Text 6521, 95 rader
Skriven 2011-02-01 15:51:28 av Janis Kracht (1:261/38)
   Kommentar till text 6392 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
Ärende: turkey
==============
Hi Jim,

>> Oh now I want another turkey Lol  That all sounds so good :)

> We had my Sister-in-law and her guy over as it was her birthday.

Heh.. today is my birthday, so your SIL and I are just a few days different.

> I've just finished washing up. We forgot to buy sausage so we used
> bacon in the stuffing which turned out nicely. I hit the grocery

For turkey stuffing, I often use sausage or bacon, but I think my favorite is
simply a "dry dressing", which isn't dry at all ..  I saute the following in
maybe 1/4 cup butter: chunks of neck pieces, chopped gizzard, heart (and not
the liver (g)), butter, onions, celery, thyme, carrots, celery, sometimes
raisins, parsley.  After I remove the neck pieces,  I stir in a handful of
parsley as well as often tossing in about 1/2 cup Italian grated locatelli
cheese. Then I toss in fresh bread crumbs (home made bread is best, obviously),
stir to coat, then stuff the bird.. Into the stuffed openening, I pour in about
1/2 cup melted butter or extra virgin olive oil (butter is better for this),
and close the opening with a chunk of home made bread heal. I've made stuffing
outside the bird in an oven-proof container, but I dunno.. just never seems as
good as "in the bird" (g).  I do baste the stuffing cooked outside the bird
with turkey juices. Which way do you prefer to do your turkey stuffing?

> store this morning for the fresh veggies and ended up with butternut
> squash, which we microwave steamed and asparagus (ditto) which was on
> special.

Those are both family favorites here as well.. but I think Ron's favorite is
creamed onions - they are so sweet and yummy :)  We love sauteed asparagus as
well rather than steamed.. Well, I steam them first until mostly cooked, then
beat an egg with Italian cheese, parsley, salt, pepper.  Dip the asparagus in
the egg mixture, then in Italian breadcrumbs. then repeat the dipping of each
one more time.. I saute the spears in olive oil, and then serve :)

> For dessert the strawberries looked good despite it being
> January so we had short cake. For wine, St Ursula, a modern dry
> style German Riesling, which has become my default house white.

Nice :) Over here, holidays aren't complete without a Ricotta Cheesecake.

===Ricotta CheeseCake===
This large ricotta cheese cake has a  delicious crust and a fantastic filling. 
Pine nuts (pignoli nuts) add a subtle flavor that your guests will love.  The
white raisins are optional, but if you add them you won't be sorry.  When I
have time, I make this cheese cake with home-made ricotta cheese.

Pie Crust:
2 cups flour
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature 4 egg yolks, beaten slightly
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons Marsala wine
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg white
1 Tablespoon lightly toasted pine nuts

Beat the butter and sugar until well mixed.  Add the eggs, lemon rind and salt
and beat well.  Add the wine and stir well.  Stir in the flour with a wooden
spoon, and knead lightly just until mixed.  The dough will be soft and sticky. 
Refrigerate for an hour or until it can be handled.  Roll out the dough on a
lightly floured surface.  If the dough begins to stick to the surface, lift it
up and sprinkle a little more flour under it.  Lift the dough into a 10"
cheesecake pan with removable rim.  Run the rolling pin firmly across the top
of the pan, to remove the excess dough.  Roll out the excess dough into a
rectangle, and cut it into long strips to use as a lattice on top of the cheese
cake.

Ricotta Filling:
3 pounds Ricotta Cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 whole eggs, beaten
1 Tablespoon flour
2 Tablespoons lightly toasted pine nuts (1 Tablespoon white raisins, optional)

Beat the eggs and sugar until well mixed.  Add the ricotta and beat for 3-5
more minutes.  Stir in the vanilla extract, flour and 2 Tablespoons of the pine
nuts, and the raisins if you are using them.

Pour the filling into the  shell, and make a cross-lattice by laying one strip
across the middle of the cake, and then crossing it from the other direction. 
Continue to lay strips, lifting the strips as they cross.  Brush the lattice
with the beaten egg white, and sprinkle with the tablespoon of pine nuts.

Bake at 350F for 1 1/2 hours.  Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack.
When cool, carefully remove the rim and refrigerate the cake. Serve chilled.
===

Take care,
Janis

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