TRADITIONAL THANKSGIVING BREAD STUFFING



 Stuffing Mixed and  Ready for the Oven

When I was growing up as a kid, every Thanksgiving my mom always made a traditional bread stuffing with celery, onions, salt, pepper, dried thyme and, of course, cooked turkey giblets. 

And throughout the years, I have made a variety of my own stuffing, some of which have included wild rice, dried cranberries, dried apricots, apples, wild mushrooms, and Hawaiian sweet bread (not all at the same time).

However, for the past several years, I came back to the classic and revived my mom's bread stuffing with a few minor adjustments.  This is another one of those recipes that probably has hundreds--if not, thousands--of variations, but it certainly works.

The bread.  In my opinion, the stuffing is only as good as the bread.  I have learned that a heartier, artisan-style loaf of bread produces a much better stuffing versus the "sliced" stuff that my mom used, although sometimes she would use seeded hard rolls from the bakery.  I don't think the term artisan existed back then.

The Bread

Cubed Bread

Celery, onions, and herbs.  The celery and onions never change here and will always be staple ingredients.  However, I did get a little more creative with the herbs. In lieu of dried thyme, I use fresh (although dry would certainly work).  Also, I added fresh sage to the mix (again, dried could probably work, as well).  Then some celery seeds (which, sort of, "take the place" of the poppy seeds from the rolls), and, finally, two of the "classic" fall spices that scream Thanksgiving, freshly-grated nutmeg, and cloves. 




Celery, Onion and Spice Mix

No giblets, salt, or eggs.  We made turkey stock using the giblets, so the "cooked meat" will be used for gravy and not in the stuffing.  Salt is not necessary because of the ingredients used and there is no need to add any more sodium to this. And, although many stuffing recipes call for eggs, the turkey stock works well to bind the stuffing for. . . The Finale . . . 

To Stuff or Not to Stuff?  So, where do we put the stuffing--inside the turkey or bake it in a separate dish? I opt to do the latter.  Although, of course, the stuffing could always be loosely placed in the turkey, and the leftover stuffing baked separately.  When the stuffing is baked in a separate dish, turkey stock is used to moisten it so it could absorb the juices that would have come from the turkey if the stuffing was inside the bird.

Traditional Bread Stuffing

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, unsalted
3 cups onions, chopped
2 cups celery, scraped to remove stringy outer portion and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
2 teaspoons celery seeds
Pinch of nutmeg, freshly ground (about 1/16th teaspoon)
Pinch of ground cloves (about 1/16th teaspoon)
1 one-pound loaf of day-old bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, toasted if fresh
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cup home-made turkey broth (made from the turkey giblets)

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions, celery, thyme, sage, celery seeds, nutmeg, and cloves.  Cook mixture until softened, about 5 minutes.  In a large bowl, toss the cooked vegetables with the bread cubes.  Season with the pepper.  Melt the remaining butter and pour it over the stuffing with 1/2 cup of home-made turkey broth.  The stuffing should hold together.

Place stuffing in a baking dish and pour about one or two cups of the turkey broth over the stuffing to moisten.  Bake, covered, in a 325 degree oven, for about an hour.  For a "crunchy" top, uncover for the last 15 minutes of baking. 

Yields about 12 cups





Finished Baked Stuffing

SWEET POTATO WAFFLES WITH BOURBON MAPLE SYRUP

Sweet Potato Waffles

My idea of waffles was always those frozen packaged things that we would pop into a toaster for several minutes and when they were "done", we would smother them with Aunt Jemima's syrup and chunks of hard butter that never really melted.  I think the last time that I had one of those waffles was about 30 years ago.

Since then, and as the items in my kitchen continued to grow throughout the years, I still peruse the cooking sections of major department stores, specialty cooking stores, and even the discount stores, seeking for a new kitchen item that I don't own.  Although I've seen many waffle irons, I never really thought about purchasing one or making waffles from scratch--until a few weeks ago when I saw a cooking episode featuring Chef Jesse Jones on the CBS Morning Show.  Chef Jesse Jones, who is one of New Jersey's top chefs and the 2010 Ultimate Chef of Bergen County, made Sweet Potato Waffles.  Chef Jesse owns a catering business and teaches cooking classes throughout the state and has been featured on the show quite frequently.  I tasted his extreme comfort food several times and it is delicious, so his recipe for Sweet Potato Waffles got my attention.  The following day I purchased a waffle iron. 

