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Elsie, This recipe is very similar to my favorite cornbread recipe I've been using for years. My recipe doesn't call for veggie inclusions, although I've added them. The raw veggies are going to release some additional moisture during cooking which has not been a bad thing when I have done it. My recipe only calls for 1 cup of milk or buttermilk. That's the proportion I use for the rare occasions I make hush puppies, usually for outdoor fish fries. The 1-1/2 c liquid in the bishops recipe is closer to what I use when I make stove top corn pancakes with my old recipe to beat the summer heat. Oh, also my recipe calls for 1/4 c fat in the batter, and I use butter or olive oil for cornbread, but reduce it to 1 T for hush puppies because they will get cooked in fat. If you make this recipe again, try reducing the liquid to only 1 c. You can fry a few and if they are too dense and dry, easily stir in a bit more liquid as you go. Hush puppies should not be disintegrating bits off into the frying oil.

This is a recipe that I came up with when I was making choux au craquelin and wanted to fill them with a pastry cream. I had made the pastry cream using the egg yolks but didn’t want to let the egg whites go to waste. I decided to make the egg whites into an Italian meringue, which I thought would be fairly stable. But rather than folding it in to preserve that stability, I was impatient and whipped the pastry cream into the meringue. The result was this loose, soupy mixture that I couldn’t get to stay in a cream puff if I tried. So I gave up and, rather than throw it away, stuck it in the freezer to save it for another recipe. One day I got curious and decided to give it a taste. That was the single best bowl of ice cream I had ever had. I knew I had stumbled onto something, so I’ve tried it with many other flavors and it works almost every time. The texture is kind of somewhere between a gelato and a semifreddo, and for some reason it takes forever to melt. Just remember to abide by this formula and you will always have success: Pastry cream: - 8 oz (1 cup) whole milk (or you can use 6 oz milk + 2 oz heavy cream, 6 oz half/half + 2 oz milk...anything but skim) - 3 extra large egg yolks - 2 tbsp cornstarch - 2-4 tbsp butter, sliced 1. Place butter slices in bowl and set a wire strainer over top. Set aside 2. In a medium saucepan, place your milk (+/- cream) and bring to just below a simmer 3. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl set over a towel, whisk egg yolks and cornstarch together until smooth 4. When milk has heated, temper into egg mixture, whisking constantly 5. On medium-low heat, add the custard to the pan and whisk constantly for 3-4 minutes. Custard will go from loose -> shiny and thick -> matte and set. Do not stop whisking as long as mixture is on the heat 6. Once custard is set, scrape out of pan into bowl with strainer. Push mixture through and scrape remaining custard off the bottom of the strainer. Stir the custard into the butter constantly until butter disappears. Set aside. Meringue (apologies in advance for switching from standard to metric): - 300 granulated sugar - 75g water - 100-115g egg whites (from 3 extra large/jumbo eggs) 1. Place egg whites in bowl of a clean stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Set aside. 2. Over medium-high heat, place water and sugar in saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. 3. Turn heat down to medium-low. When mixture hits 115˚C, turn on mixer to medium-high to make egg whites frothy. 4. When syrup reaches 118˚C, remove from the heat and pour into egg whites between the edge of the bowl and the whisk. Do so in a steady stream to avoid splashing. 5. Once syrup has been added, turn mixer to high and whisk until you reach stiff peaks, about 6 minutes Bringing it together: 1. Once meringue is stiff, pour in custard over the top. Turn on the mixer with the whisk attachment to high speed and whisk for 1-2 minutes 2. You’ll know you’ve finished when you pull the whisk out of the mixture and a string of the cream follows it. If you still see peaks when you pull of the whisk, keep beating until flattened and loose. 3. Pour mixture into a bowl and place in a freezer to set up for at least 6 hours. Then, enjoy! As you can see, it’s a straightforward process that is egg-neutral and has a lot of area for customization. My only recommendation is that whatever add-ins you choose, make them 6 oz. That’s just how I did it the first time and every time and the proportion always works. Here's a few variations on the theme that I've done, as well as stupid names I came up for each of them: - Salted Chocolate: add 6 oz of bittersweet chocolate to the butter and mix into custard base. Also add ½ tsp of salt - White Winter: Add 2 tsp vanilla extra/paste to milk and bring to just below simmer. Add 6 oz good-quality white chocolate and 1 tsp white pepper to butter and stir into custard base - Glacé Guac: Add 6 oz mashed avocado and zest of a lime to the butter and mix into custard base. Substitute fresh-squeezed lime juice for water in meringue - Raspberry Romance: Add 1 oz pulverized freeze-dried raspberry and 5 oz homemade raspberry jam1to the butter and mix into custard base. Add 1 tbsp rosewater to meringue 3 minutes into whipping - Lemon Leisure: Grind 1 tbsp lavender buds with spice grinder/mortar and pestle and steep in milk while bringing to just below a simmer. Add 6 oz homemade lemon curd2to the butter and mix into custard base - Citrus Sunrise: Grind 2 tsp fresh cardamom in mortar and pestle and steep in milk while bringing to just below a simmer. Substitute fresh squeezed grapefruit juice for water in meringue. Once custard and meringue are mixed, fold in 6 oz candied grapefruit peel3, chopped - Country Cornbread: Use 4 tbsp butter for custard base and add ½ tsp of salt. For meringue sugar syrup use: 154g honey, 125g sugar, 34g water. Once custard and meringue are mixed, fold in 6 oz gluten free cornbread4, cubed - The Diplomat: add 6 oz dulce de leche and 1 tbsp of soy sauce to custard base, substitute 3-4 tbsp of brown butter - Waterme-ricana: Add 1 tbsp liquid smoke and ½ tsp cinnamon to custard base. Use watermelon juice for meringue liquid and add 6 oz chopped grilled watermelon after combining custard and meringue - Chocolate Chunk: Substitute 30g cocoa butter for the butter in the custard base and add vanilla bean paste to steep. Use 6 oz coarse chopped bittersweet chocolate - Cocoa-Sesame Swirl (pictured below) is the most complex flavor to date. I take the ice cream base and split it in half, one half being sesame-strong, the other half being chocolate-dominant: To make the sesame half, add 2.85 oz of tahini and 0.15 oz untoasted sesame oil to the custard base, and substitute 35g cocoa butter instead of regular butter. A few grinds of fresh sea salt is optional. Heat the mixture in a double boiler to melt the cocoa butter. You will add one half of your pastry cream base to this. To make the chocolate half, make a black sesame praliné with 1.50 oz of black sesame seeds and 1.50 oz of sugar (praliné refers to the process of taking a caramel-nut bark, praline, and grinding it until a paste forms). You should get about 2.50 oz of paste, to which you will add an additional 0.50 oz of cocoa powder and 35g cocoa butter as well as a few grinds of sea salt, not option. Heat the mixture in a double boiler to melt the cocoa butter. Add the remaining half of the custard base to this mixture. Make two separate meringues (this is more accurate and time consuming than making 1 meringue and dividing it in half. But I have 2 stand mixers so :P) and and mix in your custards to each batch in the usual way. I added a little black gel food coloring to the black sesame half. Add dollops to a bowl and swirl with 2-3 figure-8's. 1. Raspberry jam: Take 12 oz frozen raspberries, 2 ½ cups sugar, juice of ½ lemon, and 2 tbsp cinnamon and place in medium saucepan with high walls. Bring to boil on medium-high and then reduce heat to keep mixture at steady boil, around medium heat. Using instant-read thermometer, heat mixture to 215˚F , which should take about 15 minutes. Check gelling by dropping some jam onto chilled plate and look for jam to set up rather than run. Optional: sieve jam to remove seeds. 2. Foolproof lemon curd recipe can be found here 3. Candied grapefruit peel: This recipe is not exact at all. Take grapefruit peels and clean all grapefruit flesh and membranes away from pith. Chop into strips and place into medium saucepan. Cover with water, bring to a roiling boil and boil for 10 minutes. Empty water and repeat 2 additional times. After 3rdboil, measure water needed to cover peels and add the same amount of sugar (to create a simple syrup). Bring mix to boil over medium-high heat, then back head down to keep consistent boil for 45 minutes. Peels should be opaque and look like gems. Drain syrup and lay peel down on wire rack. Sprinkle granulated sugar on both sides and allow to air-dry overnight, best at 24 hours. Store in an airtight container. 4. Gluten-free corn-cake-bread: Based on a genoise sponge: grind coarse cornmeal in food processor and pass through fine mesh sieve to get 125g of fine cornmeal. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Whip 4 room temperature extra large/jumbo eggs (~230-250g) with 125g granulated sugar and 10g honey on high speed until you reach the ribbon stage. Fold in fine cornmeal and 1tsp salt, then 15g melted and cooled butter. Make sure not to be too aggressive so as not to lose volume. Pour batter into 9-inch cake tin lined on the bottom with parchment. Bake for 25 minutes at center rack, remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Run palette knife around cake edge, invert, and allow to cool completely. 5. Easy dulce de leche: put can of sweetened condensed milk in slow cooker and cover with water; place on high for 8-10 hours

