In part one of the Thanksgiving feast, I covered the menu and young Tom. In part two of the Thanksgiving feast, I will be talking about the sides and gravy. The Turkey is the centerpiece of the entire meal but is the sides and gravy that allow it to take center stage.

We all have our preferred sides, like mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, root vegetables, corn whether it is whole or creamed and everybody’s favorite cranberries. I have not forgotten the dressing for as some of us call it stuffing.

Let me start off first with the dressing or stuffing. There is a debate about whether or not the Turkey should be stuffed or not. To me it comes down to personal preference, some like myself who enjoy stuffing the Turkey. In my experiences I have not found it to dry out the Turkey nor have I found it to cause any food illnesses as long as the Turkey and stuffing or thoroughly cooked.

Whether the stuffing or dressing is to be put the in Turkey’s cavity or cooked separately the technique in preparing that dressing will be the same. The preparation of the dressing needs to start the night before, get yourself some day-old crusty bread like the French loaf or artisan bread, if you can find it get Challah bread. The night before begin breaking up the pieces and allow it to begin drying out, or if you do not have time you can lightly toast the bread in the oven. For me I like the old-fashioned way, letting go ahead and dry out the night before.

The next step will be to begin dicing up the ingredients that you wish to put into the dressing, for example, trinity (celery, onions, green peppers,) apples and whatever ingredients and you choose the use. Roast all the ingredients that you wish to place inside the bread mixture. If you going to add sausage do not put it in raw, that is a huge mistake. Cook the sausage thoroughly and place off the side the drain.

As for any great stuffing you will now need to start with herbs and spices, I like to use dry thyme, dry Rosemary, dry parsley, dry mushrooms and garlic. The reason you use dry herbs when it is cooking so long it will not burn up.

Remember, when stuffing the Turkey stuffing will absorb the juices from the turkey and expand, so do not over stuff the bird. This is another reason for shingling that bird with bacon and basting every 30 minutes to replace the moisture that is absorbed by the stuffing. The stuffing should be on the dry side and heated prior to putting into the cavity. This will help the stuffing and the bird to reach the same temperature at the same time.

When roasting the dressing separately from the bird, the technique is slightly different, instead of roasting the trinity (celery, onions and green peppers) you can sauté the aromatic vegetables. Since dressing will not be cooking along instead of using drying herbs and seasonings you replace them with fresh herbs and seasonings. You’ll also be able to add a little more moisture to you dressing.

From Good Eats “Stuff It’ Part 1

From Good Eats “Stuff It” Part 2

Looking over the menu we can see what is next is the mashed potatoes. We all love creamy smooth mashed potatoes and it starts with getting a starchy potato like Yukon Gold’s. Peel and rough chop the potatoes place him in a pot of cold water at least 1 to 2 inches above the potatoes season the water with kosher salt and bring to a boil, allow the potatoes are boiled to fork tender. Strain the potatoes into a colander and put back into the pot while still hot, reduce the heat to very low and allow the potatoes to finish steaming, this will help remove the moisture and give you a dryer potato.

In a separate saucepan, add the milk, heavy cream, butter, bay leaf, salt and pepper, if you like garlic in the potatoes add in your crushed garlic at this time; then allow the mixture to steep but not boil. By steeping the mixture you are infusing the flavors of the bay leaf and garlic into the mixture. Now the time has come to start smashing those potatoes you just cooked.

Make sure you have yourself a good old-fashioned potatoes smasher on hand. If by chance you have a potato ricer or potato mill in your kitchen then you will be up to get the creamy smooth mashed potatoes you see in restaurants. Most people like the rustic mashed potato with a few chunks in it.

After you have mashed up your potatoes you can begin to add the liquid into the potato mixture, if you have an electric hand mixer makes task easier. Add enough liquid that fit mixture is not dry but remains very moist with a good smooth consistency. At this time you can place a cover over them and they will stay warm for about 45 minutes to an hour.

Very important step is to remember not to over work those spuds, just enough to bring everyone together put cover on the pot and set off the side and it is will remain warm.

How to make Mashed Potatoes

We now have young Tom all dressed up, shingled up and in the oven roasting up. We now have done the first side, which is our mashed potatoes we can now look at doing the vegetable side of our menu.

