Almost Thanksgiving

Hi! Sorry for the lack of posts! I have one or two little ones to add today, then I promise at least one amazing one after Thanksgiving. (We're attempting our first ever deep fried Turkey!) I bought this guy from Home Depot and have been googling and researching all the best recipes. I think I'm going to try the New York Times recipe - it just sounds amazing. From all the reviews I've come across, Fried Turkey seems to beat regular roasted turkey hands down. My mom does make a wonderful roasted turkey - and is still making one this year - so we'll have to see!

I just hope I don't burn the house down. Have you googled fried turkey disasters? Eeeek.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Home Made Chile Powder

This sounds a little daunting, but is extremely simple. If you play around with what chiles you like, you can also customize it. I just kind of made it up, but I took 2 dried guajillo chiles, 2 dried chipotle mora chiles, and two chiles de arbol. (When I see dried chiles I just buy a bunch and keep them in the cabinet for impromptu recipes like this or chile-infused olive oil for black bean dip etc.) Head up a cast iron skillet to medium high. Split the chiles and take out all the seeds and veins. Two at a time, toast the chiles in the hot skillet, pressing down on them with tongs, until they start to blister a little (1-2 minutes). Put all of the toasted peppers in a food processor and blend until you have a powder. A couple bigger pieces are okay. Then use for chile, marinades, salsas... whatever you want!

Braised Short Ribs in Adobo for two

Yum! These short ribs are easy and great, and perfect for some extra special tacos. The recipe is from Truly Mexican (the wonderful Mexican cookbook that Jamie got me for Christmas last year). You don't have to brown the short ribs, so it's basically tossing all of the ingredients in a pot and sticking it in the oven for 2.5 hours. The resulting sauce is rich and has a deep heat, but isn't too spicy, and the meat is tender and falling apart. I shredded it up with the adobo and put it on a soft taco with minced red onion and jalapeno with a little crema on top. We had no leftovers.

And I got to use my adorable heart pot! Thanks, Kara!! It's so perfect for making dinner for two, and makes whatever you're making seem a little special and romantic.

Serves 2 (I reduced it)
Ingredients:
1 dried guajillo chile, wiped clean, stemmed, slit open, seeded, and deveined
1-2 lb bone-in beef short ribs

Apple Sauce

Right before Sandy struck, I pulled out the trusty food mill and decided to make some apple sauce. It just seemed good for stormy weather. I went to Gristedes, which was hopping and didn't have any carts or baskets, and piled lots of apples in my arms hoping they wouldn't tumble before I could check out. The apple sauce was so tasty, and the food mill makes it velvety and smooth. It's also really simple. It took about half an hour and it was way better than store bought. I went off the Cook's Illustrated basic apple sauce recipe; fool proof, really. Leaving the skin on while you cook gives it a lot more flavor.

Halloween

Jamie's, mine, Maria's, Bryce's

I have always loved Halloween. I used to start planning my costumes in the summer and give my mom detailed designs of the various outfits she had to sew for me in time for the parties and trick-or-treating. Lots of trips to the fabric store and arguing over hem length. Aside from dressing up (and meeting my loving husband), one of my favorite things about Halloween is pumpkin carving. We had our friends Bryce and Maria over to carve pumpkins last night. It was so fun! And they all turned out to be so different. I highly recommend you all have a little pumpkin carving get together this weekend!

Also, Halloween is now even more amazingly special because on Halloween three years ago (October 31, 2009) I met Jamie. Now I don't only get to dress up and carve pumpkins, but I get to do it all with my Jameball. I love you!!

Maison du Macaron

I know everyone is into La Durée, but if you live downtown, there's an amazing macaron spot on 23rd - La Maison du Macaron. They have a great selection or colors and flavors and they look so beautiful. I got a box of the prettiest colors/tastiest-sounding flavors to bring to my sister-in-law's house last weekend, but we accidentally left them at home. Luckily for us, that meant we got to eat them. They're not that cheap ($20 for a box of 8) but they are rich and flavorful and decadent, and I think the perfect hostess present. (Anyone coming over to our apartment, I would be psyched to get a box of these : ) ) The salted caramel is amaaazing, and the port wine and pear (the pretty purple one with the gold leaf) was a close second. Yum!

Minestrone

On a cold fall day, what beats a big bowl of minestrone? I'm not talking Progresso. Homemade minestrone is hard to mess up, and sooo tasty and warm, and healthy! This make A LOT so feel free to cut back. (Probably enough for 8 people.) Cooking it with an old Pecorino rind gives the broth an amazing flavor, and topping it with a fresh dab of pesto gives it a little zip. I also like to grate a little Pecorino on top. I'm having two friends over tonight to help me with the leftovers. Mm mm mmm.

Ingredients:
1 qt chicken broth
2 tbsp olive oil
3 pieces turkey bacon (you can use pancetta, too), diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large leek, rinsed and thinly sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 large celery stalks, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 small zucchini, diced
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes and their juice
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes