My top 5 turkey rules for home cooks.  Your mileage may vary, but these are the rules I live by.

1. I don’t brine any more.  It destroys the gravy.  Brining is thought to lead to a moister bird, but follow the other rules and you won’t have those issues anyway.
2. Do not attempt to prepare the turkey straight out of the refrigerator.  I let mine rest for an hour, otherwise the temperature change from fridge to oven is too shocking!
3. High Heat at the start, then reduce the temperature.
4. Use real butter.  It just makes for better flavor.
5. Let the turkey stand at least 15 – up to 30 minutes before carving.

Perfect Roast Turkey

16 lb turkey

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

2 tsp herbes de provence, (I like Morton & Basset the other brands contain fennel which is overpowering to me)

4 cloves garlic

1 and 1/2 tbsp melted butter

paprika

2 tbsp butter

Bring the thawed turkey out of the refrigerator approx 1 hour before cooking to bring closer to room temperature.  Preheat oven to 425.  Rinse turkey with water, inside and out.  Remove neck and giblets from the inside of the turkey.  Pat turkey dry with paper towels then place on a V-shaped Roasting rack in a roasting pan.  Inside the turkey cavity, add two teaspoons kosher salt, 20 turns fresh ground pepper, Herbes de Provence, and garlic cloves.

Drizzle skin with melted butter, then sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and paprika.  Roast in oven for 30 minutes.  Use additional butter to rub on skin, then reduce oven temperature to 325.  Roast for about 2 hours longer – rubbing butter on skin every 30 minutes.  Begin checking internal temperature in thick part of thigh and breast after total cook time of two hours.  Turkey is done when the internal temp reads 175, be sure to check with thermometer between leg and thigh as well as in thickest part of the breast.  Tilt turkey at an angle to pour cavity juices into drippings.  Remove turkey to a cutting board to rest.

Turkey Gravy Recipe

Drippings from Roast Turkey

All Purpose Flour

2 qts turkey stock

Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

I come from the school of thought that it’s impossible to have too much gravy.  So I never reduce down from the amount of pan drippings, but you can – the important thing is to be close to a 1:1 ratio of drippings to flour.  With a bird of this size, I usually have around 1/2 c. drippings.  Pour drippings into a measuring cup, then pour back the quantity you want to your roasting pan.  Position the roasting pan over two burners over medium high heat.  Add an equal amount of flour, then whisk over medium high heat until browned and paste like, about five minutes.  The longer you brown your flour, the darker your gravy will be.  Slowly! (this is key to preventing clumps) add turkey stock, whisking constantly to combine.  Increase heat to high.  Bring to a boil whisking constantly until thickened.  If gravy is too thick add additional stock, if gravy is too thin, keep boiling to thicken.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

**If you have troubles with your gravy being lumpy, I have another method posted in this Turkey Recipe.  It involves shaking the flour with stock or water in a water bottle to combine before adding to the drippings.  The flavor is not quite as rich and deep as with browned flour, but you may find it a bit easier of methods.

**Turkey Stock can be made or purchased.  I’d recommend Kitchen Basics brand – in Dallas available at both Central Market and Albertsons.  I haven’t seen it at Tom Thumb yet, but I’d imagine they may well have it during season.  You can sub chicken broth will good result, but go for the turkey if you can find it.

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I received several coupons from Fresh Express redeemable for one free bag of salad each and the challenge to create a recipe featuring the salad.  I jumped at the chance as we already eat a lot of Fresh Express Salads around here.  My favorites include the Baby Spinach, the 50/50, and the Fresh Herb Salad.  Any of those three would create a terrific base for this crab cake salad, but can you think of anything more tender than a 1/4 pound of lump crab meat?  A cake like that deserves a bed of pillows provided by tender baby spinach leaves.  If you’d like to give this salad a shot, or come up with a fresh salad creation of your own, post a comment and I’ll mail you a coupon for a free bag salad, compliments of Fresh Express.

Did you read that right? Yes, 1/4 pound of lump crab meat.  I use the super lump crab meat from Costco.  It’s $13.99 a pound compared to the fishmonger’s $25 a pound.  There are almost never shell pieces mixed in and it tastes and smells delicious, sweet, and delicate.  I cooked these in about 2 teaspoons of olive oil in my Calphalon Unison Slide Non-Stick Griddle.  Crab meat is so tender, frying crab cakes in loads of oil is blasphemous.  This non-stick griddle has such a slippery surface, you can use very little oil when browning, but not run into any sticking or falling apart issues, just be sure not to flip before your first side is completely browned.  As an added bonus, the Unison line is dishwasher safe!

