Category: Food & Drink

1. I originally saw this “stirred, not shaken”. In my experience, you may not get the maple syrup to fully dissolve by stirring, so I prefer to make this one in my trusty shaker (also, drinks with citrus are classically shaken). The RC Dean method is to put everything but the seltzer and garnish in a shaker, pour over ice, top with seltzer and garnish.
2. Protip: if you add the seltzer to the shaker, you will get a spectacular mess, so don’t do that.

1. Beat egg yolks, sugar and nutmeg until falls off a whisk in a smooth ribbon
2. Combine the dairy, booze and salt in different container
3. Slowly beat the booze mixture into the egg mixture
4. Store in glass container(s) for 2 weeks to 2 months* in refrigerator
5. Serve in glasses with nutmeg (fresh is best) garnish

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Process the artichoke hearts in a food processor until smooth.
3. Add cream cheese, Parmesan, mayonnaise, garlic and dill to the artichoke mixture in the food processor and process until desired texture, but well blended.
4. Spoon into a 9-inch pie pan.
5. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until bubbly and light golden brown.

1. With a small whisk, combine the sugar, salt, yeast and 1 cup of flour in a small bowl.
2. In a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup, heat milk, water, and margarine or butter to about 105F. If it’s too hot, let it cool a bit before using.
3. Place the dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor or stand mixer. With the machine running, pour in the liquid ingredients. Process or mix for 2 minutes or so. Scrape the bowl sides, add 1/2 cup more flour and beat or process until a soft dough forms, about 2 more minutes. The dough will be sticky, but should loosely hold its shape.
4. If the dough is too soft, mix in the rest of the flour a tablespoon at a time until the dough is still soft but holds shape. Turn the dough out and let it rest on a floured surface, covered, for 10-15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, grease an 8-inch round cake pan. An actual 8-inch pan, not man “8-inches.”
6. Divide the dough into 8-12 pieces and shape into rounds. (I am a little compulsive, so I weigh the dough to have rolls of the same size at the end.) Place the shaped rolls in the greased cake pan, cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
7. While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 375F.
8. Bake the rolls for 20 minutes or until nicely browned. If you wish, brush the top of the rolls with a little melted margarine or butter. Serve pretty close to immediately.

1. Add 1 c water, butter and sugar to scalded milk.
2. Cool to lukewarm.
3. Add 1/4 c water and yeast. Rest 10 minutes.
4. Add flour salt and sugar. Beat 100 strokes with wooden spoon.
5. Let rise 2 hours.
6. Cut into 2 and shape into loaves.
7. Put loaves on greased sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Slash tops and let rise 30 minutes or more.
8. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes then at 350 for 30 minutes more.

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put the butter in a 10-inch pie plate and place it in the oven to melt.
2. Mix the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.
3. When the butter has melted, take the pie plate out of the oven and swirl the butter around to coat the pan.
4. Let it cool for 1 or 2 minutes, then pour the butter into the milk-egg mixture. Whisk to combine.
5. Whisk the liquid into the dry mixture–not too strenuously. A few lumps are okay.
6. Pour into the pie plate and bake for 25 minutes. When it is done, the bread will be slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean.
7. Serve immediately. Leftovers keep for a few days, covered, at room temperature.

1. Put (3) 1-pound bags of whole cranberries into large saucepot.
2. Add 1.5 cup of orange juice, 2-1/4 cup sugar, nutmeg, pinch of cinnamon and salt.
3. Start on high heat, once boiling- cover and turn down to simmer.
4. Cook 30-35min and stir every 10 minutes. Turn heat off and let sit with cover for 20-25 min.
5. Pour into tray and place in the fridge.

1. One bag cranberries, one cup sugar, one cup orange juice and some orange zest.
2. Bring to a simmer and cook until the berries pop.

1. Bring liquid to boil, add sugar and dissolve.
2. Add japs and simmer/slow boil/reduce until mixture is bubbly and thick (couple hours or so).
3. Jar it up and refrigerate. Top burgers, pulled pork, anything.

