Season of Sweets

This is the season of sweets. Cookies, candies, cakes and pies; trifles and truffles, confections of all descriptions are being turned out in kitchens across the country. Visions of rolling pins, aprons and cookie sheets, bowls of frosting in many hues, sprinkles, chocolate curls, almond paste, clouds of meringue as well as sugar plums dance in our heads.


The children are hanging around the kitchen begging for cookie dough to eat and to make into their own little cookies. The kitchen is a mess, but what a wonderful mess. Grown up children are returning and eyeing the offerings to make sure their “favorite” cookie or confection is present.

A party of desserts and sweets is fun to plan and actually easy to make. Many things can be done ahead and frozen; some things will do double duty here at our inn where we serve dessert each morning and thus I can just make extra for the party. Then there is the question of liquid refreshment. For this party, I have decided on champagne (or other sparkling wine) and a rich fruity late-harvest Riesling. Italian Moscato or California-made Essencia are other dessert wines which would be fun. Lots of rich, dark coffee with a variety of add-ins will wind up the afternoon.

Here is the party menu for 24:

Raspberry Trifle
Gingerbread Buche de Noel with Orange Butter-Cream Frosting
Black Forest Cake
Alexanders Torte
Mini Éclairs
Lemony Cheesecake Bites
Dark Chocolate-Rum Truffles

The Alexanders torte is a Latvian version of Linzer Cookies, in which a raspberry filling is sandwiched between two cookie layers. Traditionally, it is cut into diamond shapes, but because Linzer cookies are so pretty, you can make a cutout on the top cookie layer so the raspberry filling shows through.

Gingerbread Buche de Noel with Orange Butter-Cream Frosting

Cake:

½ cup flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1/ tsp. ground nutmeg
4 large eggs, separated
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light (mild) molasses
Powdered sugar

Orange Butter-Cream Frosting:

¾ cup sugar
6 Tbsp. flour
¾ cup milk
¾ cup butter, softened
2 Tbsp orange-flavored liqueur
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
½ tsp freshly grated orange peel

Lemon leaves (from florist) and strawberries for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 15 ½” by 10 ½” jelly-roll pan; line bottom only with parchment paper. Spray paper with vegetable spray and dust pan with flour. On waxed paper, combine flour, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat egg whites and salt with mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually sprinkle in ¼ cup sugar with mixer still at high speed until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, using same beaters and with mixer at high sped, beat egg yolks and remaining ¼ cup sugar until very thick and lemon-colored and ribbons form when beaters are lifted, about 8 to10 minutes. Beat in molasses until blended. Gently fold beaten egg whites into beaten egg-yolk mixture, one-third at a time. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake 15 to 17 minutes until top of cake springs back when lightly touched with finger. Sprinkle clean cloth towel with powdered sugar. When cake is done, loosen cake from side of pan and immediately invert hot cake onto the prepared towel. Gently peel off parchment paper and discard. Starting from long side, roll cake with towel jelly-roll style. Place cake roll, seam side down on wire race to cool completely—about 45 minutes.

For Frosting:

In large saucepan, combine sugar and flour; whisk in milk until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until mixture thickens and boils. Reduce heat to low and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer mixture to shallow pan such as a pie plate, cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour. Beat butter with mixer at medium speed until creamy. Gradually beat in cooled flour mixture. When mixture is smooth, beat in liqueur, vanilla and orange peel until well blended. Makes 3 cups.

Assemble cake: Gently unroll cooled cake. With metal spatula, spread 1 cup frosting almost to edges. Starting from same long side, roll cake without towel. With a sharp knife, cut 1-inch-thick diagonal slice off each end of roll; set aside. Place cake, seam side down, on long platter. Using about 2/3 cup orange frosting, spread thin layer of frosting over roll, leaving cut sides unfrosted. Place 1 end piece on side of roll to resemble a cut branch. Place remaining end piece on top of roll to resemble another cut branch. Spread remaining 1/3 cup frosting over roll and branches, leaving cut side of branches unfrosted. With metal spatula or tines of fork, mark frosting to resemble bark of tree. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish platter with lemon leaves and strawberries.

Red Wing Area B&B Treats

[I originally wrote this articled in 2006. I am only changing the date to make it coincide with this years Tour.]


It’s time for the annual tour of the bed and breakfasts of Red Wing. This year our tour will be Sunday, December 5, from 1-5 pm and the inns are all getting ready for the big day. We open our houses once a year for the public to tour and give the proceeds to the Goodhue County Habitat for Humanity. The inns outdo themselves to deck the halls and since hospitality is our business, we open our doors to everyone.

Food? Of course. Since our guests on this day number in the hundreds, and it is Christmastime, most of us serve cookies, a treat manageable in large numbers.

Since we aren’t able to take the tour, I’ve always missed out on the cookies served by the other inns—so decided to see if they would share their recipes and give me a peek at their decorations. I set out on a dreary and rainy afternoon (in November?) and was welcomed warmly, as I expected. Here are the recipes, along with a little pre-tour information for your pleasure:

We started the farthest away at the Round Barn Farm Bed and Breakfast and Bread. It is 4 miles south on Hwy 61. Robin and Elaine Kleffman own and operate this 1800’s replica farmhouse on the site of an original round barn. Elaine greeted us and we stepped into the inviting inn. Elaine has been busy for the month of November baking cookies of every description—I was in awe. Not only do they taste delicious—but they are beautiful. The whole main floor is beautifully decorated, but we settled in the large dining room where an open-hearth stone fireplace presides. The long dining table held some giant-sized nutcrackers and at one end stood a magnificent tree. When it was time to leave, the rain had picked up to a downpour. Elaine graciously assisted us with umbrellas to our car—a true innkeeper.

Next stop, The Golden Lantern Inn on East Avenue. From the parking area to the front door the path was Christmassy. Our hosts, Pat and Gary McKenna ushered us into their beautiful 1930’s Tudor-style home. The living room of this Sweazy mansion is large and comfortable-looking any time of year but the room was transformed for the season. The beautiful tree dominates the window expanse and is all done up in tiny white lights and white and gold decorations. Preparations for a wedding to take place there soon made the fireplace and mantel area extra special. Our host was kind enough to give us the (up-to-now) secret recipe for his famous chocolate chip cookies which are served year round but so popular that they are on the menu for tour night as well.  [Sioux Christensen is the new owner]

Many of you are familiar with the purple-trimmed stone foursquare on Fourth Street—The Moondance Inn. Both the exterior of this inn and the name are apropos of what awaits you inside. My impression has always been of eclectic, somewhat avant-garde styling with jewel colors and rich, heavy fabrics such as brocade and velvet, with an almost whimsical touch here and there that denotes the individuality of the owners, Chris Brown-Mahoney and Mike Waulk. Their Christmas decorating is in the same style. Every year they get a live tree to fit into one of the window niches in the front room. It is enormous and this year’s is really the best yet, I think. Their wood-burning fireplace was waiting anxiously for Santa and the stockings were hung by the chimney with care. Chris was running out to her “other job” so Mike showed us around. He dutifully remembered to give us the recipe that Chris left for us—and as she is really a renowned cook, I am anxious to try it.

Home again! Coming in the door, I looked with new eyes at our inn’s decorating. I am often somewhat critical after visiting the beautiful inns in Red Wing, but this time I am quite satisfied. Our house lends itself well to Christmas, both because of the Victorian feel of the furnishings and interior and the colors—predominantly red and green. The Eastlake parlor set is upholstered in red velvet and the carpets throughout the main floor are red. Decorating for Christmas was lavish in Victorian days, so that the fussiness that is typical and feels like “too much” much of the time can be indulged once a year. I have a great system for decorating. On the Friday after Thanksgiving, all our young staff and any brothers, boyfriends, girlfriends, parents, or strays they want to bring in come to decorate. The men bring the boxes down from our attic and the ladies begin to decorate. Me? I am in the kitchen making my famous white pizza as fast as I can to hand out for all the helpers. By three o’clock the deed is done—magnificently—I might add. So, just to be different, I am contributing the pizza recipe!

Elaine Kleffman’s Christmas Poinsettia Almond Cookies

Two and three-fourths cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. soda
1 cup butter
1 slightly beaten egg
1 tsp. almond extract

Combine flour, soda, sugar and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles cornmeal (I do this quickly in the Kitchen Aid with the whisk attachment). Add egg and almond extract. Mix with paddle attachment until smooth.

Measure 1 Tbsp. of dough per cookie. Hand-shape into a round ball. Place round balls of dough on cookie sheet; flatten slightly. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool. Decorate. Makes 3-4 dozen cookies

Decorator Frosting

1 egg white
1 and One-fourth cups confectioner’s sugar
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

Beat egg whites until they hold a soft peak. Add sugar gradually and beat until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add syrup and beat one minute.

Spread a thin layer of frosting on a cookie. Take 5 perfect almond slices and press them on top in a circular flower pattern. Decors may be added in the middle of your “flower” to give it a center. I used yellow sprinkles and small red ball decors to give it a poinsettia-like look. Allow frosting to harden before storing cookies.

