Reading Material: Friendsgiving Edition

November 13, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Reading Material

Image: Laura Messersmith — Image: *Laura Messersmith*

This week was better than last in the Dept. of Getting Stuff Done, fewer Internet rabbit holes ensnared me, the cooking was focused, my props mostly behaved themselves during their time in the limelight, and this weekend we have a Friendsgiving party to attend. Yay!

As you might imagine I’ve been plotting and scheming what to make since we received the invitation with a mental Pinterest board about seventy-five items (25% of which were pies) that would be a-mazing to make. Overkill, much? Probably a good thing our hosts put together a list of assignments or I might have showed up with everything from appetizers and dessert to the bird itself…

With my role clearly defined – two sides (this Herbed Butternut Squash & Apple Mash and a Winter Greens Gratin I can’t wait to share with you) and some assistance with turkey roasting – I did find some time to peruse a few Internet items. Here’s what caught my attention this week.

Reading Material:
A timely and relevant question in all entertaining moments, but particularly in times of high-pressure cooking: what to wear? The New Potato has some thoughts on Friendsgiving outfits.

Am I the only one who mainlined The Great British Bake-off when Netflix released it a few weeks ago and then searched madly for more seasons? GQ has perfectly distilled my thoughts on why the show is so good.

And while we’re at it, The Toast continues to kill it with their list of horrifying desserts on GBBO. Just a small slice of “treacle and desperation tart” for me, thanks.

Cooking TV presenter, Rachel Khoo, who knows what it’s like to cook in a small kitchen first hand, summarized her essential cooking tools. Do you agree with her list? (via Food52)

The New York Times notes that written recipes have evolved over time - as a writer, reader, and follower (sometimes) of recipes it resonated. Do you prefer direct and to the point, or a bit more story along the way?

I haven’t made it to Sadelle’s in Soho yet, but Bon Appétit says it’s like something out of a Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel. They had me at “whimsy.”

Herbed Butternut Squash & Apple Mash

November 12, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

Herbed Butternut Squash and Apple Mash | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Herbed Butternut Squash and Apple Mash** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

It’s fall, early November to be exact, when thoughts of Thanksgiving are in the air, and that means the number of squash, pumpkin, and pumpkin spice recipes have reached a critical mass. No one could possibly make them all without turning into a gourd of some kind, so does the world really need another? Normally, I’d say no and move on to something else banking on our mutual pumpkin fatigue, but in this case I just have to share this recipe because to horde it all to myself would be depriving you of something awesome.

Some recipes are the result of careful planning – an idea, some tests, and then a final version that corresponds with the initial light bulb concept – while others are a happy accident. This is one of the latter. Remember the Cider Braised Chicken & Apples from a few weeks ago? Notice the butternut squash in the photo? That was what I would consider a classic mash – squash roasted in the oven until soft, then stirred together with butter, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Solidly tasty, but nothing earth shattering there.

The magic moment was when that earthy, slightly sweet puree met the tangy mustard-cider sauce and tart apples. It nearly stole the show from the chicken and I realized that I had to come up with a way to combine those flavors intentionally. This is that recipe. See, I’m a humanitarian, not just some shill for the squash lobby.

Herbed Butternut Squash & Apple Mash (serves 8-10)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup (1 large) minced shallot
4 pounds (2 large) butternut squash
1 1/2 pounds (2-3 medium) tart, firm apples
1 cup dry hard apple cider (I used Angry Orchard Stone Dry)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions:
Peel, de-seed and cut the butternut squash into 1/2 inch cubes. Mince the shallots, and peel, core and dice the apples in 1/2 inch pieces.

In a large pot or dutch oven, melt together the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced shallots and cook for 3-4 minutes until they begin to turn translucent, watch them to be sure they don’t burn. Add the butternut squash pieces and stir to coat with the shallots and butter. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes until the squash is just beginning to soften, stirring occasionally to prevent the squash from burning.

Whisk together the hard cider, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, kosher salt and black pepper. Add the mixture to the pot along with the diced apples and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the squash and apples are very tender. Stir periodically. Uncover and cook 5-7 minutes more until most of the liquid has evaporated. Finally, add the minced thyme to the pot and mash the squash and apples into a thick puree or process in a food processor, according to your preference. Check the seasoning and serve hot.

Recipe written with reference to Martha Stewart’s Butternut Squash Mash and Fine Cooking’s Braised Chicken Legs with Cider, Apples, and Mustard.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Totally. I used my 5.5 qt French oven, which has taken up residence on the stovetop for the winter, a large cutting board, Y-shaped vegetable peeler, chef’s knife, a liquid measuring cup and spoons, and wooden spatula. I used a regular potato masher which gives the mash a chunkier, rustic texture, if you’d like more of a puree then a potato ricer or food processor is recommended.

The Verdict:
Can you tell I'm excited about this recipe? It’s the perfect blend of comfort food flavors with the peace of mind that it’s actually pretty healthy. It’s also incredibly easy to make and can be made in advance, which means it’s the perfect thing to whip up and have on hand as an awesome side through the week. For example, I found this recipe for “Vermont” Roast Pork Loin on Food52 the other day, and I think they’d be heavenly together. The slightly sharp edge from the cider and mustard keep the apples and squash from being too heavy – an excellent compliment to all your wintery dishes.

Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie

December 01, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

Unless you’re a domestic goddess of the highest order, able to predict down to the last bite exactly how much your guests will eat, by the time Thanksgiving weekend rolls around there is a fridge-full of leftovers from the big day. I love a cold turkey sandwich smeared with a little cranberry sauce, but eventually a more concentrated effort is needed. That’s where Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie comes in.

It serves the dual purpose of echoing the flavors of Thursday’s delicious dishes and providing an avenue for using up extras in a way that doesn’t feel like an after thought. Since this dish is a medley of ingredients you really don’t need a lot of any one item, just use what ever you might have on hand.

While I went super traditional starting with a mirepoix of onions, carrots, and celery followed by potatoes and peas (because that’s what I had in the apartment already); this recipe would easily accommodate mushrooms, green beans, diced parsnips, or roasted squash. I used frozen puff pastry for the topping because I’m assuming that after all that cooking neither of us have the energy for rolling out dough. I mean, look how crazy it looks as is - can you imagine if I tried to make my own? Disaster. Another thought: top the pot pie with your extra mashed potatoes and turned it into a shepherd’s pie!

This was the first idea that came to mind for me, but I’d love to know other ways you transform Thanksgiving leftovers into a new dinner?

Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:
5 tablespoons softened butter, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups (2 medium) yellow onions, diced
2 cups (2 large) carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup (1 large stalk) celery, diced
4 cups (3 medium) white or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
2 1/2 cups roasted turkey, diced
1 cup frozen peas
4 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme, divided
1 dried bay leaf
2 tablespoons all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

Instructions:
Thaw the puff pastry over night in the refrigerator.

Prep onions, carrots, and celery dicing each vegetable to 1/4 inch size. In a large French oven, melt together 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat. Sauté diced onions, carrots and celery until onions are translucent and carrots and celery begin to soften.

Meanwhile, peel and dice the potatoes to 1/2 inch size. Add the potatoes, chicken broth, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper to the pot and increase the heat to medium. Add 1 teaspoon minced thyme and the bay leaf. Bring the chicken broth to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes can be pierced with a fork.

Clean the roasted turkey of any stray skin or fat (I used a combination of light and dark meat for flavor) and dice to 1/2 inch size. Add the diced turkey and frozen peas to the pot and stir to combine. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the turkey comes up to temperature.

Remove the bay leaf and discard.

On a small plate, mash 3 tablespoons softened butter and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour with a fork until all the flour is incorporated. Add the butter and flour mixture to the pot and stir until it dissolves and the broth begins to thicken.

Unwrap the puff pastry and place on a surface dusted with flour. Roll out as needed to fit your ramekins or oven-proof baking dish and cut to allow an extra 1 inch border.

In a small bowl whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water for the egg wash. Set the ramekins or baking dish on a baking sheet.

Ladle the hot pot pie filling into ramekins or baking dish and brush the edge of the dish(es) with egg wash. Gently lay the puff pastry over the baking dish and filling. Fold the excess pastry under and press against the edge of the dish to seal. Crimp the edge with your thumb or fork to create a decorative edge.

Brush the top of the puff pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with reserved minced thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper. Depending on the size of the baking dish, use a sharp knife to cut between 2–4 small slits in the pastry to allow steam to escape.

Bake at 400 degrees in a preheated oven for 25–30 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the puff pastry is golden. Cool for 5 minutes before serving – the filling will be very hot!

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes, assuming you have something to use as a rolling pin. I used a 5 quart French oven (surprised?), a medium cutting board, a medium bowl for the diced vegetables, a baking sheet, and large ramekins. I also used a chef’s knife, vegetable peeler, measuring cups and spoons, a rolling pin, a small plate, fork, and a wooden spatula.

The Verdict:
I knew I had a solid plan of attack for these Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pies from my experience with Chicken Pot Pie, but even then I was surprised by how well they turned out. Mike says he’s had pot pies that were underwhelming and bland. Not the case here! The turkey and vegetables are tender and give the filling a deep, satisfying flavor. This dish is tailor made for a cold winter day when spending some quality time in the kitchen near a hot oven sounds like the perfect way to while away an afternoon.

Perfect Roast Turkey

November 25, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Each week I follow along with Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) and attempt to recreate one of her dishes in my tiny New York City kitchen. The catch? This is my version of cooking school and I’m making these recipes for the first time. I’ll share both my successes and um, challenges, along the way and we’ll see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Thanksgiving”

The Set-up: Ina ‘s friends have bullied her into cooking turkey for Thanksgiving along with all the trimmings.

The Menu: Perfect Roast Turkey, Herb and Apple Stuffing, Cranberry Fruit Conserve, Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Parmesan Smashed Potatoes

0:34 – Ina begins the episode by taking her aggressions out on a package of graham crackers.

1:21 – She claims the graham crackers are for her family’s traditional Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart, but you and I know there would have been a more non-violent way of crunching them up.

