Joe’s Irish Coffee

November 23, 2015November 27, 2015 ~ regularcooks ~ Leave a comment

Joe Inqui and his wife, Bren O’Sullivan literally sailed into Elizabeth City, NC. They docked at the Harbor of Hospitality and took a good look around. They loved the Pasquotank River, the small town atmosphere and most importantly, the people they met. But, Joe, a savvy businessman, also saw loads of potential in the area and decided, not only to live here, but also to invest here in rental properties. He thought that this could be a great opportunity and a means to an end of an extremely stressful job in the DC area. Bren was onboard.

Joe and Bren took baby steps. They bought a few properties at a time, fixed them up and then rented them out, all while Joe was still working in DC. At first, Bren lived in Elizabeth City in an apartment, taking care of the day-to-day landlord issues. He stayed very much involved in their new venture and would call Bren each evening for the rundown of events that took place that day. Joe would come down every few weeks to check on things or Bren would “go north” as she called it. Finally, they purchased a small house in the historic district in Elizabeth City and chose it as their home. Luckily, it was next door to me and that’s how we met. It would be a year or so until Joe was living there permanently.

When they moved in, my husband, Lane, reported to me that an Irish woman and her husband bought the house next door and, when discussing his trip to Ireland, realized they had drank in the same Irish bar. Quick friends were made.

Bren enjoying some "nibbles" on her front porch in Elizabeth City, NC — Bren enjoying some “nibbles” on her front porch in Elizabeth City, NC

Joe was meticulous about the renovation, but kept the old feel of the house, especially the kitchen. While updating the necessary and important things, he kept the original kitchen cabinets, which were in great shape. The older cabinets, next to the new countertop and sparkling appliances, gives the kitchen a cozy, lived-in look. Guests rarely want to leave it and it’s difficult to herd them into the dining room when it’s time to eat.

Joe and Bren share in the cooking and love to have friends over to dine. Many of these gatherings are planned. However, it is the impromptu gatherings that shine bright in my mind.

They started when Joe was still working in DC. Bren would call me up and we’d take an inventory of what was in our respective fridges. Many meals were based around a frozen pizza, which we always doctored up with extra cheese, meat or veggies. Besides the pizza, one meal also included a side dish of leftover refried beans from our local Mexican restaurant, some rotisserie chicken from Bren’s fridge, and some wilted bok choy I had in the vegetable drawer, which I stir fried with a bit of onion and some leftover rice. A bottle of wine always enters the scene and it brings the whole meal together. We have laughed about these wild meal combinations many times.

Now that Joe is here full time, they are still known to have impromptu gatherings from time to time. For example, one evening recently, just as I sat down to eat my homemade Chicken Caesar Salad, I received this text message: We are throwing together some Korean BBQ and you are welcome to join us. Last minute, I know, but that is how we roll. Well, obviously Korean BBQ and Chicken Caesar Salad are an excellent combination, so I accepted, added another head of romaine to the salad, gave it a toss and knocked on their door. Two other couples and one dog from a two-block radius showed up. As usual, we laughed and ate and ate and laughed.

The best part of any party at the Inqui/O’Sullivan house is the Irish coffee at the end of the evening. Needless to say, having an Irish wife, Joe was a quick learner on how to make Irish Coffee. These coffees are a coveted, end of meal delicacy in the neighborhood.

Joe’s Irish Coffee

First Joe makes a very strong coffee in a French press.

He takes the remainder of the hot water and warms each glass.

Once the glasses are warm, he pours the water out and puts a bit of sugar at the bottom of each Irish coffee glass.

To taste....yeah right — Irish Whiskey to taste….yeah right

He then adds a generous helping of Jamison’s Irish Whiskey to the each glass.

The next step, he whisks the heavy cream with a bit of sugar just until the cream is very thick. Joe warns to stop whisking before peaks form.

Make sure cream is thick but able to pour

Next, Joe presses the coffee and adds it to the glasses.

Now it’s time for the creme. The cream must be able to be poured over a spoon. This is where Bren and Joe disagree. Bren says it should be poured over the back of the spoon and Joe thinks pouring it over the front of the spoon is best. Either way, the cream sets up on top of the glass and it is a beautiful thing.

Joe likes to pour it over the front of the spoon, Bren thinks it's best to use the back of the spoon. — Joe likes to pour it over the front of the spoon, Bren thinks it’s best to use the back of the spoon.

Joe then likes to sprinkle some instant coffee on top as a garnish, but this day he didn’t have any, so he crushed up some ground coffee.

I have never seen a drop left in anyone’s glass at the end of the night or a dissatisfied customer. Only a smile, a warm glow and a few rosy cheeks grace the faces of the guests as they walk back to their homes nearby.

Sláinte

Elmo’s Frambled Eggs

June 1, 2011August 6, 2015 ~ regularcooks ~ Leave a comment

Elmo & Martha, Cousin Martha's B&B, Beaufort, NC — Elmo & Martha, Cousin Martha’s B&B, Beaufort, NC

I’ve never been much for eggs. Just never really liked them. However, I eat them now more than ever before. I actually find myself craving an egg salad sandwich or a fried egg yolk about once a year. But mostly I eat them to be polite. Which is what I did at Cousin’s Bed & Breakfast in Beaufort, NC last weekend.

