Time to Start Planning the Most Romantic Dinner of the Year…

Valentine’s Day is almost here, so if you plan on going out, I hope you have reservations! As for me…I don’t go anywhere near a restaurant on February 14^th, choosing the candlelight supper at home (right, honey?) over that hot mess year after year. I’ve pulled 2 of my coziest and most elegant recipes from Sunday Best Dishes to focus on this go around, and because they feature a red wine reduction sauce drizzled over filet mignon made the classic French way, I guess you could say that this Valentine’s Day I’m wearing my heart on my sieve!

 

No spoilers here alert! I’m not giving away my signature recipe for Grilled Tenderloin Steak and a tequila spiked dessert, but I will dish on tried and true culinary methods in bringing them to the plate. Download Sunday Best, if you want your Valentine’s Day to resemble the hot and juicy picture below.

 

So here’s the deal with steak….yeah, it’s absolutely better when you grill it outside; however, this is a really frigid winter for most of us, and backyard BBQs may not be in the cards. That’s why a tenderloin steak is the perfect choice—it’s the best cut for stovetop cooking. You’re going to want to buy four (six ounce) steaks, 2 to 3 inches thick and ask the butcher to remove the silver skin for you; it’s easy enough to do it yourself (even kind of fun), but with the tequila sippin’ I hope you’ve got planned, it never hurts to save time.

So, steak tenderloin (aka filet mignon) must be seasoned well with coarse salt and cracked pepper; set your cuts out a good 20 minutes before you cook them, and make sure to pat the meat dry with paper towels before rubbing in the seasonings. Add a brush of olive oil to each side of the steak (very important!), and coat the grill pan with plenty of olive oil, too. I sear my steak 4 to 6 minutes per side on high heat, and let it rest outside the pan, in a fresh application of red wine sauce, about ten minutes before serving it. Steak, as you may already know, continues to cook on its own, off the grill. Another important steak lover’s mantra: Always, always aim for medium-rare. For Valentine’s Day, I’m topping mine off with a cheese I’m keeping secret until the big reveal on 2/14/14….but if you must know what it is, refer to the Culinary Class chapter in Sunday Best Dishes!   

Now, on to dessert, the focal point of a sweet holiday…

 

As you can see, I’m making blueberry short bread biscuits, surrounded in a bed of tequila soaked fruit—there’s nothing like peppery silver tequila to bring out the flavor of blueberries, and with the suggestion of strawberries in the mix, you’ve honored the color code of Valentine’s Day well enough.  For cooking, the brand “Jose Cuervo Clasico Silver” is a sound choice in tequila; it’s priced lower than other brands, yet has the sweet fire-power your marinades, vinaigrettes and sauces demand, whether they are savory or sweet.

And I can’t think of a more perfect note to end on. May your Feb. 14 be the sweetest yet!

XOXO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If The Kitchen’s “Cookbook Club” Asked Me to Talk about SUNDAY BEST DISHES, I Wouldn’t Say No!

The KITCHEN is on Saturdays at 11am Eastern

Hello there, loyal readers. This blog is a review about a fun new show on the Food Network. Because I always liked The View (and The Chew!), the format of The KITCHEN is instantly appealing; it features five friends, who chow down and TALK FOOD—each episode (and so far there have been 2) is cleverly divided with Q&A from fans, a cooking demo that features a recipe with the top 3 most googled ingredients in the country, and an appearance of a cookbook author with a new book. Jenny McCoy, author of Desserts for Every Season was the first guest on The Show’s “Cookbook Club” segment; she made a warm chocolate bread pudding that I imagine co-host Jeff Mauro will try eating on a treadmill for next week’s opening credits!

On a good day I like to say I know foolproof food, and the way The KITCHEN is structured is certainly that: FOOLPROOF! I can’t tell you how interesting it is to know that 850,000 hungry souls googled, on the same day, what to do with the frozen lump of chicken in their fridge.

