Culinary Q & A: I bought a box of Stove Top, but how do I make stuffing?

Call it stuffing, dressing or Stove Top, there is no correct name or recipe. Here is what I'll be serving:

joannE.’s Sausage & Apricot Stuffing

16 ounces (2lbs by weight) Bread Cubes, unseasoned

4 Tbs Butter

1Lb Venison Sausage, removed from casings (sweet Italian also works well)

2 Medium Yellow Onions, medium diced

3 Stalks of Celery, medium diced

2 Cloves of Garlic Minced

1 Cup Dried Apricots, quartered

¼ Cup White Wine

¼ Cup Fresh Parsley, Chopped

10 Sage Leaves, Chopped

5 Springs of Fresh Thyme

2-3 Cups Chicken Stock

*Short on fresh herbs? Substitute fresh parsley, thyme and sage for 3 Tbs dried poultry seasoning

Pre-heat oven to 375º. Grease a 9x11 inch baking pan.

Place bread cubes onto an ungreased cookie sheet in a single layer. Toast bread in the oven for 10-15 until gold brown, rotating sheet halfway through cooking. Remove and set aside. Reduce oven to 350º.

In a large frying pan or saucepan melt butter over medium high heat and brown sausage. Add celery and onions and cook for 8-10 minutes, until celery has softened. Stir in garlic and apricots and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Pour in wine and let reduce until almost dry. Stir in fresh herbs and add toasted bread cubes. Fold in enough chicken stock so that the bread crumbs are moist but not too soggy they fall apart. Season with salt & pepper.

Place stuffing in the prepared baking dish and cover with foil. Bake in the 350º oven for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an addition 7-8 minutes. Keep an eye for how dry your stuffing is getting, you are only heating it through, all the ingredients are fully cooked before going into the oven.

Need a last minute substitution, definition or commiseration?

Send them to joannE on Facebook. I will be in the kitchen ready to answer your cooking conundrums from now until the wine gets poured on Thursday.

I wish you and your family many delicious dishes and a very happy Thanksgiving!

-joannE.

Culinary Q&A: Help! How do I make turkey gravy?

The basics
Gravy is essentially thickened stock or pan drippings. Since the goal of most cooking methods is to keep the moisture inside your bird I wouldn’t recommend counting on your pan drippings alone. This time of year Turkey stock or broth can be found right to the chicken stock. Warning, if you are brining your bird the pan drippings may be too salty to use.

If you are serving eight people the total amount of stock (including the pan drippings) needed is 4 cups. The Rule of Thumb: ½ cup of stock per person.

To thickening the gravy, without lumps, a roux works best. A roux is combination of butter and flour that is cooked together and is used as a thickening agent. The total amount of roux needed is based on the total amount of liquid you are thickening. Rule of Thumb: The total of amount of roux (butter/flour combined) should equal 10% of the amount liquid you are thickening.

Quick Math:
4 Cups = 32 ounces Stock
10% = ~3 ounces Total Roux
3 ounces Roux / 2 = 1.5 ounces of butter and 1.5 ounces of Flour = 3Tbs Butter + 3Tbs Flour
--------
*1 cup = 8 ounces
*1 ounce = 2 Tbs

The Recipe
Serves 8

4 Cups Turkey Stock/Pan Drippings
3 Tbs Butter
3 Tbs Flour
Salt & Pepper

Skim excess fat from pan drippings. Heat the stock and drippings in a separate pan (or in the microwave) to just below a boil. In a saucepan, over medium heat, whisk together flour and butter. Continue to whisk until the butter and flour have reached a light brown or ‘Blond’ color (the mixture will resemble wet sand). Slowly whisk the hot stock into the roux one cup at a time. Once all the stock is combined, bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

An Example of a Blond Roux:

Cranberry Sauce – with Beets!?!?!

Craziness I know! But halfway through your Thanksgiving feast your body will be thanking you for the double does of detoxifiers in this traditional side dish with a twist.



1 12oz Bag (3 cups) of Fresh Cranberries
1 Cup Shredded Raw Beets, loosely packed
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Water
½ Cup Orange juice

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes until all the cranberries have popped and the beets are no longer crunchy.

