Turkey King Ranch Casserole, adapted from Homesick Texan
3 cups leftover turkey meat, shredded
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 10-ounce can Ro-Tel tomatoes, or 1 8-ounce can diced tomatoes and 1 small can green chiles
3 teaspoons ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 teaspoons lime juice
1/2 cup half and half
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
4 cups grated cheddar cheese
10 corn tortillas
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium, and add the onions, red bell pepper, and poblano pepper. Let the veggies cook for 10 minutes, and add the garlic, flour, cumin, cayenne pepper, and ancho chile powder to the mix. Cook for another minute, and pour the chicken broth in the saucepan and cook over a low heat for a few minutes until the mixture thickens. Stir in the half-and-half and Ro-Tel. Cover the saucepan and let everything simmer for around 15 minutes while giving the sauce an occasional stir.

Take the lid off the saucepan, and add the sour cream, lime juice, and 1/4 cup of cilantro to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and take the sauce off the heat.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, as you begin to assemble the casserole. Grab a large baking dish, and spoon 1/2 cup of the sauce onto the bottom of the dish. Layer 5 of the corn tortillas on the bottom of the dish. I like to cut 3 of them in half and place the straight edge of the tortillas against the edges of the pan. Arrange the tortillas so the bottom of the pan is evenly covered.

Place half the turkey on top of the tortillas and pour over half of the remaining sauce. Top the casserole with half of the remaining cilantro and 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Repeat the layering process again starting with another layer of tortillas and ending in a thick layer of grated cheese.

Cook the casserole uncovered for around 30 minutes, or until the cheese topping gets nice and browned. The casserole tastes great served with a big dollop of sour cream.

Although 2009 has so far not been the year that Carlo and I had hoped for, we are still thankful for having each other and our relationship only getting stronger despite the many obstacles that we have stumbled upon this year. I’m thankful for my family, and although I’m missing them like crazy today since this is my first Thanksgiving ever to be apart from them, we are also creating a new holiday tradition with Carlo’s family in Tucson. I’m also thankful for all of my friends, near and far, who are the best and always make me laugh and feel better about life. I want to give out a shout out to our awesome kitty Boo, who I hope is doing okay at home in Las Vegas and is enjoying snuggling on my fleece that I left out for him.

Lastly, I would like to thank each of you who read our blog, try our recipes, and leave comments. This blog has been an incredible and rewarding experience over the last 9 months. Not only has it been a powerful source of unemployment therapy, it has helped me reconnect with old friends who also love food and create many new friends. Plus it was pretty awesome to be mentioned in the lead story on the front page of USA Today yesterday

So today, take a moment out from your day of foodie revelry and give your thanks to your support network, without which we would be nothing.

Happy cooking, and be reassured that even if things don’t turn out as planned in the kitchen this holiday, no one will remember it tomorrow. A few years ago, Carlo had to take a leaf blower to help fire up the smoker, and even though the turkeys ended up with a thick layer of ash over them (thankfully easy to remove once you took the skin off), everyone still raved about his legendary smoked turkey. Plus we have this awesome photo to remember one of our last Friends’ Thanksgiving in Austin.

Keeping this in mind, we have come up with a few turkey recipes that use up all of those leftovers. And believe me, we cooked a 13 pound turkey for two people so we had TONS of leftover meat.

First up is a recipe for Turkey Stock, which is a great way to use the carcass of the bird instead of just throwing it into the rubbish bin. Plus homemade turkey stock is so much better than any canned or cube stock that you buy at the grocery store. We made a huge vat of stock and then divided it among smaller containers which we froze so we can use them later as a chicken stock substitute. This recipe makes enough for 10 cups of stock at 24 cents per cup.

