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Friday, November 28, 2003
Ate too much ... can ... barely ... move ... fingers ... to ... type
Posted
9:09 AM by Mike
One of my favorite moments on Thanksgiving, other than the sit-down-and-eat part, comes after the meal, when all the guests have gone, all the dishes have been washed and the counters scrubbed, and all signs of the pandemonium of the day are finally swept away. The kitchen is clean and you can relax and sit and reflect on the good food, good times and good company. You're tired, but it's that "good tired" that people talk about.
This was one of the most enjoyable and relaxing Thanksgivings we've had in a long time and, if you'll allow me to brag, I fulfilled my cook's duties admirably. We fed eight at the table, then had leftovers and desserts for a few stragglers who dropped by later.
There was a lot of kidding about my decision to prepare two birds (my brother said, "You're having to number your turkeys?"), but no one was laughing when it came time to hand out bags of leftovers. There was plenty to go around and the guests were grateful.
Late on Wednesday night I stuck both birds in the brine according to Alton Brown's recipe in "I'm Only Here for the Food." It varies a lot from the recipe he gave on the Thanksgiving episode of "Good Eats," but I preferred the book version for its simplicity (basic ingredients, orange juice concentrate, kosher salt and dark brown sugar). I had a 15-pound bird (that was Turkey One, the main bird for eating) and a 12-pounder (Turkey Two, the one that would be cooked "for show" and be out on the table as a centerpiece and be used for seconds and leftovers).
Thanksgiving morning: For the first time, I removed a bird's backbone prior to cooking. This was on Turkey One, according to Pam Anderson's instructions in USA Weekend magazine (see link in post below). It wasn't as easy as Anderson made it sound ("cut out the back with kitchen shears"), but now that I've done it, it will go faster and easier the next time. The bird was butterflied on a large, lipped cookie sheet over a mirapoix (carrots, onion and celery). Butterflying would help this first turkey roast more quickly (according to Anderson). The only problem with Turkey One was that it roasted unevenly. My thermometer registered about 10 degrees cooler on the turkey's left breast. I can guess only that the one side was still a little frozen when it went into the oven. I had to be careful bringing the cooler side up to temperature, lest I overcook the rest of the bird.
Once the first bird was out, I prepared Turkey Two, using a more traditional approach ('cause this was the "showbird"), in a roasting pan with a rack. The veggies and pan drippings from Turkey One were transferred to the roasting pan. I used Alton Brown's method of starting the bird in a 500-degree oven for a half-hour to quick-brown the skin and to seal the essential juices, then turning the oven down to 350 for the rest of the journey. I also basted, which I usually don't do, in an attempt to help the browning of the skin. One of these times I'm going to attempt Martha Stewart's famed "Turkey 101" method of roasting the bird within a thick blanket of cheesecloth soaked in butter and wine. The bird is supposed to come out with a beautiful golden-brown skin.
Turkey Two did not come out as beautiful as I had hoped, but it didn't matter. We put it on our best platter and set it out, then, realizing it needed some sort of garnish, playfully surrounded it with apples, whole carrots and grapes.
The rest of the meal prep went smoothly. I relaxed my abnormally strict rules about others being in the kitchen while I'm cooking and enlisted my wife, sister and brother for help. (Quick sidebar: Mine is a tiny, tiny galley kitchen. It's efficient for my needs and I enjoy cooking in there, but it can safely and comfortably hold no more than one working person at a time, particularly when that person is as large as me.) We had to dance around each other, but it worked and, in fact, it heightened the playfulness and camaraderie of the day.
You'll be happy to hear that I didn't make the mistake of last year and chop off part of my finger. I did, however, make another error, the classic forget-that-you-just-took-that-tray-out-of-the-oven-and-reach-for-it-with-a-bare-hand maneuver. It was very close to meal time and I was working too fast and, obviously, not thinking. But I received only a minor blister along one fingertip and a lesson that I won't forget next time. (See? This is how you learn some things in the kitchen.)
The pan drippings from the two combined birds made an excellent gravy. I deglazed only with chicken stock and strained it well before adding flour and extra stock. (My only regret: I forgot to buy a gravy separator; we had to spoon off the grease the hard way.)
