CRANBERRY SAUCE

CRANBERRY SAUCE is rather easy to make and if stored well, it will last forever. Well, not forever but, a long shelf life is attainable. 

2 lbs. fresh cranberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
grated peel from one orange and one lemon
Juice of one lemon
Juice from 1/2 orange
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Wash and rinse the cranberries in a colander under cold water.  Mix all the ingredients in a pot and bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour cranberry sauce into a sterile canning jar, seal and let cool. Store in the refrigerator until Thanksgiving Day.

STUFFING!

THERE ARE MANY schools of thought on dressing: corn bread, white bread, sour-dough bread, dried, fresh, store bought (never!) . . . you see the dilemma. However, in this day and age, some of us prefer to make our own, which is really quite simple. 

About a week before Thanksgiving (here I am, going on again about the week or two before the main event!), take approximately 1/2 loaf of stale bread or a dozen or so dinner rolls - any old bread will do, really - and cut everything up into a nice medium-sized dice (like croutons). I use any and every piece of leftover bread I have in the house. One year, I even used raisin bread with cinnamon swirls. You can season them or not - it's your decision - and place the lot on top of a rimmed roasting pan lined with parchment and bake in a 225º oven for about one hour. Leave the "croutons" in the oven for about 4 hours or over night to dry even more. This will keep in a sealed plastic container indefinitely.

Now that we have the bread, let's add the rest.

3 cups stuffing (I toss my stuffing with oregano, thyme and olive oil and salt and pepper before I dry the cubes in the oven)
2 apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped
18 dried apricots, coarsely chopped
12 prunes, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 medium onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 prosciutto cubes
3 Italian sausage links sliced
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 bunch fresh sage, chopped
2 tsp dried powdered sage
3 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup milk
1/2 cup chicken or turkey broth

Mix all ingredients in a very large bowl, except the liquids. Add the liquids gradually and gauge the absorption rate with each mixing. You want to make it moist and pliant but not oozing with milk or broth. Less is more here.

Let rest to congeal for about 30 minutes. If you make it the night before, make sure it is room temperature before you stuff the turkey.

BONED ROAST TURKEY

THIS IS HOW one begins.

1 Turkey

poundage according to number of people at dinner

If your turkey is frozen, you should thaw the turkey out on Monday before Thanksgiving in the refrigerator. On Thanksgiving morning, wash the inside and out with cold water. I am not a big fan of brining the turkey; it's too salty for my tastes, but you wish, feel free.

With the large cavity facing forward, pull the leg out away from you to release the thigh from the carcass. It should snap. You will have to use a boning or any other very sharp knife and separate the joint to completely remove the leg and skin  from the turkey. Repeat this process with the other leg. You will now need to bone the thigh with a very sharp boning knife always keeing the kife as close to the bone as possible so none of the meat is left on the bone. When this is completed, take a sheet of aluminum foil, fold it in half lengthwise and place the thigh on the foil. Open the thighs up and put an ample amount of stuffing on top and roll the meat over the stuffing. Wrap the foil around the thighs to keep it intact and place each one in two corners of the pan.

Using a very sharp knife, try to cut around the wishbone to give you enough room to pull it out. The larger the bird, the more difficult this will be. Once you have done this, sit the bird upright and cut away the carcass from the breast. I use a meat cleaver for this. You can pull the carcass off the body after you get to a certain point. Trim away any excess fat but keep the pope's nose. You should have an entire turkey free of carcass and legs. Trim the wings and cut of the nibbens. Reserve the carcass and giblets for stock to make gravy.

In a large lightly oiled roasting pan, place a mound of dressing directly in the center of the pan and place the turkey on top.  Strew some onions, celery and carrot around the turkey with a little water and butter. Grease the top of the turkey with butter and/or olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Your turkey is now ready for the oven. If you are not going to put it in the oven immediately, keep it covered and refrigerated. Just a reminder, though, if you do refrigerate it, you should ensure that it and the stuffing are at room temperature before putting in the oven

Place the roasting pan in the middle of a preheated 375º  oven and roast for an hour. Reduce the temperature to 325º and cook until done. Baste occasionally and add more water if ans when necessary. If the skin on the turkey browns too quickly, tent it with foil. Test for doneness after 3 hours. The juices should run clear.

