We have a regular Monday night dinner party we go to hosted by our good friends Charlie & Ana. This week, in honor of the holidays, we all put together a huge turkey dinner with all the goodies.
Ana did the turkey in a plastic bag. I've never see this done, but MAN was that turkey tender, juicy and delicious.
Mr Soup was carving the bird when Charlie realized that no one had thought of gravy. Since we didn't really have time to do a serious effort - I taught him how to make a fast and tasty pan sauce. It was nice and light and perfectly complimented the turkey.
What we did:
I was holding Little Miss Soup the whole time because she is in her mamathon phase where she doesn't want ANYONE else...but Mama Soup. So, I had the interesting opportunity to just boss someone else around. Charlie is a very nice bossee.
I had him take all the juices that were in the bag and put them in a large measuring cup then place it in the freezer to make the fat rise to the top faster. In the mean time, we melted a stick of butter in a large skillet and added a chopped onion, salt, pepper and a shake or two of poultry seasoning. I had him throw in a handful of flour and we made a nice roux. Meanwhile, I was able to skim the fat from the juices. We first added about 1c of white wine to the roux, then poured in the drippings. In about 10 minutes time - we went from NO gravy to a simple pan sauce that was a total hit. I need to have a bossee on a regular basis from now on. It was fun!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Why I Blog
My mom had this very 1970s recipe card file box (it was some cool green and yellow paisley swirly affair). Someone had taken the time to type up recipes on 3x5 note cards. They were sticky from years of love. There were also all sorts of recipes in there that had been ripped out of magazines...
My gran had a cookbook that was a wedding gift. Over the next 70 years, she added all sorts of recipes to it...and commentary. The thing is falling apart from all the love...
Well, my blog aspires to be that... a catalog of recipes our family enjoys. there are definately some misfires...and some huge hits. I've just gotten started with it - but am having fun trying to figure it out.
I've been following some other cooking blogs that do a great job photographing the cooking process. But, this is more...rustic. It is theraphy for me in a weird way...
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Mr Soup Flew The Coop
So, Old Man Soup was in NYC all week. That left the Soups at Home to their OWN DEVICES.
Turns out Little Mr Soup is quite the gourmet. At his request we've enjoyed the following this week:
Mac n'Cheese
Fish Stick with Waffle Fries
Peas
Roast Chicken with rice and beans
Little Mr and Little Miss have never been happier. Me, I'm craving a salad right now.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Words to Live By
Chicken Soup with Rice, by Maurice Sendak
January
In January it's so nice
While slipping on the sliding ice
To sip hot chicken soup with rice
Sipping once, sipping twice
Sipping chicken soup with rice
February
In February it will be
My snowman's anniversary
With cake for him and soup for me!
Happy once, happy twice
Happy chicken soup with rice
March
In March the wind blows down the door
And spills my soup upon the floor
It laps it up and roars for more
Blowing once, blowing twice
Blowing chicken soup with rice
April
In April I will go away
To far off Spain or old Bombay
And dream about hot soup all day
Oh, my, oh, once, oh, my, oh, twice
Oh, my, oh, chicken soup with rice
May
In May I truly think it best
To be a robin lightly dressed
Concocting soup inside my nest
Mix it once, mix it twice
Mix that chicken soup with rice
June
In June I saw a charming group
Of roses all begin to droop
I pepped them up with chicken soup!
Sprinkle once, sprinkle twice
Sprinkle chicken soup with rice
July
In July I'll take a peep
Into the cool and fishy deep
Where chicken soup is selling cheap
Selling once, selling twice
Selling chicken soup with rice
August
In August it will be so hot
I will become a cooking pot
Cooking soup of course-why not?
Cooking once, cooking twice
Cooking chicken soup with rice
September
In September, for a while
I will ride a crocodile
Down the chicken soup-y Nile
Paddle once, paddle twice
Paddle chicken soup with rice
October
In October I'll be host
To witches, goblins and a ghost
I'll serve them chicken soup on toast
Whoopy once, whoopy twice
Whoopy chicken soup with rice
November
In November's gusty gale I will flop my flippy tail
And spout hot soup-I'll be a whale!
Spouting once, spouting twice
Spouting chicken soup with rice
December
In December I will be
A baubled, bangled Christmas tree
With soup bowls draped all over me
Merry once, merry twice
Merry chicken soup with rice
I told you once, I told you twice
All seasons of the year are nice
For eating chicken soup with rice
Ode to Mount Green Bean
I am a believer in the gracious plenty. However, my pea brain went over board with the Thanksgiving green beans. Really over board...
When I was planning the menu, I knew I needed to about double each recipe in order to make sure we had enough of each item for each guest to enjoy.
However, when it came to the green beans, I had some sort of mental block. I didn't double it once, I doubled it twice. Hense, Mount Green Bean. Our party didn't even begin to make a dent in them. And they were good - crispy beans served with a pickled onions and a maple vinegrette. So nice not to have the gloppy casserole covered in limp formerly crunchy onions.
Then, in the middle of the night, it occured to me that Mount Green Bean needed it's own country western song. They were proud and plenty...Oh the Gory Glory!
Submissions now being accepted for the appropriate Ode to Mount Green Bean.
Thanksgiving Recap
What a terrific day! We all ate too much, drank too much and really enjoyed being together on a perfect South Florida day.
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