Traditions and twists

Thanksgiving has come and gone. Too quickly if you ask me. We spend hours shopping, cooking for if we are lucky an hour at the most eating. Is it worth it? Probably not, but its tradition and memories. It has always been important to me to keep the traditions I grew up with. Certain things are meant to be kept the way they are. Holiday Dinners are one of them for me. Food is an important memory in most of our pasts. Taste, smells and visuals bring back exact moments in time. I celebrated Thanksgiving in Texas a week early with my brother and his family, as I blogged about in my two earlier posts. He requested a few dishes from our past that I was happy to whip up. He doesnt like change, and finds traditions as important as I do. The past few years I have been scheduled to work on Thanksgiving, such is the life of a chef. This year I am not yet working. Married cousins, children with partners and working relatives seem to change on a yearly basis as to where we celebrate our holidays. This year I stayed home with my mom and her husband. She decided she wanted a big Thanksgiving dinner and since she wasnt feeling well, I tried to do most of the cooking. Several years ago I started cooking dinner for my mom and tried to keep it traditional with that twist of a professional chef. My menu this year is as follows:
Roast Turkey / moms homemade gravy
Papa John's Stuffing
Bourbon Sweet Potatoes
Cranberry Sauce
Green Bean Casserole
Roasted Beets and Carrots
Biscuits
and for dessert I tried something new....A Pumpkin Banana Mousse Pie.....Everything was traditional for our family except the dessert. It was delicious and very easy to make.

Pumpkin Banana Mousse Pie/Tart
Ingredients For the crust:
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (14 crackers) » 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1 (15-ouhce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon » 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 extra-large egg yolks
• 1 package (2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
• 1 ripe banana, finely mashed
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/2 cup cold heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar For the decoration:
» 1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream
» 1/4 cup sugar
» 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
» Orange zest, optional
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a bowl and mix well. Pour into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press evenly into the sides and then the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes and then cool to room temperature.
For the filling, heat the half-and-half, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until hot, about 5 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks in another bowl, stir some of the hot pumpkin into the egg yolks to heat them, then pour the egg-pumpkin mixture back into the double boiler and stir well. Heat the mixture over the simmering water for another 4 to 5 minutes, until it begins to thicken, stirring constantly. You don't want the eggs to scramble. Remove from the heat.
Dissolve the gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Add the dissolved gelatin, banana, and orange zest to the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Set aside to cool.
Whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture and pour it into the cooled tart shell. Chill for 2 hours or overnight.
For the decoration, whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Pipe or spoon the whipped cream decoratively on the tart and sprinkle, if desired, with orange zest. Serve chilled. PS- If you dont feel like making the pie crust - use a ready made graham cracker crust.
Bite Me!

These are a few of my favorite things...Part 2

I love food! I love cooking! I love eating the food I cook! Most of all I love cooking for people I love and love them loving my food! These are definitely my favorite things. I decided to make this blog post in 2 parts. Hopefully as to not bore you.
My fathers crepes are probably the most favorite thing that I cook, not only because it brings back all the best memories of my childhood but because it really is my most favorite breakfast food. Crepe nite was usually after the beach in the summer, but sometimes for special occasion breakfasts. My dad never measured anything, never looked at a recipe and made too many to count. I have tried countless numbers of crepe recipes over the years and think this is the one that seems closest to my memory of them. My brothers both agree. My dad past away 35 years ago this week, But through his crepes among many other things he will live on! Thank you Daddy!!I love you and miss you. This one's for you. I would like to think he is proud of me for carrying on the tradition!

Daddy's ( Armand Lessard's ) Crepes

2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
3 Tbs melted butter
2 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla or 2 Tbs favorite liquor ( I use this when I am making dessert crepes )

Whisk eggs, add milk, water, vanilla, and melted butter. Add sugar and mix until sugar is dissolved. Combine flour until batter is lump free. I do this all by hand. Batter will be thin. It is NOT like pancake batter.
Heat your crepe or omelette pan on medium heat. For some reason even if I use a nonstick crepe pan I still brush the pan with Crisco. I use a paper towel to remove excess crisco. Using a ladle I pour about half a ladle into the pan and immediately swirl the batter to cover the bottom of the pan. Dont worry if at first you dont succeed. You will eventually get the hang of it. Flip the crepe over when it seems to be a light golden brown. You want just a touch of color on the crepe. You can put them in a warm oven until you are ready to serve. I make the entire batter before serving. I also triple the batter for 4 adults. I forgot to count the amount of servings I made ( sorry guys ). I had 4 crepes, my brother, neice and nephew had more than that.
To serve I usually roll up the crepe and pour 100% maple syrup on top. Thats how my dad served them. My brother stuffed his with cinnamon buns then rolled them and topped with maple syrup. You can use powdered sugar, whipped cream or any favorite topping. Most of all Enjoy!!