Not everything was from scratch, counter to the FoodDork ideal, but certain concessions have to be made from time to time. For instance, my wife and I wanted some colorful veggies to brighten the table, so we purchased this big bag of frozen Oriental vegetable mix from the warehouse store. We gave them a simple steaming, without using the sauce, and had a nice, colorful and tasty bowl for the spread. We also had store-bought rolls and desserts.
In all, it was a delightful day, with many complaints of overeating. We're not the hosts of the family Christmas this year, so I'll be able to take a break for the rest of the holidays.
Who knows, though ... I may just roast another turkey (or two) anyway.
Thursday, November 27, 2003
The First FoodDork Thanksgiving (Hey, let's do this every year!)
Posted
12:24 PM by Mike
Turkey No. 1 is out and resting. Turkey No. 2 is doing its thing in the oven. Sides are on the way. So far I haven't cut myself. I'm taking this time out to wish everyone who drops by a Happy Thanksgiving and much happiness in this holiday season!
Rick, I hope you and the gang up there in Alaska are enjoying a safe, warm and happy day.
Saturday, November 22, 2003
I give thanks that I finally have a decent roasting pan
Posted
6:38 PM by Mike
So, the preparations for Thanksgiving are under way. This year is not going to be a very big gathering, only about eight or nine of us. I'm not going to prepare an overabundance of food, and am not going to get very ambitious. My bird will be brined, as I did last year, and the sides won't be too elaborate, just some mashed potatoes, some sweet potato cups, veggies, etc.
About the only unusual thing that I plan this year (that is, unusual for me; I'm told this is a common thing in a lot of households) is to make two turkeys on Thanksgiving. I was inspired by Pam Anderson's article in last week's USA Weekend magazine (I'm not sure how long the link will last). The idea is, the first turkey is made with no regards to looks; in fact, it is split and flattened so it will roast faster. The second turkey is prepared with regards to looks, so it can be set out for display, then used for seconds and leftovers.
As we all know, the word "turkey" comes from the Latin tourkous, meaning "ummm, that was good dessert, time for a turkey sandwich." In other words, the first meal might be fun, but the leftovers are even more fun. As I remember, my father lived for the leftovers. One year, after a Thanksgiving at which we had an abundance of guests, he was upset to discover that there were no leftovers, so he went right out and bought another turkey and prepared it, just so he could have his beloved open-faced turkey-and-gravy sandwiches.
Mmmmm ... turkey-and-gravy sandwiches. At this point, I'm forced to lean back in my chair so I don't drool all over the keyboard.
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
I actually kind of sound like I know what I'm talking about
Posted
7:25 AM by Mike
Here's a link to Margaret Warr's food column in the Pensacola News Journal, which uses some recipes I submitted. Only one of the recipes, the Sweet Potato Cups, is my creation. The turkey recipe is from Alton Brown's book, while the sandwich wrap thing is more of a technique than a recipe.
Sunday, November 16, 2003
Crash and burn
Posted
11:29 AM by Mike
Since I've begun my ambitious no-kit-cooking project, I've produced some questionable experiments along the way (along with a good share of grand successes, I'm proud to say), but I've been fortunate not to have turned out anything entirely inedible ... until the other night.
On the menu was some garlic pasta, a recipe I got from the show "America's Test Kitchen" (the Cook's Illustrated folks), which is basically plain pasta drizzled with olive oil then mixed with a blend of gently cooked crushed garlic and parsley. I've made it about a dozen times, now, and the family loves it. On this night, however, I used too much garlic (I was cocky; I crushed a bunch of garlic and then eyeballed it, saying to myself, "That looks like the same amount I've used in the past"). Being a big fan of garlic, I was the only one who could stand the overage.
I was determined, however, not to let the big bowl of pasta go to waste. The next night, I cooked a little more plain pasta and mixed it in with the first batch, to attempt to cut the garlic surplus. Then I mixed up a batch of tomato sauce and poured it into the pasta, then dumped the whole thing in baking dish, covered it with shredded cheese and attempted a baked spaghetti.
An ambitious and well-meant attempt, but ultimately fruitless. First of all, I didn't put in enough sauce, so it was terribly dry. And without enough sauce, the abundance of garlic wasn't quite tamed. So, the meal was officially dubbed a disaster. (I still haven't given up on baked spaghetti, however; I've had it at restaurants and loved it. I think I can get the hang of it.)
I realize there are always lessons to be learned in the kitchen, and that such learning comes at the cost of a few ruined meals. That's why our good friends in the fast-food industry are to be saluted and cherished.
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