Crab Cake Salad

1 pound super lump crabmeat

1/2 a large white onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp olive oil

1 egg

2 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tbsp capers

3 tbsp Italian Parsley, chopped

3 tbsp panko

1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

cayenne pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

12 turns fresh ground pepper

panko for coating

olive oil

1 bag Fresh Express Baby Spinach

In a large bowl, pick through crab meat and remove any shells you find.  In a saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil, then onions.  Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add garlic.  Cook one more minute, then add mixture to the crab.  Add egg, mayonnaise, capers, parsley, and panko to crab mixture.  Add old bay, 3 dashes of cayenne from shaker top, salt, and pepper.  Mix all together, then divide mixture into four equal portions.  Form each portion into a round disk about 1 inch tall.

Preheat oven to 300.  Cover the bottom of a rimmed plate with panko.  Place crab cakes one at a time on panko, then coat completely in panko crust.  Heat a non-stick griddle over medium high heat.  Add two teaspoons of olive oil and swirl to coat.  Brown the crab cakes on one side for about 4-5 minutes until lightly browned.   Turn, then brown the second side for 3 minutes.  Add small bits of additional olive oil if pan looks dry.  Move pan to oven and bake 5 more minutes.  Serve over a bed of Fresh Express Baby Spinach, top with blue cheese and Sherry Vinaigrette.

Sherry Vinaigrette

4 tbsp sherry vinegar

6 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp water

2 tbsp honey

1 tsp kosher salt

12 turns fresh ground pepper

Combine all ingredients and whisk like crazy.  Serve.

Hands on Holiday Meal Class

Learn to roast a perfect turkey, every time.

Learn to make mashed potatoes that make your relatives weep with bliss not to be outdone by the art of perfecting a brown gravy.

I still love a green bean casserole, yum.  But it seems they’ve gone out of vogue on most holiday tables.  So we’ll cover haricots verts with almonds.  A crisp and crunchy bright green dish perfect for the holiday table.

Don’t forget the stuffing.  Herbed or cornbread?  Don’t be confused when you hit the grocery store.  Perfect stuffing, every time.

Only responsible for bringing a dessert?  Great, we’ll cover the basics of pie crust making, both the flaky pastry crust and the graham cracker crust.  I promise, it’s really very easy.  But don’t worry, there’s no shame in buying a pre-made crust.

Class time 3 hours -$70

each class will be kept to small groups, no more than 4

Email lane@dinnerandconversation.com for more information and to schedule your dates.

Cheesecake Tartlet Recipe

makes 12 3.5 inch tartlets

1 box graham crackers

6 tbsp sugar

10 tbsp melted butter

16 oz cream cheese

2/3 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 300.  In a food processor pulse to grind up the graham crackers.  Pour crumbles into bowl and combine with sugar and melted butter.  Press about 2 tbsp of mixture into each tartlet, then press with fingers to evenly cover bottom and sides.  Add cracker mixture as necessary to ensure that all sides of tartlet are covered.  Place tartlet pans in oven to crisp cracker mixture for 3 minutes.

In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until smooth and you see no lumps.  This seems to take an unbelievably long time, but be patient, it will appear smooth eventually.  Add sugar and beat until combined, add eggs one at a time, then use spatula to scrape the sides of bowl.  Add vanilla and sour cream, beat until combined.  Pour mixture into tartlet pans.

Bake in oven 14-16 minutes checking at 14 minutes by jiggling pan.  If the entire filling jiggles cook the additional 2 minutes, when only the center jiggles remove from the oven and cool on counter.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.  Remove from tartlet pan by pushing up  from the bottom.  Use a butter knife to remove the disc bottom and plate.

Even after breaking out the cloth napkins and my festive Longhorn napkin rings, my football team failed to perform.  With all of this jinxing, you’d think I’d be more frustrated.  The thing is, I Love A Party.  Top to bottom, the whole event.  And this party, created as a contest entrance, represents my very favorite style of party and my style in general.  I’m calling it China and Jeans.  Because though I broke out the china and crystal, polished the silver, and created a luxurious menu, I fully expect you to arrive in jeans.  I know I’ll be wearing jeans, probably paired with flip flops.  Because they’re comfortable.  And don’t give you blisters.  But that doesn’t mean I can’t use my china.

