Culinary IQ: Sunday, November 27, 2011

Still Eating Turkey?

While turkey is the traditional Thanksgiving centerpiece for the meal, our gathering has grown to include a ham and most recently a vegan main course. So when the dust cleared there was a lot of turkey left over. After all that hard work what do you do with the leftovers?


Here are a few suggestions:


First there is the sandwich, you could make a simple sandwich with some turkey, mayo, lettuce and tomato or you could get more adventurous and add some of the leftover cranberry sauce and stuffing. Take it a little further and make a puree out of the leftover sweet potatoes to add to the sandwich. A nice club sandwich could be made using the leftover ham and some bacon. What is your favorite sandwich?


How about a pot pie? With some frozen peas, carrots and green beans you can make a mean pot pie. All you need are a couple of pre-made pie crusts. Make a cream sauce and add the turkey vegetables and whatever seasonings you prefer then put a pie shell in the bottom of the pan pour in the filling and cover with the second pic crust. Pinch and roll the two crust together and cut a few slits in the top to let out the steam. The pot pie can be baked immediately or frozen for baking later.


Soup is always good this time of year. You could make a nice vegetable turkey soup or turkey noodle or rice. Serve with a nice loaf of crusty bread and you have a warm pleaser.


One of my favorites is an old diner special, the hot turkey sandwich. Start with two pieces of bread then add warm turkey, mashed potatoes and top with the left over turkey gravy. This takes me back to my childhood.


There are an endless number of things that you can do with leftover turkey. I would like to hear what you did with yours.

Culinary IQ: Thursday, November 24, 2011; Thanksgiving Day

The Perfect Time

This year my turkey was done perfectly on time! It was probably luck. We always have a large gathering for Thanksgiving and the thing that is most difficult is letting others know when they need to start getting their dishes ready for serving. Today it was flawless. This is how the day went.

Baked 2 pumpkin pies last night
Up early this morning to make a Bourbon Chocolate Pecan pie.
Washed, trussed and seasoned turkey
Ham in the oven for 2½ hours
Turkey in the roaster for 3½ hours
Cooked sausage for stuffing
Cooked giblets and herbs for stuffing
Chopped vegetables for stuffing
Assembled stuffing
Cleaned and chopped kale for braised kale
Ham out of the oven
Vegan Wellington in the oven
Made gravy for turkey with earlier made chicken stock, mushrooms and onions.
Braised kale
Put out cru de te, bread and butter pickles, beat pickles and deli dills.
Put out mustard for ham and cranberry for turkey.
Turkey done and resting for 30 minutes
30 minute warning for others to get their dishes ready!
Ham was carved.
Turkey was carved.
All food items put out. 
The feast begins!


And here is what it was made up of:


Bread and Butter Pickles
Deli Dill Pickles
Pickled beats
Jello Salad
Overnight Lettuce Salad
Vegan Black Bean Salad
Quinoa Salad with Shrimp
Bread and butter
Green bean casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Braised fennel
Apple and Sweet Potato Casserole
Braised Kale
Sausage Stuffing
Glazed ham
Herbed Honey Mustard
Turkey
Mushroom gravy
Vegan wellington
Vegan mushroom gravy
Pumpkin pie
Bourbon Chocolate Pecan pie
Apple pie
Vegan Pumpkin Pie


More than one family can eat! But all delicious.


I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Check back tomorrow for left over ideas.

Culnary IQ: Wednesday, November 23, 2011; Turkey Sides

Does This Dressing Make Me Look Fat?

Now that you have decided how to prepare your turkey, the second most important decision is what stuffing will be the best accompaniment. After the stuffing, the gravy and then the mashed potatoes are next in importance.

The variety of stuffing or dressing recipes are almost endless. Will the base be bread or cornbread, or something else? Will there be fruit or meat? Nuts? What herbs to use? Many traditional stuffings are regional and were most likely derived from the availability of ingredients. Modern markets have ingredients from around the world available to you to use in your stuffings. I encourage you to use local, it is a great way to give thanks to your local farmers! I am sure you will find the perfect stuffing for your feast. I will share with you the stuffing that my family made for generations, you will have to use our own judgement when adding some of the ingredients:

Oyster Stuffing


2 12-ounce packages of seasoned stuffing or the equivalent in toasted dry bread


Cooked giblets from turkey, chopped, water reserved


1 small can oysters, chopped


1-2 tsp. dry chopped sage


1-2 tsp. dry oregano


2 eggs, slightly beaten


Salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 350°F.


Place the stuffing or bread in a large bowl, chopped giblets, oysters, sage, and oregano. Add eggs and mix thoroughly. Add enough of the water from the giblets to moisten the stuffing and season with salt and pepper. Place stuffing in a large greased baking dish and bake until golden and heated through, 30-40 minutes.

When it comes to gravy and potatoes, the best are always the ones made just before the meal goes on the table. The pressure of getting the turkey to the table can often make it too stressful to be hovering over the stove to keep the gravy from getting lumpy. If you don't have enough helpers in the kitchen I suggest some make ahead options. I have used both of these recipes before with great success:

Make Ahead Gravy


Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

I hope these suggestions will help you get the Thanksgiving meal on the table without stressing out to much. I will check back with you tomorrow to see how it is going. 