Golden Lantern Inn Chocolate Chip Cookies

The trick to this recipe is the technique. If you don’t use a heavy-duty mixer (to cream the butter, sugar and eggs, as directed) and don’t let the cookie dough rest in the refrigerator overnight, these are just regular chocolate chip cookies.

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 cup brown sugar
Three-fourths cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. salt
2 ½ cups flour
1 and one-fourth tsp. baking soda
3 cups chocolate chips (18 oz)

Measure all ingredients. Let butter warm to room temperature. Sift the dry ingredients together a few times.
Beat butter in mixing bowl of a heavy-duty mixer at medium speed until it is lighter and clings to bowl (30-45 seconds). Keeping beater at medium speed, add both sugars in a steady stream. Continue to cream butter and sugars for 4-5 minutes, scraping down bowl twice. Whisk eggs with vanilla in small bowl and add to butter and sugar mixture, keeping beater on medium speed. Be careful to pour in the eggs very slowly. It should take 3-4 minutes to add the eggs. The mixture then appears fluffy, looking like whipped cream cheese. Put beater on slowest speed and add dry ingredients. As soon as the dry ingredients are incorporated, add chocolate chips. Leave beater on lowest speed for a few seconds to mix it all together

Make into golf ball-sized balls and place on cookie sheet right next to each other. Put in fridge overnight or for at least 6 hours, covered. Remove and let warm to room temperature (30 min.) Put cookie balls on clean baking sheet to bake. Flatten a little to resemble a hockey puck, about three-fourths inch high. Make edges go straight up and down. Make a slight depression in center with finger. Bake at 400 degrees, 8-10 minutes. Edges should be golden brown but center 1-inch pale. Let sit at room temperature 5 minutes before taking off baking pan.

Moondance Yummies
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and sugar. Add beaten egg and vanilla. Press into cookie sheet with sides (jelly roll pan). Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Melt 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips. Spread on top of dough. Cut while warm.

Candlelight Inn White Pizza

1 loaf Rhodes brand (no substitutes, except homemade) frozen white bread dough
1 ½ Tbsp. olive oil
1 large garlic clove
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 ounce finely grated Pecorino-Romano cheese (can substitute freshly grated Parmesan)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Thaw bread dough and let partially rise. Roll out on a 12” pizza stone or pizza pan (stone is preferable), making a slightly raised edge. Pour oil on dough, spread evenly with a brush. Press garlic clove through garlic press onto pizza; spread with brush. Spread mozzarella onto pizza evenly, leaving edges bare. Grate Pecorino cheese over all. Put into oven for 15 minutes.

The Pratt Taber Inn was not open in 2006 but is open this year.  We’re looking forward to seeing you on Sunday!

Christmas Baking

I’m delighted that we had such an early Thanksgiving, it gives us an extra week to do the Christmas baking, card writing, and all the other Christmas preparations that I just can’t bring myself to do until after Thanksgiving. Fruitcakes take a lot of ribbing, but I like them and I have a few people on my Christmas list that love them. So now is the time to make them.


Our annual tour of the inns is coming up, too and we all like to bake or serve cookies at this function. Elaine Kleffman of the Round Barn Farm is the undisputed champion of Christmas cookies, making batches and batches of festive and tasty specimens. Alas, I have yet to begin, but as I said, I’m grateful for the extra week.

Other kitchen goodies that make great gifts can be started now as well. Chocolate truffles, for instance will last several weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator (if you hide them behind something else). I like to make several variations such as rum-raisin truffles, and coffee and nut truffles.

If you like to make lemon curd (and I do), you will have egg whites left over. I make angel cakes and chiffon cakes, but came across a new recipe for a French friand that is a small cake to serve for breakfast, afternoon tea or with coffee after dinner. These given along with a jar of lemon curd would make a delightful and different food gift. These keep for 3 days stored airtight at room temperature or freeze well for 2 or 3 months, properly wrapped.

Irish Fruit Cake (Adapted from Darina Allens’ (Irish) “Simply Delicious Christmas” and The Cake Bible and passed along to me by The Moondance Inn.

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
6 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 large apple, grated
½ cup rum
2 cups gold raisins
1 cup currants
1 ½ cup candied cherries
½ cup candied peel or candied pineapple
3 cups pecan halves

Put candied cherries and rind in food processor. Process into small pieces. Put in bowl, add raisins and currants; pour rum over. Cream butter and add sugar; cream. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in flour and allspice. Then fold in rum fruit mixture, nuts and grated apple. When you put in pan, press indentation in center of each cake. Bake in loaf pans at 350 degrees for 30 minutes then lower to 300 until done (20-30 minutes more for cupcake size, up to an hour more for larger pans). Mix 1 Tbsp. corn syrup with ½ cup rum; bring to a boil. Brush over cooled fruitcakes. Set in freezer or refrigerator. Brush again in a few days.

Truffles and Variations (Adapted from “Edible Gifts” by Kay Fairfax)

Note: When making chocolates, always buy the best brand of chocolate available and grate it or break it into small pieces before melting. Chocolate should never come into contact with direct heat or water, so it’s best to use a double boiler. Excess heat or one drop of moisture will cause the chocolate to “seize”—become grainy—burn, or turn bitter and there is no way to retrieve the mess. Chocolate can be melted in the microwave, using the lowest setting and checking every 30-60 seconds.

1 ¼ cups heavy cream
1 lb. bittersweet chocolate, grated
1 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

Pour the cream into a heavy saucepan or the top of a double boiler and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool until lukewarm. Add the grated chocolate and beat with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool, then beat the mixture for a further 5 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and chill for at least 10 minutes or until the mixture is firm enough to shape with your hands. Sift the cocoa into a deep bowl or spread a thick layer on a baking sheet. Make sure your hands are clean and dry, then dust them with cocoa and using about 2 heaped teaspoons of the mixture, quickly shape into a ball and roll in the cocoa. Put in little paper cases and store in airtight containers.

Rum-Raisin Truffles: Add 2 Tbsp. rum and ½-1 cup seedless raisins. Shape the mixture into small balls and roll each in chocolate shot.

Coffee and Nut Truffles: Add 2-3 Tbsp. instant coffee granules to the hot cream; stir until dissolved and proceed as in the main recipe. Sprinkle with finely chopped nuts.

Friands

1 ¾ sticks butter
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar, sifted, plus extra for dusting
1/3 cup flour
1 cup ground almonds
5 egg whites
1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest

Put the butter in a small saucepan and melt over a very low heat. Let cool. Brush mini muffin tins with melted butter. Sift flour and powdered sugar together into large bowl. Stir in the ground almonds. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until light and frothy. Fold them through the dry ingredients. Pour in the remaining melted butter and stir well. Stir in the lemon or orange zest. Put the prepared muffin pans on a cookie sheet and fill each cup ¾ full. Put sheet on middle shelf of preheated oven and bake at 400 for 10 minutes, then turn them onto the sheet and bake for a further 7-10 minutes. They should be golden on top and firm to touch in the center. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Carefully invert each onto a wire rack. When cool, dust generously with sifted powdered sugar, then store in an airtight container.

Healthy AND Inexpensive

I continue in my determination to show my children, my readers and myself that eating healthy is really not expensive. You may have read that my daughter and one of my sons both commented to me lately that it is really difficult to eat a healthy diet without spending a fortune. The son has a family and he made a special reference to feeding children food that they like and that is good for them (including treats and snacks) that won’t break the bank.


I must make one caveat to you as well as I did to them: if you opt to buy only organic foods then you are right; it is very expensive. But I don’t believe that organic food is the only way to go. The latest studies do not uphold the notion that they are always, or even usually, superior in nutrition.

Beans are a universally liked food that is dirt cheap and just packed with healthy properties. They belong to the legume family that includes all types of beans and peas. A 2010 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study found that the fiber found in beans (10-15 grams per cup) contributed to a smaller waistline. In addition, beans pack in protein, boost memory and mental function, lower cancer risk, fight diabetes and heart disease, provide anti-aging antioxidants and help reduce blood pressure. Whew! You can’t get much healthier—or cheaper—than dried beans.

Although the variety of beans is almost endless, the most common and available are: black beans (also known as turtle beans), cranberry beans, garbanzo beans, great northern beans (or their cousin navy beans), kidney beans, lima beans, and pinto beans. These are easily cooked from their dry state and cheaper that way; better as well. Three methods of cooking beans that I use are overnight soaking, then boiling; quick-soaking and boiling; or pressure cooking.

Most people associate making beans from scratch as a long, time-consuming process that you must remember to start the night before. Yes, you can cover picked-over dried beans with cold water in a large pot and leave overnight. Next morning, drain water (helps to relieve the gas-causing sugars) and cover beans with fresh water and simmer until beans are tender (usually 45 to 90 minutes). Do not cook at too high a temperature or beans’ skins will split. Do not add salt or tomatoes or other acidic ingredients until beans are almost completely soft or they will not be tender and they have an increased chance of being hard to digest.

A much faster and just as satisfactory way to cook them is to cover beans with cold water in a large pot; bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes; remove from heat; cover and let sit for 1 hour.

