THE NIBBLE » Holidays & Occasions

TIP OF THE DAY: Cranberry Mayo

admin — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:57:35 +0000

Enjoy those turkey sandwiches (or turkey burgers, veggieburgers or regular burgers) with cranberry mayonnaise instead of other condiments.

Just blend regular mayonnaise with cranberry sauce in a 3:1 proportion. Some people like even more cranberry—experiment down to a 2:1 proportion.

Find more condiment ideas in our Gourmet Condiments
Section.

Mix some of the leftover cranberry sauce into
mayonnaise, and you’ve got a great sandwich
spread. Photo courtesy GranGala orange liqueur.

TIPS: How Do You Properly Cook A Turkey?

admin — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:35:23 +0000

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 80% of foodborne illnesses are linked to meat and poultry. Since we want to give thanks for our health, NSF International, a public health and safety organization, has provided food safety tips to help you properly thaw, cook and store your holiday turkey. We’ve combined them along with some of our own turkey-cooking tips.

Whether you’re a seasoned cook who would like a refresher or it’s your first time preparing the big bird (sorry, Big Bird!), these tips will help you follow proper food safety guidelines for a safer Thanksgiving and a tastier bird:

Buying The Turkey. Don’t let uncooked turkey sit at room temperature. Put the turkey in the cart last and get it home and refrigerated promptly. Bag the turkey separately and place it below other food in the refrigerator. For crisper skin, unwrap the turkey the night before roasting and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator.

A fresh, organic, free-range turkey from FreshDirect.com.

Thawing The Turkey. Don’t attempt to thaw a frozen turkey quickly by leaving it to sit overnight on the kitchen counter—bacteria will grow. Either place the covered turkey in a shallow pan on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator (the safest method—but note that it takes approximately 3 days for a 20 pound turkey to fully defrost) or place the plastic-wrapped turkey in a pan of cold water, changing the water about every 30 minutes. Another option is to completely submerge the turkey under a stream of lukewarm (70°F) running water, but that’s not a good use of water.

Avoiding Bacterial Contamination. To avoid bacterial contamination, never place the turkey (or any raw poultry) directly on the counter. Keep it on a platter or in a roaster. Clean and sanitize the counter and utensils after handling raw turkey. Don’t use turkey utensils for other purposes until they have been cleaned. Similarly, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw turkey, using plenty of warm water and soap.

Roasting. Trussing also helps any bird roast more evenly. Then, coat the skin with olive oil or other vegetable oil, season with salt and pepper and tightly cover the breast with aluminum foil to prevent drying. About 45 minutes before the turkey should be done, remove the foil from the breast to allow it to brown. Don’t open the oven to baste; it isn’t needed, and the temperature fluctuation only increases cooking time and dries out the bird.

Stuffing. Wait to stuff the turkey until right before putting it in the oven. Use only pre-cooked meats and vegetables in the stuffing mixture. Don’t pack the cavity; the turkey will cook more evenly if it is not densely stuffed. Cook overflow stuffing in a casserole dish—or cook all the stuffing in a separate casserole—it makes serving easier. Then, instead of stuffing, place some aromatic vegetables in the cavity (carrots, celery, garlic and/or onion) and tuck some fragrant herbs under the skin (we love rosemary). If cooked inside the bird, cook the stuffing until it reaches at least 165° F at the center. A Consider adding flavor by loosely filling the cavity with work nicely — or by carefully tucking fresh herbs underneath the breast skin. For the stuffing lovers, cook the dressing in a casserole dish on the side.

Is It Ready? At 350°F, a defrosted turkey should take about 20 minutes per pound, and a fresh turkey 10-15 minutes per pound. Use a meat thermometer to check the turkey for doneness, even if the turkey has a pop-up timer. When the temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh away from the bone (that deep spot between the leg and the breast), the turkey should be done. Remove it from the oven, tent it with foil and let it rest for about 15 minutes before carving to preserve the juices.

Carving Knife. Is your carving knife sharp? Dull knives cause accidents. There’s still time to sharpen those blades before the big day.

Turkey Leftovers. For food safety, refrigerate any leftovers immediately. Large portions should be separated into smaller containers and covered loosely to speed cooling.

A tip from THE NIBBLE: For a moister, juicier turkey, consider brining. We’ll try to post instructions; or else, they’re easy to find online.

