Posts Tagged ‘turkey’

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Merry Christmas, Darling

Tuesday, December 27th, 2011 by Lauren

Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year. I’m not sure whether it’s the first signs of snow, the twinkling lights or the chance to see all of my family at once that makes me love it so much, but as my husband will attest, it is my favorite season.

My mom is British, so Christmas is always the time when her heritage is featured and celebrated at our house.  There has never been a year where we don’t love popping the traditional Christmas crackers or wearing our prized paper hats. I also love the food associated with our celebrations. My grandmother is a fantastic cook, and she always makes the entire meal from scratch. I look forward to a perfectly cooked turkey and our family’s famous cheesy potatoes all month long. Nothing compares to the sights and smells of this occasion.

This year marks the first time I will celebrate Christmas as a wife. Something about that just makes everything seem more exciting this time around. I couldn’t wait to fully extend the Christmas spirit between our two families as well as start new traditions that I hope to follow for years to come. My husband’s family is Lithuanian, so between the two of us, we have heritage and culture to spare. I always enjoy watching as the family traditions become blended into one large, loving family. This year, I brought my mom’s English Shortbread to Christmas dinner. This traditional cookie has always been a staple in our house, and I was so honored to be able to share this with my new family. Not only is it wonderful with a cup of tea, but it is also super easy to make. Always a plus in my book. This little taste of home was just what I needed to make our first Christmas together perfect. I can’t wait to see what holiday traditions form as we continue our journey together.

English Shortbread (according to The Platt Family)

1 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 3/4 cup flour

Mix all of the ingredients together, forming a ball. Chill overnight.

Divide in half and press into 2 pie pans. Prick all over the tops with the tines of a fork.

Bake at 300 degrees for about 30 minutes until pale brown. Cut into 12 wedges while still warm and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

 

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Lauren Fountas is the newest member of the Private Events Team at The Chopping Block. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Lauren moved to Chicago about 5 years ago and has been living it up ever since. Lauren has a background in Theatre and Photography, but has always had a love of all things food (even if she's never been real good at cooking it.) She loves learning and trying anything new, and looks forward to all the adventures The Chopping Block is sure to provide. She lives and enjoys life with her new husband and their puppy and can often be found dancing through the hallways and singing along to the radio.

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Table for 16, Please

Monday, December 26th, 2011 by Andrea

Pumpkin Mascarpone, Chocolate Pecan and Apple Cranberry Pies

It’s no surprise many people find cooking a holiday meal overwhelming. There are large quantities of food to prepare, most likely some dietary restrictions to consider, plus the traditions people expect. It’s a lot to consider when planning a menu. This year, I prepared Christmas Dinner for 16 people. It’s a lot of work, but I thrive on entertaining. Plus, I’ve learned over the years that with some preparation and organization (and lots of help with the dishes from my mom), cooking a massive meal doesn’t have to induce stress.

Since my family only gathers together for Christmas now, I actually like to include some of the classic Thanksgiving dishes like Roast Turkey and Sausage Sage Stuffing on my menu. However, I have quite a few vegetarians in my family. So, that means lots of bacon-free sides (boo), so that they don’t feel left out.

One of my favorite vegetarian side dishes is The Chopping Block’s Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding (everyone always asks for the recipe, so I’ve included it below). This dish is great for meals year-round and the hearty mushroom flavor always mean few leftovers. It’s also suitable for the main dish in a completely vegetarian meal.

This year, I changed up a few of my traditional dishes. I became intrigued with the idea of a “slightly” tropical theme since I’ll be moving to Florida next month. I tweaked my usual fresh cranberry sauce to include pineapple, fresh lime juice, jalapeno and cilantro. It was a nice twist and for once, people actually put more than a tablespoon of cranberry sauce on their plate.

I also made my favorite cornbread recipe, Carribean Cornbread, from “At Blanchard’s Table: A Trip to the Beach Cookbook”. Those of you who know I’m from the South may be crying foul for using canned creamed corn, but the addition of this, Monterey Jack cheese, pineapple and jalapeno make this moist, slightly sweet cornbread a popular hit, especially with the kids.

Even the turkey got some tropical flair. I quartered limes, oranges and lemons and stuffed the cavity of my turkey with the citrus fruit. This lends extra flavor and moisture to the bird.

The desserts stayed traditional with a slight twist. When a five-year-old picky nephew requests pumpkin pie, you don’t want to change it up too much. He even ate two pieces!

Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 shallots, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 pound mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms soaked in 1/2 cup dry sherry

1 teaspoon herbes de provence

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to tast

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

5 eggs

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 cups whole milk

freshly grated nutmeg

1 load day old French bread, cubed

1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese

Heat the butter in a large saute pan and add the shallots, stirring until translucent. Add the garlic and the mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes. Add the dried mushrooms, their liquid and the herbes de provence and cook about 5 minutes more. Season to taste, stir in parsley and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream and milk. Add a few gratings of nutmeg and a generous pinch of salt and pepper , then add the bread and allow to site for about 10-15 minutes. toss in the cheese and mushrooms and transfer to a buttered shallow baking dish. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until brown and firm, about 45-55 minutes. Serve warm.

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Andrea has been with The Chopping Block for 8 years in every role from Chef Assistant to General Manager to Private Event Coordinator and now Public Relations. Her journalism background and culinary school education from Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago give her the know-how to spread the word about The Chopping Block's mission to get people to cook. She also is devoted to working with dogs, enjoys reading, yoga, good wine, and being from Louisiana, she loves to cook Cajun food for her friends.

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Full Expectations

Thursday, December 1st, 2011 by Jennifer

I learned a lot about myself and my business while I was home in Minnesota for Thanksgiving. Now that I’m back in Chicago and asked everyone how their holiday was, the overwhelming response was ‘UGH, I ate sooo much!’ I felt the exact same way (and have since abandoned my scale in the back alley). We all seemed to enjoy a similar meal and put away more than our fair share of pumpkin pie. There is no doubt there are great expectations around a traditional Thanksgiving feast. I couldn’t help but wonder, how does a ‘traditional meal’ show up if one has no tradition to fall back on?

Leading up to Thanksgiving, The Chopping Block had a class almost every day centered around Thanksgiving. For example, ‘How to Smoke your Turkey,’ ‘Thanksgiving Crash Course,’ ‘How to Carve your Turkey.’  ‘Thanksgiving Workshop,’ and ‘How to Deep Fry your Turkey.’ Clearly, we are committed to Thanksgiving success. What I didn’t realize prior to going home was that the only thing ‘traditional’ about my family’s Thanksgiving meal was the beautiful bird my mom has mastered, sans recipe. I have pulled from Chopping Block recipes since I began with the company to fill in the blanks in my holiday meals, and for the first time wondered where I would be without that support?

Personally, I’m not great at reading directions, following instructions, or watching You Tube videos to learn how to do things. Call it what you want, but  I like a chef to guide me through a meal so I know what I’m doing and why. It’s how I learn best, and how I have the confidence to know I’m going to turn out a great meal at home since I’ve already been through the practice round with direction, advice, and  supervision. As long as I hang on to my recipe packet I am good to go, and have had many successes since I took on cooking in this manner.

I learn something new about the business every day, and what I realized this holiday was that The Chopping Block IS tradition for a lot of people, and what we do here is why a traditional Thanksgiving Feast can still be celebrated even if the family cookbook got deep fried instead of the turkey! Interestingly, this year I noticed a large portion of the students attending the Thanksgiving classes were hosting the holiday for the first time, and committed to making it a familiar experience for all. I would love to hear how that went for everyone.  It reminded me of why our business is so much more than a two and a half hour class and gourmet retail wonderland. It is our way of bringing people together over food to celebrate family, togetherness, and tradition – whether old, new, borrowed, or deep-fried.

 

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Jennifer Rozman is the Store Manager at The Chopping Block Lincoln Square. Her favorite part of her job is sharing her cooking journey with others who are just beginning to explore the culinary world. When she's not taking a cooking class or researching her latest gourmet retail selection, you can find her working off all of the delicious treats the chefs share at hot yoga or on the tennis courts, when weather permits. Dining out at a restaurant she's never tried before is how she rewards herself, as she loves trying new things and celebrating others passions.

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Pass (on) the Turkey

Monday, November 21st, 2011 by Amanda

I will pass on the turkey on this Thanksgiving, as I have many years before.  I don’t have anything against turkey and will actually be serving it on this holiday for my family, even though I’m a vegetarian.  I won’t bore you as to why I don’t eat meat but basically I would prefer to eat other things.  It is similar to how people don’t like mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, etc.

Bless my mom’s heart.  She is always trying to convince me to have a “tofurky” but I think it is just for the novelty of it.  To be honest, I am not that interested in fake meats, not to mention their sodium content.  Especially on Thanksgiving, there is always so much wonderful food that passing on one dish saves me a little room in my already tight pants.

