40 Leslie’s Map of Eastern Europe From:   jacktball@earthlink.net Subject: Re: On Sweet Potatoes Date: November 25, 2002 7:26:58 AM EST To:   aroundthekitchen@drwoonline.com Reply-To:   aroundthekitchen@drwoonline.com Simple baked sweet potatoes are a classic Southern dish and especially good with fresh ham or pork chops.  Here’s a sweet potato casserole that I’ve made several times that omits all of the sweet stuff and still get raves: Scalloped Sweet Potatoes 1 Tbl. olive oil 4 bay leaves, cut in half 3 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 “  slices 1 14.5 oz. can chicken broth 1/4 C. flour 1/4 tsp. nutmeg Preheat oven to 350.  Coat 13X9X2” glass baking dish with oil. Arrange bay leaves in dish.  Spread 1/3 of potato slices on top of bay leaves.  Season with s&p.  Repeat layering and seasoning with remaining potatoes.  Whish broth, flour and nutmeg together and pour over potatoes. Cover dish tightly with foil.  Bake until almost tender, about 1 hr. Uncover, raise temp to 400 and bake about 20 minutes more until most of liquid has evaporated.  Serves 8. Although this is Jack’s Email address, Irene is actually the sender since he is in Oregon and his computer is in NJ.  Is that complicated enough? I’m curious what each of your Thanksgiving menus is shaping up to be and if, like me, you are still playing around with new recipe ideas.  Our dinner will probably be: For standing around nibbles:  Spiced Pecans                                              Walnut & Blue Cheese Tart with Cranberries First Course:  Roasted Butternut Squash & Goat Cheese Salad  w/Sherry Maple Vinaigrette Main Course:  Turkey (brined then cooked on the Weber grill)                        Dressing made with 1/2 herb seasoned bread crumbs and 1/2 corn bread stuffing, mushrooms, onions, and celery                        Brussel Sprouts with Walnuts                         Scalloped Sweet Potatoes or Sweet Potato Casserole                        Gravy made from pan drippings & giblets                        Jack’s Grandmother’s Rolls                        Cranberry, Orange, and Ginger Relish Do I have enough nuts in this meal? Irene From:   leslie.borden@comcast.net Subject: Irene’s Menu Challenge Date: November 25, 2002 4:51:09 PM EST To:   aroundthekitchen@drwoonline.com Reply-To:   aroundthekitchen@drwoonline.com Great menu, Irene - I wish we could be two places at once. Here’s what that map of Eastern Europe will look like at the Borden-Veeder household, where it’ll be dinner for 8, served to, as Rob’s mother used to say, “the whole fam damily”:  As you read, remember that my family and I are originally from Wisconsin, and this is the one time of year that I revert to type. Standing around: The Wisconsin Relish Tray.  This means scallions, radishes, stuffed green olives, California black olives. WisPride cheddar cheese spread with port wine.  No kidding, I have an atavistic affection for the stuff - once a year.  You can take the girl out of Wisconsin, but. . . Foie gras-walnut spread, a dynamite little appetizer from this month’s magazine of La Cucina Italiana.  A block of foie gras, pureed with chopped walnuts. The cheese and the foie gras spread will be served with the rye bread from the Inn at Little Washington Cookbook.  Rob makes it, and it is the best snack bread around, studded with dried black currants and chopped pecans and sprinkled with coarse sea salt and caraway seeds. Sitting down: Roasted squash soup from the Tra Vigne cookbook.  I just made it today, and it is a rich and complex soup.  You roast the squash with a mixture of melted butter, balsamic vinegar, molasses, and chopped fresh sage, then puree it.  I like the sweet-sour of the vinegar and the molasses, since I’m in the “I hate sweet potatoes” camp. Turkey - Eberle organic, and we’ll brine it. Pepperidge Farm regular stuffing - in the bird, but I promise to be sure to get it hot enough. Fennel-sage stuffing from this month’s Gourmet. Mashed potatoes Gravy - I have some particularly nice chicken broth that I made and have been saving.  I used it to deglaze the pan when I rendered some duck fat last week, so it picked up the rich duck flavor. Brussels sprouts Creamed onions - a legacy from Rob’s mother, and I love ‘em The cranberry hat trick:  whole berry sauce, cranberry-orange relish, and the jellied stuff from the can. Dessert: My sister-in-law’s cranberry-mince pie and her pumpkin pie, both with generous lashings of whipped cream.  The cream will be Lewes Dairy Cream. Burp. . . . See you around the (Thanksgiving) kitchen - happy turkey day. lb From:   Jcolegrove@aol.com Subject: Ours Menu Date: November 26, 2002 9:37:49 PM EST To:   aroundthekitchen@drwoonline.com Reply-To:   aroundthekitchen@drwoonline.com The Colegrove-Woteki Menu: Football Foreplay.... Crab Dip, Olives, Assorted Cheeses, Crackers First Up... Beet Soup in Roasted Acorn Squash The Main Event... Roast Turkey (free range and brined) w/Traditional Bread Stuffing Grilled Turkey ala Dr Wo (free range, brined, and deconstructed) Oyster Dressing Sausage and Apple Dressing Creamy Mashed Potatoes Roasted Garnet Yams ala Elizabeth Slender Green Beans with Orange Gremolata Cranberries ala Eileen The Finale... Desserts a la Tom and Cathie Chocolate Chip Cookies a la Price Club (for the kid in all of us) We all have a lot to be thankful for.....Enjoy the day and be happy. sis of wo From:   Mkingston9@aol.com Subject: Kingston/Boyd Dinner Date: November 27, 2002 4:17:15 AM EST To:   aroundthekitchen@drwoonline.com Reply-To:   aroundthekitchen@drwoonline.com What a great holiday this is!!  Happy Thanksgiving to all Around fireplace Oysters on the half shell, accompanied by two sauces Assorted cheeses/crackers (for those who don’t like oysters) Vegetable Crudite At Table Butternut squash soup Roasted turkey (free range, brined) with traditional bread/apple stuffing Gravy w/giblets, started w/homemade chicken broth Cranberry/orange relish (homemade) and cranberry sauce (whoosh from can) Baked stuffed potatoes: baked, creamy mashed, back in skin, grated cheese/paprika on top Sweet potato puree Green beans almondine Corn bread and assorted rolls Pumpkin chiffon pie/ whipped cream Pecan pie (southern style)/whipped cream Coffee back to the fireplace Wines:   Primo: Choice of  Prosecco di Valdobbiadene or fino sherry Secondo: Zinfandel (California) Joe will choose from wine cellar Deserto:  Vinsanto Lamole di Lamole Apple cider