Thanksgiving 2011-Style

There were two 12 lb turkeys, mashed potatoes made w/ ricotta, corn w/ butter, stuffing a la my great-aunt's recipe, and possibly the best gravy my mother has made in years.

Queen Of Turkey Rides Again

It was very similar to last year... with a few exceptions:

Get up under that turkey skin w/ the softened herb butter!

My mother checked the liquor cabinet before I arrived and thought the open bottle of Apple Jack would work in place of regular brandy this year. She might have been right.

However.

Make sure the alcohol you use to deglaze the bacon fat has not been open for more than a decade (or 4), as you will end up with more water than booze in the pan, and not only does that not add flavor, it will spit at you like a dozen flaming ornery llamas.

Remember to roast the neck for added richness in your gravy,
as well as a snack while the bird rests!

Additionally, try not to have the element in your electric oven suddenly glow white-hot and crack, dripping molten metal onto your oven floor. That puts a kink in ones' cooking marathon.

Luckily my parents have two stacked wall ovens, so with careful planning everything got made on time, and the above pale yet promising turkey (note the flecks from the bacon drippings) turned into:

...the golden number you see above.

Once more: Bacon, Brandy, Butter, and 12 minutes/pound at 325º
Make sure your bird is completely defrosted before cooking, and weigh your bird once defrosted for best accuracy.

Save the skin from bird #1 and in the last 10 minutes of cooking bird #2, lay the foil w/ skin over bird #2's breast, baste the extra skin, and you will have extra cracklings to serve.

After resting for 45 minutes, I carved the bird (without mishap) and we all sat down to one of the most pleasant Thanksgivings we have passed in the last decade.

I hope the same can be said about yours.

Happy Holidays!

Count Down to Turkey

Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away, so I thought I would just relive the glory of last year repost last year's Thanksgiving post for those who are wondering what to do with their turkey this year.

Or in my family's case, with 2 turkeys.

Turkey #2 from last year

The Three B's will not let you down:

Bacon

Brandy

Butter

Go forth and make awesomeness for those you love.

I Earned It!

OK, I said I'd stay away until the New Year rolled around, but I just couldn't resist sharing what a dear friend sent to me in a Christmas card this year:

How cute is that?!

I was never a Girl Scout as a child. I was too busy playing softball, riding horses, and dancing after school to be part of any other organization. Plus I hate uniforms for the most part, as well as people who sell things door to door.

However, I am so very very proud to have earned this honorary Cooking Merit Badge.

At least, I've earned it according to Beth.

And she's a very smart girl.

So I'm just gonna go with it, and it is now hanging in my kitchen!

Thanks again, lady, and Happy Holidays!

(& Happy Birthday Beth!!!!)

And for those of you still snowed-in, I feel your pain. As we were originally snowed-in in NJ, I spent my day making French Onion Soup and roasting 2 chickens. When we finally felt the need to get back home to NYC, it took a Jeep in very slow traffic to a train, which was then shifted off track to another station that it was not supposed to go to (I saw flames on the snow-covered tracks as we passed them but I doubt that was the reason, but still, FLAMES on SNOW-COVERED tracks. WTF?!?!) which lead us to the PATH train as suddenly NJ Transit was not leaving NJ, which then dumped us in the wrong part of Manhattan, and we then walked in the wrong direction carrying 4 bags and 2 cats, as though we were freakin' TOURISTS! 

So we had to take 2 more packed local trains home.

But we made it.

And all is well.

Merry Merry.

Stay warm.

And pay young people to shovel for you.

My First Thanksgiving

No, I'm not going to post some picture of me at 10 months old gumming cranberry sauce. That was the first time I was around for a Thanksgiving holiday.

This was my first Thanksgiving because it was the first time that I was in charge of cooking the turkey. Or rather, turkeys.
There were two.
For 5 people...

Being 30 has brought a number of milestones and Life Truths to light, and the first time cooking the Thanksgiving Turkey for the family was another one of them. I am always sous chef in my mother's kitchen: peeling, chopping, dicing, hefting, and generally helping to make our meals happen.
I still did all of that this year, but with the additional 100% responsibility of the birds.

And you know what?

I ROCKED THEM!

I mean, I couldn't retain my blog name if I didn't knock it out of the park now and again. (As well as go out singing until all hours every so often.)

