Friday, April 11, 2014
Holiday Gift Guide Hostess with Mostess
Chances are, if you have even 2 friends, youll be invited to a holiday-themed party in the next month and a half. When you accept that holiday party invitation, you could show up and be the simpleton that brings a bottle of Prosecco, or you could WIN party season by bringing a hostess gift with a little more personality. May this list (comprised of gifts under $50!) help you be victorious.
1. C. Wonder Monogram Wine Stop
2. Target Cheers Glasses
3. ASOS Notebook
4. Kate Spade Candle
5. PearlsandPastries Hangers
6. Anthropologie Initial Mugs
7. C. Wonder Straws
8. C. Wonder Monogram Cheese Board
9. Kate Spade Glitter Coasters
Braised Turkey
This is a photo and recipe Ive been saving since last Christmas; not much use in posting it after Christmas I didnt think. So here it is in plenty of time for Thanksgiving.
For years, Ive been aware of the old verse;
Modern cooks, or even cooks for the entire last two centuries however, are and have been of the opinion that roast turkey is not at all lost, but in fact the only way to proceed. It is a method that does have its drawbacks though; the white breast meat cooks faster than the dark legs, and so it is prone to being served dried out and overcooked. Furthermore, unless there is someone in the family who is adept at carving, its a lot easier to cut up the bird before it is cooked, and then just have to slice the boneless breasts before serving. You dont have to worry about "performing" in front of your guests, while the rest of the meal is either scorching or getting cold, and if you find it easiest to put your hands all over it while you cut it up, no problem! Its about to be cooked for several hours anyway.
The one disadvantage that I can see, is that you dont get to present a a shiny brown entire bird to the table in a burst of (usually imaginary in my experience) trumpets - most people have been waiting around for hours and just want to get on with it at that point. And the skin is not so uniformly crisp and delectable, which I do admit is a loss that I feel; that, and the stuffing which obviously cannot be stuffed. Still, if it makes the actual meat moister and tastier, thats a sacrifice I believe I am prepared to make.
This method is particularly suited for smaller turkeys, which are also particularly prone to drying out when roasted. Or, you can (in some places) get turkey pieces instead rather than buying a whole turkey. In a family like ours, where 9 out of 10 diners strongly prefer dark meat, it means you can formulate your pieces to suit peoples tastes. I got 1 breast and 4 thighs for our family one year; there was no leftover thigh meat at all and half a breast left over at the end of dinner. You can imagine that everyone was a lot happier than they would have been with a whole bird. Unfortunately, that was in the days before I had sworn off conventionally raised turkey. If you get organic, free range turkey, they do seem to be available whole or not at all.
Serves, in theory, 10 to 14; although perhaps not if you want plentiful leftovers, and surely you do.
1 hour prep time AND about 5 to 6 hours cooking time, including making but not cooling the stock.
1 10 to 14 pound turkey
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 large parsnip
2 medium carrots
1 large onion
3 large stalks of celery
salt & pepper
Cut the legs and wings from the bird. Cut the tips from wings and put them in a large soup pot. Put the leg and wing pieces aside. If there are any other portions of meat still attached to the back end of the carcass, remove them carefully and set them with the legs and wings.
Break off theback half of carcass (now with all the meat removed) and put in the soup pot with the wing tips. Cut the breast meat carefully from carcass, in one piece from each side, along with any remaining pieces of meat that are large enough to cut off and use. Break up the remaining bones and put them in the soup pot. Cover them with cold filtered water, add the bay leaf, and simmer for several hours; cover and return the turkey pieces to fridge while this happens. You may wish to make the turkey stock the day before the turkey is to be cooked. Cool it promptly and keep it in the fridge as well until needed.
Peel and dice the parsnip, carrots and onion. Clean and dice the celery.
Brown the leg and wing pieces in fat. You can use mild vegetable oil, chicken or bacon fat, or any fat that formed on the top of the stock after it was cooked. Put the browned pieces in a large roasting pan.
Preheat the oven to 275°F.
Sauté the prepared vegetables and arrange them around the pieces of turkey in a large roasting pan. Add about 4 cups of the strained turkey stock, and season to taste with salt & pepper. Cover and braise in the oven at 275°F for about 2 hours.
