Go Stuff Yourself

So… I have much to be thankful for this month. One, a new job after five months of searching finally came my way (sigh of relief!). Two, it is sweater weather… and I’m not talking about “it’s foggy outside and I can trick my body into wearing a sweater” weather. I can actually see my breath in the morning. And the scarves… OH, the scarves! I have flung them out of my closet with flourish and have incorporated them into my daily wardrobe seamlessly. It’s as if the weather gods have tired of messing with me and are finally willing to toss me an appropriate weather bone.

Kyle’s halfway done with school, for the second year in a row we have secured our title as owners of the world’s cutest dog and I have wonderful friends, family and my health.

Does one really need a reason to have a seasonally satisfying and soul nourishing meal with the people they love most? Why shouldn't we chow down heartily to celebrate all that is right with the world?

I meant to post this recipe last week with an explanation about how much I used to hate stuffing. I was going to regale you with a description of my mom’s oyster version (sorry to throw you under the bus, Mom, but what kid likes shellfish next to their mashed potatoes and gravy?), as well as how the two of us came by this recipe from this school when we decided to take a mother/daughter cooking class three years ago. We left in agreement that while the instructor’s “Perfect Mashed Potatoes” were anything but, his stuffing was certainly a crowd pleaser and has made it onto our communal table every year since.

Truthfully, I hoped to make this an outstanding post because, for me, this IS one of the ultimate annual holidays and one of the reasons I am happy to be an American (obviously, not the managing to wipe out an entire race of people with sadistic methods and a European epidemic part). Unfortunately, I’m not infallible and I completely dropped the ball; I think the writing is banal and hastily put together at best. Apparently, when one has a lot to be thankful for, time has an easy and somewhat tricky way of getting away from said person. 

Although, would I have it any other way? I don’t think so.

Happy Thanksgiving (and happy eating),

Elizabeth

Three Bread Stuffing with Apples, Pecans and Sage Sausage

3 cups French or sourdough bread (no baguettes), cubed in one inch pieces

3 cups corn bread, cubed in one inch pieces

3 cups whole wheat bread, cubed in one inch pieces

1 pound sage sausage (Trader Joe’s makes one now!)

1 white or yellow onion, diced

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced

4 stalks of celery, halved and chopped

½ cup Italian flat parsley, freshly chopped

2 cups chicken broth

4 tablespoons (half a stick) of unsalted butter

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon crumbly, dried sage

3 large eggs, beaten

2 cups pecans, toasted and chopped

Grease a large Pyrex or metal pan with butter; set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine three different types of bread (or any combination thereof) in a large mixing bowl. In a large pan, cook sage sausage until there is no more pink visible. Pour on top of bread, add apples and pecans and set aside.

 In the same pan (no need to clean it… the flavor and little meat bits only add to the deliciousness of the stuffing), melt butter on medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add celery and stir for an additional 3-4 minutes. Once that’s done, add the dried oregano, thyme and sage, and chopped parsley; mix well with onions and celery. 

Pour this mixture on top of bread, apples, pecans and sausage. Slowly stir all ingredients in bowl together.

Once done, slowly pour 1 cup chicken broth on top of mixture. Stir well until incorporated, then slowly pour last cup of chicken broth. Pour beaten eggs on top and mix slowly, but well. You want to achieve a consistently moist, but not soggy, mixture.

Pour mixture into greased pan and cover with tinfoil. Put in 400-degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove tinfoil after 25 minutes is up, and let bake for an additional 20 minutes. Serve immediately or keep warm until dinnertime.

Comfort Food 101

This time of year always reminds me of macaroni and cheese.  Some of my earliest memories of the dish are from Halloween, perhaps because it was a special occasion for my brother and me. It was one of the things about the holiday I always looked forward to.  

When you think about comfort food, macaroni and cheese is generally atop most people's lists; it is definitely on the top of mine. I cannot help but order it every time I see it on a menu, if not solely to compare it to the last time I tasted it. This has given me the opportunity to try many varieties, like mac’n’cheese with truffles, as well as a fantastic lobster version (ooo-eee!). Also, it is one of the few things that I could never get sick of; I could eat mac’n’cheese until I felt ill. I believe it is one of the most delicious culinary inventions of all time- have I said enough already?



Surprisingly enough, it is a tricky business to choose the macaroni and cheese recipe that is right for you. I have tried everything from Emeril’s $45 concoction to the $3 boxed Kraft catastrophe. I kept trying recipes, looking for one I loved, and when after months the right one hadn't come along, I had to think back to the roots of the dish. That’s when Paula Dean popped into my head. Her rendition of the classic is simple to execute and has great flavor and creaminess. But best of all, the price is right! As opposed to the über-gourmet recipes that use numerous cheeses, keeping to one keeps the cost down.

I have brought this to a Thanksgiving dinner for 12 people, and I’ve made it for no one but myself. Its irresistibility allows it to fit in anywhere and I have given this recipe to more people than any other in my repertoire. It is my pleasure to share something I feel very strongly about with as many people that care to find out. Most of all, I believe its good for your soul—a true soul food. It leaves you feelings satisfied and warm inside, deeming it the ultimate comfort food.

So if you are looking for something to cook for yourself or your little ones, don't forget about this mac'n'cheesy goodness!

