The Bitten Word

Thanksgiving 2009: Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake

2009-11-12T14:01:30-05:00

Gourmet (November 2009)

Loyal Bitten Word readers are forgiven if they think they've stumbled onto the wrong food blog.

Yes, it's true that we're more likely to serve a Pork Chocolate Cheesecake than a vegan one.

But for some reason we were really drawn to this Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake in the final issue of Gourmet.

It looked simultaneously luscious and light, decadent but not too heavy. In short, it looked like an ideal Thanksgiving dessert.

Before we get to the cake, we've got to come clean about one thing: We bought store-made pie crust.

We know, we know! It's horrible. But after failing to find chocolate graham crackers at two separate supermarkets, we gave in and bought a pre-made chocolate graham cracker crust at Whole Foods. For the record, the pre-made crust was still vegan. And it actually worked out just fine, since we don't have a springform pan.

Plus, we were already feeling uber pious for eating a vegan dessert, so we totally didn't feel guilty about the crust.

Anyway, the preparation of the cheesecake is similar to any other, except the base ingredient is tofu. In fact, most of the entire cake is either tofu or soy cream cheese, with just enough chocolate added for flavor.

How'd it turn out? Delicious! The cake was rich and dense and creamy -- a perfect consistency for a cheesecake. The taste was nice and chocolately, if a little on the subtle side. We gave guests the option of having whipped cream on top, which un-veganed the whole thing, but was certainly a tasty addition.

The only thing we missed was that this vegan version didn't have quite the same tangy sharpness that's the hallmark of a classic cheesecake. It was definitely in the same neighborhood -- just maybe not quite on the same street.

Still, if your looking for a vegan dessert option -- or even just a tasty dessert -- you should absolutely add this cheesecake to your menu!

Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake
Gourmet (November 2009)

(This photo: Gourmet)

yield: Makes 12 servings
active time: 35 min
total time: 10 hr (includes chilling)

INGREDIENTS

For graham cracker crust:

1 1/4 cups chocolate or regular graham cracker crumbs (from nine 5-by 2 1/2-inch graham crackers)
3 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons Earth Balance vegan buttery spread, melted and cooled, plus additional for greasing pan

For chocolate tofu filling:

2 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1/3 cup water
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao), chopped
2 (1-pound packages silken tofu, drained
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
2 (8-ounces) containers soy cream cheese at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt

Equipment: a 9-inch springform pan

PREPARATION

Make graham cracker crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in middle and lower third and put a baking sheet on lower rack. Flip bottom of springform pan so lip is facing down, then lock in place. Grease bottom and side of pan.

Stir together all crust ingredients, then press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of pan. Bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes, then cool completely, about 45 minutes.

Make chocolate tofu filling:
Heat 1 cup sugar in a 1 1/2-to 2-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling pan occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber. Remove from heat and carefully stir in water (mixture will bubble up and steam and caramel will harden), then cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until caramel has dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk in chopped chocolate until smooth. Cool fudge sauce slightly.

Purée tofu and cocoa in a food processor until smooth.

Beat soy cream cheese and remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until fluffy. At low speed, beat in tofu purée, vanilla, salt, and fudge sauce until incorporated.

Pour filling into crust and bake on middle rack until top of cake is shiny but center is still slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour. Turn oven off and leave cake in oven 1 hour more.

Run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen, then cool completely in pan on rack (cake will continue to set as it cools). Chill cake, loosely covered, at least 6 hours. Remove side of pan and transfer cake to a plate. Bring to room temperature before serving if desired.

Cooks's note: Cheesecake can be made 3 days ahead and chilled.

Thanksgiving 2009: Cream Gravy

2009-11-12T08:00:47-05:00

Gourmet (November 2009)

We absolutely loved our spatchcocked turkey! The skin was crispy, the meat was moist and flavorful.

But let's be honest. For many people, the Thanksgiving turkey is nothing more than a delivery vehicle for gravy.

We wanted a great, classic gravy to go with our turkey, and we love the one we found, this Cream Gravy from Gourmet.

We made our turkey giblet stock the day before preparing the bird. Don't be put off by the number of ingredients. Making the stock yourself is really simple, and it gives the gravy a really special depth of flavors.

Making this gravy was easy, too. We didn't have many pan juices from our turkey, so we didn't really bother with straining them and reserving the fat (so we essentially skipped the first paragraph in the recipe below). We jumped right in with the 5 tablespoons of butter, melted it and whisked in the flour. Then we stirred in the stock, cream and salt and pepper.

We amped up the amount of pepper here, and we're glad we did. We ended up with a rich, luxurious, creamy gravy -- with enough of a peppery kick to really add something nice to the Thanksgiving plate.

More Thanksgiving Suggestions From The Bitten Word >>

Cream Gravy
Gourmet (November 2009)

INGREDIENTS

    •    About 4 cups hot turkey giblet stock
    •    Melted unsalted butter if necessary
    •    5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    •    3/4 cup heavy cream

Make gravy while turkey rests:  

Strain pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into 2-quart measure and skim off fat (or use a fat separator), reserving fat. Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add remaining 1 1/2 cups water and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Strain through sieve into measuring cup containing pan juices. Add enough turkey giblet stock to pan juices to bring total to 5 cups.