Cooking dry beans in a pressure cooker or pressure pan is even faster. Follow manufacturer’s instructions.

My favorite way to serve beans is in soup. The creamy white beans cooked with ham, or the robust kidney or pinto made into chili—these are standards at our house. But I have been experimenting with some new ways to cook and serve beans, especially ones that would appeal to children and I am happy to say that the following brownie recipe has all the rich chocolate depth and the warm chewy decadence we all love. The chocolate chips act as a frosting, making them even more delightful.

Black Bean Brownies (makes 12)

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed, or ¾ cup dried, cooked, black beans
3 eggs
5 Tbsp canola oil
1 cup sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup flour
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. baking powder
½ cup walnuts (optional)
¼ cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan and set aside. Process beans in food processor until a paste forms. Add eggs, oil, sugar, cocoa, flour, vanilla and baking powder. Process until smooth. Add walnuts and process just until mixed. Spread batter into pan. Top with chocolate chips. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until done.

Don’t forget old-fashioned baked beans. These are so easy to make and so much better than canned (even when doctored up) that you will get raves the next time you take these beans to a function.

Boston Baked Beans

1 pound dry navy beans
1 ½ quarts cold water
2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
¼ cup molasses
¼ pound salt pork
1 medium onion, sliced

Cook beans as above. When tender, drain, reserving liquid. Measure 1 ¾ cups bean liquid, adding water if needed. Combine with salt, sugar, mustard and molasses. Cut salt pork in half; score one half, set aside. Slice the other half. In 2 quart bean pot, casserole or slow cooker, alternate layers of beans, onion, sliced salt pork and sugar mixture. Repeat. Top with scored salt pork. Cover; bake at 300 (in oven) or high in slow cooker for 5-7 hours. Add more liquid if needed.

Today is Black Friday

Today is known as Black Friday—I’m not sure why—but it is supposed to be the busiest shopping day of the year, putting retailers into the black (or something like that). With the economy topsy-turvy it may not still hold true, but it seems like a good time to write about the Grub Club’s dinner a few years ago.  The theme was “black.”


If you’re new to this column or haven’t read about the Grub Club before, my husband and I belong to a dinner club we’ve affectionately termed the Grub Club. Four couples take turns hosting the quarterly gatherings; the hosts choose the theme (it can be almost anything—ethnic, special days, or—as were several of our last themes—color), and each couple brings a course based on the theme.

Black was an interesting color to choose. It doesn’t seem like an appealing food color. But, oddly enough, there are many black foods that are delicious and appetizing, too. The creative genius of the various members of our club was really on display at our black dinner. Here’s the menu:

Appetizers: ribs with a blackberry glaze, sweet potato chips, caviar and a cream cheese mixture on black bread.

First course: black bean soup and black bread

Main course: Blackened pork tenderloin and squid-inked pasta

For dessert we dined on black cherry chocolate truffles, black coffee and Black Russians.

It was all delicious and it seemed doubly appropriate since we were celebrating the election of our first black president.

The course assigned to me and Zig was appetizers. I found a wonderful recipe for ribs with a blackberry glaze, but I am notoriously poor at barbequing and they really needed to be made on the grill. This isn’t Zig’s forte either, so I called my oldest son in Madison who is really a gifted griller. He has a smoker and dabbles in many delicious dishes—among them pulled pork and ribs. As expected, he didn’t hesitate to give me specific instructions which I followed to the letter. They turned out perfect and, incidentally, gave me much-needed confidence to try to do more grilling next summer.

It may seem like the wrong season for the following recipe, but there are many days that won’t be too-too cold and besides, these are worth a little frostbite. Get your Weber going and try these ribs.

Blackberry-Glazed Baby Back Ribs (basic recipe is an adaptation from Bruce Aidells’s Complete Book of Pork)

Back Rib Rub

½ tsp. dried sage
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 tsp. light brown sugar
½ tsp. cayenne pepper

3 slabs baby back ribs (about 1 ½ pounds each)

Blackberry Glaze

1 ½ cups homemade or canned chicken broth
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
½ cup crème de cassis or grape juice
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
¼ cup seedless blackberry jam
2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
2 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsp. water
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Needed for preparing:

Apple juice
Hickory wood chips, soaked in water

Combine the rub ingredients in a bowl. Massage the rub into the ribs and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours or refrigerate overnight (or up to 30 hours) wrapped in plastic wrap. Put the prepared ribs on a rack in a shallow jelly-roll baking pan. Pour in apple juice to come up half the sides of the pan. Cover with foil and bake at 225 degrees for 2 hours or until cooked and tender, but not falling off bone. Meanwhile, start coals that have been piled on one half of the grill only. When coals are ready, spread a little, keeping them on one side of the grill. Place soaked hickory chips on top of charcoal. Place ribs on the other side of the grill (without the coals) and close cover. Grill for ½ hour. Brush ribs with glaze and continue to grill on coal side for 10 minutes more or until ribs are glazed and dark brown, turning occasionally.

Chocolate Black-Cherry Truffle tartlets (makes 8 individual tartlets)

Filling

1 cup black cherry preserves (about one 12-ounce jar)
2 Tbsp. apple juice
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. Butter
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate pieces
1 ¼ pounds fresh or frozen black cherries

Crust

1¼ cups flour
1/3 cup powdered sugar
½ tsp. salt
1¼ sticks chilled butter, cut into pieces
2 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp. cold water

For crust:

Mix flour, powdered sugar and salt in processor. Add butter pieces and process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix egg yolks and water in small bowl. Add to flour mixture and process until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour. Roll out on floured surface. Cut circles 1 inch larger in diameter than individual tart pans. Preheat oven to 350. Press dough circles into tart pans firmly. Freeze crust 15 minutes. Line crust with foil. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until set, about 8-11 minutes. Watch carefully. Transfer pans to rack and cool the crust.

Filling:

Combine preserves and apple juice in heavy saucepan. Stir over low heat until preserves melt. Strain, pressing firmly to extract liquid. Discard solids. Combine cream, butter and ¼ cup preserve mixture in saucepan. Stir over low heat until butter melts. Add chocolate and stir until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes. Spread chocolate mixture evenly into crust. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Arrange cherries over chocolate, pressing lightly to adhere. Rewarm remaining preserve mixture over low heat. Brush generously over cherries. Chill until chocolate sets, about 1 hour.

More Leftover Ideas

You push yourself away from the Thanksgiving Day table vowing you’ll never eat again. Later, after the last of the dishes are done, the packets for people to take home are fixed, a walk through the neighborhood or a nap in front of the football game is over, you stroll into the kitchen to see what’s left for just a nibble. Of course, you enjoy a great sandwich or just a plate of leftovers and the last sliver of pumpkin pie.


We almost went out for Thanksgiving dinner this year. It was only the two of us—our children and other family members are so far away—and we had guests in the inn for the whole weekend. I thought it would be nice to have no messy kitchen and no leftovers to dispose of—wait a minute—no leftovers? I couldn’t imagine not having leftovers—I think I like them better than the original dinner. So I made a beautiful turkey dinner with all the trimmings and scoured around to find some ideas beyond the turkey sandwich.

This salad is so delicious and fresh and healthy it would make a great day-after-Thanksgiving main dish.

Turkey-Pear Salad (approximately 6 servings)

10-oz mixed salad greens
4 cups cubed cooked turkey
2 medium pears, sliced
1 avocado, cubed
½ cup pomegranate seeds
½ cup diced or sliced red onion

Dressing:

6 Tbsp cider vinegar
¼ cup canola oil
3 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. yellow mustard
½ tsp. salt
Pepper

Toppings:

½ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup honey-roasted sliced almonds

Whisk dressing ingredients together. Toss greens and all ingredients except toppings in large salad bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad. Sprinkle with toppings. Serve.

Mashed potatoes are one of the hardest leftovers to re-use. Something happens to cooked potatoes if they are not eaten in the first day or two—they take on a strange taste and odor even when they are still wholesome. Here is a great way to use them up.

Shepherd’s Pie (Taste of Home)

1 ½ lbs ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup water
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
3 cups leftover mashed potatoes, warmed

In large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Stir in water and taco seasoning; heat through. Stir in 1 cup cheese. Combine potatoes and remaining cheese; spread over beef. Broil 4-6 inches from the heat for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown.

If you love Mexican food, this next dish will speak to you:

Turkey Enchiladas

2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 28-oz can enchilada sauce (I like mild)
5 small Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
1 ½ tsp. finely chopped canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups shredded cooked turkey
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
¾ cup sour cream
12 6-inch flour tortillas

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 cup onions and fry until tender, about 5 minutes. Add enchilada sauce, tomatoes and chipotles. Cover; simmer 20 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat. Stir in ½ cup cilantro. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Mix turkey, 1 ½ cups cheese, sour cream, ¼ cup onions and ½ cup cilantro in bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat tortillas in microwave oven with a few drops of water (wrap in plastic wrap) until soft and pliable. Spread ½ cup sauce in 9x13 pan. Spoon ¼ cup turkey mixture in center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas. Arrange seam side down in dish. Spoon 2 ½ cups sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with ½ cup cheese. Bake about 30 minutes. Rewarm remaining sauce. Transfer to sauceboat. Serve, passing sauce.

