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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL Cooking a turkey for the first time ever? Special to the Journal Allow 1 pound of uncooked turkey per person from an 8 to 12 pound turkey. Larger birds have a larger proportion of meat to bones, so 3/4 pound per person should be sufficient with leftovers for the beloved turkey sandwich or soup. By purchasing a larger turkey than needed for the holi day feast, you can transform holiday extras into timesaving meals. Freeze the extra cooked turkey and you’ll have your own “ready-to-prepare” healthy food for quick and easy post-holiday meals. The National Turkey Federation data base offers dozens of recipes for cooked turkey. Check the variety of cooked turkey recipes for entrees, salads, appetiz ers, sandwiches and soups at www.eatturkey.com. How should the turkey be thawed? Frozen turkey, like all protein foods, should be thawed in the refrigerator, never at room temperature. When foods are thawed at room temperature, surface bacteria can rapidly multiply to dangerous levels at temperatures of 40 degrees F and above. For safety and superior quality, leave turkey in the original packaging and place in a shallow pan. Thaw, in the refrigera tor, using the simple formula: whole turkeys thaw at a rate of 4 to 5 pounds per 24 hours. Example: A 15-pound frozen bird will take 3 to 4 full days to thaw in the refrigerator. Speed thawing: keep turkey in the original tightly sealed bag and place in a clean and sanitized sink or foodservice safe pan. Submerge in cold water and change the cold water every 30 minutes. The turkey will take about 30 minutes per pound to thaw. Refrigerate (at 40 degrees F or below) or cook the turkey when it is thawed. Do not refreeze uncooked, defrosted turkey. Sweet and easy desserts Pare, core and slice the apples. Put them into a large sauce pan and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Add the sugar and cin namon. Gently stir in the apple juice. Over medium heat bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the butter or margarine into a 9x13-inch glass baking dish and set it in the oven as it preheats. In a mixing bowl com bine the flour, baking pow der and salt. Stir together with a whisk. Gently mix in the milk, stirring until just moistened. The butter or margarine should now be melted and the oven preheated. Pour Breakfast for company Cheesy Bacon Cut- Ups 2 cups Bisquick baking mix 1/2 cup cold water 8 oz package Swiss cheese slic es 1 pound bacon, fried crisp 4 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon onion salt Heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease baking dish. Prepare biscuit dough from baking mix. Pat dough into baking dish, pressing 1/2 inch up sides. Top with cheese slices, sprinkle with bacon. Mix eggs, milk and onion sal and pour over the top. Bake for 20 minutes. Cut into squares. Brunch Bread Pudding Make fruit-topped bread pudding the center of a fast and fabulous brunch. This one’s from Betty Crocker. 1/2 loaf (1-pound size) French bread, torn into 1- inch pieces (8 cups) 2 tablespoons raisins 3 eggs 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinna mon Dash of salt 1 1/2 cups milk 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar Cran-Raspberry Topping 1 package (10 ounces) frozen raspberries, thawed 1 cup granulated sugar lcup cranberries Grease square pan, 9x9x2 inches. Spread bread evenly in pan. Sprinkle with rai sins. In medium bowl, beat eggs, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, the cinnamon and salt, using fork. Stir in milk; pour over bread. Sprinkle with the batter over the melted butter-do not stir. Pour the apples over the batter-do not sir. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until done and brown. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream. Individual Fruit Filled Tarts 8-12 small frozen tart shells 4 cups fresh fruit, cut in small pieces (cherries, banana, kiwi, berries, apples, pears, etc.) 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 cup fruit preserves of your choice 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1/2 cup honey or more to taste canned whipped cream Bake the shells according to package directions. Cool. Meanwhile, toss the fruit with the lemon juice. , Set brown sugar. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours. Heat oven to degrees. Bake uncovered 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, drain raspber ries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. In 2-quart saucepan, mix juice and 1 cup granulated sugar. Heat to boiling; boil 5 minutes. Stir in raspberries and cranberries; reduce heat. Simmer about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cranberries are tender but do not burst. Serve with warm bread pudding. Apple Brunch Biscuits This is a favorite among the guests the Historic Rocking Horse Manor, a bed and-breakfast in Louisville, Kentucky. Believe it or not, one of its ingredients is canned biscuits! 