Thankful (and a recipe for simple and delicious Herbed Turkey Gravy)

The child, with my parents - 11/23/11

I know a post about how we all need to sit back and smell the roses is trite at Thanksgiving but this year I have something of a Thanksgiving wish.  And in hoping for this wish to come true I have spent a lot of time contemplating what it means to be thankful.  Is it selfish of me to have this wish?  Isn't this the time of year when we are supposed to be humble and appreciate what we have?  Who am I to want MORE?

Those of you who know me in real life probably know what I want.  It is a very simple desire but for some I guess it could seem petty and small.  Last year my father started a downward medical spiral.  On Thanksgiving.  I won't go into detail but it started with him leaving his and my mother's home in an ambulance and ended when he returned home, to a very different way of life, five whole months later.  He is doing quite well now but last Thanksgiving and the ensuing months hold nothing for me but horrible memories and anxiety.

Believe me when I say I am unbelievably thankful that my father is home, with my mother, where he belongs.  I am thankful for my family (the one I was born into and the one I married into).  I am thankful for my friends (near and far, new and old) who, in my life, are often as close as family.  I am thankful for my health and the health of those around me.  I am thankful for those of you who read my ramblings here.  I am thankful for the life I lead.  But what I really want is for my family to create a new, positive Thanksgiving memory to replace those from last year.  I have been visualizing a day like this - a simple day where we eat some good food, laugh a little and no one ends up in the hospital - not much to ask for I hope.  I have friends, who are more religious than I am, praying for the outcome I desire.  So if it is a little selfish I am going to live with it.  I don't take what I have for granted.  I *am* thankful. 

I just need to WANT a little and then I'll be even more thankful.

This recipe has nothing to do with being thankful but maybe your guests will be thankful you made it.  Or maybe you'll be thankful that you stumbled across this recipe in a last-minute Thanksgiving panic.  Either way, it's a terrific gravy recipe and method that is good to have in your recipe stable.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Herbed Turkey Gravy

Yields about 4 cups

Ingredients:

• 4 cups chicken stock (either your own or the best low or no-sodium store-bought you can find)
• 1 turkey neck
• turkey giblets (heart, liver, etc. from inside the turkey cavity)
• 1 cup onions, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots, roughly chopped
• 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 small stalks fresh rosemary
• 5-6 fresh sage leaves
• 2 TBS medium brown roux (recipe follows)
• Salt and pepper to taste

 Preparation:

1. Combine stock, turkey neck, giblets, onions, celery, carrots, and herbs in a large pot and bring to a boil.
2. Cover and reduce to a simmer.  Allow to simmer for 60-90 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
4. Strain out the vegetables, herbs, bones, giblets, etc.
5. Turkey stock will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator or can be frozen for several months.
6. To make the gravy heat the stock over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and whisk in the roux making sure to leave no lumps.  Allow the stock to thicken (the roux will do this).  Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to your liking.  If you desire you can add in a handful of finely chopped fresh herbs and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice just before serving.

To make the roux heat 2-3 TBS of butter or oil in a pan (I prefer butter for flavor) and allow to melt (if using butter).  Whisk in an equivalent amount of flour and continue cooking and whisking until the flour-y smell is gone and the roux smells toasty and resembles thin peanut butter.  Allow to cool. 

And Now for Something More Traditional (A Recipe for Creamy Oven-Baked Polenta)

It seems like corn pudding or a variation thereof is a common menu item on Thanksgiving.  Growing up in my home - not so much.  My father is allergic to corn.  Read that again.  Yes, corn.  All forms of corn.  Do you have any idea how difficult it is to be allergic to corn?  It's in EVERYTHING.   Don't believe me - read a label in your supermarket.  You're sure to find corn syrup or corn starch somewhere on the list.

Needless to say there weren't a lot of corn products on-hand or on-table when I was younger.  In the years since striking out on my own I have developed a healthy appreciation for corn meal and corn flour.  I love baked goods made with both products.  And I can't get enough polenta.  I also make quite a mean polenta; a polenta that pretty much secured my "A" on my culinary school final cooking practical.  But making delicious, creamy, luscious, lick-the-spoon polenta is a huge pain in the, ahem, arm.  All that stirring.  And waiting.  And stirring.  And waiting. And stirring... You get the picture.   Once you add a job and a child into the dinner-time mix something as time consuming and attention-stealing as polenta slowly fades from your repertoire.

Enter my savior:  oven-baked polenta.