I also made Fiesta Salad. This was always a dessert when I was growing up. Easy to make and delicious. My brother asked for it, so I had to email our aunt to get the recipe. Funny, all these years I dont know if I had ever made it before.

Fiesta Salad

1 8oz cream cheese
1 large can fruit cocktail
1 package mini marshmallows
1 pint heavy cream - whipped

Drain the can of fruit cocktail and add liquid to the cream cheese to blend. I used the LIGHT fruit cocktail so the juice was less syrupy and less calories. Add the fruit and mini marshmallows. Fold in the whipped cream and mix well. I used a disposable aluminum lasagna pan. Cover and freeze. Remove from freezer and allow to almost completely thaw. Serve with slightly frozen texture. Thanks Ama and Aca!

If I ever opened my own restaurant, it would most likely only serve comfort food. Food I grew up with, food I always come home for and food that never seems to change!
May all your bites be tasty...or as my brother Scott suggested....." Bite Me" !!!

These are a few of my favorite things...Part 1

I have just gotten back from my 2 week stay in Texas. My brother Scott calls it a working vacation for me, since I babysit the kids and cook for him. I call it Awesome! I get to spend time with the kids without "The Parents" around, which basically means Aunt Michele can spoil them,......AND...I get to cook for my brother. I have always loved cooking, especially people who like to eat and enjoy food. Both of my brothers seem to have those qualities, and for some reason seem to overly enjoy my cooking. I like being able to cater to my baby brothers and since Scott is over 1300 miles away, its a treat for me when I am in Texas. Now he usually requests a few of his favorite things. He likes comfort food. Dont we all? He asks for things usually from our childhood or even a few things that seem to be a NY thing. So while I was in Texas, aside from cooking some wild game, I was able to make some of my brothers favorite things. Even his family makes a few requests. Here is the menu I cooked and who requested it.
Meal 1.- Spaghetti and Meatballs requested by Marissa ( I added Italian sausage for my brother), my Papa Johns Salad requested by Scott , and garlic bread
Meal 2 - Orange glazed wild Goose, wild rice, steamed green beans ( Scott supplied the wild goose I chose the preparation and sides )
Meal 3 - Chicken Parmesan, pasta and garlic bread ( requested by Scott )
Meal 4 - Daddys Crepes ( requested by Dylan and Marissa ) served with breakfast sausage
Meal 5 - Side items and desserts for our Early Thanksgiving. all requested by my brother Scott.
Cranberry Sauce, Papa Johns Stuffing ( in Texas they dont make or eat stuffing, they use dressing made with cornbread ), and Fiesta Salad. The latter 2 are oldies but goodies. Scott made such a fuss over how delicious everything was and how it was exactly as he remembered it. That is one of my favorite things, making someone happy with my cooking. Funny though, he has already started making a list of things he wants me to cook next time I come down. Cant wait!!

My goose is cooked!

