About Feast Everyday

Based in Corning, New York and the beautiful Finger Lakes. Started in 2009 by Barbara Blumer with her family and friends. Her husband, Tom, now regularly contributes, too.

Over 900 Recipes and still growing

From muffins to curries with step-by-step photos and how-to tips: see recipe index https://feasteveryday.blogspot.com/p/recipes-index.html

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Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Gravy Godsends

Gravy Godsends

For me, the most stressful part of Thanksgiving is making the gravy.

Everyone is hungry.  And swarming the kitchen.  Tom is working on carving the turkey (and needs LOTS of space.) Our son-in-law, Chris, is mashing the potatoes.  And then I am trying to make enough gravy to please everyone... and one that isn't to dark and salty.

Gravy is not my forté.

Over the years, I have learned to compensate and these are my gravy godsends:

  • Wondra quick mixing flour
  • extra Turkey broth 
  • a good gravy separator

Wondra flour has made my gravy lump free.  It incorporates with the pan juices quickly.

Turkey stock is needed because from year to year our turkeys produce inconsistent amounts of pan juices.  It has really helped me control the density and darkness of the gravy.  I just keep adding it a little at a time, tasting it and then adding more, until it is nice and smooth.

I should also mention the extra large glass gravy separator that my mother-in-law gave me years ago when I didn't realize how much I would need it or appreciate it, even though it is a pain to clean.  I take it for granted.

2015 Line-up 

Over the weekend I saw that Target had the OXO gravy separator on sale, so I decided to treat myself to one.  It will so much easier to clean than the glass one.

Also, I found a new brand of turkey broth which I am hoping has more flavor than the College Inn brand.  You can always use chicken broth instead of turkey broth.

So, now it just a matter of asking for help to pour off the juices from the big roasting pan into the new gravy separator, then de-glazing the pan with the turkey stock.  Adding flour to the stock and then returning the juices that have separated.  (To speed up the separation, I stick the gravy separator in the freezer for a while.) Then cooking it until it becomes thick and glossy. Tasting it.  And adding more stock to thin it out as necessary.

I have also read that you can make it ahead of time and freeze it, but Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without the stovetop gravy, as far as I am concerned.  But who knows, maybe next year, I will even be willing to forgo that step.

B



Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Classic Pumpkin Pie (Abby Dodge)

Our Choice for Pumpkin Pie
UPDATED 2020
Tom liked this version of pumpkin pie so much he asked me to save the recipe and make again.  I did, and in 2020, he said that it was the best pumpkin pie I have ever made.   

I found the recipe in Fine Cooking magazine.  It is Abby Dodge's recipe.  She is a pastry chef, instructor and cookbook author.  http://www.abbydodge.com/

You can use any pie crust dough recipe you like, it's her silky custard filling which sings.  

--Barbara

Classic Pumpkin Pie
(adapted from Abby Dodge of Fine Cooking Oct/Nov 2014)

Makes one 9 inch pie

For the dough (make ahead and freeze, then defrost overnight):
1/2 cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter
5 5/8 oz.  (1 1/4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
3 T. cold water
2 T. granulated sugar
1/2 t. salt

For the Filling:
1 - 15 oz. can pure pumpkin puree* (1 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 t. ground cinnamon
3/4 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
pinch salt
1 1/3 cups half'n'half
1 t. pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature

Whipped cream for serving

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Blind bake the crust:  

Line the crust with foil or parchment and then fill with pie weights or dried beans.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Carefully remove the foil and pie weights.  Bake until the crust is pale golden and looks dry, 5 to 8 minutes more.  Let cool on a rack while making the filling.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Whisk together the pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.  Whisk in the half-and -half and vanilla.  Add the eggs and whisk until just blended.  Pour the filling into the baked crust.  It is okay if the crust is still warm.

Bake until the center of the filling jiggles like jello when the plate is nudged,  probably 1 hour or 1 hr 5 minutes.   A few small cracks might appear close to the crust -- that's fine.  Cool the pie on a rack until room temperature, about 3 hours.

Cover loosely and refrigerate until ready to serve.  The pie is best when served within 2 days of baking, and can be warmed slightly in a 300 degree oven, if desired.

Serve with whipped cream.

B

* Libby's is still the best canned pumpkin puree for pies.  I have tried Wegman's organic with lackluster results.  And the one from Aldi's, too.  Not as good as Libby's.  