1. Coat a standard loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. Place raspberries in a wire strainer over a large bowl and sprinkle sugar on top. Allow to thaw completely, tossing occasionally. Reserve juices.
3. Bloom/dissolve lemon jello in boiling water (approx. 5 minutes). Add cream cheese and grape juice to blender. After jello is bloomed, crank blender to high and slowly pour in lemon jello while blender is running. Pour into loaf pan. Cover and refrigerate until jello is firm set.
4. Add water to reserved raspberry juice to equal 1 3/4 cups (sometimes I go to 1 1/2 cups if the raspberries are particularly juicy). Nuke juice/water to just shy of boiling. Add raspberry jello and stir until dissolved. Gently stir in thawed raspberries.
5. Cover and refrigerate raspberry jello until is it cool and egg white consistency. Pour/spoon raspberry jello over lemon jello/cream cheese in loaf pan. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
6. Slice with a spatula and serve over a leaf of Bibb lettuce.

1. Place 3 cups lettuce in bottom of large glass bowl. (Doesn’t need to be glass, but it makes for a nice layered presentation before tossing.)
2. Sprinkle with sugar, salt, and pepper.
3. Layer eggs over lettuce, lining up a few around the edge of the bowl for looks.
4. Layer peas, celery, olives, remaining lettuce, bacon, and cheese.
5. Whisk together mayo and sour cream. Spread over top, sealing to edge of bowl.
6. Sprinkle green onions over the top.
7. Chill for 24 to 48 hours.
8. Toss. Add a little cream or water if needed to thin dressing.
9. Make additions/substitutions as desired.

1. Drain and rinse beans.
2. Combine with onion, peas, and corn in a large glass bowl.
3. Make the dressing to taste, adjusting the vinegars, etc., as needed.
4. Pour dressing over the veg.
5. Mix well and chill before serving.

1. Boil the celeriac in salted water until it’s soft (check by piercing with a skewer or paring knife). Scoop out and drain. Return the water to a boil and add the potatoes, cooking until they’re soft. Drain.
2. While the potatoes cook, heat the cream until it boils, then stir in the butter, saffron, and garlic. Reduce the heat, then simmer for 5 minutes until the saffron is extracted and the mixture slightly thickened. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, puree the celeriac (you could use a food processor; I prefer a hand-held Braun immersion blender), while gradually adding the cream sauce. Mash the potatoes coarsely, or use a ricer if you want a smoother texture. Combine the potato, celery root, and one cup of the Gruyère; season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Spread the mixture in a greased oven-proof dish, top with the remaining cheese and the parsley, then bake in a preheated 400F degree oven until the top is browned, about 20-30 minutes.

1. Bring water, salt and garlic to a boil in a pan, then stir in grits.
2. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat.
3. Add butter, 1 cup cheese and chilies; stir until butter melts.
4. Beat eggs and milk; add to the grits and mix well.
5. Pour into a greased baking dish and then bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and serve.

1. Roast 5 large sweet potatoes in oven for 1.25 hours @ 375F

2. Mix sweet potato, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 beaten eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 4 tbsp butter, 1/2 cup milk (cut with cream), 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, cinnamon. Place in baking dish.
3. For topping: Mix 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/3 cup flour. Cut 4 softened tbsp butter in until mixture is course. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans.
4. Layer topping over sweet potatoes. Bake 30 min @325F.

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Mixed thawed potatoes with melted butter.
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
4. Spread in a greased 9×9 casserole dish.
5. Bake 1 hour at 350.

1. Cut the potatoes into equal sized pieces, and boil in salted water until fork tender (approximately 20 minutes). Mash the potatoes with the butter, salt, pepper, and any other optional ingredients. Let the mashed potatoes cool to the touch. Then roll them into approximately 1-2″ balls (or cylinders), and coat in panko.
2. You have several options to finish them, you can either freeze them and then deep fry them (if you’re already deep frying your turkey), or you can oven roast them at ~350 F for 30-45 minutes (or until golden brown). If you’re baking them, and want them to get more golden, you can mix in a couple of drops of oil into the panko (you want it barely damp, not wet).

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Grate squash.
3. Layer into a strainer with salt between layers.
4. Let drain 3 hours.
5. In a bowl mix: Eggs, dill, black pepper and garlic. (Don’t be shy with the dill or garlic).
6. Crumple feta cheese into the egg mixture.
7. Mix the ingredients.
8. Return to the squash. Squeeze the fluid out handful by handful (generally 2X per handful since drier the better).
9. Add squash to egg mixture and mix well.
10. Pour into baking pan/casserole pan.
11. Cover the mix with 5-8 pieces of phyllo dough, covering dough with melted butter between layers.
12. Bake at 350 for one hour.
13. Serve hot or cold.