The KITCHEN’s panel, in addition to the hilarious Sandwich King (Jeff, whom I already mentioned), includes Sunny Anderson, Geoffery Zakarian, Katie Lee and Marcela Valladolid; these friends took the top 3 google hits for the week: quinoa, chicken and kale, and made them into a WONDERFUL entrée. I know because I made the dish right after watching the show. Sunny Anderson looked straight into camera and said that cooking, for her, was often about simply “emptying out the fridge!” and as though it were fate, I had some languishing items in my refrigerator (like a bag of frozen Brussels sprouts) that worked like a charm in The KITCHEN’S CHILE-RUBBED CHICKEN BREAST WITH KALE, QUINOA AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS SALAD. 

I didn’t follow Marcela’s recipe to the letter, but she did provide the base, and everyone in my family who loves chicken was pretty happy the night I added my own tweaks to what I can tell you is a truly solid dish. I liked how the panel, brimming with intimidating culinary talent, let all that go for the hour, and focused on teaching without preaching. On the kale/chicken recipe, Katie Lee asked if you could use feta in place of Marcela’s choice, cotija (a cheese I’m sure not everyone knows about), and everyone—including Marcela, was quick to advocate for substitutes anytime you want, and substitute I did. I didn’t have quinoa, so I used couscous; didn’t have toasted almonds so I used pine nuts—everyone loved it and I got rid of those darned Brussels Sprouts…and some feta!

The only thing I would have done differently is advise home chefs to really, really, wash that kale! I knew to do it because, well, what person in the food industry doesn’t have a PhD in kale by now? (we hear about it every single day!); however, for the layperson…you just might end up with some sand in your sauté if you’re not used to working with the stuff—and that’s what my latest book, Sunday Best Dishes: A Cookbook for Passionate Cooks is all about, educating home chefs in a way that’s fun and relatable. You don’t know you’re learning, you just know you’re cooking—I can’t wait to share that philosophy with everyone in The KITCHEN!

Foodie Resolutions: 2014

It’s here—another year! Social media is buzzing with resolutions about dropping a few pounds and getting more organized. I’ve decided to make mine about eating more locally grown food, patronizing more restaurants who work with nearby farms, and finding other ways of greening up my zip code. This post is actually about two things: helping people who want to become locavores get started, and supporting a friend of mine; an angel who gets his wings every time a locavore is born.  

His name is Cory Bryk of Boone, N.C., a Marine who served in Iraq and returned home to become, of all things…A FARMER! I’ve posted his picture here.

I’m sure I’m not alone in being so glad that he did—I enjoy the fruits of New Life Farm (Cory’s farm) every time I’m in North Carolina—and thank him for raising one of the best Thanksgiving turkeys the Morgan family has ever eaten. In addition to the tasty livestock, Cory’s farm is responsible for a bountiful vegetable harvest—and he can reap even more of what he sews when he gets a new tractor. If you live near Boone, and want to see more of New Life Farm’s products, you’ll donate what you can to his Kickstarter project, active until January 24^th.  Just click this link to help him on his way.      

So, here’s what got me thinking about why being a locavore (that means restricting your diet to the consumption of fresh products produced within a 100 mile radius of home) is such a worthwhile pursuit. It’s so much fresher; a truck didn’t have to burn a ton of fossil fuels to bring it to the store, and it didn’t lose any nutrients on a long ride. 

You don’t usually have to worry about pesticides, and you’re helping your local economy do better. If you manage sometime in 2014 to make a pasta primavera sauce entirely out of veggies you bought from a local vendor, you can relish more than just a fabulous taste. You can feel good about being kind to the planet as well.    

Here a few quick and easy-to-remember ways to become a locavore—start small if you’re new to this, by serving all farmers market fare at your next dinner!  

