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Janedujour

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Posts posted by Janedujour

  1. Well, since my mom is in Thailand (I'm jealous!), our batchelor pal is with his new lady friend and her children, we no longer communicate with my in-laws, and everyone else had other plans, it's just me, my husband, and Max our twelve year old.

    I will be cooking, however as if it were a dinner for about 20! That way, we can eat on it all weekend. It's the best.

    I've cooked everything from free range fresh organic turkeys($$), fresh store bought, frozen store bought, frozen in my freezer for months, did the Alton Brown brining thing a couple of times, cooked it on the grill, did the 500 degree oven thing (left a smoky kitchen!), and they have all been really good but I swear I really can't tell the difference!

    Warning: The "fresh" turkeys in the store are often thawed out frozen ones. You can tell when you pick 'em up and they're sopping wet! Yuk! Since I didn't want an already thawed one in my fridge since Sunday, I got a frozen store brand 18lb one and used my $10.00 off coin from Big-Y our grocery store (cheap bastards,it used to be free!)

    I stuff it with an orange, an apple or two, a couple of onions, a head of garlic, some celery stalks, all cut in half and a dried sage stalk from my garden, salt, pepper. This year I'm also going to try Tyler F's recipe with sage butter, bacon draped over the breast 1/2 way thru roasting, and a maple syrup basting glaze.

    Since we belong to an organic farm share out, almost all of our veggies are organic, and really delicious! Last Saturday our summer share was gleaning the garden (come with a basket and garden shears and take all you want!) and I got to walk through the fields picking rutabaga, turnips, leeks, and bok choy. My kind of grocery shopping!

    My simple menu is:

    Roasted Turkey with sage butter and maple glaze

    Homemade giblet gravy

    Real cranberries with apricots, orange juice and lemon orange zest

    Fresh mashed potatoes whipped with just hot milk, butter, salt and pepper

    Corn bread, white and whole wheat bread stuffing with dried cherries, walnuts and pecans

    Rough mashed root vegetable combo including rutabaga, turnip, carrot, and butternut squash mashed with fresh herbs, cream and butter (also Tyler F.)

    Blanched brussels sprout leaves tossed with lemon infused olive oil, butter, and dijon mustard

    Homemade pan baked dinner rolls/unsalted butter

    Pumpkin bread

    Pumpkin pie(me)

    Apple Pear spice pie, with dried fruit and nuts(tastes like mincemeat)me

    Apple pie (we buy for an AID's charity)

    Pecan pie(neighbor's gift every year)

    Beverage: Lot's of Martinelli's Sparkling Cider and regular cider

    Have a Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

  2. River,

    I don't have addresses and only one name!

    I'll try my best:

    One Asian market is in East Hartford on Silver Lane, called Lotte Market. It's very near the new "Renchler Field/UConn stadium" in the same plaza as Korea Japan restaurant and a furniture store, before you get to Stop and Shop plaza.

    Another is on Whitney Ave. in New Haven. My mom goes there a lot. It is not far from downtown, near Yale.

    There's another Asian place on the Post Rd. I can never remember exactly

    where, but on the same side as Pasta Fair, Home depot, in a little strip mall of stores, one a computer place? I think it's called Asian Trading or market ?

    There's an Indian market , near the Indian restaurant (it has a new name)also on the Post Rd, on same side and just before Maxwell's Oyster Bar.

    Sorry! I'm hopeless. If I get to any of these places soon, I'll grab business cards!

  3. [Jim Dixon's roasted cauliflower

    I made the roasted cauliflower recipe last night, as well.

    What a culinary revelation! It was astoundingly good and I almost ate the entire head in one sitting, it was so tasty. Lordy, Lordy, Lordy...

    I was amazed at how it shrinks so much during cooking, when compared to a head that's steamed. I can't wait until Thanksgiving so I can make it for my family.

    HELP! I saw Jim Dixon's cauliflower recipe but now can't find it? Around what page?