Everyone in our family likes a different kind of cranberries. Zig likes the canned, jellied sauce and others like the homemade whole-berry type. I always have these at Thanksgiving, but I also make my favorite cranberry relish. It makes a lot; it’s delicious in all kinds of molded salads, sandwich spreads and just plain from the refrigerator. It lasts a long time. My friend from the early-morning group at the Y asked me how to make something good from cranberries—here’s my offering:

Cranberry-Orange Relish

Put into food processor, 4 cups of fresh cranberries (may be frozen), and 1 large orange (peel and pulp—the whole thing!) Process until coarsely chopped. Stir in 2 cups sugar. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

Tomorrow's Leftovers

New ideas for all that leftover Thanksgiving food are always welcome. I mentioned last week that we were going to be three, possibly four at dinner for Thanksgiving; yet I roasted a 25 pound turkey just so I could test all of the great leftover recipes I found in my files and library. Of course I haven’t had time to do that yet, so I cut up the turkey into usable portions that will lend themselves to this use.


First, I took several prime slabs of breast meat and sliced them thin with a very sharp serrated knife for sandwiches. A turkey sandwich made with thin-sliced white turkey (fresh roasted of course), mayo, slices of either jellied cranberry sauce (Zig’s preference) or orange-cranberry relish (my preference), and a bit of leftover stuffing is a once-a-year delight. I do freeze some of these slices for less wonderful sandwiches, but good nonetheless. Then I cube half the rest of the white meat for some fairly fancy casseroles and salads. Slice dark meat off the legs and thighs in much the same fashion for those who prefer it. Shred or cube, whichever you prefer, all the rest of the easily sliceable meat. Pull off the less accessible meat from the carcass; and freeze the carcass in a large plastic freezer bag if you are not in the mood for making turkey soup immediately. Put the various cuts into separate freezer bags, label and date them and put into freezer, leaving out whatever you may want to use in the next 3 or 4 days.

Okay, so much for the turkey. What about the mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and rolls?

Mashed potatoes make a perfect topping for a turkey shepherd’s pie. If that’s too ordinary for you, make a halibut pot pie with mashed potato crust.

This would work with salmon or other fatty fish.

Halibut Pot Pie with Mashed Potato Crust

2 Tbsp. butter
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, thinly sliced crosswise (about 3 cups)
½ cup sliced shallots (about 2 medium)
2 Tbsp flour
1-1/2 cups vegetable broth
1-½ pounds halibut fillets, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 6-oz. package baby spinach
3-1/2 cups warm mashed potatoes (rewarm in microwave, adding warm milk as needed if they are too thick)

Preheat broiler. Melt butter in heavy large pan over medium heat. Add fennel and shallots. Cover; cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with flour, salt and pepper. Sauté 2 minutes. Add broth; bring to boil, stirring often. Add fish and spinach. Cover; simmer over medium heat until fish is almost cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer fish mixture to 11x7x2” baking dish. Spoon mashed potatoes over, covering completely. Broil until filling bubbles at edges and potatoes are brown in spots, about 4 minutes. Serve. (Makes 4 servings) Adapted from Bon Appetit Nov. 2006

Our turkey stuffing is made with wild rice and bread plus celery, onions, turkey broth and butter. If you have any left over (we usually don’t), besides reheating and serving with turkey and gravy, try making this delicious soup:

2 cups cubed cooked turkey breast
2 cups wild rice stuffing (leftover) or regular bread stuffing plus ½ cup cooked wild rice
4 cups turkey broth (can substitute canned chicken broth)
1 cup frozen peas or leftover peas
1 cup half and half
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Pour broth into large saucepan. Add turkey, stuffing and half and half. Stir until smooth.

Taste for seasoning. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down to simmer. Add cheese and peas. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until cheese melts. Thin with a little more broth if mixture is too thick. Do not overcook.

Finally, here’s a new face for the leftover sweet potatoes. Let’s face it; you probably don’t have any pumpkin pie left over, right? But sweet potatoes might not be quite as popular. If you have plain or buttered and sweetened sweet potatoes, puree them in a food processor and use like pumpkin puree for another pie. The sweet potato-apple casserole that was in last week’s column is a perfect puree for a wonderful pie.

Piecrust for 1-crust 9-inch pie

4 large eggs
¼ cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
One-fourth tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup half and half
1 ½ cups pureed sweet potatoes
½ cup chopped, toasted pecans

Line 9-inch pie pan with rolled-out crust. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine eggs, sugar, half and half, sweet potato puree, spices and pecans; stir to blend or process in food processor or blender until thoroughly blended. Pour mixture into piecrust. Bake at 400 degrees on lower oven rack for 1 hour and 5 minutes. Test for doneness. Shield pie lightly with foil after 30 minutes, if necessary. Let cool completely before slicing.

If you have a special recipe that uses Thanksgiving leftovers in an innovative way, e-mail it to lgudrais@charter.net. I promise to try them out and publish the best. Now, on to Christmas!

Timing Is Everything

Timing is everything.

About five years ago, I was in Minneapolis to help my parents when my mom was ill. I had hired a woman to help out at the inn so that I could be away from our bed and breakfast. My husband (Zig) was working nights and had never really cooked our breakfasts at the inn—although he is a capable cook.

Everyone at my parents’ house went to bed early and so Zig didn’t want to disturb us when he got a call at 11:00 at night from the woman hired to help, saying an emergency had come up and she couldn’t come in the morning. So he made the decision that he would make the breakfast himself. After all, he had watched me many times and also helped with the serving.

All of our guests were very sympathetic to his plight and told him they didn’t mind at all spending 2 hours having breakfast served one item at a time. He managed to fix all the dishes tastily enough, but he just couldn’t get them done at the same time. This is a common problem among beginning cooks. I was eleven when I cooked my first family dinner—everyone thought it was delicious when we dined at 11:00 pm.

Another related problem is when, for whatever reason, the meal which you have carefully and lovingly prepared is going to be delayed. Some foods can be successfully held or reheated, but can they all? One of our readers asked me to touch on how to hold food for a time.

And there’s advance meal preparation for say, Thanksgiving dinner, when you have so many dishes to prepare you’d like to cook well in advance whatever possible. Here are a few timely tips on these questions.

Bringing it all together at the right moment requires some advanced planning. I always make a schedule—even for the breakfasts at our inn which I have been cooking for over nine years. A pen and paper are the best tools for this job. If you aren’t an experienced cook, it is especially important to plan out the time for every meal until you feel confident about getting it all done at the same time. I suggest you include a prep time (estimate high), a cooking time and a standing time. If it’s a dish that needs to marinate or which has to rise, etc., be sure to include that in your schedule.

Delayed meals are a frustration but many foods can be reheated or kept warm without harm. In reheating, it’s the oxidation of fat that gives leftovers that warmed-over taste. Don’t reheat food in aluminum or add salt early in the preparation. Liquids like sauces and gravies should cook gently for 1 or 2 minutes after reaching a simmer. But don’t recook the food. Meat and poultry are difficult to reheat. If you must, warm a liquid such as meat juices gravy or sauce slightly. Then slide in the meat and heat gently. Warm chilled meat to room temperature and then place thin slices on warmed plates and cover with very hot gravy or meat sauce. You can reheat a room-temperature casserole for about 30 minutes in a 325 deg. oven.

To reheat a cold baked potato, dip it in cold water and bake for 10 minutes at 350. To reheat deep-fried foods, place them, not touching each other, on racks, uncovered, in a 250 degree oven until heated through.

Here’s a recipe for make-ahead mashed potatoes for a crowd—serves 12—a great Thanksgiving dish.

5 lbs potatoes, cooked and drained
1 8-oz cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter
½ cup half and half, added as needed
1 tsp. seasoned salt such as Lawry’s
1 tsp. onion salt
Pepper to taste
¼ tsp. baking powder

Mash cooked potatoes coarsely. Put into bowl of mixer and add butter, cream cheese, salts, pepper and half and half. Mix until smooth. Add more half and half if potatoes seem too stiff and dry. Put into large casserole. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. Before baking, add baking powder and stir in well. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Watch if top starts to brown too fast and cover with foil.

Fresh green vegetables are probably one of the most fragile foods to hold over since they grow mushy and gray as they sit. Blanching and refreshing are the professional secrets to beautiful, perfectly cooked vegetables. Begin by filling a large saucepan with water and bringing it to a rolling boil. Gradually add the cleaned vegetable. If you have lots of water, it will quickly return to the boil. This is important because the more quickly the water returns to the boiling point, the greener the vegetable will be. As an average, count 8 to 12 minutes for a whole vegetable and only 3 to 4 minutes for a sliced or diced vegetable. To test, take a piece out and taste it. If the vegetables are to be served without delay then drain, butter and serve. If they are to be eaten later, then they must be refreshed; to refresh blanched vegetables, drain the water and toss them into a bowl of ice-cold water. This stops the cooking, sets the color and preserves both the texture and the flavor. Place an absorbent cloth in a dish. Skim vegetables out of the cold water and place them in the cloth-lined dish. Refrigerate until ready to serve. To reheat, place the vegetables in a saucepan and pour enough boiling water over them to cover. Boil for ½ minute; drain and serve.

