Food TV

Thanksgiving was a success. Bewteen Alton Brown’s brined turkey, and stuffing (granted with a few modifications)and Garlic Mashers, Paula Deen’s Pumpkin Roll Cake, Tyler Florence’s Ultimate Apple Pie, Broccoli, Cauliflower Carrots, with Parmesan Bread crumbs, and a plain old fashioned Turkey Pan Gravy, we had more than enough to eat. Especially adding in the frozen pumpkin & Pecan pies, brown & serve rolls, and of course, Ocean Spray Cranberry Jelly… Oh yeah, and the ham and yams that the Hubby made. Wow, that’s a lot of food. I know that I said all of the recipes would be from Good Eats, but as it turns out, the show didn’t provide the full variety of dishes that I wanted to serve, but the Food Network Website has an amazing selection of dishes, and a wonderful recipe box feature. Each of the recipes were put together in one place, easy to find, and follow…

So, how easy were the recipes to prepare? And how did they turn out? And most importantly, what did the family think? Well, here’s a recipe by recipe review, of all of the savory dishes, and the review or the desserts is next!!!

Of course, we’ll start with the brined Turkey. The brine itself was really easy to prepare, although I’m sure I didn’t use enough salt. The recipe called for a callon of vegetable stock, but I used water instead and forgot to compensate for the sodium in the stock. Nonetheless, the turkey came out really moist and delicious, and here even 2 days later is still tender and flavorful. Once I got it out of the brine and rinsed, I got to put in the stuffing.

The stuffing that Alton made on Good Eats, when he finally conceded that stuffing, perhaps, is not evil, looked pretty good, so I used that as the base for my recipe. I did make a couple adjustments though. Mushrooms creep me out, and nobody in my house is a fan of bell peppers, so I replaced them. The mushrooms were easily replaced by the heart, liver, and neck meat of the turkey. And instead of a traditional “trinity” with the bell peppers, I switched it up to a mirepoix, using carrots instead. As for the bread, the recipe called for Challah bread, but I couldn’t find that, and my whole family loves sourdough, so I used that instead. For stuffing, I have to sat it turned out pretty darn good. Although I am not a super huge fan of stuffing, the whole soggy bread thing grosses me out. But those in my family that are fans of stuffing loved it. They said it was the best stufing they had ever had, and that’s saying a lot…

The roasting of the turkey couldn’t have been easier. Although I did place the probe of my new, fantastic, probe thermometer a bit too close to the surface and it claimed it was done after only an hour and a half. I proclaimed it a liar, and put it in deeper into the breast meat. A more reasonable couple hours later and it was really done. And while it was resting I put in the veggies.

The broccoli/cauliflower/carrots with parmesan bread crumbs was really easy to make. It only took a couple minutes to brown up the bread crumbs and cheese, and put it all on the veggies that were all nice and steamed. Even better, I forgot about them in the oven and left them in for at least 10 minutes longer than I should have, and they didn’t burn or overcook or anything. It’s almost like the crumbs worked as a protectant for the veggies. Hooray!!!

The Garlic Mashers were AWESOME!!! Although, next time I make them I am going to crush the garlic first. Whilst I really enjoyed munching on whloe cloves of garlic, I can’t say the same was true of the rest of my family. Plus the act of crushing the garlic will release a lot of it’s flavor. The gravy, on the other hand didn’t turn out really well at all. Well, the flavor was awesome, but I didn’t follow through on the directions. Turns out it REALLY IS necessary to seperate out the grease from the drippings. So instead of gravy, I got a really tasty turkey oil soup… It still went well on the potatoes, as I said the flavor was fantastic, but it was by no means gravy. Heehee, live and learn, I suppose.

So, how did the family like it? My mom has crowned me the Queen of Thanksgiving. My dad said the turkey was better than any he had ever made. I was showered in compliments all evening long. I couldn’t have wished for it to turn out better. Next year though, Dad and I will be working together. Now that my family has the confidence that I can do more than peel potatoes, Dad and I can put out a feast to end all feasts next year!!!

We have officially entered into Let’s Talk Turkey Month on the Food Network. How can I tell you ask? Well besides the endless ad’s on the Network itself proclaiming it as such, every show I have watched in the last week has featured turkey. From Throwdown with Bobby Flay, who challenged a 20 year Butterball “call girl”, to Iron Chef America, where Too Hot Tamales challenged … Bobby Flay.