1. Get 1.5 loaves of French or Italian bread, cut in half, dice into cubes
2. Toss cubes in bowl with melted butter, olive oil, and seasoning (pepper, salt, sage)
3. Put in oven on sheet tray for about 15 minutes
4. Toss cubes in large bowl with salt, pepper
5. Add sautéed green onions and mushrooms
6. Add chicken broth to moisten bread (maybe cup and half)
7. Place in casserole dish and bake in oven for 35-40 minutes @ 350F

1. Add giblets to sauce pot with a couple celery stalks, few carrots, half an onion, bay leaves, and parsley.
2. Fill to top with cold water and simmer while the turkey cooks. Replenish as the liquid cooks down but not close to the end as doing so dilutes the flavor
3. If roasting a turkey, pour everything in turkey roasting dish through a strainer into new, clean stockpot. If not roasting, there should still be plenty in the giblet stockpot.
4. Pour the giblet stockpot through strainer into said stockpot (use back of spoon to work through strainer)
5. Taste, now is the time to add salt and pepper, if needed, and a heavy dose of sage
6. Use beurre manié or corn starch slurry (1:1) to thicken
7. Thicken with whisk at slightly below boiling
8. Place gravy pot in cast iron pan to keep warm

1. Dark meat: Dry rub and rest for 6 hours. Tightly wrapped in foil, 300F for 6 hours.
2. White meat: 2 day brine in pineapple juice, MSG and friends, citrus peel, sodium phosphate 10%, smoked salt, peppercorns, and powdered bay leaf. Sous Vide at 145F for 3 hours, 5 minute sear at the end.
3. Gravy: 1 container Empire Kosher Chicken fat, 2/3rds cup flour. Cook to blonde roux. Add 3 cups rich unseasoned veal stock, whisk in. Seasoned with onion salt, yeast extract, MSG and helpers, and a touch of garlic powder. Skim unincorporated fat from the top.

1. Get a covered roasting pan with a rack. Mine has a tight-fitting lid with an adjustable vent.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
3. Find out how much the turkey weighs. If you bought from a store, it will be written on a label on the package. Otherwise, weigh it on a scale.

4. Wash, dry, and stuff the turkey. Make sure to sew the neck and tail openings shut. Season it with salt and pepper. I also rub the outside with a mixture of dried herbs. The important thing is that the skin is well-salted.

5. Place the bird on the rack in the pan. Then pour in a quart of low-salt stock or broth. I used to use chicken stock before turkey broth became widely available.
6. Cover it with the lid. Put it in the oven.
7. Estimate the total cooking time by multiplying the weight in pounds by 20 minutes. Leave it in the oven for half that time without opening the lid. No peeking.
8. After half the total estimated cooking time has passed, remove the lid. Don’t be dismayed if the turkey “looks boiled”. It’s because it will be covered in a whitish pellicle. This is a coating of fat and proteins that will waterproof the bird like Flex Seal. This was demonstrated by the Indians at the first Thanksgiving by sawing a canoe in half.
9. If you use a thermometer, stick through the center of one of the breasts while being careful not to touch any bone. Put it back in the oven uncovered. Do not baste it until the skin begins to turn golden brown. When it’s done, the legs should move freely, and there shouldn’t be a large amount of liquid pooled around the thighs. You can check by taking a thin knife and cut above where the thigh attaches to the back — there shouldn’t be any pink flesh or red blood around the joint.
10. After you remove it from the oven. Let it sit for 15 – 20 minutes before carving. I move it to a dish, so I can make gravy from the roasting pan during this time.
11. Osteoporosis!

The brine

1. Mix the brine and let the thawed turkey soak in it at least overnight, the longer the better. I normally go 2 nights.

The fryer

1. Incidentally, Underwriters Laboratory does not place their coveted seal on any gas fired turkey fryer. This is a dangerous item to have, and can result in serious injury if you are not careful. Especially if you are like me and know how to bypass the thermocouple that acts as a safety device but prevents the oil from getting hot enough. If you are faint of heart—just roast it like the Nancy Boy you are and take up valuable oven space.

