A Perfectly Imperfect Thanksgiving Plan

Just in time for Thanksgiving, here is a guest post from Camilla Saulsbury, my favorite blogger, food writer, and friend. Here she opens up on her secrets for a truly fuss free Thanksgiving offering along with delicious recipes like, Brown Sugar Whipped Cream, Fresh Cranberry Sauce, Herb Butter, Decadent Doctored Gravy with Marsala, Mushrooms & Rosemary, and So-Easy Sweet & Spicy Nuts. It's like a Thanksgiving table on a blog. Thanks, Camilla! I am so inspired, as always!
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Thanksgiving is less than a week away, and though I am an enthusiastic cook, I am nevertheless giving thanks for the many time-savers that will help me enjoy great food on the big day while still savoring the holiday with my family and friends.

With that in mind, I’m eschewing elaborate recipes, and instead offering my top tips and tools to make sure your day is filled with joy, relaxation, and, of course, fantastic food.

Make a List & Check it Twice

It really can save time to plan out the whole day before. It need not be a multi-colored flow-chart; a simple checklist and a general timetable is priceless for giving you a sense of calm and control. Need a starting point? Check out the Thanksgiving Guide at epicurious.com; they have a wealth of tips and recipes, even for last-minute planners.

Keep it Simple.

Make three to five great dishes instead of ten average (or burned!) ones. Make a traditional Thanksgiving feast (save the pumpkin flan and turkey mousse for another day), then be creative with side dishes and flourishes (see my herbed butter, brown sugar whipped cream, and more below.

Delegate, Delegate, Delegate.

Thanksgiving is a day of togetherness, so don’t be shy about asking everyone to pitch in. Ask friends to bring the different parts of the meal if you are hosting and making the bird. Just make sure to keep tabs on what everyone is bringing, so that the meal doesn’t consist of turkey and 10 pies (then again, that sounds like a blissful balance…)

Play to your friends’ and family members’ strengths: let decorating-genius cousin Liz take charge of the table setting, your saucy friend Mandy tackle the gravy, and your wine-whiz mother handle the wine selections for the meal.

Don’t Count Calories/ Do Make Calories Count

Enjoy the Thanksgiving meal to the hilt, but limit the hum-drum snacks and sips, like chips and sodas; they add a lot to the day’s total calories without adding much interest, flavor, or holiday flair.

Second, be a snob. If the pumpkin pie is so-so after one bite, but the pecan pie is out of this world, savor every morsel of the latter (whipped cream included!), and abandon the former.

When you sit down for dinner, it's not about the food. It's about sitting and talking and who you are with.

Don’t Sweat Disasters: They Make the Best Memories

First-rate disasters are the stuff of family legend. No one in my family will likely forget the gray cheesecake I prepared one year (don’t ask) or the time my mother sprayed gravy all over the ceiling and walls (note: do not place hot gravy in a blender).

Let Somebody Else Cook

This may sound like heresy coming from the mouth of a food writer, but hear me out: hosting the meal is a major task in itself, so why not leave some or all of the meal preparation to someone else? From the sides to the pies, options abound for supplementing the meal prep. Most supermarkets and many restaurants sell fresh roasted birds, too, and many will take orders as late as the day before the big day. You can reheat the bird at home with fresh herbs, real butter, and garlic to make it your own, and, best yet, you can focus on the sides: the dressing, cranberries, vegetables, and, my hands-down favorite come Thanksgiving: the pies!
Use Fresh Herbs instead of Dried Herbs Fresh flat-leaf parsley, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, and sage will brighten and enhance new recipes and family standbys: the turkey, dressing, rice, biscuits, gravy, you name it.

Make the Cranberry Sauce.

Of all the elements of the traditional home-made Thanksgiving meal, the cranberry sauce is by far the easiest to prepare. Moreover, it is exponentially more delicious than what slides out of a can. Try my fresh cranberry sauce below; it takes mere minutes, and is always a winner.

Camilla’s Favorite Flourishes for Thanksgiving

As mentioned above, I’m keeping recipes super-simple this year. These flourishes—from spiced nuts to fresh cranberry sauce—take minutes to prepare, and almost no effort, elevating your family favorites (or store bought purchases) to great heights.

Brown Sugar Whipped Cream

Whether you buy the pies or make your own, my brown sugar whipped cream is the perfect topping. For even greater decadence, add a splash of whiskey or bourbon to the mix.