Put 5 tablespoons reserved fat (if there is less, add melted butter) in a 4-quart heavy saucepan and whisk in flour. Cook roux over medium heat, whisking, 3 minutes. Add stock mixture in a fast stream, whisking constantly, then add cream, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Bring to a boil, whisking, then stir in any turkey juices from platter and simmer 5 minutes.

Serve turkey with gravy.

Thanksgiving 2009: Roast Spatchcocked Turkey

2009-11-11T08:13:34-05:00

Martha Stewart Living (November 2009)

We have a love/hate relationship with Thanksgiving turkey. On the one hand, a golden-skinned roast turkey is the classic centerpiece of the Thanksgiving dinner. Done right, the meat is tender and juicy, the skin perfectly crisp.

But getting the bird on the table can be so much work! Do you brine it ahead of time or not? If you do brine, should you do a wet brine or a dry brine? Should you rub the skin with butter? Should you stuff the bird or cook the stuffing separately? Should you baste it while it's roasting?

And then, on the day of the big dinner, the bird sits there, taking up the majority of your oven space for three hours while the clock ticks closer to dinnertime.

Well, forget all that!

Reader, we'd like to have a word with you. Just one word, actually. This word is your key to a Thanksgiving turkey that takes just 70 minutes (!) from start to finish. No brining, no stuffing, no nothing.

That word is "spatchcocking."

Really, "spatchcocking" is just a fancy term for cooking a whole turkey or chicken by removing the backbone and splaying the bird out flat.

Spatchcocked!

And it's that simple. Really! Just cut along the both sides of the turkey's backbone to remove it (we used simple, sturdy kitchen scissors). Flip the bird over and flatten it by breaking the breast bone. Brush the bird with olive oil, salt and pepper.

And, um, that's essentially it. Just 70 minutes later (you'll want to baste it halfway through), you'll have a perfectly cooked bird.

There are actually a few additional benefits to spatchcocking, in addition to the quick cooking time:

--Space. Flattening the turkey out like this makes a lot more room in your crowded Thanksgiving Day oven.

--Carving. With the backbone out of the way, it's much, much simpler to carve the bird when it's time to serve it.

--Taste. We actually thought the meat turned out better tasting and more moist than with a traditional roast turkey. And the skin crisped up to golden perfection.

So say it with us: "spatchcocking." It's a funny little word that just might forever change your relationship with your Thanksgiving bird.

More Thanksgiving Suggestions From The Bitten Word >>

Roast Spatchcocked Turkey
Martha Stewart Living (2009)
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(Photos: Martha Stewart Living)

Serves 8 TO 10

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 whole fresh turkey (about 12 pounds)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Stir together oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Rinse inside and outside of turkey; pat dry with paper towels. Spatchcock turkey*. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet, breast side up. Let stand for 30 minutes.
3. Brush or rub turkey all over with oil mixture. Roast, rotating sheet halfway through and basting twice, until an instant-read thermometer inserted
into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let stand for 20 minutes before carving.

*SPATCHCOCKING

1. Cut out the backbone. Start with the turkey breast side down. Use poultry shears to cut along both sides of the backbone, beginning at the tail end. If you hit a tough spot, try cutting with just the tip of the shears.

2. Open the turkey. Set aside backbone (and giblets) for stock. Take hold of both newly cut edges, and open the turkey. Remove any large pieces of fat. Turn the turkey, breast side up.

3. Break the breastbone. Place your hand on one side of the breast, close to the breastbone, and push down firmly until you hear a crack. Repeat on the other side. (For better leverage as you work, stand on a step stool.)

4. Flatten the turkey. Pull the thighs outward so the turkey lies flat, with the wings facing inward. Tuck the wing tips under to secure.

5. Brush with oil. Place the turkey on a rimmed baking sheet. Let stand for 30 minutes. Use a basting brush to apply oil mixture.

HOW TO CARVE

A spatchcocked turkey requires a slightly different carving technique than a bird cooked the traditional way, but the basic approach remains
the same: Remove the legs and wings, and then slice the breast meat.

1. Cut legs from breast. With a sharp chef's knife, remove each leg by cutting through the turkey where the thigh connects to the breast.

2. Separate drumsticks and thighs. At the joint of each leg, cut drumstick from thigh. Transfer thighs and drumsticks to a warm platter. Tent with foil.

3. Cut wings and breast. On one side, find the joint connecting wing and breast, and cut through it (not shown). Repeat to cut off other wing. Cut breast meat into two pieces, slicing along either side of breastbone.

4. Slice breast meat. Slice the breast meat across the grain. Arrange on the platter with the dark meat, and add the wings.

Thanksgiving 2009: Scarlet Carrot Soup

2009-11-10T08:36:22-05:00

Gourmet (November 2009)

Thumbing through the final issue of Gourmet [moment of silence], we were blown away by one of the first photos we saw, which was of this Scarlet Carrot Soup. Deeply red and topped by fried carrot strips, we knew it would make a dramatic start to any Thanksgiving meal.

But why is the soup so red? Is it a special variety of carrots? Food coloring? Code Red Mountain Dew?

Nope (thankfully).

The scarlet hue in this soup comes from beets, which when cooked along with the carrots, lend their intense color to the dish.

