2 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crusts
2 1/2 pound ripe pears, such as Bartlett, peeled, cored and sliced thin
3 tablespoons finely grated peeled gingerroot (use the side of a spoon to scrape away the peel from the ginger before grating to retain more of the root)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar, divided
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Vanilla bean ice cream, optional
Place oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Allow piecrust to warm to room temperature before handling. Butter or spray 2 jellyroll pans. In a large bowl, combine pears, gingerroot, cornstarch, zest, juice, cinnamon, salt and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Unwrap pie dough and unfold one crust onto each baking sheet. Spoon half of the pear mixture onto center of each crust, leaving a 2 inch border around the edge. Fold edges of dough in toward center over pear mixture, pleating dough, and then dot pear filling with butter pieces. Lightly brush exposed surfaces of pastry with some beaten egg and sprinkle the edges with remaining 2 teaspoons sugar. Bake until pear filling is bubbling and pastry is golden, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on a rack. Serve galette with scoops of vanilla bean ice cream.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Spiced Wine Cranberries
2 cups dry red wine, such as cabernet or merlot
1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) brown sugar
6 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
3-by-1-inch strip orange peel, any white pith cut away
12 ounce bag fresh cranberries
Combine all ingredients except cranberries in medium saucepan and bring to a boil; cook over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced to 1 3/4 cups, about 15 minutes. Strain syrup into large saucepan, discarding spices. Add cranberries to the syrup and cook over medium heat until berries burst, about 12 minutes. Cool. Transfer sauce to a covered bowl. Refrigerate until cold. (Can be made up to 1 week ahead.)
1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) brown sugar
6 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
3-by-1-inch strip orange peel, any white pith cut away
12 ounce bag fresh cranberries
Combine all ingredients except cranberries in medium saucepan and bring to a boil; cook over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced to 1 3/4 cups, about 15 minutes. Strain syrup into large saucepan, discarding spices. Add cranberries to the syrup and cook over medium heat until berries burst, about 12 minutes. Cool. Transfer sauce to a covered bowl. Refrigerate until cold. (Can be made up to 1 week ahead.)
Spinach Salad with Pomegranate Poppyseed Dressing with Almonds
The dressing can be made in advance; remove it from the refrigerator a half-hour before serving; shake or whisk to re-emulsify before tossing with salad.
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/3 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons grated yellow onion
1 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon poppyseed
Seeds from 1/2 promegranate (plus more for garnish, if desired)
3 bunches fresh baby spinach
3 ribs celery, sliced thin
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted (plus more for garnish, if desired)
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
In the work bowl of a blender or food processor, dissolve the sugar, salt and mustard in the vinegar. Mix in the grated onion. With motor running, add the oil gradually in a small stream until emulsified. Stir in the poppyseed and pomegranate seeds. In large bowl, combine spinach, celery, almonds and red onion. Drizzle with dressing, toss to coat. Sprinkle with additional pomegranate seeds and almonds before serving, if desired.
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/3 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons grated yellow onion
1 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon poppyseed
Seeds from 1/2 promegranate (plus more for garnish, if desired)
3 bunches fresh baby spinach
3 ribs celery, sliced thin
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted (plus more for garnish, if desired)
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
In the work bowl of a blender or food processor, dissolve the sugar, salt and mustard in the vinegar. Mix in the grated onion. With motor running, add the oil gradually in a small stream until emulsified. Stir in the poppyseed and pomegranate seeds. In large bowl, combine spinach, celery, almonds and red onion. Drizzle with dressing, toss to coat. Sprinkle with additional pomegranate seeds and almonds before serving, if desired.
Indian Summer Sweet Potato Succotash
A couple of notes on leeks: They collect dirt in their inside layers, so cut the leek in half lengthwise and pull the inside layers apart slightly to rinse thoroughly. Also, the outside leaves are darker and tougher than the inside; to make sure you use all the intereior white part without waste, turn the leek with the leafy top end away from you and whittle it to a point before dicing.
