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If you’re like me, you’re not prepared for the Christmas dinners (emphasis on plural) to come… in a few hours! I’m not usually like this, especially with special occasion meals, but this time I’ve just basically let go because I’ve been so ill. I’m happy I could even post this before it’s too late (or is it?).

Well, if you’re like me, then you can still make this. Or at least consider brining your turkey if you’re serving turkey like we are. It’s the best decision I’ve made about the bird. I should have known better because this is what my grandmother used to do with the chickens she handpicks from the farm. [Yes, I won't go there..to that visual place, no, not during the holidays.] We could not wait to have a taste of the pineapple chicken she makes, which has been brined in salt, sugar and pineapple first. Oh, yummy!

I do have a not-so-pretty picture from this year’s Thanksgiving, but I’ll change this as soon as I get pics tomorrow night.

But forget about how it looks…just remember this: we almost didn’t have any leftovers! It was so juicy and flavorful. Give it a try!

Ok…gotta go! Happy roasting!

BRINED ROAST TURKEY

Ingredients

For brining:
1 fresh or thawed turkey, with giblets from cavity removed (at least 13 lbs)
kosher salt
juice of 1 orange*
juice of 1 lemon*

* As an alternative (and a very delicious one at that) you can use a cup of pineapple juice, or whatever light-colored juice you prefer. You can also add brown/raw/demerara sugar, honey, agave nectar or molasses to the solution.

For roasting:
2 sprigs of thyme
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
2 yellow onions, roughly chopped
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
Pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Brining. If you at least 12 hours to prepare: submerge turkey in a liquid solution of 1/2-cup salt combined with 1-gallon water and the orange and lemon juice. You can also brine the turkey for only 4 hours using a stronger solution of 1-cup salt to 1-gallon water, and the juices.

You can use extra large Ziploc bags (double bag it for safety and put on the most bottom area of the fridge in case of spillage) or the specially made brining bags you can buy at specialty stores. You can also use a large pan that can fit the turkey (you might need to turn the turkey halfway through if you use a pan). Keep the turkey in the brining bag/container in the refrigerator or place it in a large cooler with bags of ice – you need to watch out for the temperature. Important: Remember to keep the turkey below 40°F.

2. Cooking the turkey. Preheat the oven to 325°F.** Rinse the turkey thoroughly and pat dry.

3. Mix thyme, rosemary, carrots, celery and onions in a small bowl. Stuff the turkey’s cavity with this vegetable mixture and scatter any leftovers on the bottom of the roasting pan. Pour wine and broth over the vegetables in the pan.

4. Place the turkey rack (flat or v-rack) in the roasting pan, over the vegetables. Transfer the turkey to the rack, with the breast side down. Brush half of melted butter on the whole turkey, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

5. Roast turkey breast side down for the first half of the roasting time.** Remove from the oven and turn breast side up, brush with the rest of the butter and season with salt and pepper. Roast until thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F.

6. Remove turkey from the oven and set aside to rest for 30 minutes, tented with foil. Carve and serve drizzled with pan drippings.

** Most store-bought turkeys will have temperature and roasting times indicated on the packaging. Please follow them.

Here’s a quick reference for roasting (stuffed) turkey at 325°F from the USDA website.

Weight	Time
8 – 12 pounds	3 to 3 ½ hours
12 – 14 pounds	3 ½ to 4 hours
14 – 18 pounds	4 to 4 ¼ hours
18 – 10 pounds	4 ¼ to 4 ¾ hours
20 – 24 pounds	4 ¾ to 5 ¼ hours

It’s not too late to sign up for the Christmas Snail Mail. Go clickety-click!

I think I should start by saying that these are all gone. I baked them the previous night and between me and my brother, we finished all 8 of them in less than 24 hours. I thought 8 was too many and enough to share outside of the house. Either we were hungry or these were really good. Hah!

Most of you know by now that I love tinkering with a good recipe. It doesn’t matter what you tell me, I just will. I blame it really on my university “training” where we were not spoon-fed at all and we basically had to live by the “find your own creative means” mantra to get the end results. In the beginning this was something I detested because hey, I just got out of a sheltered private Catholic high school life and I’m being thrown into the lion’s den. I eventually loved it…thrived in it. And now here we are. Unless there’s no leeway (e.g. following instructions for a camera), I will tweak to my heart’s content. It does not satisfy me to just do what’s been done. I like to play, especially with food. Cooking has satisfied my creative hunger (pun hehe) like no other. And I get fed, too. :-)

SOOO… (good lord I babble a lot), when I saw Elle’s corn muffins, there was no question that when I make them I will mess with them. [Sorry, hun.] She used Gale Gand’s Featherlight Muffins recipe. I noticed that that the tops looked soft, and I would like them a bit harder, but not too hard that it will scrape the roof of my mouth. When I checked the ingredient list I got a bit worried about the mere half cup of sugar for a cup of flour. I didn’t think that was enough sweetness for me, so I added honey to add a little more. Plus I increased the temperature to 400°F to hopefully give that little crisp at the top which I just love about muffins.