Making this soup is quite easy. While carrots and beets are the main ingredients, shallots, thyme, and hot pepper flakes add spice. Cook the vegetables until they're soft, and then puree the soup until it's smooth. The prep, cooking, and pureeing easily take less than an hour.

After tasting the finished product, we decided to add significantly more salt and pepper than the recipe dictates. Properly seasoned, this is a wonderful cold-weather soup, warm and comforting with hearty, earthy flavors.

As a bonus for holiday planning, the soup can be made several days ahead, but the carrot ribbons require a little last-minute attention.

They're not hard to make, but the recipe encourages you to not make them more than two hours ahead. In the midst of Thanksgiving prep, you just need to make sure you have a stovetop burner free in order to fry them. Tossed with coriander and piled on top of the soup, they're a lovely addition to the dish.

This is definitely a soup that gets "oohs" and "ahhs" when it comes out of the kitchen. Your Thanksgiving guests will be intrigued by the color and warmed by the comforting taste.

More Thanksgiving Suggestions From The Bitten Word >>

Scarlet Carrot Soup
Gourmet (November 2009)

Serves 12
Active Time: 30 minutes
Start to Finish: 1 hour

For Soup:
-- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted and cooled
-- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
-- 1 cup sliced shallots (4 large)
-- 3 large thyme sprigs
-- 2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
-- 1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
-- 3 lb carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
-- 1 lb trimmed beets, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
-- 8 cups water plus additional if needed
-- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

For Crisp Carrot Ribbons
-- About 4 cups vegetable oil for frying
-- 2 large carrots
-- 2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Equipment: an electric coffee/spice grinder or a mortar and pestle; a deep-fat thermometer

MAKE SOUP:

Grind coriander in grinder. Heat oil in a 5-quart heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook shallots with thyme, bay leaves, and red pepper, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add carrots, beets, 2 teaspoons coriander, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, until vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes.

Discard bay leaves and any tough thyme stems. Puree soup in batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), then return soup to pot. Stir in vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and additional water if needed to thin soup.

MAKE CARROT RIBBONS WHILE SOUP SIMMERS:

Heat 1 inch of oil to 350 degrees in a 3-quart pot over medium-high heat.

Peel carrots, then continue making thin lengthwise ribbons with peeler until you reach core. Toss ribbons in flour, shaking off excess, and season with salt.

Fry ribbons in 3 or 4 batches until golden along edges, about 1-minute per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain and spring with some of remaining coriander. Return oil to 350 degrees between batches.

NOTES:

Soup can be made 2 days ahead and chilled. Reheat, thinning with water if desired.

Carrot ribbons can be fried 2 hours ahead and kept, uncovered, at warm room temperature.

Thanksgiving 2009: Fall Harvest Salad

2009-11-09T09:51:11-05:00

Food & Wine (November 2009)

So we've begun our Thanksgiving "auditions," trying out recipes for the big day.

We were drawn to this Fall Harvest Salad for a two main reasons. First -- obviously -- it sounded amazing: fresh autumn greens, roasted butternut squash, pumpkin seeds, pecans. What's not to love?

Second, though, this salad was kind of a redux for us. A second chance.

See, we'd made our Spiced Pumpkin, Lentil and Goat Cheese Salad a couple weeks ago. We were underwhelmed, and we learned one extremely valuable lesson: Some pumpkins are for eating and some are just for show.

This Fall Harvest Salad was similar (minus the lentils and cheese, of course). But this time, the flavors were spot on! The sweet roasted squash is, for us, a quintessential taste of autumn. And the salad gets a double-dose of crunchy texture from the pecans and the roasted pumpkin seeds.

Starting your Thanksgiving dinner with a salad is, we think, a great idea. For one thing, it's a nice way for guests to ease into the meal without diving head first into a vat of potatoes and gravy.

It's also great to have a first course that can be made ahead of time. We actually roasted this squash a day in advance, so assembling the salad is a snap. Salad also gives your guests something to eat while you're frantically running around the kitchen finishing up last-minute cooking.

So think about making a salad this Thanksgiving -- and if you do, definitely plan on making this one!

More Thanksgiving Suggestions From The Bitten Word >>

Fall Harvest Salad
Food & Wine (November 2009)
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(This photo: Food & Wine)

    •    ACTIVE: 25 MIN
    •    TOTAL TIME: 40 MIN
    •    SERVINGS: 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients
    •    1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, preferably peanut
    •    2 cups peeled butternut squash (10 ounces), cut into 1-inch cubes
    •    Salt and freshly ground pepper
    •    2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
    •    1 tablespoon coarsely chopped tarragon
    •    1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
    •    10 ounces mixed salad greens or mesclun
    •    1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
    •    1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the squash in an even layer, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn the squash cubes and cook over moderately low heat until browned on the other side and just tender, about 7 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar with the tarragon, parsley and the remaining 5 tablespoons of oil; season the dressing with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss the salad greens with the pecans, pumpkin seeds and roasted squash. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Serve the salad right away.

Make Ahead

The dressing can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours. The cooked squash can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before using in the salad.

Thanksgiving Guide 2009: What the Food Magazines Are Recommending

2009-11-06T13:25:13-05:00

172 Recipes From 9 Leading Food Magazines

Thanksgiving is food magazines' time to shine. In years past, many of the food mags we read have used their November issues to really push the limits with innovative spins on Thanksgiving faves.