Turkey # 1, moderately golden, totally juicy

Popular opinion seems to be that the entire purpose of Thanksgiving Dinner is just to have the leftovers as sandwiches, so my mother makes sure we have a LOT of turkey.

Specifically, two 14-pound birds. For 5 people.

I basically brought half a turkey back to NYC as leftovers.

(And I'm so full of fatty foods that I had to make some kale and white bean soup to detox over the weekend!)

And it SNOWED on Thanksgiving (in NJ)!

Granted it didn't stick to the ground, but it was still a surprise to see it falling for a couple of hours.

I maintain that our planet is actually a month ahead of our current seasonal calendar.

It's just insanity. 

And reason.

Back to the food...

We had stuffing and baked potatoes, both white and sweet, and corn and cranberry sauce... and turkey.

Turkey #2: Food Porn

LOOK at that bird! It's a friggin' masterpiece.

And no, it those dark spots are not burnt skin. They are the brown bits that were on the bottom of the pan when I cooked off the bacon that I mixed with the brandy and then poured over the turkey.

Sound familiar?

This is why.

I mean really, if it works for chicken, why wouldn't it work for turkey?

I now proclaim my motto of the Three B's of Thanksgiving:

Bacon, Brandy, & Butter

(Optional 4th B of Booze for the Cook)

Close-up Turkey Porn

Ok, so the method I used was as follows:

Allow the bird 45 minutes to an hour to come to room temperature before you even think of cooking it. You want ALL of the chill off of the meat.

And you will be able to tell because you'll be getting your hands all up in that bird's business.

(Same goes for when it comes out of the oven. 45 minutes of rest before you carve it or all the juices will run out.)

Naturally, both of our "fresh" organic birds came largely frozen, so I spent the first few hours on Tuesday and Wednesday doing the cool water bath, changing the water every 30 minutes, until the birds were completely defrosted.

Don't forget to remove the bag of giblets and the neck from inside the bird's cavity.

Using about half a stick of butter per bird, I let it come to room temperature and then spread the softened butter under the skin of the bird over the breast meat.

I was NOT going to chance dry meat.

I salted the cavity of the bird as well as the skin and tossed 1 medium onion, quartered, into the bird's cavity along with some fresh thyme, because that's what my parents had in the fridge. Sage or rosemary would also be great here.

 2 cans of chicken stock + water went into the bottom of the roasting pan along with another chopped onion and 3 peeled and chopped carrots.

Preheat oven to 325º

Follow the steps in The Greatest Roast Chicken for the bacon and brandy part.

That weird looking thing is the turkey neck.

DO NOT THROW IT OUT!

Even if you don't like the giblets that come with the bird, use the neck!

I tossed it into the bottom of the roasting pan, turning it once halfway through cooking, and not only did the meat on the neck taste like roasted thigh meat, it also exuded collagen into the drippings which make for a thicker gravy later on.

Also, it's fun to snack on.

Using my grandmother's rule of thumb, I roasted the birds at 325º for 12 minutes per pound.

I basted every 20 minutes or so, and when the skin on the breast meat started to look like it was pushing the line between crispy and burning, I covered it with tinfoil.

And now for the extra brilliant part.

I took the skin I reserved from Turkey #1 (roasted and carved the day before, so the skin would be soggy Day 2) and put that skin ON TOP of the foil so that it would re-crisp for the final 20-30 minutes.

I even basted the skin once. 

It was delicious.

Cracktacular skin

Don't believe me? My brother posted this the day after Thanksgiving:

And as it was his idea for me to take over The Bird this year, and he's quite particular about the quality of his food, I was over the moon when he posted this online on Thanksgiving:

Pardon me while I get a bit weepy, and also walk around pumping my fists at the sky and calling myself The Queen of Turkey.
(And no, that's not a political statement.)

Back to cooking points:

Finally, and most importantly, you must let your turkey rest for roughly 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size it may be longer, or else all the butter under the skin, bacon fat and brandy in the world will not stop the juices from running out and giving you a dry bird.

A note on carving:

I find it easiest to loosen the legs and remove first the drumstick, and then the thigh. Next remove the wing as a whole piece. Any joint you have trouble with, place the tip of your knife into the meeting of the bones, and wiggle a bit until it separates.