Increase the temperature to 375°F. Add the boneless turkey breast pieces on top, skin side up, and bake for about 45 minutes longer, uncovered, until the breast pieces are done. Remove from the oven, cover, and let the meat rest for about 10 minutes before slicing - time enough to make some gravy if you are doing that.
Slice the breast meat. Shred and debone the dark meat. Serve with the braised veggies on the side, or they may (at least some of them) be puréed with the pan juice and thickened with a little flour to make gravy.
Read More..
For years, Ive been aware of the old verse;
Turkey boiled is turkey spoiledIm inclined to take their word - whoever they were - that turkey shouldnt be boiled. (Although I cant see any reason why turkey breast couldnt be poached lightly, like chicken breast.)
And turkey roast is turkey lost
But for turkey braised,
The Lord be praised!
Modern cooks, or even cooks for the entire last two centuries however, are and have been of the opinion that roast turkey is not at all lost, but in fact the only way to proceed. It is a method that does have its drawbacks though; the white breast meat cooks faster than the dark legs, and so it is prone to being served dried out and overcooked. Furthermore, unless there is someone in the family who is adept at carving, its a lot easier to cut up the bird before it is cooked, and then just have to slice the boneless breasts before serving. You dont have to worry about "performing" in front of your guests, while the rest of the meal is either scorching or getting cold, and if you find it easiest to put your hands all over it while you cut it up, no problem! Its about to be cooked for several hours anyway.
The one disadvantage that I can see, is that you dont get to present a a shiny brown entire bird to the table in a burst of (usually imaginary in my experience) trumpets - most people have been waiting around for hours and just want to get on with it at that point. And the skin is not so uniformly crisp and delectable, which I do admit is a loss that I feel; that, and the stuffing which obviously cannot be stuffed. Still, if it makes the actual meat moister and tastier, thats a sacrifice I believe I am prepared to make.
This method is particularly suited for smaller turkeys, which are also particularly prone to drying out when roasted. Or, you can (in some places) get turkey pieces instead rather than buying a whole turkey. In a family like ours, where 9 out of 10 diners strongly prefer dark meat, it means you can formulate your pieces to suit peoples tastes. I got 1 breast and 4 thighs for our family one year; there was no leftover thigh meat at all and half a breast left over at the end of dinner. You can imagine that everyone was a lot happier than they would have been with a whole bird. Unfortunately, that was in the days before I had sworn off conventionally raised turkey. If you get organic, free range turkey, they do seem to be available whole or not at all.
Serves, in theory, 10 to 14; although perhaps not if you want plentiful leftovers, and surely you do.
1 hour prep time AND about 5 to 6 hours cooking time, including making but not cooling the stock.
1 10 to 14 pound turkey
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 large parsnip
2 medium carrots
1 large onion
3 large stalks of celery
salt & pepper
Cut the legs and wings from the bird. Cut the tips from wings and put them in a large soup pot. Put the leg and wing pieces aside. If there are any other portions of meat still attached to the back end of the carcass, remove them carefully and set them with the legs and wings.
Break off theback half of carcass (now with all the meat removed) and put in the soup pot with the wing tips. Cut the breast meat carefully from carcass, in one piece from each side, along with any remaining pieces of meat that are large enough to cut off and use. Break up the remaining bones and put them in the soup pot. Cover them with cold filtered water, add the bay leaf, and simmer for several hours; cover and return the turkey pieces to fridge while this happens. You may wish to make the turkey stock the day before the turkey is to be cooked. Cool it promptly and keep it in the fridge as well until needed.
Peel and dice the parsnip, carrots and onion. Clean and dice the celery.
Brown the leg and wing pieces in fat. You can use mild vegetable oil, chicken or bacon fat, or any fat that formed on the top of the stock after it was cooked. Put the browned pieces in a large roasting pan.
Preheat the oven to 275°F.
Sauté the prepared vegetables and arrange them around the pieces of turkey in a large roasting pan. Add about 4 cups of the strained turkey stock, and season to taste with salt & pepper. Cover and braise in the oven at 275°F for about 2 hours.