I wanted to make ones like the Kenny Rogers corn muffins, which I really, really love, but we didn’t have corn nibblets. Hmph. To remedy this need for another ingredient and to further experiment, I added crumbled aged creamy cheddar cheese to just four of the muffins.

You’ll see melted cheese peeking on the right muffin, which has it. The left one is ‘plain’.

The ones with cheese are so incredibly good!!! And you know what? I would like to have more and bigger chunks of cheese next time. Yum, yum. Stick with good cheese, though.

I waited for the muffins to bake until it started to brown on the sides, which took about 17 minutes and 30 seconds [no really!]:

The brown part that you see? I always eat that the last. Yummers!

Here’s my army of eight that have dutifully served their duty to feed and be delicious:

I used tart shells because I didn’t realize that there are no muffin pans at my parents’ house. Hrmm.

Okay, so here’s the verdict on my little experiment:

Good things about these muffins: A delicious muffin top that’s worth the last bite for and it’s not too hard either, I’d say they were crunchy/chewy. Soft, dense (but not too much that you get full with one muffin), creamy and I could almost say “cushion-y” muffin body that is so, so nice to bite into, you won’t feel like you’re eating it just to get to the “top” — ‘know what I mean? They are GOOD. I like the sweetness of this — it’s perfect for me. The cheese is a really nice touch and I won’t make them without next time. Make this as a breakfast treat and people will be running to the kitchen to wait — no, DEMAND — for them, because not only are they so divine to the olfactory senses plus they live up to the aromatic hype. I can still remember how they smelled right out of the oven!  MMMMMM….yummm. Can’t wait to make the next batch tonight!

Bad thing about these muffins: You’ll be able to finish them in a wink. I could have easily eaten ALL of them by myself.

Ok, on to the almost step-by-step photos and recipe.

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

I’ll post the PDF recipe tomorrow done!, which is going to be our blog’s FIRST YEAR. I still can’t believe it’s that old.

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Taken from the Williams-Sonoma Sale post, I made two cups of the Peppermint Hot Chocolate for the first time while putting the finishing touches on my other webpage, Tech Hub. If you have picked up a tin after reading the post, the important thing to know is following the directions precisely.  There is a little blurb about heated cups so microwave your cups for one minute.

One thing I noticed in the process, when heating the milk it says to watch for bubbles around the edges. There were bubbles when I poured the milk! So I waited for more bubbling to appear and by the time it happened, a thin layer of film was over the heated milk. I had to skim it off and put in the measured chocolate. 

It says to use 5 tablespoons per 1 cup. I measured it out and in case you don’t feel like counting it out, the loose equivalant is about 1/4 cup. This makes for a really rich and creamy chocolate. It also makes for the best tasting hot chocolate you will ever drink. Joy made a comment after her first sip that the regular chocolate version would be perfect with churros.

We took the marshmallows to the concotion. The picture you see above was taken when a chocolate one was first dropped into the drink. Shortly after thereafter, the marshmallow started to melt, adding more goodness to the drink.

I made another couple of cups the following night. Instead of waiting for the bubbles to happen, I heated the milk at medium heat and waited for steam to come off the saucepan.  This made for perfect temperature cocoa that could be enjoyed once it has been mixed. There was also no skimming needed!

If the tins are still available at your local Williams-Sonoma, I still recommend you get either of the chocolate variety the have available. Enjoy!

Christmas Eve dinner has always been a tradition in my family that was made by reservation. Between Eli’s of Chicago to some of the fine dining chains here in Phoenix, my family was always treated out for dinner.

This year, Joy and I wanted to do something different. We wanted to make Christmas Eve dinner. Even before we sent out the invitations for the dinner, we spent many nights planning this out. Every detail needed to be precise to us. I believe we did a most restaurant-worthy job.

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One of our favorite new places to eat, Sauce, has an awesome salad: Chopped Chicken, Pine Nuts, Cherry Tomato & Gorgonzola. It was my idea to replicate that salad and its dressing. But I also wanted to make it something of my own. I did not write down anything for this recipe, so I’m going on sheer recollection of the dish.

I give you my first attempt at this dish, that I have entitled:

SPINACH PANCETTA SALAD WITH GORGONZOLA VINAIGRETTE

Yields: 5-6 servings

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

• 4 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

For the salad:

• 9 ounces of baby spinach
• 1/4 cup (or 2.25 oz package) pine nuts
• 1/4 pound thin sliced pancetta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

1.  Vinaigrette: In a food processor or blender, combine and pulse the olive oil and canola oil. Add the Gorgonzola, salt and pepper next and mix well, pausing a few times to scrape the sides. Add the lemon and lime juice, pulse. The resulting consistency is similar to that of Caesar salad dressing.

2.  Salad: Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry the pancetta to golden brown. Transfer the cooked pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate and let it cool. Crumble when cooled.

