After the last post on “Tips for Making Yeast Dough” I thought it might be helpful to share a recipe for homemade focaccia bread.  What has become one of the most popular styles of breads  in restaurants, is also easily made at home!  Essentially a pizza-style dough, it is easily made at home in a fraction of the time of most other breads. It lends itself to an infinite array of creative toppings as well as flavorings for the dough, and any leftover that begins to stale can easily be resurrected and re-purposed for salad croutons, toasted as a base for hors d’ oeuvres, or made into flatbread pizza. Even better, it can be made from start to finish in just over two hours!

Unlike other yeast breads that require extensive kneading to develop the gluten and provide structure, flatbreads require little more work than is required to bring the dough together. I still knead it a bit on the counter top after removing from my mixer, but it doesn’t have to be more than a few minutes since the dough won’t be expected to rise and expand to great heights. While the dough can be plain with just toppings scattered or deliberately placed across the top, I like to mix flavoring elements in to the dough such as diced caramelized onions, poppy seed, Italian seasoning, or whatever might be on hand.

       Print This!    

While one cannot live on bread alone, it certainly makes life more enjoyable. Who doesn’t love biting through a crunchy crust and sinking your teeth into a nice tender interior crumb?   How about that tug and resistance you get when you bite into a pizza or tear off a piece of baguette?

Lately, a friend of mine has been playing with pizza dough and experimenting with his grandmother’s white bread.  As is often the case when one is learning to work with yeast dough, he’s had a mixed bag of varying success.  You can read and research all you want but when it comes to working with yeast breads, hands-on experience is the best teacher of all.  Yeast is a living organism and can behave quite differently based on the temperature, age, type of bread, and how all of it is handled.

Bread Flour

All- Purpose Flour (bleached)

One of the first things that people will often notice in yeast bread recipes is that they never give a truly precise amount of flour.  It is usually a range such as “3-4 cups of flour”.  This is due to the fact that different types of flour will absorb varying quantities of liquid.  Softer flours (less gluten) absorb less moisture and high gluten flour will absorb more so it will actually take less flour than when using all-purpose flour.  This is why it is imperative to feel and touch the dough as it is developing.  The dough should be nice and moist but not so wet that it is “shaggy” which is where it clings to the hands and cannot be pulled away with out long striations stuck to the hand.  Keeping the dough nice and moist throughout will aid in oven-spring due to the moisture content turning to steam and providing one last measure of leavening to the loaf.

Tips for Working with Yeast Doughs:

• Check the freshness date on your yeast to make sure it hasn’t expired.
• “Instant” yeast can be added directly to the dry ingredients and doesn’t need to be proofed in a warm liquid.
• Make sure the water is just lukewarm (105-110F) to avoid killing the yeast with water that’s too hot.
• Salt kills yeast. It should be added after the yeast and sugar have had a time to activate and after a portion of the flour has been added.
• Do not leave salt out of dough, it aids in the development of gluten, as well as providing flavor.
• Dough made with bread flour will require more kneading and longer rising time.
• Unbleached all-purpose flour will allow for better gluten development than bleached four will.
• Bread made with flour that is higher in protein content (bread flour) will have more browning.
• Flatbreads like focaccia and pizza dough are better made with all-purpose flour since gluten isn’t as important.  Bread flour used in these items can make them too tough.
• Wheat bread recipes always contain more white flour than whole wheat flour due to the additional fiber from  the bran in whole wheat flour.  This fiber cuts through the developing gluten strands during mixing and keeps them from developing the strength they need in order to expand to the maximum potential.  If you’ve ever had a loaf of whole wheat bread made with 100% whole wheat flour you’ll recognize that it makes a much better paper weight than a loaf of bread!
• Add flour just until the dough forms a moist cohesive mass. It shouldn’t be sticky and “shaggy” when squeezed with your hand but it should be moist. Dough that is too dry won’t create enough steam to sufficiently rise in the oven.
• Avoid kneading dough on a floured surface. If dough is sticking to your hands, flour them instead. This will prevent excessive flour from being worked into the dough.  The more flour that gets worked into the dough, the less moisture is available for creating steam to expand the air cells inside during baking.
• When kneading dough by hand you are likely to become tired before you’re likely to overknead it.  When doing it in a mixer it is possible to overknead the dough if it is worked for too long and too vigorously.  Overworked dough is going to go from being soft, smooth, and supple to wet and sticky again.  This is due to the starch granules bursting and releasing the moisture that they once contained.  If this occurs, I recommend starting over as the amount of flour needed for bringing back together could render the amount of yeast in the dough useless and possibly result in a heavy dense loaf.
• When adding dried fruit such as raisins, always soak them in water or another liquid to hydrate them.  Put them in a microwave-safe dish and add just enough water to cover.  Microwave them at high for 1 minute and then drain off liquid and allow to cool before adding to the dough.  This will make them plump and moist and prevent them from absorbing moisture from the surrounding dough and thus drying it out.
• If your oven doesn’t have a “proof” setting for letting dough rise, heat it for about 10 minutes on its lowest temperature and then turn it off and open the oven for a minute or two. Place your dough inside to rise.
• Yeast dough will develop more flavor and “yeastiness” the greater number of times it’s allowed to rise.  Three risings (including in pan or loaf form) is generally about the maximum that bread can successfully go through before too much yeast has died and it develops an overly “beer-like” flavor.
• Brioche dough which contains a high amount of butter must be refrigerated overnight in order to make it firm enough to work and shape after the initial mixing.  The eggs and butter in this dough make it very tender and soft as well as contribute to its characteristic golden color.