• Use LOCALHARVEST.ORG! It’s an amazing tool to find everything from farmers markets, organic food buying clubs, tasting events and more in every single zipcode in the United States.
• Once a month, pick out an out-sourced food item, and swap it out for something you can get locally made. Honey is a great first start, as every community has a bee haven somewhere.
• Join a community garden club or CSA. I do the later. Look up a farm in your area (use localharvest.org) and sign up for biweekly or monthly delivery of their seasonal harvest. Some CSA’s offer milk, meat, honey and eggs in addition to veggies. It tastes SOOOO good.
• Ask a local farmer or vendor at a farmers market, if he has any restaurant accounts and then patronize that restaurant! I’ll be the first to try this tactic with Cory at New Life.
• Host a “100-mile Dinner Challenge”: PBS writes all about it in this article, (it’s based on Thanksgiving, but can be done any time of year) which I’ll summarize for you now: next time you host a dinner, ask guests to bring a regionally recognized recipe from their neck of the woods. If they’re from the south, a pecan pie made with pecans from a neighborhood tree is a prime example.  If you live on the coast, it can be all about the seafood.
• Research the fruits and veggies unique to your area and try them in a salad or on a cracker! I did it with kumquats; I found a package of them at Publix with a label that said the kumquats were from Deland, Florida—the tangy, citrusy things kicked up the flavor of a tomato salad in ways I’m still craving…. 

OK, that’s it. I’ve put it in a nutshell for you—grown, harvested and sold by the guy next door : ) Cheers, and happy 2014!

Christmas Morning Breakfast Ideas for Berry Good Boys & Girls!

Not many days left to peel back on the advent calendar. In no time at all, it’ll be Christmas morning—and that, my friends requires a sugar and carb infusion of the highest order.  New word for “short-stack” anyone? I’m drawing from my Sunday Best repertoire on Wednesday, December 25^th and would advise anyone with the same lust for life (and pancakes) to stock up this weekend on King Arthur Flour—the best for pancake house-style flapjacks—eggs, sugar, butter—the essentials for enough fluffy pancakes to take everyone through the learning curve of new gadgets and sporting equipment sitting under your tree.            

I believe the headlining photo on this blog, featuring Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes with Berry Good Maple Syrup, can revv up the family on Christmas morning and turbo power their snow shoes! I haven’t made a habit of posting many of my book’s new recipes on my blog, but am doing so today as a gift to those “birds of a feather” out there who love pancakes as much as my family does. Other Christmas Day secrets that can put the wow factor into a Chris Cringle inspired table setting involve my Monkeying Around Bread (fun at any age!), trick for making inside out omelets, Canadian Bacon prepared just so (click on this Chipotle Spiced Bacon post to learn how to make it a legend in your household, too) and Cranberry Oatmeal Scones with Pine nuts.  For those bolded recipes, there is still plenty of time to download Sunday Best Dishes, wink, wink, nudge, nudge. It really makes a great Xmas gift!

Other Winter Day Breakfast Ideas….Faking Buttermilk in a pinch, etc…..

Buttermilk Biscuits with a savory gravy are also a great way to go for Christmas breakfast….but what if you open the fridge only to find you’re running low on precious buttermilk?  A lot of Apple commercials would tell you there’s an app for that. I won’t offer you that as a solution, but I can pass on a little cooking trick that can turn plain old milk into a buttermilk knock-off for all your breakfast recipes. Just pour ¾ cup of milk into a measuring container, add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and set the mixture aside for 5 minutes at room temperature. The result is as close to actual buttermilk as it needs to be. 

If kids are part of the Christmas package this holiday season….

Here are a few tips for decorating pancakes in ways that’d tickle Santa pink!

• ·        Use sliced strawberries and cover the top half of the pancake with them to represent the red-felt hat. Squirt a big dollop of whip cream for the powder puff on top of Santa’s hat and continue on with the Ready-whip to make the big white beard.
• ·         Banana slices with Hershey’s kisses in the center make great eyes and maraschino cherries are a terrific nose!
• ·         Triangles of French toast can be arranged into a Christmas tree, with a star shaped cut of pineapple just prefect for the star on top!
• ·         Make Rudolph using bacon for antlers, blueberries for eyes and a dime sized pancake in the middle, strawberry on it, for the world-famous nose.

It’s not rockets science….it’s reindeer science! I hope your Christmas is full of love and magic, everyone. See you in the New Year with lots of new cooking advice and recipes! 

Oh My Gnosh!

Tips for Serving Gourmet Spreads and Cheeses (as a gift or…) at Your Next Party

CHEESE makes a marvelous gift for the people you love. Yes, CHEESE: worthy of all caps—that is, if you present it well and offer pairings that make those already heavenly flavors pop. I love stories from hostesses that are told with a sigh—how guests at the Xmas party nibbled at their cheese plate, and asked, mouths full, if there would be a hostess/guest gift exchange. “Uh…darling? That dreamy little block in your hand with the cheesemonger’s initials engraved right into the rind? THAT was your gift.”