Thanksgiving Fixings - Tried and True With Some New Twists

Almost everyone sticks to tradition on Thanksgiving; either your family members bring their tried-and-true, or you make yours—or both. The basic deal goes something like this: turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, green vegetable, fruit salad, rolls, relishes and pumpkin pie. I have a friend whose family decided this year they all wanted ham—but that is the exception.


Well, I would never suggest that we stray from this basic meal—we need traditions—and besides, it’s good. I look forward every year to the taste of the wild rice dressing and the pumpkin pie. But if you’re up for a little change, why not do some new twists on the old menu?

Start the festivities with a punch that packs a…ah…er…punch and a lightened up and delicious cheese ball.

Cranberry-orange Punch (adapted from Martha Stewart Living, Dec. 2008)

Serves 12

6 ½ cups water
2 bags (12 ounces each) fresh cranberries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 liter champagne
1 1/3 cups vodka, chilled
2 pints orange sherbet, softened slightly

Bring water and cranberries to a boil in a large pot. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain into a large punch bowl, pressing gently on solids. Discard solids. Add granulated sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Right before serving, add champagne and vodka to bowl. Top with scoops of sherbet.

For a non-alcoholic version, substitute sparkling apple cider for the champagne and club soda for the vodka.

Revamped Cheese Ball

1 pound cream cheese
8-oz. pkg. goat cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup chopped, toasted pecans
Fresh herbs such as parsley, oregano, basil, thyme and/or chives

Hearty rye bread, sliced thin

Bring all cheeses to room temperature. Blend with electric mixer until soft and fluffy. Add mustard, garlic, and pecans. Form into a ball and roll in the chopped fresh herbs. Serve with thin slices of rye bread or crackers of your choice

This is a delicious new twist on sweet potatoes, guaranteed to please even those who swear they don’t like them.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with White Cheddar (Better Homes and Gardens, Nov. 2008)

3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 7 medium)
¼ cup butter
1 tsp. kosher salt
3 oz. aged white cheddar cheese, shredded
¼ cup bourbon or orange juice
¼ cup whipping cream
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large red onion, cut in thin wedges
2 medium red apples, cored and cut in wedges
2 tsp. snipped fresh thyme
¼ tsp. ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Scrub potatoes and prick with fork; place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 40 minutes or until tender. Reduce oven temperature to 325. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, scrape pulp from skin. Transfer to bowl. Mash with 2 Tbsp. of the butter and ¾ tsp. of the salt. Stir in cheese, bourbon, cream, and 2 Tbsp. of the brown sugar. Transfer to buttered 1 ½ quart casserole. Cover; bake 30 minutes or until heated through. Meanwhile, in microwave-safe 2-quart casserole, combine remaining butter, brown sugar and salt. Add onion. Microwave on high 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is crisp. Add apples. Cover and microwave 2 minutes more or until apples are tender. Stir in thyme and pepper. Serve with sweet potatoes. Serves 8.

Did you know that in the last ten years, Brussels sprouts have become one of the most popular green vegetables? This may be due to the updated directions on cooking them—so that they don’t become gray, soggy and stinky little cabbages. This next recipe, also from the November edition of BH & G, is delicious.

Creamy Brussels Sprouts

4 slices peppered bacon
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved through stem end
¾ cup chicken broth
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
¾ cup whipping cream
Cracked black pepper

Cook bacon over medium heat until browned and crisp. Drain, reserving 2 Tbsp. drippings in skillet. Add Brussels sprouts to drippings; cook and stir for 4 minutes. Add broth, salt and pepper. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Uncover; cook 2-4 minutes or until liquid is nearly evaporated. Add cream. Cook 4 minutes more or until thickened. Transfer sprouts to serving dish. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and cracked pepper. Serves 8.

Here’s a new and really light and refreshing ending to an elegant Thanksgiving dinner.

Frozen Pumpkin Mousse Pie

Graham-cracker, ginger crust

12 graham cracker boards
6 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
½ tsp. ground ginger

Heat oven to 325. Crush graham crackers in food processor. Add butter, sugar and ginger while processor is running. When moist, press into bottom and up side of a 9-inch round springform pan.

Pumpkin Mousse

4 egg yolks
¼ tsp. salt
1 ½ cups sugar
1 can (1-pound) pumpkin
1 Tbsp. finely cut crystallized ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ cup cognac or bourbon
2 cups heavy cream

Beat egg yolks and salt until thick. Dissolve sugar in ½ cup water in saucepan, bring to boil and boil rapidly until syrup spins a thread—about 230 on candy thermometer. Rapidly beat syrup into egg-yolk mixture and continue beating until it begins to cool. This is best done in an electric mixer at high speed. When slightly cooled, combine with pumpkin, ginger, other spices and cognac. Taste for spice. Whip cream and fold into mixture. Pour into baked and cooled crust. Cover and freeze for 6-8 hours. Release springform sides and decorate with whipped cream and ginger.

Thanksgiving Pies

It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie, right? I’ve tried several different versions and found they’re all good—and good for you. While on vacation in the South, however, it seems people have sweet potato pie more often than pumpkin.


Pumpkins, sweet potatoes (also called yams) and winter squash are very similar vegetables. They contain a lot of vitamin A (beta carotene) which is known to help prevent certain cancers, especially of the lung; they are loaded with antioxidants and fiber and—the bonus—they are low in fat and calories. Oh yes, they are versatile and yummy. You can make savory side dishes, desserts, soups, baked goods, appetizers—the list goes on. In spite of knowing all this, I have only made pie with pumpkin, so I decided this year we would give sweet potato pie a try and feature both for the pie(s)-of-the-month.

Paula Deen, the queen of southern cooking, seemed like a logical resource. If you’ve ever watched her show on the Food Network, you already know she makes sinfully rich and delicious foods. Thanksgiving, the feast of feasts, seems the perfect time to try her version of Sweet Potato pie. It was everything I imagined and more—rich, creamy, smooth and delicious. Even so, the calorie total for one tenth of a 9-inch deep dish pie was 355 calories, high but not over the top.

Paula Deen’s Sweet Potato Pie

2 cups mashed fresh or canned sweet potatoes (see note below)
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
¼ cup half-and-half
4 Tbsp. butter (1/2 stick), melted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 9-inch Deep-Dish Pie Shell (see note below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat sweet potatoes and cream cheese with mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add sugar and half-and-half; beat 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves, scraping sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Add butter, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon, and beat until blended. Pour mixture into pie shell. Bake 1 hour or until filling is puffed and set around edge but center jiggles slightly. Cool completely on wire rack.

Note 1. For mashed fresh sweet potatoes, pierce 2 pounds sweet potatoes with tip of knife. Place in microwave-safe bowl and cover with vented plastic wrap. Microwave on High 11 to 15 minutes or until very tender, turning potatoes once halfway through cooking. Drain. When cool enough to handle, peel. In large bowl, with mixer on medium-high speed, beat potatoes until smooth. Measure 2 cups potatoes for pie; reserve remaining for another use.

Note 2. 9-Inch Deep-Dish Pie Shell

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
5 Tbsp. cold butter, cut up
¼ cup trans-fat free vegetable shortening
4 to 5 Tbsp. ice water

Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. With a pastry blender (or 2 knives used scissors-fashion), cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water, mixing lightly with fork after each addition until dough is just moist enough to hold together. Shape dough into disk; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight. (If chilled overnight, let dough stand 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling.) On lightly floured surface, roll dough into 14-inch round. Ease dough round into 9 ½ inch deep-dish glass or ceramic pie plate. Gently press dough against bottom and up side of plate without stretching. Trim dough edge, leaving 1-in. overhang. Fold overhang under; pinch to form decorative edge. Freeze pie shell at least 15 minutes or up to 1 month before filling.

If you want to try a new pumpkin pie, here is one that grabbed my attention. This pie combines the soft, smooth filling of pumpkin with the nutty, slightly salty topping of nuts, reminiscent of a pecan pie.

Pumpkin-Pecan Pie

1/2 cup pecan pieces
¼ cup (packed) brown sugar
Pinch of salt

Combine ingredients in food processor for topping. Using on/off turns, blend to fine crumbs. Set aside.

Pastry for 1-crust 9-inch pie

Line 9-inch pie plate with crust. Fold edges under and flute. Freeze crust 15 minutes.

Bake empty crust (use weights or dried beans) for 20 minutes at 350 degrees; remove weights or beans and bake for about 15 minutes more or until brown around edges. Cool.

