Al Dente

What to Do with Leftover Turkey

It's the inevitable post-Thanksgiving foodie conversation--What do I do with all this leftover turkey? Assuming you have leftover turkey, that is. And you probably do, since it seems to me that that's half the point of cooking turkey at Thanksgiving.

Growing up, my mom would do two things: make turkey soup and make curried turkey salad for sandwiches. To this day, I have a strong dislike for both dishes. Perhaps I had my lifetime fill of them at an early age.

These days, where the turkey is in my control, I like to have Thanksgiving again, and again, and again. I try to have leftovers of all the best Thanksgiving dishes and have a mini version of Thanksgiving at least once a day until all the dishes are gone.

I also like to make what I call a Thanksgiving Sandwich. This is not just your average turkey sandwich. This sandwich contains: creamed corn with bacon, stuffing, gravy, cranberry jelly, and yes, turkey. Occasionally I'll throw in some sweet potatoes for good measure. It's important that you construct the sandwich carefully. Not just so that each ingredient complements the next, but also so you don't end up with a heap of ingredients on the plate when you try to take a bite. This is my process: On one slice of bread, spread creamed corn with bacon. Shred some turkey and smoosh it lightly into the creamed corn. Top with a little gravy, and then some stuffing (my version of the MoistMaker). Spread some cranberry jelly on the other slice of bread, then press it firmly onto the rest of the sandwich. Enjoy.

What do you do with your leftover turkey? Add a comment and let us know.

--KitchenMaus

What to Cook this Weekend: Field Roast

After experiencing delicious vegetarian field roast at Georgetown Liquor Company last night, I've decided it would make a great addition to a vegetarian holiday dinner. Copped from fieldroast.blogspot.com, this recipe for marinated celebration roast sounds mighty tasty and will no doubt be a hit with vegetarians and carnivores alike.

Ingredients
1/2 inch slices of Celebration Roast
1 onion peeled and sliced into 1/4 in rounds
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Black Pepper
Balsamic vinegar
Chopped parsley

Directions
1. Heat field roast in oven until golden brown (approximately 30-40 minutes). Cut in to 1/2 slices.
2. Toss peeled onion in some of the olive oil, slightly salt and place on sheet pan.
3. Roast onion in 350 degree oven until brown or slightly blackened.
4. Place sliced celebration roast on a platter, interspersed with the roasted onion. Dress with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with black pepper, garnish with chopped parsley.

--AndreaLeigh

Behold...The HDTV Refrigerator

Whenever you watch TV on your non-HD refrigerator, do you think to yourself, "Man, I wish this was in high-def"? I know I do.

Well, LG has anticipated this necessity and introduced a refrigerator with a 15-inch high definition TV. And in case you were thinking, "Man, I wish there were two screens on my fridge"; it also includes a constantly updated 4-inch weather and info screen that's preloaded with 100 recipes, a calendar, and a to-do list.

LG, get out of my head!

--Spanno

Last Minute Turkey Recipes from Your Favorite Chefs

In need of any last minute recipes for tomorrow's annual Turkey fest? Don't miss the latest recipes from your favorite celebrity chefs at Amazon.com's Holiday Gift Store. Seattle culinary superhero Tom Douglas, queen of the grill Elizabeth Karmel, and Dinner: Impossible's Robert Irvine all have contributed tasty recipes and recommendations for your holiday feast tomorrow. And, don't miss holiday hedonist Rick Rodgers essential list of must-haves and top 10 turkey tips.

On behalf of everyone at Al Dente and the Amazon.com Home and Garden team, we wish you and your family a hearty Happy Thanksgiving!

--Sous-chef on the Run

Your Next Big Purchase: A New Car or Dessert?

Manhattan's Serendipity 3 restaurant recently set a new Guinness world record for most expensive dessert with its Frrrozen Haute Chocolate--a slushy mix of cocoas from 14 countries, 5 grams of 24-carat gold, whipped cream, and shavings from a luxury truffle. Served in a goblet decorated with 1 carat of diamonds and with a golden spoon (which you get to keep), the decadent dessert will set you back $25,000.

In other recent Serendipity 3 news, the restaurant was forced to close last week due to an infestation of mice and cockroaches. The health department notes this is the second time the restaurant has failed a health inspection, and that health officials found a live mouse, mouse droppings, flies, and dozens of live cockroaches on the premises.

So a restaurant starts serving $25,000 desserts adorned with gold and diamonds and suddenly they're getting orders to temporarily shut down? Why do I get the feeling a heist is in the near future?

--AndreaLeigh

A Sweet Finish for the Thanksgiving Table

Looking for some sweet inspiration for your dessert course this Thanksgiving? In our Fall into Cooking Store you'll find an all-star lineup of seasonal, hand-picked recipes that are perfect for the holiday table.

While pumpkin pie is MIA (do you really need another recipe?), you'll find some inspired takes on autumn flavors, including a Creamy Pumpkin Custard from Babbo's Gina DePalma and Seattle chef Tom Douglas' Butternut Squash Gingerbread promises to be a family favorite. And you won't need a holiday as an excuse to revisit award-winning cookbook author Dorie Greenspan's amazing Applesauce Spice Bars.