Need More Help With Your Turkey? Foster Farms, producers of both fresh and frozen turkeys, has its Foster Farms Turkey Helpline experts on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, now through November 30, including Thanksgiving Day. They can be reached at 1.800.255.7227.

ENTERTAINING: Vegetarian Thanksgiving Guests

admin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:15:14 +0000

According to a 2009 Vegetarian Resource Group/Harris Interactive survey, about 3% of the U.S. adult population is vegetarian. If you’ve invited a vegetarian to enjoy your turkey dinner, plan ahead with these tips from nutrition expert Gary Null.

If you don’t know if certain guests eat meat and other animal products, phone or email ahead of time. Then you can plan to have a main-course option to offer, such as a Tofurky (a tofu turkey) or our favorite, the Celebration Roast from Field Roast Grain Meat Company, a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week. (By the way, this also works for guests who may have food allergies or medical restrictions, such as low cholesterol/no butter.)

In fact, most vegetarians do not expect the host to make special accommodations. They may even offer to bring a vegetarian dish that they and others can enjoy. But providing a few things they can eat (crudités before dinner, potatoes and other sides made without butter, for example) will make for a better experience. Don’t hesitate to discuss options with them.

A vegetarian does not eat any type of animal flesh, whether from fish, fowl or other animals, although some individuals choose to eat dairy and/or egg products. This includes lard, chicken and beef stock and some prepared salad dressings.

With the vegan Celebration Roast, you still
get leftovers for sandwiches the next day. Photo by Hannah Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

A vegan (pronounced VEE-gun) eats no animal-derived products, including honey, gelatin (used in desserts and marshmallows) and red food dyes derived from cochineal. If there is an animal-derived ingredient in a dish, no matter how small the amount, be certain to let your guest know.

Most importantly, the Thanksgiving dinner table is not the time to discuss why someone is a vegetarian. Some choose this diet for ethical or animal rights reasons. Others may be motivated by religious, environmental and/or health considerations. Some simply don’t like meat. If you really want to know why your guest has made this choice, ask another day—and if anyone else brings up the topic, steer the conversation to reasons everyone should be thankful!

RECIPE: Apricot Pumpkin Bread

admin — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:13:12 +0000

For Thanksgiving weekend, how about some apricot pumpkin bread, delicious for breakfast, brunch, snacks and tea sandwiches. This recipe is courtesy of B & R Farms, apricot growers who sell their delicious products at California farmers markets and to wholesalers. For more recipes, visit brfarms.com.

APRICOT PUMPKIN BREAD
Ingredients

- 1 large egg
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/2 cup salad oil (we like olive oil)
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoons each: baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground ginger
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup chopped dried apricots

B & R Farms apricots drying in the California
sun. Photo by Shannon Grissom, courtesy
B & R Farms.

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to at 350°F.
2. In large bowl, beat together egg, sugar, pumpkin, oil and orange juice.
3. In another bowl, mix flour with baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger and add to egg mixture.
4. Stir in nuts and dried apricots. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for about an hour until toothpick comes out clean.
5. Cool 15 minutes, release from pan and serve warm with butter, cream cheese or apricot preserves. (Cream cheese and apricot preserves makes a great sandwich! Serve it with a cup of black tea; Earl Grey or Assam would be especially nice.)

Find pumpkin pie recipes in our Gourmet Pies & Pastry Section.

Find recipes for pumpkin cupcakes, banana bread and carrot cake in our Gourmet Cakes Section.

RECIPES: Mashed Potato Mummies & More For Halloween

Editorial Assistant — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:57:05 +0000

What’s for dinner? Take your pick, or cook them all:

Barbecued Worm Sandwiches

Mummified Mashed Potatoes

Spooky Shepherd’s Pie

Halloween Chocolate Cake

These recipes are too cute for words (take a look at the pictures!). Even if you don’t have kids, you may want to whip up a few. You can have your worm sandwiches with a beer instead of milk.

Happy Halloween!

Worms: They’re what’s for dinner. At least on
Halloween! Photo courtesy of Pillsbury.

TIP OF THE DAY: A Toast To Halloween

Editorial Assistant — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:36:07 +0000

The Bloody Eyeball Martini. Photo courtesy
of Kris Plazek.

While the kids are out trick-or-treating, you deserve a treat, too. Our Halloween cocktails with gin include the Bloody Scream, Ghost, Satan’s Whiskers, Swamp Demon and Witches’ Brew. But they’re only the top of the menu—we’ve got a whole Halloween Lounge going.

