by J. Michael Wheeler
Thanksgiving Tips: Game Plan
There’s no question about it, for me, Thanksgiving is absolutely the best holiday: it’s all about getting together with friends and family and eating a great meal. No Christmas present stresses or New Year’s Eve anxiety. Cook a lot of good food and share it with friends and family. One of my favorite Thanksgivings was when I was in college in San Diego and I organized an “Orphan’s Thanksgiving” for my fellow college friends who wouldn’t be traveling home for the holiday. It was a bit less than traditional, but the spirit certainly was there.

T-Day Kitchen Helpers from Foodie's Emporium
Just in time for Thanksgiving! Foodie's Emporium has just added Cuisipro cook's tools. Cuisipro tools are innovative, stylish, and time-savers.

Cuisipro Herb Keeper This clever solution for storing and extending the life of herbs, the Herb Keeper is a perfect way to enjoy flavorful meals with the addition of fresh herbs. • Keep herbs fresh longer!  Suspended tray holds herb bunches together for easy access. Removable tray lifts for easy draining. Stems are immersed in water for freshness and hydration to extend life of herbs. Can accommodate large bunches of herbs or bundles of asparagus. 25 year warranty!

Cuisipro Fat Separator  This gravy separator has a unique plug which blocks fat out of the spout until fat and gravy are separated. Once separated, the lid can be snapped up to unplug the spout and release lean gravy. No more greasy gravy. This handy tool takes the fat off gravies and sauces with an innovative plug. Flip-top to open lid. Oversized rim prevents spills. Dishwasher safe. 4 cup capacity. Create clear, healthier gravy and sauces with this unique kitchen tool. Heat-resistant strainer catches unwanted food particles. 25 year warranty!

Find Handcrafted Knives, hand selected Cook's Tools, and unique Gifts for foodes at Foodie's Emporium!

by Anna Tourkakis
How to Keep Color, Texture, and Nutrients in Cooked Vegetables
Fresh vegetables are the foundation of both nutrition and exceptional meals. They provide our bodies with valuable vitamins and minerals and add color and texture to our meals. Bright beautiful greens, reds, oranges, purples, and yellows are a taste-treat for the eyes and their crunchy texture adds interest to every bite. The basic guidelines for cooking vegetables are: quick cooking, minimum water, and use of a lid. These simple guides will help retain color, texture, and nutrients.

The common methods for cooking vegetables, boiling, steaming, stir-frying and sautéing are all suitable for quick cooking. When boiling vegetables the first questions are always, “how much water to use,” and “should I cover the pot?” Vegetables are added to just enough boiling water to cover them. Cook them to fork-tender. The use of a lid depends on the flavor of the vegetables. Mild flavored vegetables such as carrots, corn, winter squash and potatoes should be cooked with the lid on. Stronger flavored vegetables such as green beans, broccoli and zucchini are best cooked without a lid which allows volatile compounds to escape. These last veggies should be cooked in water one-half to one inch above the vegetables. This dilutes the volatile compounds and prevents discoloration. 

In steaming, stir-frying and sautéing methods, vegetables should be cut to a uniform small size for quick, even cooking. Typically, stir-fry vegetables are cut into thin strips. Sautéing is suitable for tender or thinly sliced vegetables. Steaming is best for retaining water soluble vitamins regardless of a longer cooking time. 

These basic procedures ensure bright colored and crunchy textured vegetables with its many nutrients retained.

Anna Q. Tourkakis, DTR, MPA is a nutritional counselor. She teaches nutrition to food service professionals at North Shore Community College and does cooking demonstrations and healthy eating related presentations. Anna Q. Tourkakis, DTR, MPA is a nutritional counselor. She teaches nutrition to food service professionals at North Shore Community College and does cooking demonstrations and healthy eating related presentations.

by J. Michael Wheeler
How to Smoke Cheese
Don, a reader of Dancing Spoon, was browsing through Foodie’s Emporium (our online store) in the Grilling category when he came across EZ Smoke, our natural wood chip smoker in a can. He asked:

Can you cold smoke with ez smoker. I want to smoke cheese. Thanks Don

Yes, Don, you can. And it’s a simple process.

