Nurturing my inner... out with the old

A brief posting tonight on New Year's Eve.  (Mostly because I really was not impressed with 2010 and quickly want 2011 to get rung in and pick things up!)

Yahoo does these great little video vignettes, called Second Act, about people changing careers midlife and really embracing their true passions.  There are stories about a management consultant turned goat cheese farmer, heart transplant guy who is walking a marathon in every state in the US, overweight/high cholesterol dude becoming an extreme unicyclist, IT developer opening a brick oven pizzeria, nurse transformed into actor, business woman making intricately designed cookies, artist switching to beekeeper (she's in CT so maybe she'll let me interview her next Summer), and on and on!!  I love these few minute documentaries because all the people featured are middle-aged and at one time or another in their lives they felt that they were meant for something different.  Something more.  When they found their opportunity, they took it.  And worked hard to make the most of it.  Regardless of their financial situations after the switch, they all were happy to have taken the leap!  You can see it in their eyes.  It seems that when you do what you love, what you were created for, you cannot help but be a success!

If you're one of the very few people who really love what you do for a living, I envy you.  In fact, I need information from you.  Please call me and cough up all your career-adoring secrets.  But I'd guess that most of us feel like what we do for 40 (or 50 or more!) hours a week is alright and we like it just fine, but it really doesn't fully satisfy us in the deepest parts of our souls.  Where our truest self lies.  We all have something we possess an honest, natural talent for and would enjoy doing for more of our day than we do right at this moment.  It could be something we're already doing now on the side part time or something we haven't even yet discovered.

I hope in 2011 you lean into that quiet, small voice whispering inside of you and pay it some real attention to it.  (You know it's been trying to talk to you.)  Honor it (and yourself) by slowing down, really listening and don't dismiss any ideas - silly as some may seem.  Nurture your inner dreams!  No matter who tries to tell you how foolish they are, you hold tight!

In the meantime, I leave you with the gelato my brother gave me.  It got slightly melted in the car while we were out, but it tasted just fine once I got it home and into a bowl.  It also happened to be in a really cool container, which made it even better.

Not too sweet. Very nice!
My favorite flavor.

Your assignment for next year: be daring!  Do something you've always wanted to do.  (Perhaps while eating gelato, because that always makes it better.)  I want to hear what you're up to.  Hello 2011, we're ready for you!!  I hope you're ready for us!!

Nurturing my inner... when the past meets the present, pt 5

Welcome to the fifth and final installment of my first Thanksgiving dinner.  My message since I started this blog in August has been simply this: I'm a moron in the kitchen, so if I can cook, anyone can cook.  I hope I've been the purveyor of hope and inspiration, if little else, as I've tackled a bunch of tasty adventures so far.  If I'm allowed in the kitchen and can actually crank out some incredibly yummy things, just think about what you can do!

Pt 5: Steamed Asparagus

1 bunch of fresh asparagus
Dash of salt
Lemon zest, if you want it

You can make this in your sleep.

I look for thinner stalks because they
are more tender.

I start by breaking off the bottom of the stalks, because they are hard.  Then I get out my trusty peeler.  Super sharp, small and easy to handle.

If your peeler is getting dull, I suggest buying
one of these. $3.50 and then with an extra
 discount at Williams & Sonoma outlet.

Peel the bottom of the stalks to make sure all the stringy stuff is gone.  Takes just a few extra minutes, but you'll be glad you did it.

What a little peeling won't do to help.

Asparagus seems like a fancy holiday vegetable, so we might as well present it in its best light.

Shiny, silky, smooth stalks.

I asked my mom to get me a counter top steamer like this and have really not gone back to making asparagus any other way.  It does the job right.

A worthwhile purchase.

Add water to the bottom of the steamer, put the compartment over that (which has a little mesh herb well you can put some fresh herbs in and when it steams it will flavor your veggies), secure the basket on top and add in your freshly prepared asparagus.

They are long, but they'll fit if you get
creative with your layering.

Plug in and set the timer to 10 - 15 minutes.  If you like them crunchy, use less time.  If you prefer them more tender, then a little longer will do.  You can test with a fork along the way.

So easy. Really. It's ridiculous.
I can't really call this cooking.

