In the Kitchen / Principal Chef

Every time my son Ryan (born in 1990!) goes to Gramma Sue’s house, or whenever she visits us, the first order of business for her is to make Rice Pudding for Ryan. Now Dawson is in on it too. It’s a great tradition, and a fantastic dessert. Also, it’s a superb breakfast reheated. Serve it whipped cream and you’ll be pretty darn happy.

Ingredients

1.75 cups Water

2 cups Whole Milk

½ cup Converted RiceI am going to try this recipe with some jasmine rice, as I don't have converted rice around the house.

2 Eggs, beaten

½ tsp Salt

⅓ cup Sugar

¼ cup Raisins (more or less, to taste)

1 tsp Vanilla

Cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On the stove, bring water to boil; stir in rice and salt. Cover and simmer 30 minutes until water is absorbed.

Add milk and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.

Combine eggs, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Gradually stir into rice mixture; mix well.

Pour into a greased 1-1/2 qt. (3 qt., if doubled) casserole. Stir in raisins and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake uncovered, for 45 to 50 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a knife – if it comes out clean, you are done!

This is one of my all time favorites, combining southern pecan pie and chocolate. How bad can that be? It is really, really rich, and I like it best served a little warm with some whipped cream.

Ingredients

2 tbsp Butter

3 oz Unsweetened Chocolate

2 tbsp Flour

½ tsp Salt

3 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla

¾ cup Sugar (White)

2 cups Pecan Halves

1 cup Dark Karo Syrup

Directions

Prepare the crust. To make it easy on yourself, you can use refrigerated crusts, which are a distant but still good second. To make a great homemade crust, use Martha Stewart’s awesome recipe .

Spray cooking spray in a pyrex measuring cup or microwave safe bowl. Microwave chocolate squares for 3 minutes or until they are melted. Watch the microwave carefully. Don’t let it keep going after it melts.

Add butter to melted chocolate. It can melt by itself or you can microwave it another 15 seconds.

In separate large bowl, mix sugar, salt, and flour. Stir in eggs and Karo syrup. Add Chocolate/Butter Mixture. Add Vanilla and Pecans and mix together.

Pour into pie shell. Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes, until it slightly browned on top and a knife comes out clean.

Baked Brie

We have made this dozens of times, for our own parties and as an appetizer for others. Each time I have served it, people can’t get enough of it. We’re kind of famous for it in our own neighborhood. It’s not hard (don’t tell the neighbors), and you can be as creative as you want with the filling. I’ve used phyllo dough and I’ve used puff pastry. The puff pastry is way easier , I mean WAY easier, to make and much less mess when you eat it.

Ingredients

1 6″ Wheel of Brie Cheese

1 Sheet Puff Pastry, thawed

½ cup Fig Jam

¼ cup Slivered Almonds

Directions

Thaw out the puff pastry per the package directions.

Scrape much of the rind off the brie wheel. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Lay the brie on the puff pastry. If if needs to be larger to cover it all, get a roller and roll it out until it is the right size.

Lay the brie on the puff pastry. With a knife, draw a slight outline around the puff pastry. Remove the brie and put your toppings inside the circle you have created.

Lay the Brie on top of the toppings. And wrap the edges of the pastry around the brie. Crimp all pastry to try to have a tight seal. Turn the wrapped brie over and place it in a pie plate. You can refrigerate it now until you are ready to bake.

Brush some egg white on top of the pastry. Cook in a pie pan at 350 for 20 minutes or so until the pastry is nice and golden. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes and serve. It is beautiful and tasty! Serve with crackers or french bread.

Roasted Turkey

It’s time to turk the cookie! That’s what my mom, the infamous “Gramma Sue” who is mentioned in so many of these recipes, would say every Thanksgiving morning. It was a mistake the first time, but she was kidding after. I think.

In our Thanksgivings, we do one smoked turkey and one roasted turkey. Jill, even those she’s vegetarian, loves cooking the roasted turkey, and it always comes out great each time. This is how we do it.

Ingredients

1 Turkey (16 – 22 pounds)

1 cup Butter (2 Sticks)

1 cup White Wine or Champagne

2 Onions

2 Oranges

1 tbsp Thyme

2 Stalks celery

1 tsp Black Pepper

8 Good Chicken Broth

Directions

Make sure the turkey is thawed!! To be safe, a frozen turkey should thaw for five days in the fridge.

If you have time, brine your turkey. It makes a big difference. I do a dry brine now. Here are the two ways you can brine:

If you have time. Do a three-day dry brine. It’s retty easy really. Take a combination of 2 Tbsp Kosher Salt and 1 tsp Herbs de Provence (or Italian Seasoning if you don’t have the French Stuff) for every five pounds of tukey. And rub the inside and outside of the turkey with the mixture. Put it in a turkey oven bag and keep it refrigerated for 3 days.