Just about any kind of cheese can be smoked. Most commonly known are smoked provolones, mozzarellas, cheddars, and goudas, but goat cheeses and even blue cheeses can be deliciously smoked. Because of it’s low melting temperature, cheese must be smoked using the cold smoked technique. Cold smoking takes place at temperatures of 90 degrees or less. Here's how to smoke cheese:

1. After selecting your cheeses (at least 8 oz each) for smoking, unwrap them and set on aluminum pans. Leave at room temperature for 1-2 hours. The cheese will form a slight skin that will protect it from melting while allowing the smoke to penetrate. 

2. When your cheese has set, prepare a grill with a lid. Place 3-4 pieces of charcoal on one side of the grill and light them. The goal is to produce smoke, but not heat. If you have a small grill you may need to use less charcoal at the onset and add a piece of charcoal if you want to smoke the cheese longer. Leave lid off initially, to prevent heat build up.

3. Select one of our EZ Smoke BBQ wood flavors, Apple, Mesquite, Pecan or Hickory. When the coals are hot, peel off the can’s seal and place on top of the coals. (You don’t need to soak the EZ Smoke chips.)

4. Place the aluminum pans on your grill on the opposite side of the charcoal and close the lid. Open the top and side vents to allow the smoke to circulate.

5. Check the cheeses after about a half hour to make sure they are not melting, and then every 15 to 20 minutes to taste the cheese. Remove the cheese when they have absorbed the smoky flavor you desire.

6. Remove the cheeses, let them cool, and enjoy. Store as you normally would.

by J. Michael Wheeler
Seafood Summit 2010:
Challenging Assumptions in a Changing World
I can't think of a better place to challenge assumptions in a changing world than Paris. The Seafood Summit 2010, is to be held in Paris, France, from January 31 - February 2, 2010. The Seafood Choices Alliance explains:

Seafood Summit brings together global representatives from the seafood industry and conservation community for in-depth discussions, presentations and networking with the goal of making the seafood marketplace environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.

While many industry events offer companies networking opportunities to showcase their products and services, Seafood Summit is different. It is the only venue that connects large and small companies from a diverse array of industries with leaders from the conservation community to bridge the gap between the latest science and the reality of the seafood marketplace. Summit attendees include international representatives with vested interest in the seafood industry, including: fishermen, fish farmers, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, food professionals (chefs, restaurateurs), conservation organizations, academic scientists, media, and policy makers.

Information about Seafood Summit 2010 will be updated regularly. For further questions, contact Seafood Summit. There are discounts for early registration. Discounts for early registration available until 30 November 2009.

Seafood Choices Alliance is an international program that provides leadership and creates opportunities for change across the seafood industry and ocean conservation community. Founded in the United States in 2001, Seafood Choices helps the seafood industry— from fishermen and fish farmers to processors, distributors, retailers, restaurants, and food service providers —to make the seafood marketplace environmentally, economically and socially sustainable.

OOO by Kate Krukowski Gooding

Shitake Bear Stew
Fall is here and we are going from grillin’ to chillin’ outside. Perfect weather for a stew and when you have dried mushrooms on hand it gives you more  flexibility of use and variety throughout the year.

I was in Beijing and Xiamen, China for the holidays this year to see my step-daughter, Julia, who is a Fulbright Scholar in Beijing. Understandably, she wanted family around for the holidays and Don and I use almost any excuse to travel.

We quickly discovered you cannot go anywhere without an interpreter. Thank goodness I could recognize most of the spices and products in the market. I pointed, picked the size bag, which translated to the amount I wanted to buy, and paid for my culinary treasures. The biggest bag went to the dried shitake mushrooms, the price was very reasonable so I stocked up. I also picked up dried cumin, unnamed hot red peppers, and these yummy Nori treats.