Finally I carve the breasts off as one large piece each and slice them crosswise so each piece has a bit of skin attached.

And of course afterwards I get in there with my fingers to tear all the little scraps of meat that are missed by "pretty presentation" carving so that no part of the delicious bird goes to waste.

Except for the bag of giblets.

Oops.

Oh well.

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving, that you have come out of your Turkey Comas feeling rested and rejuvenated, and that the rest of the holiday season treats you well.

Queen of Turkey, out.

Colorful Quinoa Concoction

I am quite pleased with myself.

I made for dinner something completely out of the ordinary, and it was quite successful, so I am extra pleased to have concocted something tasty that was out of my comfort zone. I mentioned before that I have accidentally bought fresh Mexican-style chorizo instead of the Spanish-style that I prefer. This time I intentionally bought the Mexican style because it was on super-sale and I figured I could doctor it up to my (Spanish-style) liking.
I succeeded by barraging it with spices and garlic.
Lots of garlic.

Before starting on the meat or veg, measure out 1 cup of quinoa and rinse it well in a sieve. Add it to a pot with 2 cups of water, set to boil, and then bring down to a simmer. Cook until all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Mexican chorizo is raw. Spanish chorizo comes fully cooked.

Step one: remove the thin casings from the fresh chorizo and chop it into bite-sized pieces.

Add the chopped chorizo to a hot non-stick pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil.

As the sausage browns and cooks, add the following to taste: 

Smoked Spanish Paprika (at LEAST 1 TBSP if not more)

Cayenne Pepper (I only used 1/2 tsp as we don't usually do spicy. Just enough for a little heat in the back of the throat.)

Cinnamon (also about 1/2 tsp)

3-4 cloves of garlic, grated

Salt to taste

While that is becoming delicious, remove the stems from 1 bunch of swiss chard (I used green, but use whatever dark leafy green makes your palate happy)

Give the leaves a rough chop  (until it is almost the size of a mix of baby lettuces) and the stems a finer dice. Give the stems an extra couple of minutes to cook before adding the leaves.

By the time the meat was done cooking my quinoa was cooked as well, so I strained the meat from its oil and placed it in the pot with the hot quinoa. (leave the seasoned oil in the pan)

If desired, you can sprinkle 1 TBSP of olive oil and a pinch of salt in the pot of quinoa before adding the seasoned sausage. I skipped this step as there was a bit of oil left in the pan for the greens.

Place the chopped greens into the pan with the colorful and flavorful oil, season with salt, and cook until wilted. (Remember, stems first.) 

It really wilts down dramatically.

While the greens were wilting, I was grating about a cup of ricotta salata to throw in the dish.

I had a lot of trouble deciding what cheese would work best in this dish. I could not find any queso fresco, which seemed like the logical topping for this, so I chose the subtle salt and tang of ricotta salata, and I was quite pleased with how it all came out. 

I threw most of the grated cheese and all of the wilted greens in the pot with the quinoa and sausage to mix it all thoroughly before spooning it into bowls for devouring.

Topped with a little extra cheese, it really was a very satisfying meal, and an excellent use of quinoa. 

(Something I am always trying to find!)

Try this as a hearty Fall supper, or even a side dish for the holidays!

The Best Roast Chicken Ever

According to the hubs, this is The Greatest Roast Chicken Ever.

And to me, it's The Easiest Roast Chicken Ever.
But possibly also one of the tastiest possible.

WIN! WIN!

And just whhhyyyyyy is it so delicious AND simple?

BACON!

Also, it only requires 6 ingredients:

1 whole roaster chicken (between 3 and 6 lbs.)

3-6 slices of bacon (depending on size of chicken, or preference)

1/3 cup of brandy

1 onion, quartered

salt

water or chicken stock

THAT'S IT!!!!!

There is no brining, no complex stuffing, no chopping except for 2 whacks at an onion, no picking the tiny leaves off of fresh herbs, nada.  The hardest part of this meal is just remembering to baste!

And frankly, in my house, the only things I'd have to go out and purchase for this meal would be the chicken and the bacon, as the other ingredients are always on hand in my kitchen.

It's such a magical food.

 This recipe was inspired by an episode of one of Nigella Lawson's cooking shows, but I could not find the recipe online later, so I just winged it, added a bit more bacon than she mentioned, and threw in the salt for the cavity and the onion out of habit.