Large turnip (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut nto medium dice (about 2 cups)
2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into medium dice (about 4 cups)
2 cups fresh or frozen lima beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
White part of large leek cut into medium dice (about 1 1/2 cups)
Kernels from 4 years corn, cut off the cob (about 2 cups)
Red bell pepper, cut into medium dice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Bring a large saucepan or stockpot of generously salted water to a boil and blanch the turnip, sweet potatoes and lima beans until just tender-crisp when pierced with a fork, about 7 minutes. Drain in a large colander and rinse with cold water. Cool. (This can be done the day before; pat vegetables dry and refrigerate in plastic bags. The leeks, red bell pepper and corn can be prepped the day before as well.) Heat oil in a large skillet until hot but not smoking and add butter. Add the garlic and saute just until golden but not browned, about 30 seconds. Add the leek and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the corn, the red bell pepper and the reserved vegetables and saute until they are heated through and the sweet potatoes show a little brown color. Season with salt, pepper and parsley.
Large turnip (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut nto medium dice (about 2 cups)
2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into medium dice (about 4 cups)
2 cups fresh or frozen lima beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
White part of large leek cut into medium dice (about 1 1/2 cups)
Kernels from 4 years corn, cut off the cob (about 2 cups)
Red bell pepper, cut into medium dice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Bring a large saucepan or stockpot of generously salted water to a boil and blanch the turnip, sweet potatoes and lima beans until just tender-crisp when pierced with a fork, about 7 minutes. Drain in a large colander and rinse with cold water. Cool. (This can be done the day before; pat vegetables dry and refrigerate in plastic bags. The leeks, red bell pepper and corn can be prepped the day before as well.) Heat oil in a large skillet until hot but not smoking and add butter. Add the garlic and saute just until golden but not browned, about 30 seconds. Add the leek and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the corn, the red bell pepper and the reserved vegetables and saute until they are heated through and the sweet potatoes show a little brown color. Season with salt, pepper and parsley.
Green Beans with Pearl Onions and Bacon
2 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
1 cup pickled pearl onions or cocktail onions
4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add beans; cook until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water and drain again. Pat dry. (Beans can be prepped 1 day ahead; wrap in paper towels and store in plastic bags; refrigerate.) Drain pearl onions and pat dry on paper towels. Heat a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon and reserve, leaving the grease in the pan. Return pan to heat and add pearl onions. Shake pan occasionally until onions are slightly browned. Stir in green beans and heat, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with reserved bacon and serve immediately.
1 cup pickled pearl onions or cocktail onions
4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add beans; cook until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water and drain again. Pat dry. (Beans can be prepped 1 day ahead; wrap in paper towels and store in plastic bags; refrigerate.) Drain pearl onions and pat dry on paper towels. Heat a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon and reserve, leaving the grease in the pan. Return pan to heat and add pearl onions. Shake pan occasionally until onions are slightly browned. Stir in green beans and heat, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with reserved bacon and serve immediately.
Lemon Egg Gravy
Chef Peterson says this gravy was inspired by the Greek avgolemono soup.
3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken stock
1/2 cup cornstarch
Zest of 1 lemon, finely chopped, or grated on a Microplane grater
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 hard-cooked eggs, grated on large holes of a box grater
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine chicken stock, cornstarch, zest and juice in a medium saucepan. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, stir in grated eggs and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken stock
1/2 cup cornstarch
Zest of 1 lemon, finely chopped, or grated on a Microplane grater
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 hard-cooked eggs, grated on large holes of a box grater
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine chicken stock, cornstarch, zest and juice in a medium saucepan. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, stir in grated eggs and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
Old-Fashioned Cornbread Dressing
Make the cornbread in advance from a mix (3 boxes).
