Candied Sweet Potatoes

Source: Gourmet, November 1999

3 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and halved
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup bourbon

Preheat oven to 375.

Cut each potato half lengthwise into fourths. Steam potatoes on a steamer rack set over boiling water, covered, until just tender, 10 to 15 minutes, then cool uncovered. Transfer into a buttered 3-quart shallow baking dish.

Simmer brown sugar, butter, water, and salt, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and syrup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in bourbon to taste. Drizzle syrup over potatoes and bake in middle of oven, basting occasionally, until syrup is thickened, about 1 1/4 hours.

Sourdough-Sage Stuffing

Source: Saveur, November 2000

16 tbsp butter
3 medium yellow onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 head celery, trimmed and finely chopped
1 large bunch parsley, stems trimmed and leaves finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh sage leaves
salt and freshly ground pepper
10 cups fine fresh sourdough breadcrumbs
1/2 cup chicken stock (or more, as needed while baking)

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, and cook without browning, stirring often, until very soft, about 20 minutes. Add celery, parsley, and sage. Generously season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes more. Remove from heat, and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Add bread crumbs to onion-celery mixture, and toss until well combined. Add chicken stock, and mix until stuffing is just moist but not packed together. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Spoon warm stuffing into turkey, truss, and bake. Or put stuffing in a buttered baking pan, and bake until hot and golden on top, about 30-45 minutes.

Traditional Beef Stew in Crockpot

Source: www.crockpot365.blogspot.com

2 lb beef stew meat
1/2 onion
handful baby tomatoes
celery
carrots
mushrooms
beef broth (24 oz or so)
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp seasoning blend (I used the beef spices from Turkey and they were great)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup flour

Wash and chop all vegetables. Add to crockpot.
Put flour in bowl. Toss in meat to fully coat.
Put meat into crock. Throw away unused flour.
Add dry seasoning and Worcestershire sauce.
Pour in wine and beef broth.
Cover and cook on low for 8-12 hours.

You could prepare everything the night before, adding liquids just before plugging in and cooking.

Serve with mashed potatoes or crusty bread.

Lentils Syrian Style

Source: Little Foods of the Mediterranean by Clifford A. Wright

2 tablespoons garlic, peeled (from about 8 large cloves)
1 ½ cups dried lentils (ordinary brown or green variety; French green lentils are great)
4 tablespoons olive oil
5-8 Swiss chard leaves, washed, dried, stems removed and sliced into thin strips
¾ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves (about 1 bunch)
At least 1 cup water (or remaining lentil liquid)
1 tablespoon juice of a lemon
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (available at Middle East groceries)

Rinse lentils in a sieve, holding back stones or grit. Place lentils in a pot and cover with water. Bring up to a boil, then lower heat and cook lentils at a simmer, until tender, between 30 and 45 minutes. Check doneness after first 20 minutes, then every 10 minutes, as cooking time varies according to age of lentils. Drain and set aside; reserve cooking liquid if using. Salt lentils to taste.

Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic until pulverized. Alternatively, smash garlic with a chef's knife, then continue mashing it. You don't want minced garlic, which tends to burn.

Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the emptied, rinsed-out pot, over medium heat, then add chard until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove chard; set aside.

Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil and add garlic and cilantro, stirring constantly. Cook about 1 minute, reduce heat and return chard, plus lentils and liquid of choice. Stir to combine and cook on medium heat, about 10 minutes. Add lemon juice, pomegranate molasses and stir again.

Makes enough for six as a side dish.

Turkey Brine

Source: Kim O'Donnell's Cooking Blog on Washington Post, Adapted from an Alice Waters Recipe

Bring 2 gallons of water to a boil in a stockpot (at least 8 quarts in size, but preferably larger to prevent spillage and other accidents).

Add ¾ cup sugar and ¾ cup kosher (or coarse) salt; stir until completely dissolved.

Turn off heat and add:
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2-3 stalks celery, diced
1 leek, white and light green parts only, cleaned and diced (nice addition but optional)
2 bay leaves
1 T black peppercorns
1 T coriander seeds
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
¼ tsp. fennel seeds
2 star anise
couple sprigs of fresh thyme

Cool solution before placing in refrigerator to chill.

IMPORTANT NOTE: COLD BRINE, COLD TURKEY. NO IFS, ANDS or BUTS. You can make brine a few days in advance; otherwise, estimate 2-3 hours for the brine before turkey gets soaked.

Brining the turkey: Estimate your brine start time against the day you want to roast (see note below). When you're ready, remove the sack of giblets and stuff that's usually located in the cavity of the bird. Rinse turkey under cold water, inside and out, and place into a pot or tub large enough to accommodate bird AND brine.

Remember: liquid volume takes up a lot of space! Pour brine over bird. Ideally, the brine should cover the entire bird. If not, you may need to weigh it down with a plate to keep it under the liquid's surface. Cover and place in refrigerator, for a minimum of 24 hours and a maximum of 72 hours.

When ready to roast, remove the turkey from the brine, making sure it's free of liquid, and pat dry. Place on a rack in a roasting pan. Preheat oven to 425 for 20 minutes. Place turkey in oven, legs in first (this allows dark meat to cook thoroughly). Roast at this temperature for first 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 350. Add an ounce or two of water or stock to bottom of pan periodically- this helps keep drippings moist and loose, so you can make gravy.

Estimate approximately 12-15 minutes per pound, so a ten-pounder will take about 3 hours. Do not use the pop-up timer to gauge doneness; instead, rely on an instant read thermometer. You are looking for 165-170 degrees on the deep part of the leg. Remove from oven and let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.

Corn Bread Sausage-Stuffing

Source: Saveur, November 2000

16 TB butter
3 medium yellow onions, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 head celery, trimmed and finely chopped
1 TB finely chopped fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lb. pork sausage, removed from casings
6 cups crumbled corn bread
1/2 parsley, trimmed and finely chopped
1/4 cup bual, malmsey, or other sweet madeira

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt butter in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, and cook without browning, stirring often, until very soft, about 20 minutes. Add celery and rosemary; then generously season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove from heat, and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

In the same skillet, cook sausage over medium heat, breaking the meat up with a fork, until just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer sausage to onion-celery mixture. Add corn bread, parsley, and madeira, adjust seasonings, and mix well.

Spoon warm stuffing into turkey, truss and bake. Or transfer stuffing to a buttered baking pan, and bake until hot and golden on top, 30-45 minutes.

Triple-Cranberry Sauce

Source: Epicurious and Bon Appetit, November 1993

1 cup frozen cranberry juice cocktail, thawed
1/3 cup sugar
1 12-oz package fresh cranberries, rinsed, drained
1/2 cup dried cranberries (about 2 oz)
3 TB orange marmalade
2 TB fresh orange juice
2 tsp minced orange peel
1/4 tsp ground allspice

Combine cranberry juice concentrate and sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add fresh and dried cranberries and cook until dried cranberries begin to soften and fresh berries begin to pop, stirring often, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in orange marmalade, orange juice, orange peel and allspice. Cool completely. Cover; and chill until cold, about 2 hours.

Notes: Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.