1 cup (packed) brown sugar
2 large eggs
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground cloves
1 cup canned, pureed pumpkin
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Whisk brown sugar, eggs, salt, and spices. Add pumpkin and cream and whisk until smooth. Pour filling into crust. Cover crust with foil on edges and place on large baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes; remove from oven. Sprinkle topping evenly over top of pie. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees; continue to bake until set and slightly puffed in center, about 15 minutes longer. Cool. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

Thanksgiving

"Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves;
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves;
Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,
Fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze;
By and by the harvest and the labor ended,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves."

Although our ancestral Pilgrims observed our initial Thanksgiving holiday, they were not a people taken to celebrations. They would probably have been dismayed to know that harvest festivals are as old as man who tilled the soil and gave homage to the heavenly being who permitted him such good fortune. They were thankful, however for their first year’s survival in this new land where they came to worship their God as they pleased.

Washington declared Thursday, the 26th of November, 1789, to be “devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the Beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; and that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks…” but a national day of Thanksgiving was not adopted until 1863 when President Lincoln issued his Thanksgiving Proclamation, making the last Thursday of November a national holiday.

Today, Thanksgiving is many people’s favorite holiday, eclipsing even Christmas because of its inclusiveness and simplicity. Essentially, we gather with our loved ones and eat wonderful food and give thanks to our God for the blessings of our lives. What could be better than that?

But the food? Everyone has his/her own traditional dishes that simply must not be absent for the holiday to be complete. When children grow up and marry, one of the first potential quarrels in the new family may center on what delights are to be at the Thanksgiving feast. Compromise is not welcome in this clash; a better way may be to do it one family’s way one year and the other the next. At any rate, this holds for the main foods such as the turkey, cranberries, potatoes, vegetables, salads, rolls and dessert. But that does leave appetizers and additional sides that can be slipped in when no one’s looking. They may even be so popular that they become everyone’s tradition.

Or, you could do what my Grandmother Dean always did: make two of everything: turkey and duck, wild rice stuffing and oyster stuffing, sweet potatoes and squash, green beans and Brussels sprouts, jellied and whole cranberry sauce and even cranberry-orange relish. Of course she baked whole wheat and white rolls, Waldorf salad and green salad and, finally, pumpkin and pecan pies. I guess I got this cooking bug legitimately.

Even though I am pretty sure it would never have occurred to her, I don’t think Grandma would have been averse to these Pumpkin biscuits and Apple-Cranberry Charlottes.

Pumpkin Biscuits

½ cup warm water (105 to 115)
1 ½ envelopes dry yeast (4 tsp)
Pinch of sugar
6 ¾ cups all purpose flour
1 cup milk (scalded and cooled)
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup (1 stick) melted butter
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp. each ground cinnamon, allspice and cloves

Generously grease large mixing bowl. Lightly spray baking sheet. Combine water, yeast and sugar in another large bowl and let stand until foamy and proofed, about 15 minutes. Stir in flour, cooled milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, butter, ginger, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and cloves. Mix until soft dough forms. Transfer to floured work surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes (or use dough hook of electric mixer and mix 8 to 10 minutes). Place dough in greased bowl, turning to coat entire surface. Cover and let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 2 ½ hours. Turn dough out onto floured work surface and roll to thickness of about 1 inch. Dip 2-inch biscuit cutter into flour and cut out biscuits. Arrange close together on prepared baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about 45 to 60 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. Bake until biscuits sound hollow when tapped on bottoms, about 25 minutes.

Apple-Cranberry Charlotte

12 slices firm white bread, crusts trimmed and cut in 1” slices
3/4 cup butter, melted
4 cups whole cranberries, washed and chopped
1 cup water
1-1/3 cups sugar
4 Tbsp flour
¼ tsp of salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 tbsp. butter
8 Tbsp butter
4 large tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
4 Tbsp. rum
4 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Dip bread slices in butter. Arrange in dish along sides and covering bottom. Combine cranberries and water in large saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Mix sugar, flour and salt in small bowl. Gradually blend sugar mixture into cranberries, stirring constantly. Cook over low heat until thickened. Stir in walnuts and butter. Set aside. Melt remaining butter in large skillet over high heat. Add apples, rum and lemon juice and saute until apples are golden and liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. Arrange some of apples in bottom of dish. Spoon cranberry mixture evenly over apples. Top with remaining apples. Cover dish with foil and set on baking sheet. Bake 1 hour. Let cool. Invert onto serving plate. Garnish with whipped cream.

More Thoughts on Thanksgiving

Almost everyone agrees that the traditional Thanksgiving meal includes turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberries, sweet potatoes, green beans and pumpkin pie. For most it would be unthinkable to change the turkey or the pumpkin pie, but the sides are less untouchable.


Our American Thanksgiving table, best illustrated by Norman Rockwell, conjures up the memories of a groaning board—the more dishes and sides, the better. I remember Grandma’s rendition of the festive dinner: two meats—turkey and goose or duck with their stuffing, perhaps a ham, three or four vegetables, two types of rolls, myriad pickles, olives, “relishes”, sweet potatoes two ways (the gooey, marshmallow-topped version and plain, mashed sweet potatoes with a large square of butter in the center—oozing as it melted—and topped with a sprinkle of nutmeg) several pies: pumpkin, pecan, mincemeat and apple.

I think many of us have cut back on this delicious excess; but, after all, it is Thanksgiving so a few extras are in order. I really like to try new recipes for sides. That way, the traditionalists have all of their favorites but I can try a new recipe or two. Some of our “regulars” were once experiments.

Brussels sprouts have become very popular in recent years. I can remember when they were second only to spinach as the “yucky” vegetable. I’m not sure if it has to do with people learning to cook them better (not boiled until they are gray and cabbage-y) or if it is due to availability of a better product. Here is one of my favorite ways to fix them:

Brussels sprouts with Hazelnuts and Thyme

1 cup toasted hazelnuts
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 pounds fresh Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed (can use frozen Brussels sprouts)
1 ½ sticks butter
2 ½ Tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 2 tsp. dried
Salt and pepper

To toast hazelnuts: Place nuts on a cookie sheet with sides and toast at 325 degrees until brown, about 15 minutes. Wrap warm nuts in a dish towel and rub together to loosen skins. Unwrap and cool. Finely chop.

Bring large pot of water to boil. Add salt and oil. Add Brussels sprouts and boil uncovered until bright green and crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Transfer to bowl of cold water. Drain thoroughly and cool. Melt butter in large skillet over high heat until golden. Add Brussels sprouts and thyme and stir until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Add hazelnuts and toss gently. Serve at once. (Serves 12).

I am a great fan of sweet potatoes, but it seems that not everyone is. The newest information on the nutritional value of sweet potatoes makes them an especially good choice for Thanksgiving. Several of my guests—mainly children— really will not try them, even with the ubiquitous marshmallow topping. When I came up with these wonderful rolls, no one even knew they were made with sweet potatoes and they have become a big hit, either at Thanksgiving dinner or the next morning with the breakfast variation.

1 Tbsp. plus ¾ tsp dry yeast
¼ cup warm water
1 cup sweet potato puree
1/3 cup dry milk solids
1 cup warm water
2/3 cup sugar
2 ½ Tbsp. canola oil
2 tsp. salt
5 ½ cups (about) all purpose flour
4 Tbsp. butter, melted

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in custard cup; stir to dissolve. Mix sweet potatoes, dry milk dissolved in 1 cup warm water, sugar, oil and salt in heavy-duty mixer fitted with dough hook. Blend in yeast mixture. Gradually beat in enough flour 1 cup at a time to form stiff dough. (Dough can be mixed by hand.) Continue beating until dough forms ball. Lightly oil large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat. Cover bowl with kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm area until doubled, about 1 ½ hours. Lightly grease 2 large cookie sheets or 2 10-inch round baking pans. Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 36 pieces. Let rest under towel for 10 minutes. Roll each dough piece into smooth ball. Place 1 ball in center of each prepared pan. Place 17 balls in concentric circles with sides just touching. Cover with towels and let rise in warm place until doubled, 45 minutes. Brush rolls lightly with 2 Tbsp. butter. Bake until rolls are golden brown in 350 degree oven, about 20-25 minutes. Brush with remaining melted butter. Serve warm.

Breakfast variation: Do not brush rolls with butter after they are baked. Let cool slightly and frost with maple frosting made with 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp. melted and cooled butter, 1 tsp. maple syrup and ¼ tsp. maple extract. Mix until of spreading consistency, adding drops of hot water if necessary. Spread on warm rolls.

Looking Forward to Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving and I am not alone. When polled, over half of the people named Thanksgiving as their favorite holiday. Why is this so? Well, of course, there’s the food and food is of central interest on Thanksgiving. The gathering is great, too, since people get together to enjoy food, the day and the unique pleasures of being American such as football games and full stomachs.


But I think the main underlying reason is that it is the quintessential American holiday. No matter what our ancestry or ethnic background, our religion or lack thereof, we all seem to identify with the concept that brought our forefathers here from somewhere else and we share in the thankfulness for being Americans. Thanksgiving is American Pride Day.

