Turkey Test Run

Now that it's nearly Christmas, I figured I'd finally post some pics from my sister's (the chef) Turkey Test Run Dinner. The whole thing came into fruition when my cousins in Michigan volunteered to host Thanksgiving out there. That said, Brittny offered to make sides, but still needed sate her chefly desire to cook a perfect holiday bird. So she cooked twice the sides and appetizers (some for Michigan, some to accompany her turkey) and invited the immediate family over to sample everything early. Some of the main players included, baked homemade ricotta with a lemony, garlicky olive tapanade, mashed potatoes, baked mac and cheese (my Mom actually made this dish), and my personal favorite, creamed spinach with roasted parsnips. Mmmmm... I can't take too much credit for anything that went out, but I can take credit for photographing it, writing about it, but most importantly eating it.

Baked Ricotta

Heaven in Progress

The Bird

Note: We enjoyed the much anticipated butternut squash, thyme and goat cheese in pastry puff canapes on the actual holiday. They were so freaking good and fairly simple.

Brittny's Butternut Squash Canapes with Caramelized Shallots and Goat Cheese

1 medium butternut squash
3 cloves of garlic
4 shallots
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 pkg puff pastry
1 tube goat cheese
1 egg
olive oil
sea salt
white pepper

1. Roast squash until fork tender, but still firm enough to peel and chop. Let cool
2. Sautee garlic over medium heat, add shallots when garlic becomes fragrant cook until sweet and translucent, add chopped thyme just before removing from heat. Set aside
3. After squash is cooled, remove the skin and chop into a small (1/4 inch) dice.
4. Mix squash into shallot mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Cut puff pastry into 1 inch rounds using a cookie cutter
6. Spoon 1/2 table spoon of the mixture onto the puff pastry and pinch the edges to create a ridge to keep the filling in.
7. Balance a teaspoon of goat cheese on top of the canape.
8. Bake at 375 degrees until pastry is cooked through and cheese is slightly browned.
9. Serve immediately

These are really good with a good crisp white, like a sauv blanc.

Chowdah...

Today was a cold, windy, indoorsy day in Chicago and I got the urge to bust out the pots and pans and cook something from scratch. Unfortunately, I had no access to a car and, therefore, no access to a grocery store (This is the South Side people, I'm not walking anywhere!). With only the items left over in the refrigerator from dinners and uninspired grocery trips passed, I attempted to think of a dish that would allow me to use all of the perishable ingredients that were teetering on their last legs. I had an inordinate amount of dairy in the fridge--butter, cream, whole milk; so, duh, creamy. I also had some pretty substantial chicken breasts, some potatoes that could have been firmer and a crap load of frozen corn (not sure why). Then, it hit me...CHOWDER! Not to be ignored, my inner fat kid, suggested I throw in some bacon for good measure. Did I mention that I love my inner fat kid? With all the necessary ingredients present and a concept in mind, I invited my friend Sarah over for dinner. Now, either I like to cook under pressure or I'm some kind sadist; because I'm pretty sure that cooking something I've never made without a recipe then blindly subjecting loved ones to my first attempt would put me in one of those two categories. Happily, the finished product did not kill Sarah and it was actually quite enjoyable, albeit a little salty (no need to add salt to the cream base until after you add the bacon). Here's a photo and a recipe if you're interested in trying it out! Note: All non-meat measurements are approximations of pinches and handfuls.

Ashly's Chicken Bacon Corn Chowder
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bunch fresh thyme
2 cups dry white wine
1 medium red onion
4 stalks of celery
6 small yellow potatoes
1 small bag frozen corn
1 pound bacon
1 stick of butter
1 pint whole milk
3/4 pint heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon Sriracha
salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

1. Season chicken and poach with fresh thyme in white wine for 10 min.


2. Add quartered golden potatoes to chicken, add water if needed.


3. In a separate pan, sautee onions and celery, add frozen corn before onions are translucent.


4. Remove chicken and potatoes and celery, onions and corn from heat. Shred chicken. Reserve poaching juice for soup base.


5. Cut bacon into 1/2 inch strips and cook until slightly crispy. Remove and press with paper towel.


6. In a soup pot, melt stick of butter and begin whisking in flour. Stir until it takes on a thick gluey texture (Congratulations! You made a roux!).


7. When the roux is done, start slowly whisking in the reserved poaching juice, cream and milk followed by the celery, onion and corn mixture. Let the ingredients get to know each other for a few minutes.


8. Once everything in the pot is well acquainted, add the chicken and bacon to the soup.


9. Season soup to taste (I highly recommend using the Sriracha for some extra kick). I made the mistake of salting the base before adding the bacon, hence the saltiness.


10. Cover and let simmer on medium-low until the soup passes the wooden spoon-finger test (Not as weird as it sounds...just dip a wooden spoon in the soup and wipe a finger along the back of it, if your finger mark stays, it's thick enough. If the soup starts to bleed into your finger mark, let it thicken up some more.)


11. You're done! Garnish with green onion and a cold beer.

I know it looks like a lot of steps, but it's pretty easy once you get set up. The only downside to following a recipe for chowder is that you see how devastatingly fattening (you're welcome inner fat kid) it is. So, you should probably plan on going for a walk, riding a bike, or fasting for 24 hours after you eat it. Either way, I promise it will not only be good--it'll be: Spot. On.