The heating element warms up the water quickly and steam will form.  (Blocking your view of what's inside, but you can always lift the lid to peek.)

I know you're in there!

What I like about this steamer, unlike boiling them in a pan, is that the vitamins and nutrients don't get drained away with the water.  They are locked in there for good.  You can top this simply with a dash of salt.  You can also add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a bit of zest to give your vegetable a fresh, bright bite.

Keep the vegetable simple when other dishes
you're making have more complicated flavors.

A total of six hours later, from raw ingredients to serving on a plate, let's see how all that hard work has paid off.

Potato/celery root mash and turkey.

And don't forget the other sides.

Dressing, asparagus and gravy.

Now to create the complete masterpiece.  Time to reward your patience.  The money shot.

It was out of this world!

You really gotta give me props here.  For this being my first attempt at what I think of as a truly substantial, multi-dish meal.  I covered all the traditional elements and then jazzed things up a little here and there.  I called my mom and she said, "What?  You did this all for yourself?"  Sure.  Why not!  It was high time for me to take on this long awaited challenge.  I'm not afraid of a little turkey dinner anymore.  I can do anything!  (Well, let's actually reserve that exclamation for the day I make a soufflé.)

I had lots of left overs, so I put some mashed potatoes, dressing, turkey and gravy into single serving boxes and put them in the freezer.  I ended up having dinner on Thanksgiving Day with a friend whose pilot husband was out of town, so I took two of these out of the freezer that morning and brought them to her house for an early afternoon meal.  It didn't even taste like it was leftovers!  And neither of us had to get up at 5:00 am to cook an entire turkey.  That sounds like the kind of holiday I prefer.

A little of each item perfectly packaged
for a later date.

With all that cooking, and time on my feet, I wasn't feeling ambitious enough to take on making a dessert.  (One large endeavor at a time!)  Thank goodness Wegmans has the most fantastic premade sweets to help me out.



Desserts with Mr. & Mrs. Turkey place mats.
She even has little eyelashes, how cute!


I got Wegmans pumpkin roll (this package was two slices, but you can get it in a half or whole logs as well and it is INCREDIBLE!!!!) and their pumpkin walnut bars (like dense pumpkin pie). Help me, these were so good it hurt.

I barely had room after my wonderful dinner,
but I managed.

Sadly, all great dinners must come to an end.  And what you have left are many wonderful memories... and a lot of dirty dishes.  Next time, remind me to strike a bargain with someone that if they come over, I'll cook and they can clean up!

Signs of a dinner that went over very well.

It's really too bad when people wait so long to get family recipes from their moms, aunts and grandmothers.  (Or dads, uncles and grandfathers.)  Often times, it ends up being too late.  And unfortunately, the person who made that "oh-so-amazing-no-one-else-has-ever-made-it-better-and-i'd-kill-to-have-it-right-now" whatever it was, isn't here anymore to demonstrate and hand out the secret ingredients and techniques.  If it was never written down, the recipe may have been lost with the loved one.  I hope you look to this as a chance to not let that happen and you reach out to someone in your family and get ALL the details recorded of some of your favorite dishes.  (Like my family did for my Nana & Papa's Spanish paella.)  I might also recommend you videotape them too, if they are comfortable and will allow it.  What they may not be saying to you while they cook, you may catch later when you rewatch the video.

Once you have mastered those time-tested family favorites, I also hope you take the opportunity to introduce your own spin on things.  Tweak the ingredients.  Create future traditional foods.  Do the younger folks a favor though: write it all down for them!

Nurturing my inner... when the past meets the present, pt 4

Over halfway through my very first Thanksgiving dinner and certainly the most difficult tasks were behind me.  Now on to something slightly - weird.

Part 4: Mashed Celery Root and Potatoes

1/2 lb celery root, peeled and cubed
2 lbs red potatoes, cubed
Milk
Heavy cream
Butter
Salt
Colby Jack cheese, shredded

I've seen this funky looking root used on Food Network TV and have always wanted to try it.  I'm a big fan of celery and thought using the root would be fun.  Though it looks super strange.

Like an alien vegetable from outer space.

To prepare, cut off the celery fronds.

A good start.

Peel the rest of the skin off and you'll be left with an odd shaped block of root.

All nubbly.