Our first morning at Cousin’s B&B (click here for website) we came down the stairs to a wonderful spread of interesting looking grits, biscuits, homemade sausage and eggs. I was concentrating on the grits because of their unique look. The homemade sausage looked good too. It turns out the grits had a can of potato soup in them and the potatoes in the grits were quite nice. The homemade sausage was delicious and spicy. Of course, I had a small bite of the eggs to be polite, but quickly decided there was something pretty unique about the eggs because I had another giant helping. Turns out the eggs are called Frambled: combination of fried and scrambled. Fry first, then scramble. After breakfast I went in to talk to Elmo and check out his Vulcan commercial range and asked him if he could show me how to make those eggs. Next morning at 8:30 we had a date.

Normally I would not blog a “professional” cook, but Elmo is about as close as it gets without the schoolin’. When asked if he went to cooking school, he claims, he graduated from the Culinary School of America “Truck Stops U.S.A.” He even has a diploma he made himself. I was impressed.

Elmo, 78, is quite a character. He quit high school when he was 16 and went to work on bridges. That’s where he started to cook: Outdoors for hardworking men and chain gang convicts. He did have a short stent in the Navy as a fill-in cook for a few months. He had the art of getting things the other cook couldn’t so needless to say, they weren’t too happy when the old cook returned.

Elmo and his wife, Martha, opened a B&B in Beaufort, NC 18 years ago and they love it. It’s a dual effort. Elmo does all the cooking and Martha does the cleaning and the shopping. “Elmo spends too much at the store”, says Martha, “so he’s not allowed to go”. Elmo also has a side business in spices. He mixes his own spices called Satan’s Breath and they are quite good and unique. Here’s his website: http://www.satansbreath.com/sbhome.htm .

Elmo designed his own kitchen. He has a wonderful old Vulcan range and hangs all of his pots and pans up just like Julia Child. He does not like getting compared to her though. “She’s a filthy cook,” he says and I laugh. CIMG2574

Elmo’s Frambled Eggs

Elmo begins by taking a small non-stick skillet and covers the bottom with olive oil. He heats this on medium heat until it’s good and hot. He then adds about 2 Tbsp, give or take, of his secret ingredient, cottage cheese, to the middle of the pan. He prefers fat free. Although I’m sure you can use any kind.

He tops this with his garlic pepper spice mix, more pepper and some salt and then cracks 4-5 eggs on top of the cottage cheese.

Let this sit until “it comes together” and the edges are cooked. This is the fry part. Then he adds shredded cheddar cheese to the top and lets it sit for about another minute or so until the cheese begins to melt.

At this point you will want to begin gently turning the egg mixture over. This is the scramble part.

Let it cook and become shiny. Do not overcook.

Elmo served these eggs with some hash browns which he uses Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning over (yum), bacon, and panini toasted English muffins. What a great breakfast to wake up to!

GeGe’s Sunday Gravy

February 19, 2011August 7, 2015 ~ regularcooks ~ Leave a comment

Ok, I know what you’re thinking. You are thinking about gravy, the stuff you put over mashed potatoes, meatloaf or pork chops. If so, you are wrong. This is about gravy in the Italian sense, aka tomato sauce.

GeGe is my oldest friend. She hates it when I say that. I met her when I was in first grade and she was in Kindergarten. We are only three months apart. One day, I found the letter “G” (that you sew onto your clothes) in my mom’s sewing box. You know, like the Laverne and Shirley “L” Laverne had sewn onto everything? Well, this was a “G” and I knew just the person to give it to. She has no memory of it, but I don’t hold it against her. That was 45 years ago.

About five years ago, we found out that we both have relatives by the last name of Finch who lived in the NC/VA area during the same time, so now we think there is a relation that someone has kept secret from us all these years. There are many, many other coincidences that connect our families that I won’t go into here. We’ve tried to track it, to no avail. I’m sure we are related….plus, who has friends for 45 years these days?

We even have a secret handshake that solidifies our friendship. You will never see it, unless, of course, we have too much wine and don’t think anyone is looking.

GeGe married young and wound up in Pittsburg, PA. She raised three kids there and then moved to Raleigh, NC for job purposes once they were grown. She is a Human Resources Software Consultant in Raleigh. She works for herself. She is remarried to Andy, who is a bit younger than she, and who has been dubbed “Cabana Boy”. He has been assigned to take care of us in our old age. We even made him a special shirt so he won’t forget (and in case we do.)

GeGe has cooked for her whole life it seems. She was making meals for me when she was 14. Her dad use to own a restaurant at a racetrack years ago and he also had one attached to a motel, so cooking was something she grew up around.

We lived together briefly when her husband was away for work and I helped her with the baby. Then she moved to Pittsburgh, PA. It broke my heart when she left. While in living in “Pitt”, she became a huge Steeler’s fan and also became familiar with all the wonderful Italian restaurants available. So she started making Italian food at home. It was cheap, filling and went a long way. For a young, struggling family, this fit the bill.

Italian gravies usually have several different types of meat in them as well as meatballs. It simmers all day long. GeGe uses her gravy to top Chicken or Eggplant Parmesan or simply any type of pasta. Today she is making Chicken Parmesan.

You will notice that the meatballs in this sauce are huge, about the size of a lime. GeGe thinks this is important, so that everyone gets a generous meat portion with the gravy. In my opinion, the best thing in the gravy are the country pork ribs. Melt in your mouth delicious. Just give me a bowl of gravy, some of those simmered ribs and a slab of crusty bread and leave me alone. Lord, I will never be thin.

When she first started making gravy, she added raw meat and vegetables to the tomatoes, but then was told by an Italian friend she should sear the meat first in olive oil and then add the vegetables to the oil and saute them before adding the tomatoes. She believes this was the beginning of her perfect gravy.

GeGe use to travel a lot, which meant many Sunday’s were spent cooking giant quantities of food for her family so they could eat while she was away. She always cherished her Sundays and having a family Sunday dinner was very important to her, especially when traveling. When she would make Sunday Gravy, everyone could eat a big Sunday dinner and then have plenty of leftovers for the week.