10 cups crumbled cornbread
1 loaf sliced white bread, toasted slightly or left out to dry overnight
3 large stalks celery, chopped
Large yellow onion, chopped to 2 1/2 to 3 cups
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
4 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
4 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish or coat with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Crumble the cornbread and white bread into a large mixing bowl. In a large skillet, saute celery, onion and garlic in butter over medium heat until onion is transparent. Combine the sauteed vegetables with the bread crumbs and hard-cooked eggs; mix well. In a separate bowl, combine chicken stock, beaten eggs and seasonings; mix thoroughly. Pour egg mixture over cornbread mixture. Toss well to coat. Spoon into prepared baking dish; cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until browned on top.
10 cups crumbled cornbread
1 loaf sliced white bread, toasted slightly or left out to dry overnight
3 large stalks celery, chopped
Large yellow onion, chopped to 2 1/2 to 3 cups
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
4 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
4 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish or coat with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Crumble the cornbread and white bread into a large mixing bowl. In a large skillet, saute celery, onion and garlic in butter over medium heat until onion is transparent. Combine the sauteed vegetables with the bread crumbs and hard-cooked eggs; mix well. In a separate bowl, combine chicken stock, beaten eggs and seasonings; mix thoroughly. Pour egg mixture over cornbread mixture. Toss well to coat. Spoon into prepared baking dish; cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until browned on top.
Maple-Brined Turkey Roulade with Creole Mustard and Herbs
For brining:
12 pound bone-in turkey breast or 2 (3 pound) boneless breasts, thawed, if frozen (as a rule of thumb, allow about a pound of raw, bone-in turkey per person, or 1/2 pound per person if boneless)
1 gallon water
1 cup course kosher salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 bunch fresh thyme
1/2 bunch fresh sage
1 gallon ice cubes or crushed ice
For roulade:
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons creole or stone-ground mustard
1 tablespoon each chopped fresh rosemary, sage and thyme
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
To brine turkey:
Line a cooler with 2 kitchen garbage bags, one inside the other. Rinse turkey breast. Place turkey in plastic bag. Combine water, salt, sugar and maple syrup in large bowl or pot. Bruise the herbs by rubbing them vigorously between your hands to add to the brine. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Mix in ice cubes. Pour brine over turkey in plastic bags. Gather tops of bags together, eliminating air space above the brine; seal with a twist-tie. Cover with additional ice and let sit, adding more ice if necessary to keep turkey below 40 degrees.
To make roulade:
Remove turkey from brine, rinse thoroughly under cold water and pat dry. Use a very sharp boning knife or other knife with a thin, flexible blade to skin, debone and butterfly the breast. First, remove skin, keeping it in one piece if possible. You can probably pull most of the skin off with your hands; make very shallow strokes with the knife if you need help separating the skin from the breast. Cut skin in half lengthwise and reserve. Cut away any major pockets of fat or white areas remaining on the turkey breast. Debone the turkey by starting at the neck cavity and cutting along the top edge of the breastbone and down the edge of the wishbone and keelbone, peeling the breast away from the skin as you cut and leaving as little meat on the bones as possible. Make shallow, short cuts so you can correct your stroke if you see that you are leaving too much meat on the bones; follow the seam of the muscles. Remove the half-breast and repeat for the other side. The bones can be frozen to use in making stock or soup. To butterfly each half-breast, lay it, outer surface down, lengthwise on the cutting board, with thinner, pointed end nearest you. Starting at the thicker top part, score the breast half down the middle lengthwise, being sure not to cut all the way through to work surface, stopping about 1 inch from the end closest to you. Visualize the turkey as a book jacket with the central lengthwise cut as its spine; you want to cut 2 flaps on each side that you can fold open outward. Turning knife blade parallel to the board and beginning at the center lengthwise cut, slice parallel to the board and toward the outer edge of the breast; do this on both sides to form 2 flaps, so taht you can open the flaps outward. Open flaps and cover butterflied breast with plastic wrap. Pound turkey with a heavy skillet, the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin until it is 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with remaining breast half.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (if you will be baking the turkey in the same oven with the dressing, increase the temperature to 375).