Thanksgiving is a Flay heavy time of year it seems to me. I like him and all, but good lord, his grinning mug was on virtually everything I saw. And Rachael … I loooooove Rachael, but good lord how many different thirty or maybe 60 minute Thanksgiving meals are there really? And are we going to see each and every one of them every single year?

I am really enjoying them though, even though I make fun. The Food Network All Star Thanksgiving Feast is always fun to watch, although I was disappointed at the absence of my favorite … say it with me now friends … Alton Brown!!! On the plus side we have the re-play of the very same Feast we have seen every year since 2005. I have seen people say that that particular feast was slightly awkward and weird, but you have to love Emeril hand feeding Paula Deen his Bruschetta… It was strange and slightly erotic in a really twisted kind of way. I love every minute of it.

I have been torturing my family with all of the random Good Eats episodes that have been on this month, featuring the things I will be serving in our home on Thanksgiving. Stuff It is a funny episode where Alton finally breaks down and admits that stuffing is perhaps, maybe, possibly, if done properly, not evil. And that is the stuffing I will be using for Thanksgiving, although not with mushrooms … cause Ick. Romancing the Bird features the finer points of brining the turkey, and The Bulb of the Night is humorous, as well as educational. Because who doesn’t love garlic, and we’ve all burned it, or overpowered a recipe at least once. Not anymore friends!!!

The new Iron Chef, Michael Symon, will be starring in an all new Thanksgiving Iron Chef America!!! Although, so far this week we have seen Battle Turkey, with Bobby Flay, and Battle Cranberry, which featured 2 Iron Chefs each competing with a special guest star. Giada DiLaurentiis and Rachael Ray guest starred in that episode, and it was an absolute BLAST!!! I am really looking forward to seeing Iron Chef Symon’s first battle, it should prove to be exciting!!!

OK, now I’m off to go to bed so that I can get up early and prepare this delicious recipe for my hubby in the morning!!!

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I don’t know about you, but this is my favorite time of year. Leaves are changing, or they would be if I lived in a place that had seasons, and the air is cooling. It’s the time of year when animals put on a second layer of fat, and humans do much the same. The best food of the year comes between October first and January first every year. After that it’s back to the same resolutions that we set every year, to lose that extra fat we gained over the holiday season. Dieting is not allowed in these cool autumn and early winter months, but good food and fun is.
The first part of this holiday season, is of course Halloween. And nobody celebrates Halloween like the Food Network. From Sandra Lee’s beautiful Semi-Homemade Masquerade Ball to the huge Food Network Halloween Party Hosted by Emeril every year, the yummy food and amazing costumes can’t be beat. It seems this is the time where we see more cupcakes, caramel corn, and creepy adult beverages, and I love it shamelessly. This year I have already watched Giada’s Halloween show,and it was excellent indeed. With orange and chocolate cookies, and some gorgeous almond brittle we couldn’t have asked for more tasty goodies. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the Food Network stars have in store for us over the upcoming month, but I promise, I’ll keep you updated, with details, and my favorite recipes. Here’s one quick one that I love while you’re waiting… And hey, don’tbe afraid to let the kids help!!!

“Wicked Cupcakes”
(taken from the www.foodnetwork.com)
Cupcakes:
1 1/2 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cups prune juice
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
4-ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 drop food coloring (green), optional

Chocolate wafer cookies
Licorice strips
Toasted coconut
Small candies

Special equipment: 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups with paper liners

For the cupcakes: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F. Set liners in muffin cups.
Put the chocolate and prune juice in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave on low power, stirring occasionally, until completely melted.
Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat the egg and yolk with an electric hand mixer at high speed until slightly thick and lemon colored, about 3 minutes. Slowly add buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until thoroughly combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Divide the batter among muffin tins, filling them 1/2 of the way. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean and the tops spring back when pressed gently, about 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the tin on a rack for 10 minutes then remove from the tin and cool completely.

For the frosting: Beat the butter, peanut butter, and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and milk mixing until the frosting is smooth. Add food coloring as desired. Refrigerate the frosting until firm.

To decorate the cakes: For the witches hat, score a circle in the middle of a cupcake. Cut a deep cone-like shape with a knife held at an angle. Rotate the cupcake to complete the circle and remove the center. Repeat with all the cupcakes. Generously scoop or pipe enough frosting into the center of each cupcake to fill the whole and to come over the cake to make a face. Top with a chocolate wafer cookie. Put a dot of frosting in the middle of the wafer cookie and invert the cone shaped piece of cake on top to make a witches hat. Use skinny licorice, toasted coconut or cereal flakes for hair and candies for eyes and/or nose. Refrigerate for up to 30 minutes before serving.