One year, for a host of reasons, our gathering was very small: my husband, a Latvian, his mother, also Latvian, and me—a card-carrying member of the DAR. What was on our menu? Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, cranberries, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie, of course—same as yours. Food always has a way of being so much more than nourishment for our bodies—it symbolizes our shared humanity and sometimes our shared culture. All of the immigrants, children of immigrants, and native Americans will share in this menu—the tribute to the brave people who dared to leave security and strike out to a new place in order to experience freedom.

At that first Thanksgiving, the fare was more meager than we sometimes like to think. The Pilgrims were only marginally successful with their first year’s crops and half of their population had been lost over the prior winter. Massasoit, chief of the Wampanoag tribe was invited to attend and when he showed up with a large assortment of other tribesmen, the Pilgrims must have been more than a little worried. But as Providence would have it, these Indian people saved the day. They began by going hunting and showing the Pilgrim men tried and true methods for bringing back the five deer--along with game birds and eel--which are listed along with leeks, wild mushrooms, groundnuts, dried berries, wild plums, watercress and other “sallet” greens as the foods eaten during the three day meal. Corn bread and succotash were on the menu too. Perhaps it wasn’t until later that pumpkin and turkey and cranberries became staples on the Thanksgiving menu.

Never mind. Those foods were native to the new world and surely showed up soon afterward and our Thanksgiving menu pays homage to the ingredients available during the earlier periods of New England’s history. So here’s our traditional menu with a couple of recipes that I especially like—but do your own traditional take on this. If you want to be innovative and also historically accurate, include a small venison roast alongside your turkey.

Thanksgiving Day Menu

Roast Turkey with Giblet Gravy
Wild rice Dressing
Cranberry-Orange Relish
Jellied Cranberries
Sweet Potato-Apple Casserole
Green “Sallet” with mushrooms, Leeks and Watercress
Buttered Brussels sprouts with Chestnuts
Parmesan Rolls
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie

Sweet Potato-Apple Casserole (8 servings)

2 medium Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled, and halved to fit feed tube of food processor
2 16-oz cans sweet potatoes, drained (or peel and boil fresh sweet potatoes to equal about 3 cups)
1 stick butter, melted
½ cup dark corn syrup
One-third cup plus 2 Tbsp. firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. dry sherry
½ tsp. cinnamon
One-eighth tsp. salt

Butter a casserole. Preheat oven to 350 deg. Slice apples in food processor with steel knife. Remove. Combine sweet potatoes, butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, sherry, cinnamon and salt in work bowl and process until well blended and pureed. Spread ½ mixture in casserole; arrange ½ apple slices over, overlapping evenly. Repeat layers. Brush top of apple slices with 2 Tbsp. melted butter. Bake 30 minutes.

Green “Sallet” with Mushrooms, Leeks and Watercress (8 servings)

6 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large leek (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
1 medium carrot, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
½ tsp. dried crushed red pepper
1 pound mushrooms (wild and/or button), thickly sliced
One-fourth cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp. dried marjoram
6 cups mixed baby lettuces
1 large watercress bunch, trimmed

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in heavy skillet over high heat. Add leek and carrot and sauté 1 minute; add crushed red pepper and sauté 1 minute. Add mushrooms, vinegar and marjoram. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove skillet from heat. Add remaining 4 Tbsp. oil; season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer mushroom mixture to small bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Combine lettuces and water cress in large shallow bowl. Drain marinade from mushroom mixture into small bowl. Toss greens with enough marinade to season to taste. Arrange mushrooms in center of greens. Serve, passing any remaining marinade separately as dressing.

(Adapted from Bon Appetit November 1993)

If you’re looking for a different or an additional dessert to add to your dinner besides the usual pies, I have one that is absolutely delicious. Last Saturday I was fortunate enough to judge (along with Marie Mikel of Oar D’oeuvres and Scott Atkison) a cooking contest held at The Galley Room downtown. The 9 contestants were given a jar of Robert Rothschild Pumpkin Curd and Tart Filling and asked to come up with an original recipe using it. Wow, was it hard to judge the wonderful dishes the contestants brought in. But the winner is just that—a winner. Please give this wonderful dessert, entered by Sam and Jodi Lewis, a try.

Pumpkin Mousse Cheesecake—8 hours preparation time (includes baking and chilling)

Three-fourths cup crushed graham crackers
Three-fourths cup crushed ginger snap cookies
Three-fourths cup chopped pecans
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
One-fourth tsp. ground ginger
One-fourth and one-eighth tsp. pumpkin pie spice
½ cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla (divided use)
2 lbs. cream cheese, room temp
1 jar of Robert Rothschild Pumpkin curd and tart filling
3 eggs, room temp
1 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter bottom and sides of 9” spring form pan. Mix cracker and cookie crumbs, ginger, melted butter, and pecans until moist. Press into bottom of pan. Bake 8-10 minutes until slightly brown. Cool completely on rack.

Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees. Beat cream cheese with mixer low speed until smooth. Add three-fourths cup pumpkin curd, 1 tsp. vanilla, sugar and one-fourth tsp. pumpkin spice and beat on low until just combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low until combined. Pour filling onto cooled crust and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake, covered with another baking sheet until center still moves slightly, but not soupy. Bake 50-60 minutes. Cool 2 hours on rack, then cover and chill.

Beat heavy cream, confectioner’s sugar, one-eighth tsp. pumpkin pie spice and ½ tsp vanilla until stiff peaks form. Fold in remaining pumpkin curd gently and spread over top of chilled cake. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 2 hours.

Serves 10-12

Grocery Prices Are Rising...How to Save Money

If you haven’t heard the news, you’ve no doubt experienced it—food prices are on the rise. I was really amazed last week at the grocery store that almost every staple item was up significantly. That’s hard to take, especially this time of year when we are all preparing special foods for the holidays. There are ways around it, however, but they mostly involve spending time instead of money—and that’s almost as difficult.


A friend asked me what my number one suggestion for saving money on food would be and I didn’t hesitate for a second—a big freezer; or at least some extra freezer space besides your refrigerator freezer. Now that prices are rising, it’s even more important than ever. If you use it properly, the payback is very quick. For instance, on that shopping trip I mentioned—there were several really good buys in the store: apples for $.50 per pound, green peppers for $.79 each—to name two. In every store, every week there are loss leaders that are inexpensive and as long as they are for staple foods and not convenience items, it is worth running from store to store—especially in Red Wing since we’re not a large town.

When I got the apples and peppers home I set to work to prepare them for freezing. The apples aren’t the best for eating out of hand, so I made a fast and easy applesauce out of half of them and sliced up the others for apple desserts. I bought a lot of apples—who knows when I’ll see them for that price again—that’s almost 1/3 the usual price for standard varieties of apples—so I had lots of applesauce that went right into the freezer along with the apple slices in freezer bags. Later, I can make my apple pear soup I serve as a starter at the inn and make apple crisp for the dessert course.

As I was putting the apple stuff into the freezer, I ran across the crabapple juice I had frozen two years ago and the bags of red, white and black currants I had picked two summers ago. Yes, you can successfully freeze some foods for that length of time without loss of quality. I decided now was the time to get them out and make Christmas gifts.

Several hours later, I had 30 jelly jars of crabapple jelly, black currant jam, and currant crabapple jelly (made from the white and red currants mixed with more crabapples.) Along with a loaf of Cardamom bread and some homemade lemon curd, I have some delicious and beautiful gifts all ready for the gift-giving season coming right up. I processed the jelly in a water bath so it doesn’t have to be refrigerated or frozen, but the bread freezes beautifully.

What about the peppers? I made what my Mom called Piccalilli (a mild salsa) by purchasing some red, yellow and orange sweet peppers as well—they were a good buy, too.

Crabapple or Currant Jelly

Crabapples and currants have enough natural pectin (the substance that makes fruit “jell”) so that you don’t have to buy powdered or liquid pectin to make jelly from them. Many other fruits do not, however, and there is a test you can do to find out if your fruit needs added pectin or not: Measure 1 tbsp. ordinary rubbing alcohol into a cup. Gently stir in 1 tsp. cooked, cooled juice. Do not taste—rubbing alcohol is poisonous. If the juice is rich in pectin, it will form a gelatinous mass you can pick up with a fork. Juice low in pectin will remain liquid or form only a few bits of jelly-like material.

For apples: remove stem and blossom ends from 5 lbs. washed crab apples, cut in halves and place in large kettle. Add 8 cups water and cook until fruit is very soft, about 10 minutes. Strain mixture through jelly bag, but do not squeeze or force juice through bag. Measure juice; you should have about 7 cups. Pour into large kettle. Stir in ¾ cup sugar for every cup of juice. Bring to a boil quickly and cook rapidly until mixture sheets from a metal spoon. (Dip spoon in boiling apple juice; drip from about 12 inches above pan, tipping spoon from the side. When juice forms two drips, then comes together to “sheet” off of spoon, jellying point has been reached.) Skim off foam, and pour into sterilized hot jars to within 1/8” of jar top. Wipe rim; adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath 5 minutes. Remove from canner and place on a folded towel. Self-sealing lids will pop when they are sealed. Makes about 4 half pints.

