Happy Holidays

May your holidays be filled with sparkling wine, sparkling wit, loved ones, and chocolate-covered strawberries.

Hopefully the sparkling wine and strawberries will be edible, rather than ornamental.

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!

My Bacon Valentine

Men really get the short end of the stick when it comes to Valentine's Day. They're expected to do the heavier share of the gift-giving as decreed by Hallmark and the Florist contingent. And since I do wake up every year to some form of chocolate sitting on my computer table when I wake up, I try to show my appreciation for my hubby with what I'm good at: cooking.

Awwww...

I chose his 2 favorite foods: Steak and Bacon.

(Arguably his 2 favorite foods could be bacon and bacon, but that's just redundant.)

I also decided to incorporate bacon into every part of the meal except the beverage, just to really show I care.

And no, I'm not trying to kill the hubs or myself. My genetically high cholesterol has dropped 170 points in the past year thanks to medication, but I am slightly anemic, so I am now not only allowed to eat bacon on occasion, I need to eat more steak!

Yay!

Now bacon-wrapped filet mignon is a classic, but it's an expensive classic, so I opted to go another way.

Bacon compound butter, on a cheaper cut of steak.

(Saving money shows I care about our future...)

Above you see room temperature butter (about 2 TBSP) and 2 slices of cooked bacon, finely chopped.

After mixing it together, spoon it onto some plastic wrap and mould it however you like.

I went with an attempt at a heart...

Awwwwww...

Potatoes!

As potatoes are probably #3 on the hubs's favorite food list, I had to have them for a side dish. These I roasted in the oven in a combination of rendered duck fat, a little bacon fat, some salt, onion, and fresh thyme. Roughly 40 minutes at 400-425º, turning once halfway through, and they come out crispy and brown and fabulous. 

Don't forget to season them again while they are hot so the salt sticks.

Mmmm... more bacon

Not to be left out, I chopped up and crisped one more slice of bacon and cooked the frozen peas in the rendered fat.

There was one healthy-ish aspect to this meal, I swear.

Guess which is my piece

In a very hot skillet, I seared some seasoned (room temperature!) steaks that I had pat dry and brushed lightly with olive oil, cooking until medium-rare. About 2-3 minutes per side for a 3/4" thick steak.

Place the bacon compound butter atop the hot steak and watch it melt.

Just like the hubs's heart when he saw what was for dinner.

(Wah-wah...)

Money shot of the fabulous potatoes

I added the crisped bacon pieces to the potatoes after I had plated them so they would not get soggy.

I cannot stand soggy bacon.

It's such a let-down.

Ta da!

My Valentine's Day dinner to show how much I care was not a let-down.

It was quite tasty.

Unfortunately dessert was not as big a hit as I'd hoped, as I had ordered a custom-made chocolate bar for the hubs, which was dark chocolate with bacon and peanut butter chips in it.

For shame Chocomize.

Your options are intriguing, but your chocolate quality kind of sucks.

Luckily there was plenty of Godiva to go around, and dessert was salvaged.

Hubs to the rescue again.

I do love him so.

Winter Wondizzard

I continue to fall into the trap of cooking something tasty and forgetting to document it. Of late there have been quite a few soups and panini.
Must.
Stop.
Forgetting.
Camera.

I hope everyone had a lovely New Year's Eve. I traipsed through Brooklyn w/ the hubs and friends and even managed to get home before 2AM. Success!
As the hubs's birthday is January 2nd, he managed to celebrate his birthday with friends for a solid 3 days (and an additional celebratory dinner w/ my fam for Day 4) since he had friends in town and staying with us. There was The PeeWee Herman Show (shudder), Tron in IMAX 3D, brunch, shopping in SoHo (tho that was more errands I had to run but he managed to find a pair of Fluevogs on sale while the 2 pairs I wanted were sold out WORLDWIDE. Grrr...) and a LOT of spazzing in front of his new Kinect.
(I'd really like to be able to turn off that photo-capture aspect...)

And just in case you didn't believe that NYC got a lot of snow the day after Xmas:

That is the hubs atop a snow embankment on NYE.

There is no buried car underneath.

Still, it didn't seem like a prohibitive amount of snow when it fell (to me anyway), and I do think that too many people just sit on their hands and wait for the city to clean up after Mother Nature, rather than putting on some knee-high snow boots (which anyone living in this part of the country should own) and helping to dig their own crap out. 

This wasn't even an icy storm. The snow was fluffy and easy to shift off of cars.

People just didn't get off their butts to do it. 

And so they yelled at the sanitation department for not cleaning the outer boroughs fast enough, claiming Manhattan gets special treatment.

Well, as my hubs explained it, if you live in an outer borough, there might be 100 people on your block. If you live in Manhattan, there are over 1,000.

Yes. Manhattan gets plowed first.

Deal with it.

I mean, this is where you're trying to get to anyway, right?