I'm not sure where I first heard about this technique or what prompted me to try it but it is revelatory.  This method produces a swoon-worthy polenta that is rich in corn flavor, creamy in consistency and all-around delicious.  As an added bonus you can bake it right in the dish you plan on serving it from so there is one less pot to clean.  This is a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving or any time during the winter.  It makes a great accompaniment to braises and anything with a sauce.  And, I have it on good authority (OK, my own) that it's quite delicious on its own topped with some fresh ricotta cheese and toasted walnuts.

Oven Baked Creamy Polenta

Yields 6-8 servings as a side dish

Ingredients:

• 1 cup corn meal (coarsely ground is best)
• 4 cups unsalted chicken or vegetable broth (you can use water but broth adds more flavor)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 TBS unsalted butter
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or more to your liking)
• ¼-½ cup toasted walnuts (optional)

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
2. Grease a 9"x13" baking dish and set aside.
3. Combine the cornmeal, broth and salt and pepper and pour into the prepared baking dish.
4. Bake for 45 minutes.
5. Remove from oven, stir to mix thoroughly, dot the top of the polenta with butter and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and stir in the Parmesan cheese.  Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.  Top with toasted walnuts if using.  Serve immediately.

"Delicious!" (Plus a recipe for Apple-Cranberry Bread) #savethanksgiving

I have always loved tart flavors.  My parents love to tell a story of me, at a very young age (young enough to still be in a high chair), sucking on lemons, grimacing horribly and then eagerly asking for "MORE!"   I still love citrus, especially lemons and grapefruit.  I add a squirt of lemon juice or a dash of lemon zest to any dish that will accommodate it.  I love a vinaigrette that makes your lips pucker.    So it shouldn't come as a surprise that I am crazy about cranberries.  I buy them all fall and freeze them for use throughout the year because I just can't get enough of them when they are in stores in November and December. 

I can't remember exactly when I had my first cranberry bread but it had to be when I was about seven or eight years old.  I remember this taking place in our "old" house and we moved just before Thanksgiving the year I was nine.  My mother and I had read a book where part of the story included baking cranberry bread and the book included the recipe (I wish I could remember the title of the book!).  I begged her to make the bread for Thanksgiving that year and, being the awesome mom that she is and was, she made it of course.  I distinctly remember it including orange juice because I was blown away at the idea of baking! with orange juice!  Every since that Thanksgiving our family dinner has included cranberry bread.  Now that my parents live in Florida Thanksgiving definitely has a different feel to it - hello we eat in shorts with the air conditioning on - but a cranberry bread is always part of the meal.

In developing this recipe I wanted to keep the feel of that long-lost recipe but also wanted to boost the flavor a bit.  My favorite banana bread in the world is by Dorie Greenspan and that is the inspiration for this recipe.  Her banana cake (as she calls it) is extremely moist and quite sweet.  I figured the sweetness would play nicely against the flavor of unsweetened fresh (or frozen) cranberries.  Homemade unsweetened applesauce subs for for the mashed bananas and the flavor is enhanced by the addition of cinnamon and ground ginger.  This recipe is extremely moist from the addition of sour cream so rather than adding liquid in the form of orange juice I added the zest of a good-sized orange.  My tasting panel (aka my daughter) declared the bread "delicious."  I hope you do, too.

Apple-Cranberry Bread (Cake?)
Yields 1 Bundt Cake or 2 standard loaves (recipe can be cut in half)
Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2  tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2  tsp cinnamon 
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 8 oz unsalted butter at room temperature (2 sticks)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce (preferably homemade but store-bought is fine)
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (Greek-style is preferable if you opt for yogurt)
• 1 12 oz bag fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped (not dried) 
• 1 TBS flour

Preparation:

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350˚.
2. Generously grease a 12 cup Bundt pan or two standard loaf pans (I have used three mini-pans in place of a standard loaf pan as well - great for gifts!)
3. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger in a bowl and whisk to combine.  Set aside.
4. Using either a standing mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until it is creamy.  
5. Add in the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the vanilla.  Add the eggs in one at a time taking care to incorporate each egg fully.
7. Decrease the speed of your mixer and beat in the applesauce.  Add in the orange zest.  Don't worry if the mixture looks curdled at this point - it will come together when the dry ingredients are added!
8. Add in the dry ingredients alternating with the yogurt or sour cream in two batches and mix to combine between each addition. 
9. Toss the cranberries with about 1 TBS of flour to coat evenly (this will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the bread).  Mix in the cranberries by hand to distribute evenly.
10. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
11. If using a Bundt pan it should take about 65-70 minutes to bake.  If using standard loaf pans baking time will be reduced to about 50-55 minutes (The mini-loaves take about 40).  If the bread is browning too quickly during cooking you can cover it, lightly, with some foil.  You'll know they are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or when you press on the top it bounces back leaving no indentation.
12. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before removing.  Allow to cool completely on a rack before slicing. This recipe actually tastes better the next day (just wrap the bread tightly for storing).

