Katie Meadow

You had me at hazelnut--and you lost me at furry slippers. Many years ago the New Yorker ran a piece about squirrel hunting/eating; well, I should amend that. I don't really recall if that was the focus of the article, but there were interviews with backwoods types who discussed at length whether the brain was the best part and the various camps weighed in on the best way to brain a squirrel. What I mainly remember were some of the methods for that (none of them for the faint of heart), and the fact that my husband and I were laughing so hard we were weeping. Dec. 17 is a Wednesday. Is it going to be a new feature "Dining In/Dining Out in hard times?" Out meaning a picnic under the backyard walnut tree. Eat local!

I'm having to deal with some of the same issues for xmas eve dinner--although in the case of my family, there are some vegetarians, some cholesterol watchers, and someone who can't eat tomatoes. So much for lasagne, for your guests or mine! I agree about going light on the entree. Since your menu sounds vaguely mediterranean, you could do a polenta dish. You can cook the polenta ahead, then cut it into squares to be sauteed or baked and topped with perhaps a simple pesto type sauce; that would be nice plated with the fennel salad. If you don't use cheese in your pesto, your lactose-free guest will have no issue there. I actually prefer my pesto vegan (whether basil, spinach or any other green)--w/toasted pine nuts and no cheese. Serve a little dish of freshly grated pecorino on the side. For the apps, give your gluten-free guest a choice of fresh crudites instead of crackers; carrots sticks, kohlrabi, etc can be dipped. The roasted tomato soup sounds yummy. You could also remove the shrimp from the apps and serve them over polenta--sort of an Italian version of shrimp 'n' grits. Personally it's my theory that people don't eat as much polenta or grits as they could, and that the gluten-challenged are all very sick of rice.

I think the first time I ever made turkey stock I used Julia Child's recipe "Feasting on the Remains." In her free-spirited way she throws in raw chicken parts along with the chopped up turkey carcass and raw beef or veal bones. I'm more of a purist when it comes to turkey stock and prefer it to taste like nothing but roasted turkey essence, although I do throw in a veal knuckle bone and just a couple of marrow bones after browning them. Julia's instructions are to cook at a very low simmer uncovered for 3-4 hours or "until you think you have gotten all the flavor out of your carcass." I take that to mean that she pretty much believed whatever good comes from cooking a carcass can be had in 4 hours or less. She suggests that if your stock isn't as strong as you like, you should remove all the solids and cook it down afterwards. I think turkey stock from roasted bird is hypnotically good. Kid back to college, no relatives, no mountains of red and orange foods, just peace and quiet, me and my husband....and the trance caused by turkey broth.

A very creative graphic designer brought a jello mold something like the rainbow thing above to a party many years ago and blew everyone away. It was made in a loaf pan and then sliced one way and then another and served as finger food. It was done as you would expect, with each new layer needing to be jelled before the next layer (cooled first) was applied. But she did something visually dynamic and very unjello-like: in between each colorful layer was a very thin layer of plain unflavored jello that had been made with the addition of milk, so that the layer was pure white. It was really quite beautiful and had at least 12 layers total, including the white ones. If the idea of commercial artificial jello turns you off (as it does me) you can easily make your own fruit jellos with gelatin and various kinds of fruit juice. (Not pineapple I think--it has some kind of enzyme in it that messes up the jelling.) Pomegranate and cranberry would be nice. I've made fresh blood orange jello and that's delish, especially with a little whipped cream. It uses an obscene number of blood oranges. Old Foodie: that is amazing!

I want a large size fry pan with curved sides that are at least 1.75 inches high. I asked about this in the tarte tatin topic because that was initially what I intended to use the pan for: stove-top carmelizing and then finish in the oven. Several recipes, including the one I want to make, call for a non-stick oven-safe pan. The responders in the tarte tatin topic were more interested in the software aspects of tarte tatin than the hardware, so I thought I would try a different topic. I do have some cast-iron pans, but they are not the size I need and are too heavy, so I don't want that. I don't own any so-called non-stick coated pans. The new ones look improved over the old teflon, but they still seem creepy. At the restaurant supply place two floor-salespeople had opposing views: one said I could use Lincoln Wear-ever (aluminum with a coating) in the oven, one said they wouldn't do it. Can they be used in the oven? Would the apples carmelize well on such a surface? What about carbon steel (black steel, blue steel, black iron--whatever you wanna call it)? I do have a very nice old carbon steel omelet pan that I rarely use (it's far too small for my new tarte tatin project) and it does seem to be seasoned well enough so the egg slides right off. Would the carmelized apple tarte free itself easily when turned upside down if the carbon steel pan were well seasoned? Such a pan might be more useful for a variety of other things as well. Any thoughts?

