Mushrooms are in Tasty Abundance Right Now! Cook with Them this Holiday Season and Watch Your Dinner Guests Fall in Love…

If you look under “M” in any of my cookbooks, you’ll note that mushrooms, nature’s hidden treasures, occupy quite a bit of space. I love them because they lend earthy flavors with subtle, smoky undertones and meaty textures to everything they’re in. The health benefits of mushrooms are compelling enough that this October, for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, some cultivators are packaging their mushrooms in pink cartons. When I prepare some of my favorite recipes in which shitake, portabello or baby bellas star, I have to admit I’m not thinking of what their medicinal mushroom healing powers may be; I’m just delighted with how many parties and dinners they’ve taken me through with such great style!

De ja Mushroom
I’ve used pounds of mushrooms over the years to make warm mushroom salads with maple lime dressing, mushroom scallion pancakes with sherry creamed chicken—not to mention an Old Fashioned Mushroom Soup, laid out in this year’s Open House Halloween party plan. Anyway you slice ‘em, mushrooms lend a toe curling, savory elegance to all sorts of wild rice and risotto dishes; and where would omeletes and pizzas be without them? It turns out Cooking Light is on exactly the same page as me in cooking, preparation and storage tips for mushrooms, so you can have a quick brush up course before ripping into your next carton of fantastic fungi.

If any of my California Readers Make it to this Festival, please post on my Facebook wall! We foodies are hungry for photos and details!
This time of year, a foodie can get excited about mushrooms—especially in certain parts of the country, where the crisp cool air and autumn rainstorms cause them to grow in succulent abundance. The pun makers out there are saying “let the fun(gi) begin”, advertising big events for mushroom season, like Mendocino County’s annual 10-day Wine & Mushroom Festival (this year from Friday, November 5th through Monday, November 15th).

For those of my readers who don’t know where Mendocino is, picture the gorgeous wine country in northern California, where mushrooms a lot of us have never heard of still manage to captivate the taste buds. I’m talking Candy Cap Mushrooms, with their intense maple-syrup flavor, and award winning harvests of chanterelles, porcinis, morels and hedgehogs. Oh my! The list includes the familiar, like shiitake, cremini, portobello, oyster, wood ear and white. When you make a day of browsing Chinese markets—not a half bad idea if you make it to the Golden State—you will find enoki, porcini, beech, and more asian mushrooms than there are mushroom spores—do your part as a foodie and take notes while you shop!

Getting into the Gravy: what I’m doing with my next batch of mushrooms
Now that I’ve sufficiently covered how great mushrooms are, it’s time to get to the gravy of this article; my favorite accent to so many favorite entrees, mushrooms aren’t just low in calories, sodium-free, fat-free and cholesterol-free—but pretty much the best darn staple of flavor you can put into gravy for the perfect holiday centerpiece: Standing Rib Roast with Red Wine Mushroom Gravy. Both traditional and classy, this entrée is ideal for a holiday dinner party and calls for 2 pounds of button mushrooms—better known as “white mushrooms”, which steal credit as the most actively consumed variety around the world each year. Funny how they’re called “button” since they’re much bigger than the buttons you sew back on shirts—they remind me more of knobs. However, you choose to describe them, sautéing the mushrooms in the roasts’ pan drippings is what makes them the very definition of divine—and that’s before you take it to the next level, by adding a full cup of the richest, darkest red wine in your house.

Between where we are now and the waiting New Year, there are plenty of reasons to invite the family over for a special dinner. You might say, just after Halloween and right before Thanksgiving Day that the possibilities are mushrooming!

Standing Rib Roast with Red Wine Mushroom Gravy

Servings: 10 to 12 (2 to 3 servings per pound)
Preparation Time: 30 minutes, plus roasting

7 to 8 pound rib roast with 4 to 5 ribs trimmed
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 pounds button mushrooms, sliced
(about 4 cups)
1 cup red wine
3 cups beef stock
¼ cup all-purpose flour, mixed with 1 cup cold water

Preheat over to 475 degrees (hottest setting)

Combine the mustard, parsley and sugar in a small bowl. Brush the mixture over the entire roast. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the roast fat side up, on a rack, in a roasting pan. Place the roasting pan into the preheated oven. Immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees, and roast for 18 minutes per pound or until the thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast reaches 140 degrees for rare, to 170 degrees for well done.