2:03 – I’ve never made anything with a graham cracker crust before – I love it’s deep golden color. Pro Tip #1: Use the bottom of a metal measuring cup to tamp down the crust.

3:42 – I wish I was even vaguely interested in eating this tart because it looks really fun to make, but neither banana nor pumpkin desserts are really my thing. Sigh.

4:37 – Just realized that I’ve also never made a custard, unless lemon curd counts?

5:16 – Huh, the mousse has eggs and gelatin to help it set. A year ago this ingredient along would have made me abandon all hope of making something like this.

6:30 – Ina says this is a make-ahead dessert, always good news when there’s a big dinner to prepare for.

9:55 – Now that the tart is chilling we’re on to the Cranberry Fruit Conserve, which Ina says she can’t have Thanksgiving without. Seriously, the cranberry is so necessary next to all those rich dishes.

10:14 – Pro Tip #2: The tarter an apple is, the more pectin (a setting agent) it has. Hence, Ina is using Granny Smith.

11:29 – Oooh, the Cranberry Fruit Conserve has orange and lemon juice along with the zest. I really want to make this now, especially since the grocery store has cranberries in stock.

12:51 – While the conserve bubbles away Ina is moving on start the onions and herbs for the Herb and Apple Stuffing. She’s really cracking along with this menu.

13:32 – Back for finishing touches on the conserve. Half she’s leaving plain for the “traditionalists” and adding walnuts and raisins to the other. Put me and Stephen down for the traditional version, please.

14:44 – Over to the Herb and Apple Stuffing to toss the toasted cubes of sourdough bread in the onion, apple and herb mixture. Yum!

18:58 – Now for the main event: Perfect Roast Turkey, which Ina’s friends demanded instead of Ina’s suggestion of turkey.

19:15 - Hmmm, Ina’s actually putting the stuffing in the turkey, which is counter to most conventional wisdom I’ve heard about cooking times. Extending trust!

20:59 – The Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart is set and Ina is making me jealous of her whipped cream piping skillz.

21:22 – Pro Tip #3: Practice controlling the pressure on the pastry bag by piping patterns on to a board or marble until your skills are up to snuff. Can you picture Mike coming home to a counter covered with my piping mistakes?

22:40 – More decoration tips – Ina likes to use something that’s in the recipe, so she’s placing fine strips of orange zest on top of the tart.

27:14 – Ina’s friends have arrived and already this Thanksgiving dinner is getting crazy – poppin’ bottles, eh?

28:05 – Ina says she doesn’t like to carve when people are around because she can make such a mess. Girl, I feel you. No one needs an audience when wrestling a giant bird.

28:47 – We didn’t see this, but Ina also made Roasted Brussels Sprouts (for Frank) and Parmesan Smashed Potatoes to round out her menu.

29:53 – Jeffrey is missing dinner and I feel sorrier for him than normal because this dinner looks so, so good. Consider me ready for Thursday!

Final Thoughts:
I really should practice piping. The one and only time I ever tried was over the summer and the results weren’t so hot…

Kind of obsessed with the cranberry conserve and herb stuffing recipes – filing them away for a time when I’m hosting Thanksgiving.

Ina is such a sweetheart she made so many guest-requested dishes, I bet they all felt really special.

Lessons Learned:
I started off my Perfect Roast Turkey adventure this weekend feeling fairly confident. I had several “practice” chickens under my belt and a turkey is pretty much just a big chicken, so the process should be about the same, right? But I was still a little nervous, after all this wasn’t a 3 lb. chicken it was a 20 lb. turkey and oh, did I mention, I was cooking it for 12 people? No pressure!

Luckily this is a super low-maintenance recipe. Really, the trickiest part is locating all the giblets and “The Bag” – don’t forget to check both ends of the turkey! Melt butter, measure seasonings, prep a few onions, then get up close and personal with the turkey. Ina’s recipe assumes a 10-12 lb. turkey, so since mine was twice as big I added a few more onions and lemons to the cavity (no internal stuffing for this bird.) One stick of butter + the herbs and lemon was plenty to give the entire turkey skin a good solid coating.

One additional note – the recipe doesn’t specifically call for using a roasting rack, but from my practice with the chickens I knew it would help all of the skin to crisp up, so I’d recommend using one if you can get it to fit in your pan.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes, the roasting pan and rack ride again. I also used a small pot to melt the butter, a medium cutting board, chef’s knife, microplane grater, pastry brush, and measuring spoons. Lastly, paper towels, cotton kitchen twine, and an instant read meat thermometer are essential!

The Verdict:
About an hour in to the roasting time the apartment started to smell like Thanksgiving – all delicious butter and herbs. Next, the skin turned bronzed and golden like a magazine worthy dinner centerpiece. But, the true test? A 20 lb. turkey basically disappeared in 3 hours. I’d call that success. If you’re looking to mix-up your turkey this Thursday, or any day, I’d definitely try this recipe. The flavors of the thyme and lemon come through clearly without over powering – it really is a Perfect Roast Turkey.