Turkey Stock, adapted from Gourmet, November 2004
1 turkey carcass
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 medium yellow onions, left unpeeled, then trimmed and halved
3 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch lengths
3 carrots, quartered
6 fresh parsley stems, without leaves
1 bay leaf
10 black peppercorns
5 quarts cold water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Take the turkey carcass and break it down into thighs, drumsticks, wings, and the back bone. Halve the turkey wings at the joints, and then crack the wing bones in several places with the knife. Don’t worry about picking the carcass clean of every last piece of meat since this is what helps make a flavourful stock.

Heat up 1/4 cup of oil in a heavy stock pot over a medium heat and then throw in the turkey bones and let them brown. Once they are browned, remove the bones from the pot and set them aside for a few minutes.

Add the onions to the stock pot, cut side down, and cook them until they are golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove them from the pot and let them rest with the bones. Then cook the celery and carrots until golden, about 3 minutes.

Add the turkey bones, onions, and remaining ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat and let the stock gently simmer, partially covered, for 3 hours. Be sure to skim the top of the stock to remove any foam that may build up during this cooking process.

Once the stock is cooked, remove the pot from the heat and let the stock cool uncovered until it is room temperature. Pour the cool stock through a large fine-mesh sieve and throw away the solids.

Now measure the stock. If there is more than 10 cups, boil the stock until it is reduced, or if there is less than 10 cups, add a bit more water to make up the difference.

Let the stock stand for a few minutes until the fat rises to the top and then skim that off and throw it away. You can either use the stock right away, or freeze it for up to 3 months in an airtight container.

Maple Pear Upside-Down Cake, from Mark Bittman
11 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a small pan over medium heat; add the maple syrup and brown sugar and let it cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook for another 2 minutes until it begins to caramelize; remove from the heat and set aside.

When the caramel mixture has cooled a bit, pour it into a 9-inch baking pan and arrange the pear slices in an overlapping circle on top. Don’t get too worried about making the pears look perfect because the cake is quite rustic and forgiving for a less than perfect arrangement.

With a handheld or standing mixer, beat the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter and the sugar until it is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs, one egg at a time, and continue to mix until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three batches, alternating with milk; do not overmix. Carefully spread the batter over the pears, using a spatula to make sure it is evenly distributed. Bake until the top of the cake is golden brown and the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 45 to 50 minutes. You will know when it is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cake cool for 5 minutes, and then run a knife around edge of pan. Put a plate on top of cake and carefully flip it so the plate is on the bottom and pan is on top. Remove the pie dish to reveal your upside-down cake and serve warm or at room temperature.

Other Recession Recipes Desserts:
Plum and Walnut Crisp
Lemon Curdy Pudding
Back to Basics: Crepes
Plum Clafoutis

Carlo looked through the Craftsteak cookbook and found the recipe for Bordelaise sauce that Tom normally pairs with hanger steak, which was also on our tasting menu–amazing! He improvised and came up with this recipe for Brussels sprouts using the recipe from last week’s Braised and Glazed Brussels Sprouts as the basis for the dish. The Bordelaise Sauce is a bit of a pain to make, but we made the full amount and froze the rest so we can use it on some grilled steaks after the holidays.

Bordelaise Sauce, from Tom Colicchio’s Craft of Cooking
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 cups chopped mushrooms
1 cup chopped shallots
1 bottle dry red wine
3 quarts beef stock
1 bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked
salt and freshly ground pepper

Plus:
Braised and Glazed Brussels Sprouts
3 slices bacon, thinly sliced

Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms, and shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies soften and begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Add the wine and simmer everything until the pan is almost dry, about 25 minutes, then add the beef stock.

Reduce the heat to medium and let the sauce simmer, skimming frequently, until the sauce has reduced enough to coat the back of a spoon, at least an hour. Strain the sauce, add the thyme leaves, and season with salt and pepper.

To make this dish, follow the recipe for the Braised and Glazed Brussels Sprouts. Once the sprouts are almost cooked, take them out of the pan and add the bacon. Fry up the bacon until it is crispy, and then return the sprouts to the pan. Pour over a bit of the Bordelaise Sauce and saute the sprouts and bacon with the sauce for a couple of minutes and then serve.