My husband's relatives either don't cook much or are vegetarians. We go to a family house at the beach for Thanksgiving, but my husband and I make the turkey and the stuffing and we have no competition for the carcass. If we couldn't have it I would refuse to go! When we got back home on Saturday afternoon my husband found my neighbors had thrown their carcass in the green bin. I was ready to retrieve it, that's how much I covet a carcass. I didn't, but we did tell my neighbors to save their next one. MayhawMan: where's a recipe for turkey gumbo? Do you need a lot of leftover turkey meat? Our carcass doesn't have lot of meat by the time it gets back home.

Don't hold your breath, Dave! It's going to take me weeks to work up to this. I usually have a New Years Day dinner, so that's what I'm shootin' for. Now I'm just thinking about it. A lot.

Thanks, Dave, your recipe looks great and a pictorial is always welcome. My SIL's recipe does indeed call for enough apples and pastry for a 12 inch pan, which is what she uses. She made it for my in-law's anniversary dinner and it served 12.

What kind of pan is best? My SIL baked a tarte tatin which was one of the best desserts I have every eaten. She's a very good baker, and this was really out of this world. I don't do a lot of baking, but my husband gives good crust, so we are going to take the leap. She gave me the recipe, and clearly I have no pan that works. Her recipe--and several others I have looked at--calls for a 12 inch non-stick oven-proof skillet with curved sides that are at least 1.75 inches high. Her pan looked like a restaurant fry skillet. I own mainly cast iron, enamel and stainless cookwear, and nothing even resembling this type of pan. A workhorse skillet in this size would be nice to have anyway--an early holiday gift for myself. What kind of surface should I get? I own no non-stick pans. What exactly does that mean, anyway? I assume non-stick has evolved since the days of teflon, but I am clueless. Should the pan be aluminum? Can I find this perhaps at a giant restaurant supply place or will I have to pony up for something from Sur la Table? What to buy?

Why not have your marrow and eat it too? I don't know if you could roast the marrow bones and still do this, but I admit that I take a shortcut when using marrow bones for stock. Instead of roasting (and I keep telling myself I should roast them), I brown them quickly all over in a cast iron skillet. Then I add them to the stock pot with whatever meats I am using. After about an hour I fish out the marrow bones and extract the marrow. In case there is stock value in the marrow at least I get one's hour's worth this way. Making sure my daughter--she of the delicate sensibilities--isn't around to watch, because she thinks this is utterly revolting, I spread the marrow on toast or, if I have it, fresh rye bread (which is what my mother preferred), sprinkle on a bit of sea salt, and bliss out. When I come to my senses or discover I have not had a heart attack, I toss the bones back into the stock pot.

My husband always shakes. I never do. If, as you say, the unpopped kernels are heavier (and I agree that they are) they will stay on the bottom in contact with the oil. My husband's method results in a substantial number of unpopped kernels. I sometimes get as few as two or three unpopped kernels. I use a medium to medium-high heat and simply leave the pot alone until I hear a couple of seconds with no pops. I have tried doing a very gentle side-to-side rolling motion in the beginning on the theory that rotating the kernels in the oil to evenly coat them contributes to quick simultaneous popping, but it doesn't seem to make an appreciable difference. I use a pot that is deeper than it is wide. The surface area is small enough so that I can pretty much cover it with one layer of corn. That minimizes the amount of oil needed. I haven't had a problem with burning since I started popping this way. I do think that using very high heat is problematic; either some popcorn will be burned or, to avoid burning, you will have unpopped corn.

On any day EXCEPT the day after thanksgiving I make a turkey sandwich with mayo and various types of bread or additions, but on the one Friday of the year after the holiday I always make my turkey sandwich exactly like this: white bread, turkey, romaine lettuce and butter. I have no idea why I do this, but it's special. Tonight we had the first of two turkey soups. The first one is just turkey broth with a little rice and a sprinkle of chives. Plain and pure, essence of turkey broth. Tomorrow or the next night will be a hearty turkey soup with barley and vegetables. By the time I make it home with the family carcass there isn't a lot of turkey left on the bone for a pot pie and I need every bit of that for my soup. But I do steal away the leftover fabulous gravy/sauce my husband makes so I can use it as a base for a chicken pot pie.

