Many Reasons I Heart East Tennessee

Today, like many days, proved itself interesting, and full of stuff and things. My Aunt is here which always is pleasant. Things are easy and fun and she is wonderful and full of light and inspiration. I woke up to my first official frost after the disappointment of Siri/My weather App telling me it was going to snow on Tuesday. I had mentally and physically prepared by purchasing wine before her arrival so I wouldn't have to drive in the snow. Fail! No snow....just rain but we went to the movies and saw My Week With Marilyn, which was fantastic. Insert uneventful Wednesday, and that brings us to today. Three good meals in and my Aunt Toots now knows I am a good cook.

We ran some errands and of course ran into some of my favorite Tennessee regulars. Faye, asked about Thanksgiving and was sweet as pie, as usual. I want to clone her. She told me how she split her time among her husband's family and her's and didn't have to cook and she was so proud that I did. Win! Then there's the other regulars who feed it to me straight and make me feel like the luckiest girl in the world for being here and loving Tennessee like they do.

Later we stopped by this place in Clinton, TN (next to my bank) that was founded in 1930. It's part Drug Store, part Soda Shop, part Restaurant and filled with the nicest people in America. I found a shiny little gift that I told the gentleman that was helping me, that I would buy if they put a bow on it. He said, "You don't want me to tie it, but I'm sure I'll find someone here who will." Bless his heart! He gave us a Pharmacist who was delighted to help. She started pulling ribbons and said only the wire double sided would do, and the proceeded to make a bow like I had never seen.

Having been half joking when I asked for a bow, I didn't expect Martha herself to show up and show me up. I stopped her and politely asked how she was doing what she did and advised her she should teach classes. With more than a smile she proudly said, "I was a Brownie Scout!. When I was young, a woman from Hallmark came and taught us to make bows." I could have fallen over at this point. I was a Daisy, Brownie and Jr. Girl Scout and never did some woman from Hallmark show up to teach me how to make a bow. All those years and now I'm however old and learning bows in a family owned Drug Store in TimbucTennessee! She continued with, "It doesn't matter how fancy the gift, as long as it is wrapped pretty or has a fancy bow on it." Words of wisdom that ring so true. She then said how she had the greatest job in the world because some days she can sell a fishin' license and other days she gets to make bows. Now I want to be a pharmacist/fishing license selling/bow maker as my career of choice.

So, today I learned how to make pretty bows. I learned that Mom & Pop Shop's are still awesome and serve things from a soda fountain late at night. I learned smiles come from things like frost covering your yard in the early morning. When you think you can't handle the cold, walk outside and watch the sun come up. My yard looked liked it was sprinkled with all colors of glitter with the frost and sunshine mixing. If you haven't seen it you need too! Joy comes from within the spirit of the holiday you choose to celebrate. I am making my December care packages soon and can't wait for my friends to enjoy some wonderful holiday treats from my happy Tennessee kitchen.

xoxo
Mandy

Got Leftovers? Turkey Tetrazzini

In the good old days when my mom used to cook, she was a master at casseroles. What we now see as retro cooking is actually genius comfort food with a purpose. Casseroles can be made in advance, frozen, given as gifts to someone in need of a home cooked meal, and utilize ingredients that may have been another meal the evening before. Transforming things is a pleasant way of not wasting perfectly good food and bringing new joy to a meal. There is a reason Thanksgiving is only once a year and honestly who wants to eat the same thing several days in a row?

Turkey Tetrazzini is a myth to me. I have only heard about how my mom and other people always made it and I had never tasted it. People don't call Tetrazzini a casserole because of the connotations of what a casserole is in their memory banks. I however, would like to demystify making it and debunk the untruths that casseroles are passé. They remain lovely and comforting and can be given new life. If you show up at a friends with a homemade casserole and all they have to do is bake it, believe me, you will be remembered by that friend many years down the road. I don't know why our culture has gotten away from home cooking and sharing but I would much rather eat a small portion of home cooking than a pizza that tastes like cardboard any day!

I made a baked version of Eggplant Parmesan recently and it was one of the greatest meals ever. I would happily show up to my best friends house with it and enjoy a glass of wine with her family while it baked. Knowing what goes in your food is important. I read an article recently that said our country as a whole is 20 lbs heavier than it was 20 years ago. This is exactly the time when coffee joints started popping up offering drinks that are loaded with calories, people got away from cooking at home, and fast food meant sacrificing flavor and actually isn't any quicker when you think about drive time or waiting for the delivery guy who may have let your pizza fall to the floor while he was texting his buddy about what he is doing later.

