torn and shredded world. Hopefully this will apply to the food and drink industry. In the end , kindness will prevail.

Nacho Bowls Layers Of Flavor

 Pati Jinich's New York Times Food  nacho article inspired me to create my own nacho dish. Her bricklayer nacho dish gave me an idea. Supposed the nachos were layered in individual bowls with  the meat and veggies cooked and the rest of the ingredients put on in bright tiers? I gave it a shot.

Bricklayer's nachos have three kinds of meat, I made a vegan version using Morningstar Farms, vegan beef crumbles.

It was just skillet sauteing them with about two to three tablespoons of olive oil. It was then adding the holy trinity of Mexican cooking.

Heady dashes of onion powder, chili powder and cumin were sprinkled in along with garlic powder.

It was then adding one  chopped yellow pepper.

along with one  sliced vine ripe tomato.

Cook all this for a few minutes then start layering.

It's first taking the nachos. I used Late July's . They don't have an oily aftertaste like some other tortilla chips and they are extra crispy.

Layer these evenly, then spoon on the meat and veggies.

Another layer of chips.

Then it's the toppings.

I used Acme's brand of salsa, the mild O Organics and Go Veggie Mexican soy cheese mix. You can add what you want here to suit your tastes.

                                          Sliced avocados topped this. You can also add jalapenos and sliced                                                        black olives too if you want.

I loved this version of bricklayer nachos. They're a fun crunchy dinner, stacked with all sorts of flavors and textures. I would definitely make this again. It's that good. Variations abound here. Use real meat whether beef or chicken. Top with bacon crumbles or use salsa verde instead of the tomato salsa.

Nacho bowls are a fun dinner. They 're filling while being healthy and delicious. The flavors and textures are the perfect antidote to livening up the week or weekend.