It has become a tradition in my family to have mashed savory root vegetables. This is done very similarly to mashed potatoes, except in this case we use root vegetables like rutabaga, parsnips, carrots, celery root and turnips. Since this is a savory dish you will want to add savory herbs like fresh thyme and fresh Rosemary. As in the mashed potatoes you want to peel and dice the vegetables into 1/2 inch cubes. Instead of putting these vegetables into a pot of water you’ll want to roast them until they are fork tender. Remove them from the oven allow them to cool. While they are cooling in a separate saucepan add 2 cups of heavy cream, half cup of butter and season with salt-and-pepper. Allow the liquid to steep for about 20 minutes. Now here is my little secret add-in about a quarter cup of prepared horseradish. If you’re not a big horse radish fan you can omit this step.

As with the mashed potatoes, in a bowl begin mashing the root vegetables together or again if you have a potato mill. After you have mashed the root vegetables begin adding the liquid as you did with the mashed potatoes. Now you have savory mashed root vegetables that will enhance the Thanksgiving table.

The other part of our side dish is very simple it is creamed corn. If it is available you can buy ears of corn or you can buy canned corn and simply drained corn from liquid that is and can. Replacing that liquid with butter; at my family’s Thanksgiving table we like creamed corn. Now cheap and easy way would be by couple cans of all corn and a couple cans of creamed corn and mixed together, then add some pearl onions but that would not be me.

Start with whole corn on the cob, roasted in your oven (heck why not your already using it in this can be done the day before). After the corn has been roasted, place that ear of corn and set it vertical in the center of a bowl, using a knife scrap the kernels away from the cob, set aside. Using the dull side of the knife; scrap the pulp and milk away from the cob and reserve for later use.

Add the corn and pulled mixture to saucepan and cook over medium-high until the juice from the corn has tightened. Add the Rosemary. Sprinkle the corn was sugar and turmeric. Stir consistently for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle cornmeal into the corn, using a whisk to combine well. Add the heavy cream and cook until the corn has softened, about 2 to 3 min. Remove the Rosemary. Season with freshly ground black pepper, and cover and set off to the side.

Let us take a look at one last side before you move on to the gravy. Cranberries, no Thanksgiving table will be complete without some form of cranberries being served. Back in the 60s when I was growing up all he had was the canned jellied cranberries that was a circle mold that you sliced and placed on your platter.

Thankfully today we have moved past those days of the jellied cranberries. We have semi-options available to us and my favorite is cranberry chutney. This uses fresh cranberries, sugar, orange zest and cinnamon sticks with just a little bit a water to simmer in. It is very easy and very simple to make. Take your fresh cranberries and about half cup sugar, yard zest and cinnamon sticks and a little bit a water and allow the mixture to simmer for about 20 min.

This will enhance your Thanksgiving in ways we can jellied cranberries never could.

How to make Cranberry Chutney

Everyone has their own preferred gravy, there is giblet gravy, pan roasted turkey wing for many individuals and families there are special recipes that are only useful for a fine Thanksgiving dinner.

However you choose to make that gravy what you’re looking for is smooth lump free gravy is full flavor. The technique is all the same for making gravy. Start by making a roux which consists of equal parts fat and flour (the fat can be butter or from the pan drippings itself) in the case of pan gravy use the drippings with the flour and allow it to brown before adding your stock. Continue to whisk the gravy as it continues to thicken to prevent lumps from forming in the gravy. When done strain your gravy and serve in your gravy boat. Don’t have one; ask Mom or Grandma for theirs. Don’t serve it in a mason jar.

From Good Eats “Gravy Confidential” Part 1

From Good Eats “Gravy Confidential” Part 2

Next up on the board Part 3 How to keep from going crazy…

Thanksgiving the American feast, we each have our wonderful memories of Thanksgiving time with our family and friends. For me Thanksgiving was truly a special time. All the great smells, family, friends all gathered around and enjoying that feast that we call Thanksgiving.

For a truly wonderful Thanksgiving experience it starts days in advance of Thanksgiving Day. When planning your Thanksgiving menu you should start as early as possible, from the turkey to all sides, condiments and desserts should be planned well in advance of Thanksgiving.

When planning your cooking day do as much as you possibly can before the day of the cooking, you can do your prep work make of your sides ahead of time. For me Thanksgiving is one of the four days that I all out for my family and friends. Here is a typical menu for my Thanksgiving feast.