I want to encourage you to break out your china and use it.  There is no point to having beautiful things if they just sit in a cabinet.  And you don’t have to throw a dinner party to do it.  You can eat a hot dog on china all by yourself on a Tuesday if you want.  Life is meant to be enjoyed.

Luxury Dinner Party Menu

Hors d’Oeuvre

Skewered Mushrooms with Fresh Basil Pesto Cream Sauce

Soup

Spinach Soup with Madeira Cream

Entree

Fried Avocado Stuffed with West Indies Crab Salad or Chicken and Cotija Cheese

Lemon Basil Quinoa

Dessert

Cheesecake Tartlet

Beverages

San Pelligrino

Bodega Norton Malbec Reserve 2007

Bodega Sottano Reserva Malbec 2007

Girard Suavingnon Blanc 2008

The contest requirements called for creating a luxurious dinner party menu using new and exotic flavors.  I’m more of a classic flavors cook, but I have a few things that I consider new and exotic in my repertoire.  In home entertaining the soup course has largely been lost.  I love a soup course, and what better medium to deliver your vegetables than soup?  My recipe for spinach soup was written up last August.  I think my fried avocados make a powerful presentation so I offered a choice of fillings with a version of my West Indies Crab Salad or a slightly spicy shredded chicken and cotija cheese.  Quinoa is a relatively new food trend, and I love the crunch it offers in place of a traditional rice or pasta.  I’m still deciding what flavors marry best with the quinoa, but it always seems exotic.

Argentina is quickly becoming one of the world’s up-and-coming wine regions.  I picked 3 selections from Costco all rated 90 points by Wine Enthusiast or Wine Spectator.  I’ve never been a fan of traditional pairing, I prefer to drink what tastes good – not what matches the food.  In red wines, I look for descriptions using the words blackberry, dark fruit, and vanilla – even though my brain doesn’t associate these flavors with wines I enjoy.  Sometimes I think wine educators just grab words out of a hat and then start throwing it around with wild abandon.  Like jammy.  Really?  What does that mean?  No thank you, I would not like a wine glass full of jam.  I don’t even eat jelly with my peanut butter.  In white wine I know I like dry and citrus, while I do not like buttery or sweet.  I just loved the Wine Enthusiast quote on this one, so I picked it, even though it didn’t taste like any pink grapefruit or green apple I’ve ever eaten.

“Bone dry and zesty in acidity, with pink grapefruit, lemongrass and green apple flavors that have a honeyed edge despite the dryness. Vibrant and clean. Nice with a salad of bitter greens and chevre and whatever else you want to add, in a simple vinaigrette. ”

90 Points

Wine Enthusiast

I still haven’t photographed my cheese cake tartlets, so I’ll post the recipe and pictures for that later this week.  Cheers to my sweet friends for dropping plans and joining me with nearly zero notice.  Especially baby Vivian.  Onward and upward to new challenges I go.

To start my background information, I went to the best source I could find.  My dear college friend, Christina, married a man of Lebanese descent.  Last fall, when I embarked on my homemade pita experiment, the best recipe by far was adapted from their staple cookbook.  They lent me their copy of Lebanese Cuisine, which has had 13 editions and is largely considered one of the classics for this region.  There aren’t any pictures, but thank goodness for bloggers, right?  In the next five years everything ever created in food to date surely will have been prepared, reviewed, photographed and covered by a food blogger.  (wink)

The first challenge in the project was locating the grape leaves.  I found them at Central Market, though I’ll admit it did take me two trips through the store.  They were located in the pickles and olives section, next to some canned dolmas.  Dolma is a word of Turkish etymology meaning stuffed vegetable – frequently grape leaves.  The Lebanese name for this dish is Mihshi Waraq Inab, but the dish is made similarly under many names in the entire region, from Greece to Egypt to Iran to Armenia and everywhere in between.   The origination of this dish is muddy at best, likely due to it’s birth in a region known as the cradle of civilization.

I like to think of stuffed grape leaves like Middle Eastern Sushi.  I thought the filling had a fabulous flavor, slightly citrus, slightly salty, and was blown away by the delicate texture of the lamb.  Somehow combining ground lamb with rice and a few seasonings, wrapping and covering with water, then cooking for a short time, didn’t seem possible to create such a flavorful dish.  I do think my wrapping skills could use a little practice to gain a tighter, more compact roll, and possibly they could have been cooked longer to yield a slightly more tender leaf.  Next time, I’d probably try to seek out fresh grape leaves just to taste the difference.

Lamb and Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipe – Mihshi Waraq Inab

adapted from Lebanese Cuisine by Madelain Farah

1 jar grape leaves

1 c. uncooked rice

1 lb. ground lamb

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

1/4 c. lemon juice

Pour rice in a strainer, then rinse until water runs clear.  Drain then pour rice into bowl.  Add lamb, cinnamon, allspice, 1 tsp kosher salt and  12 turns pepper, then use hands to thoroughly combine.

In a 3 qt sauce pan, use a few of the torn grape leaves to cover the bottom of the pan.  This will prevent the stuffed leaves from sticking.  In a large bowl of hot water, rinse grape leaves and soak for a few seconds before filling.  Spread a grape leaf flat with the shiny side facing down.

Then place a small amount of filling in the center bottom of the leaf.  Roll the bottom leaves up, then roll the side leaves in to create a packet.   Continue rolling towards the top of your board to create a tight cylinder.

The notes in the recipe I was referring to indicated that if you just covered your stuffed grape leaves with water, all the water would be absorbed when ready.  This was definitely not the case for me, even with extra cooking time, so I’m going to note the next picture – as how *NOT* to place your stuffed grape leaves.  I’d advise trying to line the whole edge in a ring – with a base of each cylinder touching the outside of your saucepan.  The key here being to have as many stuffed grape leaves as possible with as little room for water to go.

After you’ve placed all the stuffed leaves, sprinkle the surface with a little kosher salt, then place a plate on top to hold them in tight rolls. Cover, heat on medium for 15 minutes, then add lemon juice.  Cover again, then continue heating another 25 minutes.  Serve Warm.

Happy Eating!

Sept 20th Weekly Menu

Tortilla Soup served in a completely different manner at nearly every restaurant in Texas, my version is a broth based soup with shredded chicken, vegetables, the perfect level of spice, and everyone’s favorite topping, my fried tortilla strips.  1 quart $8

Roasted Chicken Breasts over Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Orange Chili Sauce This lighter but loaded with flavor alternative to mashed potatoes and gravy was inspired by my propensity to purchase entirely too many groceries, thus a counter full of clementines yielded one of my most requested chicken dishes  $16

French Dip Sandwiches There’s nothing in this world quite like prime rib.  It’s the best cut of meat in the free world, and this sandwich might just change your life.  (I can’t believe I don’t have a blog post on this recipe!  photos soon!) $29

Turkey Scallopini – Thin turkey breast served in a citrus broth with capers and fresh parsley.  A tried and true staple. Also Light! $18

Double Chocolate Brownies – chewy, fudgy, chocolaty perfection in a pan $18 or $3 each

Butterscotch Pudding – The flavor sounds unusual – but run with me on this and give it a shot.  Universally loved while clearly not to be chosen by dieters, let it inspire you to run that extra mile then relax in bliss $3 each

Use the menu and attached recipes as a bust of inspiration to feed your family this week or order from us for meal delivery service.  Send orders to lane@dinnerandconversation.com

Happy Eating!

The appetizers were great, the presentation was compelling, and the manager has promised me a full back kitchen tour.  It was a phenomenal event, and their kitchen layout has left me simply salivating.  Carrabba’s totally surprised me, and I loved every bit of the event.

Tessa kindly invited me to an olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting at Flavors from Afar on Saturday evening.  Since I absolutely love olive oil and go through it practically by the gallon, this event was right up my alley.  Again a fabulous presentation!  Nancy gave such an informative class and the pictures of her Italian Olive Tours have completely left me longing for olive groves.  I may try to pull off the olive oil harvest at the Texas Olive Ranch in September.  Thank you again Tessa for the wonderful event.  I’ll be featuring my new purchases in upcoming recipes!

Here’s the meal delivery service menu for the week.

Monday:  First day of Kindergarten and L.E.’s Favorite Meal Braised Pork Chops with Lentils and Broccoli (Light 493 calories or 11 pts)

Tuesday:  Chicken Stuffed with Spinach, Feta, and Pine Nuts served with Black Beans and Seasoned Cucumber (Light only 402 calories or 8 pts)  Choose to stuff with fresh mozzarella if feta isn’t your favorite.

Wednesday:  Turkey Chili with Black Beans

Thursday:  Grilled Chicken and Romaine Lettuce Salad with Shaved Parmesan and Lemony Vinaigrette (also Light, I just haven’t done the calorie breakdown yet, send me a note if you’d like it before ordering lane@dinnerandconversation.com

Happy Eating!