This is similar to Italian polenta. Bests served along sour cream, stews (of beans, mushrooms, or meat - for examples search for "tokana") and red wine. You have two options of serving it, resulting in different textures. If eaten fresh out of the oven, it is lightly set but creamy. If chilled overnight, it will solidify and resemble polenta made in the same fashion, at this point it eats more like cornbread. Ingredients for quick stock - you can use 500ml of a pre made vegetable or chicken stock instead, you can also use store bought stock: 6 bay leaves 3 all spice berries, cracked a few celery stalks or a large bunch of celery leaves (I have leaves left after using the stalk for mirepoix) optional: 1/2 carrot, chopped 550ml (2.5 cup) water or stock Ingredients for mamaliga: 250g of cornmeal 200ml (1 cup) milk 2 eggs optional: apx 100g of crumbled brained ewe milk cheese (e.g. feta) apx 80g somewhat aged cheese, ewe milk cheese is preferred (Burduf will be traditional, I use Manchego and and some smoked mozzarella) I appreciated the addition of smokiness, so if you don't include smoked cheese, maybe throw in a bit of smoked paprika or bacon salt to taste pepper some fresh thyme (optional and not traditional) Prep: If making a quick stock, cook the water, bay leaves, all spice, celery and carrot - covered, until flavors are extracted. A pressure cooker makes quick work at that. Drain the stock, add the milk and cornmeal. Cook while stirring and scrapping the bottom until it is thickened. Let cool a little and mix in the rest of the ingredients. Pour into a buttered casserole dish. Bake at high heat (210C) until the top is set, apx 30 minutes. Place a few small pieces of butter on top and let them melt. You can chill it overnight to end up with a firmer texture, or resume baking immediately to end up with a softer creamier (but still set) texture. Bake until the top is crisp and well browned, ~15 minutes, or longer if it was chilled. Serve with stews, sour cream and wine. This image is of it baked without chilling, as you can see, it is fully set, but not firm. And this is after crisping again the next day. Firmer, not as creamy. Can be eaten like cornbread.

