Tweaking Tradition

 There;s nothing like time homored recipes. Yet they may be too time honored and may need to be updated,especially for the holidays. It's not completely disregarding the recipe.It's enhancing it with new flavors and new cooking methods.

Have you ever thought of using the sous vide method on your turkey. This is a different way of cooking a turkey but it provides the bird with juicy , flavorful meat. You do need a sous vide machine to do this. They're around $99 on Amazon if you want to get one overnighted. You will have to butterfly or spatchcock the bird along with giving it time in the oven for crisp skin.Then there's dry brining it instead of wet and cooking it in a hot water bath for six hours. Another tweaking idea is spatchcocking the bird for a more even roast.It's split open thanks to poultry scissors (which cna be bought at any grocery store) and the back bone is removed. This lets it sit flat on the roasting pan where it cooks for just two hours. Butterfying or spatchcocking also works for any other kind of poultry too like Cornish hens and chicken. Of course you'd never omit thhe turkey's must have - stuffing but you can tweak it.Instead of the usual bread crumbs, stale bread especially French or Italian works just as fine. It gives for  a more chewy and crunchy bite. You could also add some soft pretzels too for flavor and texture.

Sides always deserve a tweaking. Everyone makes the usual sweet potatoes with marshmallows. This may have been great decades ago but its time to update them. Try them as fries , crisped in the air fryer. These are definitely a fun change up everyone will like .in fact they'll be the first to go. Another idea is mashing them. This is the same as the traditional mashed potato recipe with boiling them first and then mashing with milk and a stick of butter or plant butter. Add a tiny drizzle of maple syrup and a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg for more flavor. If you opt for potatoes then think smashed for something different. This is taking red or yellow potatoes and boiling until tender. It's then smashing them with a masher and baking them on a large baking sheet. You can drizzle olive oil on them, followed by a sprinkle of rosemary leaves. Theur crispy texture and meaty interiro are reminiscent of French fries  but they have more oomph. This cam be done to that other Thanksgiving staple Brussels sprouts. Again it;s just boiling until tender and then smashing them. They're then popped into the air fryer with just a salt and pepper seasoning . If you  want to be fancietr sprinkled htem with Parmesan cheese and some chili powder.

Traditional needs to be tweaked in onder to remain fresh and relevant. Start with family recipes. it will make for a more interesting and delicious Thanksgiving.

Are You Thanksgiving Ready?

 It's that question that's asked every year. Are you Thanksgiving ready? Have you been stockpiling? Testing all the appliances? Checking pots and pans? It's time to look over what will be the busiest room in the house.

One thing home chefs can do is look over their larger appliances. Is the oven working correctly? What about the microwave and air fryer? These are sub major players in the whole meal game but if can be dire if they break. Microwaves are used for melting butter and cheese along with quick vegetable steaming . Air fryers come in handy for crisping up rolls along with  air frying potato and sweet potato wedges. Make sure they up to par and their wires are still sturdy. Other smaller items to check on - mixers and blenders. MIxers are usied for everyhting from kneading bread dough to even easily mashing potatoes. Blenders are used for batters and blending ingredients for salad dressings. Check to make sure the machines are running smoothly and the blender body is not cracked. Food processors and choppers should also be examined. These too are integral in creating the perfect dishes too. Look over you knives as well. Do they need to be sharpened? Now is the time to do it - in that calm period before all the cooking frenzy.

Once the appliances are thoroughly checked  then start looking at your ingredients. Have you bought your turkey yet? Buy it now because you never know if your store may run out or may run out fo the size you want.Vegan and vegetarians should also have their tofurkey already bought. Some places may only carry two or one tofurkey kits (these include a glaze and stuffing). You may have to drive around and look in two r three stores before finding one. The same applies to Gardein's turkey cutlets and gravy. This is my Thanksgiving go too and I noticed stores like Target and Acme didn't really stock it as they did in the past. I had to  buy it two weeks ago and it was the last one in my local Acme. Another item to stock up on now is pre made stuffing. Many home chefs don't like the idea of making the dish from scratch , although they'll never have to run out of bread. Get a box of the family's faovrite stuffing now. Green beans are going to be popular too , thanks to everyone planning on making casseroles.Of you can;t fidn them sub in another veggie like lima beans or corn. Also make sure you have enough flour , sugar and spices for baking along with eggs. They may seem like a small things  but also check to see if you have enough napkins and containers for leftovers too.