The Menu:

· Maple Roasted Turkey With Sage And Smoked Bacon

· Sage sausage, herb, Apple and mozzarella stuffing

· Savory Mashed Root Vegetables in a delicate horse radish sauce

· Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes

· Cranberry Chutney

· Turkey Gravy

.Creamed Corn with Pearl Onions

· Texas Roadhouse Style Buttery Dinner Rolls with honey cinnamon butter

· Old-Fashioned Apple Crumb Pie And Pecan Pie

Okay we now have the menu, let’s start building it. First let’s start with the turkey, purchase of the young Tom about a week before you plan to cook. You’ll want to allow enough time for the frozen bird to thaw. For the juiciest turkey you will want to brine that Turkey overnight (for brine recipe see below).

How to select the right bird for you From Alton Brown “Good Eats”

Brine recipe:

· 1 cup kosher salt

· 1/2 cup light brown sugar

· 1 gallon vegetable stock

· 1 tablespoon black peppercorns

· 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries

· 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger

· 1 gallon heavily iced water

Heat the vegetable stock and add all the ingredients to the stock except for the iced water. Allow the brine mixture to cool to room temperature (you can do this at least 24 to 48 hours and had you plan to brine the turkey).

Place the brine mixture into the refrigerator and allow it to get cool. Depending on the size of the turkey, you could put the turkey into the brine the morning of cooking or better yet the night before you plan to cook turkey.

Remove the brine solution from the refrigerator pour into 5 gallon clean bucket and then add the heavily iced water, then insert the turkey.

When inserting the turkey into the brine allow the breast be put down at the lowest part of the bucket, brine bag to allow the breast more time for brine. Flip the bird about halfway through the brine time. Allow approximately 1 to 1/2 hours per pound of turkey. Place the bucket in the brine and place into a cool location in the kitchen.

Brining allows at the molecular structure of the bird to retain more moisture as well as adding flavor to the bird itself.

The Brine Solution from Alton Brown’s “Good Eats”

When you’re ready to start cooking remove the turkey from the brine solution and place on roasting pan then pat dry both inside and out of the turkey dry. At this point you’ll have to decide whether or not you want to stuff the turkey or not. Some people say do not stuff the bird as it will dry the bird out and maybe the stuffing will not cook always through. Those of us like me, who grew up and watched our mothers and grandmothers stuff that Turkey for Thanksgiving still tend do it the old-fashioned way. If you choose to stuff the turkey allow additional time for the bird to cook all the way through.

Now that you have brined the turkey and placed it on your roasting pan it is time to decide how to season the bird. Thoroughly salt-and-pepper inside of the bird’s cavity, for a flavorful turkey separate the skin from the breast by inserting your fingers and expanding the skin away from the breast. Make yourself a compound butter that includes softened butter, minced fresh sage, minced fresh rosemary and minced garlic mixed into the softened butter.

Now it is time decide how you are going to cook that Turkey, whether you want to deep fry it or roast it. Both have its distinct advantages and flavors. I have done both and found each to be very juicy and flavorful. My personal preference is roasting. For me and my family you can’t beat smells that come out the kitchen wall that bird is roasting that is some that brings memories for Thanksgiving.

For this blog I am going to concentrate on roasting, to get that perfectly juicy, moist and flavorful turkey the cooking technique is very important.

Now that you have seasoned and/or stuffed your bird the next critical step is to truss your bird. Truss binds the bird together for even cooking.

Trussing a Turkey Alton Brown “Good Eats”

Preheat your oven to 500°F, after you have seasoned your bird inside the cavity, underneath skin and on top skin with salt-and-pepper; I also like to shingle the bird with smoked bacon. Prior to putting your turkey into the oven, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the bird. Then insert the turkey uncovered in the preheated oven. The bacon while it renders down the fat will help baste and add flavor to the turkey as well as add flavor to the drippings in the pan, to be used later for the pan gravy.

After 30 min. reduce the temperature of the oven from 500°F to 350°F and cover the turkey’s breast meat loosely with aluminum foil. You will want to cook the bird’s white breast meat until the meat thermometer reads 161°F or the dark thigh meat to 180°F. Remove the bird from the oven and allow resting for 15 min.

