pimento cheese stuffed sweet potatoes

This was one of my Thanksgiving creations this year.

3 large sweet potatoes

Preheat oven to 375. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and then in the oven. Bake for an hour, until they feel soft to the touch. Set aside.

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 small jar pimentos
1 tsp bourbon
black pepper

Ritz crackers, crumbled

Mix the ingredients together. Cut the potatoes in half and scoop them out into a bowl, leaving enough in the skins for them to hold their shape. Add the cheese to the potato in the bowl and mix them together. Put the filling back into the skins and place them side by side in a baking dish. Cover the tops with the cracker crumbs. Lower the oven temperature to 350 and put them back in the oven for twenty minutes.

Peace,
Milton

cranberry sauce circa 2010

I got the inspiration for this watching Iron Chef America the other night. Bobby Flay did something similar. Here is my version for this year.

1 bag fresh cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 poblano pepper, pureed
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 /4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Pour everything into a saucepan, bring it to a boil, and then reduce the heat until the berries burst and the sauce thickens. It is an interesting mix of sweet and savory. I think it's going to taste great with our turkey.

Peace,
Milton

brown sugar buttermilk pie

I was intrigued by this recipe because they used brown sugar.

1 refrigerated pie crust

Heat oven to 400. Bake the crust about 12 minutes, until golden. Transfer to rack and cool.

1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons all purpose flour

Mix sugar and flour in a food processor, then add

3 large eggs plus one large yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla

until well blended; then add

1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons melted butter

and blend again. Pour mixture into cooled crust and bake about 45 minutes, until it puffs and is almost set in the center. Cool on a rack and then chill until cold before serving.

Peace,
Milton

sweet potato pie

I made a couple of these today to share with co-workers.

1 refrigerated pie crust
1 egg white, beaten

Paint the crust with the egg white before you fill it with the sweet potato mixture. This keeps the crust from being soggy.

Preheat oven t0 400.

1 15oz can candied yams
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix everything together in a food processor until smooth. Pour into pie crust and bake for 45 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Peace,
Milton

pumpkin pie

Smitten Kitchen has become my favorite food blog. Her pumpkin pie is amazing. You can get the whole deal, crust and all, here, but I opted for a refrigerated crust, so I'm just passing along my version of the pie part.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Put pie crust in the oven for about 10 minutes. (I covered mine with a piece of foil and weighted it with pocket change.)

2 cups half and half
3 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together in medium bowl. Set aside.

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup drained candied yams from 15-ounce can
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (I used 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground because I’m not a huge fan of fresh ginger)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon table salt

Combine these ingredients and bring to sputtering simmer over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to simmer pumpkin mixture, stirring constantly and mashing yams against sides of pot, until thick and shiny, 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove pan from heat. Whisk in cream mixture until fully incorporated. (I then used my hand mixer to make sure the mixture was as smooth as possible.) Transfer to pre-baked pie shell. Return pie plate with baking sheet to oven and bake pie for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees. Continue baking until edges are set, 20 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer pie to wire rack and cool to room temperature, 2 to 3 hours. (The pie finishes cooking with resident heat; to ensure the filling sets, cool it at room temperature and not in the refrigerator.)

This is worth saving room for dessert.

Peace,
Milton

roasted red curry carrots

This is another recipe I found first in Food & Wine. I thought it would add a little zing to our Thanksgiving table.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon Thai red curry pas

In a 1 1/2 quart shallow baking dish, mix the oil, butter, and curry paste together.

1 pound baby peeled carrots
1 tablespoon julienned fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, chopped
salt
1/4 cup water

Add the carrots, ginger, and garlic to the paste mixture and toss to coat. Season with a little salt and add the water. Cover the dish tightly with foil and roast for about 30 minutes in a 425 oven. Remove the foil and cook another ten minutes, until the water has evaporated.

Can be served hot or at room temperature.

Peace,
Milton

state fair pecan pie

This is an adaptation of the recipe that won the 1996 State Fair of Texas.

1 1/2 cups pecan halves (5 1/2 oz.)

In a pie plate, toast the pecans for 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool.

1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
3 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, milk, flour, vanilla, and salt. Cook over moderate heat just until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

4 large eggs

In a heatproof bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Gradually whisk in the hot sugar mixture until thoroughly blended. Mix in the toasted pecans and pour into a pie shell. Bake for about 45 minutes in a 350 oven, or until the center is just barely set and the crust is golden brown. Transfer the pie to a rack to cool completely.

Peace,
Milton

black and blue berry pie

These are Ginger's two favorite berries, so why not put them in a pie?

Thaw and drain

5 cups frozen blueberries
2 1/2 cups frozen blackberries
(since we are not in the season for fresh ones)

Add the following ingredients after mixing them together well:

1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons corn starch

Pour the mixture into a pie shell and sprinkle with

1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter

Cover with a second pie pastry round and cut slits in the top. Bake at 425 for 35-45 minutes.

Peace,
Milton

green bean casserole

Ginger loves green bean casserole and I'm doing my best not to use canned soups, so here is my version.

1 pound green beans, rinsed and trimmed
(I also use a "french cutter" I got at Williams-Sonoma years ago that cuts them into shreds)

Bring a large saucepan full of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Cook for about five minutes and then drain and plunge the beans into a big bowl of ice water to stop their cooking. Set aside.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 oz. sliced mushrooms
(I like the Crimini mushrooms)
1 large shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons flour

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add shallot. Cook until it is translucent (just a minute or two) and add the mushrooms and the garlic. Cook for five or six minutes, until the mushrooms have given up their liquid and are beginning to brown. Add flour and stir until you have a kind of thick paste.