Point of story:  If the cheese isn’t speaking for itself and needs a little help, this Extreme Party Planner has come to your rescue with tips on how to make the perfect cheese plate.

Consider the 4 basic categories of cheese before you shop: Cheese is sold soft, hard, aged and blue; a representative from each category is a nice way to go, and an expert behind the cheese counter will be happy to help you. Personally, I believe the safest bets are cheeses that don’t have a pungent odor (I’m looking at you, Camembert), but do possess those nice sharp, tangy, earthy and/or nutty flavors we all love—that’s why I concentrate on the kind of milk used to make it, i.e. sheep, goat and cow. Go with manchengo (made from sheep’s milk, it’s a favorite tapa in Spain), aged 15 to 24 months cheddar and anything manufactured by Santori—their stuff is the friggin’ bomb.  Familiarize yourself with their logo via this photo:

Take the cheese out at least an hour before the party, unwrap it and let it breathe. The flavors shine through more this way.  Plan on 3 to 4 ounces of cheese bliss per person; this can easily translate into 3 to 6 different types of cheeses—ideal for a small party; one or two cheeses serve a gift basket well—you just have to find yummy accompaniments…like a sweet fig spread, crackers and assorted olives. More on those (olives!) later.     

Don’t worry about a carb overload—no such thing on a cheese platter. Use crackers AND sliced bread:  Be sure to vary up the textures on these--that’s every bit as important as diverse cheeses.  Reserve an extra cheese spreader to plunge into a jarred condiment that works well with a cheese plate, i.e. fig spreads (I’ve linked to a good one), Grey Poupon mustard or pretty pickles—which I published a recipe for in Sunday Best Dishes.

Stock up on Olives—loading a ramekin full of them works out nicely next to your cheeseboard.  Moroccan beldi olives are particularly tasty with any fine cheese—they come in so many pretty colors—from big plum colored purples to small and shriveled marble sizes. Roasted red peppers pair well, especially the ones that have marinated in a spicy vinaigrette, and kalamata olives deliver the perfect punch! Just check out this olive bar photo to get in the mood.

 
Prepare a few descriptive adjectives about each cheese before you serve it—it’s a fun way to put on a few pounds before the party, but hey…we all have to do our homework! Use a separate knife for each cheese and, obviously, group like-smelling cheeses, otherwise (as the song goes) ya gotta keep ‘em separated!

Parting tip about cheese for your next killer risotto: Use cheese rinds in your cooking; it’s perfectly edible and will flavor a rice, casserole or soup like nobody’s business. Parmigiano Reggiano is ideal for this. As far as what drinks are loveliest to wash your cheeses down with, I searched high and low before I was satisfied and found this article, worth pinning to Pinterest: Some exciting drink pairing for cheese.

Enjoy your cheese within 24 hours of unwrapping it, and be sure to refrigerate between uses…I’m off to carve off a little more of that Santori….

A Huge Wine Tasting Event Featuring Full Thanksgiving Spread…What a Grand Idea!

Ever witnessed an idea so fine, you wished you thought of it yourself? That’s how I felt about the Thanksgiving Wine and Food Gala put on by Doris’ Italian Market. I hope they do it again next year. As soon as the store closed for regular business hours last Friday night, the doors opened wide to about 150 wine lovers; ladies were handing out wine glasses like long stemmed roses, and everyone was encouraged to head straight to the Thanksgiving banquet built around—and because of—the 62 wines available for tasting.

As you can see from this photo, a full, traditional Thanksgiving dinner took center stage, giving guests a chance to try pairing all sorts of wines, to see what worked best.

There was a wine specialist on standby, answering all the typical FAQ, like, “turkey can be so bland. Are there any wines that bring out its flavor instead of just overwhelming it?” To which Mr. Oenophilia answered, “all of the wines here today were carefully selected to pair well with turkey and all of the classic sides for Thanksgiving Day.”

