stuffed
focus issue sponsored by Harold’s in the Heights
Local culinary services get ready for the season.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Nibbles
A Food & Drink
From the Kitchen Feast by the NUMBERS 2
The ranking of Thanksgiving on the list of America’s favorite holidays. Christmas is No. 1.
2
The maximum number of days the U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests keeping a fresh turkey before cooking it.
Corn tortillas in the making.
Don’t let the tradition slip away
2.5
The number in miles of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade available for public viewing.
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By Christina Martinez christina@theleadernews.com Around this time every year, the topic of family tradition and family recipes seems to always resonate. The question I always get - “does your family make tamales?” My response is always a disappointing “no” and I go on to explain the factors of why the tradition has slowly slipped away with my grandparents’ age. I had dinner with my cousin Alec recently, where we made Sunday dinner together and part of that dinner was homemade corn tortillas. Cousin Alec explained the simple process, detail by detail. Our recipe discussion eventually veered to how a corn tortilla recipe is very similar to a tamale masa recipe. Cousin Alec again explained the tamale process, detail by detail, and how the two recipes differed, as we put the tortillas carefully on the hot comal. I explained to my cousin how my family used to make tamales together during the holidays, and my memories of my Abuela and Tia explaining in Spanish, and then in English, what the cooking rocks were used for and how and why the rocks were used to form a platform to steam the tamales. I became nostalgic thinking of the stories and memories. As we ate and finished dinner, I savored our homemade tortillas. I was proud of what we made. A dish so simple, but one that resonates tradition. I left my cousin’s house that Sunday evening with a satisfied belly, and an inspired mind for this holiday season. My grandparents’ age shouldn’t be the factor that stops our family from coming together to carry out these traditions. It seems as though we need someone to take the torch and I think I know just the girl for the job.
INSIDE.
Americans celebrate Thanksgiving every year on the fourth Thursday of November.
5
The number of hours it takes to cook a stuffed 22- to 24-pound turkey in an oven set to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Find it 7B
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The number of hours it takes to thaw a frozen 22- to 24-pound turkey in cold water. Compare that with the 5½ to six days it takes to thaw in the refrigerator.
Holiday cooking tips, recipes with Harold’s Executive Chef Antoine Ware By Christina Martinez christina@theleadernews.com If you’re like me, you’re questioning how we’re in November already and wondering what is on the holiday menu this year. We sat down with Harold’s Executive Chef, Antoine Ware, for a few tips and recipes for this year’s feast – enjoy.
TIPS
Preperation One of the first things we learned in school when it came to assignments and tasks – don’t procrastinate. The rule we learned early on is the primary and most important tip Chef Ware would like to share when it comes to preparing for upcoming holiday meal preparations. The first thing Chef Ware does before anything else is making a decision on the menu. Once you’ve planned out your menu, it’s time to make your shopping list. This list is the key to the success of the menu and needs to be written out in full detail. “First, you have to have a plan,” Ware said. “Know what you’re cooking and shop early. I’ve always been an avid fan of deep detailed lists and shopping on time because the worst thing that can happen is to go into a store and they don’t have what you need and then that puts you in a bad mood on a holiday.” Vegetables The first thing on the shopping list according to Chef Ware is your vegetables. If you shop early enough, you can go to the farmer’s market and see what is in season, what is available and what you’ll need to
Local pie company, Flying Saucer Pie Co., says good bye to co-founder.
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Photo by Christina Martinez Harold’s Executive Chef, Antoine Ware, presents his crab meat stuffed mirliton as a recipe to add for holiday dinners.
shop at the grocery store for. “You don’t want to shop last minute for the veggies because they will all be gone,” Ware said. “For example, if you want to do green bean casserole, you know all of the fresh green beans and cream of mushroom soup is going to be gone if you shop at the last minute. That is why getting a detailed list together early is so important. Talk with your family on what the plan is and break down what you need for every dish. The veggies are so important. If you don’t have the green bean casserole because you shopped last minute, Thanksgiving might as well be canceled.” When it comes time to start the cooking preparations, Chef Ware recommends tackling the veggies
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first. Wash all of your vegetables first and then get everything chopped for what you will need for your side dishes. A lot of veggie dishes can be completed early and go in the fridge until it is time to eat, so complete those first. “Once vegetables are finished, you have a clean work space to move on and start on meat prep,” Ware said.
Ridges on a 14-ounce can of Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce.
36
The number of years it took magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale to crusade for an annual Thanksgiving holiday. National and local days of thanksgiving had been celebrated over the years, but President Abraham Lincoln finally proclaimed the fourth Thursday in November Thanksgiving in 1863.
Meat The most important tip when cooking meat or turkey is to always check the temperature and to keep the temperature at 165 degrees. “I always cover my meat for the first couple hours,” Ware said. “After
65
Percentage of Americans surveyed who said eating Thanksgiving leftovers is more important than eating their regular Thanksgiving meal.
67
See Harold’s, P. 8B
The number of years between 1947, the first National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation at the White House, and Thanksgiving 2014.
69
The approximate percentage of Thanksgiving Day fires caused by cooking.
73
The number of years between 1941, when Congress decided that the fourth Thursday in November would be observed as Thanksgiving Day and a federal legal holiday, and Thanksgiving 2014.
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The approximate percentage of Americans who eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day, according to a National Turkey Federation survey. Photo by Christina Martinez The crab stuffed mirliton, served on a bed of salsa and garnished with green onion.
What’s in season at the local Farmer’s Market By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
Want to know what vegetables are in season this fall? If it’s leafy and green, it should be on your list, according to Cathy Sullivan of Happy Heart Farms in Damon, TX who sets up shop each Saturday at the Farm Stand at Petrol Station in Garden Oaks. “There are actually more varieties of everything in the winter,” said Sullivan. That means swiss chard, arugula, boc choy, spinach, lettuce, kale, broccoli, mustard greens, and collard greens. Recipes for all of the above abound on the internet but Sullivan notes that boc choy blends well in stir fries.
In season herbs like mint, rosemary, oregano, thyme and sage will complement a variety of dishes. Both an herb and a leaf vegetable, Sullivan said that sorrel is good with fish dishes due to its citrusy taste. Speaking of citrus, this is the time for oranges and grapefruits too as well as Meyer lemons and persimmons which won’t last too much longer but are good for cookies and pies. Non-green contenders for your winter recipes are radishes and the tried and true onion along with carrots, sweet potatoes and cauliflower. Did you know that cauliflower isn’t just white? It also comes in purple and gold.
Photo by Betsy Denson Cathy Sullivan gets a little help at her booth at The Farm Stand. Sullivan said that winter is a great time for green, leafy vegetables as well as citrus.
See Seasonal, P. 3B
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