Alex is bringing her family’s Thanksgiving recipes to The Cooking Loft today. Her version of her father’s famous stuffing, her favorite juicy turkey with a smooth, no lumps gravy and a sauce that combines fresh cranberries with some of the signature spices of the season. All the students will help deliver and devour.
Cookbook author Pepper Teigen makes deliciously delightful Thai-American dishes perfect for the whole family! With help from her daughters Tina and Chrissy, Pepper cooks up family-friendly recipes, including a fresh Tomato Bacon Corn Salad, Caramelized Shrimp Lettuce Wraps and Fried Chicken Larb. Pepper's grandkids join the fun to help make Pineapple Soft Serve, and son-in-law John Legend checks in.
First lady Dr. Jill Biden and Trisha Yearwood are celebrating Thanksgiving with an exclusive look at the first family's traditions and recipes. Dr. Biden and Trisha prepare their favorite Thanksgiving dishes as the White House executive chef makes the official White House turkey and the White House executive pastry chef makes a traditional dessert with a presidential twist. Also, the White House chief floral designer creates a beautiful tablescape using fresh flowers from the White House Kitchen Garden.
Just because there’s a time crunch doesn’t mean you can’t eat healthy. Ellie’s got strategies and recipes that make even a midweek supper party 100% stress free. On the menu: Chili Rubbed Grilled Steak, Cool Avocado Lime Salsa, all the sides for tacos and a fresh mango sauce poured over thick slices of angel food cake. Plus there’s more--a fabulous 5-minute lunchtime salad and a tropical mix of seeds and nuts perfect for snacking or any busy time.
With recipes for Forever Roasted Lamb with Roasted Winter Vegetables, Risotto al Cabernet, Roasted Beet Onion and Orange Salad, and Peppermint Mock Misu, Michael is going to show you how to throw a dinner party full of elegance.
Gameplan 1 Day Before Party:
Peel, dice and boil sweet potatoes for Roasted Vegetables. Trim, halve and blanch brussel sprouts. Drain, cool and store sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts in refrigerator overnight.
For Roasted Beet Onion and Orange Salad. Wash, trim and roast beets. Trim pearl onions and toss with olive oil.
Toast and grind spices for Fennel Spice Rub. Store overnight.
Add pearl onions to beets in the oven and roast until both beets and onions are tender. Cool and store separately in refrigerator overnight.
Morning of the Party (At least 8 hours before meal is served):
Peel and chop onions and herbs for Forever Roasted Lamb. Sauté onion herb mixture.
Prepare lamb leg by slicing it open and laying it flat. Season the leg with salt and pepper and reserved Fennel Spice Rub. Stuff with half of the onion and herb mixture. Roll up and tie the leg. Season outside and roast with carrots and celery on low temp for 7 hours.
Simmer brandy syrup and chop peppermint for Peppermint Mock-misu. Blend chocolate and ricotta filling. Assemble Mock-misu, cover and store in refrigerator until service.
One Hour before the Party:
Cover lamb with remaining onion herb mixture and cover with foil. Roast lamb for an additional hour.
Sauté onions and rice for Risotto al Cabernet and add the wine and the first ladle of stock. In another pan, sauté reserved brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes. Finish vegetables in oven and season with chopped herbs and garlic.
Finish Risotto al Zinfandel with remaining broth, wine and cheese. Pour the risotto onto a platter and serve hot.
Pull lamb from oven and serve on a platter with roasted vegetables.
Assemble Roasted Beet, Onion and Orange Salad by peeling and dicing beets and plating them with oranges, roasted pearl onions, hazelnuts and vinaigrette.
Serve the Peppermint Mock-misu for dessert.
Eat and Enjoy!
Food Network searched for the Ultimate Pasta Recipe. After a nationwide recipe contest, nine finalists competed in three rounds: Spaghetti and Meatballs, Stuffed Pasta and Lasagna. A panel of food experts determined whose pasta dish was the best. See who walks away the winner of $25,000!
COMPETITORS: Lasagna
Elizabeth Morath -- PASTA GRAND PRIZE WINNER!Recipe: Summer Eggplant Lasagna
Sonali RuderRecipe: Spanakopita Lasagna Hometown: New York, N.Y.
Laura KonenRecipe: Meat-za Hometown: Fond Du Lac, Wis.
Spaghetti & Meatballs
Ying CompestineRecipe: Spaghetti with Lion's Head Meatballs Hometown: Lafayette, Calif.
Elaine Jones -- Winner!Recipe: Mediterranean Pasta with Lamb Meatballs Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Cecelia WardRecipe: Chicken Gravy and Meatballs with Multigrain Spaghetti Hometown: Troy, N.Y.
Stuffed PastaMichelle Herrigel -- Winner!Recipe: Mama Mirabella's Ham and Cheese Ravioli Hometown: Pottstown, Pa.
Lorraine StevenskiRecipe: Stuffed Manicotti with Fresh Marinara Sauce Hometown: Clearwater, Fla.
Amy ThorsonRecipe: Stuffed Shells with Chicken and Arugula and Creamy Alfredo Sauce Hometown: Marietta, Ga.
Jack wants to have an intimate dinner party and asks Frederic for some recipes that won't keep her chained to the stove. Jack learns the recipes for Chili Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Creamed Corn.
Episode Guide
Below you’ll find a helpful episode guide for cooking along with Frederic and Jack, as well as tips and recipe rescues.
Equipment List:
Broiler pan
Aluminum foil
Tongs
Chef’s knife
Cutting board
Dry measuring cups
Medium skillet with lid
Liquid measuring cup
Measuring spoons
Instant-read thermometer
Wooden spoon
Carving knife
Pepper mill
Medium bowl
Tips:Broiling:
Broiling is a dry-heat cooking method where the food is placed directly under and very close to the radiant heat source above it. The food cooks more quickly since it is so close to the heat source.
