Traditions (Hoppin John)

It seems with the holiday I missed posting. That's OK, not sure anyone was exactly waiting with baited breath for my next post. Though I like to try to keep it regular I am learning to go with the flow.

Normally this is a time of resolutions. A lot of them centered around food. To eat healthier, change one's diet, become a vegetarian, etc.. I am taking a different approach this year to it, I am going to work on being kinder to myself. And not beating myself up over a missed or late post.

Now on to some food.

Many places have traditions on what to eat for a last meal or a first meal to try and bring luck in the coming year. The American south has a strong tradition of 'Hoppin John' (a black eyed pea stew of sorts) and greens to bring luck and draw money. Needing a bit of both myself I searched recipes of Hoppin John . I have made it in the past but never felt it was quite right. I am leagues closer that ever before, In fact this is a recipe well worth repeating.

8 oz dry black eyed peas
300 gm Cabanossi ( or other sausage, Andui is more traditional)
2 Tbsp Salt pork (diced small)
1 small onion (diced)
1/2 Green Pepper
3 cloves Garlic (crushed or minced)
2 cups Vegetable broth
1 tsp Tony's ( a cajun spice mix)

Pre cook the beans by boiling in water or broth. Cook until soft.
Cook the sausage until browned, remove from the pan leaving the grease
Add the salt pork to the grease and fry for 5 min , leave in the pan
Add the peppers and onions, cook until soft
Add the garlic and cook quickly, 30 sec to 1 min
Add the broth
Add Spices
Add the peas, cook until the beans are creamy and the liquid is almost gone.
Add salt and pepper to taste

Iy you want it soupier and less thick add more broth or water.

Christmas dinner (A Wellington of sorts)

This was my first Christmas completely alone. No kids, no family, just me. There happened to be a sale on Hirsch Rücken, or deer back. I picked up a small 300g piece as it is just me and while leftovers are great... I don't need that much left over and besides, a bigger piece cooks easier, less likely to over cook it.

I rolled the options around in my head and landed on the idea that I wanted to make it into a wellington. I don't do pate' and I hate mushrooms but had seen spinach used and though that was the direction I would take. Boy was I wrong! lol. I looked at recipes and began to assemble in my head what I was going to do and then I threw it onto my facebook and the ideas just took off. I had a great time 'crowdsourcing' how to invent this thing. It was settled that I would surround the meat with a decoction of fruit. I went with what I had on hand which happened to be dry cranberries, raisins, and apple. I soaked it all overnight in a sweet (leiblich) red wine and spices. I used my medieval sweet powder, and some medieval peppers (cubebs and long pepper) I ground a bit of whole allspice and black pepper into it as well. After soaking it over night I threw it on the stove and cooked it until it was dry and sticky. At first thinking I would puree' it and then deciding to leave it as it was and add some toasted and chopped pecans to it. I would eat this concoction alone! I happen to have enough left over and a small piece of pastry left as well as a small camembert ... I know what I'm having as a snack!

Anyway back to my meat. That I also put the peppers on as well as rosemary and covered it with a fabulous smoked salt that had been gifted to me (juniper and birch). I put a pretty thick layer on it, rolled it in a ziplock and back into the fridge it went. I know it spent at least 24 hours like that. Next time either less salt or less time as for me it was a little salty but that also could be because it was the end piece.

I was reminded (Thanks John) that of course the professionals use crepes inside the wellington to absorb the juices and keep the pastry crisp. Now, this is great but you see, I had never made crepes before. I've seen it done, I know the theory, I had just never practiced. No time like the present right? Thankfully I was rescued by Gordon Ramsey and the internet. He had a lovely recipe for beef wellington and a savory crepe with chive and thyme in the batter. So, I tried it. I need practice but they tasted pretty good. I know what mistakes I made and how to fix them (most of them) and my fantastic friend Adam has said he will give me crepe lessons!

All in all I am extremely happy with how it turned out, I would like to try this again. with beef or with the venison again. I will definitely be making more of the fruit compote for things. I love that stuff!


