The Good Plate

Archive for the ‘Thanksgiving’ Category

Ah yes! The time has come again to get all those tools out for the Holiday cooking. These days are pretty hectic, so it’s important to have your tools on hand, and that they are clean and in working order.

I’m always surprised to see people buying cooking tools that only do one job. A friend of mine went out and bought a Quesadilla maker, that couldn’t be used for anything else, and she already had several frying pans that were perfectly suitable to the task. That, to me, is a waste of time and money.

So, what I’m going to talk about here are tools that you can use any time of year, and that can be used for many jobs. I have all these products in my kitchen.

I’ve done a lot of shopping for you, found the best prices, and best products. This is a no-brainer! You can shop for the products by clicking on the link provided, or the picture, the choice is yours.

1. Stand Mixer
2. Food Processor
3. Cookie Press
4. Cookie Sheets
5. Nesco Roaster Oven
6. Electric Knife
7. Knives
8. Measuring Tools
9. Timer
10. Thermometer
11. Mitts
12. Bowls
13. Organizer

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My friend, Cathy, invited me to a potluck Christmas party, but, what a party. This was a party for the Sisters in Crime, a group of women mystery writers. We were treated to the published authors reading from their newest books.

When we originally talked about this, I was going to make Scrambled Burger Quiche, but I never made it to the store, so there I was with another mystery on my hands – what could I make that would be simple, quick, and stunning with what I had on hand.

I looked in the refrigerator and saw I had a package of cream cheese, 4 apples, eggs and Panko bread crumb topping left over from Cranberry Brown Betty. Amber had made a wonderful Gorgonzola Pear tart for Thanksgiving, and that was what gave me the idea to make this tart. Mystery solved! Apple Cream Cheese Tart coming up!

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Last year, I wrote about preparing for Thanksgiving at your own home.  This year, Spane and I are going to someone else’s home for the holiday, but I am going to bring something.  This post for those of you who are not going to cook the meal, but might be expected to bring something.

Be a good Thanksgiving guest. Don’t just bring a bottle of wine.  Anyone can bring a bottle of wine.  Bring something that you made – in your kitchen.  Well, that’s just fine, but there are few things you want to consider before you do this.

• Is the dish going to travel well?
• Does the dish need refrigeration?
• Can the dish be made in advance?
• Do you need special serve ware for the dish?
• Are there any dietary restrictions?
• Do you need to worry about allergens?
• Did you check with the host to make sure you’re not making a duplicate?

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This is fast becoming a staple Thanksgiving dessert. I don’t like pumpkin pie, and mince-pie is wonderful for Christmas, so this has the one for this holiday. It’s very simple to make with only a few ingredients that you probably already have on hand.

You will want to use Panko bread crumbs, because they are large and very dry. Broken up bread will not absorb enough of the juices to make a nice top on this. Breadcrumbs that come in a can will not work either, as they are too small, and you would just have a cranberry pudding instead of a Brown Betty.

If you like to add things to your cranberry sauce, like pineapple or nuts, you could easily add them to this recipe as well.

Make this for your Holiday table and enjoy the smiles from guests. Enjoy!

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Recipes in the post

• Brine for Turkey
• Refrigerator Dinner Rolls
• Home Made Croutons

The BIG DAY is coming soon. For me, this is the biggest day of the year. Why?
1. It’s right after my son’s birthday, once only ONE day after
2. It’s right before or on Spane’s Dad’s birthday
3. It’s the first of the holidays where family and friends get together
4. It’s right before Advent
5. It’s the day that everyone expects to have really good food
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Recipes in this post

• Perfact Turkey in a Nesco Roaster

I didn’t go to my Grandmother’s for Thanksgiving. My mother and I usually cooked a Cornish hen and left it at that. When my mother died, I moved in with my Aunt Georgia, my Grandmother and Grandfather. This is when I discovered really good turkey, the way turkey was supposed to be.

Every other time I had had turkey, it looked and tasted like my budgie’s cuttle bone. Seriously, I did not know why anyone would want to present something as nasty as that for a holiday all about giving thanks. What? You’re thankful that you don’t have to eat that?

I was curious at fifteen, and I liked to cook, so I hung around with my grandmother while she made the feast. The first thing I noticed was this strange pink colored oven thing that was in the middle of the kitchen. It had a little metal stand that it rested on. It also had a big red button and a dial to control the heat.

What came out of this marvelous contraption was the juiciest turkey I had ever had. This was something to be truthfully thankful for. Update: See the bottom of this post for a video about the wonderful 18 quart Nesco Oven.

For years, I searched in vain for a gadget like this – I finally stumbled upon one in an antique shop on Western Avenue, where they also had a few unrestored Wedgewood stoves. I was finally able to find out what it was called – a Nesco.

One day, watching QVC because nothing else was on, and there was no Internet at that time, I saw a four quart Nesco and decided to order it. When it arrived I was so thrilled! It was too small to cook a turkey, but a nice chicken definately fit. It also made a mean meatloaf.

The thing that I really loved about my Nesco was that I could use it in the summer time without heating up my kitchen. I could use it to keep foods warm, and I would put fried chicken in it to make sure that it was completely cooked. I loved my little Nesco, and when we moved and it got lost, I was crest fallen.

However, I have always felt that every cloud has a silver lining, so losing the small one meant I could get a large one like my grandmother had. I found a used eighteen quart with the buffet service on Ebay and bought it.

My “new” Nesco arrived just before Thanksgiving, just in time to roast the turkey. It was very flavorful, moist and juicy, but, it did not have the nice crispy skin that my grandmother’s had had.

The next year, I tried a different approach. When I was nine years old, my mother asked me to put a roast of beef in the oven before she got home from work. I didn’t know any better, and I put the oven on to 450 degrees. After fifteen minutes or so, I could smell it and thought maybe the temperature was too high, so I lowered it to 300. It turned out perfect, moist and juicy. Starting it at high heat had seared the meat, sealing in the juices. From then on, I did that with anything I roasted, including turkeys.

I could do that in the Nesco, too, but it would still not have the crispy skin, so I came up with a new plan. First I would brine the turkey, then inject it with seasonings, then I would put it in a regular pan and put it in a 450 oven for 15 minutes, and then transfer it to the Nesco.

Wow! What a bird that was! It had the nicely browned, crispy skin from being in the oven, and was moist and juicy from being roasted in the Nesco.

Nesco 18 Quart Video