Thursday, November 29, 2012

During the Week

Since Thanksgiving, and leftovers and pizza and Chinese food...which all seem to go together every year somehow..I have been cooking.

One night was rigatoni with peas in a pink sauce that I made by cheating :)  Sauteed onions and garlic in olive oil, add Rao's marinara and heavy cream, salt and pepper and stir. Yum!

Another night was stuffed pork chops:  Bone-in thick pork chops, sliced open to make a pocket.  I made stuffing first:  Sauteed onions, carrots, celery, garlic, apples, fresh sage, rosemary and thyme added to...a box of Stove Top stuffing for pork :) and chicken stock.  Stuffed the stuffing in the chops, browned them in olive oil, salt and pepper on the stove then finished them in the oven.  By the time I was done, I was in no mood to make a vegetable, so I didn't.  Michael ate one chop and saved the other one and I had soup.

Turkey chili with jalapeno cornbread was another night.  I use my own dry adobo for the seasoning in the chili along with ground turkey, crushed tomatoes, onions, garlic and small red beans half crushed, half whole.  The cornbread is from a Michael Chiarello recipe that I adulterate.

Lastly, I am going out tonight to see Barbara's niece Katie play guitar and sing somewhere in Manhattan so I will not be making dinner.  However, Castillian garlic soup is on the menu for Friday night. Not sure I will make anything else though...

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Let's Talk Turkey

I brine my turkey.  Apple cider vinegar (raw-unfiltered), black peppercorns, chicken broth, water and ice.  Turkey in a brine bag, bag in a large pot, pour brine over, make sure to cover completely. Let sit overnight.  Pat dry, rest at room temperature for a few hours, peel skin back, smear butter and herbs under skin, butter over skin with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, then onion, carrot, celery and lemon in cavity, broth in bottom of roasting pan, cover with foil (remove foil for browning), roast with  probe, remove at 165 degrees and let sit.   Then have Michael decorate bird and platter with seasonal greens and flowers.  It's beautiful!

This year our menu is:  Salmon marinated in fennel, olive oil and lemon; tomato, mozzarella and basil for appetizers. Turkey, of course, creamed spinach au gratin, mashed sweet potatoes with mini marshmallows, corn chowder with bacon (OMG), beets, cranberry sauce and gravy.  My mother in law is making stuffing with breakfast sausage that is heavenly.  Dessert is carrot cake (ala Silver Palate cookbook) and chocolate chip cookies. 

I will try for the first time, hot apple cider steeped with Earl Grey tea bags, wine, beer, etc...

All yummy and with fun company. Hope yours is groovy too!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Thanksgiving with the Angels

Of course, the title of this post can be construed in many ways...thinking of those we have lost over the years, who will not be with us in body, but with us in spirit instead at the dinner table; and thinking of those who have been away from us and come home to fill our hearts with love.

Thanksgiving through Christmas and then New Years is my favorite season of the year (excluding summer at the beach, of course).  The air is cooler, the stores are brighter, the scents of cider and pumpkin and spices abound, family and friends are somehow closer and warmer.  This may seem a bit Hallmark but it exists nonetheless.

There are friends we see more often during this time of the year, not sure why, but Joe says it's "feast or famine." We like the feast :)

I look forward to Thanksgiving at our house, Christmas Eve at our house, Christmas day at Joe and Denise's, the Creutz ornament party, New Year's Eve dinner with Joe, Denise, Tom and Monica and then ringing in the New Year at Leslie's.  These have become traditions for us and though we can be flexible if necessary, we like this routine, it suits us and makes us feel comfortable.

I plan our Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve dinners in advance; I order from Fresh Direct for Thanksgiving and it feels like Christmas morning when the boxes come and I get to open them all to find just what I need to prepare a turkey feast!  I shop for Christmas Eve and that's special in itself; choosing just what I hope our friends will love to eat.

Ok...corny enough for you? Sorry...it's real.  We love our friends and family and "framily".  Happy to spend time with all of you...Now...Let it Snow!

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Ithaca, Oneonta, Sandy and Dee's

A lot has been going on in the past few weeks:

Michael and I went to Ithaca to bring Kaa to his new home.  Very successful endeavor. He's already shed and eaten in his new home!

While visiting with Margo and Mike we went to an Oktoberfest of sorts on the Commons.  There were vendors with local beer and wine and food.  We drank a bit from here and there, then walked over to the Bangwagon Pub (http://www.bandwagonbeer.com/index.html) for a late lunch/early dinner.  Their friend Doug joined us too.  We had:  Spanakopita, Ginger-scallion-pork dumplings, Shrimp bisque, Chipotle chicken sandwich and Beer battered catfish.  Two flights of beer and a raspberry-jalapeno beer too.  All was good and company better!

We strolled the Commons afterwards and found a new store:  F. Oliver's (http://folivers.com/). They sell oils and vinegars and none of the stuff that detracts from their products like soap and candles.  Wow!  The people that work there were wonderful.  Helpful, friendly, funny and kind.  They have more than 40 kinds of oils and vinegars and we tried many.  You can sample whatever you like.  We especially loved the Sweet Rich Cherry dark balsamic vinegar and the Fresh Pressed Meyer Lemon extra virgin olive oil.  Most bottles are $15 and there are also gift packages of 4 small bottles for $20.  We will be back!

We left Ithaca after a quick visit from Jesse :) and headed out early Sunday morning to Oneonta to visit with Sarah, Glenn, Eileen, Emily and Rich.  We had brunch at the Autumn Cafe (http://www.autumncafe.com/).  They have a great specials menu on a large blackboard.  We had:  Eggs Benedict, one with spinach and one with Canadian bacon; Blueberry pancakes; Challah french toast; tons of bacon, coffee and hot chocolate.  We had a great time with our closest friends!  We left soon afterwards hoping to avoid the beginning of Hurricane Sandy, and we were successful.

While we were home for the following week during and after Sandy, I cooked:  Chicken Cacciatore and turkey chili on Monday and Tuesday which we shared with Jill and Lenny.  Lamb chops on Wednesday and cutlets on Thursday.  We went out to dinner on Friday with Jill, Lenny and her sister Karen, who Michael referred to as "our sister in law" during introductions to Dee and Arman (very sweet).  We had brick oven pizza (yum), salad, fried calamari and artichoke-spinach dip, rosemary turkey burger, wine and cocktails and a big ass margarita for Michael.  So fun!

Saturday night we had Glenn and Eileen over for dinner.  They have been without electricity since Sandy.  They were so sick of pizza and take out so they were happy to eat:  Prime rib roast; rigatoni with pink sauce and peas and mesclun salad with goat cheese, beets and bacon in a Dijon vinaigrette.  More wine, beer and scotch.  Cherry cheesecake and Pizza Crumb for dessert.  It was a great evening.  The 4 of us rarely spend time together. 

Sunday I made Jill's grandma's Jewish wedding soup.  Last night Michael had leftovers and tonight is chicken and string beans sauteed with soy, garlic and ginger.

And that's all folks!!!