You can adjust the racks in your oven to position them 3 – 4 inches from the broiler.
Watch foods carefully while broiling; the food is so close to the heat that it can easily start to burn.
Dry rubs:
A dry rub can be made from a combination of any of your favorite spices and dried herbs.
Dry rubs act like marinades in that they flavor the food, but they don’t require any time to marinate since the rub sticks to the food. Therefore, they are a quick solution to enhancing the flavor of different meats.
Selecting corn:
Choose corn with bright green, snugly fitting husks, and golden silk. Stems should be green and moist, not woody.
Kernels should look plump and milky, come all the way to the ear’s tip, and the rows should be tightly spaced.
Avoid ears with blackened, opened and tattered husks, and those with black silks.
Try to purchase corn that has just been picked. Corn is best cooked and served on the day it is bought, but if you must store it, keep it in the refrigerator with the husks on.
The peak season for fresh corn is May through September.
Recipe Rescues:The exterior of the pork is burned – Slice off the burnt areas, and then carve as usual.
The pork is too dried out – Add a little broth or other cooking liquid to the pan with the pork, cover it with a lid or foil, and then let it steam to re-moisten the interior.
Corn is unripe – You can still cook with it, but add a little sugar during cooking to make up for the lack of natural sugar.
Creamed corn is not thick enough – Make a slurry out of cornstarch and cold water, and then add 1 – 2 tablespoons of it to the corn mixture. Stir to evenly incorporate the slurry, and continue cooking for several minutes to get rid of the starchy taste.
Creamed corn is too salty – Add more cream, and more corn if you have it.
Living a low-carb lifestyle doesn’t mean forgoing dessert. Really! Chef George Stella and his wife, Rachel, whip up a variety of tasty treats: NY ricotta cheesecake, double chocolate walnut brownies, and praline pumpkin pie with fresh whipped cream. Eating low carb has never been tastier.
Top 5 Tips
1. Sour cream is a great low carb choice for all of your cooking and baking needs.
2. When a recipe calls for you to "butter and flour" the pan, use non-stick cooking spray and a mix of wheat bran and soy flour instead.
3. Walnuts are a great source of omega-3 fatty oils, the same oils found in salmon which, when consumed in moderation, actually help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure.
4. You can create your own, carb-curbed desserts. Try substituting soy flour for white flour and sugar substitute for the real thing. Eggs and cream are low carb and help your baked goods rise, so don't eliminate them.
5. Reinvent the piecrust with a simple mixture of melted butter (approx. two tablespoons for one crust), some ground spices, and diced pecans.
It's an American Thanksgiving tradition, country style. With recipes for Whole Roasted Turkey with Citrus Rosemary Salt, Roasted Winter Squash, and Autumn Panzanella
Gameplan 1 Day Before Party
Peel and dice butternut squash and chop herbs for Roasted Butternut Squash.
Blend and simmer brown butter sauce and toss with squash. Roast squash.
Blend Citrus Rosemary Salt for Roasted Turkey. Store in a container overnight.
Remove roasted squash from oven and and puree it. Cool, cover and refrigerate overnight.
Dice bread, toss with brown butter and cheese and bake croutons for Autumn Panzanella Salad. Cool, cover and store overnight.
3 Hours Before Party:
Season turkeys with olive oil and reserved Citrus Rosemary Salt. Roast turkeys. When finished, pull from oven and allow to rest before carving.
Sauté onions and vinegar and puree for dressing for Autumn Panzanella Salad.
Sauté mushrooms and thyme and add to Autumn Panzanella Salad.
Reheat prepared Roasted Butternut Squash.
Blend flour, butter and stock for gravy. Simmer a few minutes and serve warm with turkeys.
Assemble and dress Autumn Panzanella Salad.
At the Party:
Carve and serve turkeys with gravy.
Serve Autumn Panzanella Salad and Roasted Butternut Squash.
Eat and Enjoy!
Wine Recommendation 2001 Trefethen Cabernet, Napa Valley 2001 Adler Fels Gewurztraminer, Russian River Valley
Even cutting the tree is a party when friends gather at a Christmas tree farm for a warm and cozy meal by the fire of cioppino, roasted garlic bread, hot peppermint chocolate and Christmas cookies. Turn a Christmas chore into a unique celebration!
GamePlan
Day Before Party:
Cook sugar, blend with whipped egg whites, and assemble dough for Torrone, allow to mix in mixer for 15 minutes.
Place prepped and tin foil wrapped garlic in the oven to roast for Roasted Garlic Bread.
Finish dough for Torrone, pan it and refrigerate overnight.
Remove garlic from the oven, mash into paste and mix into a butter. Refrigerate.
2 Hour Before Party:
Begin broth and sear fish and scallops for Cioppino, allow to broth to simmer without fish for 30 minutes.
1/2 Hour Before Party:
Add fresh herbs to Cioppino, sear and remove clams, crabs and shrimp.
Mix and heat up mulled wine, pour into a pre-heated thermos.
Mix hot chocolate, pour into pre-heated thermos.
Place Schnapps, two thermos’, bread, garlic butter, Torrone, Cioppino broth, and seared fish into a preheated cooler to transport.
At Party:
Serve hot cocktails.
Grill garlic for Roasted Garlic Bread.
Reheat Cioppino broth.
Take out softened jalapeno chilies from broth and mash into a garnish.
Spread Grilled bread with garlic butter, allow it to melt and serve.
Add fish and shellfish back into Cioppino, simmer for one minute and serve.
Slice up Torrone, eat and enjoy.
Wine Recommendation
Gargiulo Vineyards Merlot