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Inspired New Traditions for Your Thanksgiving Feast

Published in Recipes
04 Nov 2015

With just a few weeks until Thanksgiving, holiday menus are being planned, shopping lists complied and favorite recipes dusted off. It's a time to celebrate family, both chosen and related, and to honor traditions--but what about starting some new ones? As more and more people adopt a casual approach to formerly fancy holiday gatherings, it's a great time to incorporate innovative dishes into your typical fare. And with enough time to experiment, why not add something unexpected to your Thanksgiving spread?

Turkey and ham are classic staples, but both can be time consuming to prepare. Consider the cornish game hen, a small chicken perfect for serving 1-2 people, which typically only takes an hour or so to roast. Having smaller sized dishes means you can take a different approach to several, giving your guests a variety of options, such as:

Italian Lemon and Herbs

Rub the hen with olive oil and sprinkle with dried rosemary, thyme, oregano and basil. Slice a lemon into quarters, dice a handful of onion, and place in the cavity, along with a splash of red wine and a few pats of butter. Place the hen on a baking tray and cook at 375 for about one hour, or until the juices run clear and the internal temperature hits 165.

Sweet, Smoky Southern BBQ

24 hours ahead of time, rub the hen in olive oil, salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, brown sugar and smoked salt and let refrigerate. The next day, blend two cups of apple cider vinegar, half a cup of your favorite BBQ sauce, two tablespoons of dried onions, a tablespoon of brown sugar, and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Add a quartered onion, a few garlic cloves and a roughly cut shallot to the cavity. Baste the bird and bake at 375 for an hour, or until the juices run clear and the internal temperature hits 165.

For side dishes, think past the standard mashed potatoes and gravy and embrace some new twists on root vegetables.

Sweet Potatoes Au Gratin

All the deliciousness of yams, but with the gooey indulgence of a casserole! Slice three large yams into medallions and toss in a bowl with salt, pepper, thyme, garlic, sage and olive oil. Add half a cup of shredded Parmesan cheese (or Peccorino) and coat the potatoes evenly. Transfer them to a baking dish and add one cup of milk and a half cup of heavy cream, which should be enough to cover the potatoes. Bake them at 400 for about 30-35 minutes, then remove from the oven, add another half cup of cheese and return to the oven for 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown. Please note, you may need to drain a bit of the milk off after the first 30 minutes.

Marsala Potatoes and Cauliflower

Bring some spice to the table by cubing three Yukon Gold potatoes. Layer them on a baking sheet with olive oil, salt, pepper and a drizzle of truffle oil. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are just soft. Add one head of cauliflower, chopped into florets, and sprinkle with paprika, Marsala seasoning, ginger, a dash of sugar and smoked salt. Bake for another 20 minutes, until cauliflower is soft.

Yes--everyone loves a delicious pumpkin, apple, or cherry pie for dessert, but what about embracing a Southern approach to the classic dish and serving up some bourbon-peach hand pies or "fried" ice cream?

New Orleans Style Peach Hand Pie

Either make your own favorite crust recipe or save a little time and use pre-made crust and cut it into 4 inch diameter circles, about 1/8 inches in thickness. In a sauce pan, bring about two cans of peaches (or peach pie filling) to a bubble, with a generous dash of bourbon, a few shakes of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. Then, dish a spoonful of the mixture into the center of each dough circle, dampen the edges with water, and drop into a skillet filled with hot oil. Note: bubbles in the oil should be rolling in order to crisp the pie without soaking it. Turn after about a minute and allow to cook until golden brown. Remove from the oil, dust with powdered sugar, and allow to cool.

Faux Fried Ice Cream

Love the taste and texture of fried ice cream, but not the clean up? Mix 2 cups of crushed corn flakes with 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp cinnamon and 2 tbsp of melted butter. Scoop up a dish of your favorite ice cream (we like French vanilla or salted caramel) pack the mixture on top, swirl a coat of chocolate, caramel or strawberry sauce, hit it with a dollop of whipped cream on top and enjoy!