Remove the roast from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.

Sautee the mushrooms in the pan drippings over medium high heat. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Add the red wine to the pan. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the beef stock and simmer for 5 minutes more. Add the flour mixture to the pan, a small amount at a time. Cook until the sauce thickens to gravy consistency. Add the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.

Fortify someone you love with a slow cooker favorite, Hunter Style Chicken Stew

Paging through recipes of how chicken soup is served up across the globe, I was inspired to treat my growing family to this chef’s version of a classic. We are all over-the-moon (and pretty exhausted!) after welcoming my second grandson into the world. Enjoy him…and hang in there! Please know that some of the best comfort food I know is coming your way; this delightful dish travels well…spoiler alert!

It takes a village to feed a friend—that’s why there’s takethemameal.com
I talk a lot about “Freezer Pleasers”–dishes we can all roll up our sleeves and easily tote over to the busy young parents raising our grandkids, but there are other pack-and-go crowd pleasers that encourage Nanas and Extreme Party-Planners alike to get on board with the Slow Food Movement by preparing more fresh healthy food, MORE OFTEN; then make sure we all sit down and really taste it.

Recently, I found a wonderful resource called takethemameal.com that lets you participate in meal creation via an online sign-up sheet; this way everyone gets involved with the understanding that you don’t have to be a Food Network Star to help nourish and fortify a loved one; you just do what you can do. Click around on their site for more details.

My “Meals on Wheels” Recipe
I plan on “penciling in”, for my wonderful daughter-in-law and new Mom, Hunter Style Chicken Stew—perfect for those days when you are: “In for the night and ready for the long-haul!” What better way to fortify the troops than with a perfect, full-bodied chicken soup just like grandma used to make—and in this case is still making! I’m getting out my slow cooker—a brand and model that can practically perform magic (see my Favorite Things) and using it to introduce my first hard core “comfort food” of the season. The main thing to get excited about in this recipe?? You basically get to set the slow cooker on medium high for the day and walk away!

Why is it the perfect time for this stew?
As of October 1st, flu season was in full swing. With vulnerable loved ones in our lives, it’s a good idea to get flu shots and build our immunity with good, fresh food. Research done by the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha ran a study on chicken soup, and found evidence to support the folklore about its positive influence on upper respiratory colds!

Global Twists on Chicken Soup
Chinese chicken soup is made from old hens and seasoned with ginger, spring onions and star anise.
Colombian chicken soup is made with sweet corn, several types of potatoes, avacados and native herbs; in Mexico it’s got whole chicken pieces instead of chopped or shredded chicken, and large cuts of vegetables, plus cabbage leaves.
Bulgarian chicken soup is made with lemon juice and vingar.
French chicken soup includes bay leaves, fresh thyme, dry white wine and loads of garlic.
German chicken soup is all about semolina dumplings and pickling spices.
In Greece, chicken soup is made with lemon and eggs, and served with small bits of pasta.
In Israel chicken soup is considered the traditional dish of the Jewish kitchen; chicken fat is used in the broth and it’s sesaoned with parsley, fresh dill and thyme.
Portugal and Brazil are on my page, by adding rice to their chicken soup
--and—
Jorj’s chicken soup produces a bouquet of aromas that brings every last soldier to the dinner table, expecting a regal occasion, yet happily departing to the family room, soup mug in hand! Grab your afghans everybody—it’s time to bundle up!

Hunter's Style Chicken Stew with Yellow Rice

Makes 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes

1 (4-pound) chicken, rinsed and patted dry, cut into 8 pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
4 ounces button mushrooms, sliced (about 1 cup)
4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 cup red wine
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 cups cooked yellow rice

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet (with lid) over medium high heat. Brown the chicken pieces on all sides until golden, about 8 minutes. Remove the chicken to a platter.

Add the onion, peppers, mushrooms and garlic to the pan. Cook until the veggies are soft and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook until much of the liquid has disappeared, about 5 minutes more.

Pour in the tomatoes. Stir in the tomato paste, oregano and rosemary. Add the chicken back to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour.

To serve, divide the rice among 6 plates. Place chicken pieces on top of the rice. Ladle the sauce over top. Garnish with fresh parsley.

When a group of friends hear wedding bells, a special party ensues…light & delicious luncheon fare for the Bride-to-be!