Sure, there are usually plenty of approachable standbys. But the classics usually sit alongside some really envelope-pushing ideas: Throw a Thanksgiving clambake! How about a Pacific Rim-fusion dinner? Truffle-laden turkey! Indian-spiced sweet potato gnocchi!! Vegan French-Vietnamese gluten-free stuffing!!!

Not so this year. From the looks of this year's crop of Thanksgiving food mags, 2009 is all about simplicity and basic, standard dishes. It's the Great Recession, and everybody just wants a big ol' piece of pumpkin pie.

Just look at what the magazines call out from the newsstands:

Martha Stewart Living: "Thanksgiving, simple and sensational"

Fine Cooking: "All the classics made easy"

Food Network: "Easy Thanksgiving"

Bon Appétit: "Thanksgiving made easy"

Everyday Food: "A Thanksgiving menu that's easy to make"

We have nine November issues in front of us, and nearly all of them are focused on "traditional" menus that are very straightforward.

The food magazines may have stuck to the classics this year, but that doesn't mean the options are limited. In the nine magazines we have, there are, in fact, 172 Thanksgiving recipes.

All those options can leave you more than a little stressed out. It's all too easy to get wrapped up in the idea that Thanksgiving has to be perfect and if you don't select the right stuffing recipe, your mother-in-law will break into tears at the table.

But fear not! We've cataloged all 172 options below so that you, dear reader, can browse this year's recipes and make some selections for yourself. Over the next three weeks, we're going to be cooking and writing as many recipes as we can fit in. We'll post our photos and let you know how they turn out.

And as you're gearing up for the holiday, if you have questions, post them here and we'll do our best to answer them.

Okay, ready for the recipes?

Before we get to the 2009 recipes, here are a few links you may find useful in planning your own meal.

Recap of what we cooked for Thanksgiving in 2008:

Recap and Roundup of Food Magazine Recipes from 2008:

2009 ROUND-UP OF FOOD MAGAZINE RECOMMENDATIONS

Recipes without hyperlinks are only available in the print issues. If you're particularly drawn to recipes here from a certain magazine, we recommend picking up an issue this week, before they're off newsstands. After all, there is no better food porn than the November issues of these magazines.

SOUPS

Scarlet Carrot Soup (Gourmet) -- Read our take on this dish
Creamy Carrot Soup with Scallions and Poppy Seeds (Food & Wine)

STARTERS

SALADS

Shaved Beet and Bitter Greens Salad with Garlic (Gourmet)
Green Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette (Gourmet)
Simple Green Salad with Celery Seed Vinaigrette (Gourmet)
Marinated Cauliflower Salad (Martha Stewart Living)
Roasted-Beet Salad with Blue Cheese (Martha Stewart Living)
Carrot and Cranberry Salad with Fresh Ginger Dressing (Bon Appétit)
Fall Harvest Salad (Food & Wine) -- Read our take on this dish

TURKEY

Cider-Glazed Turkey (Gourmet)
Roast Turkey with Cream Gravy (Gourmet)
Spatchcoked Turkey (Martha Stewart Living) -- Read our take on this dish
Spice-Rubbed Roast Turkey (Martha Stewart Living)
Chile-Rubbed Roast Turkey (Saveur)
Grilled Turkey (Saveur)
Herbed Roast Turkey (Saveur)
Sage Butter-Roasted Turkey with Cider Gravy (Bon Appétit)
Grilled Turkey with Toasted Fennel and Coriander and Fresh Thyme Gravy (Bon Appétit)
Clementine-Salted Turkey with Redeye Gravy (Bon Appétit)
Roast Turkey with Lemon and Chives (Food & Wine)
Herb-Roasted Turkey with Gravy (Food & Wine)
Salt and Pepper Turkey (Everyday Food)
Turkey with Glazed Chestnuts, Parsnips and Mushrooms (Food Network Magazine)
Butterflied Turkey with Apple-Cranberry Glaze (Food Network Magazine)
Roast Turkey with Garlic, Sage and Fennel (Food Network Magazine)
Old Fashioned Stuffed Turkey (Cook's Illustrated)

STOCKS AND GRAVY

Turkey Giblet Stock (Gourmet) -- Read our take on this dish
Rich Vegetable Stock (Gourmet)
Aleppo Pepper Gravy (Martha Stewart Living)
Turkey Stock (Bon Appétit)
Turkey Stock (Food & Wine)
Easy Turkey Stock (Everyday Food)
Cream Gravy (Gourmet) -- Read our take on this dish

VEGETARIAN MAINS

POTATO SIDES

Bacon Smashed Potatoes (Gourmet)
Brown Sugar Baked Sweet Potatoes and Acorn Squash (Gourmet)
Sweet Potato and Sage-Butter Casserole (Martha Stewart Living)
Sweet Potatoes in Syrup with Guava (Saveur)
Garnet Yam Puree (Bon Appétit)
Scalloped Potatoes and Fennel (Bon Appétit)
Roasted Potatoes with Bacon, Onions and Sage (Bon Appétit)
Potato and Autumn Vegetable Hash (Bon Appétit)
Mashed Potatoes with Ranch Dressing (Bon Appétit)
Garnet Yams with Maple Syrup, Walnuts, and Brandied Raisins (Bon Appétit)
Creamy Mashed Potatoes (Martha Stewart Living)
Mashed Potatoes with Crispy Shallots (Food & Wine)
Five-Spice Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Walnut Toffee (Food & Wine)
Bourbon Sweet Potatoes (Everyday Food)
Chestnut-Potato Puree (Food Network Magazine)