For currants: Sort, wash and crush 2 ½ quarts currants (red, black or white) without removing stems. Place in kettle; add 1 cup water and bring quickly to a boil over high heat. Lower heat, simmer 10 minutes. Let drip through a jelly bag. Measure juice. There should be 4 cups. Stir in 4 cups sugar. Boil until jellying point is reached. Remove from heat; skim off foam quickly. Pour into sterilized hot jars to within 1/8” of jar top. Wipe jar rim; adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath 5 minutes. Remove from canner and place on folded towel until seal is completed. Makes about 4 half pints.

For both, let cool for 12 hours. Test seals. Remove screw bands, clean jars, label, date and store.

Comfort Food

Last night the house felt like winter.  This morning there was snow in the air still coming down lightly as I started out for the Y. Whenever that winter feeling comes along, I crave the homey, warm smells of an oven comfort-food dinner.


Traditionally that means spending some time in the kitchen and, although I work at home, I know lots of people who come home after a long day at work to a cold kitchen and not enough time or energy to make that type of dinner. I know you can get take-out or fix one of the myriad frozen entrees or complete meals, but why do that when you can make a real, home-style meal in less than 30 minutes of prep time?

I decided that was my theme this week and then I set out to see if I could really do that. I chose for the first menu one of our favorite comfort meals: meat loaf, baked potatoes, squash and corn. Bread, salad and even dessert can be added to this and not appreciably up the time.

Here’s how to do it: Mix the meat loaf (5 minutes); scrub the potatoes and wrap in foil (less than 5 minutes); Cut the squash, scoop out the seeds, cut into the desired pieces and put into a shallow baking dish. Fill the cavities with brown sugar and butter (5 minutes). Open a can of corn (or use frozen) and put into a small baking dish with cover. Add salt and pepper to corn and a pat of butter (optional). Put all into a preheated (360deg) oven.

Bake for 1 hour, 15 minutes. If your potatoes are large, put them into the microwave (minus the foil) for about 30 seconds per each, first.

If you have someone at home who can start the oven earlier than you, this can be made the day before, put in the refrigerator and have your husband or child put everything in the oven about an hour before you get home. Then, you can toss a really simple salad; use store-bought bread and a dessert of fruit and cookies. This is not only an old-fashioned, comfort-food dinner but it’s a lot cheaper than any other alternative and these days of an uncertain economy—that’s really a good thing.

Quick and Yummy Meatloaf

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
½ cup dry bread crumbs
¼ cup wheat germ
1 egg
½ cup low-fat milk
1/8 cup catsup

Topping:

8-oz. diced tomatoes, drained
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar

Put meatloaf ingredients into bowl of mixer. With paddle attachment and machine set on low, mix until well-blended. Do not over-mix. Pack into a 1-pound loaf pan. Mix topping ingredients together and spread on meatloaf. Bake at 360 degrees for 1 hour. Take out and allow to sit for 15 minutes while potatoes and squash finish baking.

This cookie recipe is so simple and so easy to have on hand that I can not figure out why anyone buys the box mix or refrigerated cookie dough.

Simple Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter, softened (no substitutions)
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. almond extract
2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
Granulated sugar (fine, colored or raw)

Cream butter and sugar in mixer. Add egg, vanilla and almond extract. Blend in the flour, soda and cream of tartar. Roll into a log, 2” in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer for at least 1 hour. Take log out and slice 1/8” thick. Put on lightly sprayed baking sheet at least 2” apart. Sprinkle generously with sugar of choice. Bake for 6-8 minutes at 375 degrees until cookies are set and just beginning to brown around the edges.

Cookie dough can be wrapped and kept in freezer for up to 3 months. Take out of the refrigerator for about 15 minutes before slicing.

Note: Cookie roll can be rolled into colored sugar for an ornamental edge and used for holidays as well.

Another idea for quick and easy comfort food is your slow cooker. Sadly, slow-cooker food often all tastes the same. It is really important to prep the food properly before putting it into a slow cooker. Here’s an old favorite done in a new, quick (and economical) way.

Sauerbraten Dinner

2 pound beef roast (round, rump or chuck)
2/3 cup cider vinegar
1 medium onion, diced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. pickling spice
¼ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 ½ cups apple cider
12 gingersnaps, crushed
2 tsp. sugar
2-3 pound red cabbage, cut into wedges

Place all ingredients into slow cooker that has been sprayed with vegetable spray. Set on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Remove meat and slice. Gravy should be thickened slightly by the gingersnaps. Taste to correct seasoning.

More Edible Gifts

If you give food gifts for Christmas, it’s time to start making them. I think these are the very best gifts to give almost everyone. To make the gift special and lasting, I find containers that are individually appropriate and make lovely gifts in themselves. Both the container and the filling are a fun and creative gift-giving challenge.


Even better, food gifts are the gift of time, which in this rushed world is perhaps the greatest gift of all. Our lives are spooned from boxes, cans and deli containers, or Styrofoam boxes from the local fast-food. Making special food gifts for others is a lovely way to slow down. It is also about connection; we are connected to ourselves when we knead dough, connected to the seasons when we preserve, connected to our loved ones when we bring gifts of comfort, condolence, thanks or just for fun. We may have severed some of our connections in the mad rush of life and making food gifts is one way to restore them.

Organization is the key to your enjoyment of this project as well as the recipient’s. I always begin with the presentation. This is where I think of the person on my gift list and what would be appropriate for him/her—add to that your own personal style. Are you an environmentalist who prefers simple earthy things? Do you love old and elegant things as I do? Budget is also a consideration. It doesn’t have to cost a lot to create
beautiful and tasty food gifts, although you can get very extravagant if you wish. You have a lot of the ingredients for your gifts on hand anyway.

Containers can include baskets, of course, but going beyond baskets to pretty plates, bowls, molds, serving dishes, antique jelly jars, canisters, beautiful tote bags, cookware—you get the idea. Sometimes just a beautiful keepsake box or beautiful bottle is perfect. Wrapping your containers takes a little thought and time as well. Using cellophane, beautiful paper, fabrics, or even the gift itself (i.e. towels, tablecloth, etc.) really adds to the pizzazz. Gift tags and labels can reflect your ability to create beautiful stamped goods or are available at craft stores, stationery and office supply stores. Use luxury ribbons that coincide with your style. Raffia has become very popular for the minimalist look, and now silk, satin, velvet, wire-edged and glittery ribbons are easily found in any store. It adds so much to the gift.

For even more of a special touch attach an ornament—Christmas or novelty such as a small toy, jewelry; natural items such as pine cones, buttons, vintage cards—the list is endless. Actually this part of food-gift giving is almost more fun than making the food.

A word about sending food gifts in the mail or making gifts that will have to be transported. Choose things that can take a little tough handling. Preserves that have undergone the hot-water sealing process travel better than those that must be refrigerated and haven’t been sealed. After wrapping, wrap again in bubble wrap and pack with plenty of packing peanuts or crumpled paper. Finally wrap again in a sturdy, larger box using more peanuts if it’s going in the mail.

I think better in themes. Breakfast, picnics, hobbies, even careers are some jumping-off places. A person who loves to entertain will appreciate a hostess basket perhaps including some tapenade, spicy nuts, a bottle of wine, a loaf of bread and some candles, pretty napkins, a special serving plate, or some unusual glassware.

I consider myself something of an expert on breakfast items, so I love putting together a breakfast basket: A bag of whole coffee beans (your favorite), some pretty coffee mugs, my own 5-grain pancake mix, some locally produced pure maple syrup, homemade granola, hot chocolate mix, a coffee-bean grinder. I am including the pancake mix recipe and the granola recipe. Change the gift items according to your tastes and those of the gifted. Above all, get into the spirit of this—and have fun!

Lynette’s five-grain pancake mix (makes 12 cups)

5 cups white flour
2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
½ cup soy flour
½ cup ground flax seed
½ cup wheat germ
1 cup buttermilk powder
1 cup powdered milk
7 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. salt
2 Tbsp. baking soda
3 Tbsp. baking powder

Mix everything together well with a large wire whisk. Store in a cool, dry place.

To prepare: use 2 cups mix, 1 and three-quarter cups water, 1 egg and 2 ½ Tbsp. canola oil. Mix just until blended. Bake on a hot griddle, sprayed with vegetable spray. Can be thinned with more water if thinner pancakes are desired.

Granola (makes 20 cups)

10 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup wheat germ
½ lb. shredded coconut
2 cups raw sunflower seeds
1 cup sesame seeds
3 cups chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts or combination
1-1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1-1/2 cups water
1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
½ cup honey
½ cup molasses
1-1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
3 tsp. vanilla
Raisins or other dried fruits as desired

Preheat oven to 300 deg. F. In large bowl combine oats, wheat germ, coconut, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and nuts. Blend well. In a large saucepan, combine brown sugar, water, oil, honey, molasses, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Heat until sugar is dissolved, but do not boil. Pour syrup over dry ingredients and stir until well coated. Spread into five 13x9 jelly-roll pans. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Bake 15 minutes longer for crunchier texture. Cool. Add raisins or other dried fruit. Put in airtight containers. Store in a cool dry place. Use within 6 months.