The process

1. Now that we got that out of the way. You will need a minimum of 2 gallons of peanut oil. Prior to brining, you will need to establish the turkey’s overall displacement by filling the pot with water and marking where the turkey rests in the pot completely submerged. This may exceed the “Do not fill above this line” written inside the pot, but if you made it this far, you probably are ignoring the safety people anyway.
2. Remove the bird from the brine, and let it dry. A wet turkey will cause you to have a very bad day, and will prove the Nancy Boys at UL right. Don’t do that.
3. Set the bird in the stand butt down, wings tucked back. Put it in the pot of hot oil SLOWLY.
4. Ideally, the oil should average around 175F (I can’t help you if you are in Canada), but remember the turkey is cold and will drop the temperature of the oil once you set it in there. I’m usually able to keep it between 150-165F without setting my yard on fire. 3 1/2 minutes per pound should net a result that is moist on the inside, and delightfully crisp skin in the outside. This needs to sit at least 30 mins before carving.

1. Heat 10 tablespoons of the butter in a pan over medium-high heat until melted. Continue to cook the butter until it is browned a dark golden color and smells nutty, about 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer the browned butter to a bowl and stir the rest of the butter into the hot butter until it melts- let this rest for 15 min.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a baking dish, mix granulated sugar and a ¼ cup of the brown sugar until combined well; set this mixture aside to roll dough balls in.
3. Mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl. Add 1 ¾ cup brown sugar and salt to cooled butter and mix until there are no lumps. Add egg, yolk, and vanilla to butter mixture and mix well, then add flour and mix until just combined.
4. Roll dough into balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter, and roll balls in brown sugar and white sugar mixture. Place balls about 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets.
5. Bake sheets one at a time until cookies are puffy and lightly browned, about 12-14 minutes. (It says the cookies will look slightly raw between some of the cracks and seem underdone, but be careful not to over bake.) Cool on sheet for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool.

For Filling

1. Combine first three ingredients.
2. Put apples in crust, sprinkle dry mix over apples then squeeze ½ lemon over them (can be left for up to 24 hours in the fridge for more flavor).

For Crumb Topping

1. Combine flour and sugar, cut in butter until crumbly.
2. Sprinkle on top of apples.
3. Bake at 400 for 45-50 minutes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the filling:

1. Peel and core the pears and apples and cut them into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and toss with the cranberries, zests, juices, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a 9 x 12 x 2-inch baking dish.

For the topping:

1. Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.
2. Place the baking dish on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm.

1. In a medium bowl, add cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and DME. Mix this until soft peaks form, then set aside. In a different bowl, mix together the pumpkin and the mascarpone until fully combined. Fold the pumpkin mixture into the spiced whipped cream until blended (some streaks are fine), and then set aside.
2. Pour the stout into a shallow bowl or a pie plate. Select your serving container (I usually use a 13 x 9 pan, but you can use whatever size you wish). Then you begin the assembly of the tiramisu.
3. Dip ladyfingers into the stout for 10 seconds, then flip them, and let them sit for 10 seconds again. Then place the ladyfingers into your serving container until you have a single layer.
4. Then take a third of the pumpkin cream filling and distribute it over the ladyfingers. Dust with malt powder, then add another layer of soaked ladyfingers.
5. Top the second layer with pumpkin cream and then garnish with malt powder, some cinnamon, and powdered sugar.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices, and salt in bowl until smooth.
3. Pour into pie crust.
4. Bake 15 minutes.
5. Reduce temp to 350F and bake 35-40 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Cool.
7. Garnish with whipped cream or Cool Whip.

1. Combine chia seeds with almond milk in a medium bowl. Set aside for one hour.

2. Add vanilla extract, sweetener of choice, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and salt to the bowl with chia seeds and almond milk. 

3. Process with an immersion blender until smooth. Adjust sweetener to taste.

4. Pour into a dessert dish and top with pecans.

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

2. Beat egg white with the water in a medium bowl until foamy and light.

3. Add the cashews, sugar, salt and cinnamon to the bowl. Stir thoroughly; nuts should be completely coated.

4. Spread the mixture as evenly as possible on the baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes or until nuts are beginning to caramelize.

5. Remove from the oven and allow nuts to cool.  Store in an air tight container.