Thanksgiving is less than a week away. Be ready now for it. It does pay to be prepared,

More Thanksgiving ideas

 Don't be nervous about next week. Yes it's the biggest cooking day of the year but it doesn't haven't tobe the most worrisome. Thanks to the New York Times Thanksgiving will be a dream to plan.

Yesterday's Food section had a cornucopia of recipes and ideas. There was a huge article on veggie dishes that was explored yesterday.Now it's time for the meat and traditional ones.One article that stands out is one  regular contributor Genevieve Ko wrote about the famed Ina Gartner. Ms. Gartner gave recipes that feature store bought ingredients, Hers is an easy cook and bake, in the spirit of her latest and thirteenth (!) cookbook  "Go To Dinners" A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook" (Clarkson Potter Publishing 2022) Her recipes include Parmesan Mashed Potatoees that uses Bob Evans already made mashed spuds and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Ocean Spray cranberry sauce is the base of her apple spiked cranberry sauce while Pepperidge Farm herbed croutons and Harveys; Bristol Cream are part of her tasty Murshroom and Gruyere bread pudding. Yes there is a dessert , namely pie, a lush bourbon chocolate pecan one. her crust is a store bought one  suc as Wholly Wholesome. The chocolate is not gourmet. It's Nestles semisweet chocolate chips. The only recipe without any prepared ingredients is her turkey and gravy one which is a flavorful traditioanl one spiked with lemon,

Melissa Clark also contributes . Hers is non -pie desserts. One of the easiest is her riff on the great Marian Burros plum torte.However she's used pears instead but maintained the cardamon along with the grated lemon or orange zest.The pears are first poached with sugar and red wine., They're then sliced  and added to a buttery cake batter. Another great end would be her pumpkin butterscotch custard with spiced whipped cream. It;s traditional homemade goodness with the addition of a cup of pumpkin puree for color and a holiday taste. The rest is a lush mix of heavy cream, whole milk and butter. There is also five large eggs and four yolks for a creamy thickness.  Ms. Clark adds a tiny quarter teaspoon of pumpkin spice and two teaspoons vanilla or bourbon. The topping has more punpkin spice added to sugar and heavy cream. There are pies - whoopie ones.She used her two bite cinnamon scented ones that hold a cream cheese icing filling. This continues in the Thanksgiving vein with the addtion of homemade cranberry sauce for a swirl of color.

Thanksgiving will be a breeze with these recipes. They're tasty , easy and fun. These recipes will add to any table whether for dinner and dessert.

A Veggie Lover's Thanksgiving

 Can you have a Thanksgiving without the bird? YES!!!! It's easy to opt for a vegetarian holiday and even party by just using all sorts of vegetables. Going meatless is a great and economic change up from past Thanksgivings.

Vegetarian and regular contributor Alexa Weibelgave gave a wealth of delicious looking recipes in today's New York Times food section. The entirie issue is Thanksgiving centered (more on it tomorrow).  Ms. Weibel's recipes are perfect for the growing number of people forgoing meat and those who just can;'t afford a turkey this year. Her ombre gratin would be the perfect recplacement, with it's layers of red potatoes, beets, sweet potatoes and butternut squash . Berween these layers are Gruyere cheese and and savory cream, enriched with three egg yolks , half and half and butter. It's spiced with garlic and whiole peppercorns along with shallot bayleaves and thyme. Nutmeg gives it a little sweetness. It's topped with a buttery,crunchy layer of phylo dough. To be honest this would also make a great Christmas, New Year's or hoiday party dish as well. Another show stopper are the the roasted cabbage wedge with lemon vinaigrette.It's cutting a whole head into equally sized wedges and then brusing them with a mix of olive oil,lemon zest and juice along with Dijon mustard, honey and garlic. These are roasted until caralemized for thirty to forty minutes.They're served cold with a lemon vinaigrette that's plush with creme fraiche and mayo, Dill and parsley decorate it.

