Pumpkin Pie with Cranberry Glazing

Ingredients, Serves 4: 1 cup canned pumpkin 8 oz gingersnaps (you can find them in the cookie aisle) 1/2 cup walnuts 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Filling: 1 cup canned pumpkin 1/3 cup light brown sugar 1 tablespoon honey 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground clover 2 large eggs 3/4 cup heavy cream Cranberry Glaze: 2 cups fresh cranberries 1/4 cup orange juice 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour Holidays are made for pies!  and Pumpkin pie rules!  Especially when you make the crust out of gingersnaps and walnuts and top it was...

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Whole Turkey (Deconstructed)

Sous Vide Details: Cook turkey dark meat at 176F for 8-10 hours, cook turkey white meat at 145F for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours Ingredients, Serves 4 - 6: 15 lb whole turkey (organic or natural works best) Your favorite poultry herbs (I love rosemary, thyme and sage) 16 oz duck fat Salt and pepper to taste Brine (needs to be done the day before cooking): 1 gallon vegetable stock 1 cup kosher salt 1/2 cup light brown sugar 2 tablespoon peppercorns 1 gallon iced water 1 clean 5 gallon bucket with two bag liners I LOVE Thanksgiving!  To me, giving thanks for my family through a wonderfully cooked meal is a perfect way to celebrate....

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Mushroom Stuffing

Ingredients, Serves 4: 10 cups day old bread, cubed 3 cups low fat milk 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVO) 1 turkey liver, minced 1 teaspoon truffle oil 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 8 cloves garlic, minced 4 shallots, minced 2 cups finely chopped onions 3 stalks of celery, sliced cross-wise 2 lbs your favorite mushrooms (chantrelle, shitake, oyster), stems removed and coarsely chopped 1/4 cup Italian parsley, coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon thyme, finely chopped Pepper to taste 2 large eggs, lightly beaten This stuffing is earthy and has an incredible depth to it.  Pre-heat the oven to 350F.  Coat a 9 x 13 inch...

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Rosemary Potato Rolls

Ingredients, Serves 4: 1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped into thumb size pieces 1 lb bread flour (or all purpose unbleached flour) 3/4 cup water 2 teaspoons instant yeast 2 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon ground sage leaves The smell of rosemary during the holidays is hypnotic!  Combine that with the fresh smell of baking bread and you have me at "Hello"!  These rolls make a great side dish for dinner and a great sandwich bun for the next day.  My son brought this recipe with him from school.  He's a budding bakery chef and a very...

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Brussels Sprouts with Frizzled Leeks

Ingredients, Serves 4: 2 1/2 lbs brussels sprouts cut into quarters 3/4 cup extra virgin oil (EVO) 1 cup walnuts 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon grainy mustard 2 tablespoons honey 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/3 cup shallots, minced 2 oz anchovies, drained and minced Frizzled Leeks: 1 leek 1/3  cup wondra flour Salt and pepper to taste Vegetable oil Brussels sprouts have a bad rap in some circles.  I used to be in those circles until I tried a couple recipes that used them.  Wow, they have a wonderfully deep taste to them which goes well in the winter and especially for...

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Whole Trout Asian Style on Bed of Broccolini and Mushrooms

Sous Vide Details: Cook whole trout at 132F for 1 hours Ingredients, Serves 2: 1 whole fresh trout (2 lbs) 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced scallions  1 cup thinly sliced ginger 1/2 cup shredded carrots 1 cup chopped cilantro 2 minced garlic cloves 4 tablespoons soy sauce (I use light soy sauce) 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVO) 2 tablespoons sesame seed oil 2 tablespoons grape seed oil For the broccolini and mushroom bed: 2 bunches broccolini 2 cups shimeji mushrooms 3/4 cup chicken broth 2 tablespoons extra virgin oil 2 tablespoons your favorite vinegar (I used champagne vinegar) 2 tablespoons soy sauce salt...

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Fennel Crusted Ahi Tuna Steak

Sous Vide Details: Cook Ahi Tuna at 110F for 15 minutes Ingredients, Serves 2: 2 Ahi Tuna steaks (fresh!) 1/3 cup fennel seeds (ground if you don't have a spice grinder) 2 tablespoons coriander seeds (ground if you don't have a spice grinder) 1 tablespoon white peppercorns (again, ground if you don't have a spice grinder) 2 tablespoons grade seed oil Click here for the diced vegetable salad I love sashimi tuna so I decided to make an Ahi tuna dinner the other night for variety.  It was also the first time doing Ahi Tuna sous vide.  I checked a couple sous vide websites and got various temperature suggestions, but the...

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