Culinary IQ: Tuesday, November 22, 2011; Turkey Cooking Methods

To Stuff Or Not To Stuff

I have tried several methods of cooking the turkey over the years. I have stuffed the turkey and I have left the turkey unstuffed. The most important factor in cooking the turkey, whether stuffed or not is to make sure the correct temperature of 165°F. is reached (check temperature with a thermometer inserted between the body of the turkey and the thigh, be careful not to hit a bone). When stuffing the turkey the temperature at the middle of the stuffing needs to be 165°F.. A possible downside to stuffing the turkey is that the bird overcooks before the stuffing reaches the proper temperature. Once the correct temperature is reached it is also important to let the turkey rest so the natural juices are distributed back into the meat. Remove the turkey from the oven and tent with a piece of foil and let stand for 30 minutes before carving. This allows you to warm up your side dishes in the oven while the turkey is napping. Funny, the turkey naps before the feast and we usually nap after!

Now that the important information about cooking is out of the way here a few common methods for cooking your turkey:

How to Roast, Unstuffed or Stuffed


On the Barbecue


Deep Frying


Smoking

An important sub note: Always take the giblet bag out of the turkey before cooking! I have a friend who told me a story about his mother who was not the best of cooks. She decided to roast the turkey for Thanksgiving and had it all prepared and put in the oven. Sometime into the roasting as the family was enjoying the pre meal festivities, a commotion was heard in the kitchen. They all rushed in to see what had happened, to their surprise the turkey had exploded. Cause: failure to remove the giblet bag!


I hope this post has helped you decide what cooking process to use for your turkey and will give you a little more confidence in serving the perfect turkey.

Culinary IQ: Monday, November 21, 2011; Turkey History

Let's Talk Turkey


It is Thanksgiving week and I can't let it pass without discussing turkey this week. History tells us that if we were following the original feasts of the holiday we would probably be discussing venison. The first celebration of Thanksgiving was not a single meal but a 3 day event that was more of a political gathering between the Wamponoag indians and the Plimoth pilgrims. The event was attended by men only and was held outdoors instead of at a long Thanksgiving table. Pumpkin and cranberry were most likely part of the meals but not in the pies or sauces we know them for today. So how did the turkey become part of the meal? Turkey started appearing as a traditional part of the meal when Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday. And away we go!


The wild turkey was the first turkey served at Thanksgiving and is native to North America. Rather than being farmed, the turkeys that made it to the table were hunted and can still be hunted in various parts of the US today. The domestic turkey is descended from several species of wild turkeys. It has been bred to be white because the white pin feathers are less visible when the carcass is dressed. Sadly, conventional turkey producing practices have caused the turkey to no longer propagate naturally so the only way for them to reproduce is through artificial insemination. Additionally, overcrowding prevents conventionally grown turkeys from moving about in their pens. I am pleased that more and more brands of free range organic turkeys are becoming available today and as a result the prices are coming down.


Now that my brief history of the turkey is out of the way there are numerous ways to prepare the turkey for your Thanksgiving feast. This week I will discuss some of the ways to prepare your turkey, as well as making gravy for the bird and what to do with leftovers. 

Culinary IQ: Friday November 18, 2011; Pie Tips

Tips for Delicious Pies

Making pies can be fun and the results delicious. Here are a few tips for making a successful pie that will make you the hit of the Thanksgiving Feast:


Getting the crust in the pie pan


Flaky, mealy and cookie crusts must be rolled, then fitted into a pie or tart pan. Crumb crusts are dumped into the pan, then pressed into place.

To roll a crust, it is best to start with chilled dough that has been allowed to rest after mixing. The resting allows the protein (called gluten) in the flour to relax. This prevents the dough from shrinking as you roll. Resting also allows the moisture in the dough to be absorbed (thereby requiring less flour on your counter and pin, and making a more tender crust).


Start by lightly dusting your counter and pin with flour. Place your dough on the counter and roll from the center, turning it every couple of rolls to prevent sticking and to keep it round. Hold your pie pan over the dough to test to see if it's big enough. The dough should extend about 2 inches beyond the pie pan all the way around.


To transfer the dough from the counter to the pie pan, fold it in half, then again to form quarters. Gently lift the dough and place it in the pan, with the point at the center. Unfold carefully to fully cover and fill the pie pan.


If it tears, it's OK! Just patch it with some scrap dough from the side. Pie dough is pretty forgiving if it's at the right temperature. If it gets too warm, put it back in the refrigerator (or freezer) for a few minutes. If it's too cold, let it sit on the counter for a few minutes. You should be able to pinch the dough together wherever you need it to patch any mistakes.


Edging pie dough

Flaky, mealy and cookie crusts need to be edged.


And the prettier the edge, the prettier the pie. But when to edge is determined by the number of crusts used in each pie.


For double crust pies (meaning there is a bottom crust, a filling, then a top crust), the pie should be filled, then topped with the second crust before the edges are crimped. A single crust pie (there is no top crust), the crimping should be done before the filling is added.