Roasting your Bird from Alton Brown’s “Good Eats” Part 1

Part 2

If you like you can baste the bird approximately every 30 min. but remember every time you open the door you extend the cooking time of the turkey. Between the brining and the shingling of the Bacon will provide very moist and flavorful bird you’ve ever tasted.

Maple Basting Glaze
1 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup hot water

Mix maple syrup and hot water in a separate bowl and baste turkey

Now that wasn’t hard was it, just make sure that white turkey breast meat has had chance to cook to 161°F or the dark thigh meat to 180°F and then rest for about 15 minutes, to allow the bird to relax from the cooking and juices to settle back into the meat.

Note Do not trust the pop-up thermometers that comes with the turkey. They are cheap epoxy loaded coiled springs that do not give an accurate reading. Get yourself an instant read thermometer or meat probe thermometers that you can insert while the bird is cooking in the oven.

The last battle before the the Turkey war is over is the carving of the Bird.

How to carve your Bird from Alton Brown’s “Good Eats”

Next up The Thanksgiving Feast Part 2 “The Sides and Gravy”.

Infusing flavors is what cooking is all about. In this podcast episode I talk about different ways Chefs go about infusing flavor into various dishes that we prepare for our clients.

[podcast]http://www.my-chef.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/infusion_my-chef_podcast_e01.mp3[/podcast]

I’m starting into a new direction with some of my blogging. As a Chef it is also important to understand not only what meal to prepare but why we prepare them. I for one need to adhere to my own advice to others. I have begun my own person journey to a healthier lifetstyle. I like so many others love food, age and various other reasons have led me down a path that I am not overly proud of.

This is reinvestment into my own life and hopefully as you journey with me we both can make adjustments into our lifestyles that will positively effect each of us.

Let us begin this journey by understanding eating disorders, by adjusting our lifestyle we can work to restore balance within our lives.

/Chef James

___________________________________________________________

By Diana Rodriguez
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

“A poor body image and feeling like you have no control over your life can contribute to an eating disorder. Learn why eating disorders actually have very little to do with food.”

An eating disorder isn’t really about food. The factors that lead to an eating disorder are complex. “There might be physiological genetic predispositions for anorexia and bulimia, and personality patterns associated with them,” says Martin Binks, PhD, director of behavioral health research at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center and assistant professor at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. Eating disorders may also be caused by the environment surrounding food that a person experiences growing up and by their early relationship with it.

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I thought this would be a good topic for me to write about taking into consideration that at the end of July, I will be grilling a whole hog at at a pool party.

In North Carolina it is pig picking time anytime of the year. The barbecue style will vary from what region of North Carolina you are in.  In the eastern part of the state, the entire pig (split down the middle) is cooked, and the sauce is made with vinegar and pepper. In the western part, only pig shoulders are cooked, and a tomato-based finishing sauce is used. Sorry ladies in North Carolina the cooking is usually done by males.

Prior to the Civil War pigs were the staple of eating in the South. I’m sure most of you have heard the saying “Bacon rules in the South”. Pig slaughtering became a time for celebration, and other families would be invited to share in the eating. Out of these gatherings grew the traditional southern barbecue. According to historians, southerners ate, on average, five pounds of pork for every one pound of beef.

In the 19th century, barbecues were an important feature of church functions and political rallies. Members of both political parties would come to the same gathering, with the leaders of each party competing with one another to supply the largest contribution of food and drink. Folks would gather from afar to reach the appointed place in time for the speeches, band concert, and all-important barbecue. The only accompaniments to the roast pig were thick slices of good bread, cucumbers (fresh and pickled), and whiskey. The saying “going whole hog” came out of these political rallies.

During the 20th century, barbecue joints or pits flourished (a typical joint or pit was a bare concrete floor covered by a corrugated tin roof and walls). Restaurants grew out of a simple barbecue pit where the owner sold barbecue to take away. Many were open only on weekends, since the “pit men” worked on farms during the week. As the century progressed, barbecue joints grew and prospered.

There are many ways and styles to cook a pig from Hawaiian style using a Imu (Hawaiian underground oven), Spit-Roasted to grilled. There are three basic steps involved.