    Jinmyo, care to share the Polish White Borsht recipe? It sounds great!

    Has anyone done anything cool with elephant garlic?

    Last night on a whim I simmered two huge cloves in chicken stock and smoky Spanish paprika, then when cool enough sliced onto a plate (flower design?) and topped with a tiny slices of radicchio,grated carrot, OO, and balsamic. Also yummy on a piece of buttered bread or toast!

  4. Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

    Good idea Elyse about the Spain/Portugal forum.

    River, no ideas for Asian grocery in Wtby (I usually go to one in E. Hartford or the New Haven area)

    If I find a Portuguese grocer in the area I'll let you know.

    By the way, there's a GREAT new Polish/Slavic grocer on Main St. in Ansonia called Europol. They have incredible meats and sausages, frozen pierogies, blintzes, cheeses, candy, everything. Worth a trip!

  5. Cool. Thanks so much River.

    Those sound really good, especially the cinnamon idea. It sounds like they are served warm.

    I guess I'll find a local Portuguese grocery (most likely in Waterbury, right?) and get some canned favas and pickle them myself with some sherry vinegar, onion, garlic, parsley, some pickling spices and a touch of cinnamon, maybe some fennel tops, then chill well.

    I've been into making pickles out of everything lately!

  6. I think I've had those too. I've seen them imported from Greece in cans with

    tomato sauce (my mom bought some at Job Lot and said they were good!)

    These were really different. I'll bet they had a huge barrel of them in the back of the restaurant and would just scoop 'em out and serve them to each new table.

    Damn!

  7. Sunday Night:

    Portuguese kale and linguica soup with a few added turnip greens, carrots, and white beans.

    Salad with mixed baby greens, diced apple, shaved greyure, and walnuts with a orange marmalade vinaigrette.

    Warmed baguette and butter

    Homemade banana bread (not really to be served with the soup, but we had to taste it warm after it came out of the oven!)for later.

  8. the Union League Cafe, in a stately old building (the Roger Sherman) near the Yale campus.  The dining-room is large, with a handsme fireplace, huge windows, tables far apart and draped in white, the staff is experienced and sollicitous -- that's a terrific first impression.

    HaHa!

    I remember when it was Sherman's Tavern on the Green in the '80s. It was a popular place for Yalies to bring their visiting parents to for dinner, as well as a popular happy hour place for single downtown working girls to get wasted night after night.

    Guess which one I was? :cool:

  9. anything in the waterbury connecticut area?

    thankee  :biggrin:

    river

    There are two pretty good places in Southbury:

    Empire Szechuan next to Pier One on Main St. South

    The eggplant with garlic sauce is great as well as other dishes I've tried.

    And Oriental Gourmet in the K-Mart plaza is good too.

    Both are also (conveniently for me) "hybrid" chinese/sushi bar places.

    Normally I'll avoid getting sushi in those types of places and ESPECIALLY in the buffet places but E.S. has the better sushi bar and is always busy. The sushi is very fresh.

  10. Hi Tony:

    Since you worked and knew a lot of folks in P-Town I thought I'd try to jog your memory.

    I've been going there since the 60's with my family.

    Our favorite restaurant was a little family run place called "Cookies" (not to be confused with Cookes in Orleans) It was way down on Commercial past the Boatslip. It's changed hands a lot since the '80s.

    The family was Portuguese and they made the best Kale soup, baked cod with tomatoes and cheese, and we could actually order any sized lobster in the am to be cooked and cracked later for dinner.

    While we'd wait for our meal they'd always bring bread and a small bowl of fava beans to munch on. As a kid I thought they were so cool because I'd never seen such giant beans! We'd eat them with our fingers and they were in a wonderful brine or vinaigrette, served cold. They were great and I've never seen them anywhere else! I believe they were made from dried beans because they were brown, not green, and I'm sure the seasoning had garlic and onion, but ANY CLUE? I want the recipe. Last time I tried to make fava's they were half mushy: these were firmer. Maybe you even knew the family.? I hope they are now living the good life back in Portugal. I'd appreciate anyone's help!!

