Cooking

Comment by Brian on October 16, 2008 at 10:55am

Check out this great Pumpkin Bread recipe from Pirtle Winery.

Pumpkin Bread

1 can of pumpkin
1 cup pecans or walnuts (chopped)
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 cup water
3 and 1/3 cups flour
2 tsp. soda

In a very large bowl add all the ingredients. Blend as much as you can
with a large spoon and then get your hand mixer out. Mix very well. Pour
into a prepared Bundt pan. Bake for 1 hr at 350 degrees. It is a great
gift to give for any reason. If you wish, use 4 small loaf pans. Wrap in
Saran wrap and add a ribbon and it will be so appreciated. Everyone
loves something good from the home oven.

Comment by Chardonnay Queen on October 23, 2008 at 3:13pm

To change things up a bit, I served this at Thanksgiving one year as a starter. It was an enormous hit. It also gave me a bit of time to finish dressing--myself--not the turkey. Okay, I was undressing because the Chanel scarf draped tastefully around my neck kept dipping into the food. It had to go. To the cleaners.
Serve this on an autumn night or a drizzly afternoon when you first get to use the fireplace again. (photo by D3 San Francisco)

Pumpkin Ravioli Soup

1 can pumpkin

32 oz. chicken broth

9 oz. package ravioli (I like cheese)

salt & white pepper

butter

Combine pumpkin, broth, salt & pepper.
Bring to a boil.
Add ravioli for 7 minutes.
Drizzle with butter.

Options: Drizzle with honey and nutmeg instead of butter.

Make it a meal: Serve with focaccia. Or ahead of Thanksgiving dinner.

Wine: Chardonnay is nice with the butter flavor. Champagne is nice. A light red, Pinot Noir or a Chianti would work, too. There is no go-to wine with pumpkin.

Visit me at busydivas.info

Comment by Deborah Rodriguez on November 18, 2008 at 3:12pm

My favorite Turkey Recipe:
Beer-Brined Turkey with Turkey Giblet Gravy
From chef and author Emeril Lagasse



Ingredients

2 quarts apple cider
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 cups kosher salt
1/4 cup black peppercorns
1 tablespoon juniper berries
4 bay leaves
Two 3-inch cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon whole cloves
4 quarts dark beer
One 8- to 10-pound turkey, neck and giblets reserved for gravy
3 cups chopped yellow onions
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Emeril's Original Essence
4 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
Directions
Combine the apple cider, brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, juniper berries, bay leaves, cinnamon, and cloves in a large pot or bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt.

Combine the mixture with the beer in a 40-quart cooler, or large plastic container. Place the turkey in the brine and, if necessary, weigh down with heavy dinner plates to completely submerge. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Spread the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Add the turkey neck to the bottom of the pan. Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels and place on top of the vegetables in the roasting pan.

Combine 1 stick of the butter and the Essence in a small pan and melt over medium heat. Remove from the heat. With a pastry brush, baste the top and sides of the turkey with half of the butter. Roast for 30 minutes.

Baste the turkey with the remaining seasoned butter, reduce the oven temperature to 300° F. and roast for 30 minutes.

Baste the turkey with 1/2 cup of the chicken stock. Return to the oven and roast until golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 160° F, 1 1/2 to 2 hours longer, basting once with 1/2 cup of the chicken stock.

Remove the turkey from the oven and transfer to a platter or cutting board. Tent with foil and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Melt the remaining tablespoon butter with the olive oil in a medium heavy pot over medium-high heat.

Add the reserved giblets and cooked turkey neck, and cook, stirring, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add half of the vegetables from the roasting pan and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.

Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir to deglaze the pan. Add the remaining 3 cups chicken stock and any juices accumulated in the roasting pan and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat, add the sage, and simmer briskly until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard the neck.

In batches, pulse the liquid and solids in a food processor into a thick liquid. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing against the solids with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible and transfer to a gravy boat. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

To serve, carve the turkey and serve with the gravy.

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, copyright © 2003.

Comment by Noor on January 10, 2009 at 12:55am

Hi, everyone. My name is Noor. Brian I just got your email about joining so I thought I would. Sorry I just moved from the states to overseas. Anyway, can not wait to see all the yummy recipes.

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