Thanksgiving Leftover Deliciousness

The day after Thanksgiving, when the refrigerator is full of leftovers and I'm still in the mood to use them, I try to be creative. So late this morning I made a batch of pie crust:

• 2 c all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2/3 c chilled butter
• 1/3 c +/- ice water

I put the flour in a food processor with the salt. I cut the butter into small cubes and added them to the food processor a few at a time, running the processor for a few seconds with each addition until all the butter was incorporated and the flour looked like course meal. Then I slowly added the ice water a little at a time while the food processor was running. I did this until it just started to pull away from the sides of the bowl and form a ball.
Then I put the dough onto a board with some flour and needed it just a few times, adding enough flour to make it not sticky. I formed it into a ball and placed it in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for 20 minutes to chill again (the dough will be more flaky if the dough is super chilled).
For the homemade 'hot pockets' I used half my dough. I rolled it out to pie crust thickness and cut it into rounds (I used a cereal bowl that was about 4 1/2 inches in diameter). In each round I put a small amount of my stash of leftovers:

• Turkey
• Stuffing
• Roasted Maple Butternut Squash

Then I sprinkled a little cheddar cheese over the filling. I used my finger to put just a bit of water around the edge of the dough circle. Then slowly I folded each round in half, stretching the dough just a little to make a perfect half moon. I crimped the edges of the pies (like my mother used to do around the edge of an apple pie). I brushed a little egg wash (one egg and a few drops of water and well beaten) over the top and sprinkled each with a little kosher salt and a little pepper. I put a vertical slit in the top of the ones with turkey and a horizontal slit in the ones for me without turkey. Then I put them in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. YUM!!! YUM!!
The cranberry tartlettes are right out of Martha Stewart Living's Nov. 2010 issue on page 58. Basically I put a 2 1/-4" square of pie crust from the other half of my batch that i make into the cups of a mini muffin tin. Then I put 1/2 tsp of cranberry relish into each cup. I folded the dough over and put them in the freezer for 30 minutes. Then I brushed each with the egg wash and sprinkled sugar over the top. They cooked along with the recipe above for the 30 minutes. Super easy.

Thanksgiving Leftovers: Lentil Roulade Sandwich with Cranberry Relish...think meatloaf for the vegetarian

The Golden Lentil Roulade with Chestnut Stuffing, posted on Thanksgiving day 2011, makes the best sandwiches the next day or days after.

The roulade slices perfectly and, when paired with mayo and cranberry relish on whole wheat toast, it is like the best Thanksgiving leftover sandwich for the vegetarian or carnivore. The herbal flavor of the stuffing and the sweetness of the chestnuts goes perfectly with the tart and fresh flavor of the cranberry relish.

Thanksgiving Dinner Check List

I am not good at making lists but they are so helpful, especially when you have a big dinner party coming up. Here's my check list:

• Create dinner menu...done
• Create shopping list...done
• Polish silver (if you don't it will look dull and you won't be as excited about your table setting)...Tuesday evening
• Find linens: table cloth and napkins. Iron if needed...Tuesday evening
• Put the extra leafs in the table while you have help...Tuesday evening
• Shop for groceries...Wednesday morning (cutting it a little close)
• Set the table...Wednesday afternoon
• Clean the house (public areas and restrooms)...Wednesday when the mood hits
• Prepare as much of the meal as possible the day before...Wednesday afternoon
• Martini...Wednesday evening
• Prepare the rest of the meal as you can...Thanksgiving day
• Light candles and fireplaces...one hour before
• Martini...just as the guests arrive

Catered Events for the Holidays

I only recently started to use caterers for my holiday parties. And what a difference it makes! If money is not an issue, go all out and have the event fully catered and staffed. Staffing is glorious when at the end of the party your kitchen is spotless and you have nothing to do but relax.

If keeping track of cost is important, then have the caterer bring 60% of the food. Let them take care of some of the more difficult dishes or ones that are not in your repertoire. Then you can fill in the blanks. One of my favorite low stress cocktail party offerings is a fruit and cheese board. I usually use three cheeses: a blue, a goat cheese and a hard cheese like cheddar or Parmesan. I place the cheeses on a wooden board and decorate the rest of the board with grapes and strawberries. Sometimes I'll use dried fruit or nuts in small bowls on the board. And of course water crackers complete the presentation. Everyone should have a large wooden cutting board for presentations like this.

Another low stress item is a smoked salmon tray. At the grocery store you can buy pre-sliced smoked salmon. Lay it out on a pretty tray along with a row of finely chopped onion, a row of capers, a row of chopped hard boiled egg (picked up from the salad bar at my grocery store) and a row of crackers. The presentation is lovely. I also like to have a small bowl of sour cream with prepared horseradish added for the right amount of heat. This makes a great addition to the total presentation.

You can put together these two items well in advance. Then an hour before your cocktail party starts, the caterer will drop off the rest of the food. They'll even come back the next day to pick up their serving dishes. This leaves so much more time for getting yourself ready for the party. Enjoy!