OTHER SIDES

Sauteed Green Beans and Brussels Sprouts with Chile and Mint (Gourmet)
Golden Onion Pie (Gourmet)
Sauerkraut with Apples (Gourmet)
Carrots with Shallots, Sage and Thyme (Gourmet)
Toasted Sweet Corn Pudding (Gourmet)
Kale with Panfried Walnuts (Gourmet)
Smoked Sausage Jambalaya (Gourmet)
Braised Turnip Greens with Turnips and Apples (Gourmet)
Wild-Rice Pilaf with Cranberries and Pecans (Martha Stewart Living)
Stewed White Beans with Tomatoes and Rosemary (Martha Stewart Living)
Roasted-Parsnip Bread Pudding (Martha Stewart Living)
Roasted Carrots with Ginger and Jalapeno (Martha Stewart Living)
Roasted Vegetables with Pomegranate Vinaigrette (Martha Stewart Living)
Green Beans with Shallots and Breadcrumbs (Martha Stewart Living)
Leek and Swiss Chard Tart (Martha Stewart Living)
Harvest Galette (Martha Stewart Living)
Brussels Sprouts with Chorizo (Saveur)
Baby Winter Squash with Spiced Orange-Currant Stuffing (Bon Appétit)
Real Creamed Corn Pudding (Bon Appétit)
Brussels Sprout Slaw with Mustard Dressing and Maple-Glazed Pecans (Bon Appétit)
Broccolini with Smoked Paprika, Almonds and Garlic (Bon Appétit)
Sauté of Winter Greens and Shiitake Mushrooms (Bon Appétit)
Thyme-Roasted Apples and Onions (Bon Appétit)
Green Beans and Walnuts with Lemon Vinaigrette (Bon Appétit)
Green Beans with Crispy Pancetta, Mushrooms and Shallots (Fine Cooking)
Roasted Turnips with Maple and Cardamom (Fine Cooking)
Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Hazelnut Butter (Fine Cooking)
Pomegranate-Balsamic-Glazed Carrots (Fine Cooking)
Bourbon Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole with Pecan Crust (Fine Cooking)
Creamy Baked Leeks with Garlic, Thyme, and Parmigiano (Fine Cooking)
Kale with Currants, Lemon and Olives (Food & Wine)
Maple-Ginger-Roasted Vegetables with Pecans (Food & Wine)
Sauteed Brussels Sprouts (Everyday Food)
Green Bean Casserole (Everyday Food)
Balsamic-Glazed Pearl Onions (Everyday Food)
Bacon Braised Green Beans (Food Network Magazine)
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Capers (Food Network Magazine)
Lemon-Maple Squash (Food Network Magazine)
Sauteed Peas with Shallot and Mint (Cook's Illustrated)

BREADS

STUFFINGS & DRESSINGS

Rye Bread Stuffing (Gourmet)
Oyster Casserole (Gourmet)
Sausage Stuffing and Shiitake Mushroom Stuffing (Martha Stewart Living)
Wild Rice and Mushroom Stuffing (Bon Appétit)
Whole Wheat Stuffing with Pancetta, Chestnuts and Parmesan (Bon Appétit)
Sourdough Stuffing with Sausage, Apples and Golden Raisins (Bon Appétit)
Rustic Bread Stuffing with Red Mustard Greens, Currants, and Pine Nuts (Bon Appétit)
Cornbread Stuffing with Andouille, Fennel and Bell Peppers (Bon Appétit)
Sweet Potato Stuffing with Bacon and Thyme (Bon Appétit)
Bacon, Onion and Rye Bread Stuffing (Food & Wine)
Fig-and-Almond Bread Stuffing with Fennel (Food & Wine)
Bread Stuffing with Sage (Everyday Food)
Apple-Raisin Stuffing (Food Network Magazine)
Bacon-Jalapeno Stuffing (Food Network Magazine)
Collard-Cornbread Stuffing (Food Network Magazine)
Fennel-Sausage Stuffing (Food Network Magazine)
Pear-Pecan Stuffing (Food Network Magazine)

CRANBERRY SAUCES, CHUTNEYS AND RELISHES

Cranberry Orange Relish (Gourmet)
Cranberry and Celery Relish (Gourmet)
Cranberry Sauce (Martha Stewart Living)
Cranberry Sauce (Saveur)
Cranberry-Mustard Relish (Bon Appétit)
Beet Chutney (Bon Appétit)
Cranberry Sauce with Red Wine, Pomegranate Molasses, and Mediterranean Herbs (Bon Appétit)
Chipotle Cranberry Sauce (Bon Appétit)
Onion Marmalade (Bon Appétit)
Jellied Cranberry Sauce with Fuji Apple (Food & Wine)
Cranberry-Quince Chutney (Food & Wine)
Orange-Scented Cranberry Sauce (Everyday Food)
Spicy Cranberry Salsa (Food Network Magazine)
Nutty Cranberry Relish (Food Network Magazine)
Cran-Citrus Chutney (Food Network Magazine)

