Thanksgiving is almost upon us....

Today I spent most of my day in the kitchen - cleaning and cooking. Mostly cleaning though. Now I'm pretty pooped and relatively determined that the first thing on my list to Santa this year will be a dish washer. You see, we don't have a dish washer. Well... we have one... it's from 1960 and doesn't work, though. We also don't have a garbage disposal. That's right, folks, we wash all of our dishes by hand and we can't throw whatever we want into the sink! So cooking is not just a matter of making dishes, but also one of CLEANING dishes. You have to think "how many times can I use this fork to mix this or that" while you bake. Or wonder whether the spatula REALLY needs to be thoroughly washed or if you can just give it a nice rinse with hot water. Because every dish you make you know you have to wash. It's quite tedious, really.

Usually Aj lets me off the hook - I clean, and he does dishes. But he didn't want to do the dishes last night and like a ninny I said it was OK. There were a lot of dishes!!! After about 3 hours of cleaning and cooking my back was tense and I was ready to sit down. But of course anything I didn't prep today would just mean I'd be waking up even earlier tomorrow. So cooking it was! Funny thing is, by the time I made it to dinner all I had energy for was heating up a can of Spaghettios... but I digress.

This blog is about recipes, right?! There's one dish I make every year. In my eyes, it's not Thanksgiving without Sweet Potato Casserole. Now a lot of people do crazy caramel pecan brown sugar streusel shenanigans, but for me it's the marshmallow topping! Yum!! This recipe was passed down to me from my father, and tweaked slightly. The photo is before topping is added, since I'm prepping in advance for baking it tomorrow. If you have a small family to feed, or want to make this on a regular weeknight, just halve the recipe, using 2 eggs instead of 3.


Sweet Potato Casserole

• 7-8 lbs peeled & cubed sweet potato, boiled until soft
• 2 tsp. Vanilla extract
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 C. White sugar
• 1/2 C. Light brown sugar
• 1 stick of butter, cut into 1tbsp chunks
• 3 Tbsp. Flour
• 1/2 tbsp. Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. Cloves
• 1/8 tsp. Ground Ginger
• 1 Bag jumbo jet-puffed marshmallows
  

1. Mash together boiled potatoes and butter either by hand, or with an electric mixer, until creamy.
2. Add in flour, spices, and sugar and mix together.
3. Add in eggs and vanilla and continue mixing until creamy but slightly stiff. If potatoes won't stiffen, add a bit more flour.
4. Pour into a casserole dish and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and cover with jumbo marshmallows, leaving small spaces in between each.
   
6. Return to oven for 5 minutes or until marshmallows are toasted.

I also made a pie tonight. Unfortunately, the ginger-snap crust became overcooked because the oven temperature fluctuates too high, and the pan was too close to the heating elements. Here is a photo of the pie before it went into the oven. Don't get me wrong, we're still going to eat it! It's just that the crust is a bit burned and we aren't sure we want to take it for Thanksgiving tomorrow. We might just eat the filling, which turned out delicious. I made the filling with pumpkin eggnog instead of the traditional cream or condensed milk. If it weren't for the burned crust, this pie would be DELICIOUS! I'll definitely have to try the recipe again and maybe I can post it when it's a little more tried and true!

A Firey Sort of Night

Mere days from Thanksgiving! Man, has it been busy... Work is busy, home is busy - everything is busy! Today Aj and I set to work doing a little "fall cleaning" if you will. Things needed to be done. Weird places dusted and cleaned, rugs washed, front porch swept. All those things you look at and say "Uhg that looks awful... I need to take care of that" and then go about your merry way. Today was for all of THOSE things. We're preparing the way for holiday baking, tree trimming, and general merrymaking. This is my favorite time of year (though not my favorite season). Food, laughter, family, snow and pretty lights - that's what makes winter awesome!

Tonight I'm making two recipes given to me by friends. Jalapeno Cornbread, and Baked Buffalo Wings. The spicy kick to both of them are perfect as the weather gets colder, and really they're not that bad for you! Not really particularly GOOD... but not bad. All of us being from the south, the recipes have to be tried and true before we pass them on. We know what's good, so it's our duty to share it - girl to girl.

Baked Buffalo Wings

Preheat oven to 400°F

• 3/4 C. Flour
• 5 Tsp. Cayenne
• 1/2 Tsp. Garlic powder
• 1/2 Tsp. Salt
• 20 Chicken wings (opt for party wings if you have the option)
  
• 1/2 C. Melted butter
• 1/2 C. Frank's Red Hot

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil & grease with cooking spray.
   
2. Place flour, cayenne, garlic powder & salt into gallon bag and shake to mix.
3. Toss chicken wings in flour mixture
4. Place the wings on the baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (this helps keep the coating on as they cook)
5. Whisk butter & hot sauce in a small bowl and dip the wings in to coat. (Be careful, if you have cuts on your hands it will burn! Working in a book store, I've always got one papercut or another...)
6. Bake time (party wings) 20 minutes. Bake time (full wing) 35 minutes. Turn wings 1/2 way through cooking. If any sauce is leftover, you can baste the wings with more sauce after turning.
   