Alberta's Cornbread Dressing Serves 8 as Side. This recipe belongs to my nanny that raised me from the age of 6 months. She is an amazing cook. 1 lb box self-rising Cornbread Mix 6 Eggs 1/2 bunch of celery, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 1 stick butter 2 slices day-old white bread 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup 1 can Cream of Chicken soup 1 can evaporated milk 2 cans chicken Broth or homemade stock 1 T dried Sage Bake cornbread according to directions. Crumble bread and cornbread. Chop celery and onion and saute in butter until onion is clear. Add chicken broth and simmer. Pour over bread mixture. Add soups. Mix well. Add eggs, milk, sage and Accent. Bake at 350 until lightly browned-about 40 minutes. Should still be quite moist. Keywords: Side, Easy, Lunch, Dinner ( RG1497 )

Amy's Chili My best chili. From the Chili--Cook-Off XV thread. 4 slices bacon 1 large onion, chopped 3 lb beef chuck, 1/2" dice, or ground 1 T cumin seeds 4 cloves garlic, minced 4 large ancho chiles, ground 4 medium-hot chiles, ground 1 T paprika 1 T ground cumin seeds 1 tsp smoked salt 1 tsp Mexican oregano, crushed 1 tsp ground coriander seeds 1 tsp cocoa powder (unsweetened) 1 tsp brown sugar 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper 1/4 tsp ground cloves 2 bay leaves 1 can beef broth (14 ounces) 1 can beer (12 ounces) 1/2 c brewed coffee 3 T tomato paste 1 T cider vinegar Toppings: minced onion grated Cheddar cheese sour cream crumbled bacon chopped cilantro In dry pan, toast chiles; remove. Toast cumin and coriander seeds; remove. Once cooled, place in spice grinder and pulverize to fine powder. Cook bacon in large pan; remove to plate and set aside. Cook onion in bacon fat until it starts to caramelize; then push to side of pan. Add beef and cumin seeds to pan, brown; then add garlic. Stir in seasonings and liquids. Cook chili at a bare simmer (partially covered) until beef is tender and sauce has reduced, about 4 hours. Adjust seasoning, if necessary. Remove bay leaves. Finish with hits of smoked paprika, fresh lime juice, and cilantro to brighten flavor. Serve with cornbread or over rice, with toppings. Keywords: Main Dish, Beef, American ( RG1470 )

Soulful Bowlful Chile Serves 10. This recipe is authentic in that there are no beans, bell peppers, spaghetti, or other furrin' objects allowed. I like to use a combination of beef, pork, and venison for good flavors, but mostly beef with a little ground pork for extra fat will work as well. If chile pequins are not available, use dried Jap chiles instead. Ingredients: 25 ancho chiles 1 quart beef stock 2 & ½ lb chuck, chili grind 1 & ½ lb fresh pork sausage (not Italian) 2 lb ground venison 3 T. canola oil 4 cups finely chopped onions 8 garlic cloves, minced 1 T. chile pequin 1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes 4 Serrano chiles 1 12-oz can beer 2 T. ground cumin 2 T. kosher salt 1 & ½ tsp Mexican oregano 1 tsp smoked paprika 3 T. cider vinegar Water as needed 1. Spread the ancho chiles on a large baking pan and toast for 10 minutes at 300º F. Remove from oven, allow to cool, and then stem and deseed. Combine with the beef stock in a food processor and pulse until a smooth paste is formed. Add more liquid if necessary. 2. Heat 3 T. canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the meat in batches and transfer to a Dutch oven when meat turns gray---it doesn’t need to be browned. 3. Add the onions, garlic, chile pequin, tomatoes, Serrano chiles, and 12 ounces of beer. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for twenty minutes. 4. After simmering twenty minutes, add the cumin, salt, oregano, smoked paprika, and vinegar. Simmer, covered, for another hour, adding more water or beer as needed. Serve with Mexican rice, pinto beans, and cornbread. Keywords: Main Dish, Hot and Spicy, Beef, Pork, Easy ( RG1458 )

Whacked-Out Chili Serves 8 as Main Dish. This recipe evolved from one I found in Southern Living several years ago. The original title was "Bodacious Chili." It was so weird that I had to try it. Being from Texas and a congenitally chili purist, my kids started calling it "that whacked-out chili you make" and the name stuck. This version has been pretty stable for some time now. But, I do have to admit that I mess with the spice mix from time to time. This is a really pretty dish and goes well with cornbread. Check out one of our great cook-offs . . . Chili--Cook-Off XV, eGullet Recipe Cook-Off Series 2 lb chuck in ½” cubes 2 large onions chopped 3 stalks celery cut in 1” pieces 1 large red bell pepper chopped 6 jalapenos, seeded and diced 2 c sliced mushrooms (Portobellos are really good) 8 cloves garlic minced 3 T olive oil Seasonings 3 T cocoa 4 T ancho chili powder 1 tsp cayenne or arbol (optional) 1 T cumin seeds 1 T dried Mexican oregano 1 T paprika 1 tsp ground tumeric 1/2 tsp salt or more to taste 1 tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp ground pepper 1 T molasses 1 c red wine 2 cans chopped tomatoes 1 can drained kidney beans 1 can drained garbanzos Start the meat in oil and when beginning to brown add the vegetables. Continue to cook on medium high until vegetables begin to cook. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer covered for 1 ½ hours. Serve with cornbread or tortillas. Big corn chips and buttered saltines work well also. Our favorite topping is sour cream. Other toppings could include cheese, diced onion, shredded cabbage, pickled peppers, the list goes on and on. Keywords: Beef, Main Dish, Intermediate, Lunch, Dinner, Tex-Mex ( RG1442 )