1 cup chilled whipping cream
1/3 cup chilled sour cream
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer set on high until soft peaks form. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Makes about 2 cups.





Fresh Cranberry Sauce

Even die-hard jellied cranberry sauce fans will swoon over this fresh, simple sauce. Cranberries have a tremendous amount of natural pectin, so the sauce will set up as it cools. You can add your own accents, too: a bit of minced candied ginger, a pinch of cinnamon or cloves, or a splash of orange liqueur. You cannot go wrong!
2 large navel oranges
1 cup sugar
12-oz bag fresh or frozen cranberries (3 cups)

Grate 1 tbsp zest from the oranges. Cut the oranges in half and squeeze the juice into a glass measuring cup. Add enough water to measure 1 cup total.
Bring the orange juice mixture and sugar to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved (about 5 minutes). Add the cranberries; reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until berries just pop, (about 10 minutes). Stir in zest, and then cool completely. Chill until ready to serve.
Makes about 2-1/2 cups.




Herb Butter

Ready to wow your guests? Stir up one or more batches of my easy herbed butter. You can make it several days ahead (one or multiple batches), then use it on the turkey, vegetables, biscuits, and more on Turkey day.

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped tarragon
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl until combined well. Cover and chill until ready to use. Makes about 2/3 cup.



Decadent Doctored Gravy with Marsala, Mushrooms & Rosemary

Whether you’re roasting your own bird, or buying it fully-cooked, this gravy is an ideal accompaniment. No lumps!

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
1/3 cup Marsala or Sherry
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 cups purchased turkey or chicken gravy
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Melt the butter in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add the onion; cook and stir until golden. Add the mushrooms; cook and stir until soft. Add Marsala, rosemary, gravy, chicken broth, and whipping cream. Simmer 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Season with salt and pepper. Makes about 4 cups.





So-Easy Sweet & Spicy Nuts

These are inarguably awesome. Set out a bowl for snacking, serve alongside fruit and cheese (pears and blue cheese, anyone?), or roughly chop and sprinkle atop salads (think spinach, goat cheese, dried cranberries) or vegetables (the pecan version is stellar sprinkled mashed sweet potatoes).

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups whole walnut halves, pecan halves, or whole almonds (or a mix of all three)
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Generous pinch of cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray. Combine walnuts and all remaining ingredients in medium bowl; toss to coat. Spread nut mixture on prepared baking sheet (some nuts may clump together). Bake until nuts are deep golden and sugar mixture is bubbling, stirring occasionally to break up clumps, about 15 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store in airtight container.)

Tres Calabazas and Three Winners

Hi all!

Thank you for participating in Camilla Saulsbury's cookbook giveaway. Instead of numbers, I printed out your names, threw them in a large bowl, stirred them with a whisk, wooden spoon, hand, and let the little man, ahem, I mean little Skywalker do the honors.



Here are the three lucky winners:

1.TKW or The Kitchen Witch who said: “Cayenne in the brownies! Awesome! Did you think it added something?”

[I think it did. I love the intense chocolate flavor, the cinnamon, and the slight after burn of the cayenne. Perfect brownies for fall.]

2. Laurel who said: “Cool! I would love the book too!”

3. Zay who said: “I wish I would have known about the Aztec dancers. I would have really enjoyed that. Also, I hope that I win Camilla’s book. :)”

Ladies, congratulations! Email me at *radadaisy*{at}[gmail]*dot*(com) with your addresses and I will get the book in the mail in the next couple of days. Thanks again for participating!


Oh, pumpkins and squashes, how can I express my love for you? I have previously tried to do so, and yet I find myself swooning in front of dishes that feature the fall’s bounty, such as the one I am offering today. I call it Tres Calabazas because I use three different squashes: acorn, butternut, and red kuri. All three orange-hued, all three sweet and creamy, all three perfectly paired with caramelized onions, sage and thyme. I made this for a dinner party at Jeana’s house, and while I loved seeing the guests swoon for the squashes just as I did, I had the desire to keep it all to myself, just like a 2 year old. But share I did, and to make up for my childish thoughts, I am offering it to you. When you make it, you won’t want to share it either. Happy eating!