In 1996, two twenty-somethings shortly out of college decided out of the blue to publish a book. Martha Hopkins and Randall Lockridge were college friends from Baylor University.   Post-college Martha moved back to her hometown of Memphis assuming that her degree and a high GPA were what she needed for happiness in the post-collegiate world.  Much to her dismay and that of many of us, post college isn’t the rosy picture that we often expect.  In between several different jobs from substitute teaching, temping, and working retail there were many phone calls between the two usually involving Martha telling Randall how much she was frustrated with life after college.  Tired of her complaints, Randall suggested they publish a book.  Martha had already been working for a company that published community cookbooks so she had a background in that realm and it seemed like a natural fit.  After looking at the marketplace they settled on the idea of a book focused on aphrodisiacs.  They spent that year researching, testing and self-publishing, “InterCourses: an aphrodisiac cookbook” which debuted just before Valentine’s Day in 1997.

Food, love and cooking have long been intertwined.  Cooking and preparing food is of course one of the easiest ways of expressing love and affection for another person.  Whether it’s affectionate/emotional love or sensual love, the simple act of sharing a meal that has been expressly prepared for one or more persons says “I care”.

“From the obligatory anniversary dinner to the unexpected glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice, the act of preparing food for another (or with another) speaks louder and clearer than most words.  it says, with no exceptions, I love you.  I want you.  I care for you.  You are worth the effort.”
The New InterCourses: an aphrodisiac cookbook

Valentine’s Day is usually associated with chocolate, champagne, strawberries, and roses all of which are considered aphrodisiacs (provided of course that your roses haven’t been sprayed with pesticides.  There are better ways of expressing love than a trip to the hospital).

Lots of other everyday foods such as coffee, honey, blackbeans, and avocados have been considered to have love-enhancing effects.  In some cases science has even provided proof to what had previously been considered anecdotal evidence.

“But explanation or no explanation, anyone who has ever fed a lover grapes knows that aphrodisiacs do exist.  Anyone who has served an elaborate candlelit meal, painstakingly prepared with love, knows the potential power of food.  We don’t need scientific proof to know that aphrodisiacs exist; we need only experience them for ourselves to know that they are, in fact, a very potent force out our disposal.”
-The New InterCourses: an aphrodisiac cookbook

When “InterCourses” first appeared they each anticipated it selling between 15-25,000 copies over its lifetime.  In 2007 the book was updated with new chapters, revised recipes, and new test subjects (yes..each recipe was field tested for not just recipe accuracy but also its effects!).  Fast forward to 2012 and the 15th anniversary of the book and it has now sold over 300,000 copies plus the sale of foreign rights to the book and associated merchandise.  All because they were dis-enchanted with what they were doing!  (post-script…Randall married the “asparagus-skirt girl” from the book.  More evidence of the effect of aphrodisiacs!)