She is now a Nonna (Italian for Grandmother). She has a sweet little grandson, Kaiden, and a granddaughter, Michaela, on the way. She is very happy that her traveling days are over for now. She will spend more time with the grandbabies and is looking forward to many Sunday dinners to come.

GeGe’s Sunday Gravy with Chicken Parm

GeGe’s starts her gravy with a large stockpot. It has really got to be big. She adds extra virgin olive oil to the bottom of the pot. Heat to medium/high heat and then add the ribs that have been seasoned with salt and pepper. GeGe doesn’t use a lot of salt, but you can decide for yourself. Sear these over medium, high heat until brown on all sides.

Once seared, remove the ribs and set aside on a plate. You could also add Italian sausage at this point if you like and sear them the same way if you want. It may be traditional to have the sausage, but GeGe feels like the amount of meat in the sauce is fine without it.

At this point you may have to add a bit more olive oil and then the onions, red pepper and garlic.

Once these are translucent, add the 3 large cans of tomatoes with puree, 1 large can of water, 2 small cans’ of crushed tomatoes and two small cans of tomato paste.

Then add ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese, 3 Tbsp sugar, 5 fennel seeds (optional), 2 bay leaves, more minced garlic if you want and a handful of each: Fresh parsley and basil. Add the ribs. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat to simmer, partially covered. Now it’s time to make the meatballs.

Using fresh bread you have lying around the house, make into breadcrumbs, either by pinching it or putting it into a food processor. Mix ½ cup of these fresh breadcrumbs with ¼ of milk and let set until absorbed. Mix together 1 lb of pork and 1 lb ground beef. (You could also use 2 lbs of purchased meatball mix. Meatball mix contains ground pork, beef and veal.) To the meat add: 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, ½ cup fresh bread crumbs soaked in milk, 1 beaten egg, 1 ½ tsp of steak seasoning, ¼ tsp onion power (or ½ an onion minced) and 1 Tbsp of minced garlic.

Mix well and then shape in to big balls about the size of a lime. GeGe uses a utensil for this, but you could use an ice cream scoop or just eyeball it.

Try to make them the same size. Add them to the gravy. Bring to a simmer and simmer for at least 3 hours.

This gravy is always better the next day. When I made it, I let it sit overnight in the fridge and then added the amount I wanted to a crock pot to heat the next day. The meat was extra moist too. Making things a day ahead is always best for entertaining, as well.

The Chicken Parmesan is next. Make some more fresh breadcrumbs. GeGe likes these to be larger, pinched off breadcrumbs, rather than processed because it gives a nice look on the fried chicken breasts. Combine about 2-3 cups of the breadcrumbs with ¾ cup of Parmesan cheese, 2 Tbsp of fresh parsley and ½ tsp pepper to a pie plate.

Beat two eggs and put in a separate pie plate or shallow bowl.

Pound out 8 chicken breasts. If you don’t feel like pounding, you could cut them in half lengthwise. This would make them thinner and may lessen the frying time. It’s up to you.

Cover the bottom of large skillet or two with olive oil (non-stick is best) and heat to medium/low. Dip chicken breasts into egg and then into fresh breadcrumb mixture and coat both sides. Pat down the breadcrumbs.

Place in the skillet and fry on med/low heat until golden on each side (approx 8 min). Put aside. When all chicken pieces are fried to a golden brown, find a large casserole dish. Place a ladle full of finished gravy on the bottom of the casserole dish and lay the fried chicken breasts on top of the sauce. This keeps it from sticking. Next, top chicken with a pinch or two of fresh mozzarella and then add some more gravy. Add more fresh mozzarella and then sprinkle about 6 oz. of shredded mozzarella and 4-6 oz. of Shredded Parmesan on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbling.

Serve the gravy over any kind of pasta you have in your pantry (I like linguini). Make sure each person gets a meatball and a rib and don’t forget the crusty bread for sopping and a glass or two of Chianti to wash it down.

Mama GeGe that’s a perfect meatballa!

GeGe's Sunday Gravy Ingredients

Servings: 8 or more
Time: 6-8hrs
Difficulty: medium/hard
Print

I have included the ingredients only, please check the blog for specifics on instructions/techniques.

For the Gravy:

Olive oil
1 package of country ribs
Italian sausage (optional)
1-2 onions
1 red pepper
lots of minced garlic
3 large cans of tomato puree
1 large can of water
2 small cans crushed tomatoes
2 small cans tomato paste
1/4 cup grated parmesan
3 Tbsp sugar
5 fennel seeds if you have them (not required)
Fresh parsley
Fresh basil

For the Meatballs:

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 lb of pork and 1 lb. of beef (or 2 lbs. of meatball mix)
2 Tbsp fresh parsley
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp steak seasoning
1/4 tsp onion powder ( or 1/2 onion minced)
1 tsp minced garlic

For the Chicken Parmesan:

Olive Oil
8 pounded out chicken breasts
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
6 oz fresh mozzarella
8 oz shredded mozzarella

Supper Club

January 30, 2011August 6, 2015 ~ regularcooks ~ Leave a comment

When one moves to a new town, one must decide on many things: Doctors, dentists, pharmacists, banks, mechanics and if one is religiously inclined, churches and sometimes even religions.

I am Lutheran. Baptized Lutheran and attended Lutheran school for nine years. I am Lutheran, through and through. Lutheranism is more than a religion to me. It’s a culture too. I mean, we have the whole Martin Luther thing going on, who saved the people from the mean ‘ole Catholic Church in 1517. We also have the whole German and Bach thing going on and a little Scandinavian thrown in for good measure.