Tres Calabazas
Inspired by this recipe on Epicurious.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 large sweet yellow onions, thinly sliced in half rings (about 4 cups)
1 teaspoon dried, rubbed sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 medium acorn squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3-4 cups)
1 cup of 1-inch cubes of butternut squash
1/3 red kuri squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup vegetable (or chicken) broth


2 cups fresh breadcrumbs, made from Italian rustic loaf or any other European-style bread
1 cup (packed) grated Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup grated Asiago cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray or butter a large baking dish.
Heat olive oil and butter in large pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, sage, and thyme, and sauté until the onions are golden, about 5-10 minutes.
Add the squashes, sauté about 5 minutes, and sprinkle the sugar, salt and pepper. Sauté for 3-5 more minutes.
Place the vegetable mixture in baking dish and pour chicken broth over. Cover tightly with foil and bake 30-40 minutes.
In the meanwhile, roughly chop the bread, place in a small food processor, and pulse until you have fine breadcrumbs. In a medium bowl mix them with the cheeses and olive oil.
Increase oven temperature to 400 F. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over vegetables. Bake uncovered until top is golden brown and crisp (about 10-20 minutes).
Ju bëftë mirë!
E.

Aztec Dancing, Spicy Aztec Brownies and a Giveaway

The pictures below are from the Aztec Dancing that took place close to the SFA campus. We attended, Jack in tow, who for the most part was amazed by the “warrior” dancers and a bit scared as well. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.









On another note, I have been extremely busy, as you may have noticed from my week-long absence. Between teaching, grading, PhD applications, and a few other projects still up in the air that need some nursing, I don’t even have time to do laundry…so don’t come around our house, we stink ;).

But I wish I could have had you over to share these brownies with you. They are from Camilla Saulsbury’s new cookbook, The Ultimate Shortcut Cookie Book, which is one of the sweetest, most flavorful, and most delicious baking books that I own. You may have heard of Camilla on the Food Network, where she won the Ultimate Cookie Challenge, or maybe from all the other cooking contests where she has participated and won. She is truly a goddess in the kitchen and I have been fortunate to taste several of her creations.

We live in the same town and our two boys are the same age. She is an amazing, inspiring, and generous person, which reflects in her recipes as well. This latest book is packed with 745 recipes that are quick, easy, and big on flavor and deliciousness. On almost every one of the recipes, Camilla gives the reader tips for flavors, techniques, and variations. The flavor combinations are divine, as you can see from the following recipe. It is one of those must-have books, and as such this post’s giveaway is Camilla’s cookbook, actually three of them.

In order to enter the giveaway, all you have to do is comment on this post and I will announce the three winners next Tuesday(November 17th). I will use Dana’s (at Dana Treat) method of winner selection (Jack will pull the numbers out of a bowl). In the meanwhile, whip up some of these beautiful brownies. You won’t be disappointed.



Spicy Aztec Brownies

Camilla says: Melted butter, a handful of dark chocolate, a kick of cayenne, and a sheen of cinnamon glaze makes for one intensely delicious Aztec-inspired brownie.

Ingredients:

1 ½ tablespoons instant espresso or coffee powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 (19.5 to 19.8 – ounce) package brownie mix
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup water
2 large eggs
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 recipe Cinnamon Glaze (recipe following)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F (325 for dark-coated metal pan). Position rack in the lower third of the oven. Spray the bottom only of an 8-inch-square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray (or foil line pan).

Dissolve espresso powder in the vanilla in a small cup. Combine the brownie mix, melted butter, water, vanilla-espresso mixture, eggs, and cayenne pepper in a medium mixing bowl with a wooden spoon until just blended and all dry ingredients are moistened; stir in the chopped chocolate. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 40-44 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out clean or almost clean (do not overbake). Transfer to a wire rack.

Prepare Cinnamon Glaze; spread over warm brownies. Cool completely. Cut into squares.

Makes 9 large or 16 small brownies.


Cinnamon Glaze

Camilla says: Depending on the degree to which you like cinnamon, you can increase or decrease the amount of cinnamon here. Alternatively, use the recipe as a template for other spicy glazes, substituting the ground spice of your choice, or a combination, for the ground cinnamon.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, meted
2-3 teaspoons milk

Preparation:

Whisk the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a small bowl until smooth. Add just enough milk, a teaspoon at a time, to make glaze a thin spreading consistency, whisking until smooth.

Makes about ½ cup glaze, enough to glaze an 8-inch-square pan of brownies.

Note: I added about 5 teaspoons of milk, and because my oven is a few degrees hotter, the brownies were done in about 35 minutes.