1. Selecting and Buying your hog
2. The equipment
3. Cooking

1. Selecting and Buying your Hog
   • Order your pig from a specialty meat packer, grocery store or local locker. It is often necessary to give them 7 days advance notice. Before purchasing make sure the pig is absolutely clean.
   • Dressed pigs are 70% of the live weight. Smaller animals will have a greater percentage of bone and skin and will yield proportionately fewer servings of meat.
   • The carcass should be opened butterfly-fashion
   • Figure around 1 1/2lb of cooked meat per quest.

   2. The equipment (in this case grilling a hog)

   • The temperature at the roast should be kept constant and around 200-250 degrees F.
   • Most grills will have thermometers installed to monitor temperature. If not, use a large meat thermometer inserted in a top vent.
   • The outside temperature, wind, type of equipment, all will have an effect on maintaining this temperature.
   • Split the rib bones at the spine to allow pig to lay flat, being careful not to pierce skin.
   • Fill grill with charcoal. (about 70lbs for 100lb pig).
   • Let charcoal burn until it has turned ash-gray.
   • Place heavy wire, the size of the pig, over the grill, 13 inches from the coals.
   • Place pig flat, skin side up on wire surface.
   • Place second wire over pig, sandwiching pig between the 2 layers of wire (if available)

   3.  Cooking (thawed hog cooks best)

   • Because of variants in sizes, shapes, weights, air currents and methods of barbecuing, among others, it is difficult to give a rule of minutes per pound.
   • For estimate grilling times for a 100lb hog with a cooker temperature of 225-250 degrees with lid closed 7-8 hours
   • Always check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer
   • Once the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F, the roast should be removed.
   • A good place to check is the ham, as it is the largest section of the hog.
   • Baste your hog once each hour with your basting mop and favorite basting sauce.
   • Turn hog over half way through cooking process.
   • ***Time is a variant! One must be flexible in the timing and cooking process, checking the hog often is essential.

Last, but not least, when you plan a pig pickin’ select a congenial group that likes good food and lots of fellowship and you’ll have a successful pig pickin’.

Barbecue Sauce
Listed below are ingredients for a eastern North Carolina sauce for those who desire a vinegar flavor.

Ingredients Approximately 6 quarts Approximately 1 quart
Vinegar 2 quarts 2 cups
Worchestershire sauce 4 tbls 1 tbls
Hot pepper sauce 4 tbls 1 tbls
Chili powder 4 tbls 1 tbls
Paprika 8 tbls 2 tbls
Black pepper 12 tbls 3 tbls
Salt 12 tbls 3 tbls
Mustard (dry) 3 teas 3/4 teas
Water (optional) 2 cups 1/2 cup

For all you food enthusiasts out there, I have decided to launch a new project called the “My-Chef WiKi Project”. The My-Chef WiKi Project has been a desire of mine for some time. I finally got around to taking it off the back burner and begin to build a culinary repository of information.

My dream and desire is for this to grow with fertile creative ideas, suggestions and articles that come from a wide spectrum of people from the casual food enthusiast, culinary students along with various levels of culinary Chef’s from the Food Service Industry and Culinary Schools. Coming together for one reason “Our love and passion for Food”

I’m not asking for financial assistance but I am asking for assistance for creative ideas and articles Yes I will be shamelessly promoting it and ask that each of you do as well.

For those that wish to contribute on regular bases, I am looking at various ways to show my appreciation on the My-Chef.org web site.

I know I get to do all the easy work, like building it and then leaving the hard work for others. Seriously, this can become a very enjoyable project for all that wish to become part of and assist in its growth and maturation.

For me it’s like planting that little seed in the spring, fertilizing it, watering it, caring for it, while watching it grow to its full potential.

If you have an interested you can get me on Face Book.

To see what I am building you can click the link below to the My-Chef WiKi Project.
http://www.my-chef.org/wiki/

Spring is in the air and I am totally stoked!!!

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Growing up in a American-Polish-Irish household was a unique experience to say the least. Holiday’s were something special especially when it came time to sit down for dinner, St. Patrick’s Day with the memories of a traditional corned beef and cabbage was no exception. Growing up it was my favorite holiday dinner.

If it wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day in my house without Corned Beef & Cabbage, here’s an authentic recipe. Cured beef was a traditional St. Patrick’s Day dinner; the beef killed and preserved before winter could then be eaten after the long Lenten fast.