I am on my 2 week working vacation in Rowlett, Texas. My brother is going on a hunting trip so I get to babysit the kids while he and the wife are away. He arrived back from a duck hunt in Utah the same day I flew in to Dallas. He came home with some wild duck breasts from his hunt and some wild goose breast that his host gave to him. Tonite I am cooking the Goose! My first time cooking goose of any kind wild or farm raised. I googled recipes for goose and found a couple with flavor profiles that I liked.
The flavorful roast goose is brined then roasted with an orange basting sauce. Before you get started, be sure you have a container the right size for the goose so the brine will cover it thoroughly. I also did alot of reading before starting my wild game and fowl cooking. I made a salt water mixture to soak the wild goose in overnite. This draws out the blood which removes alot of the " gamey " taste. I used about a gallon of water and 1 cup of kosher salt. In the morning I rinsed the breasts thoroughly and made the brine.
Wild Roast Goose with brine and Orange Glaze
Brine:
1 to 1 1/2 gallons cold water
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
dash allspice
Adjust the amount of brine to the quantity of goose. I had 4 large breasts (2 birds)
The recipe that I found has been altered. I adjusted some ingredients and added a few of my own.
The Glaze:
1 cup orange juice
1 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tbs honey
1 pinch of ground ginger ( if you have fresh ginger use 1/4 tsp)
Preparation:
Wash goose and trim excess fat. Place in a large container with a cover. Add the brine mixture so goose meat is completely covered. Cover and let sit overnite or at least 8 hours.
In a saucepan, heat 1 cup of the water with salt, sugar, and spices until salt and sugar are dissolved. Cool slightly and add to 1 gallon of cold water. Pour over the goose and add more ice cold water to cover the goose if needed. Let brine for at least 8 hours. Remove from liquid and pat dry. Heat oven to 350°. Combine the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and cook down about 1/3. Mixture should be syrupy. I decided to pan sear the breasts in a very hot saute pan with a little olive oil. I seasoned the breasts with salt and pepper. Sear each side of the breasts and place in a roasting pan. Place goose, breast side down, on a rack in a large roasting pan, if you have a rack. The directions told me to cook for 20 min per lb..or to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. I cooked the fairly large breasts for about an hour until the juices ran clear. I think this may have been a bit too long. I think cooking the wild goose to 140-150 degrees would have been better. Baste the breasts with the orange glaze several times during roasting. I removed the breasts from the oven and immediately sliced the breasts. I served it with Wild and brown rice and steamed green beans. As I was slicing it, I of course had to taste it. My first bite was a nice suprise. The meat was tasty, not gamey and I bit into my first shotgun pellet. OWW!! lol. There were several found while I was slicing and a few others as we were eating. My neice Cassie ( a true Texan ) tried a small bite and ate about 1 breast by herself. She didnt care for the orange glaze but ate as much as I did anyway. My brother Scott loved it! The rest of the Texas family loved it too, although the Orange glaze didnt go over well with all of the Texans, the New Yorkers loved it. I have to send a big thanks to Jeremy for sending my brother home with the wild goose for us to enjoy. My brother is now planning a goose hunt for next year, and I am looking forward to more wild game cooking!

Crisp Autumn Days

Today was a crisp autumn day, in many ways...I figured I would help mom cook dinner tonite since I knew she wasnt feeling well. I whipped up some sausage and peppers ( I can prep alot faster than she can ) and decided since she had bought some nice apples to make an Apple Cranberry Crisp. I have made this dessert numerous times and change it up to suit my mood. Sometimes I use pears, sometimes pears and apples sometimes just apples. I had some fresh cranberries in the freezer and decided to add the tart cranberries to the sweet apples. They just came out of the oven with a few minutes to rest and cool enough to eat...topped with whipped cream and mmmmmm what a yummy fall dessert.

Michele's Apple Cranberry Crisp

5 cups peeled and sliced apples
1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar
2 Tbs flour
2 tsp orange zest
1 tsp cinnamon

Crisp topping-
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 brown sugar (firmly packed)
1/4 cup softened butter
1/3 cup flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Combine apples, cranberries, sugar, flour, cinnamon and orange zest.
Put into greased ( use canola spray or butter ) individual ramekins or 9x9 baking dish, and make sure to overfill the ramekins as the apples will cook down. To make crisp topping mix remaining ingredients ( brown sugar, rolled oats, butter, and flour ) using your hands until its nice and crumbly. Sprinkle over apple cranberry mixture and bake for 45-55 minutes. Topping should be crispy and golden brown and cranberries should burst inside the mix. Let cool for a few minutes, it should still be warm to serve,and top with your favorite topping. Vanilla Icecream is good as is fresh whipped cream. Its one of my favorite fall desserts for a few years now and can be prepped ahead of time and cooking while you are eating dinner. Just make sure if you prepare it ahead, to take out of refrigerator and letting it get to room temperature before baking it. Hope you try it...I know you will like it.
Remember...May all your bites be tasty!