Well, without reciting Luther’s Small Catechism (don’t laugh, after nine years of Lutheran school, I can still hold my own), I will tell you that I had to make some tough decisions when we moved to Elizabeth City.

We attended Epiphany Lutheran Church in Alexandria for many years before we moved. It had a great music program and was warm and wonderful. For a small church it had a lot going for it, but I hate to say it, I really chose it because of the food “Fellowships” they put on after the late service. I mean, you can worship anywhere, but where can you get a free lunch too? It worked like this: Every week two families would get together and host a large snack, or sometimes lunch, for the parishioners. Because of these gatherings each week, we were able to get to know people really well. It was a time for food and sharing and my family looked forward to it every week. However, what we most looked forward to was the International Advent Fellowships. We would have four International Advent Fellowships: German, Scandinavian, Asian/Hispanic and American. Many families would work all week preparing delicacies from different countries. I truly miss Advent at Epiphany.

The nearest Lutheran church in my town is situated in a temporary trailer about 10 miles from here. I have not visited that church, but have viewed their website. It looked fine for me, except that they are very small and had no choir, which is important to me. We also were hoping for a church that we could walk to since we moved to a walkable city. So, we decided to check out Christ’s Episcopal Church down the road, because I knew that their services were formal and contained similar liturgy.

Well, it took about two seconds to fall in love with this beautiful church and friendly people and we made an appointment with the pastor. He told us of the many wonderful things this church participates in and knew we were in the right place. The music program and Sunday school is top notch. The choir director is amazing and LUTHERAN to beat all! They do not have large weekly fellowships (tear, tear), but they do have occasional fellowships and dinners. They even had a German dinner where the choir director ran around in lederhosen, but that’s probably another blog in itself. However, what I enjoy the most is Supper Club.

Supper Club is made up of many members. They are divided into separate clubs of eight people. You get a new set of eight each time you gather, which is every other month. Out of the eight, one member hosts it at their house and the others bring a dish assigned to them by the host. I have only been to three, but I have thoroughly enjoyed each of them and find them to be an intimate and relaxing way to meet the members of the church. Two were sit down dinners and one, around Christmas, was a cocktail party of several of the Supper Club groups. It’s really flexible and you can do what you want. This is not your Mama’s potluck dinner, though. Beautiful meals are prepared. And because they are Episcopalians, there is always wine. Hey, if it was good enough for Jesus….

shapeimage_2 — Jim’s apricot glaze for the pork roast

Last night’s dinner was held at a neighbor’s (Bonnie & Jim’s) beautiful, historic home and we could actually walk there.

Check out this menu:

Tortilla Chips with Bacon and Sun-dried Tomato Dip
Pork Roast with Apricot and Almond Glaze
Mushroom Risotto
Goat Cheese, Pecan and Cranberry Salad w/Honey & Cider Vinegar Dressing
Homemade Lemon Ice Cream with Homemade Shortbread Cookies
Red and White Wines

165718_1872261490625_1363790138_32202825_4776213_n

I did not witness the making of any of these dishes, except for my salad. However, the hostess took some pictures.

I don’t know if I’ll ever formally become an Episcopalian, but they treat me like a member. And what’s more, my epicurean desires have been met. I think that’s good enough for now.

God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. Amen!

Heavenly South = Shrimp + Country Ham

January 26, 2011August 6, 2015 ~ regularcooks ~ Leave a comment

I love recipes. I happened to run across a Southern Living Magazine recipe last year that truly shocked and awed my family, and especially my husband. It takes no time to make, and to me, personifies the “new southern cuisine.”

I make this dish all times of the year, but the best time (for me) to make it is right around Christmas time. Why? Because I usually get a donation of country ham from my neighbor, Sandi Her secret to country ham is not to soak it. Well, frankly I was taken aback at this, because everyone says you have to soak the salt out of a country ham, but Sandi just looked at me like I was from Mars. For this dish, Sandi is right. The saltier, the better.

Around here, we get our country ham from a local country store. You can buy country ham in the grocery store and bake it yourself or you can buy already prepared portions of it in small packages. All you need is one cup of minced country ham, so don’t feel like you have to go to a lot of trouble for this dish.

The first time I made this dish, my husband (who would just as soon eat beans and franks or PB&J everyday for dinner) looked at me and said, “You could sell this in a restaurant!” Well, coming from a man who never compliments food and dislikes shellfish, this was a big deal. I will have to say, it was heaven.

I use to serve this with a salad, but really, who are we kidding? A bottle of white wine and good loaf of crispy bread to sop up the olive oil and butter and salty bits and you really don’t need anything else. It’s great for company because it only takes minutes to make once all the ingredients are nearby.

Sautéed Shrimp & Country Ham

Buy 3 pounds of unpeeled, raw medium shrimp. Most “fresh” shrimp is frozen these days, so buy early in the day and thaw. Peel shrimp and removed tails. Set aside.

Mince 4 oz of country ham. Should be about one cup. Set aside.

Get the following ingredients ready:

CIMG2328

1/2 cup white wine or vermouth
2-3 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice
1 tsp of Cajun seasoning
2 Tbsp drained capers
2 Tbsp of chopped green onion (optional)
2 Tbsp of chopped italian parsley (NOT curly parsley)

Put 1/3 cup of butter and 1/3 cup of olive oil in a large, deep skillet and heat over medium heat.

Once butter is melted, increase heat to high and add shrimp and country ham. Stir constantly and cooking for 3-5 minutes or until pink.