If you only have one day – Do an overnight soaking brine. My Aunt Catherine gave me this recipe. Add 1/2 cup salt and 1/4 cup sugar for every gallon of water. You can add lemon or orange slices if you like. She adds 4 cinnamon sticks and a handful of cloves. I don’t do that, but if that sounds good to you, go for it. In a large container, soak the turkey in the brine for at least one full day.

About an hour before you are ready to cook, take the brined turkey out of the fridge. Wash the turkey under running water. Take out the neck and giblets and reserve for broth.

Fill the cavity lightly (don’t stuff it) with a quartered onion, a cut up stick of butter, and some quartered oranges. Smear the turkey with softened butter, sprinkle top with salt and pepper, and cover with a cheesecloth. Yes, I know, it’s a lot of butter. It’s Thanksgiving – give yourself permission!

Preheat the oven to 300 (convection) or 325 (normal).

Make a mixture of the remainder of butter (melted) and the white wine or champagne. Use the cheap stuff! This is for basting.

Place in a Roasting Pan on a rack, and cook for 10-12 minutes per pounds.

Note – Time this out. For me – I plan on 12 minutes per pound (it is usually more like 10 in my oven) plus 30 minutes, and then it’s dinner time. So it you put a 20 pound bird in at 9:00 AM, it takes 240 minutes (4 hours) to cook, and I’m ready to serve any time from 1:30 to 2:30.

Baste the turkey every 30 minutes, using the wine/butter mixture at first, then using the turkey’s own drippings.

When the breast meat temp reaches 165, and/or the leg temp reaches 175, take the bird out, gently take off the cheesecloth, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes and for up to two hours. If you’re going to wait over an hour, cover loosely with foil.

Making the Gravy!

While the turkey is roasting, Put the neck and the giblets (my father-in will eat giblets all day) in a sauce pan with 6 cups of water, 2 celery stalks, 2 carrots, thyme, a bay leaf, black pepper, and you’re off. Cook for 2 hours, then strain.

Save the broth for the gravy. Cut up the neck meat for the gravy. We use just the neck meat and let my father-in-law take care of the giblets – not everybody likes them! Throw away everything else. Put the broth and meat aside for later.

After the turkey is done, take the bird out of the roaster and let it rest. Skim the fat off of the top of the turkey drippings. I cheat on this one. My in-laws gave me a “fat separator” that is very easy to use. I pour the broth into it, wait 5 minutes for it to separate, and pour the fatty drippings back into the pan.

Take the turkey pan with all of the fat-reduced drippings and place it on the stove. Heat, then slowly whisk or stir in 1 cup of flour, making a nice roux.
Note – If your roaster pan won’t go onto the stove, then use another pan. It’s no problem.

Slowly add the broth that you made, whisking or stirring it into the roux. Add extra broth if you need it until you have a thick, beautiful gravy. Taste and add salt if needed. Add the cut up giblets if you want. See thickening notes below.

The gravy is ready!

Carrot Souffle

Carrot Soufflé is a great alternative (or addition) to sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving. It’s sweet, almost dessert-ish, and it adds great color to any plate. And . . . you get to say you’ve eaten your vegetables! My mother-in-law brings this to our home every Thanksgiving, and there are never any leftovers.

Ingredients

1 lb carrots, peeled and ends cut off

3 eggs

⅓ cup granulated sugar

3 tbsp white flour

1 tsp vanilla

⅓ cup butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil water, cook carrots for 8-10 minutes, until soft. 8 Minutes

Place all ingredients in a food processor. Puree until smooth.

Pour into baking dish – a 1.5 quart soufflé dish or pan is nice – and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Use the “knife in the cake” technique, if it’s clean, it’s ready. 40 Minutes

Optional topping: Mix 2 Tbsp soft butter, 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar, and 1/2 Cup chopped pecans to the top after you take it out, broil for 3 minutes until brown. This is too sweet for my tastes for a meal, but I still think it sounds awesome!

Spicy Cranberry Sauce

I started working on a spicy cranberry sauce back in 2010, and I really like this recipe that is an amalgamation of many ideas. It’s a hit on Thanksgiving and great with leftovers, and it just takes a little time. It’s not that spicy, and it tames with time. I hope you like it!

Ingredients

12 oz Fresh Cranberries

14.50 oz Can, Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

12 oz Orange Marmalade

1 Onion, Small, diced

1 Apple, peeled and diced

1 Green Pepper, Cored, and Diced

2 diced jalapeños (2 peppers)

1 lime, juiced and zested

Directions

Mix it all together in a saucepan over medium heat.

