Post Turkey Blahs

It was late on Sunday afternoon, and my friend T had just gotten her last child back to where she needed to be after Thanksgiving when she called.

"What are you doing?"
"I'm just deciding what to cook for dinner."
"So, what are you cooking?"
"Chicken."
Pause.
"Aren't you going to invite us for dinner?"
"You don't need an invitation."

And so it goes.

After a little back and forth, we decided that  since T had all of the side dishes from Thanksgiving to accompany the chicken, John and I would go to their house with the main dish in tow.  I prepared Ina Garten's Lemon Chicken Breasts, instructed T to have the oven heated to 400 degrees, grabbed a bottle of wine, and off we went.

While the Martinis were being shaken, the chicken went into the oven, and T heated up the Apple Butternut Squash Soup.  Delicious.

What a nice way to end the holiday weekend.

Dinner Tonight

Whenever I see thin sliced boneless shell steaks in the market, I am sure to pick them up.  It takes only four or so thin slices to make a great meal.

One of my favorite dinners in based on Marcella Hazan's recipe for Thin Pan-Broiled Steaks with Tomatoes and Olives.

  

Thin slices of beef are pounded to 1/4" thick.  Then slowly saute a small sliced onion in olive oil.  When it wilts, add some chopped garlic and continue to cook until the garlic is soft.  Then add about 2/3 cup canned tomatoes, roughly chopped, some black olives, oregano, salt and pepper.  Bring to simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until the oil separates from the tomatoes. Set aside on a low simmer.

Heat a large saute pan until it is smoking hot; quickly grease the bottom with an oil-soaked paper towel. Add the beef slices, brown on both sides, adding salt and pepper.  Do not overcook.  Add the simmering sauce to the saute pan, turning meat quickly and basting with sauce.

All that is left to do is serve while hot.  Enjoy.

Thanksgiving

First comes the menu.  Easy because each time L and I try to change an item on the Thanksgiving menu we are met with cries of shock and disbelief. So it goes.

Next comes my master list which shows all the dishes being served and the ingredients needed for each.  Check.  Recipes are gathered.  Check.  Then an inventory of what ingredients are in the pantry, and the shopping list is made.  Check.  Grocery store.  Check.

And the cooking begins.  Cheddar cheese crackers to have with a glass of prosecco before dinner; cranberry sauce; corn muffins; the base for the mushroom soup and a ridiculously easy and delicious do-ahead gravy--really!

 

Tomorrow I will make my family's stuffing with sausage, raisins, pine nuts, parsley and Pecorino Romano cheese.   I'll defrost the pie and crostata doughs I made last week and set into the freezer; the streusel for the crostata; and the pumpkin pie.  There is the table to set and the glasses to polish.  And all the while L will be making all the side dishes that star at this meal.

All there is to do on Thanksgiving Day is to make the crostata, truss and roast the turkey, add the cream and heat up the soup, and make room in the oven for the side dishes. Whew! 

Is all this worth it?  You bet.  We have a lot to be thankful for.  Happy Thanksgiving!

November Sky

A bright, crisp November morning.  White trails left by travelers in the sky.  I think of journeys to come.

Speechless

I have lost my voice.  I have lost my words.  I have lost  my passion.  Nothing I do seems to bring them back.

I hope that this is not the end of this blog.  I hope that something brings me back to normal--whatever that is.

In the meantime, I'd like to share a couple of fun recipes.

Lemon-Cornmeal Sheet Cookies
Adapted from a recipe by Martha Stewart, these cookies are delicious and made with an unusual method.

3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon demerara sugar
1 large egg and
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons slice almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in  a medium bowl.

Beat butter and 1/2 cup sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in 1 egg and lemon zest.  Reduce speed to low, and beat in flour mixture.

Press dough into and even 1/4" thickness on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Brush with egg wash; sprinkle with almonds and 1 tablespoon demerara sugar.  Bake until golden, 22-25 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack, then break into uneven pieces.

The other is a nice little treat to have before dinner with a glass of wine.

Roast some sweet red grapes tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper in a hot oven until they begin to soften, about 20 minutes.  Top toasted bread slices with fresh ricotta, the roasted grapes, a sprinkling of thyme and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.  Enjoy!

Summer Snaps

Although the calendar says September 2, Labor Day Weekend has long been emblematic of the end of summer around here.  And I can't say that I am sorry to see it go.

Nevertheless, it had its moments.

We benefited from S's recent stint in culinary school.

My foray into the summer's coolest craze

 

Summer's bounty

 

 

Summer's food

Summer fun

Summer past

Cool days ahead

Have a very happy and safe Labor Day Weekend!

Shake It

On a hot summer afternoon such as this, why not take your leftover morning coffee and shake yourself up and icy treat?

Of course you may use whatever coffee you choose--freshly brewed or freshly pulled--but I like the concentration of leftover coffee because it stands up well to the ice cubes.

Put the coffee in a cocktail shaker along with a pinch of sugar, a splash of milk and a few ice cubes. Then shake until your hand turns cold.  Pour into a nice long glass and enjoy.

I understand this drink is a hot weather staple all over Italy. Interestingly enough, it is known as the Caffe Shakerato, a word that sounds a lot like John's fractured Italian.  Regardless, this is what I've been taking in place of my afternoon cup of hot black coffee. Perfect.

You may also enjoy reading these posts by Sara at Ms. Adventures in Italy and Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome.

National Tequila Day! Ole!

Although the origin of National Tequila Day (July 24, 2011) is unclear, I am betting the idea came from a major tequila company.  What do you think?

However the day was founded, the idea of honoring the blue agave plant is a happy one; and John and I plan to mark the occasion.

According to Wikipedia, tequila is a spirit made from the blue agave plant primarily grown surrounding the town of Tequila, 65 kilometers northwest of Guadalajara, in the western Mexican state of Jalisco.  The blue agave grown in this highlands region in red volcanic soil is larger and sweeter than that grown in the lowlands.

Although the Aztecs were fermenting a drink from the agave long before the Spaniards arrived, it was Don Cenobia Sauza, Municipal President of the Village of Tequila, who first exported tequila to the United States in 1873. There has always been much myth and mystique surrounding tequila, and this story is beautifully written and photographed in Karl Petzke's gorgeous book, Tequila.

My tequila education came first hand when we lived in Guadalajara around the corner from the Tequila Sauza factory. That's right.  Around the corner.  Every weekend when we passed the factory music and laughter abounded from the large rented party space at Sauza. There was something to this tequila thing.

 Of course, like most students (John was the student here) our introduction to tequila came with partying and  a lot of lime and salt.  Can you say "puckered lips?" As we grew as people so did our appreciation for good tequila.  We learned about the different types of tequila and the taste of each. We learned that in Mexico tequila is sipped without lime and salt to blunt the taste, and that it is often taken with a sangrita chaser.

As tequila became more popular and appreciated in the United States, we began to experience some very good tequilas here. Alas, my two favorites, Don Julio 1942 Anejo and Jose Cuervo de la familia Anejo have become so expensive that we consider them a very special treat once in a while.

We have had the pleasure of sharing many tequilas with John's family in Mexico City, and they never arrive in the States without a bottle of something that is not available here.

So whether you are sipping a premium anejo or mixing a good plata into a frosty drink this weekend, Salud!