The New InterCourses: an aphrodisiac cookbook delves into 19 different food items considered to be aphrodisiacs and explains where the associations developed.   Each chapter artfully rendered with colorful imagery of food against the human body features home-friendly recipes featuring the specific aphrodisiac.

If you’re not aware (you’re probably living in a cave or are a dude), Valentine’s Day is next Tuesday.   The good part of it being on a Tuesday is the fact you can choose to celebrate it from this Friday through Tuesday.

For those of you who want to do something a bit different than the usual “go out to dinner” routine and wonder why it’s taking so long for your food to  come out (Hello…you and five trajillion others decided this is the one night you should converge on a restaurant for a “romantic” experience…what do you expect?) then make plans for you and your valentine (or intended valentine…or come by yourself so you can lure a valentine) to join Martha Hopkins in person as she teaches recipes and information from “The New InterCourses: an aphrodisiac cookbook”.

Martha Hopkins will be offering two different classes at 700 Kitchen Cooking School in Savannah this weekend through Valentine’s day:

“Behind the Scenes: Bringing the Book to Life”:

Saturday February 11th, 2012 3pm-6pm
Monday February 13th, 2012 6pm-9pm
(Interactive Demonstration)

With help from members of the audience, Martha Hopkins will present and prepare many small plate items from the book.   As you enjoy sipping libations and sampling the sensuous fare she’ll share how with the use of polaroid snapshots (these were the days before digital photography), volunteer models, and lots of creative food placement they created their landmark art/cookbook.
$80 per person – Reservations required: 912.721.5043

Menu features:
Vietnamese Gingered Beef Rolls
Artichoke Pizza with Feta and Thyme
Black Bean Fritters with Tropical Vinaigrette
Pine Nut Muhumarra with Pita
Chocolate Fig Bundles
Spicy Rum Fizz

”Food and Aphrodisiacs for the One You Love”:

Tuesday February 14, 2012  6pm-9pm
(Hands-on Class)

Enjoy a special evening with your Valentine as you prepare an aphrodisiac-infused menu together!
$130 per person – Reservations required: 912.721.5043

Menu Features:
Tilapia Cakes with Cucumber Salad
Flank Steak with Rosemary Chimichurri
White Bean Crostini with Basil Oil & Sauteed Tomatoes
Roasted Asparagus
Buttermilk Pinenut Pie
Ginger Mint Cocktail

Copies of the cookbook will be available for purchase in class and booksignings will follow each session.  If you’d like to purchase a signed copy of the book but are unable to join us, please call: 912.721.5043 to order a copy and have it shipped to you.

The Superbowl is upon us and I’m sure most people who are having parties have already placed their orders for wing trays and veggie platters and have stocked up on chips, salsa, and onion dip.  Perhaps you want something just a little different?  Maybe you’ve had more people show up than you expected or they came with a bigger appetite than anticipated.  Heck, sometimes it’s just good to have a few things in the fridge that you can grab, mix, assemble and in short order look like you were ready all along!

Hors d’oevres can run the gamut for frilly fancy canapes to the basic chips and salsa in the ceramic sombrero serving dish.  If you’re planning a Superbowl party I’m willing to bet that the focus is going to be on the commercials, the game and the food.  Probably in that same order.  Which is why, as a chef I should cringe at saying this, it probably doesn’t pay to put a whole lot of work into your food offerings.  I’m not saying they shouldn’t taste great and be appealing…just that your guests probably aren’t going to care that you made the savory tart dough a day ahead so that it could rest before you pressed it carefully into the fluted tart molds for baking…etc.   You get the idea…superbowl fans want good food and lots of it but it doesn’t necessarily have to be fancy.

Cue the Convenience Products…

As much as I am all for cooking from scratch and encourage people to do it themselves, I occasionally like to play a certain game while shopping at the grocery store.