Increase the temperature to 375°F. Add the boneless turkey breast pieces on top, skin side up, and bake for about 45 minutes longer, uncovered, until the breast pieces are done. Remove from the oven, cover, and let the meat rest for about 10 minutes before slicing - time enough to make some gravy if you are doing that.
Slice the breast meat. Shred and debone the dark meat. Serve with the braised veggies on the side, or they may (at least some of them) be puréed with the pan juice and thickened with a little flour to make gravy.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Calabrese Lollipops – Antipasto on a stick!
This is an extremely easy and fun appetizer perfect for a cocktail party or wine tasting event. In fact, this item was created for a wine and food pairing at the fabulous Frick Winery in Sonoma, CA. Bill Frick produces some amazingly delicious wine, and it’s always a pleasure to pair food with (and very easy, since everything tastes great with them).As you can see from the ingredients below, you can do multiple variations this by switching the meats, cheese and greens. It’s also great since your guests fingers will stay perfectly clean do to this item’s brilliant construction!
By the way, the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” reference at the end of the clip is only funny if you’ve seen the show (although, it may not even be funny if you have!).
Ingredients:
thin sliced salami or soppresatta
cream cheese or any spreadable cheese
arugula leaves, or spinach, baby romaine, etc.
bread sticks
Smoked Salmon and Spinach Goat Cheese Strata
A secret ingredient makes this gluten-free strata recipe special.
The day was clear and chilly here by the mesa. Perfect for a pinon fire in the kiva. We lit vanilla candles and played my favorite mix of winter music- traditional Jewish
and Celtic
with a little Tom Waits
, Sarah McLachlan
and Joni Mitchell
- pining about rivers or snow or waltzing Matilda- thrown in.
and Celtic with a little Tom Waits, Sarah McLachlan and Joni Mitchell- pining about rivers or snow or waltzing Matilda- thrown in.Read more + get the recipe >>
Pineapple upside down cake
Pineapple upside down cake
Ingredients for base
- Butter 2 ounces
- Brown sugar 3 ounces
- Pineapples rings 1 can
- Glazed cherries 7 to 8
- Flaked almonds 3 tbsp
Ingredients for cake
- Caster sugar 200 gm or 1 cup
- Eggs 3 separated
- Butter 6 ounce
- Pineapple syrup ¼ cup
- Pineapple essence ½ tsp
- Self raising flour 6 ounces sifted
- Baking powder 1 tsp heaped
Method
- Preheat oven to 180 degree C, grease and baseline a deep 8 inch round tin, melt 2 ounce butter in a sauce pan, pour into the prepared tin and sprinkle the brown sugar on it, arrange the pineapple rings, put the glazed cherries in the center of each pineapple, sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top.
Method for cake
- Beat butter and caster sugar in bowl gradually beat in the egg yolk add pineapple juice, essence, sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the butter mixture and fold. In a cleaned bowl beat the egg white until stiff, fold into the cream mixture, spoon the mixture over pineapple base bake for 30 to 35 minutes remove the cake from oven leave to cool and over turn on serving plate.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
On growing strawberries and recipe for Eggless Strawberry Yogurt Cake
My three year old son and me have a morning routine nowadays. After his drink of milk, we go to the garden and check if theres any red peeking out of the strawberry patch. If we didnt do this, the squirrels and ants, who have been blessed with a better foraging sense than us human beings, will get to the juicy berries before we do. We dont get too much, but a small handful a day, to add to cereal or to make a couple of muffins, or to eat as it is. The latter doesnt happen often as I am not very tolerant to acidic fruits and Im yet to taste lusciously sweet strawberries grown in India. Here, strawberry needs sugar as a partner to make it more palatable.
But, however little, that sense of joy we get from having watched something grow for nearly eight months, and finally bearing fruit, is such a fulfilling one. These strawberry saplings were planted in June and they quickly propagated and covered the ground, but there was not a single flower in sight even after six months. The newbie gardener that I am, I quickly lost hope. Patience is clearly not one of my virtues, hence I stand to benefit a lot from gardening. I am slowly learning that nature doesnt work at the speed of a 4Mbps internet connection. It takes its own sweet time. And what sweeter time than spring time? I dont need my neighbours to drench me in permanent colours (albeit organic) and hose me with tons of water, to announce the arrival of spring (Im talking about the one festival I dread, Holi). The new blooms and fruits in my garden had already whispered to me a few weeks ago that spring is not far away...