Cut into cubes and I put them in water because I wasn't sure if they would brown when exposed to the air.

Set aside.

I like the texture of red potatoes when mashed.  But Yukon Gold or Russet would be fine if that's what you normally use.

The skins are thin on red potatoes.

I take out any suspicious blemishes and then cut into cubes the same size as the celery root so they all get done at the same time.

No time to make up a small bowl. One
should be generous with potatoes.

Add potatoes and celery root cubes to boiling water.

The celery root floats. Bizarro.

Cook until fork tender and drain in a colander.

Yeah, gotta leave the skins on for
texture variety.

Toss in a mixing bowl.  Add butter, milk, heavy cream and salt to taste and to achieve the creaminess you prefer.  Note: Add ingredients sparingly because you can always put in additional amounts, but you can't take away if you've overmilked and created runny potato soup.

I can't really give you measurements because
everyone likes something different.

Mix with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.  I don't like hand mashed potatoes nearly as much as I prefer the mixer because I like my potatoes super creamy and light.  That's how my mom always made them.  The celery root is my addition and contributes a subtle celery flavor that is sure to become a new favorite for you.

Oh, I just LOVE potatoes. Never met a spud
I disagreed with.

And since this is a big holiday, we just have to go all out.  Have to have some cheese on top.  I like Colby jack.  A nice blend of sharp and mild cheeses in a mottled blend.

I'd stay away from really plain, super mild
cheeses, but anything sharper will do.

Shred up on the large size grater side.



Cheese kicks it up another notch.

 Add to top of mashed potatoes and celery root, then cover with foil.  The trapped steam will melt the cheese in time for you to serve.

Just keeps getting better with every dish,
doesn't it!

One more dish to make and we'll be ready to eat!

Nurturing my inner... when the past meets the present, pt 3

If you read my previous two posts, this needs no introduction.  We're on to Part 3 of my first, I-swear-I-made-it-all-by-myself, Thanksgiving dinner.

Part 3: Apple, Sausage and Herb Dressing

1/2 lb sausage
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
1/2 apple, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups stuffing cubes
2 sprigs sage, chopped
2 sprigs rosemary, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup turkey broth
1 egg, beaten
2 tsps butter

Think of this item as mostly homemade with just a little prepackaged lending hand.

I'm sure any of the many flavors would do.

I used half a package of sausage and chose the savory one because I felt it would work best with the flavors I wanted to happen.  What I liked about this brand was that the sausage was finely ground.

I try to break into small pieces from the start.

In just a short while, and with me using a wooden spoon to continue to chop into as small pieces, each piece gets crispy edges.  I want that before I put the sausage in with everything else so that I get all kinds of texture.

Browned edges.

Fruit and veggies needed to be prepared next.  Apple is often paired with sausage, guess it's that sweet with spicy thing, and dressing always seems to have onion and celery.

Great sweet, sharp and crunchy combo.

I didn't want the apple in very large pieces, so I tried to cut it to match the celery.

Kind of like the monochromatic feel.

Into a pan and a quick saute to make the onions translucent and the apples and celery just a bit soft.

Happens quite quickly.

When I went to the store, I had every intention of buying plain cubed stuffing mix.  But the bags of it were just ginormous!  I knew I didn't need that much, which made it impractical to purchase.  I also realized I would have to buy poultry seasoning and figure out what else should go into the cubes to flavor them.  So when I happened upon some Stove Top (I know, I sound like a commercial), I figured that was a good compromise.  I was using a little box mix, but adding a lot of fresh ingredients to it.  There was peace in my soul about it.

Don't be afraid to take a helping hand.

Into a glass bowl.

Could always use stale bread, if you
were particularly ambitious.

On top of that went the sausage and the veggie/fruit blend.

Building up the layers of flavor.

I had planned all along on carrying the flavors I was using in the turkey into the dressing.  (Which apparently is the word for stuffing when you don't actually stuff it into the bird.)

Fresh herbs make all the difference.

I took maybe a dozen sage leaves and couple sprigs of rosemary and chopped them up somewhat fine.

The awesome flavor is released.

Add the herbs to the bowl, pour in the turkey broth and mix it all up.  Then add the beaten egg and mix it some more.  The egg helps it to bake up light and fluffy.  Gives it some lift.