Happy Halloween

We are tricked out. Between a neighborhood pumpkin carving party, Jack's school fall festival, and trick or treating, the weekend seems like it never came. Quite ghostly and full of fun. Happy Halloween! I only have pictures for you today.








We watched Young Frankenstein projected on a garage door. And of course, Jack could not resist blocking the view. Here he is wearing wizard's nails. :)

When the Sky Falls

The Red Kuri squash was thrown in a large bin filled with various winter gourds. It was love at first sight. Red Kuri squash, the sticker informed; bake at 375 until tender and serve with butter, salt, and pepper. Like a baked potato. Surely, I thought, I could do better than that. Not because I have anything against baked potatoes, but because a beautiful squash like that deserves to be part of a more special meal.

A quick google search gave me some delicious results that I plan to try in the future, but I was craving something else; something that would accentuate the velvet texture of Kuri squash, the delicate and mild squash flavor, and the sweetness of the beautiful globe.

I kept it on my kitchen counter for a few days admiring the gorgeous color, ideas brewing in my head (although, unfortunately, I failed to take a picture of the beauty). The squash even got played with; Bryan chased Jack around the house, Kuri squash bouncing from hand to hand, menacingly whispering:

“Calabaza…calabaza…calabaza.” (Spanish for “Pumpkin”)

Finally, today, the day when the sky fell on the ground, the day when I at once cursed the horrid rain and blessed it during a delicious nap lulled by thunder and water hitting the roof, I cooked the squash, the beautiful orange squash. The orange cubes cooked in a curry scented broth, with silky coconut milk and a homemade chicken broth.

We all kept walking past the bubbling pot smelling the delicious vapors, hunger brewing, anticipating the soup. We ate quietly, slurping, mmm-ing, and watching the rain fall.
It was well worth the wait.



Curried Red Kuri Squash and Chicken Soup

The combination of Thai green curry paste and Indian curry powder give this soup a complex and delicious flavor. Not all curry powders are made the same; if the one you have on hand is particularly spicy, cut down on the amount of curry powder in the recipe.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
5-6 garlic cloves, finely sliced
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, finely grated

1 ½ tablespoons of Thai green curry paste
2 tablespoons Indian curry powder
1 can of coconut milk
5 cups of chicken broth
2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
4 cups of 1 inch cubes of Red Kuri squash (about 2/3 of a squash)

8 chicken tenders (about ¾ lb), thinly sliced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
sprinkle of salt

Cilantro and scallion for garnish

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a large enamel cast iron pot, or dutch oven. Place the onions, garlic, and ginger in the oil and sauté for about 3-5 minutes.

Add the curry paste and curry powder, stir to combine and sauté for another minute.

Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, fish sauce, chili sauce, Kuri squash, and stir. Bring everything to a boil, lower the temperature and simmer for about 10- 20 minutes, or until the squash has cooked through.

Add the chicken, sugar, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the chicken has cooked through (do not cook too long or the chicken will dry and the squash will be mushy). Taste and adjust seasoning as needed (it needs to have a good salty, sweet, tart, and spicy balance). Serve with chopped cilantro and scallion, along with lime wedges.

Ju bëftë mirë!
E.

I Fink Therefore I Am

One of the hardest things about raising a little boy is the inability I have to relate to certain quirks, which I hear are most common in boys. One of them is Jack’s love for guns, which I first talked about here. If you remember the particular episode, Jack talked about the animals he saw in the clouds and how one of the clouds was a gun that shot one of the bunnies in the sky. He’s a cool kid.

Another challenge is helping him understand the good and the bad guys, and perhaps the gray areas in between. The villains are always much cooler. That is the truth. It started with Milton’s Paradise Lost, and it went downhill from there. Obviously, Jack can like the villains, but there is a part of me that wants to clarify: Yeah, the scary alien with multiple horns and bulging muscles is impressive, but he’s bad; he hurts people. Sure, Darth Vader is intimidating (even though his asthma would probably make him a very weak opponent) and he seems cool, but Skywalker is good and handsome.

A few weeks ago we were at a local restaurant waiting for our food to come out, when Jack noticed a policeman sitting at the table next to ours:

“Look momma, a policeman…he’s got a gun, look momma.”
“Yes, he does.”
“Momma, does he shoot bad guys with the gun?”
“Well, policemen protect people from bad guys.”
“Does he shoot the bad guys really hard?”
“Well, it depends, baby. Sometimes he just puts people in jail, sometimes he needs to shoot. It depends…”

Jack pauses a minute…

“He has to fink about it?”
“Yes, little doofus, he has to Fink about it…” I say smiling, happy to see that he is starting to understand the complexity of certain choices.