Eggplant Stew - with a Mexican twist Serves 4 as Sideor 2 as Main Dish. One day I had an excess of eggplant. I had at least the equivalent of one big one left over after putting together the eggplant gratin dish. Now what? I had all of the ingredients in the house to do something different. In the small heavy pot (2 ½ quart Le Creuset) I layered in chunks of eggplant, rough chopped onion, roasted peppers and seasonings. I know that eggplant isn’t necessarily an ingredient that reminds us of Mexican cuisine. But, what the heck. Actually, the final dish does not taste strongly of eggplant. The other flavors overwhelm it. I see it as a good way to use it up or maybe sneak eggplant into the diet of those that aren’t crazy about it. (Hmmm . . . I wonder if this would work with zucchini?) As is common with my recipes, this is a casual affair and the quantities and ingredients are flexible. Do what you like. For more eggplant discussion, please visit Eggplant in the Cooking forum. 1 large eggplant cut into about 1 inch chunks 1 medium white or yellow onion roughly chopped 1 tsp kosher salt 2 tsp dried Mexican oregano 2 T dried cumin seeds 1 tsp garlic powder 1 large red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and rough chopped 1 4 ounce can of chopped green chiles 1 c picante sauce, your favorite brand In a small Dutch oven or other heavy lidded pot, layer the eggplant and onion. Add the salt, oregano, cumin seeds and garlic powder, distributing evenly over the vegetables. Continue layering, adding red bell pepper the green chiles and picante sauce. Cover and cook in a 325 degree F oven for about 1 ½ hours. You will want to check after an hour. Eggplants will differ as to water content. If yours are high in water content, you might consider taking the lid off for the last half hour. The picture above is intentionally taken to show that there isn’t a lot of loose liquid running around. You want a concentration of flavors, not soup. Tips and Notes: Crush the dried oregano between your fingers while sprinkling. This releases more flavor. Using whole cumin seeds is a trick I learned from Huevos del Toro’s "Work in Progress Chili." In a long simmered dish they get really tender and offer a pleasant burst of cumin in the mouth. You can substitute ground cumin. For a quick and easy technique for roasting the bell pepper, cut it into strips so that it will lay flat, skin side up, on a baking sheet. Run under the broiler until the skin is charred. Then proceed to sweat and peel off the skins. Serving suggestions: Sprinkle with a fresh Mexican cheese and serve with cornbread or warm corn tortillas. Chorizo on the side is a good meat addition if you like. This would also be a good base to use up leftover pork or chicken. Alternate cooking methods: You can vary the temperature, usually lower, to vary the cooking time. This is handy for putting it in the oven and going shopping. This recipe would lend itself to a crock pot. I also intend to try this in a clay pot. Keywords: Main Dish, Side, Vegetarian, Easy, Vegetables, Lunch, Dinner, Tex-Mex ( RG1177 )

Aunt Ilea's Cornbread (Sweet) Serves 9. I like the Southern "sour" corn bread as well and have tried many recipes, but here is the one I always come back to, an unusual version using light cream instead of a fat and milk/buttermilk combination. It's from a great aunt, one of my paternal grandfather's seven sisters, who could have done a "Great Cooks" series all on their own. 1 c flour 2/3 c cornmeal 1/3 c sugar 4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 c light cream (half and half) 2 eggs Throw everything in a bowl, beat with a whisk until smooth and bake 25 minutes or so in a greased 8" or 9" square pan at 400 degrees, or until top browns. Keywords: Bread, Easy ( RG1145 )

Corny Bread Serves 6 as Side. I made this corn bread when I was in the middle of making the "Bacon Chipotle Cornbread" from here on RecipeGullet and discovered that I was out of cornmeal. Eeek! However, it turned out great and fantastically moist, like savory corn cake. 1 T butter, salted 1 10oz can of corn 5 chipotle peppers (canned) 1 egg 3 strips bacon, cooked 1 c flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1-1/4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp kosher salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/2 c buttermilk Preheat an 8" iron skillet in the oven at 350 degrees. Add the butter to the skillet and leave it in the oven. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Take the can of corn & its juice and blitz it in the blender with the buttermilk and egg. Add this to the dry ingredients and just barely combine. Then add the bacon and chipotle, and pour the whole thing into the skillet on top of the nicely browned butter. Check after 20 minutes, but mine took about 25. It will be extremely moist and cake-like, nothing like the corn bread you've made from those blue Jiffy boxes. The salted butter seems to produce a nice crispy outer texture to the bread, so I specify salted butter rather than unsalted. You will be transformed into a corn bread eating machine. Keywords: Side, Vegetables, Easy, Pork, Hot and Spicy, Tex-Mex ( RG1140 )