After about a week of the iron sitting on my counter, it was time to make the waffles.  Although I had most of the dry ingredients in my pantry, I adapted the recipe slightly to use the items that I had on hand and purchased those that I didn't.  For example, I used pancake mix and a vanilla bean in lieu of the pastry flour and vanilla extract, respectively.  And eggs and butter are always core staples in the fridge, but I did need to purchase buttermilk.

I also did some research and came across a recipe for Bourbon Maple Syrup on the Bon Appetit website.  Bourbon is always a staple on the bar, particularly in the fall and winter months, and espresso is another staple that is always in the kitchen. It all came together.   I also made a side dish of braised wild mushrooms which were a perfect accompaniment to the dish. 

After dinner, the storm hit. 

Sweet Potato Waffles

Adapted from Chef Jesse Jones of Chef Jesse Concepts and owner of Heart and Soul Catering

Yield: 4-5 waffles per batch

2 cups pancake mix

3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
3 egg yolks, separated, reserve egg whites
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, or seeds scraped from one vanilla bean
1 small sweet potato - baked, peeled and mashed (4-6 oz)
Vegetable oil in a spray pump (or unsalted melted butter) to coat waffle iron

Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees and pre-heat the waffle iron. 

Sift together the pancake mix, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and both sugars in a medium bowl.

Separately, in another medium bowl, combine egg yolks, buttermilk, melted butter, oil, vanilla  extract (or seeds scraped from the vanilla bean) and mashed sweet potato.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix gently until combined. 

Beat the reserved egg whites until frothy and fluffy.  Gently fold egg whites into the waffle mix.  Let batter rest for about 5 minutes.

Spray waffle iron with oil (or brush with melted butter).  Ladle 4 to 6 oz of batter into iron and close.  Follow cooking instructions according to manufacturer's directions. As each waffle is done, remove from waffle iron and put each one on a cookie sheet and place in oven to keep warm. 

Remove waffles from oven.  Place on individual serving dishes and drizzle with Bourbon Maple Syrup.

Bourbon Maple Syrup

Adapted from bonappetit.com

Yield:  3/4 cup

1 cup brewed espresso coffee
6 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
3 Tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon espresso coffee powder
1/3 cup bourbon
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Stir coffee, maple syrup, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a boil; cook until thickened and reduced by half, about 6-7 minutes.  Remove syrup from heat; add bourbon and 2 tablespoons butter. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce is reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 40-45 minutes.  The mixture should be thick enough to coat a spoon, but not sticky, and will thicken as it cools.

LOBSTER PUMPKIN RISOTTO

Lobster Pumpkin Risotto

The first time that I ever had Lobster Pumpkin Risotto was created by Chef Giancarlo Quadalti who was the executive chef at COCO Cafe, one of the restaurants of Pino Luongo's mini empire back in 1999.  Ever since then, I have been making it and experimenting with various versions of broths/stocks used in the risotto; e.g., vegetable, chicken, and the ultimate pumpkin.

I always found it to be very interesting that lobster is at its peak in the fall, particularly in October, and the best-tasting crustacean is now.   So when steamed lobster chunks are combined with a risotto that has been cooked in a spiced-pumpkin broth with freshly diced pumpkin (also at its peak now) from the farmers' market, it is certainly a comforting dish for a chilly autumn day.  Add to that a drizzling of black truffle oil and it becomes very special.  And since lobster is selling at its lowest price in 20 years, it is a great protein for anyone (who is not allergic to shellfish) to consider.

I've adapted Chef Michael Romano's Pumpkin Risotto recipe from the Union Square Cookbook http://www.amazon.com/Union-Square-Cafe-Cookbook-Restaurant/dp/0060170131/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1350835587&sr=1-1&keywords=union+square+cafe+cookbook, added cooked lobster and drizzled black truffle oil to complete the dish. 

The first step is to make a spiced-pumpkin broth/stock that is used to cook the risotto.  In lieu of using canned pumpkin, I prefer to use a fresh pumpkin from the farmers' market for the pulp and the rest of the pumpkin for the risotto. Steaming the pumpkin cuts down on the sodium content from the canned version. It is more work, but certainly worth the extra effort.  Finally, I'm using black truffle oil as a garnish and to keep the food cost within the 25%-range.  But, if lobster is selling for $4.50-$5.00 per pound, maybe I could get fresh truffles?   

STEAMED PUMPKIN

Pumpkins at Chelsea Market

A five-pound pumpkin could be used to make both the puree for the broth and for the diced pumpkin that is used in the risotto.  Half of the pumpkin, when steamed, would yield about 2 cups of mashed pumpkin puree.  The rest is for the risotto.