The goal: How to make something with as few steps as possible using mostly convenience products.   Quite honestly, sometimes it might not even be that convenient in the end. When teaching culinary at the collegiate level, I once had a teaching assistant tell me that I was the only person he knew that could take a convenience product and make it inconvenient!

While convenience products aren’t the most economical means of cooking, and often contain more fat, sugar and calories than we need and want, there are certain times when it can be good to have the “convenience” of a shortcut.  Convenience products like the tubes of Pillsbury Crescent Dough sheets are great to have on hand.  Likewise are tubs of spreadable cheese spreads such as the creamy garlic and herb varieties.  Living here in the south, Pimento Cheese is the cheese spread of choice.  Easy to make on its own, it’s also available by the tub in any grocery store you happen to walk into (ok, maybe not in areas beyond the south but it can be made in large batches and kept on hand.  Chances are you’ll come up with plenty of things to eat it on…like say perhaps a spoon, standing in front of the refrigerator, late at night, with only the glow of the interior light to illuminate the sensual creamy delicious goodness of “processed cheese food stuff” that will lull you back to sleep).

Just the other day I had one of “those moments”…what I might title a “white trash culinary epiphany”.  I was in the grocery store and suddenly the sky opened up, and a bright light shone down on the Pillsbury Crescent Sheets.  My gaze was afixed as it then bounced over to the pimento cheese spread and a loud voice boomed: “Feed the multitudes on the day of the great game. Go ye forth and bake up some warm cheesy bacon goodness.    Their appetites will be satisfied, grateful shall they be and ye will be exalted for thy culinary creativity”   -Piggly Wiggly #81, Aisle 10

The darkness was illuminated from above and a voice was heard saying "It is good!"

Thus was born not so much of a “recipe” per se, but a “concoction”.  A simple quickie hors d’ouevres that can be quickly assembled and baked to feed the masses.

By the way…if you have a more creative name for this, please share your thoughts!

       Print This!    

One of the more popular hands-on classes that I’ve taught both here in Savannah as well as other places around the country, has involved the cuisine of northern Italy.   Just like the United States, regional cuisines of other countries vary with the climate and geography.   In the U.S. the concept of “Italian Food” is born from the eating styles of southern Italy due to the large wave of immigration in the late 1800’s that came out of southern Italy, specifically the area around Naples.

Northern Italy is a cooler climate due to its position near the base of the Alps which provides the grasslands needed for grazing cattle.  Northern Italian cuisine features much more meat, often in the form of veal.

Italian for “Hollow Bone”, Osso Buco is a traditional northern Italian preparation of braised veal shanks.  A cross-cut section of the veal shank is first browned to develop flavor, and then simmered in a mixture of browned vegetables (carrots, onions, celery), herbs, and liquid (wine and beef or veal stock).

The resulting thick unctuous sauce is served alongside the shank which is traditionally garnished with a mixture called “Gremolata”, a simple combination of freshly chopped parsley, garlic, and lemon zest.

The color of the gremolata not only perks up the appearance of the dish but also provides additional notes of flavor to the dish.  The rich sauce can easily become monotone but when the flavor notes of the citric lemon zest, pungent garlic, and bright herbal flavor of parsley mix with the bass notes of the sauce, you have a symphony of flavor!

For a complete overview of the technique of braising and what you need to know to be successful, see my post on “Braising Basics”.

       Print This!    

With just a couple of days until Christmas and currently being in the middle of Chanukkah celebrations, I thought perhaps you could use a simple but delicious party dessert.

“Banoffee” is an English contraction of Bananas & Toffee, a combination of flavors and ingredients commonly enjoyed together in England.

The inspiration for this shows how one recipe or idea can easily morph and provide inspiration for many other things.  It originally started with a Bailey’s Toffee Sauce that I created many years ago for a presentation I was doing at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival.  The sauce base is pure maple syrup which is boiled down and enhanced with a touch of Bailey’s Irish Cream.  One taste of the sauce alone and your mind will be aflutter with ideas…Serve it alone on top of ice cream, combine it with toasted pecans and serve over a pecan waffle.  Make a pecan waffle and serve it with a  scoop of butter pecan ice cream topped with  this sauce and toasted pecans…eat it by the spoonful in front of the refrigerator door!  The possibilities are endless.

