The holiday season wouldn’t be the same without nutmeg!

The nutmeg tree is a large evergreen native to the Spice Islands and is now cultivated in the Caribbean. It produces two spices – mace and nutmeg. Nutmeg is the seed kernel inside the fruit and mace is a lacy covering on the kernel. One whole nutmeg grated equals 2 to 3 teaspoons of ground nutmeg.

Nutmeg is usually associated with sweet, spicy dishes – pies, puddings, custards, cookies and spice cakes. It combines well with many cheeses, and is included in soufflés and cheese sauces. In soups and stews it works with meat, tomatoes, split pea, chicken or black beans. It compliments egg dishes and vegetables like cabbage, spinach, broccoli, beans, potatoes, onions and eggplant. It is indispensable to numerous mulled wines and punches, and it is a must have in my favorite holiday drink.

Holiday drink – eggnog with rum, topped with nutmeg!

When I see eggnog return to the grocery store shelves it’s a definite sign that the holidays are upon us. One of my favorite holiday drinks is Eggnog on ice with a shot of rum in it, and a delicate sprinkling of nutmeg on top. Eggnog is also available in a “light” version and it is absolutely delicious. I actually prefer it!

Eggnog originated in England where it was usually only consumed by the aristocracy because the ingredients were expensive and typically only available to the wealthy. However in 18th century America, eggnog became a widely popular drink because Americans had plentiful farm and dairy products. Americans also substituted rum for brandy that the English used.

Nutmeg is a bizarre and beautiful thing! The nut within the fruit of the nutmeg tree is where nutmeg comes from, whereas the red-laced tissue surrounding the nut becomes the spice known as mace.

Illustration of the nutmeg plant and fruit from Franz Eugen Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen, first published in 1887.

Nothing beats homemade cookies, and sugar cookies are some of the tastiest. Even better, they are lots of fun to make and decorate for the holidays!

This recipe makes 5 dozen yummy cookies!

INGREDIENTS
Cookies
3 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup soft butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 Tbsp cream
1 tsp vanilla (or almond extract)
Icing
1/3 cup of softened butter
1 pound of confectioners sugar
1/4 cup of evaporated
1 tsp of vanilla

METHOD
Sift dry ingredients, cut in butter and add other ingredients. Blend thoroughly; chill for several hours.

Break off a piece of dough the size of an orange and pat it flat in your hand. Using a rolling pin, roll on dough on floured surface. Roll out to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out and put on silpat-lined or ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 5-8 minutes at 400 F. Remove the cookies from the oven as soon as you see them turning color at the base of the cookie. Let cool completely.

Mix icing ingredients together until smooth. Separate into different bowls and add food coloring to make desired colors. Spread on cookies with a butter knife and decorate. Have fun!!

Fresh from the oven and sprinkled with colored sugars.

In the spirit of the holiday season, it’s time for turkey!

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast with Turkey Gravy

INGREDIENTS
1 large turkey breast (3 to 4 lbs) bone in
3 ribs celery, rough chopped
3 carrots, chopped into large rings
2 red onions cut into 8th’s
4 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1 bunch parsley stems
4 Tbsp butter, softened
1 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 Tbsp thyme, chopped (reserve stems for above)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper

For Gravy:
6 cups turkey or chicken stock
½ cup flour
Water for slurry

METHOD

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Pat the turkey breast off with paper towels and place into a roasting pan on top of the celery, carrots, red onion, garlic, bay leaf and thyme and parsley stems. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the butter into a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment. Place the butter into the bowl and add the chopped garlic and herbs, and beat until incorporated.

Spread the butter/herb mixture all over the turkey breast to cover completely.
Cover with foil and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes covered, basting with the butter and juices about every 15 minutes.

Remove foil, and roast for 30 more minutes, basting continuously until the turkey is golden brown.

Remove from oven and place on platter

To Baste or Not To Baste?

Brushing food with liquid such as meat drippings, melted fat, fruit juice, sauce, marinade, or water during cooking to moisten. Basting adds flavor and prevents surfaces of food from drying out.

Should you baste a turkey?

I have found the best way to cook a turkey is to wrap it in heavy aluminum foil, being sure to seal it all around. This produced very moist meat. This method requires no basting because the turkey roasts covered, sealing in juices for extremely tender meat. Savory herbs add a wonderful aroma and delicate flavor. For an especially juicy turkey, brine your bird before roasting.

When using a thermometer, and you definitely should, insert it through the foil. The internal temperature should be 180 degrees when the turkey is done. Then remove the foil for the last 30 minutes of cooking to get the turkey nice and golden brown.

Fun Turkey Facts

Fossil evidence proves that turkeys were roaming the Americas 10 million years ago!

Over 675 million pounds of turkey will be consumed this Thanksgiving.

Over 40 million green bean casseroles are served on Thanksgiving.

It is NOT the turkey or the tryptophan that makes you so sleepy after a Thanksgiving feast. Tryptophan can only make you sleepy when taken on an empty stomach without protein, which is not the case on Thanksgiving! It’s more likely the combination of drinking alcohol and overeating – not just turkey, but also mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, peas, cranberries, bread, pie and whipped cream…

Enjoy!

October is definitely the month for pumpkins or at least the start of “pumpkin season”. Of course pumpkins are the canvas for carving all kinds of wonderful Halloween Jack-O-Lanterns. However, I’m talking about pumpkin as food. Usually when people think of pumpkin the first recipe/food that comes to mind is traditional pumpkin pie. But pumpkin is wonderful in savory dishes, as well. Here is one of my favorite recipes using pumpkin. It’s easy to make and oh, so delicious!

