Welcome to Winter

With Thanksgiving over, I am officially into winter time.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Ours was magical.

We ate at my daughter's house.

It was warm and welcoming.

She had three fires burning.

Her porch planters were decorated with evergreens.

She had pies set out on a little vintage table.

Czech marionettes hang on the old brick wall.

She set a beautiful table. This is a sweet potato gratin.

Savory sweet potato casserole.

Haricot vert with a leek sauce.

Part of my greenware collection.

Time to decorate for Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you all a very happy Thanksgiving!

Help yourself to some pie!

Brining the Bird

On my very messy garden room table, I decorated a small tree.


This is going to someone that can't have a real tree.


Topped it with a big butterfly and placed smaller ones all over it.


If you want to brine your turkey there is still plenty of time. Just put two gallons of water in a big pot.


Add 2 cups of apple cider.


2 cups of kosher salt.


2 cups of brown sugar.


Some peppercorns.


Bay leaves and thyme.


The rind from a whole orange. Bring this to a boil and then let it cool completely.


Using a large heavy duty hefty bag...


Put your turkey inside and pour the cooled brine over it.


Place the bag in a bowl and place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it. Turn it a couple of times during this time. Remove from the brine and rinse with cool water. Discard the brine. This imparts more flavor and juiciness to the turkey.

Thanksgiving Countdown

I've made the cranberry relish.


And my pie crusts are done.


The rolls are made.


And the gravy is finished.


The turkey is about to go into the brine.


And the bread has been cubed for the stuffing.


So, I decided to make another savory pie!


This is a Cheshire cheese and onion pie with a cheddar crust.


Potatoes are sliced thin and layered on the pastry in a pie pan.


Then a mixture of sliced shallots, crumbled Cheshire cheese, sour cream, chives, mealy potatoes sliced thin and salt and pepper is spread between each potato layer. This is baked for 1 1/2 hours. The smell is almost better than the taste.

Thanksgiving Week

I think Teddy won't be moving far from the kitchen this week.


And though she is tired...


She is still licking her chops.


And staying put.


This is a wonderful roll recipe if you are looking for a good one. In the bowl of a mixer pour 1/2 cup of milk and 1 1/2 cups of water.


Then add 2 eggs.


And 4 tablespoons of butter. Mix all of this together.


Then add 1 teaspoon of salt.


Add 1/2 cup of sugar.


Continue mixing.


Then add 4 teaspoons of instant rise yeast.


You need 6 cups of bread flour.


And 1/2 cup of wheat gluten. This is important because the wheat gluten is what gives these rolls their chewy texture.


Need for about 10 minutes.


Cover with plastic wrap and proof until doubled in bulk.


I forgot the camera for a while here! After the dough has risen, cut and shape into balls slightly larger than a golf ball and place them in oiled pans. Let them proof again until they are touching each other. Then bake at 375 degrees until golden brown. This takes about 30 minutes. When they are removed from the oven they are brushed with melted butter.


Don't these look delicious?



This recipe makes approximately 3 dozen.

Good Smells in the Kitchen

Teddy loves it when I cook and bake.


She does not move far from the cook top.


The smells make her hungry and she licks her chops!


She asks with her eyes.


And let's me know when it is all gone.


This is a wonderfully decadent brunch dish that can be assembled ahead of time and cooked off in the morning. Once again, I forgot to take pictures as I assembled it. All you do is line a 9X13 inch pan with sliced bread. I used some stale homemade bread. Then layer Swiss cheese, Black Forest ham and sliced turkey breast. Then another layer of bread, more meat and cheese, finishing with a layer of bread.

Then mix 10 eggs, 2 1/2 cups of milk, 1 cup heavy cream and salt and pepper.


Slowly pour this mixture over the bread allowing it to soak in. Brush the top with 3 tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle the top with some shredded cheese and parsley. Cover with saran and refrigerate from 12-24 hours.


Bake at 350 degrees for about 50-60 minutes. It will be puffed and golden. And it will smell fabulous.


Allow it to rest for about 15 minutes to set. Then slice into blocks and serve.


A Monte Cristo brunch pie.

To Market, To Market to Buy....

We left before sunrise, but as the sun came up, I had this view of the trees on top of the mountain.


And a lot of scenes like this for most of the trip.


The market was crowded.


And well stocked for the holiday.


So much to choose from.


There was one whole case of stuffed olives.


Lots of fresh fish and seafood to choose from.


Everyone here is so friendly.


The connoisseur of olive oils.



I always check out the allies behind the market.




They tell a story you don't hear inside.


A model train runs on top of this booth.


Everyone was decorated for Thanksgiving.


?


Every kind of bread is offered.


It's hard to pass up these booths.


What kind of popcorn do you like?



Self descriptive.


The apple on the left is coated in a sweet peanut butter then dipped in chocolate.


Ha!!! Meat pies!!! This is where it all started. I bought these the last time I was here and they were tasteless. This put me on the quest to make the perfect meat pie.


I really really love this place.


I want to move in and sleep on the floor behind the kielbasa.


Endless sausages.




Pretty as a picture.


Cupcakes.


Peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes.


I always watch what other people are buying. I stopped here to buy cheese for a pie I am making tomorrow and the woman next to me was buying a blue cheese that I was not familiar with. I asked her about it and she said she makes leftover turkey and cheese sandwiches after Thanksgiving and this cheese is fabulous with turkey. It is called Buttermilk Blue and is simply the best blue cheese I have ever tasted. I can't wait for Friday.



One of my favorite counters.


Wild Lake Perch is terrific.



Buffalo.....not for me.



So what did I buy?


Empire biscuits and Bakewell tarts.


A monk cake


Chocolate cake made with Irish stout.


Chocolate cigars


Six pounds of bacon. One pound for me.....five pounds for my daughter's boyfriend. Not kidding.


Lots of Lake Perch. Teddy goes a little crazy for these.


Freshly made sauerkraut.


Beef short ribs. I can't wait to make these. When finish they will be served on a creamy goat cheese polenta.


Kielbasa


Cheddar bratwurst.


Beef shanks. Not sure what I will make with them.


Marrow bones. I think I will use these with the shanks and make a rich daube.


Buttermilk blue and a truffle cheese.


And then we left and counted hay bales the whole way home.