Nutrition: Serves 4. Calories: 343 Fat: 22.5g Carbs: 19.1g

Jalapeno Cornbread

Preheat to 400°F

• 1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
• 1 egg
• 2/3 c. milk
  
• 1/4 c. finely chopped nacho jalapenos
• 2 tsp. jalapeno juice
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. garlic juice

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Fill muffin cups almost all the way full and let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Bake at 400°F for 10-15 minutes.

The sweetness of the Jiffy cornbread pairs really well with the spicy, vinegar-y nacho jalapenos. A really quick add on to dinner! If you don't use muffin cups, make sure to grease your pan.

Dinner with Anthony Bourdain

Usually Thursdays are a total scramble. It's up in the morning at 6:30 AM and out the door by 7:30 - then it's the usual chaos of work, until 4 PM when it's time for Aj and I to go to our Japanese class (which doesn't start until 6:15, but the commute is an hour long if traffic is good) and then after that it's around the corner to our favorite Japanese hot spot in Cambridge - the Porter Exchange for some curry at Cafe Mami. And finally back home. We're lucky if it's before 10 that we get back home to shower and stumble to bed after a little TV.

Today was different though - a bit. Since it's Veteran's day the school is on holiday, and we realized just before leaving that there might not be classes. Sure enough a quick check of the website confirmed that and then it was "Well what do we do for dinner?" Thursday dinners are a fixed thing - every week it's curry at Cafe Mami. We thought about driving down just for the curry, but I had some curry roux and chicken thighs calling my name, so I volunteered to make our regular meal.

Maybe I should explain why we're taking a Japanese class and how I know how to whip up a "Tatsuya" Curry. As it would turn out I've always had a passion for Japanese culture, and in college I decided to study abroad. While there I fell more in love with the culture and even more in love with the FOOD. The Japanese really know how to make comfort food. You thought biscuits and gravy or mac and cheese was comfort food? Ah try a good hamburger steak with a fried egg and a ginger ponzu sauce, or a piping bowl of ramen from a road side stand - better yet try that pancake filled with red bean paste.

Well despite the language barrier while I was in Japan (my japanese was passing by the end of the stay, but at the beginning it was a great game of charades) I quickly picked up a lot of cooking techniques and recipes or just general love for certain foods that I had to recreate when I returned to the states. Now Aj and I are planning a vacation-length trip to Japan so that I can show him the temples and we can experience the culture and food together. It's a kind of belated honeymoon.

So now you know - I'm not just a southern girl cooking in a Yankee kitchen, but I'm also endlessly inspired by Asian cuisine. You'll see a lot of that here mixed in with the traditional American regional foods. Didn't take me long to break you in - Honestly I had planned to take it easy - start traditional - but life throws things your way and you have to share them.

So tonight was Chicken "Tatsuya" Curry paired with a Filipino spring roll called Lumpia. After Aj made a banzai run to the grocery to pick up some peanut oil, we were on our way. We ate in front of the TV, watching an episode of Anthony Bourdain on netflix where he visits Japan. It was a great evening in.

First things first - the rice. I have a rice cooker and have always had one. I don't make rice traditionally on the stove, so I can't help you there. But I'm telling you now - when it comes to Japanese foods you have to go with short grain. And I mean short grain - you're looking for Sushi rice. Kohaku Rose is usually sold at places like Walmart and is acceptable, though a higher quality rice is always going to taste better. The first rule of cooking Japanese rice is that you have to WASH IT. Wash it wash it wash it. Until the water runs mostly clear. Follow the directions on the bag and don't cook it like you would cook regular rice. Shorter rice means less water necessary for cooking.

Now we can get to the "Tatsuya" Curry. The difference between Tatsuage and Karaage is that one is marinated first. We're trying to mirror the Cafe Mami curry here, so we're going with Tatsuage. However, if you don't have 20 minutes to marinate, skip it and go straight to the batter. Won't be as good, but certainly won't be bad!!!

Ingredients:

• 4 Boneless skinless chicken thighs


• 1 carrot, sliced in thin rounds.


• 4 cubes of curry roux from a band like S&B or Vermont Curry (available at many wal-marts or asian grocer)


• About 1/2 c. cooking/cheap Sake (Japanese rice wine - about $4-5 at a grocery store. Substitute = any really mild white will do)


• 2 tbsp mirin, or aji-mirin. (Found at Asian market, or on Asian aisle of grocer. Substitute = sugar)


• 3 tbsp soy sauce (I swear by Yamasa brand)


• A bit of grated ginger (Substitute = powdered ginger)


• 1/2 c. flour


• 1/4 c. Potato, arrowroot, or corn starch (This is important - it gives it that nice crisp and thick fry)


• Pepper


• Water or chicken broth


• Peanut oil for frying (Substitute = vegetable or canola)

1. Marinate the chicken in the sake, mirin, soy sauce and ginger for 20 minutes, flipping twice.


2. In a large wok (or other pan, but I find a wok works beautifully) begin heating your oil. You need it to be hot, between 320 and 350^oF, or the batter in the chicken will absorb too much oil in cooking.


