Author Archives: Tasha

Update

Hello, all.

I want to apologize for the lack of posts since Wednesday. A confluence of two unavoidable events caused it. Well, one unavoidable event and one instance of me being spacey.

The unavoidable event was flying to New Mexico yesterday, and all the chaos that entails. We have many wonderful loved ones here, all of whom need some of our time. Especially as we’re here effectively to celebrate the holidays, there’s a lot going on. Such as a party this afternoon at Bill’s mother’s house. So yesterday was not a great day for posting.

The other event happened Wednesday night.

We had decided we wanted to try two recipes a second time, the “Steak, Mushroom, and Ale Pie”:http://metacookbook.com/archives/140-71-Steak,-Mushroom-and-Ale-Pie.html and the “Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic.”:http://metacookbook.com/archives/146-75-Roasted-Brussels-Sprouts-with-Garlic.html… Continue reading →

[77] Whole Roasted Turkey Without the Gravy

How to Cook Everything, Revised Edition by Mark Bittman

And now we come to the main event. A 22.5 lb monstrosity of an event. A gorgeous event.

Now, I have to admit to you something. Icing the turkey breast is nowhere near Mr. Bittman’s method. His method also assumes you WILL make gravy, which we didn’t (as you can see from the title). That leaves us with having actually made a variant on this recipe. I’m okay with that, though some of my readers may call foul.

I’d be sad if you guys did that.

So, let’s not. Let’s just get on to this gorgeous bird. I was pretty darn proud of it, I have to say.

… Continue reading →

Thanksgiving Turkey Brine and Pre-Roasting Prep

Okay, quick diversion from cookbook recipes into “recipes from my imaginary friends”.

Like so many folks, I spend some time around various internet haunts that are not, in fact, this blog. Crazy talk, I know, but it’s still true.

Awhile back I wanted to do Thanksgiving for the first time ever. I asked at one of those haunts and got all kinds of useful advice about what to do. In fact, I’d go so far as to say the folks there might qualify as “some of them.”:http://metacookbook.com/archives/146-75-Roasted-Brussels-Sprouts-with-Garlic.html

Anyway, one of “them” gave me this brine recipe, saying it was from “Alton Brown.”:http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html I used it that first year, and I used it again this year. I’ll probably use it until eternity. Or I stop making turkeys.… Continue reading →

[76] Mashed Baked Potatoes

How to Cook Everything, Revised Edition by Mark Bittman

This is the second to last recipe that counted for this challenge from Thanksgiving. It’s also the second of two that I failed to remember to take photos. My apologies.

Now, with that out of the way, let’s talk about why I did a slightly different recipe than Mr. Bittman’s traditional mashed potato recipe. I had two reasons, both very simple. First, because I was convinced (erroneously, it turns out) I had already made mashed potatoes (version 1) for this site. Obviously part of this challenge is to get me to spread my wings in the kitchen, so minimizing repeats is important. It’s also important if I ever want to buy another cookbook again in my whole forever life. Secondly, and even more basely, I picked this recipe because Bittman says that baking the potatoes, rather than boiling them, dries them out and allows them to soak up even more milk and butter.… Continue reading →

[75] Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic

How to Cook Everything, Revised Edition by Mark Bittman

One of the tricks to planning Thanksgiving, they say, is to make as much ahead as possible. I believe them. I believe them as I have never believed them before. I still don’t know who “they” are, but I utterly believe them.

I just didn’t listen to them much.

Honestly, this is because I struggled to plan a Thanksgiving feast for four that would still be fairly traditional, with way too much food, without being WAY too much food. I also couldn’t decide what really needed to be made the day of the celebration. Some things, I knew could be made ahead (the mashed potatoes and cranberries, for example).

I knew the brussels sprouts really needed to be made Thanksgiving day. I hesitated on roasting them, since my oven would be fairly busy most of the day, but decided that a roast during the turkey’s rest period would be just fine.… Continue reading →