Remove from heat and add wine/vermouth, lemon juice, green onions and capers. Adjust heat to medium/high and return pan to burner. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

Add chopped parsley.

Serve in shallow bowls with crispy Ciabatta or French bread.Enjoy the New South!

Click here for the recipe: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/sauted-shrimp-with-country-ham-capers

The 25 Year Turkey

November 29, 2010August 6, 2015 ~ regularcooks ~ Leave a comment

For 25 years I have tried to make the perfect turkey. I’ve basted them, tied them, stuffed them, bagged them and brined them. I’ve made turkey breasts for smaller crowds. I’ve talked to friends and relatives, watched The Food Network, read magazines and newspapers about turkey preparation. I was almost down to frying one, until I found out that the peanut oil you have to buy costs $28. And that’s at Walmart!

Unfortunately, turkey is bland and dry for the most part, so some miracle, i.e. ACT OF GOD, must happen for it to come out right. The worst turkey ever was when my young daughter, Beth, went downstairs to get the candlesticks and the china cabinet glass broke and sliced part of her finger off. I had just put the turkey in the oven when I had to go downstairs and grab her finger part and go to the emergency room. While we were gone, no one even looked at the turkey, let alone basted it or, heaven forbid, take it out of the oven. When I got back, my mother, husband and kids were outside decorating for Christmas. Hey, one holiday at a time people!! The turkey had turned into shoe leather and not one drop of juice left to make a gravy. I guess if it had caught on fire, someone might have noticed. Or maybe not. Needless to say, I wasn’t happy.

Shortly after that episode, I was turned on to brining. Now, you might ask: What is brining? Brining makes poultry moist. The salt forces the meat tissues to absorb water and flavorings. It also breaks down the proteins, resulting in a tender juicy turkey. This means that you can roast the bird for a long time and still have moist meat.

Brining with water and flavorings is popular. I use to do this. I put spices in my brine, like juniper berries, all spice berries, rosemary, fruit, other strong herbs like rosemary etc. Some add apple juice, etc. Personally, I don’t want a lot of strong smells and tastes in my gravy, so after a few years I decided to just use subtle flavors I preferred.

Then I read an article on dry brining. I always hated the whole wet brine because it was messy and a pain. I’d have to find a large container to put the turkey in and then hope it was cold outside, because it wouldn’t fit in my fridge. Dry brining is so much easier and it comes out perfect every time and is crispy and moist if you follow a few simple steps. The turkey won’t be as salty as you think, however, you can taste the salt and you don’t have to add any additional salt to your bird or the gravy.

Basically, I dry brine it for a day, rinse and dry it and stuff it with lemons, herbs, onions, carrots and apples, butter and pepper it, stick it in a hot oven (450 degrees) for 30 minutes and then at 350 degrees until done. Perfect AND it makes the best gravy.

The 25 Year Turkey

Select a fresh turkey. 1.5 lbs per person, or if you want plenty of leftovers, 2 lbs per person.

Wash it and remove the neck in the big cavity and the bag of giblets in the smaller cavity.

Remove the liver (the dark red thing) and cover the rest of the giblets with unsalted water to make a broth. The liver will make the broth bitter and there is enough salt in the turkey so none is needed. (I always sauté the liver in a little olive oil and eat it for Thankgiving breakfast). Afterwards, chop the giblets finely and hide them for later (for those guests who might think they don’t like giblets) and put in the gravy at the end. They’ll never notice they are there.

Sprinkle turkey liberally with kosher or sea salt (about 1/2 cup) on the outside and also in the cavities. You can also salt under the skin it you choose.

Put salted turkey in a trash bag, tie it up and put it into the lower crisper of your refrigerator in case it leaks. You can also put it outside in leakproof bin if it’s cold enough. Just don’t freeze it or let the raccoons get to it.

Thanksgiving morning, rinse the turkey inside and out and dry VERY well with a paper towel.

Rub butter all over the turkey and liberally pepper it.

Stuff the cavities with a lemon, an apple, an onion, 3 carrots, parsley and thyme. This flavors the juices for an amazing gravy.

Put turkey on a roasting pan (breast side up) with a rack into a 450 degree oven. Roast for 30 minutes ONLY. Your house might get a little smokey, but this is the most important step to ensure a crispy skin. Just open a window.

After 30 minutes, reduce temperature to 350 degrees and remove turkey from oven. In bottom of pan, put about 1.5 cups of liquid. I use a combination of white wine and chicken broth. (The broth you make from the giblets is perfect for this, otherwise unsalted canned broth is fine too.)

Cover breast and wings with aluminum foil and return to 350 degree oven to cook until done. Twelve minutes per pound should be the average time roasted or until the temperature in the fattest part of the thigh reaches 160 degrees. Make sure the thermometer doesn’t touch the thigh bone. Don’t go by the little pop-up thingy in the breast. Do not baste. However, you can add some liquid if it looks like it’s getting a bit dry in the pan.

Once turkey is done, let it rest for at least 30 minutes. You will need this time to make the gravy and mash the potatoes. If you want a lower fat gravy, pour juices into a gravy separator and pour the juices and some of the fat back into the roasting pan, or you can just leave it. After all, it is Thanksgiving and besides our friends and family, what are we most thankful for than fat, right?

Even though this entry is not about gravy, I’ll try tell you how to make it. Sorry I don’t have any pictures.

Put the roasting pan straddle across two burners and bring to medium heat. Have flour, chicken broth and/or water handy. Add a handful of flour and wisk it back and forth until there are no lumps. Make sure it boils at least a minute after adding flour. Add liquid to get the right consistency. You could also make a slurry of flour and liquid together and pour into the juices, however, making gravy is a practiced art form, so you may have to adjust amounts of flour and liquid as you go. If the gravy sets for any period of time on warm it will also thicken. Just add water or both to thin it out. If you’ve got lumps strain the gravy. Then add the giblets.

