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Sunday, October 11, 2009

Thanksgiving dinner

A friend asked me what I generally cook for Thanksgiving dinner, and it was too complicated to do a Facebook reply, so here’ my typical menu.

Roast Turkey - I follow the Joy of Cooking method, which is quite similar to this recipe:
http://www.cookingnook.com/roast-turkey-recipe.html

Stuffing - my mother’s recipe is like this one they call “bread celery” stuffing:
http://recipes.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_make_three_different_turkey_stuffings

Gravy - A basic, no-frills variety, similar to this recipe, though I may add a few mushrooms:
http://www.ehow.com/how_6982_make-turkey-gravy.html

Cranberry Sauce - I hate to admit it, but I use the whole cranberry sauce from a can, that turns out kind of like this:
http://www.cooksrecipes.com/sauce/homemade_whole_cranberry_sauce_recipe.html

Classic mashed potatoes - that’s an easy one:
http://www.cookingnook.com/mashed-potatoes-recipe.html

Also, what I discovered are called “American Fried Yams”, but I use brown sugar instead:
http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/319/American-Fried-Yams84680.shtml

Then there’s the question of vegetables. I hear brussels sprouts are traditional, but I detest them, so I do other things.

Dressed-up green beans:
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/green-beans-almond-lemon-brown-butter-10000001609295/

Green peas were always on the table of my childhood home. I can’t help myself - I don’t really dress them up, and I only have a spoonful but I can’t seem to pass by the aisle of canned veggies without tossing a small can of peas into my shopping cart:
http://recipes.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Canned_Peas_Recipe

Depending on how many people I’m cooking for, I may supplement the green beans with a simple tossed green salad, which I have to explain here. My friend, Sharon, taught me tht the key is how the salad is tossed. To get the right result, use very fresh lettuce (I prefer Boston or curly leaf) and a bit of basic or green onion. Toss the ingredients with a bit of good olive oil for 20 times, then add a bit of salt and an acid (lemon juice or balsamic vinegar) and toss again for 20 times. The 20 tosses are important!

Then, dessert. Pumpkin pie, of course. I cheat and buy one, then top it with real whipped cream, made fresh.

I like to do fruit, as well. This year, I’ve bought a fresh pineapple that promises to be splendid. Other years, it’s berries or a bake pear dessert.

And that’s the whole story. Tomorrow, photos of my holiday table.

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Who knew soy could be so bad for you?

After years of liking soy alternating with avoiding soy, I found some explanation for the digestive problems that plagued me re soy: The Ploy of Soy. When my grandson was young, he had violent gastric reactions to soy, much to the disbelief of some pro-vegetarian friends who insisted on feeding him soy, and from which we suffered from during a ferry ride home.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Spam (the meat product) vs real meat

Just had a bizarre conversation with the wife, who had asked me to use a plate to eat my artichoke dip with the tofu crackers I made, insinuating that I was being a bit of a hillbilly. Ah, this coming from someone who became a Facebook fan of Spam. And was prepared to defend its merits.

Of course, I couldn’t just take that at face value, so here’s the nutritional breakdown I found:

• Spam: (100 g): 3 g carbs, 27 g fat (6 saturated), 13 grams protein, 310 calories (and 0 g fiber)
• Cooked, trimmed pork (100 g): 0 g carbs, 7.5 g fat, 29 grams protein, 191 calories
  
• Smoked, seasoned, chicken breast slices (110 g): 2 g carbs, 1 g fat, 20 g protein, 100 calories
• Mock chicken loaf (100 g): 4 g carbs, 22 g fat (8 saturated), 12 g protein, 260 calories

Case closed.