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November 2008

November 29, 2008

Apple-Pear Pie Recipe

Apple-pie

I've never been much of a baker.

That is, I enjoy the free-form-ed-ness of cooking over the science of baking. I still don't know when to use baking powder over baking soda and so most of my baking begins with a cookbook. This pie began with The Algonquin's Famous Apple Pie recipe found in The New York Cookbook by Molly O'Neill. I was short an ingredient here and there, thought a couple lonely pears I had would be much happier alongside some apples and cinnamon, and the result was something I was quite happy with.

Maybe there's a baker in me after all.

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November 23, 2008

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Carrots with Garlic and Sage

Brussels_sprouts_and_carrots

This year we're all heading over to my mom's house for Thanksgiving and, I have to admit, I miss the prep and planning that goes into pulling a holiday meal together. As such, I've been cooking some surrogate dishes to get me through my withdrawals. Last week I stuffed and roasted a chicken, and this week I was thinking about vegetables.

A few years ago I made Brussels Sprouts and Carrots in a sauce of butter, sage, and vermouth. I was going to make that again last night, but things got a little hectic and I needed a quick way out. I also had no vermouth in the house, so a hot oven and a cast iron skillet would have to do.

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November 16, 2008

Thanksgiving Turkey Stuffing

Stuffing

This is the bread and meat stuffing we always had every Thanksgiving while I was growing up. There are a few vegetables thrown in the mix, but they're really only there for appearances. And my family never messed around with fruit in the turkey stuffing either. Some folks like apples or raisins or some other fruit that really has no business being inside a turkey. Not me.

A final note before we get to the details. I cook mine inside the turkey. Yes, the picture above shows the stuffing after it's been baked in a little le crueset ramekin, but that's only what I do with what won't fit inside the bird. If you're nervous about salmonella (sam and ella?), you can use a meat thermometer to check the middle of the stuffing for proper temperature - or simply cook it outside the turkey.

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November 09, 2008

Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe

Butternut-squash

"What about those funny looking round things you cook in the oven and the come out all sweet and yummy?"

That was what my wife requested when I asked what she'd like with dinner tonight. After 11 years of marriage I'm able to decipher her code. She meant roasted butternut squash, but couldn't quite find the words.

Upon bringing them home, my sons were a little concerned that we'd be serving up some thanksgiving decor with the rest of our dinner. One of them even ventured a bite, the brave soul. 

Plan on one butternut squash for every two to three (grown) people you'll be serving.

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November 02, 2008

Vegetable Stock Recipe

Vegetable-stock
Once the cold weather starts to set in here in the northeast, my cooking habit turns toward soups and stews. As much as I enjoy doing as much from scratch as possible, I rarely have the leftover animal bones required to make beef or chicken stock.

A much easier way to prepare homemade stock is to go the veggie route. I find that it's much easier to collect save the stems, peels, tops and bottoms of various vegetables than it is to keep some chicken bones laying around. Every time I chop or peel a vegetable, the bit I'd usually toss in the trash (or compost heap, if I had one), I simply add to a ziploc bag in the fridge. After about a week or two, I have enough to make a richly flavored stock.

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