The specialist was also asked what HE would be drinking on Thanksgiving, and he motioned toward this bottle of grapes:  

The Chateau Ste. Michelle Canoe Ridge Sauvignon, adding that it was “just lovely.” On the wine point system it ranked close to 100, the best a wine can get. At over $30 a bottle it did hover just a little bit above the suggested $25-per-bottle-maximum a lot of Thanksgiving wine tips tell you to set. The reason caps are set fairly low is for quantity reasons. You really should have a bottle of wine for every 2 guests, which, on Thanksgiving adds up quick.

A less expensive wine that popped up as the wine specialist’s “Next Best Thing” (My Sunday Best book fans will know why I inserted a smiley face here : ) ) is the St. Michelle Indian Wells Red Blend. I tried both wines and they were—just as the specialist said, really, really, lovely and nice.     

I knew I was going to pick up a bottle of red, white and at least one dessert wine—but not until I’d tried as many as I could; these wines, besides the 2 mentioned above were the clear standouts:

• 667 Pinot Noir (This was just so fantastic with squares of parmesan cheese that I could go on for pages….) If you’re having a round of appetizers before your big turkey meal, this is really the way to go—but it tastes great with the main event, too.
• Morning Fog Chardonnay: Just read the description in this picture. Get in my cart, you rascal!
  
• Gnarly Head Authentic Red: The labeling looks like a scene out of The Legends of Sleepy Hallow; it’s got a concentrated dark fruit flavor and comes from a city in California (Lodi) where the vineyard vines really are gnarled.
• Dreaming Tree Everyday White: This was the driest white wine to ever cross these taste buds—and I could see a lot of people liked that at this tasting. Guests were standing at end caps in the store, balancing their holiday plates on crates stacked high with Dreaming Tree. The dry and subtly sweet nature of the wine went so well with the roasted turkey breast drowning in Doris’ gravy.
• Frostbitten Ice Riesling: This emerged as the event favorite; the store ran out of this awesomely sweet-but not too much—wine in the first hour and, as of yesterday, is still sold out! It comes in a beautiful bottle with a snowflake on it, and is such a great pairing with all the holiday pies you’ll comes across in the next 3 months that I wholly advocate it as a stocking stuffer. Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz was the next best thing.

So, what did I learn at this event? The short answer is that Pinot Noirs, Rieslings and Chardonnays are some of the safest bets when you’re talking turkey. Give some of them a swirl (in your tasting glass!) and you’ll see what I mean.

Let’s Talk Turkey!

Different holidays prompt the funniest questions from home chefs. I came across one at Easter that admitted to having to google how to make hard boiled eggs, year after year. That got me thinking that the same might be true when it comes to turkey prep on Thanksgiving.  The truth is, not many people roast a magnificent, heavy bird on a regular basis, and come November perhaps some of us have forgotten how. This 2^nd blog in my 2013 Thanksgiving series is on brining and other important steps in roasting your turkey to perfection.

So without further adieu….

I prefer fresh, organic turkey. It’s hardly a shock—but I find they cook in half the time of a frozen bird and are tender and juicy, beyond compare; the best bird I ever had was a 24 pounder we nicknamed Harry. He was fresh off the farm and overflowed the roasting pan. I prepared him using my age-old recipe in At Home in the Kitchen for Herb and Sherry Roasted Turkey with Savory Gravy—click the recipe link for step by step instructions with juicy photos!

This year I ordered mine from New Life Farm in Boon, NC—way, way in advance of November. I called New Life just to chat with the farmer-in-chief about how hard it is to come by a fresh turkey for Thanksgiving. It turns out, he sold out in September! He says that the average weight of (one of his) free range turkeys is around 16 pounds. He raised and sold about 50 turkeys this season, and saved one for his family, which he plans to brine for up to 2 hours in salt and herbs and smoke on a Green Egg grill. YUM! He recommended Bare Essentials as another place to find a competitively priced bird, at around 3.95 per pound.  If you’ve ordered through New Life, you can pick up the star centerpiece to your Thanksgiving at the Watauga Farmers Market, or simply pick it up at the farm. These birds really must be good, as Cory told me that he’s been asked to supply Bare Essentials with all their turkeys next year. Congrats to New Life! I’m proud to be a customer : )

Here are some other places (in North Caroline & beyond!) that know how to talk turkey:

·         --The Fresh Market (click the link to start an order)

·         --Whole Foods

·         --Trader Joe’s (hey, South Florida friends—have you checked out the 1^st TJ’s in Pembroke Pines??)