DESSERTS

Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake (Gourmet)
Cranberry-Apple Crumble Pie (Gourmet)
Lemon Custard Pie (Gourmet)
Spice Cake with Caramelized Pears and Maple Buttercream (Gourmet)
Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle (Gourmet)
Fig Crostata (Gourmet)
Grape and Almond Frangipane Tart (Gourmet)
Pear Cranberry Cake (Gourmet)
Bourbon Pumpkin Pie (Gourmet)
Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie (Gourmet)
Cinnamon Custard Pie (Martha Stewart Living)
Apple Tart (Martha Stewart Living)
Vinarterta (Martha Stewart Living)
Chocolate Roulade (Martha Stewart Living)
Pumpkin Pie with Press-In Shortbread Crust (Martha Stewart Living)
Pecan Pie with Cream Cheese Crust (Martha Stewart Living)
Apple-Blackberry Pie with "Fall Leaves" Pate Brisee (Martha Stewart Living)
Apple Pie (Saveur)
Squash Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce (Saveur)
Four-Layer Pumpkin Cake with Orange-Cream Cheese Frosting (Bon Appétit)
Steamed Persimmon Pudding with Cinnamon Creme Anglaise (Bon Appétit)
Harvest Pear Crisp with Candied Ginger (Bon Appétit)
Bourbon-Pecan Tart (Bon Appétit)
Pumpkin Pie with Brown Sugar-Walnut Topping (Bon Appétit)
Mock Mincemeat Pie (Bon Appétit)
Brown Sugar-Pecan Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting (Bon Appétit)
Maple Apple Pandowdy with Dried Cherries (Bon Appétit)
Fresh Pear Pie with Dried Cherries and Brown Sugar Streusel (Fine Cooking)
Jamaican-Spiced Pumpkin Pie (Fine Cooking)
Ginger-Spice Cranberry-Apple Streusel Pie (Fine Cooking)
Coffee-Toffee Pecan Pie (Fine Cooking)
Classic Pumpkin Pie (Food & Wine)
Pear Tarte Tatin with Red-Wine Caramel (Food & Wine)
Vanilla-and-Cider Panna Cottas with Spiced Ginger Cookies (Food & Wine)
Pumpkin Ice Box Pie (Everyday Food)
Panna Cotta Pie with Poached Fruit (Everyday Food)
Chocolate Mousse Tart with Hazelnuts (Everyday Food)
Coconut Cream Pie (Everyday Food)
Deep-Dish Apple Pie (Food Network Magazine)
Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart (Food Network Magazine)

Lamb Chops with Mustard-Herb Crust

2009-11-04T09:08:44-05:00

Everyday Food (November 2009)

Sometimes we love poring over a complicated recipe and sourcing exotic, hard-to-fine spices or special cuts of meat. Sometimes we really enjoy spending a lazy afternoon in the kitchen, slowly cajoling ingredients to join in a triumphant symphony of flavors.

Other times, we just wanna eat.

Enter these Lamb Chops with Mustard-Herb Crust. Simple, pleasing and lightning-fast -- it took us longer to pull together a simple green salad than to cook these chops.

We did make one major substitution with this dish: We used shoulder chops instead of loin chops. (The recipe doesn't specify exactly, but the photo that accompanied it -- which, unfortunately, isn't online yet -- made it clear we were supposed to use loin chops.)

Sure the loin is slender and good-looking, that perfect cut of meat that's so quintessentially "lamb." But getting enough to feed just the two of us (and only barely) would have cost us $28. Meanwhile, we could get four hefty shoulder chops for nine bucks. And it ain't 2007, so we reached for the cheap stuff.

As we said, bringing this recipe together is a snap. The recipe says it takes 20 minutes; we're not sure it even takes that long. (Maybe if you include the five minutes of resting time.) Just brush with the mustard, dredge through the breadcrumb mixture and throw on the stove for six minutes.

We did have one problem with this dish: We found it incredibly difficult to keep the breading from falling off the meat. At first, we thought maybe our oil wasn't hot enough, or the pan we were using wasn't "non-stick-y" enough. So for the second batch of the chops, we switched to a true non-stick pan and made sure the oil was hot. But we still had the same issue.

Next time, we might throw an egg in the mustard. We bet that would give it just enough stickiness to keep the breading from falling off.

Still, as it was, the chops were mighty tasty -- savory and mustardy, with a nice mix of sharpness from the rosemary and Italian herbs.

It's not the kind of dish you'd write home about, but if you're looking for something quick and satisfying on a hectic mid-week evening, these lamb chops are just the thing.

Lamb Chops with Mustard-Herb Crust
Everyday Food (November 2009)
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Serves 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

-- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
-- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
-- 1/2 cup plan dried breadcrumbs
-- 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
-- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
-- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
-- 8 lamb chops (3 to 4 ounces each)
-- course salt and ground pepper
-- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

In a small bowl, combine mustard and garlic. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, rosemary and dried herbs: whisk to combine. Pat lamb chops dry with a paper towel and season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. With a basting brush, lightly coat lamb chops with mustard mixture, then dredge in breadcrumb mixture.

In a large nonstick saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add half the lamb chops to pan and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining chops and oil. Let lamb chops rest 5 minutes before serving.

