Turkey Tips and Tricks

If your family is anything like mine, Thanksgiving dinner is the dinner that keeps on giving. Even though we only get a small bird (usually no more than 12 pounds for 3 people), it's almost certain that we will be eating turkey in various combinations for the next week.

If you've got a lot of leftover turkey in the fridge and are looking for ways to spice up your leftovers in the next few days, take a look at these terrific variations on Thanksgiving leftovers.

Hearty Turkey Stock

When you've finished picking the bones of your turkey clean, don't throw out the carcass! You can use the leftover bones from your turkey as the base of a flavorful stock that you can use for soups, stews, and sauces. This works best the day or two after the turkey has been cooked. 

5 pound turkey carcass, with a little bit of meat still attached to the bones

3 large onions, halved with the skin on

1/2 pound of carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces

2 large celery ribs, sliced

2 tsps dried thyme

1 tsp pepper

8 sprigs of parsley

First, break up the carcass into smaller pieces. If there are pieces of meat or fat left on the bones, make sure to add them to the stock for extra flavor. Once you have done this, combine all of your ingredients in a large stockpot. Add enough cold water to submerge the ingredients by about 3 inches. 

Bring the stock to a boil and then quickly reduce to a simmer, where bubbles barely break the surface. Make sure that the stock does not boil or come to a rapid simmer. Simmer until flavorful--about 2 or 3 hours--skimming the fat off the top as it cooks.

Strain the stock through a fine sieve and discard the vegetables. To store your stock, refrigerate for up to one week or freeze for up to six months. 

Turkey BLTs

It's like the traditional favorite, except made with turkey instead of beef. A lighter alternative that will keep the lunchtime hunger at bay.

Your favorite sliced bread

Bacon

Mayonnaise

Tomato

Lettuce

Slices of turkey breast

Cook the bacon until it is the desired crispiness and dab off the excess oil on a paper towel. Meanwhile, toast your bread and chop your tomatoes. When the bread is done, add mayonnaise to each side and layer on the tomatoes, lettuce, turkey, and bacon. 

Turkey Salad Wraps

This is one of my favorite wraps that I order at the sandwich shop. The light honey-mustard and vinegar sauce is a nice kick to the turkey, and the arugula adds a bit of crunch. 

Serves 2

1 turkey breast, cooked, and diced

3 tbsps mayonnaise 

1.5 tbsps honey mustard

3/4 tsp white-wine vinegar
A few handfuls of arugula

Salt and pepper

2 wraps, preferably spinach

Take your diced turkey and put it in a medium bowl. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and spices, seasoning to taste, and making sure to coat the turkey thoroughly. Take the arugula and place a little in the center of each wrap, then spoon turkey salad down the center of the wrap. Fold the wrap up and serve with a side salad.

Rustic Turkey Sandwich

This take on a New England classic is sure to please. The rustic turkey sandwich, inspired by times in Vermont, combines Vermont cheddar with slices of apple for a real treat.

2 slices of toasted wheat bread

2 tsps mayonnaise

1 cup turkey meat

Half an apple, sliced

4 slices of extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Lettuce

Mustard

Bacon

Spread mayonnaise and butter on your bread. Lay down the lettuce, then the cheese and apple slices. Add the turkey and bacon and serve.

Curried Turkey Salad

Turkey can be a little on the bland side, especially after you've been eating it for days on end. What better way to spice up your turkey than to make a curry salad? This combines traditional curry salad ingredients such as celery, apple, and mayonnaise, but replaces raisins with dried cranberries, instead. An exotic take on your Thanksgiving leftovers!

2 cups of chopped and cooked turkey meat

1 apple, cored peeled, and chopped

1/4 cup dried cranberries (for an extra hint of Thanksgiving)

1 rib chopped celery

3/4 tbsp curry powder

1/2 tbsp honey

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 tsp ground ginger

Salt and pepper

In a small pan, heat your curry just enough so that it releases it's aroma. Promptly remove from heat, to avoid toasting and burning. Then, in a large bowl, combine the curry and spices with the yogurt, honey, and mayonnaise before adding the apple, celery, cranberries, and turkey. Stir to coat the turkey thoroughly and adjust spices to taste. Serve either as a side to a salad or as a sandwich.

Apple Cider Pancakes

It's coming. Thanksgiving is hours away. And what is going to prepare you for a day of cooking, football, and in-laws better than a hearty and nutritious breakfast? This recipe for apple cider pancakes with a cinnamon sugar topping comes from an amazing blog written by an American in Tokyo (http://www.tokyoterrace.com/) and is sure to hit the spot on Thanksgiving morning.