Braised and Glazed Brussels Sprouts, ffrom Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything
3 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed
1/2 cup or more stock, white wine, or water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the butter, Brussels sprouts, and stock in a deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Season everything with salt and pepper, and bring the stock to a boil. Once the liquid is boiling, cover and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers. Cook it until the sprouts are just tender, around 5 to 10 minutes, checking once or twice to see if additional liquid needs to be added to the skillet.

Take the lid off of the skillet and raise the heat to boil off the remaining liquid until the sprouts become glazed and eventually browned. Resist the urge to stir them frequently; just let them sizzle in the pan until they are golden and crisp, then shake the pan and loosen them to roll them over. Don’t worry if some sides are more well done than others, they all still taste good in the end. Finish the dish with some salt and pepper and serve the Brussels sprouts either hot or at room temperature.

Other Recession Recipes Veggie Side Dishes:
Roasted Baby Carrots
Roasted Acorn Squash with Chile Vinaigrette
Whole Baked Cauliflower with Tomato and Olive Sauce
Grilled Asparagus with Fresh Dried Chili Oil
Steamed Eggplant
Grilled Zucchini with Mint and Red Chili

While all of the meat was perfectly cooked and seasoned, the stand out dish of the meal was the Potato Puree. These potatoes were the silkiest and most flavourful that I had ever had. They were the equivalent of potato crack, and I half seriously joked with Carlo that I wanted to lick out the last dredges from the dish since they were that good and I had drunk quite a bit of wine that night. A couple of weeks ago, our friend Bethany was in town and graciously took us out to eat at Craftsteak. Once again we got the tasting menu, and thank god, the potato puree was still on the menu!

After falling in love with these potatoes all over again, we knew that we had to try to make them at home. Unfortunately we don’t have a potato ricer, so we had to use a stick blender to puree the potatoes which didn’t result in as fine or silky potatoes as those at Craftsteak, but they were still pretty damn good. I like Tom’s technique of whisking the potatoes and then slowly adding the cream and butter to make them light and fluffy. I think that a potato ricer will definitely have to be on my Christmas list this year so I can perfect these potatoes. This recipe makes enough to for 6 side dishes at $1.22 per serving.

Potato Puree, adapted from Tom Colicchio’s Craft of Cooking
5 pounds yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
salt and white pepper
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
olive oil
chopped fresh chives

Place the unpeeled potatoes in a large pot, and add water to cover them. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and bring the pot to a simmer over a medium heat. Simmer the potatoes until they are tender, around 20 minutes or so.

Drain the potatoes, and then while they are still hot, peel them. To stop the potatoes from burning your hand, hold the potato in a dish towel and use a sharp paring knife. If you don’t want to do this, I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to peel the potatoes before you cooked them.

Place the peeled potatoes in a covered bowl so they remain hot. Puree the potatoes with a potato ricer, or immersion blender. Place the potato puree in the pot and whisk the puree with a stiff whisk. Gradually whisk in the milk, cream, and butter, then season with salt and pepper.

Serve the potatoes topped with a drizzle of olive oil and chopped fresh chives.

Other Recession Recipes Potato Recipes:
Twice Baked Potatoes with Cheese and Broccoli

Every time that I’ve made these potatoes since the dinner party, they have been a huge hit and are always the first things to be finished on the table. Although it may sound strange to lightly smash the potatoes, this helps create a delicious crispy potato with barely any oil. This recipe makes enough for 4 people at 99 cents per serving, although you may want to up the amount of potatoes if you have lots of potato fiends at your Thanksgiving dinner.

Crunchy New Potatoes, adapted from BBC Good Food
12-16 small-medium new or small potatoes, unpeeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the oven to 400 F degrees. Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes, then drain them well. Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet, and crush each one lightly with a potato masher. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake the potatoes for at least 20 minutes or until they are as crispy as you like.