3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup half and half

Add the broth and cook until it is warm, then add the half and half. Keep cooking and stirring the mixture until it thickens. I then take about two-thirds of the mixture and puree it in my food processor and then return it to the sauce pan. Place the green beans in the bottom of a casserole dish and pour the mushroom mixture over the top and bake in a 350 oven for about fifteen minutes.

NOTE: The traditional casserole has onion rings on top. Ginger is allergic to them, so I don't add them at our house. If you want to add them, slice them as thinly as possible. Toss them in flour and then in water and then in flour again. Fry until golden and add when the casserole comes out of the oven.

NOTE #2: To add a little crunch to the rings, Grind about a cup of dry arborio rice (Italian rice used to make risotto) and add the to second batch of flour.

Peace,
Milton

rachel's nut brittle

My mother-in-law is crazy about peanut brittle. For Thanksgiving I'm going to make her this special version adapted from a Food & Wine recipe in their December issue.

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 oz. roasted peanuts, cashews, and pecans

Comine the sugar, water, butter, and corn syrup in a large sauce pan and brint to a boil. Cover and cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until it registers 300 on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. The mixture will bubble. Stir in the nuts and quickly scrape the mixture on to a rimmed nonstick baking sheet (0r, if you baking sheets are like mine and not nonstick, one that has been sprayed with Pam). Working quickly, spread the mixture into an even layer. Let it cool completely before breaking it into pieces.

Makes about 2 pounds.

Peace,
Milton

sweet potatoes and apples in browned butter

This is a new dish for our table this Thanksgiving.

2 large sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Peel the potatoes and cut into half inch dice. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a 450 oven for about half an hour, or until potatoes are tender to touch.

4 semi-sweet apples (Macintosh, Fuji, Braeburn or the like)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Stand the apple on end and cut down one side close to the core. Lay the apple flat, cut side down, and repeat the process until you have a square core piece left. Throw it away and cut the apple pieces into a half inch dice. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread on the same sheet with the sweet potatoes. Cook in a 450 oven for the last fifteen minutes with the potatoes.

3 tablespoons butter
6 strips crispy bacon
(if you want to get fancy, use pancetta or prosciutto)
1 small bunch sage leaves, chopped

Heat a large skillet until it’s very hot and add butter. (The butter will melt quickly and spatter a little) As soon as it begins to brown, toss in the bacon, apples, and sweet potatoes. Reduce heat to medium and cook for a couple of minutes until potatoes and apples are heated through. Add sage and cook about thirty seconds more.

Serve as soon as possible.

Peace,
Milton

pilgrim punchers

This is an adaptation of tear jerkers, a recipe I posted at the beginning of the year.

3 16 oz jars of sliced jalapeños, drained
2 cups sugar
1 20 oz can of crushed pineapple
2 cups dried cranberries

Mix the ingredients in a large saucepan and heat until sugar is melted and mixture is bubbling. Set aside and let cool completely, then put into whatever containers you wish. The jalapeño jars are great if you want to share the relish with friends. Keeps well in the refrigerator and makes a great substitute for cranberry sauce.

Peace,
Milton

drunken turkey

I know -- this is way too late to be much help for tomorrow, but here it is anyway: the recipe I use for our Thanksgiving and Christmas turkeys. I've tried a lot of things over the years, but since this recipe appeared in the November 2001 edition of Food & Wine, I've never tried any other recipes. We've come to know it as Drunken Turkey.

You can find the original recipe here. I will give you my version.

1 turkey (ours is fourteen pounds this year)
2 cups of bourbon
1 cup of orange juice
1 cup of maple syrup
salt and pepper
1 stick of butter, softened
citrus fruit, onions, and apples

water
3/4 c flour
4 cups of chicken broth
1 cup of pecans

In a bowl, mix the bourbon, OJ, syrup and spices together.

Take your fingers and work them under the turkey skin to separate it from the breast and thighs. Take your time and don't tear the skin if you can help it. Put a large oven bag in a bowl and set the turkey in it with the cavity side up. Pour the bourbon mixture between the skin and the bird and then seal the bag up tight. Refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, take the bird out of the bag and place it in a roasting pan. Save the marinade. Take about half of the butter and rub it on the bird underneath the skin; rub the other half on the outside of the skin. Stuff the cavity of the bird with sliced citrus, apples, and onions and then tie the legs together and pour half of the reserved marinade over the top of the turkey. Put in a preheated 325 oven and roast for thrity minutes. Baste the bird with the pan juices and add a couple of cups of water to the pan. Cook for another hour, basting every thirty minutes. Cover loosely with foil and cook for another hour or two, depending on the size of the turkey.

When you move the turkey to the carving platter, make sure to drain the pan juices to make an incredible gravy. Cover the bird loosely with foil to keep it warm. Put the pan juices in a small containter and put it in the freezer for a few minutes. The fat will begin to congeal on the top and you can remove it easily. Take about six tablespoons of the fat and melt it in a saucepan. Once it is hot, add the flour to make a roux. Warm the chicken broth and add it to the roux, whisking constantly to make the broth thicken. Add the pan juices and pecans and simmer for about fifteen minutes to really let the flavors mix. Season with salt and pepper.

You can find the rest of my writing for today here.

Peace,
Milton