*Party Trick* For your guests that insist their cranberry sauce come from a can. Reduce the water by 1/4 cup and pour the hot cranberry sauce into 2 clean 15 oz cans and let cool in the refrigerator. Within a couple of hours your sauce will have solidified into the perfect cylinder with all the ridged and dents of your favorite store bought brand.

Cranberry and Custard Filled Cornbread

I don’t know how this recipe works but it does, every time! The creamy custard that forms between the layers of cornbread makes butter obsolete but I do recommend serving it warm with maple syrup. Reheated in the toaster oven or microwave this cornbread is an excellent breakfast indulgence.





1 Cup Flour
¾ Cup Cornmeal
3 Tbs Sugar
½ Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Baking Powder
⅔ Cup Dried Cranberries
3 Tbs Butter, melted
2 Eggs
2 Cups Whole Milk
1 ½ Tsp White Wine Vinegar
1 Cup Heavy Cream
½ Tsp Vanilla Extract

Spray square 8" baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place prepared pan in the oven and preheat (oven and pan) to 350º degrees.

In a large mixing bowl stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder and dried cranberries.

In a separate bowl, whisk together melted butter, milk, and eggs. Combine milk and eggs into the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Stir in vinegar

Pour batter into the pre-heated baking pan. Add vanilla to the heavy cream and gently pour cream into the center of the batter – Do Not Stir. Carefully return the pan to oven and bake for 50-60 minutes until golden brown, center will be soft.

Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes before serving. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Breaking up is hard to do

Breaking up is hard to do, especially if the Break-up'eee is capable of reporting you to the board of mental health. I've never been good at ending a relationships and have sometimes relied on Facebook to spread the word, but this on is tricky. How do I break up with my therapist?

Our relationship began in August after blowing out the candles on the [gluten free] cake that kicked the last year of my 'mid-twenties.’ I was getting use to being a student again and still seeking a successful second date in 2009 when I took my coworkers recommendations and set up an appointment with her therapist.

Three months later I’m running up Park Avenue on my lunch break obsessively checking my blackberry so it is not too obviously that once again I’m taking an hour and half lunch break. The forty-five minute appointment starts fifteen minutes late and I start playing the role of dutiful student in what feels like a freshman year ‘Study Skills’ class

On more than one occasion I have said I’d rather spend my t$me learning how I can improve my dating life but our discussions typically go as follows:

joannE.: “I need some major help in the dating department.”
Dr: “We cannot control who we meet.”
joannE.: “Yes, I understand that. But when I do meet someone, do you have any mind controlling tricks (or pills) that would keep me from spewing verbal diarrhea all over my date?”
Dr: “Having you considered using a daily planner?”

What I would really like to say is, “Save the daily planner lecture lady. The only time I’m stressed about time management is when I feel the need to sprint up to your office every other week just to convince you I’m not crazy. And while I'm on the topic of stress, I told you in full disclosure I lack of control over eating all things chocolate and you sit me in front of a candy dish overflowing with Hershey kisses. Not cool.”

So how do I end thing? If I just stop showing up will it be noted on my permanent record? I’m contemplated leaving her a voicemail after hours saying, “Good news, I’m cured. Thanks for the therapy’ or maybe some more practical like, “Lost my health insurance, I’ll give you a call when congress passes the health care bill.”

Please advise.

They call me the butcher - Mantrax strikes again!

The crisp autum breeze and the smell of chicken wings in the fryer can only mean one thing – college football season is here! Last weekend I cheered on my alma mater at the neighborhood bar and after several rounds and an exciting victory I made friends with a fellow at the bar.


We engaged in the typically Saturday afternoon bar chit chat, “Who are you rooting for? What are you drinking? What’s your name?” (yes, in that order). Things were getting a little flirty when he drops the line, "They call me the Italian Stallion. Do you have any nicknames?”


Then, without a moment of hesitation, I responded, “Some people call me the butcher.” And before the I had chance to explain that it was a nicknamed I earned at culinary school because of freakishly quick amount of time I could break down a chicken, he was gone.

I guess somethings are better left in the kitchen. Next time I’ll follow Nancy Regan’s advice and just say no.