Even if you prefer to keep your meal traditional, these additions are great for leftover meals and other holiday gatherings. But whatever graces your table, we wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Three Cheers for Autumn Beers

Published in Food & Drink
10 Oct 2015

As we head deeper into autumn, the bounty of the harvest months unfold at our tables and in our fridges. While you're craving hearty stews, casseroles, and Crockpots full of seasonal offerings, don't neglect your pint glass. Wave goodbye to summer shandy and embrace a rich assortment of fall beers with a flavor profile that goes well beyond pumpkin.

Abita Pecan Harvest Ale

Brewed with pale, Munich, biscuit, and caramel malts, this ale is the pure, golden glow of October sunsets distilled into a drink. Thanks to roasted Louisiana pecans, the ale has a delicate, nutty flavor that pairs well with both red meat and seafood. Although it's name might harken pancake syrup to mind, the flavors are crisp and not cloying.

Dog Fish Head Punkin Ale

Rich, spicy and decadently smooth, this ale packs a punch with 7% alcohol by volume. The pumpkin flavors aren't concentrated--think more caramel and less pie--but each sip delivers a delightful combination of sweet and sharp. The beer itself is named after a classic fall tradition: punkin' chunkin'. Each year's brew is slightly different, so this is one to check out when it's available.

Red Dragon Hard Apple Cider with Pinot Grigio

True, this isn't a beer, but it's a delightful bottle that you can't pass up. The sharp tang of apples pairs beautifully with the soft, dry notes of the pinot, resulting in a perfect balance of fruits. It's 6.5% alcohol by volume and bubbly, so consider this a great alternative for the usual champagne with holiday dinners (I mean, get both. You can't go wrong.)

The Bruery Autumn Maple

All the classic flavors are here--nutmeg, brown sugar, cinnamon, molasses, maple syrup and allspice. And then The Bruery turns tradition on it's head by adding yams. That's right, yams. The orange things your grandma used to cover in marshmallows and burn in the oven. But dismiss the overly sweet assumptions, because this beer is a bold, yeasty brew perfect for a chilly night on the porch, waiting for trick-or-treaters.

Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale

It's rare to find a reasonably priced ale with sophisticated flavor, but Samuel Smith has spent nearly 200 years perfecting their craft so it's no surprise that their fall offering is high quality. This creamy brown beer has notes of dried fruit, toasted nuts, toffee, and grains, with a medium body and lingering sweetness. If you're a baker, this is the perfect bottle to pour into bread, dark chocolate cake batter or even to baste a bird.

21st Amendment Monk's Blood

This dark, Belgian style beer is brewed with Mission figs and barrel aged to achieve it's acclaimed full bodied flavor. The 8.1% alcohol by volume is nestled between folds of creamy bourbon, vanilla, oak, and pepper. It's surprisingly drinkable with none of the thickness you'd expect from such pungent flavor notes, and pairs well with just about everything.

Now it's your turn--which seasonal beers are in your fridge? And which ones from this list are you most excited to try?

Pumpkin Spice Lovers Unite!

Published in Recipes
06 Oct 2015

As fall kicks off, gourmands have plenty to look forward to--apple harvest, Thanksgiving dinner, holiday baking and the beloved return of pumpkin spice. Shelves of local grocery stories are already lined with pumpkin spice offerings, including Frosted Mini-Wheats, Dannon Pumpkin Pie Greek yogurt, Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat Ale and Trader Joe's shopper favorite, Pumpkin Joe-Joes.

But if pre-made autumnal delights aren't your thing, check out these easy, fast homemade recipes featuring the it-flavor of the season.

Pumpkin Curry Soup with Toasted Pepitas

Pepitas:
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp smoked salt
2 tsp butter
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

Stir together cayenne, sugar and salt. Melt butter over medium heat. When the butter is sizzling, add the pumpkin seeds and cook,
stirring, for about 3 minutes. Sprinkle in spice mixture and continue to cook until seeds are toasted, about 2-3 more minutes. Remove to a bowl and let cool. These are a great snack by themselves, but add a nice little crunch to the soup. You can make ahead and store in an air tight container for 3-5 days.