  11. Yes, I LOVE SOUP TOO!

    Every kind in the world from Lobster Bisque to Pho.

    It's my favorite thing to cook too.

    Try this:

    Country Soup Baked in a Pumpkin,

    Carve out a large pumpkin and make a nice lid. Saute lots of onion in a soup pot, season with salt, pepper, dried cardamom and sage. Add a good rich turkey or chicken stock then bring just to a boil. Meanwhile preheat oven to 365, and add a couple of cups EACH of chopped cooked chicken or turkey and homemade toasted bread cubes to the pumpkin. Pour very hot broth and onions into pumpkin about 2/3 of the way full. (Cover with lid, place in a shallow pan) Bake about 1 1/2 - 2 hours till it's cooked through. Just before serving carefully lift lid and add 1 1/2 cups grated greyuere, 1 cup light cream, and lots of grated nutmeg.

    When you serve it, use your ladle to scoop some cooked pumpkin from the side of the pumpkin along with the broth.

    ENJOY!!! :biggrin:

    p.s. I'll understand if this needs to be moved to recipes

  12. I also caught his Letterman interview and seen quite a few episodes of "Jamies Kitchen" that I really enjoyed.

    Jamie and the show in general are a lot more "real" than that awful "The Restaurant". The students don't all look like models or actors.

    I have also gained much more respect for him, especilly after hearing he's spent a ton of his own money.

    The one big frustrating thing is the lack of commitment by the kids, and the lack of any real interest in food!

    One girl wouldn't even touch a fish that she was expected to prep for cooking!

    I also couldn't believe how patient Oliver was with these kids, missing 30% of classtime and constant tardiness! Get rid o' the whole lot Jame!

    It's sad to see that they don't value this chance of a lifetime. I would!

    Maybe his next 15 students should be over the hill (40+) chef "wanna be's".

    I'll be the first in line!

  13. How bout a whole theme-- rice stuffed potatoes wrapped in pastry?

    Or a casserole containing a layer each of pureed turnip, sweet potato, idaho potato, and parsnip.

    And of course cranberries!! Stewed with orange and lemon zest and use orange juice instead of water.

    A lite salad of baby greens with walnut oil and tarragon vinegar. :smile:

  14. Ok there it is in a nutshell. So now do we in the cooking community quit bitching about sellouts and start teaching people to cook? This is a call to arms or at least to spatulas. Sorry if this is too Oprah for egullet but I feel inspired and my normal jaded bitter posting is inexcusable in this instance. I am returning to the soup kitchen. Anyone joining me? Oh, and I am bringing Lambrusco.

    I've been wondering if there's a non-profit that teaches poor people how to cook efficiently, both cheaply and quickly. I grew up the son of a single mom waitress and had to fend for myself a lot, especially when she was working swing shift. My mom liked to cook from scratch and so when she was around I had learned some basics. Made life much better than it could have been. I'd be very interested in helping out in that kind of program.

    On NPR I heard a story of a chef who's on disability from back and foot pain. His dream is to start a school program that teaches children about different countries, cultures, and their foods, and national dishes and then cooking lessons/demos using different fresh ingedients etc. He's looking for funding , ideas, etc.

    I'd like to do something like that...

  15. I had the same problem last year. This year the crop was pretty pathetic (too much rain etc)

    The relishes and chutneys sound really good.

    Yesterday I made a green tomato salsa with onions, peppers, garlic, cilantro, and lime, salt and pepper, and hot sauce. I used one hot pepper, but had no jalapenos which I would prefer.

    I don't have it memorized but on the FoodTV website there's a GREAT recipe by Mario Batali for spaghetti with green tomatos, garlic, reggiano, pesto. It's really good. Check it out!

    Some people also use green tomatoes for a "mock" mincemeat pie. Sorry, no recipe.

    Good luck!

    jane

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