All that being said, I realize not everyone could lay hands on a fresh turkey and may have to welcome a frozen one; just make sure to follow the USDA guideline of thawing it properly, in the refrigerator or very cold water, around 40 degrees; the formula for thawing is one day for every 4 to 5 pounds. In cold water, rather than the fridge, you can cut that time in half—about 30 minutes per pound; a big cooler with ice just might do the trick.

Here are some other important things to remember when you’re talkin’ turkey….  

     Add flavor to your turkey with moisture! Get a juicy finished product by making sure that most of the flavor enhancements going into your turkey are moist, i.e. honey, butter, molasses, citrus juices and broths. I’ve always rubbed the turkey up and under with herbed butter. Soaking the flavor in a brine solution works wonders too. 

·        Let your turkey rest about 1 hour after it comes out of the oven. It’ll be moister and easier to carve once you’re ready to dig in.   About brining….You want to soak the turkey in the brine for about 1 hour per pound of turkey, adding 1 ½ cups salt per gallon of water. The water must be cold—once again, at about 40 degrees.

This Simple Brining Solution Makes for a Really Juicy Outcome!

Use 3 cups cider, 2 gallons cold H20, 8 sprigs fresh rosemary, 5 cloves garlic, ¾ cup Kosher salt, 2 cups brown sugar, 3 tablespoons peppercorns, 5 whole bay leaves and about 3 quartered oranges with the  peels still on.

My turkey roasting technique…

I preheat the oven to 450, place the turkey in the oven and immediately reduce heat to 325 degrees. Cooking time is 15 to 20 minutes per pound. Add five minutes per pound if the bird is stuffed—for some excellent variations on stuffing, check out this link on the Food Network, who snagged me with their cranberry, caramelized onion and goat cheese stuffing recipe—might just have to try that one, in addition to my foolproof White Raisin Stuffing that I can’t wait to try with a bottle of Pinot Grigio. For the gravy, I defer to my blog post from November, 2011.

So get crackin’, home cooks and call or write immediately if you want my help—I’ve cooked my share of turkeys. In fact, an exact number of how many might just depress me. Good thing, I’ve got another blog on choosing the perfect wine on the November blog publishing schedule—look for that one on November 23, 2013.  Cheers!

How to Give Your Thanksgiving Cranberry Sauce the Attention it Deserves!

In a parody about Thanksgiving cranberry sauce (I posted it to Facebook), one line about the notorious, obligatory, sweet n’ tangy side dish got stuck in my head; it was the cranberry sauce saying: “ I’ve got feelings, I’m scrumptious, and I deserve more.”

You know what, cranberry sauce? I couldn’t agree more. I know that a lot of people remember sad little cans of the stuff served in the Thanksgivings of their childhood—even then it wasn’t terrible, but I’m here to tell you it can be infinitely more than just OK. If anything, cranberry sauce is the perfect palate for early winter fruits, spices and late autumnal flavors—pomegranate, maple soaked, cinnamon flavored notes that can hit the palate just right…that is, if you’re willing to prepare your cranberry sauce with love.

Everyone familiar with my entertaining style knows that, whenever possible, I like to make up food in advance. Cranberry sauce is something you can check off your to-do list as early as 2 weeks ahead of Thanksgiving. Your typical recipe for it yields so much ruby-colored sauce that you’re well advised to divide up half of it, seal it for the freezer, and enjoy the rest at Christmas dinner. It’s great for so much more than taking up that reserved, compartmentalized space on your plate, near the mashed potatoes. When you futz around with the recipe, thinking of last minute thickening agents like molasses and orange segments, you can dial up cranberry sauce’s texture to be a relish or a chutney, great for slathering over sandwiches, or serving atop a cracker with melted goat cheese.