Cut the turkey down each side of the breast bone and slice the breast meat in large hunks. Don’t kill yourself or torture your husband to thinly slice the turkey. Remove the legs and serve breast meat and legs on platter. If you want more dark meat, add it.

Now that’s a lot to be thankful for!

Tracy’s First Class Chicken

September 9, 2010August 7, 2015 ~ regularcooks ~ Leave a comment

CIMG2103 — Tracy and her mom, Paula, and sister, Ashley

When I started this blog, I knew people would have to let me watch them cook and I’d probably get to eat some good meals. But, here in the south, the cooking turns into a party….every time! And today was no different.

I had met Tracy at a previous luncheon where I had watched her younger sister, Ashley, make Yakisoba. I liked Tracy immediately. She is very fun to be around, has a great style about her and is very knowledgable about food. That day I learned she was trying to follow a gluten free diet. She recently discovered she was gluten intolerant. After she informed us about it, about half of us in the room thought that maybe we were too! Anyway, I thought a gluten free blog entry was in order.

Tracy grew up in Elizabeth City, but moved to the DC/Baltimore area many years ago. When she came back into town to visiting her parents, she invited me to come and watch her make a main dish she prepares on a regular basis. She didn’t even have a name for it. She told me her uncle worked for the airlines and they served this dish to the first class passengers. So, it now has a name: Tracy’s First Class Chicken.

You can’t get much easier than wrapping a chicken breast around a hunk of cream cheese and wrapping the entire thing in bacon. But, Lord have mercy, it is simply moist and delicious. I cannot wait to cater my daughter’s wedding now. Or better yet, have Tracy do it!

It was clear when I was observing Tracy that she has some serious cooking skills. Her knife skills are excellent and her way with food was very natural. She informed me that she took half of a culinary course a few years back, but never finished. I’ll tell you, the time was not wasted. She is fun to watch.

Tracy had already “tourned” the potatoes for her rosemary potatoes before I had gotten there. I’m glad she did. Tourne is a french style of cutting potatoes and it is time consuming, but it’s the perfect shape for roasting. You can make about 6-8 small football shaped potatoes out of one regular potato. If you are super curious about this, here’s a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2LMzr2VPRY. I was impressed.

Tracy also served a red pepper and mushroom garnish for the chicken, a mandarin salad with poppy seed dressing and also a side of roasted asparagus. And creme brulee for dessert. I had completely forgotten that this was a gluten-free meal.

This is an excellent combination of foods; perfect for company or a large crowd. All which can be made ahead of time, so you can visit with your company prior to dinner. You will really impress your guests if you can get the tourne technique down. Goat cheese could also be used in place of cream cheese and add herbs if you so desire.

By the way, the party was fabulous and good food is always an excuse to drink wine in the middle of the day!!

Tracy’s First Class Chicken

Layout a chicken breast and cut a hunk (about an ounce) of cream cheese and put it in the middle of the chicken breast.

Wrap the breast around the cheese. Completely wrap the chicken breast with the cheese in it with bacon. About five slices per large breast. Wrap in all different directions. This will hold the breast of chicken closed.

Place on a rack over a pan so that juices can drain. Bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. Aren’t these cute?

For a garnish, thinly slice red pepper. Combine in a pan with mushrooms and olive oil. Saute for 10 minutes.

Serve with chicken.

Roasted Rosemary Tourne Potatoes

Tourne 2 or 3 potatoes into about 24 pieces. Place in an iron skillet.

Chop garlic. Chop a couple of springs of fresh rosemary. Chop a couple of springs of fresh rosemary.

Drizzle potatoes with about a Tbsp of olive oil and mix garlic and rosemary into potatoes and oil. Add salt and pepper.

Bake at 400 until they are nicely browned.

You can bake the chicken and the potatoes at the same time.

Roasted Asparagus

Cut off tough ends of asparagus and put on a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix and roast at 400 for about 10-15 min depending on size. Chopped shallots could be added if you have one on hand.

Mandarin Orange Salad

Tracy combined 2 Tbsp of wine vinegar, 1 tsp of Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp salt, a pinch of cayanne, 1 Tbsp Honey, 6 Tbsp Olive Oil, 1 1/2 tsp of poppy seeds. Mix with a wisk.

Slice 1/2 red onion.

Put a container of baby romaine, or similar salad green in a large bowl. Top with onions and an 11 oz can of drained Mandarin oranges.

Creme Brulee

Since creme brulee needs to be made ahead of time and chilled, Tracy had already done that.. She used a basic recipe from the internet.

Sprinkle with a combination of brown and regular sugar. Place under broiler for 2 minutes or until browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Colcannon for Unexpected Guests

September 6, 2010August 6, 2015 ~ regularcooks ~ Leave a comment

Until last Saturday, I didn’t know what Colcannon was. I was given the ingredients and a recipe and was told to make it. This is not a family recipe or some comfort food my kids will remember. In fact, they’ve never had it. It’s because of my unexpected guests that I chose to blog about it.

Colcannon is generally made with kale or cabbage, mashed potatoes, butter and milk, and is an Irish dish that is served on Halloween with coins hidden in it for the kids. It’s also served on St. Paddy’s Day. Now, I don’t have an Irish bone in my body (English through and through), but you can’t go wrong with mashed potatoes, no matter what’s in them.