In the truest sense of the word then, this really doesn’t qualify as a traditional Irish recipe. But, it has become so closely associated with the Irish and St. Patrick’s Day, I’d be remiss not to include it.

After the Irish potato blight, or Great Famine, of the mid-19th century brought hundreds of Irish emigrants to the shores of America, the newly immigrated Irish Americans found corned beef to be both more accessible and more affordable than it was in Ireland. Both corned beef and cabbage were ingredients of the lower working class, and their popularity among the Irish population likely had little to do with similarities to the food of Ireland and more to due with the relatively inexpensive nature of salt cured beef and green cabbage.

For several decades following the Irish immigration, St Patrick’s Day was celebrated with music, crafts and revelry but banquets, while lavish, contained a scarcity of traditional Irish cuisine. However by the 1920s, corned beef and cabbage came to have an association with Irish American cooking, according to Hasia Diner in Hungering for America: Italian, Irish and Jewish Foodways in the Age of Migration and joined Irish bacon and greens as a food reminiscent of Ireland.

Now that St. Patrick’s Day has finally here and you’re tired of looking at that succulent beef brisket that has been sitting in your refrigerator week or two. Now is the time to take it out to begin preparing it so you, your family and friends can reap the fruits of your labor.

Ingredients:

• 4-pound corned beef brisket [see Note 1].
• 16 cups beef stock
• 3 large carrots, cut into large chunks
• 6 to 8 small onions, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon powdered English mustard
• 1 large spring of fresh thyme and several parsley stalks [see Note 2]
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• 4 whole allspice berries
• 2 whole cloves
• 2 T Tomato Paste
• 1 cabbage [see Note 3]
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Brine Beef Brisket prior to cooking (see Note 4).
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.Place beef Brisket in colander in sink and rinse brisket under cold water.
3. Add oil to heated Dutch Oven and sear brisket to a deep brown color on all sides.
4. Add the beef stock, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice, cloves, brown sugar, tomato paste, thyme/celery bundle, powdered English mustard, salt and pepper to taste.
5. Bring to boil, uncover and skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Cover and transfer pan to the oven, braise until very tender about 3 hours and 45 minutes
6. Transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and cover tightly with foil to keep warm. Add the cabbage and potatoes to the cooking liquid and bring to a boil.
7. Add more stock if needed. Heat and simmer vegetables until they are tender, about 20 minutes.
8. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cabbage to a large platter.
9. Slice the corned beef across the grain of the meat into thin slices. Lay the slices over the cabbage and surround it with the potatoes. Ladle some of the jot cooking liquid over the corned beef and season with pepper.
10. Serve immediately with the horseradish sauce.

In addition to quality “Stone Ground Deli Mustard”, I also like the following horseradish sauce:

For the Horseradish Sauce

• 3/4 cup Mayonnaise
• 3/4 Sour Cream
• 1.4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated horseradish (with liquid)
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• Black Pepper, cracked or course (to taste)

Preparation:

1. Freshly cracked black pepper In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, lemon zest, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt.
2. Season generously with pepper to taste.
3. Refrigerate the horseradish sauce for at least 30 minutes before serving.

[Note 1] ‘Silverside’ if you can get it; many butchers are familiar with the term and can prepare your cut of brisket in this special way. But, do allow them several days to prepare it properly.

[Note 2] Tie the thyme and celery together it will be easier to remove later

[Note 3] I prefer my cabbage crispy firm, so, I cook it separately. Cooked quickly in boiling water, it retains its beautiful bright green color. I season it heavily with fresh ground pepper and I don’t go easy on the butter!

[Note 4] For a more flavorful brisket it is best to brine it prior to braising. Here is a great brine recipe for corned beef Brining Corned Beef

In the Irish American tradition, here is to a tanker of ice cold Guinness and mouth watering falling apart juicy succulent corned beef and cabbage.

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Create corned beef brine if you want to turn a slab of beef brisket into the best cut of corned beef you’ve ever tried. If you are looking for a great way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or just hankering for a slice of corned beef and cabbage (with a dab of horseradish, of course), you can make your own delicious corned beef by using this brine recipe.

Both the English and Irish have been corning beef (brining beef) for centuries. Salt kernels used to look a lot like corn kernels, hence the name "corned beef." This technique is used to transform a tough piece of beef into a melt-in-your-mouth delicacy we now associate with the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day and everything Irish.

