15/11 Turkey Day!

For some of us it’s the most exciting, most wonderful day of the year. We get to throw caution to the wind, along with our good sense, and consume mountains of mash potatoes, mounds of stuffing, slices of turkey, and all of it covered with thick gravy. Oh, and don’t forget all the pie and whipped cream your heart could desire. Of course that’s the majority of us. Then there are those of us who have to prepare all that wonderful food.

Two weeks might seem a little early to start thinking of your Thanksgiving meal, but if you want a fresh or free range turkey you may well have to order it now. Frozen turkeys are convenient (though less flavorful) and if you choose to buy one, place it in your fridge in original packaging two days before, on a tray, and allow it to thaw. As a general rule allow one pound for each adult, and 20 minutes per pound to cook. For small families or couples who don’t want to cook an entire turkey, look for a breast or half breast. Or consider Cornish hens which look like small turkeys, but take little more than an hour to cook and are very flavorful.

Keeping the breast dry and yet cooking it through is definitely the greatest challenge a cook faces (after making enough space in the fridge). Cook at 325 degrees and make sure you preheat your oven at least an hour ahead of time. Also, if the turkey is near room temperature when placed in the oven it will cook faster so take it out of the fridge the morning on the day you plan to cook it.

How to tell when it’s done? Your best bet is to make certain you have a good meat thermometer on hand and take the temperature by placing it into the breast between meat and bone, the thickest part of the bird. Your target temperature should be 160 degrees which will yield a moist but cooked turkey. I cook my turkey upside down for about half its cooking time before turning it right side up. I find this helps to keep the breast moist. If you choose to do this keep in mind the size of your bird; the turkey will be hot, slippery and heavy and anything over fifteen pounds is going to be difficult to move flip over.

Once I turn the bird right side up, I baste regularly with melted butter mixed with a bit of honey to help it brown and glaze. A bit of white wine poured into the pan’s basin will help with drippings.

Stuffing can be prepared the night before but never stuff the bird until it’s ready to go into the oven. Besides onion and celery, into my stuffing goes fresh sage and just about any fresh mushroom variety that I can find. If you prefer to cook the stuffing in a separate pan, consider putting a few cloves of garlic in the cavity along with herbs such as thyme, rosemary, sage or marjoram

05/10 Moshin Vineyards

My wife had a "business meeting" up in the Russian River area. Naturally as part of the "meeting" at Moshin Vineyards they did some wine tasting. Well, needless to say the meeting was a great success and she decided that as a momento of this highly productive business venture she needed a souvenir so we ended up with some wonderful 2001 cabernet sauvignon. This particular vintage was limited to 500 cases and at $22 a bottle is worth every penny.

21/09 Girdle Scones

This recipe comes from an out-of-print cookbook called Beard on Bread, copyright 1973. This was before the big bread craze that is still going on so the recipes are simple and straightfoward which is really how breadmaking should be in my opinion. In his intro to this recipe Beard says the name comes from the Scots' use of the word "girdle" instead of "griddle". Either way these are simple to make, taste great and are perfect for a cool fall or winter morning with some strong coffee.

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
buttermilk or sour cream

Combine all the ingredients except buttermilk/sour cream in a mixing bowl. This is the only tricky part. Add enough buttermilk or sour cream to make a soft dough. I have found that if you put in less than you think you will need, that's usually about the right amount. You can always add more, but adding more flour will probably end up with thin, flat scones (speaking from experience). Cut dough into two equal halves then roll out each into about 1/2 inch thick rounds. Cut into triangles then put them on a floured griddle over medium heat until lightly browned. Flip and brown other side. (Note: if you don't have a griddle get one. Or use cast iron or non-stick and cook in batches.)

Serve with butter and your favorite jam or as my wife prefers, with lemon curd.