Check out the Bloody Eyeball Martini and the Bloody Brain.

Halloween Brandy Cocktails include Awake From The Dead and Pumpkin Eater Cocktails.

Coffee lovers can sip away at these “black” cocktails with Kahlúa: The Drac-Kahlúa, Kahlúa Black Cat and Kahlúa Cryptini. (They’re very dark brown, but you can add a drop of McCormick black food coloring to make them truly black.)

There’s a lovely bloody effect with Vampire Elixir from Grey Goose Vodka. The company also offers a bright orange Pumpkin Martini.

What are you waiting for? Start mixing!

RECIPE: Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread

Editorial Assistant — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:58:05 +0000

Back in the 17th century, sugar was costly and shortbread was considered an expensive luxury, a treat reserved for special celebrations, Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. Imagine how over-the-top-indulgent those party-goers would think us if they had these dipped shortbread fingers!

We thank the folks at Walkers Shortbread for this festive yet easy recipe. Serve it for dessert with ice cream or with coffee and tea when guests stop by during the holiday season.

Ingredients

1 package (5.3 ounces) Walkers Shortbread Fingers

1 bar (8 ounces) of chocolate—bittersweet and/or white (or double the recipe and make one batch of each)

A selection of toppings: chopped nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts or pistachios or walnuts); chopped candied fruit; crystallized ginger; mini chocolate (or other flavored chips); grated coconut; zest of orange or lemon; or your own favorite toppings)

Dip shortbread fingers: It’s easy, fun—and impressive! Photo courtesy Walker’s Shortbread.

Preparation
1. Microwave chocolate in medium microwavable bowl on HIGH for 2 minutes. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth.
2. Dip shortbread fingers into the melted chocolate. Immediately roll in chopped nuts, coconut, mini-chocolate chips, slivered almonds, etc.
3. Or place plain dipped chocolate shortbread onto waxed paper and let cool. Then drizzle with contrasting chocolate. Serves 4.

There are many more recipes available at www.walkersus.com. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Pumpkin Cupcakes With Pumpkin Cheesecake Frosting

Editorial Assistant — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:00:18 +0000

Fall is the time to bake up a pumpkin storm, so let’s add to the list with a delicious pumpkin cupcake with pumpkin cheesecake (cream cheese) frosting.

Created by cupcake blogger Stefani Pollack, the cupcakes are made with healthier graham flour and bits of graham crackers, yielding a far more rich-tasting, graham-y cake with a muffin-like texture—no delicate little cup of fluff.

Check out the recipe.

Read about the invention of graham flour and graham crackers.

Find more of Stefani’s recipes at Cupcake Project: An Experimental Cupcake Blog.

For another yummy combination of pumpkin and cheesecake, check out our Pumpkin Mocha Cheesecake Recipe, an elegant special-occasion dessert.

Make some pumpkin mousse.

Holiday flavors: graham flour (used to make
graham crackers) and pumpkin cheesecake
frosting. Photo courtesy Stefani Pollack |
Cupcake Project.

RECIPE: Pumpkin Mousse Cheesecake

Editorial Assistant — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:40:23 +0000

We love pumpkin cheesecake: So many recipes, so little time! This recipe is on the lighter side—pumpkin mousse—which makes it a better option after a heavy dinner. Think ahead to Thanksgiving, but try it out for Halloween.

The recipe was created by Andrea Watman, Creative Director at Zabar’s in New York City. Another twist is the gingersnap cookie crust, which brings even more holiday flavor into the recipe.

Try the pumpkin mousse cheesecake recipe.

No mousse for you? Here’s a full-strength mocha pumpkin cheesecake (cheesecake with a coffee bean-graham cracker crust and a mocha glaze).

Find more cheesecake recipes, including Burnt Caramel Cheesecake Brûlée, Cranberry Cheesecake, Irish Coffee cheesecake, Mango Cheesecake, Mascarpone Cheesecake, Rosemarie Brie Cheesecake and Sour Cream Topping Cheesecake.

Pumpkin mousse cheesecake is lighter than other recipes.

TIP OF THE DAY: Pumpkin Table Settings

Editorial Assistant — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:24:42 +0000

Scatter miniature pumpkins and gourds to dress up the dining table from October through Thanksgiving weekend. They also can be used to hold place cards: Either cut a slit on the top with a sharp knife to insert the card, or use strong double-stick tape to affix it.

See our favorite Halloween chocolates, which can be used as table settings.