I love using dried mushrooms, they add another level of flavor and you don’t forget to add the reconstituted juices!

Shitake Bear Stew
Serves 6
Ingredients 

1      tablespoon bacon grease
4      tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓     cup flour
½    teaspoon salt
½    teaspoon pepper
1     tablespoon oregano
2      bay leaves
2      pounds cubed bear
3      large carrots, sliced
¼     cup red onion, chopped
¾     cup chopped yellow onion
1      tablespoon toasted celery seed
4      garlic cloves, minced
2      large potatoes, chopped
1½   cups dried shitake mushrooms, reconstituted ( ½ pound fresh mushrooms)
1      tablespoon dry rosemary
3      sprigs fresh rosemary
2½   cups cabernet sauvignon
2      cups game (or beef) stock
1      cup reconstituted mushroom liquid (or 1 cup mushroom stock)

Directions

You can find Kate Gooding's book,
Black Fly Stew - Wild Maine Recipes
at Foodie's Emporium! Click here.
For more great books for foodies Click here.

OOO by Kate Krukowski Gooding

Braised Burgundian Raccoon Stew and Provençal Bread
Many of my cooking adventures take me to paths unknown, with herbs, spices, meats, seafood, vegetables and wines. Raccoon is a new meat for me. It has a very light gamey aroma, looks lean and is delicious! I decided to try a layering of herbs rather than spices and braising to infuse yet another layer into the dish.

Braised Burgundian Raccoon Stew
Serves 8
Ingredients 

4 raccoon legs (2 front and 2 back)
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh flat parsley
¼ cup fresh thyme, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons canola oil’
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence*
1 bottle white Burgundian wine (Macon-Villages, Petit Chablis….)
2 cups chicken broth
2 15.5 ounce can Cannellini Beans

Directions

Provençal Bread
Ingredients 

1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 envelope dry yeast
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 ½ cups white flour
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon lavender
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon lavender
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

You can find Kate Gooding's book,
Black Fly Stew - Wild Maine Recipes
at Foodie's Emporium! Click here.
For more great books for foodies Click here.

by J. Michael Wheeler
Tasty Tips
We'd like to welcome our newest columnist, Anna Tourkakis, to Dancing Spoon. Anna's column, Tasty Tips, combines nutrition, cooking tips, and great, healthy recipes. Anna is a nutrition counselor, a teacher, and an international expert in healthy eating habits. She has been teaching healthy eating and nutrition for over 20 years.

Check out Tasty Tips for About Mustard, Italian Style Potato Salad, and The Right Potato-Salad-Potato.

From PB & J to Truffles
Did you know that you can find recipes from PB & J Updated to Roasted Ambercup Chili to Steak and Truffles: Wow on Dancing Spoon? Pour a glass of wine and browse through our Recipes.

From Chef Gavan Murphy (The Healthy Irishman!) find Pistachio Pesto Roasted Rack of Lamb and Grilled Scallops with Saffron Butternut Squash Risotto.

Gloria Bakst treats us to Black Cod or Sable Grilled in Miso Marinade, Plank Grilled Snapper, and for next month's Turkey Fest, Smoked Turkey with Apples and Onions.

Kate Krukowski Gooding's Out of the Ordinary column, really is! Try her Spicy Buffalo Salami, Peppered Kangaroo Filets, Moose and Stout Chili, and tamer Provençal Goat & Bean Soup.

We've got recipes like O'Reilly's Most Excellent Scones, from Tim O'Reilly, founder and CEO of O'Reilly Media; Roast Fennel and It's a Piece of (Crab) Cake from David Shepherd; and recipes from our Dancing Spoon Members like Anthony Theobald's recipe for Braised Mustard Greens.

Got some great recipes you'd like to share? Join Dancing Spoon Community's Recipe Club.

Still Grilling
There's still some very tasty grilling recipes too. Kate Gooding's Grilled Wild Turkey with Apricot Glaze on Basmati Rice is from her Dancing Spoon column Out of the Ordinary.  Gloria Baskt is very much into cedar planked grilling. She's got several tasty recipes like Cedar Plank Grilled Snapper and Lime Ginger Marinade for Cedar Plank Grilled Chicken.