All in all, Merry Christmas, and step out of your comfort zone in the new year.

Christmas cookies

Ya I know, I was all over Thanksgiving like white on rice but Christmas posting is a bit... blah. I am not a fan of the Holiday time to be sure but who doesn't like cookies? When I had kids I dreamed of making cookies and decorating them together. The fun, the laughter, the sheer joy! That isn't normally the case. The kids would do a couple and wander off and leave me with the rest. Both cutting and decorating! So ya... But I still try. Why? Because I like cookies!

I make two recipes every year for decorating, and sure they can be made any time of year but it seems the only time I go through all the hassle is Christmas. So here you go. Sugar cookies and Gingerbread cookies.

No chilling needed sugar cookies:

1 c Butter (soft)
1 c Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp Almond extract (I leave this out and increase the vanilla)
1 Egg
2 tsp Baking Powder ( this makes them a little 'lighter' it can be left out entirely or reduced to 1 tsp)
1/2 tsp salt (reduce or omit is using salted butter)
3 c Flour

Cream the butter and sugar until smooth (3 to 5 min! do not skimp on the creaming)
Beat in the vanilla and egg
In a separate bowl sift the flour and baking powder together, add salt and mix in
Add the flour to the butter a little at a time, This dough will end up stiff! If it is too much for your mixer to handle knead it on the counter
Divide into workable batches
Roll on a floured surface about 1/4 in thick (about 7 mm) You want thick cookies.
Bake at 350°f (170°c) 6 to 8 min. you don't want them to brown!
Let them cool slightly (5 min) on the cookie sheet and then remove them to a rack
Cool completely an decorate

If you need to make this ahead, wrap tight and place in the fridge, leave out for 10 min on the counter before you start rolling.
Don't be afraid to mash your scraps together and roll more cookies, the flour from rolling etc doesn't hurt these



Gingerbread cookies:

3 c Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Ginger
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Clove
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
6 Tbsp Butter
3/4 c Brown sugar (dark is good)
1 Egg
1/2 c Molasses
2 tsp Vanilla
1-3 tsp Milk (Only if needed!)

Preheat oven to 375°f (180°c)
Whisk flour and spices together
Cream the butter and sugar (not too much)
Add Molasses
Add egg
Add vanilla
Slowly add the flour
Only add milk if the dough is dry!!!

Roll on a floured surface 1/4 in thick (7mm)
Cut and bake 8-10 min
Cool on a wire rack
Decorate


Royal Icing for decorating

1 lb Powdered sugar
3 Egg (whites only)
1 tsp lemon juice (fresh or white vinegar)

Sift the powdered sugar (This IS important)
Lightly beat lemon juice into the egg whites
Add the powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form (This should take about 5 min, if it is taking a long time add a but more sugar. DO NOT OVER BEAT. If you over beat the icing it will become crumbly when dry).

Color or not, enjoy!

Gravy

This one simple thing seems to be the bane of many people's holiday existence. So I wanna talk about it. I don't have a recipe so much as some advice on the subject.

To make a meat gravy there are two types.... Flour gravy and cornstarch gravy. I used to be a flour gravy girl but it gave me nothing but fits and lumps! So, I switched to cornstarch and have been true ever since.

Ok, first with flour. You have to really mix it up with some water or broth to start with, cold to lukewarm, ny warmer and you risk cooking the flour and turning it to lumps. This means straining and hassles and no fun. Like I said, I don't do this anymore but feel free to try. The alternative is to make a roux with flour and fat then add the liquid to it. Again, you do you.

Me? I make a slurry with a couple tablespoons of cornstarch and some water. Slowly add it to the hot liquid while stirring and watch the magic. I find that cornstarch thickens faster than flour but will admit that flour seems to 'hold' better than cornstarch when reheating.

The basics of what I do is add all the drippings from the bottom of my pan to a cup of hot broth on the stove. Heat it up add, salt, pepper and some Bell's (if it's poultry) and then mix in my slurry. Cook it for 5 to 10 minutes until thickened. Taste as you go, adjust as needed. I know some people strain off the fat from the drippings but honestly, That is where most of the flavor is and it's a holiday, splurge a little.