After the sauce, came the Banana Pudding Crepes that I originally created for one of my Christmas themed classes at 700 Kitchen Cooking School.  The filling for the crepes is a simple one of cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla that I frequently use with berries and fresh fruit.  In the case of the crepes, I added diced bananas to the filling and topped the crepes with the sauce.

Fast forward to now…take each of the various components, layer and combine them with pound cake to make a dessert for a crowd:  Banoffee Trifle!

       Print This!    

Even at an early age I believed in the importance of sampling everything.

I’ve enjoyed cooking as far back as I can remember.  One of my earliest memories was that of standing on a small step-stool at the kitchen sink after church on Sunday afternoon.  While mom was busy finishing up Sunday dinner I was occupying myself with the lettuce core, cucumber trimmings, carrot peels, and any other vegetable scraps mom may have discarded.  I wasn’t playing…I was diligently “making” my own salad in a cool whip container!

"How in the world did all of this fit in here to begin with???"

As much as I liked helping in the kitchen and cooking on my own as I got older, there were certain tasks that I dreaded like the plague…one of those was emptying the dishwasher.  It wasn’t so much that emptying the dishwasher was the problem, the real problem was figuring out how each item went back into the drawer that it supposedly called “home”.  There were a couple of drawers that were the culinary equivalent of trying to get a map re-folded to just the way it originally was….simply impossible!  Too much stuff!  That is exactly the problem with most people’s kitchens – too many things that don’t really warrant keeping around but “what if I need it sometime?”

Talking about this in my cooking classes recently, a guest brought up a good point…it’s not necessarily that these are items people are buying for themselves, many times they are a gift of a well-intentioned family member or friend that knows we like to cook.  So, when visiting a cookware store they must apparently look for the most obscure looking gadget and say “I bet they don’t have this!” (they’re probably right…and with good reason!).  Feeling quite confident that they’ve just found the culinary  holy grail, they purchase it as that thoughtful gift that you end up stuffing in the drawer, cabinet or other hiding place where it sits for the next umpteen years!

Too often we ourselves probably think …”If I only had that item it would make things so much easier”.  Acquiring items is not the same as acquiring skills.  I think that often the more “things” we have in the kitchen, probably the fewer actual skills that we have because we’re trying to rely on something else to do a task for us.  In the meantime we struggle with cabinets and drawers filled to overflowing with many things that rarely see the light of day.  When we do use them, then we have that much more to wash and put away.

A well-equipped kitchen is one that has good, sturdy, high-quality items that can function in many different ways.  It’s easy to get excited over specialty baking pans, electric appliances and other things that are fun to use but too often people overlook two of the most basic items in the kitchen:  the chef’s knife and a good cutting board.  Regardless of what type of cooking or baking you do, these two items form the basis of the well-equipped kitchen.

If you haven’t already made out your list for Santa, or you’re not sure what gift to get those who love to cook, here are a few of my favorite things:

The Epicurean brand cutting boards are the ones that I use in my hands-on classes I teach at 700 Kitchen Cooking School here in Savannah.  They are the best of both wood and plastic:  dishwasher safe, easy on  knives, lightweight, and require no special care and maintenance.  Available in a wide-range of sizes, the smaller ones are great to double up as trivets for hot casserole and baking dishes on the table since they’re heat-safe up to 350 degrees.

The purchase of a good-quality chef’s knife is one of the most important things you can do to enhance your cooking and food preparation.  The second most important thing you can do is to learn to use it correctly!  I love the St. Moritz Elite line of knives by Messermeister.  Again, these are the same ones that I use in the hands-on classes at 700 Kitchen so if you’ve been a guest in one of my classes you know how great these really are!  The forged manufacturing method means that they’ll be heavier-duty and retain an edge for a longer period of time.  The balance of these knives is one of my favorite aspects.  They so well-balanced that you can balance the chef’s knife on an out-stretched index finger.  The bolster-less edge also means that they’ll sharpen evenly.  The two piece set priced below what many single knives sell for is a great value.  A chef’s knife and a paring knife are the two most commonly used knives in any kitchen.