Other recipes which can be good sides as well as the main dish too. Home chefs will love the roasted mushrooms with the smoky pomegranate sauce. The mushrooms are first tossed with granulated onion,  , and poultry seasoning, then brushed with olive oil. They're then steamed and roasted. The pomengrante sauce, enhanced with garlic, butter and scallions along with ancho chiles and peppercorns are drizled on them. Brussels sprouts lovers will enjoy them roasted with honey almonds and Fresno chiles These are first dressed and then roasted on a sheet pan. for a fun dish try the ginger beer glazed butternut squash with gremolata. THis is a colorful dish with cooking ginger beer with vegetable stock  until it boils. The squash is then added in an even layer. Cook until the squash is tender for about twenty five minutes until th eliquid becomes a glaze While this cooks , make the gremolata. It's a mix of fresh ginger,parsley, garlic and orange zest. This is sprinkled over the squash for a truly bright looking dish.

It's easy to go vegetarian for Thanksgiving. Use these dishes for a tasty and meat free meal. You'll feel better doing so 

Add Some Spice To Thanksgiving

 Thanksgiving dinner is traditionally American despite us being a country of many nationaltites. its's the same oldbird and mashed potatoes  with some tables offering green bean cassetole. What about chainging it up a bit? Add some of that international spice to this all American meal.

One of the most interesting ways to change it up is varying the turkey. Most home chefs rub the bird with butter and just season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. This is fine but it lacks some spark. Think about adding some oregano and lemon for a Mediterranean twist.Use about two tablespoons of fresh or dried oregano and use in a salt rub. It's then basted with a combination of lemon oil and olive oil. For a reslly different flavor try the Szechuan five spice as a rub.It can be bought or made at home. it's a mix of Szechuan peppercorns, star anise,cloves cinnamon and fennelk seeds.it's rubbing the skin with it before cooking. As for the stuffing keep with the Asian theme. Try a sticky rice one with Chinese or sweet rice, shiitake mushrooms, along with shallots and water chesnuts. You can add the Chinese wine shaoxing wine along with soy sauce and cooked vaccuum sealed chestnuts. The recipe calls for soaking the rice overnight and then steaming it until it's translucent.everything is then fried in a skillet with peanut or olive oil.

Changing up the turkey may be too much for some . what about changing the sides instead. The New York Times food section has a yuca recipe that sounds intriguing. Yuca is a  South American tuber which looks like a sweet potato but has white flesh.On it's own it has a mild nutty taste but garlic, milk and butter is added to give it a tasty , creamy flavor. Yuca does require work. All the layers and veins have to be peeled off until all the flesh is showing. It's then cut into thirds, and boiled in water with garlic.Once boiled the milk and butter is added and its mashedlike potatoes.Broccoli is almost always on the Thanksgiving table. It's usually drenched in cheese or butter. Try spicing it uo with curry fior a different flavor. Cook it air fried or sheet pan style for crispiness.As for the curry paste you can control the heat . If you're family likes fiery then gets the strongest or most intense version. If they are averse to any kind of heat, don;t worry . You can always use garam masala instead.Ginger powder is also used but this can be omitted too. The broccoli is tossed int e spcies and then roasted.

Thanksgiving may be an American meal but it can have international influence. Spike up the bird or the sides for a more memorable holiday. it's a nice change up from the usual.

Five Years Without The Chef

It's been five years since we lost the master chef, my Mom. I still miss her - her culinary advice and her joy in discovering new places to  food shop and eat. She has been on my mind a lot these last few weeks as I esplore new farms and shops.