Cook for for two to three hours, until the consistency starts to feel a little thick and the cranberries have cracked open. 120 Minutes

Refrigerate overnight and you are set!

Chicken Cacciatore

This is a beautiful dish for a crowd. Tender chicken, great italian red sauce, and tons of vegetables. It comes out looking like a million bucks! This recipe will serve at least 12. I use my turkey roasting pan as my cooking and serving dish for this recipe.

Ingredients

16 Chicken Thighs (Bone-In, Skin Removed)

28 oz Can Diced Tomatoes, Drained

14.50 oz Tomato Sauce

6 oz Tomato Paste

3 Onions, chopped

4 Green Peppers, seeded and chopped

2 Yellow Peppers, seeded and chopped

4 Carrots, chopped

1 Bunch of Celery, cleaned and chopped

3 Zucchini, chopped

3 Yellow (Summer) Squash, chopped

24 oz Flat Noodles

12 oz Red Wine

¼ cup Olive Oil

8 Cloves Garlic

⅓ cup Olive Oil

2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Black Pepper

1.50 tbsp Italian Seasoning

1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

Directions

Chop all vegetables into small pieces.

Heat 1/2 of the Olive Oil in Large Saute Pan. Add all vegetables and saute for 10 minutes. Add Garlic for one minute. Set aside in separate bowl or plate. 10 Minutes

Add remainder of olive oil to saute pan and heat. Add chicken thighs, top side down, and brown for 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Deglaze pan with red wine, scraping up all of the goodness. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and spices. If you’re not already cooking in the pan you’ll be baking in, transfer sauce to that pan.

Layer the chicken thighs, browned side up, in the pan, in the sauce. Layer all vegetables on top of that. Cover tightly with foil. At this point, you can set aside and refrigerate, or cook.

Cook, still covered with foil, at 325 (convection preferred) for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Add 15 minutes if you are taking it out of the fridge. 105 Minutes

Laurie’s Baked Tomato Sauce

Jill and I have a new way of making tomato sauce. It’s a baked tomato sauce that our friend Laurie has been cooking for a while. It’s baked and it has lots of butter and garlic. It’s rich and the whole cloves of garlic are a spectacular addition.

Ingredients

2 Large cans (28 oz) whole tomatoes

16 Cloves of garlic, peeled. Yes – 16!Double it if you want to be bold. 16 is NOT bold.

½ cup Butter (1 stick). Cut into pieces.

2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Pepper

1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425.

Place tomatoes in a 9 x 13 casserole dish, mix in spices, spread garlic and butter pieces evenly around the dish, place in the oven.

Bake for 1 hour.

Take out of the oven, gently smash (can you really gently smash?) tomatoes and garlic cloves with a potato masher, and you are ready to serve!

Dawson’s Roasted Potatoes

These are the best roasted potatoes I’ve had. It’s adapted from a recipe in my favorite cooking magazine, Cooks Illustrated, and its fantastic. My son Dawson loves these and will go for seconds and thirds.

This recipe is not quick. You are making a commitment when you cook them, but it’s worth it so you can achieve hero status.

Ingredients

5 lbs Potatoes (new, Yukon Gold, Red, and Finger Potatoes are all excellent)Or however many pounds you want to cook. I think it's 2/3 pounds per person. Disclaimer: I always make too much food.

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Herbes de Provence or Italian Seasoning

Directions

Start boiling a large pot of water – enough to cover the amount of potatoes your are cooking. Preheat oven to 425.

Cut potatoes into bite size pieces.

When the water is boiling, place potatoes in the water. Let it come to a boil again, then allow to boil for one minute. Drain.

Place potatoes back in the same pot on medium heat on the stove. Stir occasionally for 3-5 minutes. (You are getting moisture out of the potatoes so they will crisp up better).

Add 1/4 cup olive oil, or other fat of your choice. Butter could be excellent here. Cooks Illustrated recommends duck fat. Stir, then pour onto cookie sheet (or two), spreading into a single layer.

Add salt, pepper, and herbes de provence. I’d recommend 2 teaspoons of salt and pepper, and 1 Tbsp of herbs. Here’s the thing, and I’ve said this before, salt is underrated. You will add more later in the recipe.

Place in oven for 30 minutes. Take out and turn the potatoes, return for another 20 minutes. They should be brown on all sides now.

Take out, and put the potatoes back in the original pot. Add about 2 Tbsp olive oil, stir, put back on cookie sheet. You can hold them now until 10 minutes before you serve them. Taste for seasoning and adjust. (I always add more salt!)

Another easier way to do this is to take them out, spray them with olive oil, move them around on the cookie sheet, and cover the sheet with foil until you’re ready to put them back in and finish them.