The Leftovers | Interesting Stuff from October Food Magazines

2009-11-02T09:49:52-05:00

Here are some items we liked from October's magazines that weren't necessarily recipe-related. Previous "Leftovers" can be found here.

Us in Portland, Maine, this summer.

Bon Appétit profiles Portland, Maine in the magazine's annual round-up of America's Foodiest Small Towns. We were excited to see the article, because we visited Portland in August. It's a beautiful city, filled with fantastic food. Most memorably, we had dinner at Fore Street, a restaurant serving mostly locally sourced ingredients. It was one of the most memorable meals we've had this year. We also loved J's Oyster, where they make an amazing Bloody Mary. Much of the feature is available online.

Saveur, in looking at food in Mississippi, mentions Craig Claiborne's Southern Cooking, originally published in 1987. We knew very little about Claiborne, a former restaurant critic of the New York Times, until we read Gael Greene's memoir Insatiable earlier this summer. We loved Greene's book, in which Claiborne makes several appearances.

A guest on The Splendid Table recently mentioned Claiborne's autobiography, A Feast Made for Laughter. It appears to be out of print, but we're going to track down a copy and read it this winter.

We geeked out over this month's Martha Stewart Living feature on vintage cast-iron pans.

They're beautiful and come in an astounding number of shapes. The feature is definitely worth seeking out. A short version is available online.

We haven't yet mastered how to make fancy edges on pie crust, but Fine Cooking has inspired us to try with their feature "How to Make Decorative Pie Crust," including a beautiful looking "wheat edge."

The magazine has a video online that shows you the technique.

Spiced Pumpkin, Lentil, and Goat Cheese Salad

2009-10-30T12:15:11-04:00

Bon Appétit (October 2009)

We needed a pumpkin last night to make this recipe, so we went to pick one up at our local supermarket.

Unfortunately, there were only two kinds of pumpkins left: massive orbs too heavy to carry home and daintier gourds already decorated for Halloween.

So we strode up to counter with our pumpkin, which was painted with a cute clown face and topped with a jaunty, bright red firefighter hat.

The conversation went something like this:

Checker: "Oh that's a nice pumpkin."

Us: "Thank you."

Checker: "You going to put it on your porch?"

Us: "Uh, no, actually we're going to cook it."

Checker (looking aghast): "YOU'RE GOING TO WHAT?!"

Us: "We're going to cook it for a dish that we're making."

Checker: "Why would you DO THAT?"

Us (mumbling): "For a salad we're making."

And that is what we did.

Pumpkin, lentils and goat cheese sounded, to us, like the perfect combination for an autumn salad. And with Halloween only days away, we thought that this sounded like a great way to use un-massacred pumpkins rather than throwing them away.

There are a few ingredients here making their first appearance on The Bitten Word. We have actually never cooked with pumpkin. In this recipe, the gourd is peeled, seeded, diced, tossed with spices and then roasted.

And this is also our first time cooking lentils, which we like to eat but never make. In fact, the lentils were one of the items that we really drew us to this recipe. They sounded like the perfect add-in to a cold-weather salad.

For the arugula, we actually subbed in an Asian green called yokatta na. Because, let's face it, yokatta na is tooooootally the new arugula.

Just kidding -- it's because we'd gotten a bunch of yokatta na from our CSA. It's a beautiful, leafy green with a slightly bitter taste. To counteract the slight bitterness, we added a teaspoon of sugar to the recipe's spice mixture.

So after we had roasted the pumpkin, boiled the lentils, assembled the salad and sprinkled it all with goat cheese, we grabbed our forks and took a bite.

And it was ... lacking in flavor.

The combination of these ingredients, we were sure, would make for a big, bold salad. The spiced pumpkin was essentially the exact same as our Fajita Sweet Potatoes, which we adore! And we were really hoping for the flavors of this Red Leaf Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes, a hearty, delicious winter salad that we fell in love with last year.

But the pumpkin was bland. The lentils were fine. The oil and vinegar seemed to get lost.

So, we're sorry to say, this wasn't a the lust-worthy salad we were hoping for.

Maybe we should have just left our little painted firefighter pumpkin on the front porch after all...

Spiced Pumpkin, Lentil, and Goat Cheese Salad
Bon Appétit (October 2009)
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(This Photo: Bon Appétit)

8 SERVINGS

Ingredients

    •    3/4 cup French green lentils
    •    6 cups 1-inch pieces peeled seeded sugar pumpkin or butternut squash (from about one 2-pound whole pumpkin)
    •    3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
    •    1 teaspoon ground cumin
    •    1 teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika
    •    1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    •    4 cups baby arugula
    •    1 cup soft goat cheese, crumbled
    •    1/4 cup thinly sliced mint leaves
    •    1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Preparation

• Place lentils in small bowl. Cover with cold water and soak 10 minutes; drain.

• Cook lentils in boiling salted water until tender but firm, about 30 minutes. Drain lentils. Rinse under cold water, then drain.

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Place pumpkin in large bowl; toss with 2 tablespoons oil, cumin, paprika, and sea salt. Arrange pumpkin in single layer on baking sheet; roast 20 minutes. Turn pumpkin over. Roast until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool.