My Mom would have loved Terhune Farms in Princeton and probably would have liked a sip of their many wines instead of cider. Apple butter would have been on her list of must buys along with a good crusty bread to spread it upon. She would have been intrgued by the Asisan food Market I just visited down in Pmainsboro. How she would have felt about seeing th elive fish would have prompred a few remarks about capturing animals to cook them (although she was no vegan or even vegetarian, she did not like the idea of seeing animals suffering). The endless aisles of all sorts of Asian and Indian foods may have made an impression and I know she would have definitely bought cellophane noodles for  one of her signature dishes , a take on the Szechuan ants climbing a tree. This was always a favorite in our house, with ground beef, and later soy crumbles sauteed with scallions and cooked clear rice noodles.The endless shelves of teas would have also caught her fancy and I'm sure we would have brought home a few boxes.

As for some of my new dishes - I hoped she would have liked my  air  fried zucchini boats. She loved zucchini and tryung this way with bread crumbs and tomatoes would have also appealed to her. It's reminiscent of our family dish tomatoes provencale. She may have made ti with variations such as a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese or added the soy crumbles to the filling.she may have suggested air frying zucchini slices or coins until they're crisp for a fun side with hamburgers. How would she have dealt with the new barbecue? This is the most luxurious we've ever bought so she would be engrossed in not only barbecuing but also smoking a variety of different meats. It definitely would have cooked whole Cornish hens and possibly London Broil along with the usual hot dogs and hamburgers. She may have liked Mexican street corn or eliote and she wouldhave put her own spin on it. The ears would be brushed with butter, roasted and then sprinkled with Parmesan and maybe some oregano.

Five years is a short time in the eternal spin of things. However it is too long without her.So much has happened, so many places she would have liked visiting and so many new recipes she would have loved trying.

Food And War

 War affects how countries eat. Moatly, as seen recently in Ukraine, cause shortage and starvation.Yet the one good thing about conflict is that it introoduces service people to other cultures . Despite the harshness and scariness it does bring people together. Mostly that occurs in eating. There's something communal in sharing.

It's the American conflicts that have created firsts. The Revolutionary War was the first to introuce rations for its' troops. Thanks to the Continental Congress of 1773 colonial fighters were able to receive a pound of beef, and half a pound of pork or salted fish a week. There were also three pints of bean or peas along with a pint of rice or meal a week too. They also got flour or hard bread along with cider or beer. Everything was salted for preservation. As for veggies, onions and turnips which were easy to carry and cook also were part of their diet.Vinegar was later added to prevent scurvy. Did these men bring their wives' and mothers' recipes with them. Probably. Did they swap them? Most likely , being the first to expand the American palate. The Civil War saw canned foods on the troops' menu . Condensed milk, pork and beans were fed to the Union troops.Cattle also moved with the men, being slaughtered for the only fresh food. There was chicken fricasee if they could gert their hands on poultry and Union forces also made mushroom ketchup by boiling mushrooms. They may have brought the recipe home. There were also Cornish game hens and ham and beans stew to eat .

It;s the Twentieth Century wars, however that created the modern American cuisine that we know.The Spanish American War saw troops being deployed to the Phillipines and Puerto Rico. These troops may have tried some fo the native foods like curries from the first and mofongo from the second. The First World War saw Americans going off to fronts in France ,Italy and Germany. Some may have tasted the dishes there and brought dishes such as duck stew, risotto and wursts.(althought they could easily get some variation of these in immigrant communities back in the States). Yet it was the Second World War that brought more recipes to the American table. GIs stationed around Naples brought home pizza , loving it so much that it became part of the American diet from Maine to California. This also happened with lasagna too, with servicemen bringing home recipes that they got form the Southern Italian villagers they protected. It happened with Japanese food, especially during the Korean War when servicemen spent their R&R in Tokyo.Japanese restaurants grew in popularity after that. Recent wars like the Vietnamese Conflict along with the Gulf and Afghani wars saw refugees brining their dishes to the US.

War is hell. Yet it does bring about innovations and exploration into different cultures. it shows in our many different dishes brought about by conflict.