Turkey Two Ways This is a great dish for Thanksgiving because it is relatively simple to prepare and most of it can be done ahead of time, yet it seems very fancy and labor intensive. No need to let anyone in on the secret! It may seem complicated at first, but not when you think about it. Fundamentally, you are only cooking a turkey, cooking dressing and making gravy. These are all things you would be doing anyway! The dark meat is braised and can be cooked a day ahead of time. Much easier. The breasts can be roasted to temperature a la minute, poached or cooked sous vide. Much easier. The dressing is cooked, which you would have done anyway. Plus, you can make the dressing a day ahead of time. Easier. The gravy is made much the same way you would make any other gravy, only without bothering with a roux. Equal. 1 14 - 18 pound turkey 1 Bottle port 1 Bottle dry red wine 2 Large carrots 5 Ribs celery 2 Medium yellow onions 1 Bouquet garni 1 Head Savoy cabbage (optional) 1 Jar "Black Truffle Carpaccio" (optional) 1 Foie gras (optional) 1 lb Butter Debone the Turkey -- 1-2 Days Before - Using a sharp knife, remove the legs and wings from the turkey. Remove the skin and reserve. Cut the meat from the bones in large pieces. Reserve the bones. Cut all other large pieces of dark meat from the turkey and place with the leg meat. Cut out the large tendons from the drumstick meat and reserve with the bones, skin and other trim. Trim all other big pieces of dark meat from the carcass and add these to the dark meat. - Place the dark meat in a refrigerator container or ziplock bag along with the red wine, the port, the vegetables and the bouquet garni (e.g., 4 parsley sprigs, 4 thyme sprigs and 1 rosemary sprig, tied together). Place in refrigerator and marinate 1-2 days. - Using a sharp knife, remove the breasts from the carcass, each in one large piece. Refrigerate breast meat. Reserve all bones and skin with the rest. Make the Turkey Stock -- 1-2 Days Before - Make a simple "white" turkey stock. My method: Place the bones and trim in a large stock pot along with a little roughly chopped onion, carrot and celery. Fill the pot with water and slowly bring up to a bare simmer. Skim fat and scum. Leave on the stove overnight just below the simmer. The next day, strain out and discard the meat and vegetables. Reduce the turkey stock to around 2 quarts and refrigerate. It should be very gelatinous, like this: http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/gallery_8505_0_1465.jpg - I like to save the skimmed turkey fat for browning turkey meat, vegetables, etc. Prepare The Dressing -- 1 Day Before - Cook a batch of your favorite dressing in a baking dish and cool. Keep it simple. I prefer cornbread, sturdy white bread, the "Scarboro Fair herbs" (parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme), onion, stock and cream. This should be a fairly moist stuffing. Use some of the reserved turkey stock to moisten the dressing. Bind it with plenty of eggs. Braise the Dark Meat -- 1 - 0 Days Before - Strain the wine marinade and reserve. - Separate the turkey leg pieces and the vegetables and pat them dry with paper towels. Set a large pot over medium heat. Flour each piece of turkey meat lightly and brown the turkey meat well in turkey fat or butter and set aside. Something like this: http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/gallery_8505_0_48211.jpg - Add the wine to deglaze and stir to release any browned bits. - Add the vegetables, browned dark meat and bouquet garni to the pot, add turkey stock and barely simmer until meat is fork tender, about 2 hours. Skim any scum that rises during the first 30-40 minutes. - Drain meat and vegetables, reserving liquid. Discard vegetables and bouquet garni. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve and set aside. When the turkey meat is cool enough, pull it into rough shreds by hand into a bowl. Mix with enough of the reserved liquid to moisten it and set aside. - Simmer the remaining reserved liquid until it coats the back of a spoon and set aside. This will be the basis for your sauce. Cook The Breasts -- 1.5 hours ro 45 minutes before service, depending on method used - If Roasting: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a roasting pan over medium high heat and add butter. Season the breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. When butter is sizzling, sear the breasts about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast to 150 degrees F (around 45 minutes). Remove and let rest for 10 minutes covered with foil. - If Poaching: Heat enough salted water in a large pot or roasting pan to cover the breasts to 155 degrees. Keep a thermometer in the water to monitor the temperature. Poach the breasts around 1 to 1.5 hours, until cooked through. - If Cooking Sous Vide: Bag with butter, herbs and salt. Cook at 61C for 1 - 1.5 hours (consult nathanm's timing charts depending on thickness). Serve immediately. This is the best option. Reheat The Dressing And The Shredded Dark Meat -- 30 minutes before service - 30 minutes prior to service, moisten the stuffing with broth and reheat still covered, in a 350 - 400 F oven. You can do this in a separate oven from the breasts, or together in the same oven if you only have one. - While the sauce and dressing coming up to temperature and the breasts are roasting, reheat the dark meat using the method of your choice. (I do it in a small saucepan on the back of the stove, but you can just as easily do it in the microwave.) Prepare the Sauce -- 15 minutes before service - Bring the wine/port reduction up to a simmer on the stove. Mount with copious amounts of butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the saucepan to a corner of the stove to keep warm. (You may want to refer to Jack's excellent eGCI course on Non Stock-Based Sauces for background.) Plate The Course -- A La Minute - Slice the breasts across the grain into medium-thick slices. To do one plate: - Using a ring mold (or large tomato can open at both ends) in the center of the plate, layer shredded dark meat, then cornbread dressing, then a few slices of breast meat. - Remove the mold and spoon some sauce around. - Serve! - Once everything is hot and ready to go, you can plate everything fairly quickly -- especially if you have help. Warm plates (just throw them in the oven for a few minutes) can make a big difference. Tweaks and Upgrades - Add black truffle carpaccio to the sauce, along with a touch of sherry. - Finely shred Savoy cabbage and soften in butter. Add to the shredded dark meat base. - Add foie gras to the Savoy cabbage/dark meat base. Credit where credit is due: Although my recipe deviates from his in several meaningful ways, the concept of braising/shredding the dark meat and cooking the breasts separately was inspired by a recipe employing this division by Eric Ripert that appeared in the New York Times Magazine. Keywords: Main Dish, Intermediate, Turkey, Dinner ( RG746 )

