As a Matter of Food

Planning my Christmas dinner menu has been harder than I anticipated. Now I’m down to planning just the big Christmas Eve dinner. My family, being of Asian decent and having lived in Europe, we make a bigger deal about Christmas Eve than Christmas morning. We would eat and go to midnight mass and then come home and open presents. Luckily, my husband’s family and he follow the Christmas Day tradition. So it’ll work out just wonderfully! We’ll spend Christmas Eve at our house, have my parents and siblings come over. We’ll head out to midnight mass and then come home and open presents. Christmas Day we’ll head up to the mountains to spend time with his family. Sounds pretty simple, but it isn’t. Some of you probably can relate to how I feel. Unless we have access to and can afford a personal shopper, a maid, a chauffeur, and a chef, things just get away from us. My ambitions of throwing a get-together for our friends and then Christmas Eve dinner for my family was great, but now looking at our work schedule and some of the things we have to do (not food related at all), it just doesn’t seem realistic anymore.

If I find time to have a small gathering with friends, I’ll go with hors d’oeuvres only and drinks. I have a few drink recipes up my sleeve as well. I can always whip up a pretty mean Long Island Iced Tea that’s really yummy and of course my wide array of martinis. (I learned these from my days of working my part-time job at Tabouleh Mediterranean Restaurant in Gaithersburg, MD) I think that would be fun!

I am planning on something really scrumptious for a main course for my Christmas Eve dinner. I’m going to prepare a Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding. Here’s a recipe:

Roast Beef
Serves 8

1 Prime Rib of Beef Joint (6 lbs / 2.7 k)

2 Tsp Dry English Mustard

3 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour

1 1/4 Cups Red Wine

1 1/4 Cups Beef Stock

2 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce (Optional)

Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F / 230 degrees C.
2. Season the meat to taste with salt and pepper. Rub in the mustard and 1 tablespoon of the flour.
3. Place te meat in a roasting pan large enough to hold it comfortably and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F / 190 degrees C and cook for 15 minutes per 1 lb / 450 g, plus 15 minutes (1 3/4 hours for this joint) for rare beef or 20 minutes per 1 lb / 450 g, plus 20 minutes (2 hours 20 minutes) for medium beef. Baste the meat from time to time to keep it moist, and if the pan becomes too dry, add a little stock or red wine.
4. Remove the meat from the oven and place on a warmed serving plate, cover with foil, and let stand in a warm for 10-15 minutes.
5. To make the gravy, pour off most of the fat from the pan (reserve it for cooking the Yorkshire pudding), leaving behind the meat juices and the sediment. Place the pan on the stove over medium heat and scrape all the sediment from the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle in the remaining flour and quickly mix it into the juices with a small whisk. When you have a smooth paste, gradually add the wine and most of the stock, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, then reduce to heat a gentle simmer and cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the remaining stock, if needed, and a little Worcestershire sauce, if you like.
6. When ready to serve, carve the meat into slices and serve on warmed plates. Pour the gravy into a warmed pitcher and take direct to the table. Serve wit Yorkshire pudding.

Yorkshire Pudding
Serves 4

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F / 220 degrees C.
2. Make a batter with 3 1/2 oz / 100 g plain flour, a pinch of salt, 1 beaten egg and 10 fl / 300 ml milk and water mixed. Allow to stand for half an hour.
3. Heat 2 Tbsp roast beef dripping or olive oil in an 8-inch square roasting tin in the top of the oven.
4. Remove the tin from the oven, pour in the batter and bake for 25-30 minutes until it is puffed up and golden brown.

***Recipe taken from ‘Steaks, Chops, Roasts, & Ribs’ by Parragon Publishing

Are you planning a holiday get-together this Christmas? Maybe two or three? One for your family and then two or more to get all your friends together. I plan to have one to get my family together. Then I have to pick a date for my friends. So here are already 2 opportunities for me to create some great meals to please the crowd.

My head is buzzing with ideas. There are the Christmas decorations, lights, and the tree. Then the biggest buzz is the one that involves planning my menu(s). I served up an incredible meal for Thanksgiving. It took a lot of prep time and my back is still aching until this day. Hehehhe… BUT if there’s anything I’d like to always outdo myself in it is cooking and creating pastries.

Here are some ideas for a main course I’ve thought of:

• Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding served with Pan Gravy
• Roast Lamb
• A Rack of Lamb
• A Turducken
• A Chicken Dish

As you can see, I’m still in the early stages of planning, but there’s much to do so I’ll have to narrow it down and decide. Not only do I have to pick the main course, but also the sides which will have to complement the main course and each other. Then there is dessert! I will take the most time selecting the dessert(s) I’ll be making this year. I am absolutely thrilled and plan to make it the least stressful for myself and the most enjoyable for myself and all my guests.