As a part of the Easy and Elegant Party Package, Calphalon sent me a Unison Slide Nonstick Griddle and Sear Nonstick Grill Pan.  The pork was made using the Sear Grill Pan.  If you don’t have a grill pan in your repertoire, you need one.  I have a variety of shapes and sizes.  The bonus of the Calphalon Unison line is that unlike most nonsticks – these *are* dishwasher safe.  I love grill pans for meat, vegetables, breads, grilled sandwiches, anything really.  I think the Unison Grill Pan is perfect for a family.  I most often cook en masse as with the 9 pounds of pork tenderloin in the recipe below.  When cooking large quantities like this, I love my All-Clad Gourmet Double Burner Grill.  As for the 9lbs, if I’m serving 2 meats, I go with about a 3 oz serving of each meat per guest.  For this recipe, that yielded about 50 servings of pork tenderloin.

I have to admit, this is my first use of coriander seeds.  I’ve been avoiding recipes with them for years as the seeds are the dried fruit of the plant from which cilantro leaves are harvested.  Cilantro is another love it or hate it ingredient.  Some believe a person is genetically predisposed to love or hate the herb.  I think I was merely shattered by an article in the Austin Chronicle proclaiming that cilantro tastes like body odor smells.  After that description, I had a hard time ever wanting to ingest the stuff again.  Whatever the situation, the coriander seeds have a totally different flavor than cilantro.  Both are a fresh “herby” taste, but I’d call the leaves musky and the seeds light and citrus tinged.  In any case, I’m so glad to discover I love the seeds!   A whole new world of recipes to explore has just opened up to me.

Seared Pork with Lime, Coriander, and Cumin Marinade Recipe

adapted from Chef Michael Symon’s recipe – about 50 buffet servings

2 whole, trimmed pork tenderloins (approx 9 lbs)

4 tsps coriander seed

1 tsp cumin seed

zest of 9 limes

juice from 6 limes

2/3 c. olive oil

4 tsp kosher salt

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 a white onion, minced

With a very sharp knife, cut tenderloins into 1 and 1/2 inch medallions.  In a small dry fry pan, toast the coriander and cumin seeds about 5 minutes on medium heat, swirling occasionally.  In a bowl, combine toasted seeds with zest, lime juice, olive oil, salt, garlic and onion.  Whisk until blended then pour over the pork medallions.  Use tongs to toss pork in marinade every 30 minutes, up to a total of two hours.

Preheat oven to 375.  Heat grill pan over medium high heat, use tongs to sear pork on each side for 3 minutes each, then place grill pan in the oven for 5 minutes to cook through.  Move to a platter and serve with herb sauce.

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The children certainly had a fabulous time as did the adults.  I just love a family backyard party.  Part of my entry response to the contest was detailing how much I love home entertaining and preparing food for guests to enjoy and celebrate together.  I love watching children have a fantastic time, while the grownups get to imbibe an adult beverage and spend time mingling and simply enjoying the moment.

Menu

Appetizers

Crostini with Goat Cheese and ‘wichcraft Tomato Relish

Caprese Salad Crostini with Garlic Balsamic Vinaigrette

Frozen Green Grapes

Mains

Seared Pork Tenderloin with Lime-Cumin-Corriander Marindade

Citrus Marinated Grilled Chicken with Fresh Herb Sauce

Ripe Watermelon Balls

Strawberries and Raspberries with Fresh Mint Garnish

Sugar Snap Peas with Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Sauce

Sliced and Seasoned Kirby Cucumbers

Spinach Salad with Strawberries, Goat Cheese, and Almond Slivers

Dessert

Chocolate Cake with Espresso Buttercream and Dark Chocolate Ganache

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

The items with links have already been featured on dinnerandconversation.com and helped make this party great.  Those with out, barring the raw foods, will be featured over the next week or so.  Part of home entertaining, especially in the summer in Texas, requires cold raw foods, so that’s part of why those were included.  The other reason is in my personal food philosophy.  Blessedly, I have children who will eat darn near anything.  I don’t prepare separate children’s meals, partly of course because we don’t have toddler food wars, so I wanted to include a variety of fruits that I thought even picky preschoolers could enjoy before indulging in a dessert sugar high.

All in all, I’d call it a grand success.  As I individually break down the recipes, I’ll give some tips on how I go about planning quantities and portion sizes for large gatherings.  Salud to the home party!