World news, believe it or not, can be tasty! That’s why, when Disney introduced it’s own line of 7 princess wedding gowns, I got inspired, and started doing a little research on weddings…and why not? As a party planner and caterer, they’re your bread and butter! Anyway, Yours Truly, along with the rest of a nuptial-minded consensus, decided that October is a great month to think about engagement parties, showers and so much of the mouth-watering “else” that comes with this celebration; I’m talking black and white marble cakes that remind you of bride and groom, a gathering of close friends—one of whom is headed down the aisle—and a stack of brides magazines that let you talk turkey about the one element in the wedding that is—let’s face it—what everybody shows up for: to see that gown!

When I looked at wedding statistics I found that the average American engagement is approximately 16 months long, and the bride-to-be chooses her wedding dress 4 months before the big day, which means that if you know someone this October shopping for the perfect dress, she’ll be saying “I do” in February! Valentines, anyone?

My party menu of hearty, yet delicate-in-presentation dishes for those who celebrate love, can be used not just for pending marriages, but for those coming up on anniversaries, and October, as I understand it, knows its fair share of them. Fall weddings represent 29% of the minister’s appointment book! If any of my readers are celebrating an anniversary, please leave me a comment that marks the exact date; it’ll make everyone smile!

Decorating for a bride inspired soirée can be done pretty inexpensively; a trip out to Party City showed me wedding trimmers and attention grabbing advertisements like: “It’s all about the dress!” For $10 you can get a formidable (at least a size 8) wedding dress balloon, but plenty of us will stop at simply putting out a pretty bouquet of roses and maybe some bride and groom salt and pepper shakers.

You know, I thought that a fun version of this party could be calling it a “Tapa-Wear” event, where the bride-to-be tries a few things on, while tapas are served in her midst. Ultimately, though, I left tapas to that hypothetical honeymoon in Spain, and chose Pitas Stuffed with Chicken and Walnut Salad, Chilled Cream of Cauliflower Soup (cauliflower is in season right now), Sautéed Fruit and Cheese Platter (this is the perfect post luncheon accompaniment that may just rival the dessert) and Vanilla & Chocolate Marble Cake with coffee afterward, its colors a perfect meld of what traditional brides and grooms are all about. Thank you, Queen Victoria, for establishing the centuries old tradition of white wedding dresses, a cherished theme in the minds of (most, all??) little girls until they become big girls…and actually wear one down the aisle.

So that’s all for now, my friends. Set your table for the well dressed, and don’t forget the white wines, and lone bottle of special champagne—have a nip and take a peek at beautiful things yet to come!

Sautéed Fruit and Cheese Platter

Servings: 20
Preparation time: 45 minutes

½ cup butter (1 stick)
2 cups firmly packed sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 medium pineapples, peeled, cored and sliced ¼-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
6 medium ripe pears, cored and sliced ¼-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
6 medium apples, cored and sliced ¼-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
6 large bananas, peeled and sliced (about 2 cups)

Maytag Blue, Stilton or Roquefort cheese, sliced into wedges

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat.

Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl. Dip each piece of fruit in the brown sugar mixture.

Sautee the fruit in the butter, turning once until just soft and golden. Add more butter to the pan as needed. Transfer the fruit to a baking sheet.

Prepare platter by arranging slices of sautéed fruit and cheese wedges on serving dishes.

Vanilla & Chocolate Marble Cake

Servings 6
Preparation time: 20 minutes plus baking

½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
6 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
¼ cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ teaspoon black walnut flavoring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a round cake pan by spraying with vegetable oil spray and dusting with flour.

Combine the salt, baking soda and flour in a small bowl. Set aside.

Use an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla and the eggs, adding one at a time. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk in 3 additions, alternating ½ flour mixture with ½ buttermilk until just blended. Spread half of the batter into the prepared cake pan.

Stir in the cocoa and black walnut flavoring into the remaining batter. Place the remaining batter onto the vanilla batter in large spoonfuls. With the tip of a knife, swirl the chocolate batter onto the vanilla batter being careful t not to over-mix.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Chilled Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6
Serving Size: 2 cups

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium white onion, diced (about 2/3 cup)
2 medium celery ribs, diced (about 1 cup)
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into flowerets (about 3 cups)
1 quart chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup fat free half and half
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium high heat. Add the onion, celery and cauliflower to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes.