To make the dough: 

Cut the butter into 6 pieces and put in the freezer.  Measure out 3 T. of cold water.

Whisk together the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor using short pulses. Then cut in the cold butter using short pulses, until there are pieces just a little bigger than the size of peas.  Scrape it out into a mixing bowl.

Drizzle the cold water over the mixture and, using the fingertips of one hand, pinch and squeeze the mixture while tossing with a silicone spatula in the other hand until it begins to form shaggy clumps. 

Scrape the dough onto a clean work surface.  Using the heel of your, gently smear the dough away from you in sections.  Using a bench scraper, gather and fold the crumbs on top of each other and turn the pile 180 degrees.  Repeat the smearing action, gathering and turning the dough several times until the crumbs just hold together.  Shape the dough into a 5 inch disk, smoothing the edges.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Roll the dough.  If the dough was frozen, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.  Let the dough sit at room temperature until it's pliable enough to roll, 10 to 20 minutes.

She uses parchment, but I just floured my work surface and put the dough in the center.  Lightly flour the dough.  Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough from the center to the edges into a 13.5 inch circle that's about 1/8 inch thick.  after every few passes, rotate the dough a quarter turn.  Re-flour only as needed excess flour makes the crust tough.

Gently roll the dough around the rolling pin, position the pin over a 9 inch glass pie plate, and unroll, easing the dough into the plate.  Gently press the dough into the sides and bottom of the plate without stretching it, allowing the excess dough to hang over the edges.  Trim the excess dough to a 3/4 inch over hang.  Roll the overhang under itself to shape a high edge crust that rest on the rim of the pie plate.  Crimp the dough into a fluted edge.  Cover and refrigerate the crust while the oven heats (or freeze up to 1 month.)
I made two dough rounds and put them in the freezer to save us time on Thanksgiving day.  And thawed them overnight.  




Monday, November 9, 2015

Cranberry Sauce can be frozen


I made cranberry sauce yesterday, and froze it.  Who knew? I didn't.

I have been researching what you can and cannot freeze for Thanksgiving...

Because it is going to be crunch-time when we return from a wedding in Chicago on the Monday before Thanksgiving.

I am getting as many things done as I can ahead of time, so I can relax and enjoying seeing our kids and grandkids.
Here is the recipe I like to make for cranberry sauce.  Click herehttp://feasteveryday.blogspot.com/2012/12/cranberry-orange-sauce.html


I applied a layer of plastic wrap to the surface to keep it more air-tight and to avoid creating a skin on on the surface.

Now I just need to remember to defrost it, and transfer to a serving bowl when the time comes.

B

Friday, November 6, 2015

Fanny Farmer's Pumpkin Bread



UPDATED 2019
A friend of ours, Karen S., gave me this recipe after we raved about the pumpkin bread she brought with her as a housewarming gift.

This past weekend I made 3 loaves --- one for us and two to freeze for Thanksgiving weekend.
  • without any nuts, which makes it grandkids friendly
  • with pecans
  • with dark chocolate chips
The bread is very moist. And it is very easy to make.
—Barbara

Pumpkin Bread
(from Karen S. from the Fanny Farmer Cookbook)

Makes 1 loaf 

1 1/2 cups (210 g) flour
1/2 t. salt
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 t. baking soda
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. allspice
1/2 cups chopped nuts or chocolate chips

(Note: I changed up the order of the ingredients, but otherwise it is the Fanny Farmer recipe.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda.  Add the spices and the nuts/chips to the dry ingredients and mix.  Mix the pumpkin, oil, beaten eggs and 1/4 cup water together until smooth.  Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.  Do not over mix or the bread will be tough.  Pour into a well-greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.  Bake 50-60 minutes.  Mine took 65 minutes.  Until a toothpick comes out clean.  Turn out of the pan and cool on a rack.

B

Monday, November 2, 2015

November: America

November: America

This month is America.  And Thanksgiving.  The dishes on the tablescape are:
  • Turkey 
  • Stuffing
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Gravy
  • Sweet Potato Casserole
  • Green Beans
  • Cranberry Sauce
  • Dinner Rolls
  • Apple Cider
  • Pumpkin Pie
Will be fun asking friends and families for their go-to Thanksgiving recipes.  We do brussel sprouts in place of the green beans.  And I have never made a sweet potato casserole.  Otherwise, it is what we serve.  

How about you?  

If you have any recipes or stories that you would like to share, please let me know at BarbBlumer@gmail.com.

B