Turkey Two Ways This is a great dish for Thanksgiving because it is relatively simple to prepare and most of it can be done ahead of time, yet it seems very fancy and labor intensive. No need to let anyone in on the secret! It may seem complicated at first, but not when you think about it. Fundamentally, you are only cooking a turkey, cooking dressing and making gravy. These are all things you would be doing anyway! The dark meat is braised and can be cooked a day ahead of time. Much easier. The breasts can be roasted to temperature a la minute, poached or cooked sous vide. Much easier. The dressing is cooked, which you would have done anyway. Plus, you can make the dressing a day ahead of time. Easier. The gravy is made much the same way you would make any other gravy, only without bothering with a roux. Equal. 1 14 - 18 pound turkey 1 Bottle port 1 Bottle dry red wine 2 Large carrots 5 Ribs celery 2 Medium yellow onions 1 Bouquet garni 1 Head Savoy cabbage (optional) 1 Jar "Black Truffle Carpaccio" (optional) 1 Foie gras (optional) 1 lb Butter Debone the Turkey -- 1-2 Days Before - Using a sharp knife, remove the legs and wings from the turkey. Remove the skin and reserve. Cut the meat from the bones in large pieces. Reserve the bones. Cut all other large pieces of dark meat from the turkey and place with the leg meat. Cut out the large tendons from the drumstick meat and reserve with the bones, skin and other trim. Trim all other big pieces of dark meat from the carcass and add these to the dark meat. - Place the dark meat in a refrigerator container or ziplock bag along with the red wine, the port, the vegetables and the bouquet garni (e.g., 4 parsley sprigs, 4 thyme sprigs and 1 rosemary sprig, tied together). Place in refrigerator and marinate 1-2 days. - Using a sharp knife, remove the breasts from the carcass, each in one large piece. Refrigerate breast meat. Reserve all bones and skin with the rest. Make the Turkey Stock -- 1-2 Days Before - Make a simple "white" turkey stock. My method: Place the bones and trim in a large stock pot along with a little roughly chopped onion, carrot and celery. Fill the pot with water and slowly bring up to a bare simmer. Skim fat and scum. Leave on the stove overnight just below the simmer. The next day, strain out and discard the meat and vegetables. Reduce the turkey stock to around 2 quarts and refrigerate. It should be very gelatinous, like this: http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/gallery_8505_0_1465.jpg - I like to save the skimmed turkey fat for browning turkey meat, vegetables, etc. Prepare The Dressing -- 1 Day Before - Cook a batch of your favorite dressing in a baking dish and cool. Keep it simple. I prefer cornbread, sturdy white bread, the "Scarboro Fair herbs" (parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme), onion, stock and cream. This should be a fairly moist stuffing. Use some of the reserved turkey stock to moisten the dressing. Bind it with plenty of eggs. Braise the Dark Meat -- 1 - 0 Days Before - Strain the wine marinade and reserve. - Separate the turkey leg pieces and the vegetables and pat them dry with paper towels. Set a large pot over medium heat. Flour each piece of turkey meat lightly and brown the turkey meat well in turkey fat or butter and set aside. Something like this: http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/gallery_8505_0_48211.jpg - Add the wine to deglaze and stir to release any browned bits. - Add the vegetables, browned dark meat and bouquet garni to the pot, add turkey stock and barely simmer until meat is fork tender, about 2 hours. Skim any scum that rises during the first 30-40 minutes. - Drain meat and vegetables, reserving liquid. Discard vegetables and bouquet garni. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve and set aside. When the turkey meat is cool enough, pull it into rough shreds by hand into a bowl. Mix with enough of the reserved liquid to moisten it and set aside. - Simmer the remaining reserved liquid until it coats the back of a spoon and set aside. This will be the basis for your sauce. Cook The Breasts -- 1.5 hours ro 45 minutes before service, depending on method used - If Roasting: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a roasting pan over medium high heat and add butter. Season the breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. When butter is sizzling, sear the breasts about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast to 150 degrees F (around 45 minutes). Remove and let rest for 10 minutes covered with foil. - If Poaching: Heat enough salted water in a large pot or roasting pan to cover the breasts to 155 degrees. Keep a thermometer in the water to monitor the temperature. Poach the breasts around 1 to 1.5 hours, until cooked through. - If Cooking Sous Vide: Bag with butter, herbs and salt. Cook at 61C for 1 - 1.5 hours (consult nathanm's timing charts depending on thickness). Serve immediately. This is the best option. Reheat The Dressing And The Shredded Dark Meat -- 30 minutes before service - 30 minutes prior to service, moisten the stuffing with broth and reheat still covered, in a 350 - 400 F oven. You can do this in a separate oven from the breasts, or together in the same oven if you only have one. - While the sauce and dressing coming up to temperature and the breasts are roasting, reheat the dark meat using the method of your choice. (I do it in a small saucepan on the back of the stove, but you can just as easily do it in the microwave.) Prepare the Sauce -- 15 minutes before service - Bring the wine/port reduction up to a simmer on the stove. Mount with copious amounts of butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the saucepan to a corner of the stove to keep warm. (You may want to refer to Jack's excellent eGCI course on Non Stock-Based Sauces for background.) Plate The Course -- A La Minute - Slice the breasts across the grain into medium-thick slices. To do one plate: - Using a ring mold (or large tomato can open at both ends) in the center of the plate, layer shredded dark meat, then cornbread dressing, then a few slices of breast meat. - Remove the mold and spoon some sauce around. - Serve! - Once everything is hot and ready to go, you can plate everything fairly quickly -- especially if you have help. Warm plates (just throw them in the oven for a few minutes) can make a big difference. Tweaks and Upgrades - Add black truffle carpaccio to the sauce, along with a touch of sherry. - Finely shred Savoy cabbage and soften in butter. Add to the shredded dark meat base. - Add foie gras to the Savoy cabbage/dark meat base. Credit where credit is due: Although my recipe deviates from his in several meaningful ways, the concept of braising/shredding the dark meat and cooking the breasts separately was inspired by a recipe employing this division by Eric Ripert that appeared in the New York Times Magazine. Keywords: Main Dish, Intermediate, Turkey, Dinner ( RG746 )

Kale for your Cornbread 1 T vegetable oil or bacon grease 1 bunch kale (about 1 lb) 1/2 medium onion, minced 1/2 tsp curry powder (this seems like a reasonable use of commercial curry powder to me. I use Penzeys Hot) 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 c water 1. Strip the leaves of the kale from the stems with a sharp knife and slice the leaves into 1/4" shreds. Discard the stems or reserve for another use. 2. Heat the oil or grease over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and cook until it begins to brown. 3. Add the kale, curry powder, salt, and water. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook 20-25 minutes, while the cornbread is in the oven. Serve hot, letting the juices moisten the cornbread while you're eating. Keywords: Side, Condiment, The Daily Gullet ( RG505 )

Southern Cornbread Note: Of course, it's hard to argue the Puritanism of this recipe when it has cheese and bacon it in, but the Puritans lived in the North, right? If this is your first experience with Southern cornbread, leave out the bacon bits and cheese, and commune with corn. 2 strips bacon 4 oz white flint cornmeal (see note) 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp cream of tartar 3/4 c buttermilk 1 egg 1 oz cheddar cheese, grated 1. Fry the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Pour 1 tbsp of the fat through a sieve into an 8" cast-iron skillet. You could, of course, cook the bacon in the cast iron, but I find it leaves behind microscopic bacon nodules, which burn. 2. Place the cast-iron skillet in the oven and set the temperature to 425 F. 3. Chop or crumble the bacon into small bits. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk the egg and buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup. 4. When your oven claims to be preheated, give it five more minutes with the skillet inside. Pour the liquid ingredients all at once into the dry ingredients and give a few turns with a whisk to combine. Let sit for one minute. 5. Remove the skillet from the oven and slosh the grease around carefully to coat the bottom and sides. Pour the batter into the skillet and return to the oven. 6. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and invert immediately onto a plate. Bisect the cornbread parallel to the plate like a layer cake. Remove the top layer, add a layer of cheese, and replace the layer of bread. Serve immediately, crisp side up (it doesn't look as nice but stays crispier). Acquiring white flint cornmeal: Morgan's Mills (207-785-4900), of Maine, has five-pound bags for just under $20 with USPS shipping. Keywords: Side, Bread, American, The Daily Gullet ( RG504 )