Two weeks ago, the woman who rented our beach house in Carova, NC had to leave because her dog became seriously ill. We were very upset for her and the dog, but we took the opportunity to go down and perform some much needed maintenance and spend a few days looking at the ocean. We rent our house out from Sunday to Sunday (www.breaknwind.com) and it’s always booked, so we hardly get to use it during the season.

38112_1421972281941_1611734716_970200_7851192_s

My oldest friend (lol, I’ve known her since I was 5), GeGe, and her mom “Grammy King” came too, and as always, GeGe overbuys food (aka food hoarder) and brought way too much. And, of course, chaos follows her as usual. She had to leave the next morning because her daughter went into labor six weeks early and she had to get to Pittsburgh. Grammy King stayed with me. This baby, Kaiden Michael, is just the first of the unexpected guests that arrived too early that week.

So, on that Saturday morning I planned to have hamburgers for dinner, put them on the counter to defrost and we all went to the beach. It was a gorgeous day. We stayed out there for hours, having Lane move the umbrella every hour or so for Grammy and I as the tide went down. Lane went back up to the beach house and shortly came back with two people I didn’t recognize behind him. I told Grammy, “Lane is with two people”. She says, maybe they are his friends. I said, “Lane doesn’t have two friends”. Anyway we laughed, but I had already figured out in my mind who they were.

They introduced themselves, and sure enough, they were the renters for Sunday that showed up a day early. Lane found them in our house roaming around, looking at our luggage and cell phones and unmade beds and began to get scared that someone might come out with a shotgun if they didn’t get out. They called my cell phone and it rang on the table. At this point, they still hadn’t figured out what the deal was.

Lane, thinking that they are some sort of maintenance people, said, “Who are you?” and the guy says, “I’m Mr. Grimm. I rented this house.” Lane tells them it’s a Sunday to Sunday rental and after they looked at their paperwork, they realized their mistake. They had been on the road for two days to get there. They were so excited to arrive they left a day early. Lane told them they could stay, but would have to check it out with me. That’s when he brought them to the beach. I told them there was no chance they’d get a hotel for only one night on a Saturday anywhere near there and that they’d have to stay with us and join us for dinner.

I made my way back to the house and decided that maybe I’d make the Colcannon and a spiral ham that GeGe brought, so I looked at the recipe. I decided to make a few changes. Between the Colcannon, the wine and the laughter, we became quick friends and have a great story to tell for years to come.

Colcannon for Unexpected Guests

Wash about 2 lbs of unpeeled, red potatoes and cut them into large chunks. Put them in boiling water with a generous amount of salt for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute 1/2 a large onion and salt and pepper in 2 Tbsp on butter and a Tbsp of olive oil until soft, about 10 minutes.

Add 3/4 head diced cabbage and more salt and pepper and cook until soft. I used shredded because Trader Joe’s didn’t have a head of cabbage, so I was forced to buy the bagged shredded. Ideally, I’d prefer if the cabbage and the onions were about the same size. That way Grammy King can’t tell there’s onion in the dish. She thinks she’s allergic. hehe

Melt 6 Tbsp on butter on low heat and keep warm.

Shred some Irish Dubliner cheese. You can get it in your fancy cheese section. It’s pretty common. It typically comes in a 7 oz. block, so use it all if you want. There’s never such a thing as too much cheese in my opinion.

Also, if you have it, chop about 4 green onion tops.

When the potatoes are done, drain and put back into the pot. Mash with a fork and add some salt and pepper, 3/4 cup of milk and a giant spoonful of sour cream.

Mix well. Then add the cheese and mix, and then finally the cabbage mixture and mix again.

Top off with green onions and give it a stir.

Spoon the mashed potato mixture onto a plate and make a “nest”. Spoon a tablespoon of butter into each nest. This is the best part.

Heaven on a plate.

Serve with people you’ve never met, lots of wine and laughter.

Jordan’s “No Refrigeration Necesario” Pasta

July 23, 2010August 5, 2015 ~ regularcooks ~ Leave a comment

Jordan cooked very little until she joined the Peace Corps. She is now a Rural Health and Sanitation volunteer in San Jeronimo, El Salvador. She lives in “el campo”, aka “the country”. The cooked food in El Salvador contains lots of salt which gives her migraines. So much for her host family cooking for her every night.

Volunteers get $400 dollars to set up house for their two-and-a-half year stay. She didn’t have enough left over after she bought a mattress, a two-burner stove, pots and pans and hammock to buy a refrigerator. El Salvador uses the American dollar as currency and things aren’t so cheap there. Sometimes more expensive. For a small fridge (we’re talking college size), she would have to pay about $300.

Before she arrived in El Salvador, she didn’t like beans, eggs or avocados, but she eats them now. Jordan goes to the nearest pueblo, San Miguel which is 1.5 hours away, once a week to buy her vegetables and other stuff from the Super Selectos. Sometimes the vegetable truck comes into her canton and she purchases them from the vendor. She spends about $30 on food for the month that she prepares at home. Vegetables are very cheap, so because she has no refrigerator, she saves lots of money not buying meat and processed foods. She purchases her bags of water daily from the neighborhood tienda.

Jordan “eats to live” now instead of “lives to eat”. She’s lost 30 pounds in a few months time and is still losing. She has unwillingly cut out sugar, protein and diet coke from her diet. She claims it’s “too hot to eat”. She is in the hottest part of El Salvador where a simple walk across the street can necessitate a wardrobe change.

Her kitchen is outdoors on her balcony and consists of a plastic table with a two-burner stove on top fueled by propane.

There is plastic seating for two. She has one tea towel, which she uses to wipe her hands and doubles as a pot holder. She has a small metal skillet and a small pot with a lid, which looks like something you played with at pre-school when you were 5.