Curried Pumpkin Soup

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup of butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
3 cups chicken broth (vegetable broth may be substituted)
3 cups of fresh cooked pumpkin ~ OR ~ 1 16oz can of Pumpkin (be sure it’s not Pumpkin Pie)
1 cup of half & half

METHOD
In a large pot melt the butter. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and spices and cook for another minute or two.

Add the broth and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin and half & half.

You can either place the soup in a blender to make smooth, or use an emulsion blender and just blend up the pumpkin (leaving the soup chunky – which is my preference).

Great served with a small dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt on top.

Cooks Note: I love to make my soup with fresh pumpkin… so below is cooking instructions for the pumpkin.

Cooking a Pumpkin:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Wash the pumpkin. Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out all the seeds.

Place open side down on a parchment or silpat covered baking sheet.

Cook for approximately 40 minutes… although cooking time will vary depending upon the size of the pumpkin. You can insure it is done when it is easily pierced with a fork.

Allow the pumpkin to cool. Remove the skin (it should peel off easily) and you have perfect pumpkin ready to be used for any recipes.

Check back for more pumpkin recipes later this month.

This short video can save lives and prevent injuries. Please share it with your family and friends.

What to do in the event of a kitchen oil fire:

1. Turn off the heat.

2. Wet a towel and wring it out.

3. Cover the pan with the wet towel.

4. Wait for the pan to cool.

5. Do not move the pan.

6. Do not throw water on the fire.

Do not throw water on the fire. Since water is heavier than oil, it sinks to the bottom where it instantly becomes superheated. The explosive force of the steam blows the flaming oil up and out in a massive fireball. Within a confined kitchen, the fireball hits the ceiling and fills the entire room.

Also, do not throw sugar or flour on a grease fire. Both also burn and potentially create a fireball.

Watch what happens when one small cup of water is poured into a pot of burning cooking oil.

Even a water based fire extinguisher can cause an oil fire to spread.

This is an important message. Watch the videos and remember what you see. Be sure to share this with your friends and family.

It’s difficult to find a tomato at the grocery store that tastes the way I remember them. Sure, a few hybrid varieties have been developed for great flavor. However, commercial tomato breeders focus on hybridizing tomatoes to make them symmetrical and red, durable enough to survive the automated harvesting and long-distance shipping, picked green, with no chance to ripen on the vine, and a long shelf life. Unfortunately, something had to go and sadly, for us tomato lovers, it was flavor.

That’s why I love to go to the farmer’s markets in search of beautiful heirloom tomatoes. Heirloom tomatoes come in various shapes, sizes, and colors. But what they all have in common is they have been sown from seeds passed down from generation to generation, because of valued characteristics.

There is simply no comparison to the grainy, dry, flavorless things you find at the supermarket. Homegrown heirloom tomatoes are juicy, delicious, sweet and tangy. They have a marvelous mouth-watering, warm-from-the-sun, old-fashioned tomato taste you may remember.

Celebrate the end of summer with some beautiful heirloom tomatoes. Here are two great recipes from my kitchen to yours.

Heirloom Tomatoes with Bacon, Blue Cheese, and Basil
Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS
6 slices firm white sandwich bread
1/4 lb sliced bacon (about 5 slices)
6 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
3 Tbsp Sherry vinegar
4 assorted medium heirloom tomatoes (2 lb total), cut into 1/4- to 1/3-inch-thick slices
30 small fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 oz blue cheese (preferably Maytag Blue), crumbled, at room temperature
Special equipment: a 3-inch round cookie cutter
Garnish: very small heirloom cherry or currant tomatoes

METHOD
Cut 1 round from each bread slice with cookie cutter.
Cook bacon in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until crisp, then transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off bacon fat from skillet and reserve fat (do not clean skillet).
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then toast 3 bread rounds, turning over once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes total. Transfer toasts to a rack to cool and season with salt and pepper. Toast remaining 3 bread rounds in 1 1/2 tablespoons more oil in same manner.

Cook shallot in 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat and remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add vinegar and simmer, whisking, until emulsified, about 1 minute. Season dressing with salt and pepper and keep warm, covered.

Crumble bacon. Arrange bread rounds on 6 plates and divide tomato slices among them, stacking slices and sprinkling some basil and bacon between slices. Sprinkle cheese and remaining basil and bacon over and around tomatoes.

Heirloom Tomato Tart with Black Pepper Parmesan Crust

INGREDIENTS
For black pepper parmesan pastry
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water
For filling
3/4 lb fresh mozzarella (not unsalted), very thinly sliced
1/2 cup pesto
2 lb mixed heirloom tomatoes, sliced 3/4 inch thick
Special equipment: pie weights or raw rice

Fresh Basil, for garnish (optional)

METHOD
Make pastry: Blend together flour, butter, shortening, parmesan, pepper, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size lumps. Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water over and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in food processor) until incorporated.

Gently squeeze a small handful: If it doesn’t hold together without falling apart, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) after each addition until incorporated, continuing to test. (Do not overwork dough, or it will become tough.)

Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide into 2 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather both portions of dough into 1 ball, then pat into a disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch round and fit into a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable rim. Roll rolling pin over top of pan to trim dough flush with rim. Lightly prick tart shell all over with a fork.

Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights or rice. Bake in middle of oven 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake until golden, about 15 minutes more. Cool in pan on a rack.

Fill tart shell: Remove side of pan and slide shell onto a platter. Arrange one half of the mozzarella in bottom of shell and drizzle with one half of the pesto. Arrange one half of tomato slices, overlapping, on top of cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat layering twice. Garnish with a fresh sprig of basil in the middle and serve.