THANKSGIVING IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN and if one has noticed, most of the food magazines and TV shows have revved up a full metal jacket of tips and recipes and blogs and, and, and, and . . . 

THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE AT 59TH STREET

Well, I must admit that I am no different. Every home cook has their own take on this yearly feast, so let's talk turkey here. And duck. And oysters. And fruit, as well as a host of other little goodies. 

The ubiquitous turkey seems almost a prerequisite and this holds true in our household as well. My take on it is somewhat different and even though it is unorthodox in a certain sense, I've found out that other very good and ambitious home cooks do it in exactly the same manner. I first time I saw turkey prepared this way on a video of Jacques and Julia's and, even though   there is initially a bit of a tug of war with the turkey in its raw state (the wishbone in particular), I'll never make it any other way again.

One could say that making a Thanksgiving dinner is all about timing and I am here to say that the less time we spend hogging the oven with a bird, the better chance we may have at success in every other dish. Consequently, I partially bone the turkey. I remove the legs and then bone the thighs and stuff them. I remove the carcass and wishbone and use the carcass for turkey stock, but leave in the breast bone. By doing this, I have taken a 26-pound turkey and pared down the cooking time to a mere 3 1/2 versus 5-6 hours. This also ensures that the breast meat will be moist and tender as well as completely cooked. 

BONED ROAST TURKEY

So there is my turkey. Gorgeous, isn't it? You'll notice that the legs are backwards because they're not attached. The thighs are stuffed as well.

It's always a very good idea to create the menu a good 2-3 weeks in advance. But once you've set it, stick to it; don't change your plans midway or even close to the date because it will only cause you grief of the worst kind! Indeed, some things need to be started around this time (today's date is November 13th). If you're Italian, like I am, you're probably going to at least consider  making some kind of stuffed pasta, so you should definitely start thinking about that now. Pumpkin or squash is usually the way to go. Ravioli, tortelli . . . you get the picture, I'm sure. 

TORTELLI ALLA ZUCCA

Charcuterie is always a good idea during cocktails since all you have to do is prepare a platter and let people dig in (some prosciutto, speck, cheese, olives, cornichons, bread and pâté). If you make pâté as I do, getting the right ingredients and beginning preparations now is key. Forcemeat for a terrine should usually marinate in its processed state with white wine a little cognac and spices for a good 5-6 days before baking and then it should sit in the fridge encased in its own jelly (or crust - see photo) for at least 2-3 days, so, allow a good 10-12 days for that. All you need to do is think that it's one step less work to do the week of Thanksgiving and all you'll have to do is pull it out of the fridge and serve. Other years have seen Oysters Rockefeller, Ceviche, Gravlax, even a Lasagna as a tiny second course after the fish or seafood.

Pâté en Croute

Gravlax made with Salmon and Cod on Black Bread

Now that I've introduced the first steps, let's propose a menu - at least one that I would do.  One must remember though, small portions until the main event! But please remember, these are just suggestions for those who are willing to do the work - and love it - and want to gild a lily or two.

Charcouterie of Various Hams and Salamis, Cheese, Olives

Pâté of Duck Liver and Pork with Pistachios and Prunes in Aspic

Tortelli alla Zucca in Brown Butter and Sage

Granita of Lime and Pomegranate with Gin

Turkey with Stuffing

Giblet Gravy

Cranberry Sauce

Scalloped Potatoes (or mashed if you want traditional)

Glazed Carrots with Brown Sugar and Butter and Tarragon

Brussel Sprouts Bathed in Butter with Shallots and Bacon

Sweet Potatoes

Apple and Mincemeat Tart

Vanilla Ice Cream

Pecan Fingers

Meringues

Chocolate Truffles

Espresso

Fernet-Branca

Cordials and Brandy

Apple and Mincemeat Tart with Apricot Glaze

GUTTER OIL AND EXTRA VIRGIN LAMP OIL (LAMPANTE): A POLEMIC

"IN OUR CURRENT SOCIETY, everyone tries to swindle everybody else. There is nothing we can do about it."