"Delicious!"

A Confession (Plus a Recipe for Roasted Cauliflower with Cumin, Yogurt and Pomegranate) #savethanksgiving

I have a confession to make. It's a little embarrassing.  Some might say it's downright un-American.  But for you guys I'm willing to come clean (takes a deep breath):

I'm one of those people who prefer the side dishes on Thanksgiving.  Left to my own devices I would skip the turkey altogether.

(Hangs head in shame).  I know, I know.  I'm sure my family and guests would revolt so I make a turkey every year - a damn good turkey I should add (dry brine, herb butter, 2 kinds of dressing [not stuffing] and an herb-kissed turkey-based gravy - posts on this forthcoming!).  But the few years I was a vegetarian (11 to be exact) I didn't even miss the turkey on Thanksgiving at all *gasp*.  Plus, if we're going to be historically accurate, it is more likely that the Pilgrims and Native Americans ate lobster or venison than turkey but let's not quibble, OK?

I realize that the center-piece of most Thanksgiving tables is a turkey and I will give the bird its due at some point (see above).  In fact I have taken a pledge to Respect the Bird.  Join me and others who love Thanksgiving in an effort to savor the fall and give Thanksgiving its due before moving on to the craziness of the winter holiday season.  You can follow them on twitter and on Facebook.

But right here, in this little post, I want to to focus on a side dish.  This is a recipe you can use all year long - not just on one day of the year and, while it is my goal to #savethanksgiving,  my ultimate goal is to get everyone cooking a little more  (you know - the whole Everyone Into the Kitchen thing).

As the darker days of fall settle upon us, come dinner-time, I find myself preheating the oven and then digging around the refrigerator for something to roast.  Combined with a little oil, some salt and maybe some herbs or spices, vegetables and meats are transformed by the proper application of dry heat.  As an added bonus roasting doesn't usually involve a lot of advanced preparation, is simple to do and often results is pretty easy clean-up.  

The beautiful, sturdy vegetables of fall lend themselves so well to roasting.  One such vegetable is the often maligned cauliflower.  People are used to eating cauliflower as an overcooked part of a steamed or boiled vegetable medley and I can see why it isn't appealing to many that way.  But once you have eaten roasted cauliflower you'll never look at it the same way again.

Gone is the strange mealy, bumpy texture and lack of flavor.  In its place you will find a subtly sweet, crunchy yet supple vegetable with a complex almost nutty taste.  I have made simple roasted cauliflower for children who claim they "HATE it" and it's "yucky."  But toss it with some oil and a little salt, pop it into a 425˚ oven and call it "popcorn cauliflower" and you've got a hit on your hands.  Combine it with some spices, yogurt and herbs and it is transformed into a sophisticated holiday table worthy side dish or, dare I say, main dish for vegetarians.

Roasted Cauliflower with Cumin, Yogurt and Pomegranate 
Serves 4 as a side-dish
Adapted from Cook This Now by Melissa Clark

Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets (yes the one in that picture is purple - I'm a sucker for interesting vegetables)
1-2 TBS olive oil
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup plain yogurt (I recommend Greek-style)
pinch of salt
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley or mint leaves (or a combination of the two)
2-3 TBS pomegranate seeds (optional)

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
2. Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil, cumin seeds, salt and pepper.  I do this right on the baking sheet - no need to dirty a bowl!
3. Spread the cauliflower mixture out on a baking sheet leaving room between the pieces for air to circulate and prevent the cauliflower from steaming.
4. Roast, tossing the pan from time to time, for about 25 minutes.  You want the cauliflower to be golden brown.  In this case I used purple cauliflower and it is a little harder to see.  Some pieces will be crunchier than others based on the size.  This makes for a nice variation in texture in the dish.
5. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and transfer to a serving bowl.
6. Combine the yogurt with a pinch of salt and drizzle over the cauliflower.  Top with chopped parsley or mint and pomegranate seeds.