16 November 2011 Comment

Helen Jane’s Mashed Potatoes

Helen Jane’s Mashed Potato Recipe

Ingredients
3 1/2 pounds potatoes (Red, Yukon Gold, Russet, some have opinions, but they’re all fine to me.)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 cup half-and-half
1 stick butter

Directions
Scrub potatoes, place in a (really) large soup pot. Place in a large saucepan, add the salt, and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to maintain a rolling boil. Cook until potatoes give easily when poked with a fork, or about 30 minutes, whichever comes first. Remove potatoes from pot and let cool a little before peeling them.

(I know, it’s finicky to cook the potatoes with the skins on, but they just taste so much better this way. Promise.)

You can even use the fork technique above if you can’t wait to peel them.

Here’s where I use my ricer
– I don’t use it for much other than mashed potatoes (so it’s stored in a fairly inconvenient spot) — but I do use it every time I make mashed potatoes. I suppose it does double duty for baby food — but we’re (thankfully) not there any more.
(Man. I’m feeling parenthetical today.)

I rice all the potatoes back into the pot. You could use your potato masher and a swift elbowy motion. I cut the stick of butter into cubes and mix those through the smushed potatoes. If the potatoes are riced, I just stir the butter in. If they’re mashed, I mash the butter in with the potatoes.

It’s important not to add the half and half (or cream if you’re nasty) until all the butter is worked through the potato mash. There’s something about the oil from the butter surrounding the starch and keeping it from turning into gluey strands… I’m not sure of the exact science — I just know it works.

After potatoes are fully mashed, add the half and half or cream. Add the salt.
Taste and adjust for texture (more cream!) and taste (more salt! maybe some pepper!).

I’ve just learned from experience that the best mashed potatoes come from:
Lots of butter and cream
Lots of salt
Boiled in the peel
Mashed by hand or riced with a ricer
And there you have it.

Happy Thanksgiving.

14 November 2011 Comment

Saying Thanksgiving Grace

It’s the biggest reason for the event, right?
Thankgiving thanks.

Some elder statesperson-type, is usually tasked with The Saying of The Grace.
(Sometimes it’s the host.)

I had this issue before, as I thought about saying grace.
I don’t want my gratitude to be capital R Religion.
I also want it to be special for us.

When you’re tasked with The Saying of The Grace, you’re tasked with giving voice to the reason for the event.
It’s kind of a big deal.
To me, anyway.

At our table, everyone shares what they’re most grateful for, that’s a given.
But a good way to kick it off is to offer a welcome.

For the food we’re about to eat and the good things in our lives, we are grateful.

I love this one from Elaine, a commenter on the post linked above

[For the] earth who gives to us this food
sun who makes it ripe and good
sun above and earth below
our loving thanks to you we show
blessings on our meal

One of my favorites is a version of the one Maria shared in The Sound of Music.

For what we are about to eat may we be truly grateful.

How do you say grace on this most tasty day?

12 November 2011 2 Comments

Cheese Ball Hedgehog Recipe

Cheese Hedgie

Originally, I planned to make a Cheese Ball Turkey.
But the cheese ball looked so cute after shingling it with sliced almonds, I stopped at hedgehog.

Two peppercorns make the eyes.
Lots of crackers make for scooping.

Ingredients
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese cut into several chunks
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
8 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions
Mix all ingredients up to shaved almonds in a food processor until fully blended.
Scoop blended cheese mixture into a bowl.
Get hands slightly damp and pat the cheese mixture into the shape of a ball.
“Shingle” the shaved almonds over each other in rows. I sifted through the bag to find the most even shaped sliced almonds, but all that rustic is rather charming.

Charming like a hedgehog made of cheese.

Set the cheese ball in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to firm up.
Press peppercorns in the front for eyes.

And enjoy.

11 November 2011 3 Comments

My Thanksgiving Cheese Loves

Humboldt Fog Cheese

In those wily hours before the Thanksgiving meal, when there is hunger and pacing, it becomes clear that they need something to munch. I like to have lots of veggies out ahead of time, but I also love serving a Thanksgiving cheese platter.

Like I said in my Thanksgiving budget post, I budget extra for cheese.
(I love it that much.)

It might be because cheese is easy.
(Woah, easy cheese.)

It requires no oven,
it’s portable and
other than putting it on a plate,
requires virtually no preparation.

Because Thanksgiving is one of THE major American holidays, American cheese we shall serve.
(No not AMERICAN cheese. American cheese made by American Cheesemakers.)

Even better?
Autumn is THE best season for cheese.
This is it, primo time for semi-young cheese (aged 60 to 90 days).
A perfect time for cheese made from summer-grazing animals.

Longer-aged cheeses are perfect now too — my darling Rogue Creamery’s Rogue River Blue is just… kissable right now.

Lots of folks have great tips for Thanksgiving cheese plates.
Here are mine.

Timing

Three hours before your Thanksgiving meal, take the cheese out of the fridge and set cheese on the plate.
Two hours before the Thanksgiving meal is to be served, we put out the veggie plate. It’s really better for everyone if we eat more veggies in the pre-Thanksgiving wandering.
One hour before the Thanksgiving meal, put out the cheese and fruit plate. I go light on the bread and crackers because we’re saving room in our bellies for gravy and stuffing. (Well, at least I am.)

Recommended Thanksgiving Cheeses

These are all made in the USA.
These are all grandparent approved.
These all pair well with the relaxed pickery of the day.

FRANKLIN’S TELEME

Franklin’s Teleme is the cheese we go mad for. Seriously, it has Cheesewhizzes everywhere bumping elbows with each other on their way to the platter. It’s runny, it’s fancy, it’s local and quite frankly, it tastes damn good.

ROGUE RIVER CRATER LAKE CHEESE

We tasted Rogue River Blue Crater Lake Cheese at the Cheesewhizzes tasting at the Mighty Summitand we agreed, it’s a crowd-pleaser.

There’s a reason this cheese wins best American cheese year after year. It’s neither too stinky nor too pungent, a fabulous cheese
for even grandparents and non-blue cheese lovers.

HUMBOLT FOG

Humboldt Fog is a lovely — almost citrussy cheese pleaser. This mild cheese has a beautiful layer of edible vegetable ash tucked through the middle that not only adds to the flavor, it adds to the beauty.

FISCALLINI CHEDDAR

Fiscalini cheddar is another cheese that just can’t disappoint anyone. Really. It’s wrapped, turned, loved and is a spectacular friend to all kinds of wine. Just try it.

PLEASANT RIDGE RESERVE

Yet another best cheese in America, Pleasant Ridge Reserve cheese hails from Uplands Cheese Co., located in my motherland, Wisconsin. The extra-aged version of this raw-milk cheese is nutty, salty and buttery, like all good things in life.

Round out your cheese plate

Grapes are a smart and simple addition to your cheese plate. Bunches of herbs work too. But I really like to serve some flavored nuts for crunchy contrast. Oh hey! I even brought you the recipe!

Recipe for Salty Maple Balsamic Pecans

Ingredients
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup shelled pecan halves
1 tablespoon good quality sea salt

Directions
Put foil or parchment paper on your baking sheet. Heat your oven to 325°
Mix together maple syrup and balsamic vinegar in a medium bowl.
Add pecans and stir it all up until everything is covered.
Spread it all onto the pan and bake for 15 minutes, until the pecans are bubbling and browned.
Sprinkle sea salt over the warm pecans. Let them cool.
Then store them for up to a week.

I recommend you make these nuts the weekend before Thanksgiving so it’s one less thing to worry about.
Yay! Cheese!