Dinner Party Menu Ideas

Someone asked me for an idea of what to serve for a small dinner party with friends. I immediately suggested this recipe. Serving pasta family style in a big bowl in the middle of the table instantly relaxes everyone. And the addition of shell fish make the dish elegant. The sauce for this recipe can be made before the guests arrive and the mussels can be scrubbed and de-bearded and stored in the refrigerator. With a large pot of water for the pasta simmering on the stove, this dish can be put together in a matter of minutes once everyone is ready to eat.

Linguine with Spicy Leek and Tomato Sauce with Mussels

• 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp (or to taste) hot pepper flakes
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 3 medium leeks (white and light green parts only) split in half and the sliced crosswise
• 2 lb plum tomatoes (you can use quality canned chopped tomatoes)
• 1 c dry white wine
• 1 1/2 tbs white wine vinegar
• 1 lb linguine
• 2 c freshly grated Parmesan Cheese (divided)
• 2 lb fresh mussels

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the next 3 ingredients, saute 1 minute. Add leeks, saute until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stir 1 minute. Ad wine and vinegar, bring to a boil. Cover and cook until tomatoes break down, stirring often, about 5 minutes. (At this point you can turn off the flame and let the sauce rest until you are ready to finish dinner)
When you are about 15 minutes from eating, turn the pasta water on high. When it is boiling, add a small handful of salt to the water. Add the pasta and stir to make sure it doesn't stick to itself. While the past is cooking, reheat the sauce over medium low heat. When the pasta is done, pull the pasta from the water and drop into the pot of sauce. Stir to combine. Add 1/2 to 1 cup of pasta cooking water to the sauce and half the cheese. Spread the mussels over the pasta and sauce and cover with a lid. let this simmer for about 6 minutes or until the mussels have all opened. If any mussels don't open, then discard them.
Pour this magical meal into a large bowl, sprinkle with a little more cheese and place in the middle of the table with a large spoon and tongs for serving. Pall the remaining cheese around for your guests to add to their pasta.
I like to serve this by starting with a salad and the offering a basket of crusty bread with both the salad and pasta course.
This recipe serves 6 and is adapted from a recipe in the June '07 issue of bon appetit. It was a Reader's Quick Recipe submission by Tim Cole (no relation).

The beginnings of Thanksgiving Day dinner planning

It's Monday morning and more importantly it is three days before Thanksgiving. I have too many times planned my Thanksgiving dinner in my head and then not executed the shopping part of the event until the actual day of the meal. And nothing is worse than finding that there is no sage left in any grocery store, not to mention too many other important ingredients.

As I have gotten older I have learned the comfort in doing at least a little planning and work prior to the big day. So this morning I am going to write out my proposed menu. I say proposed because I may find something new and exciting to make over the next couple of days. Everywhere you turn there are more and more recipes on TV, in the paper and in magazines.

I know that for the Turkey I am using a recipe for the Dining Section of last week's New York Times. Here's a link to the recipe:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/10/dining/10chefrex1.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Torrisi%20Turkey&st=cse

It is a recipe for a brined turkey breast whose preparation reads as if all but the last 20 minutes of cooking can be done well in advance. Basically it is a brined breast that is finished with a honey glaze.

Now for the sides: I have many standards that I have made over the years and every year I try to mix these with one or two new ideas. So here's my first draft of the rest of the menu:

• Fresh Fennel Pan Gravy (with Penrod and I think the anise flavor will go well with the honey glaze on the turkey. bon appetit 11/10 pg 121)
• Apple Sausage and Sage Dressing (this is a recipe from Jasper White's Cooking From New England, a great cookbook. This recipe is hearty and I use Gimme Lean Vegetarian Sausage and vegetable broth. I have made this every year for a decade.)
• Cornbread Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Mushroom Gravy (this is an old recipe that I have used and this dish offers a vegetarian entree at the table)
• Celery Root and Apple Puree (this will stand in for the standard Mashed Potatoes. Recipe is from Ina Garten and uses Celery Root, Apples, Fennel and Potatoes for a super mashed root vegetable side dish: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/celery-root-and-apple-puree-recipe/index.html
• Maple-Braised Butternut Squash with fresh Thyme (bon appetit 11/10 pg. 147)
• Brussels Sprouts in a Horseradish Cream (another old recipe of mine that is spicy and rich so it will be a nice complement to the other sides)
• Cranberry Relish (no one ever really eats cranberry sauce, but i love it. This recipe was given to me by my friend Mike Goebig and it is super fresh and keeps very well)

I think that I may farm desert out to a guest. I read somewhere that people who cook enjoy being a part of the dinner by bringing something that every one can fawn over. I can be a bit "it's all about me" at dinner parties, but I'm going to try to get over that...

My Love of Food

I have two businesses in Bloomington, a Real Estate business and a Design business. I work with RE/MAX Acclaimed Properties and I've been involved in the real estate industry since the mid 80's. My design business, Bloomington Staging & Design is my artistic outlet. But I also have a tremendous love of food. So this is my outlet for that.

I love to cook. In fact I cook almost every night. At the end of a long day, I can't think of anything more relaxing and nurturing than cooking a meal. I hope you feel the same...or learn to. I can't think of any other way to feed your soul and body at the same time. Well, there is Eucharist, so this is my second feast.