I do have some gravy recipes that you can make without having to make a roast or cook a bird. I'll get to them another time.

Let's start on dessert (pecan pie)

I received this recipe when I put our a request to my friend's circle for a pecan pie WITHOUT corn syrup. Recipes where so damn hard to find and I will we ever grateful to Joann for this one.

Make a single crust and line your pie plate with it.

Preheat the oven to 350°f/ 170°c

You want to mix this together and then immediately into the oven. Don't let it sit, it won't set properly.

1/2 c White sugar
1 c Brown sugar
3 Eggs
1 c Pecans (chopped)
1 tsp Vanilla
1 pinch salt
6 Tbsp Butter (melted)

Combine sugars, eggs, salt and vanilla
Add pecans
Add enough butter to reach desired thickness

Bake immediately! for 45 min. Cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.

I love this recipe! The only time I had it fail was when I left it to sit on the counter because the oven was not preheated. It was still tasty but didn't set properly so was still liquidy inside.

Add as much nuts as you like! I usually add an extra 1/2 cup to the filling and decorate with some halves on top.

Cranberry Sauce

Honestly this is just the worked out ratio from the Ocean Spray recipe on their bag of cranberries. It is tried and true!

3 oz Cranberries
1/4 c Water
1/4 c Sugar

Place water and sugar in a heavy bottomed pan
Bring to a boil
Add Cranberries (washed and picked through)
Return to a boil
Reduce heat and gently boil for 10 min, stir occasionally

If you like whole berry, more like a compote, just cover and cool, refrigerate until serving
If you like it smoother, use a stab mixer or blender to get the consistency you desire, cover and place in refrigerator until cool and time to serve

I make this a day or two ahead of time. It lasts for a good while too.

If you are of the liking you can sub a bit of the water for Orange juice and add a bit of peel
You could also add spices to it if that is your thing (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg etc... if using whole spices strain them out before cooling and or blending)

Cooking a Turkey

Ok, With Thanksgiving around the corner and Christmas not far behind it's time to talk turkey. Often people are unsure about turkey for many reasons. I have been cooking  the Thanksgiving turkey on my own for over 25 years now and let me tell you, mine has never been dry, never been undercooked and never poisoned someone (salmonella). I stick to some pretty basic guidelines for cooking it. I almost always have stuffed my turkey. Stuffing tastes better than dressing. Yes the internal temperature can get hot enough to cook the egg in it as well as any absorbed turkey juices WITHOUT drying out the meat. The trick is to slather it in a mix of butter and mayo. Yes... mix soft butter with mayo and rub it all over that bird inside and out. Your stuffing should be moist to start with too and not dry. Make an aluminum foil tent over the bird, you should remove it for the last 1/2 hour of the estimated cooking time. Make sure your turkey is raised off the bottom of the pan! This is super important. Use a rack, use balls of aluminum foil, use something but don't let is stew in its own juices. You want those for gravy! 😉

Next question is always... How long do I cook it for? The guideline I have always used is 15-20 min per pound UNstuffed, and 25 min per pound Stuffed. A thermometer inserted into the thigh but not touching the bone should read 165°f or 75°c. Your oven temperature should be 375°f or 180°c. If like like to cook at a lower temp you will need to increase your cooking time!

Stuffing the bird.
I like to make my own stuffing and it has varied through the years but the basics are the same. I normally at least double the following recipe. If you have more than will fit in the bird the rest can be cooked in the oven while the turkey rests. Just pop it in a casserole dish and cover it with butter and pop it in.

4 C of bread, cubed (Combo of white and wheat, all white, all wheat, all good. You can use leftover           rolls as well. I cut it the night before and leave it in an open bowl to 'dry' a bit)
1/4 tsp Black Pepper (fresh cracked is best)
2 Tbsp Onion, minced
1/4 - 1/2 C Fat (butter, bacon grease, chicken fat, etc) melted or very soft
1 tsp Salt (reduce by at least half is using bacon fat!)
2 tsp Sage (I actually use closer to a Tbsp of Bell's poultry seasoning)
1 Tbsp Parsley
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 Egg

I will also add a little at a time of chicken stock. You want the stuffing moist but not sopping.
A couple stalks of celery are a nice addition to the stuffing as well or a touch of celery salt.