The Chocolate Rum Cake that I am offering today has nothing to do with the story I just told you, but it is complex and balanced: sweet, tart, chocolaty, moist and crumbly. It is a delicious desert that is made even better by the succulent berries that go along with it. I initially found it in The Sociable Cook, by Katie Stewart, and I loved it the very first time I made it. Stewart makes a berry sauce to go with the cake, but if you are under time constraints as I was, fresh berries go beautifully here, in fact, even better than the sauce. Here it is to the beautiful complexities of life the universe and everything. The answer is always 42 (according to Douglass Adams and my husband), or a beautiful chocolate rum cake.



Chocolate Rum Cake with Fresh Blackberries

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa (not Dutch process)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon of salt
1 ¾ cups light brown sugar
6 tablespoons canola oil (or any other mild oil)
2/3 cup milk
3 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

For the syrup:

½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup cold water
6 tablespoons of dark rum

For the topping:

1 2/3 cups of heavy cream
½ cup of powder sugar

Cocoa for dusting

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Butter or spray with oil one 9 inch round cake pan.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar into a large mixing bowl.

In another mixing bowl combine the oil, milk, and vanilla. Separate the eggs; add the yolks to the milk and oil mixture and stir to combine. Reserve the whites.

Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix with a spatula to a smooth, slack batter.

Beat the egg whites with a hand held mixer to stiff white peaks and fold carefully into the cake batter. Pour the batter into the oiled/buttered cake pan and place in the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness.

In the meanwhile, place the cold water and sugar in a small saucepan and set over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and draw off the heat. Add the rum, mix well and set aside.

Once the cake is done, let it rest for a few minutes. Prick the surface with a fork and spoon over it the rum syrup. Let it cool completely.

Turn the cake out on a plate or platter.

In a mixing bowl dissolve the sugar into the cream, and whip it into soft peaks. Swirl a layer of the whipped cream atop the cake. Chill at least 2 hours, dust with cocoa, and serve with the fresh blackberries.
Ju bëftë mirë!
E.

A Hidden Treasure

There was a time when I could keep all my to-do items in one orderly list and scratch with pleasure the ones that were quickly completed. That time also coincides with an era when I could leisurely spend evenings reading books for no particular reason while sipping honey-tea. It also paralleled the epoch when I could spend inordinate amounts of time in the ceramics lab. At about the same age I could keep more than one thought in my head without confusion and with absolute command.

This is no longer the case.

At this present stage I forget why I open the fridge. I forget where I place my coffee mug, which causes much distress; I forget to buy milk and cereal. I forget to shave my legs, to brush my hair, to clean my glasses...I forget a great deal. But what is most frustrating of all is when I forget my to-do list, which causes me to have about five simultaneous to-do lists that never get finished, that are found months later under the couch (perhaps with crayon scribbles on top), in the tupperware drawer (oh, Jack!), and folded within piles of folders and notebooks.

In this era, I have no control of my surroundings and something must be done.

I did manage to find this recipe scribbled on a to-do list from this past August. I groaned at yet another to-do victim and then I smiled at the hidden recipe. Consider it a hidden treasure.



Summer Squash Quiche with Thyme

Ingredients:

2 frozen deep pie butter crusts

1 tablespoon butter
½ medium onion, cut into fine rings (about ½ cup)
12 oz squash, cut into ¼ inch rings
2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme

6 large eggs
1/3 cup cream or half and half
1 ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of Sriracha (or any hot sauce)
1 cup of grated Monterey Jack cheese
¼ teaspoon of nutmeg

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. When hot and bubbly, add the onion rings and sauté for 2-3 minutes until translucent.

Add the squash and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add the thyme, stir to combine, and set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl stir the eggs, cream, salt, pepper, Sriracha, cheese and nutmeg until combined.

Divide the squash mixture between the pie shells and spread evenly on the shell surface. Divide the custard in half and pour each half over the squash mixture in each pie shell.

Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the custard has set in the center. Let it rest for about 15-30 minutes before serving

Ju bëftë mirë!
E.

Notes:

Be careful not to over bake the quiche or the custard will be gummy and dry. Also, keep in mind that the custard will keep cooking even when you take it out of the oven.

Adapted from Epicurious.com.