Last, I suggest you decide on how many people you will entertain and feed. Whether you want a sit-down dinner or go buffet-style, make sure you plan well ahead. This time of year is stressful enough, don’t make it so you will end up ripping out your hair as I have in the past.

Here we are exactly one week away from Thanksgiving ! I get to host it and I am very excited.  Of course I want everything to be PERFECT.  So far we’re having my parents, my sister and her boyfriend, and my brother and his girlfriend, and one of our friends join us.  This means I have to start planning my menu.  I don’t know why I’m so nervous.  I have done this before.  Maybe it’s the pressure of having it all “Perfect” this year that is making my stomach kind of queasy.

First, I have to determine how big of a bird I want to buy.  Then I have to find the recipe I want to use for my turkey.  Then I have to determine which sides to serve in addition to the regular mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, cranberry relish, and stuffing.  Do I go the traditional route or do I go with some flare?  What is considered traditional anyway?  I also need to get a big pan to cook this big bird in.  Oh just the thought of it all is making my head spin with excitement and then with fear of having a flop.

While I’m planning all this I wanted to share some recipes I’ve relied on in the past.  I was successful in following the recipe and achieving a delicious outcome.

Herb-Butter-Roasted Turkey

Prep:  20 min

Cook:  3 hr 50 min

Servings:  14

Ingredients:

• 1 14-pound turkey
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
• 2 – 3 Tbs. snipped fresh thyme, tarragon, marjoram, and/or rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Remove giblets and neck from interior cavity of turkey; reserve for gravy stock. Rinse bird; pat dry. Cut off wing tips; reserve for gravy stock. Season cavity with salt and pepper.
3. For Herb-Butter Seasoning, combine butter, the fresh herbs, and garlic. Starting at the neck end of the turkey, loosen skin by sliding your fingers underneath it, being careful not to tear it. Slide your hand as far as you can toward the other end of the turkey, separating the skin from the meat. Rub about two-thirds of the herb butter seasoning over the entire breast.
4. Spoon some of the stuffing into the neck cavity. Skewer neck skin to back. Spoon more of the stuffing loosely into the body cavity. (If you pack stuffing too tightly, it will not get hot enough by the time the turkey is cooked.) Tuck drumsticks under tail skin, or tie to tail. Transfer any remaining stuffing to a 2-quart casserole; cover and chill in the refrigerator.
5. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer into the center of one of the inside thigh muscles. The bulb should not touch the bone.
6. Rub remaining herb-butter season over the entire turkey. Cover turkey loosely with foil. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue roasting turkey for about 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until thermometer registers 180 degrees F. Cut band of skin between legs after 2-1/2 hours so the thighs will cook evenly. Bake casserole of stuffing alongside turkey during the last 40 minutes of roasting. During the last 30 minutes of roasting, uncover turkey.
7. When done remove turkey from oven; cover. Let turkey stand for 20 minutes before carving. To serve, remove stuffing from turkey; transfer to a serving bowl. Carve turkey and serve warm. Makes 14 servings.

Recipe source:  Better Homes and Gardens®.  Copyright 2002.  Meredith Corporation.

My quick tip:

Wing tip is the section from the tip of the wing to the first bend.  Don’t make the mistake of cutting off to much of the wing or the entire wing.  I’ve done it!  I read to “Cut of wing…” and cut off the wing then saw “tip”.  :-p

Here is another recipe I have tried in the past which yielded a great delicious turkey as well.

Brined Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy

Ingredients:

Brine:

• 1 gallon water
• ½ ounce ground cloves
• ½ ounce ground ginger
• 4 ounces cracked black peppercorns
• 12 bay leaves
• 1 pound kosher salt
• 24 ounces honey
• 24 ounces maple syrup

Additional Ingredients:

• 1 (10-pound) whole fresh turkey, giblets and neck removed and reserved for stock
• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
• 2 apples quartered and cored
• 1 onion, peeled and cored
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 3 sprigs sage
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 cup cubed carrots
• 1 cup cubed celery
• 1 cup cubed onions
• ½ cup white wine
• ½ cup Madeira wine
• 4 cups turkey stock, recipe follows
• 1 sprig thyme
• 2 sprigs parsley
• Beurre manie (2 ounces butter mixed with 2 ounces flour until it forms a soft dough)
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. In a large stockpot, bring the water, cloves, ginger, black peppercorn, bay leaves and salt to a boil. Lower to simmer and stir in the honey and maple syrup until well blended. Turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold tap water. Reserve the neck and specialty meats for pan gravy. Set the turkey in the brine, making sure that the turkey is fully immersed in the brine. Place a weight on top of the turkey to make sure it is always covered with brine. Marinate for at least 4 hours to overnight, depending on the weight of the turkey, in the refrigerator.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
4. In a shallow roasting pan, place the carrots, celery and onions. Remove turkey from brine.
5. Mix together the butter, garlic, chopped rosemary, and sage to make a compound butter. Using your hands, loosen the skin from the breast by gently inserting your fingers between the skin and the flesh. Rub the compound butter underneath the skin. Insert the apples, onions, and whole rosemary and sage into the cavity of the turkey.
6. Place the turkey over the vegetables, breast-side up, in the roasting pan. Tuck the wings back and under the turkey. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together. This will make a compact shape and will create a great presentation. Drizzle the turkey with olive oil and rub it into the skin. Roast the turkey to at least 165 degrees F in the breast, about 2 ½ hours. If the skin gets too dark during roasting, tent with foil.
7. Transfer turkey to a platter and allow to cool. Meanwhile, prepare pan gravy.
8. Tilt the pan and skim as much fat as possible off the juice with a spoon. Set the pan on 2 burners set on medium heat. Deglaze roasting pan with white wine and Madeira. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits. Reduce until only a quarter remains. Add the turkey stock, thyme and parsley. Bring to a boil and strain into saucepan. Bring back to a boil, skim and lower to a simmer. Whisk in the beurre manie until well incorporated and continue to cook until gravy has thickened. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Turkey stock:

• Giblets and neck from 1 turkey
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup port wine
• 1 cup roughly chopped onions
• ½ cup roughly chopped carrots
• ½ cup roughly chopped celery
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 5 peppercorns
• Water, to cover

Instructions:

1. Heat a saucepan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and heat. Ad the neck and giblets and cook until browned all over, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and deglaze with the port. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the port is almost completely evaporated, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the carrots, onions, celery, rosemary and peppercorns. Cover with cold water by 4-inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer for 2 hours, adding a little more water, if necessary. Skim any scum that rises to the surface of the stock and discard.
3. Strain the stock. Use immediately, or cool an refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Recipe courtesy of Wolfgang Puck, 2003.  Copyright 2002 Television food network G.P.

My quick tip:

If you decide to use this last recipe, please be ready for some WORK!  I suggest you do all the prep work the day before.  The brine definitely, and have your turkey soak in that overnight.  Measure all your dry ingredients and set them aside.  Cut up all the vegetables and refrigerate them.  If you’re like me, I start early in the morning.  If you have everything prepped all you have to do Thanksgiving morning is to assemble and stick the bird in the oven and have it cook.

Let me know if you decide to try any of these recipes and how it turns out!  It’d be great to get some feedback!  Just email me at GotFood13@gmail.com or post in the comments section.  Enjoy!

Last month I visited Shula’s Steakhouse at the Marriott Tysons Corner in Vienna, Virginia.  Once in a while I get a craving for a nice juicy steak.  I had gotten a $25 gift certificate from Restaurants.com and thought I’d try it.

As soon as we walked through the doors we were taken back by the decor.  The walls were a dark rich, either cherry or mahogany, wood.  The lights were dimmed so it gave the dining room an even darker appearance.  I like dimmed lights but honestly cannot say that it gave me a cozy or inviting feeling.  I know my opinion can be considered biased because of the feeling I expect to experience given a certain atmosphere.  I noticed the patrons were very well suited up.  We had never been to Shula’s so we didn’t know what to expect. 

We were seated in a nice booth.  Immediately, my husband and I started to joke about how stuffy it felt.  It was too rigid, in my opinion.  A waitress came and placed a football on a tee, right on my plate, I found it odd but a little intriguing.  It took a good 10 minutes before someone came to get our drink orders, and still no menus.  We ordered a beer and a martini.  I don’t remember which martini it was but remember that it was recommended by our waitress as being her favorite.   I also remember that it wasn’t as great as she thought it’d be and that I could have made a better one.  We waited another 10 minutes until our drinks came back and we ordered appetizers which we were able to find on the drink menu.  Fancy, but we discovered the football which was placed on my plate served as a menu.  I think the football menu is a neat idea which plays part in showcasing Don Shula’s history as a football coach.  I also came to find out that the restaurant is themed after the 1972 Miami Dolphin’s “Perfect Season”.  So it all tied in together well. 

At this point we were starving!  We ordered the beef tips and a salad.  It took 20 minutes for our appetizers to come.  In the mean time we had finished our drinks and a cart of meat with all the different cuts was wheeled to our table.  There were the filet mignon, the N.Y. strip steak, the porterhouse, prime rib, and the Kansas City Strip, and the Cowboy steak to choose from.  I ordered the prime rib and my husband the N.Y. strip steak.  We also put in another order for drinks.  It took, what felt like another eternity for our drinks to come, and then yet another for the entrees.