I produced a saucy version when I made it this week, and enjoyed my cranberry sauce a number of ways. I whipped up a Cherry Crumble Cake from Sunday Best Dishes and used it as a sweet cranberry syrup over the top. I mixed a half cup of it with champagne in a punchbowl (YUM!). I even whisked a little red wine vinegar in, at one point, and made a vinaigrette for a strawberry and chicken salad. I’m telling you, it’s a very versatile side dish and prompted me to look at how different celebrity chefs make their’s. The Pioneer Woman basically reduces cranberries with pure maple syrup and a little cinnamon; that’s all. Alton Brown likes to blow through a lot of oranges, and Martha Stewart sets her’s apart by featuring the seasonal freshness of pomegranate seeds in (one of many) her version. Some famous chefs call it a day with the simplistic approach of using just cranberries and red currant jelly—it’s a delicious result that may be simple, but beats emptying a can with the ridges still showing on the sides of the cranberry sauce, am I right?           

The cranberry sauce recipe, I’m featuring in today’s blog was done with lots of refreshing citrus zest; the maple syrup I swear by in a pancake recipe from Sunday Best, and a fair amount of lovely green Anjou pears because they are a staple for me this time of year.  I also used a splash of dry red wine, which “classes up” cranberry sauce like nobody’s business.  My results were sweet and tangy enough that I’m upgrading the dish I typically use for cranberries this Thanksgiving.  It’s a side dish that should be wearing its Sunday Best, even if we’re celebrating Thursday night!

Thanksgiving Cranberry Sauce

2 (12-ounce) bags fresh cranberries

2 large, ripe pears, peeled, cored and diced
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and diced, about 1 cup
Zest of 1 medium orange, about 2 teaspoons
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated, about 1 tablespoon
½ cup dry red wine
1/3 cup natural cane sugar
¾ cup Molasses
1/3 cup honey
1 cinnamon stick

·       Place the cranberries, pears, apple, orange zest, ginger and dry red wine in a stock pot and bring to a boil.

·       Turn heat to medium. Stir continuously until cranberries start to break open, about 15 minutes.

·       Reduce to a simmer and pour 1 cup water and sugar over the cranberry mixture. Stir in the  molasses and honey. Add the cinnamon stick.

·       Simmer 10-15 minutes; remove cinnamon stick after cooking.

·       Remove cranberry sauce from heat, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator 4 hours or overnight.

Let’s Talk Beer and Burgers…on a Sunday….Does It Get Any Better than That?

Ladies and Gentleman, The Sunday Best Grilled Beef Brisket Burger

Another weekend is here, and I can think of only one thing…well, two things if you want to get technical: burgers and beer! You can make 8 burgers with my "Sunday Best Burger" recipe...and of course, everyone at the table needs something extra special to wash it down with--and that's what prompted me to get on the trending subject of craft beer and how it not only compliments a burger, but elevates its flavors into Napkin Heaven! The simplicity if this recipe is just beautiful, and wholly worthy of a Summer Wheat beer to go along with--beyond the 3 pounds of brisket, all you need to finish the job are olive oil and Worchester, garlic and S&P (make that kosher salt and pepper straight from the mill!)

But I’m not here to talk about meat, so much as beer.

 

Everyone knows I’m a wine enthusiast, but I’ll be the first to admit the ol’ bottled grape has had the upper hand for way too long. Beer is a formidable opponent when it comes to food pairing; its carbonation—all those tiny bubbles—scrub your tongue and make each bite extra flavorful. The ultimate pairing tip is so simple with beer: you simply match like with like, and with those spicy dishes remember that sweet calms heat. If your entrée has some bitter, earthy undertones, you’ll want a bitter beer. If something is super fatty, a hoppy beer will cut through that heavy feeling in your mouth. If you’re drinking beer to go along with your “Death by Chocolate” dessert, a nice thick stout works wonders. The scenarios are endless and look even better with your beer goggles on, LOL!    

So now that I’m talking India Pale Ales (IPAs), stouts and lagers for the first time on my blog, I’ll go ahead and divulge my key sources of information on this topic: my son, Jonathan Morgan, who got his first brewing kit from Williams-Sonoma, and Bobby Gordash, a professional brew master who makes the occasional public appearance (recently at my local Whole Foods) and dishes on what he’s learned since winning the Sam Adams Home Brewers Award. Gordash has brought us beloved beers like Panic Attack, Swamp Ape and Holy Mackerel—really, good stuff!