Cut pumpkin in half.  Remove seeds, pulp, and stringy portion. Cut into small pieces and peel. Place half of the diced pumpkin into a steamer or metal colander which will fit in a covered pot (Reserve the rest of the diced pumpkin for the risotto).  Put the diced pumpkin over boiling water, cover, and steam for about 50 minutes, or until tender. Mash, purée in a blender or food processor, or put through a food mill.

PUMPKIN BROTH

 (Yield: 7-8 cups)
1 Tbs unsalted butter
3/4 cup onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1/3 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 leek, washed and thinly sliced, white and light green parts only
2 cups pumpkin puree (alternate is a can of pumpkin puree 15-16 oz)
8 cups chicken stock, preferably home made
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
1/2 tsp allspice berries
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2" cinnamon stick
2 Tbs maple syrup

RISOTTO

(Serves 4)

1/4 cup olive oil
1 3/4 cups Arborio rice
1 1/2 cups diced (1/2 inch) fresh pumpkin
1/2 cup dry white wine
6-7 cups pumpkin broth
1 Tbs minced fresh sage
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly grated black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 Tbs fresh parsley

3 tsp clarified butter (if needed)

LOBSTER

Dice cooked lobster tail and claw meat from 1 1/2# - 2# lobster, about 1 cup, warmed
Lobster bodies (for garnish)
1 ounce truffle oil (optional)

PREPARATION OF PUMPKIN BROTH
In a large stock pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and leek; sauté until tender and moist, about 10 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin puree and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, bay leaf, spices, and maple syrup. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Pour the broth through a fine mesh strainer. In the same saucepan, heat the pumpkin broth to a simmer.

PREPARATION OF RISOTTO

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a separate, 3-quart heavy saucepan or skillet. Add the rice and diced pumpkin and stir until mixture is coated with oil. Add the white wine and stir constantly until all the wine has been absorbed by the rice.  Start to ladle 1/2 cup of hot pumpkin broth into the pan and stir until it is absorbed. Continue with the rest of the broth, adding 1/2 cup at a time and letting each addition be absorbed completely into the rice before adding more liquid.  This usually takes about 30-45 minutes.  Finish the risotto by stirring in the salt, pepper, and the Parmigiano. Swirl in the clarified butter.  

TO FINISH

Lightly fold in the diced cooked lobster meat into the risotto.  Remove from pan and place on a serving platter.  Garnish with lobster bodies (optional). Drizzle with black truffle oil (also optional) and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

International Chefs Congress

The International Chefs Congress was held at the Park Avenue Armory in NYC from Sep 30-Oct 2.

Iron Chef Morimoto

Another photo with Iron Chef Morimoto



A 227-lb tuna that Chef Morimoto butchered

Pop-Up Sign for Michael Laiskonis

Chef Michael Laiskonis

Chef Richard Blais

Chef Angelo Sosa

 

Chef Angelo's Black Garlic Paella made with Quinea

 

Chef Jennifer Carroll

 

Chef Michael Isabella

 

Chef Paul Qui

Chef Wylie Dufresne

Chef Vaughn Trannen

  

Chef Garces

 

Chef John Besh

 

Chef John Besh

 

Chef John Besh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EDAMAME DUMPLINGS IN SHALLOT- SAUTERNES BROTH

Edamame Dumplings in Sauternes with Sesame Seeds and Sprouts

Edamame dumplings are one of my favorites.  The first time I had them was at Buddakan in New York many years ago. And a restaurant in my town used to serve them since their chef was a former employee of Buddakan. Unfortunately, the local restaurant closed, so now the only place that I could get edamame dumplings in my town is to make my own. In the past, I have made them a number of times using an edamame puree recipe adapted from Chef Ming Tsai's Blue Ginger cookbook ttp://www.amazon.com/Blue-Ginger-East-Meets-Cooking/dp/0609605305/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348488737&sr=1-1&keywords=blue+ginger.  

 

But after having Buddakan's dumplings at the Lucky Rice Festival in May, I wanted to make them again.  Four months later and a few clicks on the Internet from time to time, I came across several adaptations from the original Buddakan recipe and created my own version.  The edamame are cooked in a dashi broth, so the first step is to make dashi. I always have kombu and bonito flakes in my pantry, so that was easy. I also had a package of frozen edamame in the freezer, so we were half-way there.  Frozen edamame are what I always used and are acceptable for this.

 

Since the dumplings were going to be served in a shallot-sauternes broth, I added caramelized shallots to the edamame filling, along with some dashi broth to give it the creamy consistency in lieu of the amount of butter that was used in the original recipe. Although I did use some heavy cream and a half-cup of white truffle oil.  After processing, I let the filling set in the fridge for about 6 hours (or it could set overnight).