Spinach Madeline

I can't tell you how long ago it was when I first had this recipe, but I know who made it and it has been a part of my holiday dinners ever since.My friend Emma passed this on to me from her cookbook. I've had to make slight adjustments due to not being able to find an exact substitution here, but all in all it still tastes about the same and that is fantastic!

6 oz Jalapeno Cheese (or a chilli cheese, or a mild cheese like Gouda and a couple Jalapeno peppers       chopped) Grate the cheese.
2 Pkgs Frozen Spinach ( The American packages are 10 oz each, so 20 oz total)
4 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Flour
2 Tbsp Onion (chopped small)
1/2 C Evaporated Milk (I make this myself. Measure 1 cup in small pan and slowly cook down to 1/2      cup. Condensed milk is NOT THE SAME THING)
1/2 C Veggie liquor (This is the juice squeezed from the spinach, not alcohol)
1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
3/4 tsp Celery salt
3/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Salt (optional)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Defrost the spinach
Squeeze the spinach until mostly dry reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid
Melt butter in a sauce pan over low heat
Add flour, stir until blended smooth. Do Not Brown
Add liquid from the spinach and the milk, Stir constantly and slowly
Cook until smooth and thick
Add the cheese and spices, stir until smooth
Add spinach


You can serve it immediately or put it in a buttered casserole dish and bake it with buttered bread crumbs on top (about 1/2 hr while the Turkey is resting).

Lets talk about Mashed Potatoes

I love mashed potatoes. They go great with a huge variety of foods. Meatloaf, fried chicken, chicken tenders, and especially salisbury steak. I make sure they are on the menu for every holiday as well.

I have no recipe, no 'formula'. To me they are just pure love. To me they are a feeling. They are that food that in the back of my head I hear 'enough' from my ancestors as I make them.

Simple ingredients, simple cooking, loads of love.

You want good potatoes, most any kind will do. I use golds because that is what I mostly find here, and be smart. Russets, which are great for baking, will not make good mashing potatoes, though I have done it in a pinch.

You want good butter! REAL butter!! Salted or unsalted is up to you. If you use salted you will just add less salt to your potatoes.

Milk. Any percentage will do. I happen to use 1.5% because that is what I keep in the house. Whole milk is good too.

Salt. Simple but important.

I peel my potatoes but if they have thin skins and you like it  you can keep them on.
I cut my potatoes into chunks, mine are about 1-11/2 inches.
I rinse them at every turn. Before peeling, after they are peeling and sometimes I rinse them after they are cut if they are especially starchy.
When ready I put them in a pot with COLD water, with just a sprinkle of salt over the top.
I put a lid on and bring them to a boil. Total time 1 hour. When you put a fork in them they should fall apart.
Drain them.
In the bottom of the pot put a chunk of butter. I start with roughly 125g for my 2 kg bag of potatoes.
Add a splash of milk, cover the bottom of the pan.
Add the potatoes back into the pot and mash with a potato masher. I DO NOT use an electric hand mixer. I don't like the texture of whipped potatoes but if it's your thing, feel free.
I lightly sprinkle on some salt and mash. If it's too dry looking, I add a splash of milk. Mash and taste. Keep adding milk, butter and salt until you read your desired taste and consistency.

Wall paper paste happens when you have too much starch. Add milk and butter a little at a time.

Holidays

This is just talk. The smell of fall is in the air and October has begun. This means that the Holidays are coming and I like to plan my menus early so I will likely be talking about the things I traditionally make: desserts, sides, main courses, snacks. I will be adding these labels to my post as well.

Foodwise I really love fall. In general it is my favorite season. Cooler weather and richer foods. A lot of my holiday food is also everyday food. Like my mashed potatoes. I make those anytime and not just for holidays.

So... sit back, enjoy.