All the great flavors in one place.

Butter a 9" x 12" baking dish to ensure nothing sticks after it bakes.

I'm sure spray would be okay too, but
I like the flavor of real butter.

Dump the entire bowl of dressing into the pan and then lightly pack it so it's flat on top.

Get it all in there.

To the top, I like to add a little melted butter.  It is the holiday after all.  Use the real stuff.

Butter makes it better.

I put it into a 375 degree oven for 30 - 40 minutes or until browned on top.  That crispy outer layer is important, as we all know.

I think I could eat this on its own.
Where's my fork?

Mmm, wonder what comes next???

Nurturing my inner... when the past meets the present, pt 2

Up next is the big guy.  Because he takes the longest in the oven.  My timing wasn't perfect to have everything piping hot at the exact same time, but I think I did pretty well for my first attempt.  I'm sure you'll be even better at it than I was.

Part 2: Sage and Rosemary Roasted Turkey Breast with Gravy

3 lb turkey breast, with the skin
2 tbsps butter, room temp
dash of salt
sprinkle of pepper
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, whole
2 sprigs of fresh sage, whole
2 cups of turkey stock
2 tsps flour

Gratuitous shot of my holiday kitchen towels.  Might as well be festive while you're in a cooking frenzy.

Mom buys me these. They come in super
handy with the messes I make.

I don't own a roasting pan... yet.  Which nearly caused me to freak out that day because I thought, well, what the heck was I going to cook the turkey in?  Good thing I bought this 3 1/2 quart Le Creuset buffet casserole pan.

The perfect size for my purposes.

No way was I going to make a huge turkey all for me.  I already had the plan to make just a turkey breast.  I am mostly a white meat eater anyway, so this cut was going to be just enough to step up to my task.

Such a manageable size for a small group.
And very affordable.

Into a bowl went the butter, salt and pepper.  I mushed it up to make a paste.

The vehicle for the flavor you're about to add.

Peel back the skin and create space underneath.

Icky, but necessary.

Spread most of the butter on the flesh under the skin. 

Turkey masseuse.

I just went with two common fresh herbs that work extremely well with turkey: Sage & Rosemary.

Can't use dried today. Sorry, no substitutes.

Take out a couple/few sprigs of each.

So woodsy and strong.

Tuck the whole sprigs on top of the butter, but under the skin.

Will infuse the meat with flavor.

Boxed turkey broth was easy enough to use here.

No need to make your own.

Pull the skin over the herbs and use the remaining butter on the top so it will assist with browning.  That will help create the crispiness too.  Then add a couple cups of broth to the bottom of the pan.  I used that to baste the turkey about every 15 minutes with a spoon.  Covered that up and into a 375 degree oven it went.

Moisture is your friend today.

After an hour or so, I wanted to see how the old boy was doing.  I took him out and put in the meat thermometer.  Not even 120, so certainly not done yet.  Back in he went, but with the lid off.  You can add more broth to the bottom if you need it.

Handy meat thermometer.

About 2 - 2 1/2 hours (total time from the start) later, and after your meat thermometer comes up to 170, you're in business.  These things definitely take time and everyone's oven is different.  Don't rush the process, just plan for it to take a while.

Wow.  Look mom, I did it!

Take the turkey breast out of the pan, put on a plate and cover with a piece of foil.  Let sit so the juices don't run all over the place when you go to carve it.  10 - 15 minutes should do it.

Tucked away to rest.

What you will have left in your pan is the condensed broth and drippings.  This will become your gravy.

The start to a great gravy.

Take your pan and put on top of your stove, turn up flame until you get it to a simmer.  Add a teaspoon or two of flour while constantly whisking, until it's the viscosity you prefer.  My family likes to use Wondra, a very fine flour, which creates less lumps.  I didn't have that, so I used regular flour.

Add as much flour as you'd like until it's as
thick as you want it.

To make sure I had no lumps, and to rid myself of all bits of left over herbs, I used a small strainer and passed the gravy through it.  To make it easy to pour into the strainer, I used a ladle to take it out of the pan and put it into my two cup measurer that has a handy pour spout.

Lumps are the enemy!

This gravy is going to really complete the turkey experience and add that lovely moisture back in.  But there is more left to do.