Step One: Preheat your oven. (I do 425º for the first 30 minutes, and then the rest of the time cook the chicken at 350º but stick with whatever method you're used to.)

Step Two: Brown your bacon and set aside to drain on paper towels. Possibly make extra as you KNOW you're going to want to snack on some once you smell it cooking.

 Step Three: Pour your (pre-measured) brandy into the pan of bacon drippings and allow it to sizzle (step back!) and combine until it calms down. Set this aside off of the heat.

See the flecks of bacon from the drippings?!

For the bird, I salt the cavity and then place half to a whole onion (quartered) into the cavity for flavor and moisture. (Depends on the size of both the bird and the onion.)

Step Four: Insert bacon into the chicken's cavity and truss your bird. Refrain from placing broken bits of bacon under the chicken's skin, as they will burn a bit. (Things you learn the hard way.)

Step Five: Pour brandied bacon fat over the chicken.

Step Six: Add about 3/4 of an inch of water or chicken stock to the bottom of the pan for basting and to prevent spitting or burning.

 Step Seven: Cook.
(Yes I chose to throw some carrots and onion into the bottom of the pan as well because then you get roasted carrots THAT TASTE LIKE BACON!)
This happened to be a 6 pound bird, so it took 1 hour and 30 minutes to cook, and I basted every 15-20 minutes... or when I remembered.

Crappy photo taken because I just wanted to EAT!

Let the chicken rest on a baking sheet (or carving board, wherever works for you) and turn those amazing drippings into a sweet dark gravy. All I used was a tsp of flour to help it thicken and a little time over a burner with a whisk.

THE GREATEST ROAST CHICKEN.

You're welcome.

Free Fancy Salt!! (with purchase)

If you've been following my blog at all, you've probably seen me refer to Secret Stash Salts more than once. (Especially sending you back here.)
I am a big fan of their products, and as such, I follow their blog. In doing so I have discovered that they are doing Customer Appreciation thru Friday (5/21), and I decided to pass along the good news to you!

Any order of a normal 3.5 oz salt will be accompanied by a Sampler Size (1 oz I believe) in a flavor of your choice. (I opted for the Coconut Garam Masala and Almond Cardamom as I am looking to broaden my culinary horizons.)

Their link to PayPal is having a few issues, so you have two ways to get your sample.
1 - if there is a "Message to Sender" box on your order form, just write the flavor sample you would like to try in there, and they will include it.
2 - if there is no "Message to Sender" box, you can email info@secretsalts.com with your order info, and what flavor you would like a sample of.

I hope you take advantage of this offer.
Oh, and you're welcome :)

P.S. - If you are reading this link after May 20th 2010, click on the title (Rock'n'Roll Gourmet) to refresh the page with all newer posts. For some reason some links are automatically going back to this one.

Orzo Perfection

I promised you delicious, and I have delivered.

I just made the best orzo dish E V E R!!!
I really like orzo in general. I think it is an under-utilized form of pasta. I have also never been a big fan of rice, and don't really understand the draw of risotto. Whenever a creamy risotto has been described with lots of tasty ingredients, I just wish they'd made the dish with pasta instead. Because pasta is ALWAYS better than rice. No. NO! It just is. Give it up.
Pasta rules.
So what could be better than pasta that LOOKS like rice, but is in fact, still pasta?
At least when it comes to a side-dish.

WARNING: It may be impossible to stop eating this, so bear that in mind for portion control.

So, this orzo dish I made up totally off the cuff, having seen a recipe for orzo w/ ricotta and lemon zest. That's it. Just 2 ingredients. I decided I could do better.
WAY better.
Sure, it could be a side dish, but I made it as a simple main dish for a night in which dinner never really happened. And as soon as I tasted it I tried to write down what I did because Mike and I both thought it was so damned tasty. I really hope I can recreate it again.

So here's the rundown:
Obviously, boil and salt water, drop orzo (I was working with about 1/2 a cup... what was left in the box.) Cook 11 min or whatever your box tells you.

I put about 2 tablespoons of evoo in a sauce pan, and grated one large clove of garlic into the oil, on very low heat, and let that cook up a bit. Maybe 2-3 minutes. Just as the color shifts from white to soft gold.

