To make the most of large roasted foods, such as turkey, they must be carved into portions correctly. After roasting a turkey and letting it rest, transfer the bird to a carving board (a cutting board with an indentation around the edges that captures the juices released during carving). If […]
How to Serve Cocktails for Your Holiday Crowd, from a CIA Beverage Expert
Upon reading the title, you may be thinking: “It’s a few weeks before the holiday, and I just started to write my shopping list. I still have to fight the crowds at the grocery store, to then go home and start preparing the meal. Now you want me to make […]
Iced and Spiced Brown Sugar Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen cookies, depending on the size of the cutter These lightly spiced brown sugar cookies are just the thing for your Pinterest-worthy Halloween (or Thanksgiving!) party. Easy to make, easy to glaze, and even easier to enjoy, they’ll look perfect on a platter alongside warm mulled cider […]
Is Butter Better? Choosing the Right Fat for Pie Crust
Fats are an essential ingredient in baking, directly imparting flavor and influencing tenderness and flakiness in pie and tart crusts. Most pie and tart crusts need to be made with a solid fat in order to create their characteristic tender and flaky texture. The role of fats in creating crusts […]
Israeli Couscous Risotto with Pumpkin and Chanterelle Mushrooms
Makes 5 servings Vegetables Ingredients 2 shallots, finely chopped 1/4 cup olive oil 2 cups chanterelle mushrooms, washed, dried, and diced Kosher salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 cups peeled and diced fresh pumpkin or other hard-skinned squash Couscous Risotto Ingredients 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil […]
It’s Turkey Time!
Spooky season is behind us, which can only mean one thing. It’s turkey time, and by that we mean it is truly turkey time, so call your favorite farm, market, or restaurant to pre-order your bird. If it’s too soon to order, set an alarm! If you get a jump […]
Keep it Simple with Pumpkin Purée
Despite the abundance of pumpkin-flavored foods at every turn, we spend surprisingly little time handling actual pumpkins. After all, as proponents of “homemade is best,” an apple pie starts with apples, a cherry pie starts with cherries. But a pumpkin pie starts with…a can of pumpkin purée? Using prepared pumpkin […]
Make it Yourself: Pumpkin Purée
Sugar pumpkins (also termed pie or cheese pumpkins) are smaller, sweeter, and more tender and flavorful than pumpkins used for carving Jack-o’-lanterns. The flesh of this variety of pumpkin has a creamier, less stringy flesh. Choose smooth, deep orange pumpkins that are heavy for their size and without cracks or […]
Make-Ahead Vegetarian Gravy
Makes about 2 cups This gravy is vegetarian, but just as rich as the gravy you would make with roasted turkey or chicken. It is thickened quickly with a corn starch slurry, but you can use potato starch or even a pre-cooked roux, if you would prefer. Make this gravy […]
Manhattan
Makes 1 serving Some might say there is no better start to a classic steakhouse dinner than an ice cold Manhattan. Different bourbons or whiskeys will bring their own qualities to the finished drink, so experiment to see what you like best to create your signature cocktail. Ingredients 2 oz […]
Maple Pecan Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie The complementary flavors of maple and pecan combine in this pie to create an earthy, buttery, robust dessert. Be sure to purchase Grade B maple syrup as the darker amber color and deeper maple flavor are essential to this pie. In the variation that follows, adding […]
Maple Pumpkin Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie Ingredients All-Butter Pie Crust, unbaked single crust, edges crimped or decorated with cutout shapes 3/4 cup Grade B maple syrup 3 large eggs 1 3/4 cups (one 15 oz can) pumpkin purée 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 […]