Heirloom Meals: Savoring Yesterday's Traditions Today

Friday December 24, 2010

Carole’s Concoctions:
Christmas Eve

Today's post will be short and sweet.

Merry Christmas to all!  May all your wishes come true.

Spend and give love - it's the best currency.  Toss it with some home cooked food, friends and family - and you are RICH!!

Love to ALL!!

Carole

Friday December 17, 2010

Carole’s Concoctions:
A Page out of Jen’s Book!

I must give credit where credit is due.  And, today my sister, Jennifer Murko Gower gets all the credit. Jen is the consummate concoctor and she has truly developed some of the best recipes/guides for certain dishes that I often cook.  Several years ago she made a pork stew out of a leftover pork roast.  I asked her for the recipe and what she gave me were some basic instructions such as: "I used cumin to taste, lots of pepper, cannellini beans, onions, garlic, carrots - whatever -WHITE WINE, of course - chicken stock and finish it off with some spinach." 

And I have concocted this recipe with those instructions.  But I have taken it one step further - I wrote down exactly how I did it and the amounts.  So, here it is but PLEASE feel free to substitute and play - it's where all the creative fun happens!!

Friday December 10, 2010

Carole’s Concoctions:
Writing Down the Recipe

One of the hardest parts of being from a concoction family is that we know the basic steps and principles but sometimes we add a little of this, a little of that, and we think we'll remember what we did. Are you guilty of the same? And when you go to make it again - you know the basic steps but you can't remember for the life of you what you added last time to make it so special. And guess what you do?  You add a little of this, a little of that and another concoction is born....

I am now trying to religiously write down and photograph what I do.  Fortunately, the Liberty Medical video series forced me to capture my chicken piccata concoction and it's a keeper.  There were zero, nicht, zip leftovers!!

Friday December 03, 2010

Carole’s Concoctions:
Ginger Pennies for Newschannel13 Demo

As always, I am thrilled to be invited to share some of my recipes and ideas with the Albany, NY Newschannel Weekend news team. I am sharing Homemade Gifts for the Holidays.  I am doing ginger pennies (recipe below), sugar cookie stars stacked to make Christmas trees and vanilla scented walnuts. 

In my book, what can beat a jar of “pennies” for Christmas. Afterall, we’ve all been saving our pennies during these tough times. I tell people they are pennies from heaven!! I am not sure where this recipe originated. My Mom and I have made them for the last 30 years and have fun doling out the loot.

3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup molasses
3 stick unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Soften the butter. Then in a medium bowl, mix flour, ginger, cloves, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, egg and molasses. Add flour in batches until well blended. Put cookie dough in a plastic gallon bag an snip off the end to create your own pastry bag. Pipe very small dollops onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake doe 5 minutes. Remove from oven, cool slightly and they’ll slide off the parchment paper into a bowl. This recipes makes enough pennies to fill a dozen pint-sized mason jars.
 

Friday November 26, 2010

Carole’s Concoctions:
Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Want to turn even the staunchest brussels sprout hater into a lover? We'll tell you how and talk brussels sprout today because you may actually eat them a few more times during the holiday/winter season.

Raw Brussel Sprouts

My simple approach:
Wash. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Put on a parchment paper lined roasting pan, and roast in upper portion of oven at 400 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes until golden brown.
They get browned, crispy and almost caramelized.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Pop them in your mouth for an unexpected treat!
 

Friday November 19, 2010

Carole’s Concoctions:
Turkey Talk

Wow, Thanksgiving is less than a week away and I am now just beginning to think about my menu.  In many ways, cooking a meal for friends and family is a snap compared to preparing for 8 video shoots or catering a party for 125 people.  In fact, I think it might be down right relaxing - how about that!!

Here's my menu:
15-18 lb turkey to insure LEFTOVERS!!
Italian Sausage and Bread stuffing
Wild rice stuffing for my love, Jim
Roasted Brussel sprouts
Whipped Potatoes and Celeriac
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallow Topping a la Matt
Caramelized shallots a la Paul Finnerty
Gravy
Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry Raisin Pie a la Paul
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving 2009 - Meredith and Me

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