Get in the kitchen! Grow what you can at home! Don't make excuses for how busy you are or how you don't have the space for a garden. I grew an enormous amount of tomatoes and an herb garden on a condo balcony. The whole project cost me less than $20 and the product return was incredible. I probably would have spent four times that at the store for the heirloom tomatoes and fresh herbs that I was able to cultivate and I knew what was in the soil.

Turkey Tetrazzini

3-4 cups Pasta, any kind of noodle you like. I used Rotini
2-3 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups broccoli, fresh
3/4 cup frozen sweet peas
3 cups turkey, chopped into 1 inch pieces
8 T butter divided
1/4 cup AP flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk, organic
1/4 cup cream
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup cooking sherry
1/3 cup shredded Swiss or other white cheese
2/3 cup shredded Parmesan or other Italian cheese, divided in half
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Good salt and pepper TT

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook the pasta is boiling salted water for half the time you normally would. Drain and set aside. You want it very al dente since it will continue cooking after you drain it and when you bake it.
Sauté the mushrooms in 2 T butter until nicely browned and then add a splash of sherry and the thyme. Set aside.
Make a roux with 4 T butter and the flour over medium heat whisking constantly 3-5 minutes or until golden brown and the flour is cooked. Slowly add in the milk and cream whisking to avoid lumps. Add in the broth and sherry. Cook for 8-10 minutes stirring constantly. Add in the Swiss and half the Parmesan, lemon juice, zest, nutmeg and then check for seasoning S&P.
In a large bowl, mix the pasta, turkey, mushrooms, raw broccoli and frozen peas. Pour the sauce over it and combine. Pour into a large casserole dish.
Melt the last 2 T butter.
Mix the breadcrumbs, the other half of the Parmesan, and paprika and sprinkle over the casserole. Drizzle with melted butter and take it to a friends house now or bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling.

Thanksgiving: Heirloom Quinoa With Asparagus and Mushrooms

On my trip to New York recently, my buddy Josh was practicing his cooking skills and made a Turkey dinner. One of the side dishes he served was Quinoa and Asparagus. Quinoa (pronounced, Keen-Wah) is one of my favorite grains. I often make Quinoa Cakes, a vegetarian dish that I discovered at Whole Foods about ten years ago. It is a pleasant alternative to rice as a side dish and can be made many ways. The version I most often find in the store is a light colored grain. The Heirloom Black variety, I came across at Williams-Sonoma. It has a little more bite to it and the color difference is stunning. In my Thanksgiving meal I added Asparagus and three varieties of mushrooms, Oyster, Shitake, and Baby Bella. It was my favorite side dish and can be made year round with any meal.


Heirloom Quinoa with Asparagus and Mushrooms

1 cup Black Heirloom Quinoa
3 cups water or chicken broth
1 shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 cups cleaned mushrooms, Oyster, Shitake, Baby Bellas, sliced
1 bunch skinny asparagus, 1 1/2 inch pieces
Salt and Pepper TT
1 T each butter and oil

Rinse the quinoa well under cold water. Place the quinoa and broth or water in a small pot, bring to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer for 20-25 minutes. Set aside and allow to rest. Heat a saute pan and add the butter and oil. Saute the shallots and garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and cook on medium low heat. Bring the heat up to medium and add the asparagus. Cook until tender but do not overcook. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the quinoa and toss it all together. Serve warm.

Thanksgiving: Corn Souffle

I was surprised when my father asked me to make a corn souffle. I have never heard him mention it in all the many years I have been making Thanksgiving meals. Honestly, I didn't think I would like it and the recipes called for canned and boxed ingredients. Considering I was making Twinkie stuffing, I thought this was cheating again and lost the battle when we were grocery shopping and he picked up all the ingredients for it. It turned out great and made a wonderful addition to our meal. I might make it again but a more complicated, fresh version so I have some personal satisfaction as a chef. The recipe is quick and easy and bakes in about 30 minutes. I served it warm. He enjoyed it so that is success to me.

Corn Souffle

1 package Jiffy Cornbread mix
1 can Corn, whole, drained
1 can Creamed Style Corn
1 stick Butter, melted
1 cup Sour Cream
2 Eggs

Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased baking dish. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Thanksgiving: Twinkie Stuffing With Cranberries

Twinkie Stuffing!!??! Yep! I made it. I did add my own twist on the recipe as usual and the result was amazing. I would make it again and again. I was surprised by the outcome especially considering I wanted to make it as a humorous element to my Thanksgiving day feast. The original recipe seemed bland to me and with the addition of dried cranberries and roasted peeled chestnuts, there was texture and the sweetness needed to complete the meal without having to make cranberry sauce which is not one of my favorite things. I always bake my stuffing separate and this is an easy recipe if you make the cornbread muffins a day ahead of time. This delicious dish will be a conversation starter at your family feast!