First, my son’s thoughts…and let me preface them by reminding everyone that without Jon the drool inducing ebook that is Sunday Best Dishes would never have been possible. Here’s his litany of libations—or to put it more simply, the beer he’s made so far.

·         Summer Wheat

·         Smoked Wheat/chestnut brown ale (his favorite; made it twice)

·         Chocolate Maple Porter

Says Jon:  “I've always wanted to try brewing, ever since my freshman year of college when I experienced some outstanding craft beer in Italy. While I was working at Williams-Sonoma, I used my employee discount to get a brew kit at a reduced price—I’ve made a few batches since. When I pair dinner with beer, I go with a smoky flavor theme.  I’ll grill up some turkey burgers with chipotle pepper mixed into the meat (along with a little chicken broth to add moisture and carry the chipotle through the whole patty), and then top it with some slices of smoked gouda and charred bell peppers and onions. It’s important to toast the buns on the grill with some mayonnaise until JUST starting to blacken on the edges. I try to use a charcoal grill if I can, as gas grills won't impart the same kind of smoky deliciousness.”

                                                                                                                                               
What can I say: Apple….Tree!

So try out a beer kit like Jon did, or simply patronize a brewery near you; they have started cropping up all over Florida. For my NC friends, the craft beer trend is clearly established with the presence of SIXTEEN breweries in Ashville alone. Jon recommends the Fat Tire and Duck Rabbit!  If you’re shopping beer in Lauderdale, he recommends Total Wine & Liquor, and encourages you to look for some of the strong Danish and Scottish Ales in the +6% ABV range—then come on home and make something chargrilled and amazing from Sunday Best!

OK—I’ll get off my beer box now!

Send us your Sunday Best!

Your Photo Could Win the Newly Released Cookbook: Sunday Best Dishes: a Cookbook for Passionate Cooks!

When the little girl in this black and white photo said “cheese”, it was somewhere in the mid-1950s—a time in American culture and cuisine that inspired me to create a career in food. A capricious 7-year old by 1960, I have so many memories of life in the Ozzy & Harriet days, when taking joy rides in the family car on Sundays worked up a serious appetite. Well I remember that winding road to Grandma’s house after church. Her blueberry pancakes and homemade preserves were next to Godliness. I also recall the baked beans, scalloped potatoes and smoky franks of all those after-game picnics. Getting back to the time and quality people used to devote to dinner time has been the impetus of everything I’ve ever written. I will always be a family-style cook, and my newest cookbook is a culmination of everything I’ve learned and loved in my 30 odd years of cooking for a living.

So, it is with GREAT pride (and a sigh of relief after more than a year of hard work) to introduce my sixth book: SUNDAY BEST DISHES: a cookbook for Passionate Cooks. This book is extra special for me because it was the first time I collaborated with my family to publish something. I owe my sons, who worked on this project with me, sooooooo much!

My son Jonathan Morgan, a graphic artist and a super-genius, built my book that was once just a 3-ring binder full of recipes, into an interactive e-book with click and tap widgets that show even the most novice home cook how to cook like an Iron Chef. My other son, Chris, click his name to see his incredible photography portfolio, snapped each and every one of the drool-inducing photos that appear in Sunday Best Dishes.

The best part of my collaboration? I got to spend so much extra time with my boys. We lived this cookbook together for a whole year and had so much fun, cooking and growing together. Tears are hitting the keyboard just typing that. My thanks to the entire Morgan clan, and all my recipe testers that have become like part of the family along the way. I hope they’ll take part in the contest I’m proposing:

The Contest: Submit a photo of you or a group dressed in your Sunday Best, or at the Sunday dinner table—it can be recent or from years ago—to my assistant: jen@rrusson.com or simply post it to “The Nana Network.” We’ll pick a winner and announce him or her on Grandparents Day, September 8^th, 2013. To get a good gander at what you’re winning, check out the book’s exclusive website and photo gallery at http://sundaybestdishes.com/

Good night and Good luck!