A basic brining recipe is salt and water, but you’ll want to add some additional spices to make a truly delicious corned beef. Give yourself plenty of time to prepare this meal-traditionally the beef brisket sits in the brine between one and two weeks before it’s cooked.

You will always want to brine your brisket in the refrigerator at a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower (use bags of ice to keep temperature low if needed) so you do not risk the growth of bacteria. To brine your brisket, invest in a large plastic container and move the shelves of your refrigerator such that you can place the pot of meat and brining solution in the refrigerator until you are ready to drain and cook it.

Corned Beef Brine Recipe

Ingredients You Will Need:
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon paprika
4 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon saltpeter dissolved in ½ cup warm water

Instructions:

Combine the ingredients listed above and pour over the brisket. Turn the brisket once a day as it sits in the refrigerator for between one and two weeks. Drain brisket. Simmer in pot full of water for one hour, then discard the water.

There are variations to cooking methods after the brisket has been brined, personally I prefer braising the brisket. This provides carmelization and flavor to the brisket that simple boiling will not. Use this brine and experiement with how you want to cook your brisket. Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe will be my next post so be looking for it as we get closer the St. Paddy’s day. Have fun brining!!!

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I was having a conversation with a friend and she was telling me she made this dinner that included Kielbasa, red potatoes, shrimp, crab. She told me that she used a great mid Atlantic seasoning called “Old Bay Seasoning” , she made a butter dipping sauce and I believe another sauce with horseradish which I believe would be a cocktail sauce.

This got me thinking which is better to steam or not to steam. There are obvious advantages to steaming with crabs and lobster, very Delicious if steamed properly. I was like most people in the kitchen, boil, steam or pressure cook food, mostly seafood, hey I did not know better then.

That was then this is now. When it comes to shellfish like shrimp there is a great level of flavor in their shells. Steaming you lose that extra flavor that needs to be replaced with condiments such as reductions, sauces or dips.

If whole crab and lobster are on the menu steaming really can be done. The new trend is “Steam Kettle Cooking” which typically include shrimp, crab, lobster, clams and trinity in a tomato cream-based sauce.

What is Steam Kettle Cooking? Steam Kettle Cooking and pan roasting can be interchanged. Steam Kettle refers to the type of stock pot used with seafood typically shellfish. Pan Roasting is done in a slightly different pan with meats and vegetables. The advantages to both are very flavorful, succulent dishes.

Steamed Mussels in a White Wine Sauce

*IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT MUSSELS*
Mussels are best if served as quickly after purchase as possible. If you must store them, keep them in icy cold water in the refrigerator. When you are ready to prepare them, check to see if any of the mussels have opened. If so, discard them.

Ingredient List:
4 pounds of mussels, washed and beards removed

for sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups chopped red onion
3 cups light white wine (Pinot Grigio is great)
3 crushed garlic cloves

Preparation:

1. Using a vegetable steamer, or a collander in a heavy sauce pan, steam the mussels over one quart of boiling water and one cup white wine approximately 10 minutes. At this point the mussels should open – discard those that have not opened.

2. Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat, add the onions, wine and garlic. Simmer until the wine reduces to half.

3. Once the mussels are steamed add one cup of the mussel broth to the sauce and stir together.

4. Place the opened mussels in a large bowl and pour the remaining sauce over them.

Mussels are a little tricky to eat. But if you follow these directions you will look like a professional. Empty one shell, but make sure the hinge stays intact. Then use that shell almost like tweezers to pluck the meat from the other shells. Use the bread to soak up the broth.

This is a great recipe for most shellfish. There are variations such as adding cream to the sauce for that French or Italian cuisine. Then there is always the Asian style of steaming

Steamed Asian Style Mussels:

Ingredient List:
36 fresh live mussels (green lipped)
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon minced ginger
finely grated rind of a lemon or lime
2 tablespoons sweet thai chili sauce
¼ cup of chopped fresh coriander
2 spring onions, finely sliced

Preparation:

Scrub mussels and remove the beards. Heat the oil in large saucepan with the garlic, lemon rind and ginger to sizzle for a couple of seconds. Add the chili sauce and mussels, cover for 3 to 4 minutes until mussels open

Steamed shellfish like mussels, shrimp, scallops are great served with bread on a bed of rice or a side of pasta.