Pour in the chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper, cumin and nutmeg. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the veggies are soft, about 30 minutes.

Use a hand held blender or food processor to emulsify the soup. Pour into a bowl, cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Stir the cream and chives into the soup. Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with freshly ground pepper.

Pitas Stuffed with Chicken and Walnut Salad

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time:
Serves: 6
Serving Size: 1 sandwich

1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dry mustard
Juice of 1 small lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 cup safflower oil
1 small (16 to 24 ounce) deli roasted chicken, skin and bones removed, meat shredded (about 4 cups)
2 medium celery ribs, diced (about 1 cup)
1 bunch seedless red grapes, cut in half (about 2 cups)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 large carrot, grated (about ½ cup)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 whole wheat pitas
Bean sprouts (optional)

Whisk together the egg yolk, salt, mustard, lemon juice and white wine vinegar. Whisk the oil into the egg yolk mixture a drizzle at a time until all of the oil has been incorporated; this will take you quite a while. (You can use a hand held blender or food processor to do the job for you.)

Place the shredded chicken meat into a bowl. Add the celery, red grapes, walnuts and shredded cabbage. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the mayonnaise to the chicken salad 1/3 cup at a time until you reach the desired consistency. (Store extra mayonnaise in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Use a serrated knife to split the pita ¾ of the way through. Stuff spoonfuls of the chicken salad into the pita. Top with bean sprouts.

Drink in the Sweet Pleasures of Autumn with This Casual Dessert Party

I have a date with a cup of Pumpkin Spice Coffee, served up warm with a dollop of whipped cream—I’m setting a small but lovely dessert table for a handful of my closest friends, and hope you’ll find a likeminded opportunity this year to host a seasonal gathering of your own.

October and November are perfect for savoring spicy, aromatic and super sweet flavors associated with Fall; whether you’re cooking a figgy pudding, roasting pumpkin seeds, or sniffing crisp red caramel-covered apples during the fall carnival—you can’t help but revel in the aromas that practically cling to you this time of year—right along with the sweaters you just pulled out of storage.

This is an ideal time to play hostess since the hectic pace of the full-on holiday season has yet to begin. Extend this cozy invite before everyone is too busy—or too frazzled—to join in the fun of an informal party.

Cue my Fall Equinox Dessert Feast! What am I serving?

Well…inspired by the October 21st holiday I just read about (would you believe it’s National Pumpkin Cheescake Day?), I’ve decided to do a Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake; she’ll be big and marvelous, and take center stage on my table. The rest of my desserts consist of Chocolate Spice Cake with Caramel Toffee Frosting—so fitting for this time of year with its cinnamon clove smells, so inviting as you step in from the changing leaves…I could go on and on…—and last but not least, my Butterscotch Pudding with Toasted Almonds that I plan to serve from a real pumpkin shell! (Grab a carving knife, some newspaper, and get to work hollowing out a smallish pumpkin, so that you, too, are good-to-go serving your pudding the same way!)

You can prepare the pumpkin cheesecake 1 or 2 days in advance; the other desserts require some refrigeration time to set—see the recipes for complete instructions. My point in mentioning this is that you should prepare everything for this dessert party well in advance of show time!

One of the cool things you’ll notice about these desserts—aside from OMG!Flavor—are their colors, which are going to match the scented candles I’ll put out for the occasion. I also found a surprisingly nice (for its 40% mark-off from an original price of $30!) pumpkin/fall foliage centerpiece from Michael’s; browsing the aisles, there today I saw a lot of crafting tools from Martha Stewart’s product line—and was glad I just featured one of her Halloween party prep gadgets in my Favorite Things on the Nana Network.

Hop on Top Nana’s Facebook page and hit “Like “for weekly news feeds on more family fun with a culinary twist!

But in between work and play on the computer, get on the horn and arrange to have your friends over for dessert between now and Thanksgiving. A good rule of thumb for dessert parties on a smaller scale—which means between 4 to 7 guests—is to make 2 pots of coffee, reserve 2 bottles of wine and have, between the array of desserts offered, about 70 small servings on hand; that means cutting dainty slivers of cake, but almost everyone—in anticipation of that 3,000 calorie meal on gobble-gobble day is watching their figures anyway—and trust me, you’ll have enough food on hand with this party menu so that the napkins provided dab some VERY happy mouths—SPOILER ALERT: the frosting on my Chocolate Spice Cake is particularly mouth lickin’ good.