Yankee Cornbread Serves 4. 1-1/2 c yellow cornmeal 1-1/2 c flour 2/3 c sugar 1-1/2 tsp salt (or 1 tbsp kosher salt) 1 T baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 stick butter, melted 1/2 c milk 1-1/2 c buttermilk 2 eggs, beaten 1 jalapeno pepper, minced 4 oz corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned) 3 oz cheddar cheese, grated 1/4 c minced scallions 2 T chopped cilantro 1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. 2. Combine the first six ingredients in a large bowl. 3. In another bowl, combine the butter, buttermilk, milk, and eggs, and turn with a whisk until combined. Pour over the dry ingredients all at once and stir until just combined. Add the jalapeno, corn kernels, cheese, scallions, and cilantro and again stir until just combined. 4. Pour the mixture into five buttered mini-loaf pans. I use foil pans from the grocery store, which makes the bread easy to transport and give away. The pans are about 6"x3.5"x2". Bake 25 minutes and serve Keywords: Side, Bread, American, The Daily Gullet ( RG503 )

Chipotle Bacon Cornbread Serves 6 as Side. This started out as just a scaled down version of Rachel Perlow's Skillet Cornbread With Bacon. I made a few changes along the way and the results are significantly different, hence the new recipe. This is for an 8 inch skillet. You could get away with using a 9 inch, but the bread will be thinner. Note: This is VERY spicy. If you can't handle the heat, seed the peppers. 5 slices cooked bacon, chopped 3 chipotle peppers, chopped – seed for mild 3 T butter 2/3 c yellow cornmeal 2/3 c flour 1/2 tsp tsp baking soda 1-1/4 tsp tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1-1/2 T sugar 1 c buttermilk 1 egg Mix peppers and bacon. Set aside. Put butter in 8 inch cast iron skillet and set skillet in oven. Preheat oven to 350. While oven is preheating and butter is melting, mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix buttermilk and eggs. Gently add buttermilk and egg mixture to dry ingredients. Stir only until moist. Batter will be lumpy. Stir in bacon and chipotle mixture. Remove hot skillet of melted butter from oven. Pour cornbread batter into hot butter. Bake for 20 minutes. Keywords: Side, Hot and Spicy, Bread ( RG451 )

Jiffy Corn Pudding This recipe is used in the Cooking with/for Disabilities course in the eCGI. 1 stick butter or margarine, melted 8 oz sour cream 1 large (or 2 small) eggs, beaten slightly 1 can creamed corn 1 box Jiffy cornbread mix 1 can whole corn, drained In bottom of large mixing bowl, melt butter. Add sour cream and combine. Add eggs and beat. Add all remaining ingredients and combine well. Pour into greased 10"x10" casserole and bake, uncovered, at 350º 45 minutes, or until golden and cracking. Keywords: Side, Healthy Choices, eGCI ( RG376 )

Cornbread Salad From the cornbread thread. The next morning after making cornbread, people in the South often have corn bread cereal (crumbled corn bread with or without sweetener like sugar or honey or molasses and milk poured over) or cornbread salad, which is delicious. 1 pan (8x8) cornbread, baked, cooled & crumbled (for ease, just use 1 box Jiffy or other favorite cornbread mix) 1 c chopped fresh tomatoes 1 c chopped celery 1/2 c chopped green bell pepper 1 bunch green onions with tops, chopped 1 c mayo or Miracle Whip salt and pepper to taste Combine all ingredients thoroughly, cover and chill overnight There's a southwestern version where you use Mexican-style cornbread mix, and you can add some canned (drained) kidney, pinto, chili or Ranch Style beans. Many people add a can of corn, also drained. Some use 1 pkg Hidden Valley Original Dressing mix (prepared) instead of the mayo or Miracle Whip. A friend always puts in 1/2 C chopped sweet pickles, or some sweet pickle relish, and 1/4 cup sweet pickle juice. Lots of the "church potluck" women top this with some grated cheese, either Cheddar or Parmesan. I've also seen crisp bacon pieces, and pimentos, and pecans. This is very versatile - and you can add pretty-much whatever you want. It is really, really good though - and a nice substitute for potato salad at BBQs and hotdog/hamburger cookouts. Keywords: American, Salad, Kosher ( RG239 )

Grandma Hayes' Cornbread From the cornbread thread. 1 package Jiffy Mix 1/3 c flour 1/2 tsp freshly ground black peppercorn 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp cayenne 2 Serrano chiles, very finely minced Kernels from 2 corns on the cobs (did I write this correctly?) 1 egg Buttermilk, just enough to make a mix that resembles muffin batter 3/4 stick of butter This is what I did: I preheated oven to 350?F. In an 8 inch round baking tin I melted the butter. When it was melted, I pulled it out and sat it on the stove. I mixed all the dry ingredients and the minced pepper together. Added the eggs and buttermilk together and mixed quickly and lightly. Put the tin back in the oven for a couple of minutes, when the butter was hot again, I brought the tin out, poured the batter into it, moved the tin around so that the melted butter that had come on top of batter was evenly distributed all over the batter. Baked for 35 minutes until the top was beginning to get golden and the toothpick came out dry. Placed the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turned over onto a platter (Bottom side up.. Grandma said that is tradition) and rubbed the cake (the bottom now the top) with the remainder of the butter stick. Keywords: Intermediate, American, Bread ( RG238 )