This year will be my first year hosting Thanksgiving at our home and I am very excited about it. Not only will I be preparing my first turkey but also getting a chance to show off my repertoire of The Chopping Block recipes.  One recipe in particular is the Sweet Corn and Gouda Bread Pudding with Shiitake Mushroom Gravy from our Vegetarians Eat Thanksgiving, Too class.  It is an ideal for anyone that doesn’t know what to make for a meatless guest or just as another side dish:

Sweet Corn and Gouda Bread Pudding

Yield: 6-8 servings

Active time: 30 minutes

Start to finish: 1hour, 30 minutes (includes soaking time)

1 sourdough loaf, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 8 cups)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, sliced thin

1 pound Tuscan kale, torn into 1-inch pieces

3 cups frozen corn, defrosted

Salt and pepper to taste

7 eggs

2 1/4 cups half and half

6 tablespoons dry white wine

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon thyme, rough chopped

3/4 pound gouda cheese, grated

Salt and pepper to taste

  1. Lay the cut bread on a sheet tray to dry for about 2 hours.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350° and butter a large baking dish.
  3. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Sauté the red onion, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized. Add the kale and cook until wilted. Fold in the corn, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half, white wine, Dijon mustard and thyme.
  5. Fold in the bread, kale mixture and cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set this mixture aside to soak for 30 minutes.
  6. Pour into the buttered baking dish and bake on a parchment-lined sheet tray until the center is set and the top is golden brown, about 40 minutes.
  7. Serve with Shiitake Mushroom Gravy (recipe follows).

Shiitake Mushroom Gravy

Yield: 3 cups

Active time: 20 minutes

Start to finish: 20 minutes

1/2 stick butter

1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1/4 cup red wine

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon parsley, rough chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

  1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the butter. Sauté the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized, about 8-10 minutes.
  2. Stir in the flour. Cook the roux, stirring, for about 2 minutes.
  3. Whisk in the stock, wine and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened to a sauce consistency, about 10 minutes.
  4. Whisk in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Amanda Aristeo is originally from Traverse City, Michigan and has lived in Chicago for the past 7 years. After the birth of her son, Mario, she left her position at the Chicago City Clerk’s Office to dedicate herself to her family and pursue a part-time career in a field she is passionate about: food. Remembering how much she enjoyed attending classes at The Chopping Block, she applied at Lincoln Square and now works as a Class Assistant and Retail Associate. When Amanda isn’t creating meatless meals for her family, she is busy attending aquababies, Tiny Tots or spending time with her wonderful husband.

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Let the Turkey Sleep

Thursday, November 17th, 2011 by John

I know that the majority of home cooks are under extreme pressure over the next couple of weeks. But it is my responsibility to make you feel as stress-free as possible.  The turkey is the feature of the Thanksgiving table, so it is also the star of this blog.

The most important part of enjoying a successful turkey roast is to allow the bird to take a little nap before you carve for the final dinner table.

My steps to turkey success:

Make sure that the turkey is completely thawed before it goes into the oven. If you are buying frozen, get the turkey no later than Monday and let it slowly thaw in your refrigerator. On Thursday morning, take the turkey out of the bag and give it a good rinse under cold water.  Once it is cleaned off, take liberty in completely covering the bird with generous amounts of salt, rub some seasoned butter under the breast skin, layer a good amount of onion, carrot and celery in the bottom of the roasting pan and start the bird at a high temperature of 425 degrees.  After the first 45 minutes, turn the oven down to 300 degrees and let the bird roast slowly and gently.  The turkey needs to be basted several times with the pan drippings and fat during the cooking process.  Once the thermometer button pops, remove the turkey and drape some aluminum foil over the bird.  Do not completely seal the foil over the roasting pan as this will cause the turkey to steam and also trap heat that can continue cooking the bird.

It is at this moment that the turkey gets to take one last nap before you start to carve.  I have been saying this for years now, “I would rather serve you juicy room temperature turkey than dry, hot turkey.” I will allow up to 2 hours of resting before the slicer comes out of the drawer.  My theory is the longer the resting, the better.  Roast, rest and let the delicious gravy gently warm the meat as you enjoy the juicy flesh.  Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

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John Peters is the Sous Chef of The Chopping Block at the Mart. In addition to teaching several times a week, John orders and receives the products for classes and private events, manages scheduling, works with the private events team in party planning and organizing, and keeps an overall open eye to the entire space at the Mart. He enjoys both cooking and eating Mexican food and the thing he enjoys most about cooking is truly making people happy with food!

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