Turkey Turkey Gobble Gobble

So, I realized I should have taken pictures of the Thanksgiving feast. But I didn't. Damn.
The fam usually gets a Marie Callender's Take Home Feast with the typical stuff:
Turkey (whole or breast), Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Yams, Veggies, Corn Bread, Creanberry, Pie.

This year we got only a few of the sides (stuffing, yams, salad, corn bread, potatoes) and had a glorious Chinese-style Whole Turkey.
Mom was explaining the whole prep process her friend taught her, but honestly, I was already inhaling all the sides off my plate while she was carving said turkey to pay any attention. It went something along the lines of a salt soak and soy sauce rub, then salt and peppering. And a massive amount of green onions and ginger stuffed into the cavity for flavor. The "chinese" stuffing was purple glutinous rice. Very yummy indeed. We used a Turkey Oven bag to cook the sucker, and it came out very nice and juicy. The bag stuck a little to the turkey, so I guess we should have floured the bird a bit before baking.

As typical trips home go, I came back with a pile of random stuff. Bars of soap, a ziplock full of candy bars, herbal vitamins mom force feeds me... but the holy grail of this trip was...

I've searched far and wide (ok, 1 store) for this, but either 1- its not carried there or 2-this is old and therefore not carried anywhere anymore.
But yay, I'm excited to make these! (20 eggs in a batch... so buddies beware (again). Eggs coming at 'cha!)

Pumpkin Bars

I've already made this recipe once this year for the Pumpkin Cake, but didn't really get to post what it looks like un-scuplted and as it really should be (per the recipe).

Pumpkin Bars Recipe from Paula Deen
4 eggs
1-2/3 C granulated sugar
1 C Vegetable Oil
15 Oz. Can Pumpkin
2 C AP Sifted Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Baking Soda

Beat eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin together, until light and fluffy. (The mixture for me has been more liquidy than "fluffy".)
Stir together dry ingredients.
Mix into Pumpkin Mix until smooth.
Spread (the batter is pretty thick) into a 13x9 greased pan.
Bake for 30 min. at 350. (I've had to up the bake time to 35-40, based on the toothpick test.)

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 Pkg (8 oz. ) Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 C Butter Softened
2 C Sifted Powdered Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Combine Cream Cheese and Butter with mixer until smooth.
Add sugar, and mix until combined.
Stir in Vanilla.
Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Notes: I made 2 batches of this recipe. The first I made mini cupcakes: Bake time reduced to about 10-15min, but still tested with toothpick for doneness. The second batch used the instructed 13x9 pan and had a longer bake time than the recipe calls for - could be due to oven (new apartment than when I last made them). I used JUMBO eggs for the recipe - so that could have contributed to longer bake time, and liquidy pumpkin mix.
But stil came out delish! I used organic pumpkin for batch 1; used "regular" pumpkin for batch 2. The main (and minute) difference was color - maybe.


Happy Thanksgiving!

Weekend Random Food Snogs

I ate a TREMENDOUS amount of random food this weekend! But only documented a few...

Look at this AWESOME find from Trader Joe's!

yummy gummies... reminiscent of Fruit Gushers with the liquid juicy center.


Potato Gnocchi in Marinara Sauce with Fresh Basil (from my very own plant!), Crushed Red Pepper Flakes and Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Kisses Peanut Butter Blossoms

From an ad spot in Everyday Food magazine, but can also be found on the back of a Hershey's Kisses bag:

Hershey's Kisses Chocolates, unwrapped
1/2 C Shortening
3/4 C Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 Granulated Sugar
1/3 C Packed Light Brown Sugar
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Milk
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1-1/2 C AP Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
Granulated Sugar for rolling dough in

375 Degree Oven 8-10min. Yields 36 Cookies

Beat shortening and PB until well blended. Add sugars and beat until fluffy.
Add egg, milk and vanilla. Beat well.
In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually beat into PB mixture.

Shape dough into 1 in. balls (1 Tbsp. of dough). Roll in granulated sugar and place on ungreased/parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes (I went 10) or until lightly browned. Immediately press an UNWRAPPED kiss into the center of each cookie. Cookie will crack around the edges (but also does in the oven). Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack and allow to cool completely.



Since I only baked 9 cookies at a time... this took a while, so I was hungry by the time I was done. So I made: Soy Sauce Eggs!

Simply fry up eggs in any style, and splash on a bit of soy sauce towards the end of cooking; allow the soy sauce to "burn" a little in the pan as you finish cooking your eggs.

Hooray for Holidays... almost

OMG YAY

Got the Fancy Flours holiday catalog today!
(Yes, its online too... but I like the paper and the flippy and the earmarking!)

pig out

Park's Barbeque • Tel: 213-380-1717 • 955 S. Vermont Avenue • Los Angeles, CA 90006

Chicken Teriyaki

Chicken Teriyaki w/ White Rice

This isn't really a "true" teriyaki sauce (you know, with the glaze and kinda stickiness), but it has the salty and sweet qualities of it.

1/2C Soy Sauce
1/2 C Water
1 tsp Ground Ginger
2 Cloves Minced Garlic (or more if you like)
3 Tbsp. Sugar (2 if you like less sweet)

Heat in pot. Add chicken. (I use drumsticks.) Cook until chicken falls off the bone.

Notes: More water can be added since soy sauce may be too salty to taste sometimes. Cook time is usually an hour or so. I leave on the stove (even when its done) on low simmer.

gotta love Martha!

from Everyday Foods magazine - Chocolate-Pumpkin Tart

Crust:
20 Chocolate Wafer Cookies
2 Tbsp Sugar
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
4 oz semisweet chocolate, melted

Crush/Grind cookies into fine crumbs, mix in sugar. Add butter and mix until moistened. Press crumb mixture into bottom of 9in-removable bottom tart pan*. Bake at 350 for 12 min until set.

Pour melted chocolate onto crust and spread evenly. Put in freezer to let set.

Filling:
1.5 C canned pure pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1/2 C heavy cream
1/4 C packed light brown sugar
1/4 C pure maple syrup*
1/2 tsp pumpkin-pie spice
1/4 tsp salt

Whisk together all ingredients. Pour into prepared crust and bake at 350, 45-50 min until set. Cool 1 hour at room temp; refrigerate 1 hour (or up to 1 day).




*Notes: I didn't have a 9in tart pan, so I split everything into what I had - individual tart cups and a loaf pan. Also, pure maple syrup is way more costly than "regular" syrup. So, of course, I went for the cheap-o stuff since I know I'll never us maple syrup in anything and $10.00 for a bottle would hurt my heart. So, if that makes a difference in the recipe, oh well. The outcome was still pretty good for me.

A tart pan (or these individual tart cups) really make it nicer. I think its the ribbed edge.

Next time, I would make sure the crust isn't too thick.

This tart isn't very sweet at all. I think a dollop of whipped cream would do the trick!

feels like forever

Its been a while since I last posted. Feels like a lifetime! I have not been up to much kitchen time lately, so that's probably why.

But, I did brainstorm this!


...'course it took me 3 fallen straws before thinking of it.