Cornbread with Grits From the cornbread thread. This is a completely over-the-top cornbread with grits and black or red pepper. For the grits 1/4 c real (not instant) grits (either white or yellow) 1 c half and half a little minced garlic black pepper and salt For the cornbread batter 1 c cornmeal 1 c flour 1-1/2 T sugar 1 T baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp salt 3 T butter 1 egg 1-2/3 c mixture of buttermilk and creme fraiche black pepper, red pepper flakes, or a mixture of both peppers First, you slowly cook the grits in the half and half, with the minced garlic, black pepper and salt in a little covered pot for about 15 minutes, until they're done. Let cool. Then, make a cornbread batter, sifting together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Melt the butter in either a cake pan or a cast iron pan in the oven. Beat the grits, egg and a the mixture of buttermilk and creme fraiche, together until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of the melted butter to the grits and then mix quickly with the flour mixture. Pour into the cake or cast iron pan and sprinkle black pepper, red pepper flakes, or a mixture of both peppers over the top. Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 35 minutes, until the top is set and the cornbread is coming away from the sides of the pan. The cake pan gives a softer, more cakelike bread; the cast iron pan makes a very crusty bread with a very moist interior that doesn't seem to rise as much. Keywords: Bread, American, Intermediate ( RG237 )

My Favorite Cornbread From the cornbread thread. Not at all southern style, but really good. 1-1/4 c cornmeal 1/2 c flour 2 T sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 c milk 2 eggs 1 T melted butter Sift dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl Mix eggs and milk in another bowl, and add to dry ingredients; add melted butter Heat 8”-10” cast iron skillet and grease with oil or shortening Pour batter into skillet, and pour ¾ C milk over top of batter. Bake @ 375F for about 25 minutes Keywords: Bread, American, Easy ( RG236 )

Cornbread From the cornbread thread. It seems as if there are as many cornbread variations as there are "perfect" fried chicken recipes, but here is one of the myriad ones taking up my recipe box that seems to work quite nicely, with a little honey added for sweetness. Also it helps to not work the batter too much as it will result in a less risen final product. We also like homemade maple butter to go along with it. For the cornbread 1-1/4 c ap flour 3/4 c yellow cornmeal (I use stoneground for a little coarser texture) 1 T baking powder 1 tsp salt 2 lg eggs 2 T honey 1 c milk 2 T melted unsalted butter For the maple butter 1/2 lb unsalted butter 1/2 c maple syrup 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp salt preheat 8 inch cast iron skillet in 425 oven with 3 tbsp Crisco for 15-20 mins Whisk together dry ingredients. Whisk together wet ingredients. Add the wet to the dry until just combined. Remove the skillet from the oven and pour in mixture. Bake for 20-25 mins. Keywords: American, Bread, Easy ( RG235 )

Cornbread with Flour As discussed in the cornbread thread. Here's a recipe with flour, from my recipe box. 1/4 c oil or drippings 1 c corn meal 1 c flour 1 T baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 c milk 1 egg Heat oil or drippings in a 8 or 9" skillet in a 425 oven. Combine dry igredients; add egg and milk and some of the grease from the hot pan. Pour batter into pan; bake 20-30 minutes. Additional Notes: 1)If using a 12" skillet, double all ingredients, but still bake for 30 minutes. 2)Can substitute water for milk, plus buttermilk powder (2 Tablespoons per cup of liquid) Keywords: Bread, Side, Easy, American, Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Snack ( RG234 )

Sarah's Cornbread As discussed in the cornbread thread. Here's a no flour recipe, from my friend Sarah. 1 c buttermilk 1 c stone ground yellow cornmeal 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 egg 1 T butter or drippings Preheat oven to 450°. Put some grease (oil, drippings or lard) in one 9 inch round iron skillet in the heating oven. Stir the cornmeal, salt and baking soda together. Add the egg and buttermilk and mix well. Remove skillet from the oven, add some of the melted oil/drippings and pour the batter into the skillet. Bake at 450° for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove when cornbread is brown. Keywords: Easy, American, Bread, Side, Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Snack ( RG233 )

Vegetarian Chili Chili recipe, anyone? I've used a couple recipes through the years for meat-bird-aversioned friends. I've had good success with one that contains tofu (not really sure where it is, but could probably find it). And this one, with bulghar: 2-1/2 c dried kidney beans 6 c water to cover 1 c V-8 Juice 1 C raw bulghar 3 T olive oil 4 cloves garlic, smashed, chopped 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp basil 1 T chile powder 1 dash cayenne (or hot sauce) to taste 1 c chopped celery 1 c chopped carrots 1-1/2 c chopped onion 1/2 c chopped bell peppers 1/2 c chopped mild green chiles 2 c chopped tomatoes juice of small lemon, or 1/2 large one 3 T dry red wine 3 T tomato paste salt & pepper to taste Wash beans and pick through, removing any that float, and other debris like rocks, etc. Put into stockpot or Dutch oven. Cover to about 3" with cold water (about 6 cups). Add 1 t salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until beans are tender (about 1 hour). Heat V-8 to boiling. Pour over bulghar and set aside. Allow to stand at least 15-20 minutes. In olive oil saute garlic and spices until they begin to release their scent. Add celery, carrots and saute til veggies are almost tender. Add onions, chiles, tomatoes and cook until tender. Add vegetables, V-8/bulghar, lemon juice to beans. Cook to heat through and blend flavors (about 20-30 minutes). Remove from heat and add wine and tomato paste and stir well to thoroughly blend. Correct seasonings. Allow to set for a few minutes to allow flavors to come together. Ladle into bowls and pass condiments: grated mild cheddar cheese, chopped onions, pico de gallo, crackers, sour cream, etc. Really good served with cornbread alongside. Keywords: Vegetarian, Vegetables, American, Tex-Mex ( RG230 )