Steak lovers might want to try David Haley's Chimichurri Grilled Flank Steak. He has some great wine suggestions too. And for something really over the top check out Steak & Truffles: Wow. As part of his Super Bowl Shuffle, Chef Gavan Murphy gave us grilled Mini Beef Sliders and Asparagus Skewered Shrimp. More Grilling Recipes.

by Edie Freedman

Tim O’Reilly’s Most Excellent Scones
Tim O’Reilly, founder and CEO of O’Reilly Media (oreilly.com), is many things: visionary, writer, technology advocate, and much more. He also happens to be an excellent baker.

I have worked with my friend Tim for nearly two decades and I know that his scones are legendary; he makes them for friends, colleagues, and just about anyone who shows up around breakfast time chez O’Reilly. I can speak from experience: it’s hard not to wolf down more than your share of these wonderful pastries, especially when they’re just out of the oven.

Tim's most excellent scone recipe follows...

Tim O’Reilly’s Most Excellent Scones

Makes 12-14 scones

Ingredients   
1 stick of butter
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour (experiment to see which you like better)
3 Tbsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 to 1 cup currants (or raisins)
1/2 to 1 cup milk (or substitute soy milk if you prefer; goat milk is also great)

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees, and lightly grease a baking sheet. (You can just rub it with the butter paper.)

Cut butter into flour with a pastry blender. When done, the butter and flour should look like small crumbs.

Add the sugar, baking powder, and salt, and stir well.

Put currants (or raisins, if you prefer) into a well in the middle, and pour some of the milk in.

Stir around with a knife till you get just shy of a gooey consistency. (That is, it should hang together, but if it gets very sticky, you've put in a bit too much milk. You could add a bit more flour if you've gone in with less flour to begin with. But better to bake them sticky than add more than a total of three cups. The stickiness is just a problem for shaping them, since it sticks too much to your fingers.)

Shape into small lumps spaced evenly on the baking sheet. Depending on how big you make them, this amount should produce 12 to 14 scones. You probably need to wash your hands part way through, to get the sticky dough off. As it accumulates, the rest gets harder to handle.

Put in the oven and check at ten minutes to see if the tops are browned. If not, leave another minute or two.

Serve with jam, and if you're feeling piggy, with Devonshire cream (whipped cream works too, from one of those aerosol cans, so you can just put a spot of it on).

When I asked Tim for the recipe, he sent along a few additional tips:

Try making them without currants, and using them as a base for shortcake, with, say, yogurt instead of whipped cream, plus fruit.

Finally, as a tip, since the kids left home, I:

a) make a double quantity (and I love using goat butter rather than  regular butter.)

b) don't add the currants till right before baking, because

c) you can put the big batch in the freezer and keep it for months,  and use just a small amount to make a few scones as the occasion demands. If you leave out the currants, you can then go either way, to scones or shortcake. Makes whipping up a nice treat a matter of  ten minutes.

d) feel free to substitute soy, rice, or almond milk for regular milk.

And baking anything that's really cold improves the quality of the pastry. So, frozen mix works really well.

Some interesting links:
Wikipedia The scone is a British snack of Scottish origin. A small quickbread made of wheat, barley or oatmeal, usually with baking powder as a leavening agent. British scones are often lightly sweetened, but may also be savoury. In the U.S., scones are drier, larger and typically sweet. WikiScones

Tim O'Reilly Various Things I've Written
Tim O’Reilly Bio
Wired Magazine Interview

by Eric Olson
Well, it's Tuesday evening about five o’clock in the early evening and as the temperature is going down outside, my feelings for Bordeaux go up inside. Haven't touched one all summer as I find them too aggressive in warmer weather but not so in the fall and winter. Just opened the newly arrived Ch. Haut-Gacherie, 2005 vintage and find it a nice "transition" Bordeaux. Certainly not too aggressive, but fairly mild with some modest tannins, and simple fruit and earth flavors. Good beginner wine if your interested in trying what I'm talking about for a modest $12.