My beans get a modest salting at both ends. I think the flavor and texture of beans depends on two things: the type of bean and the use of stock instead of just water. I use a light ham stock that's only moderately salty (I soak the shanks in cold water for an hour first to remove excess salt) and then add a bit more salt after the beans are tender--about two hours--and then cook another ten or fifteen minutes. I do soak my beans for five or six hours first, so I am pretty much following Rancho Gordo's method. If I do vegetarian beans (as I must for certain relatives) I salt in the beginning and try to use a veg broth as well. I'm at sea level if that matters. I don't like mushy beans--I like them to be creamy and hold their shape. My favorite bean right now is the Rattlesnake bean, which I think is an heirloom cousin of the pinto. Some beans I find to be less flavorful than others and to have less of a toothy texture, so I do think the type of bean makes a difference.

I checked out the Paul P. recipe mentioned above. I can see how the sweet potato filling part would be thick--there's virtually no liquid in it and only one whole egg for the double recipe. Interesting. It's really approaching a vegetable pie. Which I like.

It's my favorite snack. And sometimes it's lunch. There are several brands of organic popcorn sold in many markets. If you have a farmers' market you might check to see if the farms that sell corn in the summer also sell their popcorn. That's where I get it. I make it just the same, the old-fashioned way, just a layer of oil (I never tried olive--I use corn oil), a layer of popcorn, and pop. My husband thinks I should be shaking the pot, but I find all the popcorn pops by just leaving it alone: the lighter weight popped corn piles up and the unpopped stays in the oil until it pops. I eat it with nothin' but gray salt. Delicious. It might be interesting to try different salts.

I wouldn't worry about it. If you are dedicating the old grinder to nuts and spices, wipe it out and start grinding. The coffee residue will be overpowered by the spices in no time. Unless you need rice flour, I say don't waste the rice. Question: has anyone used the Cuisinart nut and spice grinder? It was highly recommended by some magazine recently (I think Fine Cooking, but I'm not sure) and retails for $39. My husband bakes bread and likes to grind small amounts of whole grain such as millet, wheat berries, etc. We have a very very old coffee grinder for which replacement blades are not available and I don't want to use it for anything but coffee. (Yes, I'm very attached to it!) I'm thinking of getting him this Cuisinart grinder for a gift. Worth it, at twice the price of a second coffee grinder?

Oh, stop me now, before I go on and on. I can't stand pumpkin pie but I adore sweet potato pie! When it's simple it's best, and that vegetable quality comes through. I have tried several recipes, but the one I like best is the easiest and least complicated. It's from Martha Stewart's early book Pies and Tarts. I will be making it Wednesday night. Here it is, in the original version. I have tweaked it as indicated to reduce the cholesterol level and it always come out great. I also don't like it very spicy, but it sounds like you do. Martha doesn't use ginger, but that might be a good addition. 5-7 sweet potatoes, depending on size. For a 9 inch pie I find that 2 cups cooked pot. is about right. 3 eggs, lightly beaten (sometimes I only use 2, and no problem) 1/2 c sugar (I cut back a little on this) 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 3/4 tsp cinnamon (too much for me, I cut it in half) 1/2 tsp allspice (I use half this) 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp grated lemon zest 1 1/2 cups light cream (I use a combo of whole milk and half'n'half) 4 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled Roast the potatoes in the oven. I puncture with a fork, and put them on foil on a cookie sheet. Takes a while, til they are very soft--at least an hour at 350. Cool, scrape out the potato, mash, and measure 2 cups, or even a bit more. Make whatever pie crust you like. My husband does this part and I haven't a clue about it. I believe he uses approx half butter half crisco. He rolls it out, puts it in the pie dish and keeps that in the fridge til it's ready to fill. Put the sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Put the eggs, sugar, spices, salt, lemon rind and cream in another bowl and whisk til combined. Pour this into the sweet potatoes and stir til thoroughly combined. Add the melted butter and mix well. Pour into the pie crust and bake 45 to 50 minutes or until filling is set and a knife to the center comes out clean. Cool before slicing.