She has one coffee cup and a couple of dishes and cups and a few utensils. She has one decoration which states “So Much To Do, So Few People To Do It For Me”.

A small bowl holds her vegetables and eggs and a basket holds her non-perishables.

Jordan’s “No Refrigeration Necesario” Pasta

Dice up whatever vegetables you have.

Jordan used: Green pepper, onion, pipian (a small green and white squash) and tomatoes.

Add a small amount of oil in a skillet and saute all vegetables over medium heat (except for the tomato) until soft. Then add the tomato and cook for 1 minute. Add “salsa”, or spaghetti sauce. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, bring water to a boil and add pasta and cook according to directions. Drain pasta.

Top pasta with vegetable/sauce mixture.

Heat up a tortilla on a “plancha”(toaster)

and serve with a bag of Augu El Jordan water.

Buen Provecho!

Sabroso!

Beatriz’s Tortillas

July 22, 2010August 6, 2015 ~ regularcooks ~ Leave a comment

Written July 22, 2010

In El Salvador, at the end of the chicken bus route, about 1.5 hours away from San Miguel, lies the small canton of San Jeronimo. It is there that my daughter, Jordan, is a Peace Corps volunteer, and the place where I was introduced to Beatriz. Beatriz, 22, lives with her mother, a 9 year old sister and her 99 year old grandmother. Her uncle lives in a house next door. San Jeronimo is a “remesa” village, where relatives live in the states and send money back each month. They live pretty good here compared to other areas.

Her kitchen is fairly well equipped with a stove and a refrigerator. These are items not usually found in many homes in El Salvador. It is decorated in the typical El Salvadoran style, with colorful tablecloths and wall decorations.

Beatriz is a well educated woman in El Salvador. She finished high school , which is extremely uncommon, and is not married, which is REALLY uncommon. The university costs too much, so she’s decided to stay and live with her family in this small canton.

She tends the chickens and makes corn tortillas. She makes about one hundred every other day and has been at it since she was eleven. She is either making the tortillas from scratch, or warming them up on a toaster “plancha” on the stove. Tortillas can take up a majority of a woman’s day in Central America.

Tortillas take up much time, but also lots of wood for the fire.

There is quite a problem with the lack of trees in El Salvador and tortilla making contributes to the tree problem, believe it or not.

A fire is built in some type of iron or heat proof container. Many of these fires are right in the house, obviously with much ventilation. A “comal” sits on top of the fire. A “comal” is a gigantic iron skillet-with-no sides apparatus that is curved and shallow.

When I arrived at Beatriz’s cinderblock house, she was ready for us. She had already made the dough for the tortillas, which consist of cornmeal and water.

She places this beach ball sized dough on a rock with legs called a “piedra”, which means rock in spanish.

There is a pan of water beside it. She expertly measures a small amount and makes a ball. She kneads the ball of dough back and forth between her hands until she is ready to start shaping it into a round.

With her left hand on the bottom and her right hand on the top she begins to flatten and expand the disc. It is very important, apparently, to rotate the disc toward you and not away from you, which I was scolded for many times. Apply pressure to the top while shaping it and move it with the bottom hand. It’s always important to have the correct wetness as well.

This is as complicated as it sounds. My hands seized up after making about eight of these little monsters.

The best part of the day was when grandma started laughing hysterically, pointing and saying in Caliche, “She’s learning, she’s learning, she’s learning…..”

Beatriz’s 99 year old grandmother laughing at me

It was so funny to her that I’d never made a tortilla, like I was some sort of freak.

In all of her 99 years, she’d never met a woman who didn’t make tortillas. Jordan joined in the tortilla making, so that took the pressure off.

Amigas, Beatriz and Jordan (the Peace Corps volunteer)

Jordan had learned to make the thicker tortillas from another family in the west of the country. Corn tortillas in the east/oriente part of El Salvador are larger “mas grande” and thinner than in the west/oxidente. The ones in the east are thicker and about the size of your palm. Personally, I like the thinner ones better.

Once the disc is the right size, then you wet your left hand, place the thick disk into it and start slapping it and twisting it with the other hand.

Another way to do it, is to slap it back and forth between your hands. I picked this way, due to the fact that I liked to tear them the other way and couldn’t quite get it right. Once the disc is about as big as a DVD, you put it on the comal.

Beatriz greased an area of the comal with a scrap of someone’s denim jeans dipped in oil, and placed the tortilla on it. After about two minutes, she flips it with her fingers. To hell with spatulas. Another two minutes, the tortillas start to puff up and she removes them the throws them into a large plastic basket with holes.

Although Beatriz did not make fun of me, she never let me cook a tortilla without taking it from me and perfecting it. She was very direct to let me know that she needed to put on the final touch before cooking.

Tortillas are eaten with every meal in El Salvador, along with red pureed beans, cheese, eggs and vegetables. They are used in the place of a fork. You can also make them into a pupusa, in which typically pork and cheese are added to the middle at the thick stage and fried on a comal as well. These are served with cabbage and a red sauce.

One day I will try to make these at home, but the GE four burner stove and my mom’s iron skillet will have to do. (And I’ll always have backup store bought tortillas on hand, just in case.)

Regular Cooks

Regular Cooks in Regular Kitchens

Joe’s Irish Coffee

Elmo’s Frambled Eggs

GeGe’s Sunday Gravy

GeGe's Sunday Gravy Ingredients

Supper Club

Heavenly South = Shrimp + Country Ham

The 25 Year Turkey

Tracy’s First Class Chicken

Colcannon for Unexpected Guests

Jordan’s “No Refrigeration Necesario” Pasta

Beatriz’s Tortillas