 

Since we bought a bottle of Sauternes a few weeks ago (in anticipation of making the dish), I was also ready for the broth. First, I caramelized about a half-cup of shallots and then deglazed the pan with about two cups of the wine. I then added vegetable broth (home-made) and let it reduce a little.  Some fresh thyme and a little pink salt were added.  The broth was strained and kept warm.

 

Finally, I "stuffed" the wonton wrappers with the edamame filling and dusted the dumplings with some AP flour to prevent sticking.  When it was time to steam them, I lined the bamboo steamers with Napa cabbage leaves and gently placed the dumplings into each steamer tray.  I used the leftover dashi stock to steam them in lieu of water.

 

When the dumplings were done, I added them to a dish of the shallot-sauternes broth. And, as always, I "needed" to do my sprinkling of black sesame seeds and alfalfa sprouts as a garnish.  Why?  I don't know.  I just do it...because it's fun!

 

The taste was spectacular! And we drank the "leftover" wine with the dumplings.

 

Yield: 20 dumplings

 

 Dashi Broth:

1/2 cup kombu

1 cup bonito flakes

4 cups water

Place kombu in water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  When it reaches a boil, remove from heat. Add bonito flakes.  Let stand until the bonito flakes sink to the bottom of the pan, about 15 minutes.  Strain dashi in a sieve.  Use within a few hours of making because dashi does not refrigerate or freeze well.

Kombu

 

Bonito Flakes

  

Dashi being Created

 

Edamame Filling:

3 cups edamame (thawed, if frozen)

2 shallots, chopped, about 1/4 cup

4 Tablespoons butter

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup truffle oil

1/2 cup dashi broth (or more)

20 Wonton Wrappers

Cook the edamame in dashi broth until tender, about five minutes. Strain edamame and puree with the next five ingredients.  Add more or less dashi broth to make filling into a creamy consistency.  When done, let the filling set in the fridge for several hours or overnight.  Remove filling from fridge.  Fill wonton wrappers with about one teaspoon of filling.  Dust stuffed wontons with AP flour to prevent sticking.

Edamame

 

Edamame in Dashi

  

Pureed Edamame Filling

 

 

Shallot and Sauternes Broth:

3/4 cup shallots, chopped

2 1/2 cups Sauternes

1/2 cup vegetable broth

Pinch of thyme

Pink Salt and White Pepper

Caramelize the shallots.  Deglaze with the wine. Reduce and then add vegetable broth. Add thyme and simmer for ten minutes.  Season with pink salt and white pepper.

 

Sauternes Wine for Broth

 

Garnish (optional):

Black Sesame Seeds

Alfalfa Sprouts

 

To Assemble:
Steam dumplings until tender, about 8 minutes.  Remove dumplings from steamer and top with the broth and garnish with sesame seeds and alfalfa sprouts.

 

Dumplings in the Steamer

Ready to Steam

Dumplings Steaming

  

Dumplings in Broth Covered with Sesame Seeds and Sprouts

 



SWEET CORN POLENTA WITH EGGPLANT AND TOMATOES

Eggplant Sauce on Sweet Corn Polenta

This is another great recipe adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbook, Plenty.  It's a polenta made with fresh sweet corn and topped with an Eggplant and Tomato Sauce.  Since the fresh corn season is coming to an end, I wanted to use some of the last few stalks of the season from my farmers' market so this was a simple and perfect dish to make.  

In lieu of cornmeal that is typically used for traditional polenta, fresh corn is cooked, then processed in the food processor where it breaks down into a sweet and pasty texture.  It is then added back to its original pan along with some butter and cheese.   I used freshly grated parmesan reggiano cheese, which is not as dense as feta cheese which was part of the original recipe.  As a result, the polenta had some excess liquid, but we strained it.

For the eggplant sauce, I had to add some garlic.  Also, I used olive oil and roasted the eggplant in the oven. 

Although we salvaged the runniness of the "polenta", the dish turned out to be very flavorful.   My meat-eating friend said that if vegetarian food tasted this good, he might give up meat. 

 

Eggpland and Tomato

Eggplant and Tomato Sauce

1/2 cup olive oil (part for eggplant; part for sautéing garlic)

1 medium eggplant cut into 3/4-inch dice
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/4 cup dry white winee
1 cup fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 oz water
1/8 teaspoo salt
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Toss olive oil and eggplant in a bowl and ensure eggplant is well covered with oil.  Place eggplant on a pan and roast in the oven for about 20-30 minutes, turning as necessary until eggplant is lightly browned and softened. 