These words of wisdom are a direct quote from a video on China's gutter oil . . . a very toxic oil made from recycled everything under the sun. Click on the link to view a short YouTube report on what you should definitely be suspicious of when eating in Chinese restaurants, carts, "pop-ups", etc., when in the land of Mao.

GUTTER OIL

Which brings me to the Extra Virgin thing. I was reading a book by Tom Mueller called Extra Virginity, a scandalous report on the complete fraud the extra virgin olive oil industry has become. If what he says is to be believed, and I do believe him, 90% of the extra virgin olive oil from Italy isn't extra virgin at all, and isn't even 100% Italian olive oil. In fact, most of it is barely fit for the lighting of lamps in churches (lampante). Some of it is even deodorized, which is a new twist on making something that stinks, stink even more! The famed Bertolli Olive Oil may be owned by the Bertolli family, but they are bankers, not olive growers. They don't even grow their own olives and it isn't from Tuscany, as some of their advertisements purport, but from all over the Mediterranean; Spain, Turkey, Libya, Tunisia, etc., etc., etc. How's that for a hoodwink?!

I suppose it could be said that this is in true keeping with the times. Governments spy on elected officials, monitor telephone calls of foreign dignitaries (and deny it) and lie to their constituents about every evil under the sun, so why not industries? And they thought Nixon was a crook!

I have a friend on Facebook, who is constantly going on and on about finding new reasons to "despise us," i.e. the  human race. It is a sad thing that what he says holds to be true not for just Americans but everyone else as well. Fraud, corruption and deceit have gone global. Apparently, the food industry is not immune to this very human condition. If I weren't hungry, I'd stop eating. And to quote an Italian who is unconcerned about selling lamp oil as olive oil: "people must have food, mustn't they?" Another Monsanto in the making? Or perhaps it's just another way of saying "let them eat cake!"

CAPONATA DI CARCIOFI (ARTICHOKES)

I'VE WRITTEN about Caponata before as well as the whole agrodolce business, but I want to add this little gem of a dish to my list of things that are really easy to make and well worth even the slightest effort.

Caponata di Carciofi, or Artichoke Caponata is its name and believe you, me: it is unbelievably delicious.

2 lbs. baby artichokes, peeled, cored and all bristles removed

4 tbs. olive oil
1 shallot or small onion, chopped
1 small clove of garlic, smashed with the flat of a chef's knife

3 stalks celery cut on the bias into medium-sized pieces (about 1 1/2 inch

1/4 cup raisins soaked in enough red wine vinegar to cover

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup pine nuts (toasted)

1 tbs. sugar

1 pomegranate

When trimming the artichokes please leave the stems intact. They are edible and extremely delicious. Cut the artichokes in half and then in half again and soak in a bowl of cold water with a little lemon juice. Let drain in a colander for at least 5 minutes before cooking.

Take the pine nuts and toast them in a heavy bottomed cast iron skillet that has been heating to the smoking point on a high flame. Toast and shake the pan frequently for about 7 minutes or until the nuts begin to take on a burnished color. Remove from heat and allow to cool before proceeding. Remove from pan and reserve.

In the same pan, heat some olive oil and sauté the shallots and the garlic. Add the celery and sauté over moderate heat until the celery becomes very pale green - almost translucent. You can cover the pan during this to sweat the vegetables which will then render their juices more easily and add flavor to the pan. Remove the vegetables from the pan and reserve. Add more olive oil and then sauté the artichokes for about 10 minutes. Drain the raisins from the vinegar and add those to the artichokes. 

In a small saucepan, heat the vinegar and the sugar and let dissolve. Reserve.

Add the celery mixture to the artichokes and then the pignoli. Stir to combine and remove from heat. Add the pomegranate seeds and any juice that remains and stir. Finally, add the vinegar and mix well. Allow to cool. Store in a plastic container until ready to use. It is always better to let caponata rest for a few hours or overnight to allow the flavors to settle and mingle. Always let the caponata come to room temperature before serving.

Buon appetito!

