Thanksgiving 2012 - Una Fiesta!

Thanksgiving has gotten a little boring. Lately the prospect of golden-roasted turkey, whipped and buttered potatoes bathed in a too-oily pan gravy, with enough vegetable sides to make a farmer cry, felt like an Ambien. Truth be told, we were caught in the maze of tradition more than we were cooking food we were truly thankful for.

It's all out the window this year, baby. It started in my bathroom, where all my best ideas come from, perusing a recent issue of Saveur. In the middle of the magazine was a small photo of a glistening, chocolate-brown turkey that had been baked in a deep, earthy chile-sauce, something author Javier Cabral likened to a  Zacatecas, Mexico-style molé.

Why had I never thought of that? I love molé poblano like a first born child, and never once had I slightly schemed up a plot to roast a big holiday turkey in such a luscious, rich sauce. But all that's done now. Coming soon to a table near you - Bryanne Salazar's Molé Poblano Roasted Turkey.

I picked up all the ingredients at my local tienda yesterday. Molé is no joke my friends. There are a dozen or so ingredients that seem as likely to go together as Jack Nicholson and Lara Flynn Boyle. Somehow, though - they work.

Hiding inside a molé poblano are dried, rehydrated chipotle, pasilla, mulato, and ancho chiles. I decided to add an old favorite, guajillo chiles to my upcoming Thanksgiving witches brew. Added to the chiles are things like unsweetened chocolate, torn up corn tortillas and baguette, raw peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, thyme, marjoram, anise seed, cumin and coriander, black pepper, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, raisins, tomatillos, chicken stock and more! This crazy concoction has to simmer on low for hours (like an angry housewife) before it loses all sense of self and melds into one thick, velvety sauce.  I cannot wait for that moment to happen in my kitchen! That is something to be thankful for.

This year I once again purchased an Amish raised bird from a local farm. It's not quite organic but as close as you can get without the certification. I find the meat to be more flavorful and the fat to melt easier. Plus - I love the fact that I am supporting my local economy. If it is at all possible - buy your turkeys locally.

Like last year, I'm going to practice some spatchcockery on the bird. Basically, to cut my cooking time in half, I'm going to chop out the bird's spinal column and crack the breast bones to create a flat canvas to roast. My 20 lb. turkey will take only about 2.5 hours instead of 5-5.5 hours of traditional roast time.

Never fear - that spine won't go to waste. I'll use it with the neck to make a rich stock for my stuffing. If you're a bit grossed out - you're not really a foodie.

But the turkey isn't the only star this Thanksgiving - we are playing on our south of the border theme and have come up with a host of sides fit for a spicy centerpiece. 

Instead of mashed potatoes and gravy, collard greens with bacon, roasted brussell sprouts (also with bacon), sweet potatoes with marshmallows, cranberry sauce, green beans in a spicy cream sauce with shallots, crescent rolls and sparkling cider, we are making:

Jalapeno cranberry relish

Roasted pumpkin soup with cilantro crema and toasted cumin-spiced pumpkin seeds

Kohlrabi and Collard greens sauteed with garlic, chiles, onions and cumin

Fire-roasted poblano tamale-cornbread stuffing (50/50 tamale masa and corn meal mix)

Mexican-fried basmati rice

Frijoles de olla (soupy beans cooked in a pot)

Tomato and Tomatillo salsas

Green-chile deviled eggs

Hibiscus tea

Doesn't that sound awesome? I think so. To keep the kids happy we've decided to keep the traditional desserts - Pecan and Pumpkin pies, with some homemade whipped cream and warm mugs of unpasteurized apple cider. 

I will be taking lots of pictures during Thursday to share with you all later. Until then - let me know what you plan on doing this Thanksgiving! Are you sticking with old-classics or are you trying something new? I'd love to hear about it!

This just added: my sons have arm-wrestled me into sticking with mashed potatoes, but I can make a molé-turkey gravy with them. Sigh. Looks like everyone is happy now. 

5 Condiments I'm Loving Right Now

I've been thinking about this post for a few months. I had a friend over for dinner and ended up spending the evening answering questions about the unusual ingredients in my fridge and pantry. I didn't realize, until that night, that when it comes to cooking - I'm a bit of an oddity.