• Combine lentils, pumpkin, and oil from baking sheet with arugula, half of goat cheese, mint, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among plates; sprinkle remaining goat cheese over.

Slow-Baked Honeycrisp Apples

2009-10-28T11:49:04-04:00

Bon Appétit (October 2009)

We were in the mood for something warm, sweet and full of fall flavors. And there is almost nothing we like more in autumn than a fresh Honeycrisp apple.

So we loved the idea of these Slow-Baked Honeycrisp Apples. Cozy, individual ramekins filled with soft apples scented with ginger and coriander, brightened by citrus -- what's not to love?

And don't they look inviting in this photo? Don't they look like just the thing to warm you on a damp autumn evening?

Well, guess what, kids? Chicanery!

Our lead photo up there isn't so much what these apples actually looked like. It's more of an...aspirational photo. It's what these apples want to look like, what they looked like after a little styling and cleaning up.

Wanna see what they really looked like coming out of the oven?

Gross, right?

So here are the problems we had with this recipe:

The plastic wrap: This recipe directs you to cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil (and then poke holes through both). Aside from being a little fussy, this has one very detrimental effect: The plastic wrap literally melted into our apples. As you can see in the photo, it fell into the apples and coagulated into little clumps, rendering the dish completely inedible. We don't believe our oven temperature was the problem here. In fact, we recently got an oven thermometer to verify that our temperature is correct.

The layers: According to the recipe, you should be able to get eight layers of apple slices into a 3/4 cup ramekin. We were using 1-cup ramekins and we could barely cram in four layers. We guess it's possible we weren't slicing the apples thinly enough, but, short of hauling out the mandolin, we couldn't have gotten them much thinner.

The packing: We're not exactly sure why this recipe calls for weighing the apples down with additional empty ramekins. Sure, it packs the apples down into a compact little mound, but why is that something you'd want to do? As you can see from our second photo, the result was that our ramekins ended up only about 1/4 full, with a sad, limp little layer of apples squashed into the bottom of the dish.

What about the taste? Well, we were able to sample a plastic-free (hopefully!) apple from the bottom of one of the dishes. It was delicious! This recipe mostly lets the sweet taste of the Honeycrisps shine. But the ginger, coriander and orange zest add just the right notes on top.

As poorly as this recipe turned out, we can't deny that the taste of these apples was a hit.

We have to say, we think very highly of Bon Appétit, and we usually love anything we cook from there. But these apples really missed the mark -- and maaaaay have poisoned us if we'd actually eaten them.

So here's what we're going to do. We're going to offer two recipes: Our tweaked version first, and then the Bon Appétit original after that. Take your pick, but we think ours keeps all the great flavors of the original, while cutting out a lot of the make-work -- and the plastic wrap.

The Bitten Word's Slow-Baked Honeycrisp Apples
Adapted from Bon Appétit

Ingredients

    •    1/3 cup sugar
    •    1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
    •    Pinch of ground coriander
    •    4 medium Honeycrisp or Fuji apples (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
    •    1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
    •    1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter a 9x13 glass dish.
Mix sugar, ginger and coriander in a small bowl. Peel and core apples, and cut into thin slices. Layer apple slices in individual ramekins or one glass dish, depending on how you would like to serve them.
Pour melted butter over apples, then sprinkle sugar mixture and orange peel over the top. Mix to coat the apple slices evenly with the orange peel and spices.
Cover with aluminum foil, loosely enough to allow steam to escape. Bake until apples are soft, about 2 hours.
Top with whipped cream if desired.

Slow-Baked Honeycrisp Apples
Bon Appétit (October 2009)
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(This Photo: Bon Appétit)

Makes 4

Ingredients

    •    1/3 cup sugar
    •    1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
    •    Pinch of ground coriander
    •    4 medium Honeycrisp or Fuji apples (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
    •    1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
    •    1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel

Topping
    •    1/3 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
    •    1 tablespoon powdered sugar
    •    1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
    •    Pinch of ground ginger

Special equipment
• 8 3/4-cup custard cups or ramekins

Preparation

APPLES

    •    Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 300°F. Butter four 3/4-cup custard cups or ramekins. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
    •    Mix sugar, ginger, and coriander in small bowl. Peel apples, halve through stem end, and remove core. Slice apple halves crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Place thin layer of apple slices in each prepared custard cup, overlapping slices; brush lightly with melted butter. Sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon sugar mixture over each, then sprinkle very lightly with orange peel. Repeat layering apple slices, brushing with melted butter and sprinkling with sugar mixture and orange peel until all apples, butter, sugar mixture, and peel are used (there will be about 8 or more layers of apples in each custard cup and cups will be very full). Cover tops of cups with plastic wrap, then foil. Using small sharp knife, pierce 4 holes through foil and plastic wrap of each to allow steam to escape. Place cups with apple mixture on prepared baking sheet. Place 1 empty custard cup or ramekin atop each to weigh down.
    •    Bake apple mixture until very soft and reduced in volume by about half (some of melted butter may spill out onto baking sheet), about 2 hours. Remove empty custard cups. Transfer cups with apple mixture to rack and cool at least 20 minutes. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with foil and refrigerate. Rewarm, uncovered, in 300°F oven until just warm, about 15 minutes.

TOPPING

• Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Spoon cream atop apple mixture in each cup.