Good heavy duty measuring cups with sturdy handles will always be appreciated!  I always recommend having at LEAST two sets of measuring spoons and dry measuring cups.  This will make cooking much easier without the need to wash and dry measuring cups multiple times in the preparation of a recipe.  Two sets of measuring spoons are useful so that you can use one set for dry spices and ingredients and the other one for extracts and other liquids.

The “salad sac” will keep your salad greens, vegetables and herbs in good condition much longer than many other methods I’ve used.  I LOVE this for herbs, particularly if you grow them.  Wash your salad greens, herbs, etc. and place them directly in the bag.  Don’t spin or pat them dry.  Pull the drawstring shut and bounce the bag around a bit to encourage the excess water to soak into the terrycloth bag.  The bag will keep the herbs and greens in a moist environment and help them stay crisp and nice much longer without them getting slimy and nasty as is often the case in plastic bags.  It also eliminates the need to frequently change out water when storing herbs in a cup or glass.

While it looks more like a cat’s toy than a kitchen tool, the “Duo Whisk” really does a great job of emulsifying vinaigrettes and aerating whipped cream and egg whites.  The benefit is provided by the small interior wire sphere which helps to incorporate more air while whipping.  When you only need a standard whisk and aren’t looking to aerate a mixture, simply remove the interior sphere by separating the outer tines of the whisk.

Few kitchen tools are a versatile as a Microplane rasp-style zester.  The fine teeth of this tool easily remove the zest of citrus fruit but also perfectly mince garlic and ginger, grate chocolate and Parmesan cheese, and are also perfect for freshly grated nutmeg.  A quick rinse with hot water and it’s clean!  I personally recommend and prefer the original version without a handle (#40001) because I think it’s easier to scrape food off of and also easier to clean since the underside isn’t bent inward to accommodate a handle.  Some people just need to get a grip in things and for them I recommend the one with the handle (#40020)

If you’ve ever been in even just one of my classes you’ll know that I preach hatred toward garlic presses and encourage everyone to go home and throw them away with great delight.  Rejoice in the freedom it brings from the horrid mess that they are to clean!  Well, I guess it’s time for me to eat crow because I was recently given a sample of the “Garlic Twist” to try out for myself.  Skeptical of most “gimmicky” looking things I decided I’d give it a shot…experiencing is believing and that’s the same way I discovered how great the Duo Whisk and Salad Sacs are as well.  I brought it home ready to say “see…it’s a gimmick” and well dang, they were right…it really is easy to use and best of all, easy to clean up!  To use the Garlic Twist you pull the two sides apart and put in several cloves of garlic at once.  Put the pieces back together like a small jewelry box and twist the sides in opposite directions.  While you’re twisting, inside thick plastic teeth chop the garlic as fine as you like…twist more for a finer degree.  Scrape out the garlic, give a good rinse in hot water and you’re done!  Easy to use and easy to clean up!  If I only needed one clove of garlic I’d still be inclined to smash, crush and chop with my chef’s knife but for several cloves I now reach for the Garlic Twist!

If you or someone you know wants to feel more empowered in the kitchen then “CookWise” and “BakeWise” need to be on your bookshelf.  Authored by Shirley Corriher, renowned food scientist that even Julia Child used to consult for the who, what, and why on food, these books will help demystify cooking techniques, troubleshoot problems, and help you better understand what to do and why.  Both books feature Shirley’s easy to use “At A Glance” charts for the best things to do for proper results on everything from specific cooking techniques to specific types of recipes.  Each recipe includes a list of helpful learning points that you’ll be able to apply to other recipes using the same techniques and ingredients.