The Bordeaux region is close to the Atlantic Ocean in the southwest section of France and produces an enormous amount of wine. The world's most famous wines, Latour, Lafite, Mouton, Margaux, Haut Brion, and Petrus to name a few, make up only a minuscule amount of what is produced and are out of most mortals reach. The good news: this vast ocean of wine produces many very fine affordable wines.

Bordeaux wines are, when made well, rich, layered, fruity, and very, very dry, with complex earth and mineral components that compliment a wide array of foods. They are made from predominately Cabernet Sauvignon grapes when grown on the left bank of the Gironde River, or Merlot grapes when grown on the right bank. A must for all serious wine drinkers, Bordeaux wines are the apex of drinking pleasure when served properly. But, with over 7000 chateaux and over 40 sub appellations, they are a wine student's nightmare. Some thoughts...

All Bordeaux must be made with only five grape varieties: the Cabernet grape dominating on the left bank (or Medoc side); on the right bank (St. Emilion, Pomeral and many other "lesser" appellations), Merlot is the main ingredient. It's takes a real expert to discern the right bank wines from the left, and so my point is, why bother? To search for a St. Emilion, for example, is not necessary. Vintage and price is much more important than appellation. If you want to spend $20 on a St. Emilion, fine, but you might be better off with a wine shop that can guide you to a better $20 Medoc or St. Julien. In other words, it should be a good Bordeaux you should seek, not any particular region over another. Vintages are important in Bordeaux, but as I said earlier they are sometimes self leveling (But What About Vintages?). You will pay less for the 2004 vintage than the highly acclaimed 2005, so the ‘04 may, in fact, be the better value.

On and on we can go but I do not want to confuse or scare you off. The best thing to do is visit your local wine shop and talk about the wines and taste some examples. It is much easier to talk about wine than to write about it. Especially after a few tastings.

by J. Michael Wheeler
Kitchen Art That Starts in Your Hand
It doesn't matter what your passion is: when you've got it, you've got it. We recently had the pleasure of meeting Adam Simha, a master at handcrafting kitchen knives. He is very passionate about his craft. He makes superlative bench-made knives. We are honored to be one of the only venues where MKS Design knives are sold.

Knife designer Adam Simha designs and handcrafts absolutely superb bench-made high-performance steel blades for his knives. These designs feature body geometry influenced by the best of both Asian and Western traditions. His blades are tempered to a Rockwell 56 hardness to provide toughness, easy sharpening, and remarkable edge holding. Steels used in the different blades are 13C26, 440-C, 154CM, and SF77 stainless.

The unique grip: MKS knives come with an injection-molded bicycle grip that is tightly fitted over a naturally bacteria-resistant stainless steel tube. The bicycle grip, with its deep grooves for the fingers, provides a perfect balance of shock absorption and control.

Each knife is tuned precisely for weight, balance, and control. They are visually remarkable and functionally exquisite and have been featured in many publications including Atlantic Monthly, the Boston Globe, City, and Kitchenware News.

Foodie's Emporium is proud to be an exclusive online retailer of Adam's amazing knives.

MKS Design Knives are produced in limited quantities and are available at Foodies Emporium.

For a very limited time we are offering our readers
10% OFF any MKS Design Knife Selection or Knife Set.
Use Promo Code MKSPRCNT at check out.

OOO by Kate Krukowski Gooding

Grilled Lobster Tail with Arugula
& Sherry-Ginger Vinaigrette
I was recently asked by Dancing Spoon’s own, J. Michael Wheeler, “Are the lobsters still as good when they're shedding and have soft shells? And are summer lobsters as good as cold weather lobsters?” I know some people that disagree with me but I have never tasted anything as sweet and tender as a Maine lobster in the summer that is shedding. And, they are easier to eat because you can break the soft, cooked lobster shells with your hands.

