In Europe, sometimes it has to be sweet potato pie instead of pumpkin for Thanksgiving

Published by Wednesday, November 21, 2012 Permalink 0

Tom and Maggie’s Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Pie

We’ve been making Thanksgiving dinner together for oh so many years — ever since we were in college in Paris. Since the pumpkin in France is always too watery, no matter what method of cooking we used and what type of pumpkin, we had difficulty getting it to set, so we decided to use sweet potatoes, which give a much more predictable and reliable result, which is absolutely necessary when preparing a Thanksgiving feast for a crowd of 20 or 30 convives. In addition, we’ve grown to like it better (perhaps because we know it will always set, unlike pumpkin?).

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Simon Says: Daily Food Quote, November 20, 2012

Published by Tuesday, November 20, 2012 Permalink 0

 

by Simón de Swaan

The joys of the table belong equally to all ages, conditions, countries and times; they mix with all other pleasures, and remain the last to console us for their loss.The Physiology of Taste (1825) by Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin was a French lawyer and politician, and gained fame as an epicure and gastronome. His famous work, Physiologie du goût (Physiology of Taste), was published in December 1825. The full title is Physiologie du Goût, ou Méditations de Gastronomie Transcendante; ouvrage théorique, historique et à l’ordre du jour, dédié aux Gastronomes parisiens, par un Professeur, membre de plusieurs sociétés littéraires et savantes. The book has never been out of print since it first appeared, two months before Brillat-Savarin’s death. Its most notable English translation was done by food writer and critic Physiology of Taste, who remarked, “I hold myself blessed among translators.” Her translation was first published in 1949.

 

M.F.K. Fisher

 

 

 

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Thanksgiving Turkey News: Tips on Choosing, Buying and Cooking

Published by Tuesday, November 20, 2012 Permalink 0

by Jonell Galloway

How to Choose, Buy and Bake a Turkey in the U.S. and Europe

The USDA gives useful facts about about turkey hygiene and cooking, all based on the assumption that you’re cooking frozen turkey. If you live in the U.S., you’ll most likely be cooking a frozen turkey, so this information is spot-on.

Julia Child’s The Way to Cook still rates top on my list for detailed, illustrated explanations of how to prepare and cook a turkey and lots of other tips.

If you live in Western Europe, there are plenty of free-range, grain-fed turkeys. I order mine months ahead from a farmer near me, since in Europe they only eat turkey at Christmas and they won’t be fattened otherwise.

In Paris, in the 7th and 16th arrondissements in particular, many butchers have fattened turkeys for Thanksgiving, and they are often free range and natural. One of the most prized origins in France is dinde de Bresse, which of course comes from Bresse and is free range. In Geneva, you can buy these, stuffed or unstuffed, at La Boucherie Molard across from the Globus during the Thanksgiving period.

If you live in other cities in Western Europe, you may not have a lot of choice. I’ve had a number of bad experiences ordering turkeys through the butchers in the provinces. They are never sure whether they’ll actually receive a fattened turkey or a scrawny thing which was intended to be fat for Christmas. If you live in the country, however, try and find a turkey farmer near you. They will invariably be cheaper and often better.

Free-range, organic turkeys will never weigh as much as the supermarket variety, but the ratio of meat to bone is greater. It’s amazing how much meat there is on a 9 or 10 lb. turkey.

I have never tasted Mary’s Turkey in California, but they sound appetizing. Mary certainly takes her poultry seriously. They are free-range, vegetarian-fed, gluten-free, and free of all antibiotics, preservatives and hormones. They are also USDA-certified organic. You can order them online, or find a store near you that sells them.

Click here to watch an entertaining but helpful video about the dangers of frying turkeys.

Chowhound has a great discussion board about whether free-range, heritage turkeys are worth the price. I would always vote for free-range and natural. They have more meat and less bone, probably due to the fact that they’ve not been gorged with antibiotics, steroids and we probably don’t want to know what else. In addition, they don’t taste like meal.

The wild turkey population is growing in much of the U.S., so I’m sure many are tempted to shoot a big one for Thanksgiving. That’s all fine, but keep in mind: cooking a wild turkey is an entirely different bag of worms. If they are large, they risk tasting gamy. Here is some good common-sense advice for preparing and cooking them.

Truth About Turkey” gives an excellent layman’s explanation about how the various kinds of turkey in the U.S. are raised.

Have a Slow Food Thanksgiving” gives a list and directories of where to buy heritage, organic and free-range turkeys in the U.S.

Whenever possible, buy directly from a local farmer. When buying fresh turkey, always ask about the “use by” date. It will depend on packaging as well as when the turkey has been slaughtered. If bought fresh and unpackaged, The New York Times and Seattle Times suggest you can keep it one or two days maximum in the refrigerator, so plan your pick-up time carefully.

 

 

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Simon Says: Daily Food Quote, November 19, 2012

Published by Monday, November 19, 2012 Permalink 0

by Simon de Swaan

The age of your children is a key factor in how quickly you are served in a restaurant. We once had a waiter in Canada who said, “Could I get you your check?” and we answered, ‘How about the menu first?”–Erma Bombeck

Erma Louise Bombeck (1927-1996) was an American humorist who achieved great popularity for her newspaper column that described suburban home life from the mid-1960s until the late 1990s. Bombeck also published 15 books, most of which became best-sellers. Click here to see more about the Erma Museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Thanksgiving and Christmas Recipes: Cranberry-orange Relish

Published by Sunday, November 18, 2012 Permalink 0

Spontaneous Cuisine, by

From the archives

A healthier, tastier recipe than the traditional cranberry sauce

Cranberry sauce is of course a mainstay of any Thanksgiving dinner. In Switzerland, we eat a lot of game, so it is good to always have some on hand to eat with deer, wild fowl, boar, or whatever the hunters bring in.

This is a variation of the very plain, classic recipe. I’ve been using it for years. It’s easy, quick and a no-brainer. You can make it ahead of time (in fact, it’s better to make it a day or two before Thanksgiving). In addition, it keeps for ages, just like jelly or jam.

Recipe

Cranberry-Orange Relish

Click here for Imperial-metric converter

12 oz/375 g fresh cranberries
1/2 cup light brown sugar (if you like it really sweet, you can double the quantity)
1 tablespoon water
1 large navel orange
1 small sliver of ginger, finely grated (optional), or 1 stick of cinnamon (optional)
1/2 cup shelled walnuts (optional)
  1. Place cranberries in a large saucepan with sugar and water.
  2. Juice the orange and remove any white pith that lingers. Cut peel into small juliennes or zests, carefully removing any pith that is sticking to them. Add zests and juice to cranberry mixture.
  3. Add ginger (optional) or cinnamon stick (optional).
  4. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat, cover and cook until all the berries have popped open. This can take 20 to 30 minutes. Just be patient and keep an eye on them. If liquid evaporates before all the berries burst, add a just enough water to prevent them from sticking. Remove from heat.
  5. Taste and adjust sweetness if necessary.
  6. Pour into bowl you plan to serve it in and let it set. This can take a couple of hours, so it is advisable to make it well ahead of time, even 2 or 3 days. It keeps well in the refrigerator.
  7. When ready to serve, shell and chop walnuts. Add at last minute, right before serving (otherwise, they tend to get soggy).

This recipe was originally published on GenevaLunch.

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