To crimp either style, begin by trimming the excess dough all around the pie so that you have just  1/2inch of overhang. Gently roll the overhang underneath itself so that it sits on top of the rim of the pie pan.


For an easy and rustic look, gently press all the way around with a fork. For a more decorative and classic finish, you can pinch the edge of the dough between your fingers. To do this, use your two fingers and your thumb to pinch the dough together at regular intervals around the rim.


Placing pies on baking pan

Whatever variety crust you use, it's a good idea to set the pie on a baking sheet when you place it in the oven.


First, this helps conduct heat to the bottom of the pie, ensuring the bottom of your crust cooks as perfectly as the outer edge. 


Second, the baking sheet makes it easier and safer to transfer the pie to and from the over, as well as to rotate it in the oven during baking if needed for even browning.


Third, pies sometimes bubble over. It happens. And when it happens, it's much easier to clean the mess off a baking sheet than the bottom of your oven.


Blind Baking

Blind baking is your friend.


Some single crust pie recipes call for "blind baking" the crust. This means the crust dough is placed into the pie pan and fully baked before the filling is added.


To do this, fit your dough into the pan as directed, then crimp the edge as desired. Refrigerate it for 10 minutes. Chilling the crust just before baking helps prevent it from shrinking.


Just before placing the empty crust in the oven, line it with a sheet of foil, then fill with 1  1/2to 2 cups of dry beans, coins or uncooked rice. Unless directed otherwise by your recipe, bake the crust at 400 F for 15 minutes, or until golden around the edges.


Remove the crust from the oven and remove the foiling and beans or coins. Lower the oven temperature to 375 F and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the crust is evenly golden.
Weighing down the crusts during blind baking prevents the bottom from rising during cooking. This step is not needed with crumb crusts, which do not rise.


Making Ahead

Most crusts can be prepared ahead of time and stored until needed.


Virtually all recipes for mealy, flaky and cookies crusts call for preparing the dough, then shaping it into a disk, wrapping in plastic and refrigerating for a bit before rolling out. At this stage, the doughs also can be frozen for several months (thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 20 minutes) or refrigerated for about 36 hours.


The doughs also can be rolled out, fitted into pie pans and edged, then wrapped and frozen or refrigerated for the same periods of time.


Crumb crusts come together so quickly, advance prep is mostly unnecessary. But the crumbs and any flavorings certainly could be prepared and blended ahead of time.


Follow these simple tips and your pie baking will stress free and the results will be rewarding!

Retrieved from azcentral.com

Culinary IQ: Thursday, November 17, 2011; Pie Toppings

To Top it Off!

Topping a pie is the finishing touch and is what often makes the pie a showpiece. Some pies are showpieces within themselves and do not require a topping. These pies may be accompanied by a dollop of sweetened whipped cream, the pumpkin and pecan pies are examples.


Here are a few of the more common toppings or pies:


Crust - Often referred to as a two crust pie, the same crust is used to line the pie pan and top the filling. Folding and crimping the edges is important to keep the filling from running out the sides of the pie while baking. Two crust pies are typically fruit pies and sometimes savory pies like turkey or chicken pot pies. Some pot pies only have a top crust.


Crumb or Streusel - Is a topping that is usually made from flour, sugar, spices and an ample amount of butter to create a course crumbly mixture. The mixture is spread over the pie filling and baked to become a rich crunchy topping. Crumb topping can be used on pies that are smooth in nature to give them more texture like a sweet potato pie. When crumb crusts are used on fruit pies they are commonly called Dutch, as in Dutch Apple Pie.


Cream - Whipped cream is usually used for topping cream, custard and chiffon pies. The cream is sweetened and flavored and whipped to firm peaks, it can then be piled high on the filling to give the pie a dramatic look. Piping the cream is also attractive.


Meringue -There are three types of meringue, Swiss, French and Italian, in order of their stability. Italian is the preferred meringue for topping pies as the egg whites are fully cooked during the process of making the meringue. It is safer and the most stable for topping a pie. Once the meringue is arranged on the pie it is "brûléed" or browned by baking it in a hot oven until the ridges and points of the meringue become browned. You can also you a kitchen torch if you are lucky enough to have one. Meringue is the common topping for dense custard pies with intense flavor like lemon. the lightness of the meringue balances the intensity of the filling.


Here is a great recipe for Italian Meringue:

Italian Meringue

8 oz. sugar

2 oz. water

4 oz. egg whites (about 2-3 eggs)

1. Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture 

boils. Boil until a candy thermometer placed in the syrup registers 243°F (117°C). 

2. While the syrup is cooking, beat the egg whites in a mixing machine until they form 

soft peaks. 

3. With the machine running, very slowly beat in the hot syrup. 

4. Continue beating until the meringue is cool and forms firm peaks. 

I have now discussed the most common of the three main components of a pie, the crust, filling and topping. As with anything in the kitchen there is not set rule that pies have to be made this way so I encourage you to experiment and create your own signature pie.

Tomorrow I will give you a few tips for successful pie baking.