Soup:
2 tbsp butter
1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
2 medium apples, peeled, cored, finely chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp curry powder
1/4 tsp chili powder (or omit for a milder version)
3 cups broth (your favorite, we like it with vegetable broth)
2 15-oz. cans pumpkin
1 13 oz can light unsweetened coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Plain yogurt or sour cream for serving, optional

-Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, apples and ginger and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle flour, cumin, curry and chili powders over onion mixture and stir for 1 minute.
-Gradually whisk in cups of broth, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to thicken, around 6 minutes. Whisk in pumpkin and coconut milk, both at room temperature. Bring to a low boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pot. Add salt and pepper, and more chili powder for spice if desired. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-Blend the soup until smooth, using either an immersion blender or mounted blender.
-Sprinkle with pepitas and sour cream/yogurt, if desired.
Tip: make an extra batch and freeze for a quick dinner.

Mini-Pumpkin Apple Crisp

1/2 apple, peeled and finely chopped (Honeycrisp are a favorite, but any will do)
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp brown sugar
Pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt
2 tbsp oats
2 tbsp chopped walnuts or pecans
-Mix ingredients and fill in hollowed out mini-pumpkin
-Dot with butter
-Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until the pumpkin is soft
Tip: Serve warm with vanilla ice cream

Bradley Cooper Gets “Burnt”

Published in News
04 Sep 2015

Foodies love movies, right? And movies about food are fun to watch. This October, Bradley Cooper returns to theaters in Burnt, a movie about an intense chef who is motivated by an earlier failure. He starts anew with a goal of creating a three Michelin star restaurant. If you’re looking for some movies to hold you over until Burnt, try some of these.

2014’s Chef, starring Jon Favreau as a chef who returns to his cooking roots after losing his temper and subsequently his job.

In 2000, Chocolat with Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche, is delicious. Chocolate and romance and love are all intertwined in rural France.

Big Night, from 1996, stars Minnie Driver, Isabella Rosselini, Stanley Tucci, and Tony Shaloub. Tucci and Shaloub are immigrants from Italy who own a restaurant in New York. The movie surrounds preparations for a special event—a big night.

In 1992, Like Water for Chocolate mixed ingredients for a sweet and spicy affair. Star crossed lovers in Mexico with a twist. The beauty involved has a special talent, each dish she cooks is infused with her emotions at the time. The results are unpredictable and often passionate.

Let’s just throw this one in for fun: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory from 1971. Gene Wilder embodies the crazy, silly, and sometimes a little cruel Wonka with contagious delight. Just don’t be too greedy…

Meryl Streep and Amy Adams star in Julie & Julia from 2009. A woman tries to learn to cook by mastering Julia Child’s cookbook. Streep is the portraying the iconic cook.

In 2004, Morgan Spurlock taught a lesson in Super Size Me. He ate McDonald’s for every meal, nothing else, for 30 days. Let’s just say the result isn’t surprising, but it is compelling to watch.

Lastly, a recipe. We leave you with this recipe from the book “Like Water for Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel.

TURKEY MOLE WITH ALMONDS AND SESAME SEEDS

1/4 chile mulato

3 chiles pasillas

3 chiles ancho

a handful of almonds

a handful of sesame seeds

turkey stock

a hard roll (1/3 concha roll)

peanuts

1/2 onion

wine

2 squares chocolate

anise

lard

cinnamon

pepper

sugar

seeds from the chiles

5 cloves garlic

Cook a turkey.

The almonds and sesame seeds are toasted in a griddle. The chiles anchos with their membranes removed, are also toasted - lightly, so they don't get bitter. Do this in separate frying pans. Afterwards the toasted chiles are ground on a stone along with the almonds and sesame seeds.

When the almonds and sesame seeds have been thoroughly ground, mix them with the stock in which the turkey was cooked and add salt to taste. Grind the cinnamon, cloves, anise and pepper in a mortar, adding the roll last, after frying in lard with chopped onion and garlic.

Combine the mixture with the wine and blend well.

Combine all the ingredients in a large pan; add the cut up turkey, the chocolate, and the sugar to taste. As soon as the mixture thickens, remove it from the heat.