3. Grind a bit of pepper over the chicken and cut it into large chunks, about 3 chunks per chicken thigh.


4. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and starch of your choice.


5. Transfer the chicken to the flour mixture and stir to coat evenly.


6. Add 1/4 cup of water and mix until you've got a nice gummy coating on the outside.


7. On a separate burner in a nonstick pan, place the carrot slices, 2 cups of water or chicken broth, and 4 large curry roux cubes. Simmer on medium heat while frying the chicken, stirring every now and then until the curry roux cubes are dissolved and the curry begins to thicken.


8. Begin moving the chicken from the bowl and gently submerging in the hot oil. Only 4-6 pieces should be fried at a time, and they should be gradually added so as to not bring down the temperature of the oil. Fry until golden and crisp and put on a paper towel to drain.


9. On a plate with white rice, put 3-4 chicken pieces and cover with curry roux.


10. Serve with Japanese Fukujin-zuke pickles if you have them.

Want to go for a lighter, non-fried version? Try this recipe from Bebe Love Okazu - I haven't tried it but it looks good!

A story, a beginning, and a recipe

If you had asked me when I was twelve where on the map New Hampshire was I am not sure I'd be able to tell you if it was even an American state. So how did I end up here? How did a little Memphis, Tennessee girl end up going from a state that gets one inch of snow annually to a state where you're lucky if you get only two feet in a year? It's all because of the internet. No, no... I didn't google "coldest places to live in the USA" - I just fell in love. On the internet.

I met my husband when I was thirteen. Obviously he wasn't my husband now. In fact I thought he was a freaking weirdo because, being fourteen, he thought it was "wicked" cool to use jive talk from the sixties. Cool Cat. Well somehow we ended up talking...and talking...and talking... for years. Four years to be exact. We talked from ages thirteen to seventeen. Then we decided to meet. It was the summer before I was headed to college in Missouri. Well the second he was off the plane it was decided - it was love and we knew it.

I finished college, and not having any particular ties to any specific part of the US (I had been moved from house to house - never staying in the same place more than 2 years - and eventually moved from Tennessee to Mississippi.) I packed up my 1999 Ford Taurus in 2008 with all the belongings I could possibly cram, and two dogs, and a boyfriend, and we drove from Missouri to New Hampshire - Damn that's a long drive.

We were married shortly after, and just celebrated our two year anniversary, and that is how I ended up here. With no real plans to leave. The truth of the matter is that I have a job I love, and I live somewhere I feel safe, and I am just a stone's throw from the culture of Boston or the ocean or the moose of Maine and Canada. It's a great place. Cold, but great.

We now rent a house that's in the family, and it's still flaunting its mid 20th century Youngstown Teppan range and oven. The double-oven was partly out of commission until today when it was repaired, so I am starting this blog in honor of that (and because I love to cook - but this is more romantic). I'm ecstatic to have my in-oven rotisserie back in operation, and even though only two of the four of the eyes on my rangetop work and they have one heat (hot, and hot) - I can't explain how glad I was that we didn't have to have it replaced. There is something beyond romantic about my retro house. We've settled into its retro-ness. We've made it ours.

Here is a recipe I made just yesterday. I was trying desperately to find something that would recreate the delicious Thai Butternut Squash soup I had at the Salem,MA New England Soup Factory. I lucked upon this recipe from Allotment 2 Kitchen that had a good base soup that I ran with. I had never had a butternut squash until I attended my first Yankee Thanksgiving with my husband's parents, so to me it's the most New England vegetable in existence and quite appropriate for a first blog post.

Thai Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

• 400 ml (1.7 cups) light coconut milk
• 4 tsp. Thai red curry paste
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 pint (2 cups) vegetable stock
• Zest of half a lime
• 1 medium/large butternut squash (about 4 cups cubed)
• 1 tbsp olive oil

1. Roast the butternut squash in a tablespoon of olive oil at 400°F for 30 to 40 minutes, or until tender. Be careful not to let the squash over brown or burn.
2. Either mash or puree the squash. I think pureeing at this stage will provide a better texture for the finished soup.
3. In a large 6 to 8 cup pot, whisk together all the ingredients until smooth.
4. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer gently on medium heat for 15 minutes (you can imagine how much fun simmering something is on a stovetop that only functions on the high heat setting).
5. Taste for spice and consistency. Add more red curry paste or lime zest to taste. If the consistency is not smooth at this point, pureeing will provide a smooth, whipped consistency that is very creamy. If your squash was overly large (They grow huge up here!), consider adding some heavy cream or more coconut milk.

Serves 5

Nutrition: Calories 150, Carbs 23g, Fat 6g, Protein 1g