If you love Italian food, which my family does, then Giada De Laurentiis and her numerous resources for authentic Italian cuisine are a mainstay in your household. I had been looking for an ideal pizza crust recipe and Giada makes the only crust my whole family can agree is delicious.

You don’t have to make the pizza with just tomatoes and basil. I ended up adding pepperoni and made my own pizza sauce to go with the crust. We also tried it with the tomatoes and basil. It has the perfect flavors for any pizza lover to enjoy.

Please let me know if you try this recipe in the comment section and let me know what you thought about it.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
2 (8-ounce) pieces of homemade or purchased pizza dough, recipe follows
6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/3 cups, grated pasteurized mozzarella
2 Roma tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 large garlic clove, minced, optional
6 fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnish
1/2 teaspoon salt

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If I’m looking for something light, I typically make some sort of salad. I’ve made this salad and it is absolutely delicious. The flavor of the feta mixed with the tomatoes and oil/vinegar dressing makes for a light and flavorful meal. If you try this salad, let me know what you think!

4 pints grape tomatoes, red or mixed colors
1 1/2 cups small-diced red onion (2 onions)
1/4 cup good white wine vinegar
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 1/2 pounds feta cheese

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I decided I was in the mood for grilling. So I cruised on over to the Food Network website and looked up the master of grilling, Mr. Bobby Flay. After browsing his recipes, I chose this one not only because I’m feeling a little spicy, but because it sounds really good. Feel free to share your thoughts, and as always, if you try this recipe, let me know how it went.

For the guacamole:
2 ripe Hass avocados, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 large jalapeno, finely diced
3 tablespoons finely diced red onion
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper (more…)

If you’re looking for a delicious, quick pizza, check out this Carbonara Deep-Dish Pan Pizza by Rachael Ray. Featured on 30 minute meals, this dish is a quick, yummy meal for anyone in the family to enjoy.

Salt
2 packages fresh linguini, 9 ounces each
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound pancetta, cut as thick as bacon, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, grated or chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you like it
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
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In honor of Dominick, who has now fallen in lust with Nigella Lawson, I’ve provided you all with one of her delicious looking dessert recipes. As always, if you try this, please let me know how it tastes by leaving a comment!

Cheesecake base:
1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 stick butter
1 tablespoon cocoaCheesecake filling:
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped small
2 1/2 cups cream cheese
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 tablespoon custard powder
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon cocoa, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

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When it comes to cooking, Bobby Deen, son of Food TV’s most popular Southern Chef Paula Deen, is a man after my own heart. His recipes look and sound delicious. I am not the only one who agrees. Bobby has two of the top recipes on the Food Network Website currently. This is one of those recipes.

I first saw Bobby whip this dessert up on an episode of Paula’s Home Cooking, which was a birthday style episode. I haven’t had a chance to make it yet, but I just had to share it so you all could try it. It has four stars on the Food TV rating system. So, if you happen to try this recipe before I get the chance to do so, leave a comment and let me know how good it actually is!

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I made this last night for Dominick and myself to try. Dom loves soup, but isn’t overly fond of uncooked onions or cheddar. I, on the other hand, am addicted to cheese with cheddar one of my favorite kinds. Oddly enough, I have never had cheddar soup and Dominick is a lover of cheesy Walkabout Soup from Outback. Not knowing how similar this soup would be to the Walkabout Soup, but knowing he wanted some kind of soup for supper, I decided to give this a try.

All I can say is Wow! Dom went crazy for the soup. He tried a small bowl and wanted seconds. I was told “This is so good, Ash! It tastes like Walkabout Soup, only better!”

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I pondered adding a dessert today before posting a recipe but I ended up choosing something for dinner instead. My family is known for being addicted to three kinds of foods: Southern, Italian, and Mexican. That being said lasagna is one of the biggest dishes in my house. Now, I have my own way of making it that my mom passed down to me, and likely her mother before her, but every now and then I like to try something new. I have made a couple of my own tasty creations but hearing this combo made my mouth water.

I love the combination of chicken and mushrooms. When you add in spinach Alfredo I am simply in heaven. From the looks of this recipe you should not have any trouble making it, whether you are a new cook or you have tons of experience.

