To Brine Or Not To Brine?...

Confession...I cannot cook a big Thanksgiving turkey and have it come out nice and juicy without submerging it in brine.  Many people don't find the need to go through this step, but I SWEAR by it!  I decided to try this method about 2 years ago, after numerous years of dealing with dried out turkeys on Thanksgiving night.   I remember Williams Sonoma had a blend that they sold,  that cost almost $20, which I refused to pay since I can obtain all the ingredients myself.  Many brining recipes call for water, but I feel that adding the apple cider adds an extra dimension to this solution.  Trust me when I say, that this will make a difference in the taste of your bird!

• 1 (20 - 22 lbs.) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
• Brining bag
• 8 cups apple cider
• 1 cup sea salt
• 2 cups dried apples
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 2 Tbsp peppercorns
• 4 Tbsp rosemary leaves (or 4 tsp dried)
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
• 5 bay leaves
• 4-5 Star anise
• 1 of each: orange, lemon, lime, cut into slices.

Directions

1. In a large pot over high heat, combine all the ingredients, except the orange, lemon, & lime, with1 gallon (4 quarts) of water; bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the brine. 
2. Reduce heat to medium low and let it boil softly for 10-15 minutes.
3. Turn the heat off, take the citrus fruits and slice them into rounds.  Throw them in the pot as it cools down.
4. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until well chilled (can be left in fridge overnight.)
5. Open the turkey (needs to be fully defrosted, if frozen.)
6.  Remove the neck, heart, and gizzards (located in a bag inside the turkey). You can reserve these, if desired - just rinse them and store in a Ziploc bag in the fridge. (I usually do this on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.)
7. Rinse the entire turkey thoroughly with cold water. Don’t forget to rinse under the arms and legs.
8. Take a brining bag (or any large bag.) You can also use a pot or large bowl; just be sure it will fit in your fridge.
9. Add the thawed turkey into the bag.
10. Pour the cooled brining solution into the bag.
11. Add 1 gallon + 2 cups ice water and 6 cups apple cider, or with 1-1/2 gallons ice water only.
12. Seal the brining bag tight- removing as much as air as possible.
13. Place it in the fridge- inside a cheap roaster or 5-gallon bucket, and let it brine for 12-36 hours, turning the turkey over once halfway through the brining time.
14. Just before roasting, between 12 and 24 hours before, remove the turkey from the brine, rinse well with cold water, and pat dry with paper towels and add Sofrito if desired.

Make-Ahead Tips:

Prepare the brine mixture (but do not add the turkey) up to 2 days in advance. Cover and store in the refrigerator.
I usually brine my turkey on Tuesday morning or afternoon, and after the 24 hours, I take it out place it into the greased roaster and add my own.


Additional Tips:

Note that the solution will be salty after it is boiled, but keep in mind that you will be adding 1.5 gallons of additional water.
If you don't have enough space in your refrigerator (I know I don't,) or you don't want to risk the brining bag ripping and making an epic mess in the fridge, then grab a cooler, clean it out thoroughly, and place the turkey in there.  Just note that you will have to keep ice inside the cooler every so often to avoid the water getting to room temperature.
On the day I cook my turkey, I simply preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, cook the turkey there for about 4 hours or until golden brown, as I constantly baste it in its own drippings.  I also use about 1/2 a stick of butter towards the end to give it that beautiful golden brown color.

Dominican Sofrito

Sofrito is one of those things that you grow up around in my culture and don't really think much of it.  It wasn't until I started taking on a liking to cooking that I really got to appreciate this seasoning.  It's versatile in the way that you can use it on meat, poultry, seafood, and stewed beans, among other things, and so easy to make!

Now, the thing with sofrito is that everyone's mom or grandma have their own version and they swear it's the best one.  This one that I'm sharing has worked for both my mother and I for years.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 whole red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 2-3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp oregano
• Salt & pepper to taste

           
Directions:
            In either a blender or food processor, put in the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, green, red bell peppers, garlic and onions and start blending until everything starts breaking down. Next, add the remaining ingredients and blend until it forms a thick liquid; and now you’re ready to season with it.

Sofrito can be place in a non-reactive jar and placed in the fridge for immediate use or in the freezer to have as needed.

Pumpkin Sherry Turkey Chili

 Fall is finally upon us, and being a lifetime New England  resident, I find it to be one of the most beautiful times of the year!  From the nice crisp autumn breeze and the color changing leaves, to pumpkin and apple picking in one of  the local farms, it's a great way to finish out the year; that is of course, before the Christmas madness creeps upon us!