I'm sorry to report that my market is now carrying the boxes! However, there are still some bags as well. I wonder it they are doing a test to see if anyone prefers the boxes, or if they are simply using their bag stock up and switching over to the boxes. I sure don't like the boxes. I like to see how dark the bake is. I can't believe how dependent I am on these crackers. Calipoutine, at $3 a package I would grab 'em, past the date or not. Paul, I don't care what else you do, just keep on makin' the original, the fennel and the onion. 3 new spicy flavors at once? Don't spread yourself too thin!

This discussion is hysterical. Cake was originally designed as a way of getting rid of sugar in such a fashion that it was able to support one or more candles. A beautiful cake is an art project and I am the first to admit that I love to admire a fanciful work behind the glass. I am totally in awe of people who can create something so lovely. But after it's cut it's a letdown for me. I have no interest in eating cake. Sweet potato pie: unique in this world. Carmelized rustic tarte tatin: transporting. Peach pie, key lime, blueberry...of course it goes without saying there are lousy pies, but that's not what we're talkin' about here. My idea of heaven: hiking out to the lagoon the day after Thanksgiving and packing a big piece of my SIL's pecan pie for lunch. Now there's a pie that travels well.

Cut one fresh cranberry in half and it doesn't seem juicy. Put a bag of fresh cranberries and some sugar in the cuisinart and process. It will get juicy. Put in one orange and it will get even better. I totally get the cranberry conflict. I grew up on fresh cranberries; simple as possible and very very tart. My mother basically followed the direx on the package: one bag fresh berries, one orange, cut up, and white cane sugar to taste (uses plenty!). Process til you like the consistency, put in a bowl. Add sugar as necessary, add chopped walnuts if you like. It seems to get more tart as it sits so I usually have to add more sugar before serving. It keeps well, so you can make it ahead. I love it and make it every year and bring it to Thanksgiving with my husband's family. When I got married I acquired a father-in-law whose ONLY contribution to dinner is cranberry mold. He pulls out a Sunset magazine from the late 50's and makes a complicated concoction that uses canned sweetened berries, gelatin, celery, nuts and god-knows what else. Then he tops it when served with sour cream. It's awful! But that's me, and grew up on minimalist fresh tart cranberries. But all his grown-up kids and his little grand-kids love it and it wouldn't be Thanksgiving dinner without it. My daughter, my husband and one of my SILs would kill me if I didn't make mine. But everyone except me eats both and everyone is pretty happy having two kinds of cranberries. So I say there's plenty of room in this world for nostalgic old-fashioned molds and for something made with fresh. And Andiesenji, thank you for that bit of cranberry history. Very good!

I have ordered the white stone-ground grits from hoppinjohns.com and find them very good. I believe the price is better than Anson Mills and the shipping price gets better when you place a bigger order. Hoppinjohns claim they grind to order. It sometimes takes about two weeks.

Sub cognac for the madeira and add a small amount of hard boiled egg and that would be my dad's chopped chicken liver.

Well, yes, I believe you are slightly insane. Wouldn't something a bit more traditional and far easier be more familiar to your family? How about a big round fresh turkey stuffed with good dry bread, onions and celery sauteed in butter with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (like the song says), roasted in the oven or, if you are adventurous, perhaps outdoors in some kind of kettle, basted with buttery juices and turkey fat until the skin is golden mahogany, crispy and glistening and the meat is tender on the bone. It will look pretty as a picture and then you open it up and out falls perfect stuffing, delicate and aromatic, just moist enough from the drippings inside. It's a thanksgiving turkey. It's good! You could have a savory bread pudding, which sounds very interesting, on the side as well. And you could make a souffle for breakfast, unless, like my family, you prefer leftover pie.

Lidia's mother's Chicken and Potatoes from Lidia's Family Table. Great recipe (needs only a little tweaking.) The potatoes alone are worth the price of admission with their gooey carmelized onion pan scrapings. While my husband is busy swooning over the chicken I quietly put away most of the potatoes.

How does the shrimp stock figure in to the shrimp 'n' grits? In the grits or in a sauce for the shrimp? When I make shrimp 'n' grits I don't use any stock. My grits are cooked with water first and then some milk, and I grill or quick-saute my shrimp with some spicy seasoning. I top the grits with a fresh tomato salsa and then just scatter on the shrimp. Truth to tell, I'm so happy with grits and hot sauce I don't care if I have any shrimp.