My friends just arrived this week for a visit from New Haven, CT. We treated them to lobsters just caught from a local lobsterman and friend.  We ate them the old fashioned way: with lots of newspapers on the table, paper towels galore, fresh picked corn on the cob and melted, salted butter. We finished it off with my new Blueberry Cake recipe. The consensus was — sweet, tender, and just keep them coming!

I bought extra lobsters to test for this new recipe below, which we had for lunch. The sherry really adds another level of richness to this already decadent crustacean. YUM!!!

2 live lobsters, 1 ¾ pounds
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sherry
1 teaspoon honey
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 cups arugula

Directions

You can find Kate Gooding's book,
Black Fly Stew - Wild Maine Recipes
at Foodie's Emporium! Click here.
For more great books for foodies Click here.

by J. Michael Wheeler
A Pesto to Remember
My most memorable pesto experience was in the tiny French fishing village of Villefranche Sur Mer just down the coast from Nice, heading towards Italy. (French and Italian cuisine tend to overlap down there.) We were at a tiny restaurant in the vielle ville, and our waitress, cook, and owner were all the same smiling French grandmother. We sat on a sunny little stone patio behind the restaurant and were her only customers for a late lunch. She didn't seem to mind. When we ordered her pesto, she smiled, turned to the big planter pots that surrounded the patio and plucked some basil from the plants growing right there. Then she asked us if we liked garlic.

“Oui, bien sur!” we answered. What’s pesto without garlic, we thought? Certainly Madame felt the same way. Our pesto arrived, sur commande, tossed over fresh pasta, was fragrantly bright green, shimmered with local olive oil, and was absolutely explosive with garlic! When Madame demandé if we liked garlic, she meant do we really like garlic! Well, we certainly did that day.

Pesto is one of those really simple magic sauces: some olive oil, a little garlic, fresh basil, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese. You mix it up in a blender, food processor, or, traditionally, using a mortal and pestle.

Pesto can be a sauce for pasta or it can top a nice piece of grilled fish, or a steak, or used in an omelet. Spread it on bruschetta or even whisk some in olive oil for a fresh tasty salad dressing. Make a bunch of it: it freezes really well. Use the ice cube tray trick: fill the tray with pesto, cover it, freeze it, then take out your pesto-cubes and bag ‘em. 

Coming up: Pesto with sautéed scallops (with a little tasty twist).

 by J. Michael Wheeler
How to Keep Your Knives Sharp
Did you ever notice that the chefs in their tall white toques at the banquets, brunches, and museum openings you’re always going to, seem to sharpen their knives a lot? They’ve got a knife in one hand and a sharpening steel (pictured here) in the other. But while they may be making their knives sharper using the sharpening steel, they’re not really sharpening their knives!

“Picky, picky, picky,” you say. Well, yes, but let me make a point. (Sorry.) To actually sharpen a knife you need to use a knife sharpening tool, an electric sharpener, or traditionally, a sharpening stone. Whichever tool you use, it reshapes the knife’s cutting edge by grinding away tiny amounts of the blade. If you’ve carefully sharpened the blade at a 20 degree angle, you’ve got a sharp knife.

But while your knife may be sharp, the edge of your knife will be left rough and uneven. A sharpening steel aligns the blade and tiny burrs. And just a few minutes of slicing can knock your knife’s delicate edge out of alignment, and even microscopically bend or fold the edge. Time, again, for the sharpening steel.

Knife designer Adam Simha has these tips on maintaining your knife’s sharpness by using a sharpening steel. And please, be careful.

1. Hold your knife at an angle so the steel is parallel to the bevel of the knife’s cutting edge, about 20° for large knives and 17° for smaller ones.

2. Pull the blade across the abrasive surface as if you were slicing. Start near the handle and finish at the tip. Keep the pressure, speed, and angle constant.

3. Do the same on the alternate face of the knife. Again align your knife carefully to the surface of the steel.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 as necessary, using slightly less pressure with each repetition.