3.  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread pie nuts over a cookie sheet evenly and place in the oven to toast it for about 5-8 minutes. Keep a vigilant eye on the nuts. When you can smell them outside the oven, take them out and allow them to cool by placing the cookie sheet on a cooling rack.

4.  In a large serving bowl, pour the vinaigrette. Add the spinach, crumbled pancetta and pine nuts and toss together using salad forks or tongs. Make sure to reach from the bottom. Serve immediately.

This recipe, although nothing was written, was a massive success. Even the guest we thought would not touch it finished her serving and gave it a rave review. I am not sure I would change much about the recipe, but one thing is for sure, we will be serving it often. I hope it brings as much enjoyment to your table as it has to ours.

Filipinos are known for their overabundant holiday season celebrations. We don’t have Thanksgiving in the Philippines, so between Easter and Christmas, there is nothing to tide us over (except for birthdays). That’s why Christmas is such a big deal. The kitchens are busy for weeks ahead. People bake all kinds of edible gifts, like my favorite spiked fruit cakes that are given out to friends and family. We stock up on holiday staples such as Queso de Bola (cheddar cheese ball) and boxes and boxes of hamon (ham, no turkey). Some people (my mom’s mom) give notices to their favorite butcher to reserve meat for them to make ham (she makes a mean pineapple pork ham and chicken ham. Imagine that.).

One of the favorite “cakes” during the holidays is called Food For the Gods. I miss them dearly and until I baked my own, I haven’t had them since 2001. They’re basically date-and-walnut bars. [Don't wince, date-haters, I am one of you, too. You won't even notice you're eating dates when you have these.] These are so good, you’ll really have to leave some for yourself at home if you’re taking it to a party because it won’t be on the table for long.

FOOD FOR THE GODS (CHEWY VERSION)
[Recipe Source: here, but it was originally by Junjun de Guzman and Adoree Uy as published on Manila Bulletin]

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup pitted dates, chopped
• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and place rack in the upper middle position.  Line a 9″ x 13″ rectangular pan or a 13” x 18” jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and set aside.
2. Sift all-purpose flour, salt and baking powder in a small bowl. Put half this mixture in another bowl and dredge the chopped dates in there.
3. Combine melted butter, brown sugar, sugar and eggs in a large bowl. Mix until batter is uniform. Add honey and mix.
4. Fold flour into the batter using a rubber spatula. Lastly, fold the dredged dates and walnuts.
5. Pour the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Pour the mixture to the prepared pan. Spread evenly. Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes when using a 9”x13” pan, and 15 minutes when cooked in a jelly roll pan. It should be done when you poke a toothpick through the middle and it comes out clean. The center would still be wet.
6. Cool completely before slicing into bars.

NOTES:

I already made 4 batches of this recipe so I pretty much have it down to a science and to the exact flavor and consistency I want. Hope the following tips help you when you make them!

Baking pan: I used a standard size cookie sheet and the thickness of the bar is just perfect!

Dates: DO NOT use the already chopped ones that come in boxes because they are coated in sugar and will make your bars too sweet. It is brutal to chop 1 cup of dates, but it will be worth it! My first batch was super sweet.

Baking Time: Mine was perfectly baked in 15 minutes. I suggest you set your timer first for 15 minutes and go from there. My first batch baked for 40 minutes and it was a disaster. Next for 30, still stiff. Next was 20…ok. Fifteen is my magic number.

Cutting: Resist the urge to eat it just minute out of the oven. Patience! Let it cool completely and cut into bars. If you have a hard plastic spatula, that’s perfect for cutting because it won’t be as sticky as when you use a knife.

Wrapping/Packaging:
Traditionally, the bars (about 2″x4″) are wrapped in aluminum foil–yes, individually. Then it’s wrapped in cellophane, and put in boxes or plastic containers. I couldn’t find the crunchy cellophane that I love here so I settled for the roll of gift basket plastic sold at Wal-Mart. It’s a little tougher to wrap and twist at the ends, but if you’re giving it as gifts, it’s worth it. And look (to the right)–so pretty!

Serving Suggestions: You can also cut 2″x2″ squares and put them in paper cups if you’re serving them at a party. They’re sticky, chewy bars, so spare your guests the sticky fingers. They pair well with coffee. Some people find it too “rich”, so you can also serve them in smaller, more bite-size pieces.

ADULT Version: Before wrapping them in foil, you can also brush some brandy at the top and bottom. They are incredibly good as well.

Shelf Life: The question is–will it even last a day?! Hah. These are very shippable and will probably stay good for a little over a week, that’s my conservative guess. If you’re keeping them at home, stick them in the fridge and only take them out an hour before devouring them. They’ll be perfectly chewy.

We’ve given them out to Dan’s family and his workplace. I’ve mailed them to family and friends, and my dad even complained there were too few! Haha. They all loved it. I’m sure you will, too. It’s so easy to make and not time-consuming at all if you don’t count the wrapping time. Enjoy!