Overall, the steaks were good.  I didn’t find my meal exceptional.  The prime rib which I was served, had a bit too much fat on it and I had to spend a lot of time trimming the fat off.  I ordered medium rare and got a piece that was more medium.  The N.Y. strip was ordered to be a medium well but was served more well.  The bread was excellent, I must add.  I can’t say that it was a horrible experience.  It wasn’t.  The meal was still good.  However, the wait staff was slow.  We had 3 different waitresses, so if we needed anything we didn’t know who to make eye contact with and get their attention.  It took a little over 2 hours to have our entire meal.  A good thing we didn’t have other plans!  For a $190 bill with gratuities pre-included, and an award-winning restaurant, I expected to have had a much better dining experience to write about.  For less than half of what we paid at Shula’s we could have gone to our usual spot, Outback Steakhouse.  We could have had steaks just as good but cooked according to our specifications.

For those who want to try the restaurant or get more information, please visit www.donshula.com.  Perhaps you’ll have a different experience.  One has to keep in mind certain demographics, individual taste, and the atmosphere one seeks.  Like they say “Different folks, different strokes!”. 

As for me, I will chalk this one up as a one-time visit.

I ran across a subscription from 2005 to an online cooking forum.  The reason I was interested in subscribing at the time was because I was looking to expand my culinary skills and at the same time try to meet like-minded people to share in discussions of food, sharing recipes, and just being social with people without going to hang out at a bar or a club.  I stumbled upon http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking/co/0,14430,,00.html.  I was so excited about joining an existing one or starting a new one.  Some people expressed interest, but then it never got off the ground.  At least I didn’t join.  I don’t live or am near that area anymore.  Now two years later I find my posts and the responses I received and never answered….I feel BAD.  I’m sure all those people moved on and either started their own club or fell off just like myself.

What I liked about the Supper Clubs idea:

• Meeting new people and socialization
• Something for you and your friends to do to get together
• A variety of menu ideas
• Don’t have to put together an entire meal by yourself
• Cost effective

What I didn’t like about the Supper Clubs idea (which ultimately made me lose interest) was my fear of dependency and the fear of the mundane.  Let me explain.  Perhaps this is just me.  I was afraid of meeting strangers, even if they had the same interests, and not hitting it off with them.  Now I would have committed to this club and I didn’t want to start something I couldn’t follow through on.  So I shied away from the idea.  Now my close friends, at the time and at the age I was at, none of the friends who lived close enough to entertain this idea were really into cooking.  The ones that would be into cooking and trying this idea out, lived too far to do this even on a weekly basis.  So for this to work out and be somewhat convenient for all parties involved, I’d say that you couldn’t live outside a 5 mile radius from one another.  This all becoming too much of a chore, was the last thought which held me back at the time.

From what I read on www.cookinglight.com this concept has been a hit since its inception in 1999.  Supper Clubs have really taken off all over the world.  It is like that with anything, it takes a certain person.  Everything is sparked by an interest.  :-)  I would definitely be interested in starting a supper club with my friends if we all lived within a 10 to 15 mintue drive from one another.  The most I’d probably do is 20 minutes.  Still that still doesn’t take care of my fear of it becoming a chore.

My personal experience:

I once did what I called a “Lunch Pool” with a former co-worker.  She and I would take turns cooking and bringing lunch.  We started with taking weekly turns.  At first it was great, I thought.  She cooked a different ethnic cuisine and so did I.  So the “new” and the “different” definitely impressed me.  Then I realized that while I was making my exotic and healthful meals, she was cooking a lot of one dish meals which used a lot of starchy vegetables and a very cheap cut of meat.  I was very disappointed and felt that it wasn’t fair.  Without jumping the gun and getting too upset, I asked her where she shopped.  What the indgredients were, and what kind of cut it was if it were beef.  So when I confirmed my suspicions I had to start making excuses as to why I couldn’t continue anymore.  Yes, yes it was very cowardly of me!  How do you confront someone and tell them “I’m not cooking anymore because I’m spending money on really fresh and healthy ingredients.  You’re being a cheapskate and you’re going to turn us both fat and give us a heart attack.”  I felt horrible for even thinking that, but that was how I felt and it was the truth.  I’m not a splurger by any means.  I’m very frugal.  Frugal still doesn’t mean you have to eat in an unhealthy way. 

Stay tuned and I’ll show you how to make food stretch in my future posts!  Plus we’re gonna keep it as healthy as we can.