Heat some olive oil in a large sauté pan.  Add garlic and cook until slightly aromatic and softened.  Stir in tomato paste, and then add roasted eggplant along with any residual juices from the roasting process.  Add the wine and cook for one minute.  Add the chopped tomatoes, water, salt and oregano and cook for a further 5 minutes to get a deep-flavored sauce. Set aside; warm sauce when needed.

 

Corn in Food Processor

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Sweet Corn Polenta

5 ears of corn

2 cups water, or enough to cover the corn kernels about 1/2 inch
3 tablespoons butter, dicedAsk a question about this ingredient
1 cup grated parmesan reggiano cheese
Salt
Pepper
a question about this ingredient
Shuck each ear of corn, then chop off the pointed top and stalk. Use a sharp knife to shave off the kernels. Stand each ear upright on its base and shave downward, or lay each ear on its side on a cutting board to slice off the kernels.

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Place the kernels in a medium saucepan and cover them with the water. Cook on a low simmer for about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to lift the kernels from the water and place into a food processor; reserve the cooking liquid.

Process corn for a few minutes to break as much of the kernel case as possible. Add some of the cooking liquid if the mixture becomes dry.

Return the corn paste to the pan with the cooking liquid and cook, while stirring, on low heat until the mixture thickens to a mashed potato consistency.  If there is a lot of liquid left in the pan, drain polenta while reserving the draining liquid.  Fold in the butter, the cheese, salt and some pepper and cook for a further 2 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed.  Drain again if there is too much liquid.

PUREED MUSHROOM AND LENTIL SOUP WITH WHITE TRUFFLE OIL

 

Pureed Mushroom and Lentil Soup

This is one of my favorite mushroom soup recipes that I've been making since 1995.  This recipe was adapted from chef Annie Roberts who was the executive chef of Robert Mondavi Winery at the time.  It is a rich, hearty pureed soup that is made with a combination of mushrooms and lentils.  It is then topped with sliced green onions, a drizzle of white truffle oil, and a dollop of sour cream. 

Although the original recipe called for chicken stock, I always used home-made vegetable broth until I started making the soup with my own mushroom stock.

I always keep dried porcini mushrooms in my pantry, and yesterday found some left-over shiitake stems in the freezer.  I also used the stems from the cremini mushrooms, which are the main ingredient in the soup.  The combination of porcini, shiitake, and cremini mushrooms produced an intensely flavored mushroom stock.

MUSHROOM STOCK

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 leek, chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1/2 pound mushroom stems (cremini and shiitake)
1 small carrot, chopped
5 parsley sprigs, cut in thirds
3 fresh thyme sprigs
2 oregano sprigs
1 teaspoon dried sage
2 bay leaves
8 cups water

Boil 1 cup of water.  Add dried porcini mushrooms and let sit for about 20-30 minutes to reconstitute.  After mushrooms are reconstituted, drain mushrooms while reserving the liquid.  Rinse mushrooms to remove any grit.  Strain the mushroom liquid through cheesecloth or a coffee filter.

Vegetables and Porcini Mushrooms

Pour the strained mushroom liquid into a stockpot.  Add the onion, leek, garlic, porcini mushrooms, and salt.  Stir vegetables, cover the pot and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and add 8 cups water. Bring the stock to a boil, then simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Let stock cool, then strain, pressing as much liquid as you can from the vegetables. Discard vegetables.  Makes 6-7cups

All Stock Ingredients

 

MUSHROOM AND LENTIL SOUP

Sliced Mushrooms

1/4 cup unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1 pound crimini mushrooms
Kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon
6 cups mushroom stock
1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and picked over

For Garnish:

1 green onion, sliced
1 Tablespoon white truffle oil
1 Tablespoon sour cream

In a large stock pot, melt butter over medium heat.  Add garlic and shallots and stir to mix.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until they just begin to soften and turn golden, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the mushrooms and salt, increase the heat to medium and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
 

Mushrooms Softening

Add stock and lentils, stir to mix, and bring to a boil.  Decrease heat to medium and cook until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.  Remove from the heat and set aside until cool enough to handle.

In a blender, process the mixture until well pureed.

To serve, reheat soup and ladle into bowls.  Garnish each serving with green onions, a swirl of truffle oil and dollop of sour cream.  This soup is so rich by itself, with or without the garnishes.  Serves 4.

Pureed Mushroom and Lentil Soup