Next I put in a splash of white wine. Maybe 4 tablespoons worth. I let that simmer on medium heat for about a minute to reduce a bit.
Add half to a whole teaspoon of dried thyme into the simmering garlic/oil/wine mixture, crushing it between your fingers/palms as you drop it.

Next, I lowered the heat back down to medium-low, and I added about 3 tablespoons of half & half/ cream (whatever is on hand), and stir to combine. At this point there is only just enough liquid to fully cover the bottom of the pan. I was creating a flavor base and thinning base for the cheese that is added next.
To the aromatic liquids in the pan, I added about 1/4 cup of ricotta cheese. Stir until it become smooth and creamy. *This photo is actually of mascarpone... see below.

Add the zest of half of one lemon. Stir again. Season with salt to taste.
(If you want a bit more salt and cheese, you can stir in a little less than 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, but I think it is better in its sweet and lemony form.)

Two minutes before the orzo was done cooking, I dropped a couple handfuls of frozen baby peas into the boiling water as well. Their sweetness helps to offset the richness of the sauce.
(Making this yet again the other night, I thought about using drained frozen spinach, but realized the fresh sweetness of the peas is just a better choice for this.)
When the timer goes off, drain well and add to the melted cheese mixture. Stir to combine, and then pour that creamy concoction into one big soup bowl, or divide between 2 people as a side-dish.

I did this completely off the cuff, so use your own judgement as you go as far as proportions and seasonings.
Important: do not try to make this more "figure friendly" by using part-skim ricotta. It will not melt properly for you. Just think of it as your calcium boost of the day.
In fact, to make it even more decadent, swap in some Italian mascarpone cheese instead of ricotta. It will be the creamiest, most indulgent sauce you have ever tasted.

And don't forget, it's got peas! So there is something good for you in it! Other than calcium and taste buds doing a dance of ultimate joy!!!


This was seriously so tasty that the hubs actually said, "Mmm, this is the best ice cream ever!" because while it is a savory dish, some aspect of it (probably the richness from the ricotta/mascarpone) makes you feel like you are also eating a dessert.

So there you go. Creamy ricotta orzo with peas. Also another super fast meal if you're looking for something comforting and you don't feel like making a whole protein+veg+starch meal.
Enjoy!!!

Playing with Fire

I promised you fire in the past, and now I have delivered.
(recipe also via that link)
Quick video of my pan of brandied cherry sauce,  a flambé.


Note: it is very hard to hold a point-&-shoot camera in video mode AND control the fire in your pan. That is some shaky video. Sorry it's only 9 seconds long. I will set things on fire for longer in the future.


Also, ignore Mike's voice in the background. He is incorrectly informing his mommy of what I am doing. Grape jelly? Seriously Mike?
I guess this is why I do all the cooking...

Duck & Cover

I AM QUEEN OF THE UNIVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRSSSSSSE!!!!!!

No, seriously.
I have finally, finally, FINALLY cooked a duck breast to perfection. This makes me over-the-moon happy because it is one of my favorite things to eat and the fact that I could not recreate its tender succulent state in my own home made me positively batty.

Also, when I looked online how to cook duck, there were so very many conflicting versions. Medium high heat, medium heat, medium low heat, only 4 min per side, almost 20 minutes on a side! I decided to split the difference and made up my own way, and as previously stated, it worked to perfection! The key is patience and a low heat, which I suspected, and had confirmed by a chef at Giorgio's. Duck does not do well with a "screaming hot pan" so just keep your hands away from the temperature knob and let it cook on medium-low heat.

Finally, I made this recipe up off the cuff from previous duck dishes I've enjoyed in restaurants, so if I forget portions... just use logic. And I really like duck with a sweet fruit sauce, so if sweet isn't your thing... oh well. But then, this duck was so perfect it didn't even need the sauce. Yum.

So here's how it went down:

Duck w/ Brandied Plum-Cherry Sauce

Step one: turn on some classy opera (or whatever you're in the mood to cook to. Last night, Luci wanted in on dinner.)


Step two: prep carrots. This was simple, if time-consuming to cook. Preheat oven to 400º. I was trying to recreate the roasted carrots I get when I roast a whole chicken, only without the whole chicken part.