As for me, I think this will be going on the menu next week. If you try it before me, let me know how it goes! (more…)

I may deviate from this from time to time and add more than one, but as the title states I will work to give you at least one scrumptious looking dessert a day. I choose Paula’s Strawberry Shortcake because it looked absolutely delicious. When most people think strawberry shortcake they think a biscuit or pound cake, some ice cream and strawberries. This is taken to a deliciously whole new level and is definitely something I will be trying in the near future.

Paula’s Strawberry Shortcake

1 large angel food cake

For the custard:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

For the glaze:

1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons strawberry gelatin (recommended: Jell-O)
1 cup water
2 cups fresh strawberries, cut in 1/2 (if berries are extra large, they can be cut into quarters)
Whole fresh strawberries and mint leaves, for garnish
Slice cake, using a serrated knife, horizontally into 3 equal layers. (more…)

Last night’s Emeril Live was dedicated to reader questions. Emeril was able to answer five reader questions and came up with concoctions like breaded pork chops, nachos, pork eggrolls, chocolate pecan pie, and a stir fry dish. The musical guest, Van Zant, offered some good Country/Rock music for the crowd while Emeril was hard at work cooking.

I have listed all of the questions that led to the dishes that were made below, along with a few of the recipes and some pictures of the end result. You can find all of the recipes of FoodTV. Just click on the recipe name if I do not have the recipe listed for you here and you will be taken right to it.

The show started with an appetizer dish due to this question:

“Emeril, I’m looking for an easy appetizer to feed a family reunion of 52 with a Mexican fiesta theme. Can you help me?”

Is it just me or does easy and 52 people not belong in the same sentence? Emeril’s answer was to start with some Chorizo and olive oil in a hot pan. You leave it in for 4-5 minutes. As it heats through, it pulls the flavor out of the sausage. Next some diced onions were tossed in, which were spiced with salt and pepper. Everything was cooked until the onions were soft. The plan was to begin with queso, which could be turned into a platter of gigantic nachos. The recipe, which looked delicious, is listed below courtesy of Emeril and Food Network. (more…)

Pizza Rustica:

2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 (12-ounce) bunches fresh spinach, stemmed, coarsely chopped (about 12 cups), or 1 (10-ounce) package frozen cut-leaf spinach, thawed and drained
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta
12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, coarsely chopped
4 large egg yolks, beaten to blend
Pastry Dough, recipe follows
1 large egg, beaten to blend

Position the rack on the bottom of the oven, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the sausages and saute until golden brown, breaking the sausage into pieces, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the same frying pan over medium heat. Add the spinach and cook until the spinach wilts and the juices evaporate, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Squeeze the spinach to drain as much liquid as possible.

Into a large bowl, add egg yolks and beat lightly. Stir in the ricotta, mozzarella, and 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese. Add the sausage, the spinach and prosciutto to the mixture and stir to combine.

Roll out larger piece of dough on a lightly floured work surface to a 17-inch round. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch springform pan. Trim the dough overhang to 1 inch. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the dough-lined pan. Roll out the remaining piece of dough into a 12-inch round. Place the dough over the filling. Pinch the edges of the doughs together to seal, then crimp the dough edges decoratively. Brush the beaten 1 large egg over the entire pastry top. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan over the top. Bake on the bottom shelf until the crust is golden brown, about 1 hour.

Let stand 15 minutes. Release the pan sides and transfer the pizza to a platter. Cut into wedges and serve.

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Pastry Dough:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup cold solid vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, beaten to blend
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Blend the flour, the butter, the shortening and salt in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Blend in the eggs. With the machine running, add the water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough forms. Gather the dough into a ball. Divide the dough into 2 pieces, with 1 piece twice as large as the second piece. Flatten the dough pieces into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough is firm enough to roll out, about 30 minutes.

Yield: 2 dough pieces (enough for 1 Pizza Rustica)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes

Emeril’s Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins:

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for sprinkling
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a standard 12-well muffin pan or a jumbo 6-well muffin pan.

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and lemon juice.

Make a well in center of the flour mixture and pour the buttermilk mixture into the well. Add the melted butter and use a rubber spatula to blend with quick strokes, being careful not overmix the batter; it should still be slightly lumpy. Gently stir in the poppy seeds and lemon zest.

Spoon batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each well 3/4 full. Bake until slightly puffed and golden, 20 to 22 minutes. Cooking time may be a little longer if you are baking jumbo-sized muffins. Lightly sprinkle sugar over the tops of the muffins, if desired. Remove the muffins from the pan and cool slightly on a wire rack.