With that controversial commentary done, I shall leave you with some "Day After" photos I took while snowed-in in NJ.

Because I forgot to take pictures when I was cooking all week.

(Click pics to enlarge)

Bluejays and cardinals abound

I think they actually found it easier to get to the (half-buried) feeder this way...

A pissed and puffy bluejay

You can see the snow blowing miles away

A peaceful snow blanket

Until the wind gusts again

Do not walk here.

I think he wanted to be on my side of the glass...

Il finito

1/1/11

Happy New Year!

Just a little more sleep and I'll be good as new...

Secret Holiday Elves!

Oh my gosh!
I got this in the mail today and it came without a note, and tho I eventually found out who sent it to me...(I have an awesome mother-in-law. Thank you Terri!!!!) it was quite a surprise and mystery for a few hours.
I am now slightly more Official, as well as well protected from splatters and spastic hand flailing.

It's a bitchin' apron...

And yes, it was 22º-feels-like-9º in NYC, so I was in full turtleneck-sweater-mode indoors when I tried it on. It's not even officially Winter yet. Eep.

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.

Electric Six Boat Cruise

No, I have no pictures of the band as we stayed up on the deck the entire time. That way we had the view, the breeze, and the speakers playing the music for us. We = Smart.

We were joined on our 3 Hour Tour by my big bro, friends Jim & Cathy, Candy & Joel (newly engaged!), and a few surprise appearances by newer acquaintances and even a fellow Wesleyan alum.

It was a good group.

Have you ever tried to take pictures, at night, with a mildly banged-up point and shoot that is almost 5 years old, on a boat that is bobbing up and down and moving forwards?

Yeah, the pictures don't quite come out in focus...

But at least you can (probably) tell that that's the Brooklyn Bridge.

That is the view of the southern tip of Manhattan at night.

(It was a bit dèjá vu after our trip to Governor's Island.)

So many bridges.

Some of the crew havin' a grand ol' time.

And a grand ol' time it was.

Friends, booze, live music, and a boat with balmy (once you were actually out on the water) weather.

Definitely an anniversary well spent.

4th Wrap Up

I hope you all had a fabulous Fourth of July!

The hubs and I spent our Nation's Holiday Down the Shore ( I use the NJ colloquialism because I now try not to say "at the Jersey Shore" anymore because that summons horrible visions these days. Reality TV is The Devil.)

I spent most of my holiday in the kitchen because my mother is one of those mothers (even tho she is neither a Catholic nor an Italian) who buys enough food for at least a dozen people who are staying for a solid week, even when we are only 5 people staying for two days and three nights. (The furballs will not get their beach vacation w/ the grandparents until August this year, so we had to get back to the city a bit faster than we may have wished. And Keats was still a constant shadow on me because she does not like to be left alone. Even tho she is a HORRID traveler most of the time. I'm talking Hooch of Turner & Hooch style drooling and panic and guilt-laying. It is neither pretty nor sweet smelling. I must go back to drugging her for travel...)

Anyway, I helped with breakfasts, cooked my own, helped with lunches, helped with dinners, and attended The Parade (sorry no pics of the ancient Fire Engines or snazzy old cars, but I watched my father walk, heavily laden with medals with the other War Vets, and was surrounded by both new families and what were probably the children of some of the children I used to teach in sailing.) I also survived the 97º weather and guzzled more water than I usually drink in a week. Yikes.

I also made some tasty guacamole for snacking (while watching a Miss Marple) and some seriously tasty margaritas for sipping in the late-evening heat.

Dinner consisted of burgers (made my my mom) and dogs, all grilled by the hubs, who has never manned a grill to my knowledge, so that was literally a Trial By Fire (credit to my mom for that joke.)

Baked beans with extra brown sugar, ketchup, onions and bacon done in my mother's special style, and a Caprese salad. All the trimmings of raw red onions, cheese, ketchup, mustard, relish, pickles, etc. were available.

Like I said, there will be a cleansing and tasty soup recipe to follow soon...

After roasting marshmallows on the dwindling fire for dessert, we waited for nightfall for the fireworks, which from our vantage were many but not all visible. (Trees, houses, etc.)

Usually we can see the fireworks at both boardwalks north and south of us. This year we thought we were seeing fireworks farther away in the north, but even closer in the south (maybe Normandy?)

So, the few pics I go that night were far away and mediocre at best.

But they're better than nothing.

It remained a happy holiday, and we played a few rounds of euchre after my dad went to bed while munching the guacamole and drinking margaritas. (Even tho he technically won Apples to Apples the last time we played, he refused to play this time. Tho he kept shouting out clever answers on his own while theoretically reading his book.)

It was a nice weekend, but I think I will be eating nothing but fish and vegetables for the rest of the week to offset the burgers, dogs, beans, and cheese consumed. Oof.

However, future margaritas are always welcome :)