Since I was eighteen and able to do my own grocery shopping, I've been drawn to unusual foods. There is a crack-high thrill that comes from finding an ingredient or dish that no one's told me about, and tasting it for the first time. My poor husband gave up arguing with me after the first year. I've never been a shoe maven (my feet are too big to have that problem) nor do I get the whole $600 purse craze. My splurges come in short bursts of strange flavors from around the globe.

And let me tell you something - I am not afraid to eat things most people hide from. I remember last year at a friend's retirement party, scooping out the tongue of the roasted whole pig and trying to convince people to take a taste. It was porky and chewy, a bit like bacon wrapped octopus. I loved it. I have a rule about food - always try it twice. With that thought in mind - let me share with you some of my favorite ingredients I always have on hand. If you like to experiment in the kitchen as I do, you may find you love some of these flavors too!

1. Kekap Manis:

Image courtesy of catesworldkitchen.com 

I found this thick, syrupy and sweet soy sauce at an Asian grocer a few years back. I was trying to find the ingredients to make Pad See Ew, giant river noodles stir-fried in a spicy sweet sauce, made with kekap manis. I have since fallen in love with this concentrated, umami-rich condiment. Use it in stir-fries, as a marinade base for meat, even in Asian inspired stews! I use a whole chuck roast, a few tablespoons of kekap manis, a star anise pod, ginger, garlic, onions, chili flakes and Chinese-five-spice and beef broth to create an amazing pot roast stew.

2. Sriracha:

Image courtesy of robinsbite.com 

I hope that most of you already know about the fabulous, garlic-chili hot sauce called Sriracha. I discovered this sauce at our favorite Vietnamese phö restaurant in Kaneohe, Hawaii almost ten years ago. It quickly became a staple sauce in my home. I use it in soups, stews, on eggs and even mixed with mayonnaise and spread on a bun to make a spicy burger. The uses for Sriracha are endless. If you've never tried it, and you enjoy heat that also has flavor, you should give this bottle a try! 

3. Shitto Sauce:

Don't let the name fool you. I've already blogged about this amazing new find, Shitto sauce. It's a Ghanian condiment pepper sauce that combines dried ground fish, chicken, onions, tomatoes, hot chiles and more! The color is a deep red-brown with pearls of oil beaded throughout. The flavor is a smack of super-charged deliciousness. Nowadays, many West Africans use this sauce in soups, rice dishes, as a meat glaze, and traditionally as an accompaniment to fried fish. I am constantly learning new ways to incorporate this complex sauce into my cooking. Most recently, I chopped up turkey lunch meat, tossed it with a spoonful of Shitto and sauteed it before adding to the an omelet. I'm even thinking about using this as the main seasoning for my Thanksgiving turkey! Plus, what could be cooler than pulling out a jar of Shitto sauce to impress your friends? I didn't think so.

4. Xiaoxing (Shaohsing/Shaohxing) Rice Wine:

Image courtesy of vietworldkitchen.com

Ching-He Huang from the Cooking Channel first introduced me to this Chinese staple rice wine. It has since replaced my rather bland Kikkoman rice wine vinegar. I love this stuff. It makes its way into every stir-fry I make, as well as many of my marinades and salad dressings. My newest favorite is to pickle too-hot chili peppers and English cucumbers in xiaoxing with sugar and salt. I even use this fragrant vinegar in a hogwash recipe that is spooned on raw oysters before slurping. Divine! 

And finally-

5. Ghee:

Image courtesy of foodrenegade.com

Ghee is simply clarified butter. It hails from India, where a lack of refrigeration required home chefs to concoct a way to store butterfat in hot temperatures. It is easy to make ghee at home, simply melt down unsalted pure butter on medium heat until the butterfat and the milk solids separate. When the solids have turned golden, carefully strain the fat and viola - you have ghee. It does not have to be refrigerated, and can keep for up to a year in your cupboard, in a tightly covered jar. I love the rich, nutty taste that ghee imparts on food. It has a higher smoke point than most oils too.

Image courtesy of 2hotlicks.com

These are just five of many flavors you can add to your cooking repertoire. One of my favorite websites for finding new, fire-laced condiments is Hot Licks. They have a giant inventory of amazing, flavorful products. Also, I love hitting up local international grocers to find flavors that are unique and hard to find.





I recommend you take a chance and try a new ingredient for yourself. Every item featured in this blog is under $5, so they wont break the bank and you won't feel terrible if you decide you don't like them. I am always on the search for something new, so if you have an ingredient you want to talk about - let me know!