A few years ago, if someone told me that I could grow strawberries in India, I would have laughed it off. But Bangalore weather is somehow to conducive to growing almost anything. Like my friend @abithaanandh tweeted this morning -
Ive been wanting to bake a strawberry cake for a while now. Not the types where the fruit is pureed in, but stands out like red jewels, slightly mushy from the baking and a burst of flavour in the mouth, when you bite into it. And somehow, I wanted to pair it with yogurt as I couldnt use eggs in this. A Foodblogsearch didnt find me the kind of recipe I had in mind, so I did my own improvisation. Yesterday afternoon, just before the baking session, I found a bottle of strawberry essence at Nilgiris, so the fruit, the essence and the jam made the taste pretty intense, but not in the cloying sort of way.
The recipe Im sharing with you seems to be the most low-fat and healthiest version among all those that I went through as a result of my various searches.
Pin It
This is a tea cake or a weekend breakfast cake. Im not asking you to believe that its dessert. Umm...may be with ice cream, yes :)
The texture was very moist and delicate despite not using eggs or butter.
Do give it a try before the strawberry season bids us a goodbye.
Recipe for Strawberry-Yogurt Cake
Eggfree / Eggless / Lowfat
Tea time or breakfast cake
Makes 1 tall 8" cake
Read More..
But, however little, that sense of joy we get from having watched something grow for nearly eight months, and finally bearing fruit, is such a fulfilling one. These strawberry saplings were planted in June and they quickly propagated and covered the ground, but there was not a single flower in sight even after six months. The newbie gardener that I am, I quickly lost hope. Patience is clearly not one of my virtues, hence I stand to benefit a lot from gardening. I am slowly learning that nature doesnt work at the speed of a 4Mbps internet connection. It takes its own sweet time. And what sweeter time than spring time? I dont need my neighbours to drench me in permanent colours (albeit organic) and hose me with tons of water, to announce the arrival of spring (Im talking about the one festival I dread, Holi). The new blooms and fruits in my garden had already whispered to me a few weeks ago that spring is not far away...
 |
| Just plucked strawberries basking in the morning sun |
A few years ago, if someone told me that I could grow strawberries in India, I would have laughed it off. But Bangalore weather is somehow to conducive to growing almost anything. Like my friend @abithaanandh tweeted this morning -
"Am willing to overlook 11pm deadlines,bad infrastructure,forever 90s music loop- all 4 those few precious hrs in the garden! Tk U #Bangalore"It is so true. Ill continue to grow strawberries next year too. Im told they bear better fruit in the 2nd and 3rd year. Only, Ill be growing them in hanging baskets, so I dont have to compete with the ants to pluck the fruit!
Ive been wanting to bake a strawberry cake for a while now. Not the types where the fruit is pureed in, but stands out like red jewels, slightly mushy from the baking and a burst of flavour in the mouth, when you bite into it. And somehow, I wanted to pair it with yogurt as I couldnt use eggs in this. A Foodblogsearch didnt find me the kind of recipe I had in mind, so I did my own improvisation. Yesterday afternoon, just before the baking session, I found a bottle of strawberry essence at Nilgiris, so the fruit, the essence and the jam made the taste pretty intense, but not in the cloying sort of way.
The recipe Im sharing with you seems to be the most low-fat and healthiest version among all those that I went through as a result of my various searches.
Pin It
This is a tea cake or a weekend breakfast cake. Im not asking you to believe that its dessert. Umm...may be with ice cream, yes :)
The texture was very moist and delicate despite not using eggs or butter.
Do give it a try before the strawberry season bids us a goodbye.