RISOTTO CON PISELLI E ASPARAGI

I MADE RISOTTO the other night and mentioned it to a friend while walking Ludwig (who adores risotto, by the way) and she asked me to post this so her husband can make it for her. She's pregnant you see and has been having finicky dietary cravings and I know that her loving husband will aim to please!

It would be an assumption on my part to say that the combination of peas and asparagus is something a normal Italian might make (some sensibilities may be offended by the combination of two vegetables, contending that asparagus or the pea can stand on their own, which in fact, they can) but sometimes you just get those yearnings for something like this to eat and I had both vegetables in the house and thought it would be a great combination and, true for form, it was.

A lot has been said over the years about the stirring process. To stir or to constantly stir. This is something that you must decide for yourself. Everyone knows their stove and how the heat is distributed (or at least I hope you/they do) and it is important to know exactly how much liquid you can incorporate at one time. I have often added more liquid during the process than I should and let it cook unattended for a few minutes while chopping something else or making a salad, etc., and returning to stir only to find that the risotto is cooking perfectly well on its own. It is only important to remember that you shouldn't be too far away at any given time or leave it on its own for too long. What you want to avoid at all costs, however, is the risotto sticking to the bottom of the pot, so heat, or rather, the amount of it, is key here and stir you definitely should! What is required here is patience, anticipation . . . and love.

This recipe was made with roasted asparagus - only because I had roasted them the night before and had so much leftover - but you can make it from fresh asparagus which, in the long run, is better. The color is also a deeper green on the plate. Either way, this dish epitomizes great northern Italian cooking and makes a delicious first course (only a little bit, please!) or a very substantial and filling main course. 

I used two cups of risotto and about 5 cups of chicken broth which makes this an ultra creamy risotto; especially if one considers that heavy cream, butter and cheese are added at the end. This recipe serves 6-8 people as a first course and 4 for a main course.

4 tbs. olive oil

1 onion, chopped very fine

2 cups Carnaroli or Arborio rice

1 cup white wine

5 cups chicken broth** (heated and kept on a simmering flame)

12 spears fresh or roasted asparagus, trimmed, peeled and cut in small pieces on the bias, reserving the tips for last

1 cup baby peas (fresh or frozen depending on the season)

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tbs. unsalted butter

a scrape or two of nutmeg

1 cup grated Reggiano-Parmigiano

Heat the olive oil in a deep, heavy bottomed cast iron or enameled pot (Le Creuset dutch ovens are perfect for this). Sauté the onions over moderate heat until they are translucent.

Add the rice and combine well with the onions to ensure that the risotto absorbs the juices and is coated with oil. 

Add the white wine and stir over moderate heat. As soon as the wine has almost evaporated, turn down the heat to a very low simmer and begin to add the broth, one ladleful at a time. You want the rice to absorb the liquid gradually so stirring is essential here. Continue to do this until the rice takes on a creamy consistency and has doubled in volume. I would say that after about 3 cups of liquid, you should start testing the risotto for doneness. This is a crucial moment because you want to make sure that you haven't a long way to go before the risotto is done before you add the asparagus. Otherwise, it will overcook and discolor and we all know that there is nothing worse than gray vegetables! Add the asparagus pieces and cook with the rice for about 5 more minutes. Continue to add more liquid as you go and then add the peas and the asparagus tips. Five cups of broth should yield a wonderful risotto all'onda (waves) as the Venetians say. When you taste the risotto for doneness, it shouldn't be crunchy, but it should still retain its own character and acquire a plump and pillowy texture. 

When almost all of the liquid has been absorbed from the last addition of broth, add the nutmeg, the cream and the butter. Stir into the rice and add a handful of grated cheese and allow that to cook into the risotto as well. You want to incorporate those last additions but not completely cook it away; especially since the risotto will continue to cook after you take it off the heat. The risotto should be very creamy and glisten.

Serve immediately.

Buon appetito!

** N.B. You may have noticed that I haven't called for salt. The chicken stock should be well seasoned and salted so you really don't need any extra salt; especially if you take into account that the grated cheese will add enough salty flavor of its own.