Place the two butterflied breast halves on a cutting board, outer side down. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and spread with the mustard. Mix the chopped herbs together and sprinkle over the breasts. Roll each breast half like a jellyroll and cover it with half of the reserved skin. Tie rolls firmly in several places with butcher's twine. Place the two rolls on a rack in a roasting pan, skin side up. Roast until they are dark golden brown outside and a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees at the fattest part of the breast, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove from the oven and allow to reast at least 15 minutes before carving.
12 pound bone-in turkey breast or 2 (3 pound) boneless breasts, thawed, if frozen (as a rule of thumb, allow about a pound of raw, bone-in turkey per person, or 1/2 pound per person if boneless)
1 gallon water
1 cup course kosher salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 bunch fresh thyme
1/2 bunch fresh sage
1 gallon ice cubes or crushed ice
For roulade:
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons creole or stone-ground mustard
1 tablespoon each chopped fresh rosemary, sage and thyme
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
To brine turkey:
Line a cooler with 2 kitchen garbage bags, one inside the other. Rinse turkey breast. Place turkey in plastic bag. Combine water, salt, sugar and maple syrup in large bowl or pot. Bruise the herbs by rubbing them vigorously between your hands to add to the brine. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Mix in ice cubes. Pour brine over turkey in plastic bags. Gather tops of bags together, eliminating air space above the brine; seal with a twist-tie. Cover with additional ice and let sit, adding more ice if necessary to keep turkey below 40 degrees.
To make roulade:
Remove turkey from brine, rinse thoroughly under cold water and pat dry. Use a very sharp boning knife or other knife with a thin, flexible blade to skin, debone and butterfly the breast. First, remove skin, keeping it in one piece if possible. You can probably pull most of the skin off with your hands; make very shallow strokes with the knife if you need help separating the skin from the breast. Cut skin in half lengthwise and reserve. Cut away any major pockets of fat or white areas remaining on the turkey breast. Debone the turkey by starting at the neck cavity and cutting along the top edge of the breastbone and down the edge of the wishbone and keelbone, peeling the breast away from the skin as you cut and leaving as little meat on the bones as possible. Make shallow, short cuts so you can correct your stroke if you see that you are leaving too much meat on the bones; follow the seam of the muscles. Remove the half-breast and repeat for the other side. The bones can be frozen to use in making stock or soup. To butterfly each half-breast, lay it, outer surface down, lengthwise on the cutting board, with thinner, pointed end nearest you. Starting at the thicker top part, score the breast half down the middle lengthwise, being sure not to cut all the way through to work surface, stopping about 1 inch from the end closest to you. Visualize the turkey as a book jacket with the central lengthwise cut as its spine; you want to cut 2 flaps on each side that you can fold open outward. Turning knife blade parallel to the board and beginning at the center lengthwise cut, slice parallel to the board and toward the outer edge of the breast; do this on both sides to form 2 flaps, so taht you can open the flaps outward. Open flaps and cover butterflied breast with plastic wrap. Pound turkey with a heavy skillet, the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin until it is 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with remaining breast half.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (if you will be baking the turkey in the same oven with the dressing, increase the temperature to 375).
Place the two butterflied breast halves on a cutting board, outer side down. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and spread with the mustard. Mix the chopped herbs together and sprinkle over the breasts. Roll each breast half like a jellyroll and cover it with half of the reserved skin. Tie rolls firmly in several places with butcher's twine. Place the two rolls on a rack in a roasting pan, skin side up. Roast until they are dark golden brown outside and a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees at the fattest part of the breast, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove from the oven and allow to reast at least 15 minutes before carving.
Thanksgiving Dinner 2004
In the fall of 2004, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram had a Thanksgiving dinner contest. The winner would have a real chef come to their home and teach them how to make Thanksgiving dinner. Since I needed lots of help, this is what I wrote:
My name is Shanna Cisneros, and I have been married to Chris Cisneros for 13 years. In September Chris' brother, Dave, donated a kidney to his mom (my mother-in-law) at Baylor Medical. Every year she has served the perfect Thanksgiving dinner for the Cisneros clan. I just don't think she can do it this year. I'd like to have everyone over at our house, but the first turkey I cooked still had the bag of "stuff" inside until Chris said, "You did take the bag out..."