Recipe for Strawberry-Yogurt Cake
Eggfree / Eggless / Lowfat
Tea time or breakfast cake
Makes 1 tall 8" cake
Ingredients
¾ cup yogurt
¼ cup milk (skimmed or toned, as you prefer)
¼ cup milk (skimmed or toned, as you prefer)
¼ cup rice bran oil (or any cooking oil)
¾ cup sugar
2 generous tablespoons of strawberry or mixed fruit jam
1 tsp Strawberry essence or mixed fruit essence (gives a more fruitier flavour, if you don’t have either, use vanilla extract 1 tsp)
1.5 cups all purpose flour OR 1 cup AP flour + ½ cup whole wheat flour (atta)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
Roughly 1 cup finely diced strawberries
Handful of tutti-frutty (optional)
Directions
See what people have to say about this cake! (via Twitter) ¾ cup sugar
2 generous tablespoons of strawberry or mixed fruit jam
1 tsp Strawberry essence or mixed fruit essence (gives a more fruitier flavour, if you don’t have either, use vanilla extract 1 tsp)
1.5 cups all purpose flour OR 1 cup AP flour + ½ cup whole wheat flour (atta)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
Roughly 1 cup finely diced strawberries
Handful of tutti-frutty (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven at 180 C
- Grease an 8” round cake tin. If using silicon pan, no need to grease.
- In one bowl, whisk the oil, yogurt, milk, sugar and jam.
- In another big bowl, sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well. Add the whisked wet ingredients. Fold until they come together. Over enthusiastic beating / whisking is better avoided.
- Towards the end, fold in chopped berries and tutti-fruity.
- Scrape the batter into the greased tin / silicon mould and bake at 180 C for around 45-55 minutes, checking with a tester if it comes out clean.
- After 10 minutes, unmould and cool on a wire rack.
- Cut into wedges, dust with icing sugar and serve with tea.
The same recipe will work with raspberries or blueberries to make a blueberry yogurt cake or a raspberry yogurt cake.
Dear @saffrontrail i tried your strawberry yogurt cake recipe and it came it out so well. Thanks :) — Marie Gold (@OyeMaria) March 11, 2012
@saffrontrail Love your blog.Just baked your eggless strawberry yogurt cake ,its superb!wanted to thankyou.Hope you wud reciprocate!:)
— nitisha kashyap (@nitishakashyap) March 11, 2012
Cake done. Waiting to cool ! @saffrontrailI cant find you on FB so the update is here! twitter.com/thingyimajig/s…— MushyPeas (@thingyimajig) March 10, 2012
@saffrontrail hey, just made the strawberry yoghurt cake.. came out amazing! I just wished my strawberries werent so sour though :-( — Priya A (@priya_arun) March 9, 2012
@saffrontrail Yeah... Sounds like a healthy cake. Will probably make it before the strawberry season ends. — LoveFoodEat (@chinmayiebhat) March 11, 2012
Tempted to bake @saffrontrails strawberry yoghurt cake tonight. But waistline concerns are there : — S (@wastrelette) March 11, 2012
Sukhadi Gol Papdi Whole Wheat and Jaggery Fudge
Ingredients:
1. 1/2 cup coarse whole wheat flour
2. 1/2 cup wheat flour (normal chapatti atta)
3. 1 cup grated jaggery or 3/4 cup palm sugar
4. 3/4 cup ghee or butter
5. 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
6. 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
7. 2 teaspoon ginger powder (soth powder)
Method:
1. In microwave safe bowl combine the ghee, whole wheat and wheat flour, mix well.
2. Now cook in microwave on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Stir after every 1 minute.
3. Remove from the microwave add in soth powder and stir for a 1- 2 minutes till the mixture cools down slightly.
4. Add the grated jaggery and cardamom; mix well till jaggery dissolves into the flour mixture.
5. Transfer mixture to the greased plate and press firmly.
6. Sprinkle poppy seeds, cut in diamond shape leave about 2- 3 hours than remove the plate.
7. Store in airtight container for 20 to 25 days.
Note: ON STOVE ROAST THE FLOUR AND GHEE IN MEDIUM HIGH HIT TILL IT TURNS GOLDEN BROWN. REMOVE THE MIXTURE FROM THE FLAME, AFTER LITTLE COOL MIX THE JAGGERY. SET IN PLATE THAN CUT.
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