• Parsnip Spice Cake from Kurt Beecher Dammeier, author of Pure Flavor
• Creamy Pumpkin Custard from Gina DePalma, author of Dolce Italiano
• Butternut Squash Gingerbread from Tom Douglas, author of Tom's Big Dinners
• Applesauce Spice Bars from Dorie Greenspan, author of Baking
• Bea's Apple Crisp from Alice Medrich, author of Pure Dessert
• Apple Butterscotch Grunt from Sherry Yard, author of Desserts by the Yard

--BTP

What to Cook this Weekend: Cranberry Relish with Ginger

Cranberry relish is one of the best Thanksgiving dishes to prepare in advance.  Letting the juices marinate for a few days can help the flavor.  I also find it the least stressful dish to make for this big meal so it's a nice way to start out.  For the last few years, I've made this version from Williams-Sonoma's website.  I do find that I always have leftovers even when serving the recommended 8-10 people.  I'm pretty sure the guests like it because most have requested it every year. In any case, this would be one of the few occasions my family members have neglected to tell me how they really feel about a dish so I'm inclined to believe they like it. 

Because of the leftovers, I've gone beyond using it for the standard sandwich condiment.  This recipe, in particular, can be used as a topping for vanilla ice cream and to make a festive champagne cocktail.  I've also used the relish to mix with plain yogurt for breakfast.  This year, I might even try it in a batch of muffin mix.  I'm sure readers have other ideas more brilliant than mine for leftover relish.  Post them in the comments so we can try them out.

Ingredients:
1 orange, unpeeled and preferably
organic, scrubbed
2 bags (12 oz. each) fresh cranberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger

Directions
Cut the orange (with its peel on) into 16 chunks and discard any seeds. Working in batches, combine the orange chunks, cranberries, sugar and ginger in a food processor. Pulse to chop finely and evenly, stopping once or twice with each batch to scrape down the sides of the work bowl.

Transfer to a storage container, cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours to develop the flavors. Bring to room temperature and stir well before serving. Serves 8 to 10.

-flauersmartini

Recipes and Gift Ideas From Your Favorite Chefs

For the past two weeks, Al Dente has been honored to host unique content from the culinary industry's most talented chefs. We've featured cooking tips from holiday expert Rick Rodgers, and recipes from Seattle superstar Tom Douglas, Mexican-food guru Rick Bayless, and Dinner Impossible's Robert Irvine. In the weeks to come, you'll find more recipes and gift ideas from the brightest in the culinary arts, including Art Smith, Joanne Weir, Elizabeth Karmel, and others. Check back regularly to read the latest at Amazon.com's Home and Garden Gift Store.

--Sous-Chef on the Run

My Ultimate Gourmet Magazine Thanksgiving Dinner

The November issue of Gourmet magazine has not one, but FOUR different Thanksgiving menus to choose from. In her Letter from the Editor column, Ruth Reichl (the Great Ruth Reichl, that is) says that she plans to mix and match--picking dishes from each of the four menus to put together her perfect turkey-day smorgasbord. After poring over each of the menus, here's what I've designed for my ultimate feast (which I will only dream about, as I'm not hosting Thanksgiving this year):

• Hickory-bacon and roasted corn gougères
• Pumpkin, corn, and lemongrass soup
• Roasted Japanese sweet potatoes with scallion butter
• Mashed potatoes with caramelized garlic and parsnips (because some people don't like sweet potatoes)
• Haricot verts with herb butter
• Maple-glazed turkey with gravy
• Hazelnut, sage, and mushroom stuffing
• Cranberry sauce with Port and tangerine
• Pumpkin plum tart (Reichl swears this is the best pumpkin pie ever)
• Bittersweet chocolate pecan pie (because we always had both a nut and a pumpkin pie at my house)

Hungry yet?

--KitchenMaus

Happy Hour Drink Special: Two with Pomegranate 7 UP

In an earlier post, I talked about the new limited edition Pomegranate 7 Up, and wondered about trying it in various drinks. Well, the friendly folks at 7 Up and Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages (thanks Lisa), were nice enough to send two recipes along: the Triple Scoop Pomegranate 7 Up Soda and the Mistletoe Mojito. Both look delicious, so I suggest you pick up a six-pack of Pomegranate 7 Up and a few other ingredients on your way home tonight.

Mistletoe Mojito

Ingredients
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon superfine sugar
8 fresh mint leaves
2 ounces white rum
2 teaspoons pomegranate seeds
4 ounces Pomegranate 7 Up
1 mint sprig
1 lime wedge

Directions
1. In a highball glass, muddle lime juice, sugar, and mint leaves until sugar is dissolved.

2. Add rum and pomegranate seeds. Fill glass with ice and top with Pomegranate 7 Up.

3. Garnish with mint sprig and lime wedge.

Triple Scoop Pomegranate 7 Up Soda

Ingredients
1/4-cup scoop raspberry sorbet
1/4-cup scoop tropical fruit sorbet
1/4-cup scoop vanilla ice cream
6 to 8 fresh raspberries
6 ounces Pomegranate 7 Up

Directions
1. Layer ice cream scoops in a tall soda glass and top with raspberries.

2. Slowly pour in Pomegranate 7 Up. Serve with soda straws and a long spoon.

--A.J. Rathbun