Happy eating,

Lindsay

Mac’n’Cheese
Adapted from Paula Dean's The Lady's Cheesy Mac

2 cups macaroni

2½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese*

3 eggs, beaten

½ cup sour cream

1 10.75-ounce can condensed cheddar cheese soup

4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

½ teaspoon salt, plus 2 tablespoons for pasta water (optional)

1 cup whole milk

½ teaspoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon pepper

3/4 cup crushed Corn Flakes or Panko

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13” x 9” glass baking dish with cooking spray. In a large pot, boil 6 cups of water over high heat. Just before adding the macaroni to the pot, add 2 tablespoons of salt to season the water. Add the macaroni and cook so that it has softened but not cooked through, about x-x minutes.** When macaroni is just undercooked, drain into colander.  

When the excess water is drained, return macaroni to pot. Add the eggs, sour cream, soup, butter, salt, milk, mustard and pepper. Stir well and set aside.

Pour macaroni mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle the crushed Cornflakes or Panko over the top in an even layer.  Bake for 40 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown.

* I use Tillamook extra-sharp cheddar cheese. It can be found at any grocery store and, in terms of flavor, you get the most bang for your buck.

** Cooking pasta so that it is very al dente is very important. Boiling the pasta so that it is fully cooked will produce mushy mac’n’cheese because it cooks more in the oven.  Careful to keep pasta from over-cooking by draining the pasta several minutes before al dente. Then when the pasta is cooked again with the cheese mixture in the oven, it will achieve the perfect noodle texture. 

Scorching Soup for the Hot, the Cold and the French

Man, I was so excited to post about this recipe and for more than one reason. First, it’s French onion soup. If you don’t like this dish, I’m sorry… I don’t think we can be friends. Second, it’s autumn and what better way to celebrate than with a hot pot of stock or broth chock-a-block full of veggies, noodles, grains, meat or all of the above, simmering on the stove? 

Of course, in order for a vat of steaming soup to look appealing (let alone the thought of slaving in the kitchen to make it), the weather has to be cold, no? At least chilly, in my opinion.

Thus, it is with a heavy heart I have to mention I’m watching the temperature steadily climb. It’s November 2 (have you voted?), most definitely fall, and a high of 91 is expected today. 91!

C’est absurde! C’est incroyable! (We are talking about French onion soup, after all).

It’s times like these I would have no problem packing the car, throwing in my two honeys (my husband and dog, both against their will) and moving us to the east coast, preferably a city that requires cute sweaters, scarves and boots in the autumn and winter months. The people of these towns, cities and states are begging for soup right now, not popsicles, like we are.

It’s a good thing, then, that I managed to create a batch two weeks ago when not only was it blustery and gray outside, but raining to boot. I had hopes that the last of the Santa Ana winds had paraded their ugly heads for the final time of 2010 in October and that ushering in the holidays with crisp, icy winds would be no problem. One doesn’t tend to want to drink hot apple cider (or buttered rum) when it’s scorching hot.



Moe loves cold, rainy days as well.



But here we are. And back to the most important thing: the soup.

The soup! Ahhh, it is so delicious I am (almost) tempted to close the windows, jack up the A/C and make a batch. Aside from the incredible flavor this recipe bestows upon your taste buds, it is relatively cheap and easy to make.  The only ingredient needed that costs more than $2 is the brandy, and I’m of the opinion that cheap brandy works just as well as the good stuff. It comes from this institution’s book, which will forever hold a special place in my heart as it is where Kyle and I were married last June.

I’ve included the entire recipe, but I should mention instead of serving it in the traditional manner (i.e. with gruyere cheese and bread on top of the soup and baked in the oven), I make cheese toasties and serve them on the side for dipping.

I hope your autumn is a spectacular one and I hope it is filled with bowls and bowls of delectable soup.

I also hope the temperature drops drastically. As soon as possible. But that’s just me.

Happy Eating,

Elizabeth

French Onion Soup

Courtesy of The Culinary Institute of America Cookbook

¼ cup olive oil

4 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)

2 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 teaspoon)

½ cup brandy

1 ½ quarts chicken or beef broth (I like a combination of both)*

Sachet of 3 to 4 parsley stems, ½ teaspoon dried thyme and tarragon each and 1 bay leaf, enclosed in a tea ball or cheesecloth pouch

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

8 slices French bread

1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook without stirring until the onions begin to brown on the bottom. Raise the heat to medium, stir, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deeply caramelized (dark golden brown). The total cooking time will be 30 to 45 minutes**. If the onions begin to scorch, add a few tablespoons of water and continue cooking.

Add the garlic and continue to cook an additional minute. Add the brandy and simmer until the liquid has nearly evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the broth and sachet. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, skimming the surface as necessary and discarding any fat. Remove the sachet and discard. Season with salt and pepper.

When ready to serve,*** preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Ladle the soup into individual ovenproof soup crocks. Top each crock with a slice of bread and sprinkle with grated cheese, covering the bread completely, and allowing the cheese to touch the edge of the crock.

Set the soup crocks in a baking dish and add enough boiling water to reach 2/3 up the sides of the crocks. Bake until the soup is thoroughly heated and the cheese is lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves eight.

* For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth.

** Feel free to brown the onions for as long as you want; the longer you brown them, the better depth of flavor you’ll achieve.

*** If you’d like to serve them the way I do, skip the remaining steps and make the delicious Gruyere cheese toasties below!

Elizabeth’s Toasties

Sliced French or sourdough bread

Grated Gruyere cheese

Place bread under broiler and lightly toast one side. Before bread darkens beyond repair, flip it over and pile a decent amount of Gruyere cheese on top. Broil until cheese melts deliciously. Serve immediately with a piping bowl of French onion soup (topped with even more Gruyere cheese, if desired).