So I peeled a few carrots, chopped them into "baby" carrot sizes, and tossed them in a pan (lined w/ foil) & drizzled them w/ a little evoo & salt. Then I threw in a bit of shallot & fresh thyme, and filled the pan with chicken stock to about halfway up the carrot slices. These then roast at 400º for about 45 minutes. They come out super sweet and tender.

Step three: prep your duck. Make sure it comes to room temp before you cook it (this is important with all meat) so it doesn't seize up when it hits the hot pan. Score the skin-side with hash marks, and season both sides. 

Next, turn your pan on medium low heat for the duck, and your sauce pan on medium. Put a bit of evoo in both. While your pan is heating, mince half a shallot (left from the carrots) and one clove of garlic for the sauce. By the time you finish this your pan should be up to temperature and you can put the duck in, skin-side-down. Set your timer for 12-15 min.

Step four: The Sauce. I was cheating and using the end of a jar of Sarabeth's Plum-Cherry preserves for my sauce (Aside: Sandra Lee - THIS is a semi-homemade sauce. Bitch.) Ok so the diced half shallot went into the evoo, and one minced clove of garlic. When that started to soften and cook out (only a minute or two) I added another splash of chicken stock, because I did not want the jam to stick or burn. Then I put the end of the jar of jam in, which was probably about 3-4 tablespoons.

Now the fun part.

Pour about half to 3/4 of a shot of brandy (I had armagnac) into a shot glass, and then pour that into the sauce. (NEVER pour directly from the bottle of booze because it can ignite the whole effing bottle by accident and then your kitchen is on fire. Plus, you're out a whole bottle of booze.) I used a kitchen lighter to ignite the sauce (I can't tilt the pan without tilting out the sauce, myself) and let the alcohol burn off. This took a good 45 seconds or so. I'm sorry I don't have a photo of that, but I was more concerned with keeping an eye on the giant flame in my pan, and keeping it there, rather than reaching for the camera. Once the fire is out, stir again, toss in a little leftover fresh thyme, and finish the sauce with a pat of butter. Put the heat on the lowest setting and keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.

By now your duck should look like this. And yes that is a little more fresh thyme on top. If your duck does not want to come away from the pan, it means it is not ready yet. But when you get to the 15 min mark, toy with the edges w/ tongs to ease it away, letting the fat run under the sticking skin.

(Note: during the 12-15 min the duck has been cooking and you were making the sauce, you would need to ladle out some of the duck fat from the pan. Place that in a separate bowl, and save it because it will make fabulous potatoes. You can see how much I got here.)

When you flip your duck, it should look nice and golden and crispy on the skin side. I cook it for another 3-4 minutes this way, and then (*here is my key discovery!) put the lid on your pan for another 2 minutes. This assures the duck cooks through evenly. Then remove the duck to a plate, tent with foil, and let it rest 5 min or so before serving, to preserve juices.

Hopefully now your oven is telling you that your carrots are done cooking, and the chicken stock should have just disappeared from the bottom of the pan. (If there was some left, you used a little too much, which would reduce the caramelization of your carrots, but they should still be tender and tasty.)

Divide the breast down the middle for two servings, top with your still-warm brandied-plum-cherry sauce, and dish out your carrots. (I never actually eat the crispy skin due to how fatty the underside is, but you must cook with it, unlike chicken.)

Presto!! A fantastic meal, perfectly cooked, juicy, and melting in your mouth.

Did I mention that I am SO FREAKING PROUD OF MYSELF?!?!?

But a funny side-note of humility:
Mike was working late last night and did not get home until 7:30PM, so I was already cooking. And that damned jar of Sarabeth's preserves would not open. I tried running it under hot water, using a gripper thing, and making every stupid face while trying to twist the top off, but whatever old jam was stuck in the lid was just not going to budge for me. So... I walked across the hall to my neighbors and asked the husband/dad-of-two there to open it. Happily for me (so I didn't feel like a total wuss), he struggled as well, and had to run it under the tap twice before he could get it open. But, much as I'd like to deny it, sometimes you just need a guy to open a stubborn jar.
I'm going to have to make them something in thanks.

As it has dropped another 16 inches of snow on NYC today, I need to wrap this up so we can go and play in Riverside Park. So go forth and play, and master duck in your own kitchen!