 Another reason to love fall?  1 word: FOOTBALL!  And  as the new season begins, what better way to celebrate  than a nice hot bowl of chili!

When I brainstormed about what kind of chili I would whip up, surely I wasn't going to settle for a big batch of boringness.  Rather, I was looking for fun and exciting ingredients that were going to give it extra 'umpth' without compromising the integrity of the dish.  To be quite honest, the measurements used for the spices are approximates, for the most part.  I say feel free to use as much (or as little) as you want - I, personally, like going big on the spices; after all, it is what makes the chili, well...CHILI!

1.3 lbs ground turkey
1 medium red onion (chopped)
2 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp paprika
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional - may omit)
4 chopped medium tomatoes (I sprinkle a bit of salt over them right before adding it to the pot)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 15.5oz can red kidney beans
3/4 cups dry sherry
4 stalks of celery
1/2 cup chopped cilantro  (packed)
Water

Toppings:
Sour Cream
Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Scallions

Start by seasoning the meat.  Add the chopped red onions and the next 8 ingredients to the ground turkey.  Place in the refrigerator for half hour minimum; you can leave the seasoned meat overnight.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium pot over medium high heat and add the ground turkey; stirring and breaking up the meat constantly.  Turn heat to medium low and cook for 10 minutes.  Add chopped medium tomatoes, red kidney beans, and sherry and let cook for 15 minutes on low.  If after the 15 minutes the chili is a bit dry, add about 2 cups of water and add the celery and cilantro.  You can turn off the chili after 10 minutes or let it simmer for an hour longer.  That's the beauty of chili...you control how long you stew it for!

Serve the chili onto bowls and top with sour cream, cheese, and scallions.  Enjoy it with your favorite accompaniment, be it corn bread, tortilla chips, biscuits, rice or side salad, along with some avocado wedges...YUM!

French Macarons with Frangipane (Almond Cream)

These tasty little treats never quite used to catch my attention before until I had a chance to actually taste them.  I remember one night, my husband and I had just had a fantastic dinner experience at a lovely restaurant in Downtown, and and as our waiter hands us our check, he gave each one of us a gingerbread macaron.  OMG...I nearly jumped off my seat!!  From the crusty outer shell, to the soft chewy center and the filling; oh! the filling...I felt as if though I had died and gone to food lover's heaven! 

A few months later, the owners of the restaurant opened up a Parisian style bakery down the street, where they sell macarons, among many other items; and I thought to myself: "Yesss!"   Finally somewhere I can indulge in these little things!  When I visited the bakery the first time, I bought about half a dozen of these babies and I paid about $12 for the whole thing...that's almost $2 for each one!  There was no way I was going to upkeep my new found addiction AND go broke!   I needed to look into learning how to make them myself...which is exactly what I did!

Now to start off, there is great debate as to whether or not you should age the egg whites used in the recipe.  Many recipes instruct you to place the egg whites uncovered in the fridge for 2-3 days so that they may age.  I've tried both methods time and time again, and I can't seem to note any difference in taste or texture.  Rather, I find that whenever I try making them, let's say, on a humid day for example, the texture of the outer shell usually comes out softer, therefore, I try not to make them on those days.  This recipe definitely requires a few trials in order to get it right.  So go on, go crazy making macarons every other week; I'm sure you or anyone else around you will mind!  

Macaron Shells:

• 140 grams almond flour
• 200 grams powdered/confectioner's sugar (Don’t make your own because it won’t work unless your processor is POWERFUL. The kind with cornstarch in it is okay.)
• 40 grams granulated sugar
• 100 grams egg whites at room temperature (about 3 eggs, but you will have some leftover - weigh it.)
• A few drops of the food coloring of your choice

Almond flour and powdered sugar:

• Run the flour and powdered sugar through a sieve or sifter over a mixing bowl, letting the fine particles leave the mass. Take the craggly mass, break it up with your fingers and run it through the sieve or sifter again. Rinse and repeat until you have little to  no more particles left. 

Meringue:

• Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until frothy, about 10 seconds. Gradually, mix in the 40 grams of granulated sugar and turn your mixer up to high and beat the daylights out of it!  Beat it until you truly get glossy and thick looking stiff peaks, but not to the point where it breaks...think shaving cream.  At this point, you can add food coloring if you choose to, while still beating the meringue.  When you flip your beater upside down, the point of the egg whites should stick straight up. It should not wilt or curve over at all. You want a very strong meringue so that it’ll hold up when you incorporate the dry ingredients later on.  Don't worry about overbeating the egg whites.
  

