BIRD DAY!!! 2013

Hosting a potluck Château Relâxeau style for Turkey Day:
Will add pictures while all the prep and cooking is being done.
In the meantime, here's the proposed list from the house, and then guests will bring their own delectables.

Grocery List:
1 Turkey
2 lbs sliced bacon (uncured/nitrate free)
salt/seasonings: coriander, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder

1 baking pumpkin
fresh thyme
salt
½ onion minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz goat cheese
1½ cup plain yogurt/canned coconut milk
2-3 cups all-purpose or gluten-free flour
4 large eggs


TURKEY will be prepared by first injecting the flesh with brine.
Brine will consist of 3 cups chicken or turkey broth brought to a boil,
adding 1 Tbsp of each of the following:
salt
ground coriander
ground cumin
garlic powder
onion powder
then let cool to room temp
use injector syringe to inject turkey meat with the cooled brine, and let sit.
Prepare 2lbs of bacon strips and remove the organs from the turkey. With a serrated knife, make 1" wide slices an inch apart, all in a row:   |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |    for several rows all across the back,breast, and thighs of the turkey, careful to not cut the meat. Weave slices of bacon with the skin.
Using a large tin can filled with fluid, stand the turkey up, and carefully mount onto the can (assuming it will fit into your oven in this manner - this will allow every side to brown and crisp. An alternate method is to just use the rack itself, with pan or cookie sheet to catch all the delicious drippings with which to baste the beautiful bird. And of course Bake per lb instructions - convection preferred.


PUMPKIN PIE will be a savory pumpkin/goat cheese quiche:
Cut baking pumpkin in half, remove the innards, separate the seeds (we'll use them to garnish), rub oil over the skin of the pumpkin and bake @ 350°F ~20 min until fork soft. Place seeds on a tray dry and toast ~10 min. Set aside.
The crust will be a simple dough recipe: 1 cup of yogurt or canned coconut milk, add enough flour of whichever assortment you desire (all-purpose / gluten-free) ~2-3 cups so the dough just stops being sticky when kneading. Knead well, then ball and cover with 2 tsp oil, and let rest for 15 min. Warm a pie dish while rolling the dough out into a circle large enough to cover the base and sides of the pie dish - if you'd like it really thin, use as little as ½ of the dough. Flatten dough against pie pan surfaces and scallop the edges as you like - bake in oven until just crispy ~10 @ 400­°F
While the crust is toasting, take the baked pumpkin and remove the flesh. Place in a large bowl, cool until it is touchable, then combine with 4oz of goat cheese and season with 2 tsp salt, the leaves from several sprigs of fresh thyme, 2 cloves of minced garlic and onion.
In a separate bowl or food processor whip together 4 eggs and ½ cup yogurt/canned coconut milk until creamy in color and foamy. Gently fold egg mixture into seasoned pumpkin, and gently pour into prepared pie crust.
Cover crust with foil and bake until set @ 350°F (passes fork test) - I haven't made this yet, so, not sure just how long it might take, but may be ~20-30 min.

Pantry Projects: über mac'n'cheese

 I was supposed to teach my friends how to cook... so, after a year, i'm putting it all out there, so we can finally get started


Part of this also comes from showing my friends that making it yourself is actually cheaper than constantly buying packaged goods


This I dragged outta my pantry and fridge: buncha pasta left over, left-over dry salami, my favorite cheddar (which is the only thing I didn't have on hand), and for this I use coconut milk (if you've ready previous postings). You can use whatever milk you usually use, but if it's a milk alternative, make sure it's plain and unsweetened.. I prefer coconut milk cuz its oils makes it very similar to regular milk

 First, boil pasta per label instructions

strain and put in casserole dish

I'm using bacon grease in my béchamel, cuz i rarely bother to buy butter anymore

use 2 Tbsp butter and ~1/3 cup flour

With heat on med heat, blend

this is called roux

~1 cup milk of your choice

dice up ~3/4 - 1 lb of sharp cheddar - I use proper cheddar that crumbles... modern cheddar has been designed to melt better, or you can use velveeta, but it's comparatively more expensive anymore... it's better to do this before you need it, cuz once the milk heats up in the pan, it thickens pretty quickly

Add the milk to the roux
whisk the roux with the milk

WATCH OUT! even on medium heat, if you're using regular milk, it will start to bubble really fast when it gets hot!! be ready to turn the heat down when it starts foaming... and if it starts rising too quickly, just pick the pan up gently to immediately remove it from heat

stir frequently until it thickens to the likeness of gravy

and you've got béchamel

toss in your cheddar and stir - 

now, if you're using crumbly cheddar, put the heat on really low - if it heats up too much or too fast, it will separate... 

modern melty cheddar, low simmer heat is fine - BOTH : stir frequently until it's melted and smooth

 I've used anything from ground lamb to diced ham,

chopped deli ham slices, hotdogs, sausage, bacon.... 

doesn't matter, it's pig and it's going in... 

HERE's where you'd add some salt and pepper, 

maybe a seasoning blend... i'm not for once 

because of the sharpness and saltiness of my 

cheddar and the seasoning the salami already has

mix gently... pour 1/2 over noodles and fold... 

then the other 1/2 and fold again 

this just keeps it from dripping all over

tomatoes normally go on top, but so far, this meal for 6 cost me ~ $5 for just for the cheese, the rest was already sitting around