When you are ready, place potatoes back in oven (still at 425 or for more speed, broil), and cook for 5 – 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Granny Catlett’s Dressing

Granny Catlett was my cousins’ grandmother. I would see her quite often, as we lived just two doors down from our cousins, Kathy, James, Joe, and Helen. My brothers and sister (there were four of us too) were always at their house getting into some kind of mischief. Granny Catlett was kind and wonderful, always quick to smile, and she was a great cook. This recipe came out every Thanksgiving. Actually, there were two versions – this one, and the one with oysters mixed in. It was a bad day when you chose poorly. Everyone in my family who cooks uses this recipe – and this recipe makes no mention of oysters.

I think this is one of the many powers of cooking for people. These recipes are way more than chemistry. They are stories, they are memories of friends and loved ones, and they make us slow down and remember. That, my friends, is a good way to live.

Ingredients

7 cups Cornbread (Make the night before if you want)

7 cups White Bread, slightly toasted

1 Bunch of Celery

1 Onion (Small – Use half if you’re not a big onion person)

4 cups Organic Chicken Broth

½ cup Butter (1 Stick)

4 tsp Salt

2 tsp Pepper

1 tsp Poultry Seasoning

2 tbsp Sage

2 Eggs (Beaten)

1 cup Milk

Directions

Make cornbread the night before. Crumble 7 cups of cornbread and place into large bowl.

Slightly toast 1/2 loaf of white bread. I use my oven for this. Just put the bread right on the racks and heat for 3 minutes at 350. This dries it out. Crumble 7 cups (just break and tear) and add to large bowl.

Sauté chopped Celery and Onion in the butter. Get it nice and soft.

Add all of the seasonings. Give the whole mixture a few gentle stirs to mix it up.

Add onion and celery, and everything else into the large bowl! It should be thick, pouring in large globs. Add broth if it’s too thick. Add cornbread if it’s too runny.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until it’s slightly brown on the top and a little crispy.

Note: You can prepare this the day before (no baking) and refrigerate it overnight. Take out of the fridge one hour before baking.

Arkibu BBQ Rub

You’ve got to have a good rub for your bbq. Here’s my Arkibu Rub. I use it on almost everything I smoke. If I’m smoking ribs, I will rub in some brown sugar first, then add the rub.

Ingredients

1.50 cups Smoked Paprika (I use Penzey’s Smoked Paprika)

½ cup Black Pepper (Course)

½ cup Kosher Salt

½ cup White Sugar

¼ cup Chili Powder (Medium)

¼ cup Garlic Powder

¼ cup Onion Powder

1 tbsp Cayenne PepperThis keeps it fairly mild. You make it 1/4 cup to add more heat to this rub.

Directions

Mix it up and Store in a cool dry place. This is a “medium heat” recipe. Add more cayenne if you want some real fire!

Macaroni and Cheese

I am asked to bring this dish to parties all the time. It’s such a hit with my family, friends, and co-workers. This recipe takes a little time, but it’s a crowd pleaser, and great for leftovers. Little kids may still like Kraft more, but once they have real taste buds, this takes the cake! It’s an entree, it’s a filling side dish, and it’s always a hit.

Ingredients

16 oz Large Elbow Macaroni

4 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

4 cups Whole Milk, warmed

6 tbsp Butter

6 tbsp Flour (White)

2 tsp Kosher Salt

2 tsp Black Pepper

1 tbsp Chili Garlic SauceMaybe more – People love the zing!

Directions

In a large pot of salted water, boil macaroni. It should be al dente, as it will cook more in the oven. When finished, drain and rinse. Set aside.

Heat up the milk (I microwave it in a big Pyrex measuring cup, but old fashioned stove heating works perfectly too) so that it is nice and warm, almost hot. This will make the cooking go a lot faster. Make a roux by melting butter and whisking in flour. This is quick, so have your milk ready to pour in.

When the roux is thick and bubbly, start gradually add the milk, one cup at a time. Stir with a whisk, until it thickens, then add more milk. When all milk is added, you are done when it reaches it should a pancake batter like consistency. Don’t go too thick – – it will thicken more as it bakes up nicely. Turn off the stove heat.

Stir in salt and pepper, but taste it and see what you like. Add the chili-garlic paste for a little fire. 1 Tbsp is not that much, and people will like it!

Add 3 cups of the sharp cheddar and half of the fresh Parmesan. Mix well until it melts in.

Pour into a baking dish. This should fit into a nice 9 x 13 dish. At this point, you can refrigerate, then take it out about an hour before you are ready to bake it. Or, if you’re ready to go now, go now!

Add the remainder of the cheese on top, and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until the cheese is a little brown and the dish is bubbling. (If you refrigerate prior to baking, cover with foil for the first 15 minutes, then bake for 30-40 minutes.