If you want to save space for the truckload of turkey you'll be eating that evening, think about making these before a day of black friday shopping!

This will make a large batch of pancakes, so if you're cooking for only 2 or 3 people, you might want to either halve the recipe or save the extra dry mix for a later batch.

6 cups flour (either 3 cups whole wheat with 3 cups all purpose, or 6 cups all purpose flour)
1 1/2 tsps baking soda
3 tsps baking powder
1 tbsp salt

Place ingredients in an airtight container and store until ready to use. The ingredients below will make enough pancakes for about 3 or 4 people.

1 cup dry pancake mix from above
1 egg, separated
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup apple cider (or apple juice)

Unsalted Butter (both for cooking the pancakes and topping them when they are finished)

3 Tablespoons sugar + 1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

Place the 1 cup of dry mix in a large bowl. Then, in a small bowl whisk the egg white, buttermilk, yogurt, honey, and cider. In another small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with olive oil. Combine your wet ingredients and then add them to the dry mix until just combined. Don't be concerned if your mix is a bit lumpy; this is just fine.

Heat a pan and grease with either butter or oil. Ladle your pancake batter into the pan. When small bubbles appear, you can flip the pancakes.

While the pancakes are still warm, top with some butter and allow it to melt over the top of the pancakes. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar mixture and eat!

The Buzz : Cocktails for a Toasty Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, entertaining is probably on your mind. Even if you're not hosting the big family dinner, it's a day that will most likely be filled with food, friends, family, and a great deal of careful preparation.

If you're having people over and are in need of some holiday concoctions to keep your guests' bellies warm until the big dinner, take a look at these Thanksgiving and winter cocktails. These cocktails, taken from Martha Stewart's holiday cocktail collection, are sure to tingle taste buds. And, even better, most are non-alcoholic to keep feisty relatives under control.

Apple Pie Spiced Cider

Enjoy the flavor of a favorite fall dessert while the pie is still in the oven. This cider combines the spices found in apple pie for a hearty and warming beverage that can be served with or without brandy.

Serves six

1 1/4 quarts apple cider
3 tbsps firmly packed light-brown sugar
7 whole cinnamon sticks, (6 sticks for garnish)
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Ground cloves
Freshly grated nutmeg
Salt
1/2 cup brandy (optional)

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the cider and spices. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat, and add brandy (if desired). Serve in mugs, garnished with cinnamon sticks.

Apple Ginger Sparklers

This drink unites classic fall flavors of ginger and apple into a sparkling, non-alcoholic concoction. For extra flavor, make the ginger syrup the day before.

Serves six

2 cups sugar
1 six-inch piece fresh ginger, finely diced

4 1/2 cups sparkling apple cider
6 cinnamon sticks
6 pieces crystallized ginger

To make the ginger syrup, combine sugar, ginger, and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for about an hour. Let cool and strain before using.

For the sparklers, place 2 tablespoons ginger syrup in each of six glasses. Fill glasses with ice cubes, pour in cider, and stir to combine. Garnish with cinnamon sticks and fresh ginger, and serve.

Cranberry Cider

Cranberries are a Thanksgiving standard. In addition to enjoying them in sauces and garnishes, try this recipe for hot cranberry cider.

Serves six to eight

2 oranges
2 quarts cranberry juice
4 three-inch cinnamon sticks
2 two-inch pieces fresh ginger, peeled and sliced lengthwise
Sugar, to taste

With a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife, remove four 3-inch-long strips of peel from orange; set aside. Juice the orange and remove the pulp. In a medium stockpot, combine orange juice, reserved orange peel, cranberry juice, cinnamon sticks, and ginger. Taste, and add sugar if desired. Heat over medium-high heat until simmering. Then, reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. Strain, and discard solids. Serve hot.

Elegant Autumn Desserts at the Institute for Culinary Education

Yesterday morning, I had the pleasure of attending my first class at the Institute for Culinary Education, located on 23rd street between 5th and 6th avenue. As I had been getting more interested in baking and cooking, and as I had been devoting more time to it recently, I became interested in finding recreational cooking or baking classes in the city that would (a) get me out of the house, (b) let me meet new people, and (c) let me learn some very valuable kitchen skills.

But where was I going to find these cooking classes that I had in mind? I Googled it.

The Institute for Culinary Education offers a full range of recreational cooking classes for those interested in cooking, baking, wine and bar-tending, and cheese.

The class that caught my eye was "Elegant Autumn Desserts" taught by chef Vicki Wells, the Executive Pastry Chef at Buddakan who has worked with Sarabeth’s Kitchen, Hotel Plaza Athenée, Maxim’s, Montrachet, Rakel’s, Metro, El Dorado Petit, Le Bernardin and Trattoria Dell’Arte.

The class was limited to 10 people and was spread over four hours on a Saturday morning. The price was reasonable, considering the time in the kitchen, the price of the materials, and the fact that you got to take bags of goodies home.

Within our four hours we made a Warm Apple Cider Cake with Bourbon Vanilla Ice Cream, Spicy Maple Pumpkin Flan with Gingersnaps, Pears Poached in Pinot Noir, Double Chocolate Shortcakes with Oven-Roasted Cranberries, and a Warm Greenmarket Apple Charlotte with Clove Molasses Ice Cream.

Each one was relatively simple to make, and came out looking and tasting divine. Each used tools and ingredients that are easily available and that shouldn't be too much of a drain on the budget.

The Cider Cake was built on a great basic recipe that takes a normal spice cake and adds onto it with variations of the liquid used. While we used bourbon, you can substitute any alcohol or even coffee as the liquid. The cake was filled with a tangy cider reduction and topped with bourbon vanilla ice cream, which was so good that I might invest in an ice cream machine.



The Pumpkin Flan might have been my favorite of all the desserts. It incorporated the welcome fall flavors of maple syrup and pumpkin into a smooth flan topped with a caramel layer and sauce. The flan was served with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and a gingersnap as garnish.



The Chocolate Shortbread tasted very similar to a chocolate mousse that Alex makes. It took a chocolate shortbread biscuit which was then topped with cranberries and chocolate pastry cream. This was another dessert that I could never tire of eating.



The Apple Charlotte was a variation on a French apple upside-down tart, which was made with a brioche crust and filled with caramelized apples and apple compote. A perfect version of an apple tart for fall.



I will undoubtedly be attempting these recipes again over the next few weeks, and with each attempt, I will post the recipe for the desserts I have described above. So, stay tuned, and get hungry!

Also make sure to check out ICE's list of classes at : http://rec.iceculinary.com/

A Taste of Autumn : Apple Tarts

Today was a bit of a rough day: I worked on things that I don't care about and had no motivation to do, I didn't leave the house because I didn't have to, and, to put the icing on the cake, I stepped on my mother's laptop which was on the floor and broke the screen (and spent a few subsequent hours planning repairs, shipping, and file back-up).

What made my day better? Listening to She & Him and deciding to put the apples I had bought to good use by making a French style, thin apple tart with an apricot glaze. I recently bought a tart/quiche pan with a removable bottom, so this needed to happen.

The Recipe:

This recipe is based on the Joy of Baking recipe for a French apple tart (http://www.joyofbaking.com/FrenchAppleTart.html), but I tweaked it a bit in the process.

Sweet Pastry Crust:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup room temperature unsalted butter

1 egg


Apple Filling:

6 medium apples

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1/4 - 1/2 cup white sugar, divided

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, divided


The Glaze:

1/2 cup apricot preserves

1 tablespoon Rum

***

Mix butter and beat until softened. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg, beating just until incorporated. (Don't over mix or the butter will separate and lighten in color.) Add flour and salt and mix just until it forms a ball. Refrigerate about one hour or until firm. Prepare a 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry into an 11 - 12 inch circle that is uniformly 1/8 inch thick. Unroll onto top of tart pan and gently press to the sides of the pan. Cover and refrigerate for about 20 minutes, while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Place an empty cake pan on the dough to make sure it doesn't puff up. Bake crust for 20 to 25 minutes until crust is dry and lightly browned.

For bottom layer of apples: Peel, core, and slice three of the apples. In a large skillet melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and stir in between 2 - 4 tablespoons of the sugar, the lemon zest, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Add the apples and saute over moderate heat, stirring occasionally for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the apples are soft. Gently mash the apples with the back of a spatula or spoon and stir the mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool.

For top layer of apples: Peel, core, and cut the apples into slices 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) thick. Melt 1 tablespoon (13 grams) butter in a large skillet over medium heat and stir in the other 2 - 4 tablespoons (25 - 50 grams) sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Add the apples and saute until they begin to soften, approximately 5 minutes. Set the cooked apples aside.

Spoon the applesauce mixture into the cooled pre-baked tart shell. Arrange the apple slices in concentric circles over the applesauce, and brush with 1 - 2 tablespoons melted butter. Bake the tart on a baking sheet in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 - 30 minutes or until the apples are nicely browned and soft. Once the tart has cooled lightly glaze the apple slices with warm apricot glaze.