Thank goodness they chose me. I was fortunate enough to have Dena Peterson, from Cafe Modern (The Modern Art Museum) come to my home. After looking at my kitchen supplies, she recommended that I get a really good knife, a large aluminum bowl, metal tongs, and a plastic cutting board. These have served me well the last seven years. She also introduced me to Kosher salt and fresh vegetables. Graysen, my daughter, was in third grade that year. She learned as much as I did. She learned that green beans don't have to come out of a can and you can pick up lots of things with tongs. I owe a debt of gratitude to Amy Culbertson, the writer, who took it all in and created a wonderful article about our journey. Thanks again, Dena and Amy, you changed my life. (The following recipes were created by Dena Peterson and published in the November 17, 2004 Star-Telegram.)
My name is Shanna Cisneros, and I have been married to Chris Cisneros for 13 years. In September Chris' brother, Dave, donated a kidney to his mom (my mother-in-law) at Baylor Medical. Every year she has served the perfect Thanksgiving dinner for the Cisneros clan. I just don't think she can do it this year. I'd like to have everyone over at our house, but the first turkey I cooked still had the bag of "stuff" inside until Chris said, "You did take the bag out..."
Thank goodness they chose me. I was fortunate enough to have Dena Peterson, from Cafe Modern (The Modern Art Museum) come to my home. After looking at my kitchen supplies, she recommended that I get a really good knife, a large aluminum bowl, metal tongs, and a plastic cutting board. These have served me well the last seven years. She also introduced me to Kosher salt and fresh vegetables. Graysen, my daughter, was in third grade that year. She learned as much as I did. She learned that green beans don't have to come out of a can and you can pick up lots of things with tongs. I owe a debt of gratitude to Amy Culbertson, the writer, who took it all in and created a wonderful article about our journey. Thanks again, Dena and Amy, you changed my life. (The following recipes were created by Dena Peterson and published in the November 17, 2004 Star-Telegram.)
The Pantry's Coconut Cream Pie
One of our favorite cookbooks is The Pantry Cookbook from McKinney, TX. The dessert recipes are endless and delicious. The book probably has every pie recipe ever created in it. We were browsing through all the different recipes and it seems every time we take a peek we find a new pie recipe to make. This coconut cream pie recipe caught our eye last time and so we took the challenge of learning how to beat egg whites to create the epitome of a fluffy, creamy coconut cream pie.
1 1/2 cups coconut
2 cups Custard Filling (see below)
1 10-inch baked pie shell
4 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Mix coconut into about 2 cups of custard filling. Spoon into pie shell. Top with meringue. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Meringue
Beat egg whites on high speed with an electric beater until foamy. Add cream of tartar. Add sugar gradually. Beat until peaks form.
Custard Filling:
2 cups milk
1/4 cup corn syrup
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Mix together 1/2 cup milk, corn syrup, cornstarch, sugar, and egg yolks, to form a paste. Stir in remaining milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and starts to bubble. Remove from heat immediately. Add butter and vanilla. Cover and refridgerate.
Enjoy this wonderfully delicious homemade pie. It's really, really sweet so watch out!
1 1/2 cups coconut
2 cups Custard Filling (see below)
1 10-inch baked pie shell
4 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Mix coconut into about 2 cups of custard filling. Spoon into pie shell. Top with meringue. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Meringue
Beat egg whites on high speed with an electric beater until foamy. Add cream of tartar. Add sugar gradually. Beat until peaks form.
Custard Filling:
2 cups milk
1/4 cup corn syrup
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Mix together 1/2 cup milk, corn syrup, cornstarch, sugar, and egg yolks, to form a paste. Stir in remaining milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and starts to bubble. Remove from heat immediately. Add butter and vanilla. Cover and refridgerate.
Enjoy this wonderfully delicious homemade pie. It's really, really sweet so watch out!
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