Macaronage:

• Okay, this is where you need to work quickly but carefully. The goal is to get the almond mixture incorporated well into the meringue–and to not over mix when doing so.  Little by little, mix the almond flour/powdered sugar mixture into the meringue.  Theoretically, you want to mix in thirds, so you don't get overwhelmed mixing everything together all at once, turning the bowl every so often.
• When you see the mixture coming together, switch over to an "over and under" method of folding and repeat.  Eventually, the mixture will start looking like volcano magma, once it is well incorporated.  Remember not to over mix, or you will end up deflating the air from the macarons and you will end up with bad results.
  
  
  

Piping:

• My preferred method of piping consists of an over-sized ziplock bag.  I feel like I have more control of it, and I don't lose to much of the mixture at the end.  But you can use a piping bag with a tip if you prefer.  
  
• Set the oven to 300 degrees F, and prepare sheet pan (or 2) by covering it with parchment paper.  For neater shells, you may want to place a template under the parchment paper.  You can download the different template sizes by clicking on any one of the following templates: mini, small, medium, or large.
• Place the bag over a tall glass and fold over the edges.  Gently take the mixing bowl and pour a little over half of the mixture onto the bag.  Lift the folded edges from the top of the glass and twist shut the bag, then snip off the corner of one of the sides by about half inch.  If using a piping bag, place a round, medium sized tip at the end of the bag.
• Holding the bag upright, squeeze enough mixture to cover the circles on your template.  Repeat this process until you fill up your sheet pan, working quickly but carefully. Keep in mind that once the mixture has been piped on the pan, it will spread a bit, so try not to overflow the circle.  Once you're done piping, give the pan a couple of light bangs on the counter to get rid of any air pockets.  
  
• Allow your shells to dry anywhere between 20-40 minutes.  You will know that they're ready to go into the oven, when you gently touch the shell and they feel a bit spongy.

***While the shells are drying, make your frangipane.***

Frangipane
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup granulated sugar (or honey)
1 large egg
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon pure almond extract (or amaretto)

• In a blender or food processor, mix the almonds, sugar or honey, and blend for about 2 minutes.  Carefully add the hot melted butter and the egg and continue blending until you have a nice creamy texture, about 2-4 more minutes.  Set aside.
• Once the shells are cooled and have been paired, pour the frangipane into another plastic or piping bag and start piping the cream onto the shells.

Baking:

• Baking times vary depending on your oven.  Place the 1st pan of shells into the upper third part of the oven and bake between 12-18 minutes, rotating it once halfway through the baking process.  In my particular case, this is the time where I rotate the pan and place it in the lower part of the oven and then place the other pan of uncooked shells in the upper part to bake.  

Assembly:

• Once they are done, let the shells cool down for about 10 minutes and start pairing them.   Now you can start piping the filling on one of the shells.  When you place the other shell over the filling, do not push down, or else you will end up spilling filling.  Gently apply a bit of pressure so that the shells stay intact with one another.  
  
• It's best if you refrigerate the macarons overnight, once they're done, or at least for a few hours, at the very least.  This way it gives the filling a good amount of time to set properly.

Tips: 

• Important: Be sure you weigh, NOT measure your ingredients.  A small kitchen or postal scale comes in handy!
• Several bowls will be used, so make sure that you take out as many as you need ahead of time.
• Not crucial, but try to stay away from making these on more humid days, since the shells tend to take forever to dry on these days.

Let's Set the Table!

For quite some time, I've anticipated starting a food blog, but never did it for one reason or the other.  I have a great passion for the culinary arts and on many occasions I feel the need to share these creations.  Many of my family and friends have seen pictures of the various dishes on my social media posts, and give me positive feedback, in many cases asking me for the recipe!  Well, after much anticipation, I've finally given in!  Here it is and here I am - excited and anxious to show you my creations!  

I have a diverse taste in food, which is what keeps me so interested in gastronomy.  Food gives me a chance to embark on a trip around the world and learn about different cultures, without leaving my home.  My inspirations and recipes come from many sources; some from old family recipes that have been passed on, others from my efforts at making good tasting food while trying to eat clean and healthy, and others come from fellow bloggers; but to all of them I add my own personal touch.

Many of my dishes use ingredients that are either not commonly used or are incorporated in an unconventional way to the recipes.  One of my favorite parts of creating these dishes is making them look fancy; in other words BOURGEOIS.  I want to show my audience that you don't have to spend hundreds at a high end restaurant all the time to enjoy an eye catching and great tasting meal.  All it takes is some dedication...

Welcome to Spanglish Gourmet!