Corn Pudding

Ingredients:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 15-ounce can of creamed corn
3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 onion, chopped
2/3 cup milk
3 T butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 T sugar
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparing the pudding:
Beat together cream cheese, milk, butter, egg, sugar. Fold in creamed corn, corn, cornmeal cheddar cheese, salt, pepper and onion. Spread in a buttered 1-quart casserole dish and bake 50 minutes at 350 degrees F. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 4

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Green Peas With Pancetta And Shallots

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1/2 pound pancetta, cut into small dice
3 shallots, halved and thinly sliced
1 pound frozen peas, thawed

Preparing the peas:
Heat the oil in a large high sided saute pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until golden brown and the fat has rendered. Remove the pancetta to a plate lined with paper towels.

Add the shallots to the pan and cook until soft. Add the peas and cook until warmed through. Transfer to a large bowl and top with the crisp pancetta.

Serves 4

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Roasted Root Vegetables

Ingredients:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 medium carrots (about 3/4 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch thick circles
1 1/2 cups Brussels sprouts (about 1/2 pound), halved
4 cups red bliss potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices
3 medium parsnips (about1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices
1 cup sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 T freshly ground black pepper

Preparing vegetables:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Grease an 11 by 17-inch baking sheet pan with extra-virgin olive oil. Place vegetables in baking sheet and add the dried herbs, salt and pepper. Toss well, evenly coating all the vegetables with the seasonings and oil. Add more oil if the vegetables seem dry

Spread the vegetables evenly on a large baking sheet. Place on middle rack in oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Serves 6

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Abbie's Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients for the topping:
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 T panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon kosher salt

non-stick cooking spray

Ingredients for green beans and sauce:
2 T plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 pound fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed and halved
2 T unsalted butter
12 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 T all purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half

Preparing the onions:
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.

Combine the onions, flour, panko and salt in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Coat a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and evenly spread the onions on the pan. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Toss the onions 2 to 3 times during cooking. Once done, remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use. Turn the oven down to 400 degrees F.

* * * * * * * *

Preparing the green beans:
Bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an 8-quart saucepan. Add the beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Top with the remaining onions. Place into the oven and bake until bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6

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Abie's Creme Brulee

Ingredients:
1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup vanilla sugar, divided
6 large egg yolks
2 quarts hot water

Preparing the creme brulee:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 6

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Aggie's Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients for the green beans:
2 T kosher salt
1 pound string beans, ends trimmed, beans cut in half
ice cubes

* * * * * * * *

Ingredients for the mushroom base:
1 T unsalted butter
12 ounces white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced into 1/2-inch slices
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or put through a garlic press
3 T all purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup sour cream

* * * * * * * *

Ingredients for the shallots:
4 cups canola oil
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
3 medium shallots, peeled and cut into thin rounds
kosher salt

Preparing the green beans:
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. When the water boils, add the salt to the water and then add the green beans. Cook for 4 minutes.

Preparing the ice bath:
Fill a large bowl halfway with ice cubes and add some cold water. Place a colander squarely inside the ice bath. The colander will keep you from having to pick the beans out from amongst the ice cubes in the ice bath. When the beans are cooked, remove them from the hot water with a strainer and transfer them to the colander inside the ice bath. Use a spoon to swirl the beans around in the ice bath so they are sure to cool down immediately. Drain and set aside.

* * * * * * *

Preparing the mushroom base:
In a large cast iron skillet, melt the butter and add the mushrooms. Season with salt, to taste, and add the cayenne and mustard. Stir to blend and cook until the mushrooms give off most of their liquid, 5 to 8 minutes. Using a whisk, add the garlic and flour to the mushrooms. When all of the flour has been incorporated, add the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer. Taste for seasoning. Stir in the cream and sour cream and simmer gently. Continue cooking over low heat until the mixture thickens, 12 to 15 minutes.

* * * * * * *

Preparing the shallots:
Combine the flour and cayenne. Toss the shallot rounds in the flour and shake off the excess by shaking the rounds in a strainer once they have been floured.

Heat oil in a frying pan to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels or a brown paper grocery bag.

Test the oil by dropping in 1 shallot slice. It should begin to bubble and fry gradually.

Drop a small batch of the shallots into the oil and gently swirl the oil as they fry. This will help them they fry more evenly on all sides. When they are light to medium brown, remove them with a slotted spoon and lay them out on the kitchen towel to cool. Sprinkle with salt.

* * * * * * * *

Assembling the casserole:
Stir the green beans and some of the shallots into the mushrooms. Simmer on the stove, over low heat until the green beans become tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 10 to 15 minutes. Just before serving, top with all of the remaining shallots.

Serves 8 to 10

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TF's Roast Turkey

Serve with cornbread stuffing and cranberry relish.

Ingredients:
1 (12 to 14) pound fresh turkey
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients for sage butter:
2 sticks butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped sage
salt and pepper

Preparing the turkey:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and remove the top rack of the oven.

Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with stuffing and, if required, truss the legs. Cover the turkey with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Push the sage butter under the skin of the turkey, being careful not to puncture the skin.

Put the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan, and into the oven. Continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F. The thigh juices will run clear when pricked with a knife, about 3 hours total (15 minutes per pound). If the legs or breast brown too quickly during roasting, cover them with foil.

Serves 10 to 12

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TF's Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients
2 (8-ounce) packages cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 orange, zest cut into strips and juiced
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick

Preparing the sauce:
Put all the ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve at room temperature or cool and refrigerate. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

Serves 8 to 10

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TF's Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients:
2 T butter
2 onions, chopped
6 large cornmeal muffins, cubed
handful fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparing the stuffing:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes, or until soft and caramelized. Add sage and scrape into a large mixing bowl. Add the cornbread pieces, season well with salt and pepper, and give it a good toss until it's well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, cream, and stock, and pour that over the cornbread. Stir the stuffing together and stuff the cavity of the turkey. You could also spoon it into a buttered baking dish and put it in the oven along with the turkey. Bake until hot and crusty on top, about 30 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8

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Cane Syrup-Glazed Sweet Potato Marshmallow Streusel Casserole

Ingredients for sweet potato casserole:
4 pounds dark-skinned sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 cup cane syrup
1 stick butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
2 T orange liqueur

* * * * * * * *

Ingredients for streusel topping:
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature and cut into pieces
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted pecan pieces
2 cups miniature marshmallows

Preparing the sweet potato casserole:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine the cane syrup, butter, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the orange zest and liqueur. Pour the sugar mixture over the potatoes, and toss the potatoes to coat. Arrange the potatoes in 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass baking dish. Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake for 50 minutes, and then remove the dish from the oven, remove the foil, and bake until the potatoes are tender and the syrup has thickened slightly, basting occasionally, about 20 minutes.

* * * * * * * *

Preparing the streusel topping:
Combine the butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and pecans in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, and pulse the mixture until it resembles coarse pebbles. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, then add the marshmallows and toss to combine.

Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Remove the baking dish from the oven and cover the potatoes with the marshmallow streusel. Return to the oven, and bake until the topping is bubbly and browned, about 10 minutes.

Serves 8

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