Twinkie Stuffing

1 package Jiffy Cornbread Muffins, prepared according to box instructions
6 Twinkies,halved lengthwise, filling removed and reserved for Turkey Glaze
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, diced
1-2 T chopped herbs (same as your Turkey herbs)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 package roasted peeled chestnuts, chopped
1 stick of butter, melted
1 can chicken broth

Rough chop the Twinkies and Cornbread muffins. Mix in the apple, cranberries and chestnuts. Place the chopped herbs in the melted butter and add to the bread mixture. Pour in the chicken broth and gently mix. Place in a greased or parchment lined baking dish and bake at 350-375 until top is golden brown and stuffing is heated through.

Thanksgiving: Twinkling Citrus Turkey

Thanksgiving meals are easy and stress free for me. I started making them by myself when I was 15 years old and have learned a lot since then. Timing is everything. Knowing how long each item will take to prepare is key to having everything complete at the same time. No one wants cold mashed potatoes or to have to wait for the gravy. My advice for dessert is to make it a day ahead or to bake it while everyone is eating.

My most memorable Thanksgiving actually was the one year I didn't have turkey and my father and I went to Italy for 9 days. Finding a turkey dinner in Rome is a challenge and I didn't bother to look too hard. This Thanksgiving is memorable to me because I woke up and looked out of my kitchen window and saw eleven wild turkeys trotting across my yard. I often see them but usually in the late afternoon and never that close to the house. They are really beautiful.

Each year I stuff my turkey with lemons and oranges, herbs and shallots. I also always make it in an oven bag. The result is a moist turkey with flavor that is bright and delicious and you don't have to constantly baste it. This year I wanted to change it up a bit after I came across a recipe for Twinkling Turkey. Twinkie has a recipe book believe it or not, and I came across an online article about how you baste the turkey with a mixture of the cream filling and honey and the stuffing is made with the sponge cake. I don't stuff my turkey with stuffing because it takes so much longer to cook and I am scared of killing someone if it's not heated all the way through. The oranges and lemons impart a unique flavor and it's how I make a perfect turkey every year.




Twinkling Citrus Turkey

12-22 lb Turkey
2 oranges, zested and quartered
2 lemons, zested and halved
Salt and Pepper TT
Bunch of Fresh Rosemary, chopped
Bunch of Fresh Sage, chopped
Bunch of Fresh Thyme, chopped
2 Shalllots chopped
1 stick of butter, melted

Roasting Pan
Oven bag
1 T flour

For the Glaze
Cream filling from 6 Twinkies
1/4 cup honey
zest from 1 orange

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove the parts from the cavity and discard or set aside for giblet gravy. Rinse the entire turkey and cavity with cold water. Drain and pat dry with a paper towel. Salt and pepper the inside of the cavity generously. Mix together the chopped herbs, citrus zest, and shallots. Place some whole stems of herbs in the cavity and fill with oranges and lemons at both ends. Place herbs and zest under the skin and also cover the outside. Salt and pepper TT. Pour melted butter over the turkey and under the skin. Place 1 T of flour in the oven bag and arrange it on the roasting pan. Carefully transfer the turkey to the oven bag with the flour in it. Cute 4-5 slits in the top of the bag and cook in the oven until it's done. The last 15 or so minutes, check the temperature and cut open the bag. Mix the glaze and cover the turkey with it. Cook until golden brown. Remove the bird from the oven and allow to rest 20-30 min before carving.

Evening of Thanks

What a glorious time to be in Tennessee! We all have so much to be thankful for in our busy lives. This evening I would like to extend a special THANK YOU to my friends and crazy family. In what has proved to be an interesting year you have been so supportive during times of laughter, through tears, joy, elation, surprises and never-ending adventures! You bring smiles to my face daily and inspire me, for that I am forever thankful. I'm also thankful for the state of Tennessee for teaching me so much about life, love, and the land. Shoutout to my military friends who are serving or have served and their families for their sacrifice, for our well being.

Cheers to all of you! Wishing you lot's of turkey and memories that tomorrow brings. Enjoy the day and every day you have :)

I better get busy prepping this meal since I only have one good hand right now!

xoxo
Mandy in East Tennessee