If you have other things that need to go in the oven that are cooked at a different temperature, just stick the potatoes in anyway and keep an eye on them. This cooking process is pretty foolproof and can work under numerous conditions. I like keeping mine in the oven while I’m cooking the main course so they can get super crispy.

First up, we’ve got this nice scalloped potatoes and fennel dish. I tend to prefer mashed potatoes with my turkey (well, with my gravy, really, if I’m being honest), but I do enjoy a good scalloped dish or gratin as well. This one was pretty easy to make (especially if you have a mandoline), and the addition of the fennel was a nice accent. But, in the end, it was good, tasty, creamy potatoes, with just the right amount of browning on top. This potato recipe makes enough for 12 side dishes at 70 cents per serving.

Scalloped Potatoes and Fennel, adapted from Bon Appetit, November 2008
6 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed
2-inch-long fresh rosemary sprigs
2 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
2 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
3/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 large fresh fennel bulbs with fronds
3 1/2 pounds medium russet potatoes
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Preheat the oven to 350¬?F and place the rack in the center of the oven. Grab a large glass baking dish, and place the smashed garlic cloves and rosemary springs on the bottom of the dish. Combine the cream, coarse salt, and white pepper in a separate large bowl.

Prepare the fennel bulbs by cutting off the stalks and fronds, but reserve the fennel fronds for a finishing garnish. Cut the fennel bulbs in half and using a mandoline, thinly slice the fennel bulbs. If you don’t have a mandoline, you can slice them as thin as possible using a knife. Layer half of the fennel slices evenly atop the garlic and rosemary in the baking dish.

Peel the potatoes and place them immediately in a large bowl of cold water so they don’t turn brown. Thinly slice the potatoes into rounds with a mandoline, or carefully cut them with a knife. Immediately add the sliced potatoes to the bowl with the cream and make sure that all of the potatoes are fully coated with the mixture.

Arrange half of the potato slices evenly over the fennel in the baking dish, and reserve the leftover cream in the bowl. Repeat this layering process with the remaining fennel slices and then the potato slices. Pour the remaining cream mixture over the layers of fennel and potato in the baking dish.

Cut up the butter and arrange the cubes on top of the dish. Cover the baking dish with foil, making sure that the foil does not touch the potatoes.

Bake the scalloped potatoes under the foil until they are almost tender when pierced with a knife, around 1 hour and 15 minutes. Then increase the oven temperature to 425¬?F. Remove the foil and bake the dish uncovered until the potatoes are tender and the top is a deep golden brown, about 20 minutes longer.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them rest for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the top with the reserved fennel fronds and serve at your Thanksgiving dinner.

However, I’m also pretty open to new tastes, so we decided to make a truly fancy stuffing this year. I never used to like cornbread that much, but have recently become a huge sucker for it. In this stuffing recipe, the sweetness of the cornbread contrasts nicely with the spicy andouille sausage, and there are a few veggies thrown in there for penance since you are basically eating a dish made up of bread and sausage. This recipe makes more than enough stuffing for 8 guests at $1.34 per serving.

Cornbread Stuffing with Andouille, Fennel, and Bell Peppers, adapted from Bon Appetit, November 2009
1 1/2 pounds purchased cornbread, cut into 1-inch cubes
5 tablespoons butter, divided
12 ounces fully cooked andouille sausages (about 4), halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide pieces
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt plus additional for sprinkling
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus additional for sprinkling
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 large egg

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage pieces and saute them until they are brown, around 4 minutes. Transfer the sausages to a large bowl.

Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fennel, onion, and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper, and saute until the onion is golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the veggies from the heat, and add them to bowl with the sausages.

Preheat the oven to 350¬?F. Add the cornbread, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to the vegetable-sausage mixture, and mix everything gently. Whisk together the 2 cups of broth and the egg in a medium bowl, then add the broth mixture to the stuffing and toss so that everything gets coated.

Place the stuffing in a large glass baking dish, and bake it uncovered until the stuffing becomes crisp on top, about 1 hour. Let the stuffing stand for 15 minutes to cool before enjoying.