While you wouldn’t know it by looking at the retail stores already decked out for Christmas,  Thanksgiving is just over a week away!     Chances are that your menu is molded by tradition or expectation….whether it’s the fond memories of grandma’s stuffing, or the dread of aunt Tillie’s JELLO mold of lemon gelatin with shredded cabbage, sliced green olives, and crushed pineapple.  Getting overly creative at Thanksgiving can be a recipe for disappointment.  Everyone has their favorite items that they expect to see each year.  Yet for the culinarily inclined and adventurous, it can be a time when you want to stretch the creative muscle and mix it up with some new recipes.  My suggestion:  Do a little of both.

I was recently excited to get an invitation to prepare a Thanksgiving menu with the anchors of “Better Mornings Atlanta” (BMA), an Atlanta area morning show on CBS Atlanta (WGCL).  Later today I’ll be joining Brandon Rudat & Justin Lock from BMA to showcase a menu that features the traditional flavors of Thanksgiving with a few slight tweaks to make it a little untraditional.

Chef Darin Sehnert on the set of "Better Mornings Atlanta"

Justin Lock, Tracye Hutchins, Brandon Rudat & Jennifer Valdez of Better Mornings Atlanta sample Chef Darin's "Stress Free Thanksgiving"

I think Thanksgiving dinner is easiest when you have a large crowd.  The bigger challenge can be when you want traditional tastes but may only be cooking for 2-6 people.  Who wants to mess with a full turkey for just a couple of people?

The menu below is from my hands-on cooking class “Stress Free Thanksgiving” that I offer each year at 700 Kitchen Cooking School, part of the Mansion on Forsyth Park hotel in the historic district of Savannah, GA.  Most of the items can be prepared at least partially in advance to ensure that you’ll be able to enjoy the day with your guests!

In addition to the menu I presented on the show this morning, I’ve included additional recipes that you can use as alternatives or to bulk up the number of menu offerings.  The recipes for the slaw and turkey are included in this post while the others can be accessed by clicking on the links below:

Thanksgiving Menu

Apple, Fennel, & Celery Root Slaw with Cranberry Pecan Dressing

Alternative Salad:  Spinach & Roasted Pumpkin Salad

Roasted Mini Pumpkins filled with Corn Pudding

Brussels Sprouts with Mushrooms, Browned Butter & Gremolata

Turkey Roulades with Italian Sausage & Dried Fruit Stuffing
in Madeira Onion Sauce

Alternative Entree:
Autumn Meatloaf Baked in Miniature Pumpkins

Cranberry Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake

Alternative Desserts:
Spiced Pumpkin Souffles
Green Tomato Pie

       Print This!    

       Print This!    

As I’ve previously mentioned, the mini pumpkins that are usually available this time of year are great for not only decorating the Thanksgiving table, but also for eating such as the recipe for meatloaf that I’ve done in the past, or this one for a side item perfectly suited to gracing the Thanksgiving table.  I’ve been doing these in my cooking classes for a number of years and this year have had the opportunity to showcase them in a couple of different television appearances focusing on Thanksgiving menus.  I recently did these for a segment for the morning program on WSAV NBC News 3 here in Savannah and will be showcasing them on Better Mornings Atlanta later this week when I cook Thanksgiving Dinner live on the show with their anchors.

Unfortunately mini pumpkins can sometimes be difficult to find, either because it was a bad year with minimal supply, or they were marked down to make room for other seasonal oriented items.  I suggest buying a supply of them when you first see them at the beginning of the season and enjoy them as a decorative arrangement in a large basket or stacked on a tray on a sideboard.  You’ll have a beautiful seasonal décor element and as the season wears on you can draw from the display for your meals.

       Print This!    

This salad showcases some of the many flavors that are abundant this time of year.  Not only are the colors of outdoor foliage bright and beautiful, but so are the colors of produce such as pomegranates, pumpkins, figs, pomegranates and the other luscious prizes of the fall harvest.

Adding some cooked chicken either poached or from a rotisserie bird purchased at the grocery store could make this into a hearty entrée salad.  Grilled sausages served alongside would also turn this into a relatively quick hearty meal.  Finish the meal with a fruit cobbler that goes into the oven after the pumpkin is roasted and you’ve just made an easy, delicious, and healthy seasonal meal!

       Print This!