Come in from the first cold snap of the year, my friends, and enjoy some sweet treats with me!

Butterscotch Pudding with Toasted Almonds

This dessert has to set in the refrigerator for at least an hour; to make the most out of serving it in a pumpkin shell, I recommend preparing this dessert several hours before the party. Have six or more ½ cup ramekins on the dessert table, so guests can ladle portions from the pumpkin full o’ pudding!

Servings: 6 (more when servings are small for your dessert party)
Preparation time: 30 minutes plus refrigeration

6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into pieces
1 ¼ cups dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks

1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup sliced almonds
Whipped cream

Whisk together the butter, brown sugar and vanilla in a saucepan over medium high heat. Cook until the butter is melted, then cook for 5 minutes more whisking constantly. The mixture will be bubbly. Remove from the heat.

Cook the milk and cream in a saucepan over medium high heat until it just begins to boil. Pour the warm milk into the butter mixture. Return to medium high heat and whisk until smooth.

Place the cornstarch and salt in a small bowl. Pour about ¼ cup of the butterscotch mixture into the cornstarch and whisk until smooth.

Whisk the cornstarch back into warm milk, bring to a boil, and cook until the butterscotch thickens.

Place the egg yolks in a small bowl. Pour about ¼ cup of the butterscotch mixture into the eggs. Whisk this mixture back into the warm milk. Cook for several minutes, whisking constantly. The mixture will thicken as it cooks.

Strain the mixture through a sieve or colander to get rid of any lumps.

Prepare a pumpkin shell and pour pudding into it; refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

For the toasted almonds: Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium high heat. Add the cinnamon and the almonds. Cook until the almonds begin to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Serve the chilled pudding with a sprinkle of toasted almonds and a dollop of whipped cream.

Chocolate Spice Cake with Caramel Toffee Frosting

This dessert has to set at least 1 hour…then bon appetite!

Servings: 10 or more (more when servings are cut small for your dessert party)

Preparation time: 30 minutes for baking

2 cups cake flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt

½ cup butter (1 stick)
2 cups packed brown sugar
½ cup canola oil
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk

2 cups heavy cream, chilled
¾ cup prepared caramel topping
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 (1.4 ounce) bars chocolate-covered English toffee candy, finely chopped (about 2 cups)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and salt into a bowl.

Use an electric mixture to combine the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time. Add the flour and milk in 3 additions, alternating 1/3 flour mixture with 1/3 milk until just blended.

Pour the batter into two 9-ionch cake pans, coated in vegetable oil spray and dusted with flour. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans on a rack for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto a rack and cool completely.

Use an electric mixture to beat the cream until it begins to thicken. Add the caramel sauce and vanilla. Continue beating until soft peaks form.

Slice the cakes in half using a serrated knife or thread. Place one cake layer half on a cake plate. Spread a layer of frosting onto the cake. Sprinkle candy crumbs onto the frosting. Repeat for all layers. Frost the sides and top of the cake. Sprinkle chopped candy pieces on the top and side frosting.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Make this dessert 1 or 2 days in advance, so that it’s at its best on the day you serve it!

Serves 10 to 12 (more when servings are cut small for your dessert party)
Preparation time: 20 minutes plus baking and refrigeration

18 to 20 gingersnap cookies
7 ounces hazelnuts, toasted (about 1 ½ cups)
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup butter (1 stick)

4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
4 eggs
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the gingersnap cookies, hazelnuts and sugar in a food processor. Pulse until combined. Add the melted butter and pulse briefly.

Press the crumb mixture into the bottom, and up the sides about ½ inch, in a 10-inch diameter springform pan using the back of a fork.

With an electric mixture beat the cream cheese and sugar. Mix in the whipping cream and stir in the eggs one at a time. Pour half of the filling into a small bowl. Add the pumpkin and spices to the remaining filling and mix well.

Place the filling into the pan by alternating between plain and pumpkin batter. With a knife gently swirl together.

Bake for 60 to 75 minutes. The cheesecake will puff and may crack on the sides. The center does not have to be set. Cool the cake on a rack. Run a sharp knife around the side of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.