1/2 cup Sugar 1 cup Ricotta cheese 1 egg 1/2 cup Sliced almonds 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon 1 17.3 Oz. can large buttermilk biscuits 1 small apple peeled and cut into 8 wedges 1 small apple peeled and cut into 8 wedges Steps: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 8 jumbo muffin cups or custard cups with nonstick spray. In small bowl, sugar, cheese and egg beat at high speed for 1 min ute. In another bowl, combine almonds and cinnamon and mix well. Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Press each biscuit evenly in the bottom and up sides of each muffin cup. Place one wedge of apple on top of each biscuit. Spoon two tablespoons of cheese mixture on top of apple Thawing, stuffing, cooking and keeping it safe! rigt w9Sm, - ' *lfi aside. Heat the preserves over low heat and stir until melted. Stir in the almond extract. Divide evenly among the tart shells. (If you make this in advance, refriger ate the fruit and tart shells separately or the shells will get soggy.) Before serv ing, fill the shells with fruit and drizzle with the honey. Spritz each tart with whipped cream. Speedy Layer Cake 1-pound frozen pound cake (Sara Lee® is best) Your favorite frosting-made or bought Frosted Fruit (optional) Partially defrost the pound cake and cut in half horizon tally with a bread knife. (It will cut more easily if not wedges. Sprinkle each with cinnamon mixture. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes. Serve warm. Baked French Toast This is from Allßecipes “Tried and True Favorites” It’s great for company because you do most of the work the night before. 1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, cut diagonally in 1 inch slices 8 eggs 2 cups milk 1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon ground cinna mon 3/4 cup butter 1 1/3 cups brown sugar 3 tablespoons light corn syrup Butter a 9x13 inch bak ing dish. Arrange the slices of bread in the bottom. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread slices, cover, and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small sauce pan, combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup; heat until bubbling. Pour over bread and egg mixture. Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Sausage, Egg and Potato Casserole Just don’t tell them how easy this one is. 1 (16 ounce) package ground pork breakfast sausage 12 eggs 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 (10.75 ounce) can milk 1 (4.5 ounce) can sliced mush rooms, drained 1 (32 ounce) package frozen FQQP Continued from Page iB completely thawed.) Put the bottom half on a cake plate and frost the cut side up. Frost the cut side. Add the top half cut side down and frost the entire cake swirling decoratively. Surround with frosted fruit: Choose firm, pretty fruit, orange slices, grapes, ber ries, etc. Brush the fruit to be frosted with pasturized egg white and roll in granulated sugar. Put on a plate and let sit a few hours for the the frost ing to harden. ( It is impor tant to use pasturized egg whites to avoid salmonella contamination. ) An alternative is to brush the fruit with light corn syrup and roll in the sugar. Continued from Page iB Tater Tots 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese Place sausage in a skil let over medium-high heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain, and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, condensed cream of mushroom soup, and milk. Stir in the sausage and mushrooms, and pour into the prepared baking dish. Mix in the frozen Tater Tots. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Wl nn- Trout TA-re/,// lewt \k riiAROOM L - < KW^ m - (06/ 3%aA/U&ne€/ i P i fmM4 : * 4 ■L|£p : s :>l| W&W fr : ;- Sunday, December 2, 2007 3 L 2:30 p.m. Pf (Reservations Required) N| p 922 Carroll Street * ] L * 478-987-1866 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2007 ♦ What are the key pointers for stuffing a turkey? Stuffing should be prepared and stuffed into the turkey immediately before it is placed in the oven for roasting. If preparing the stuffing ahead-of-time, wet and dry ingredi ents should be refrigerated separately and combined right before stuffing the turkey. Stuff the turkey loosely, about 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound of turkey. est the internal temperature of the stuffing as well as the turkey. The internal temperature in the center of the stuff ing should register 160 to 165 degrees F. When is the turkey done? Since turkey is low in fat and high in protein, the meat is sensitive to extreme heat and prolonged cooking. Loosely place an aluminum foil tent over the turkey breast during the first 1 to 1 1/2 hours of roasting, then remove to allow the turkey to brown. A turkey should be cooked just until it is done. The best way to determine the level of doneness is with a food ther mometer. Use these tests to determine doneness and to keep the turkey juicy. For whole turkey, place the food thermometer in the deep est part of the thigh, but not touching the bone. The inter nal temperature of the turkey should measure 180 degrees F in the thigh and 170 degrees F in the breast. Juices should run clear and the drumsticks should be soft and move easily at the joint. Which wine goes with the big bird? Special to the Journal The ultimate American holiday feast is the perfect time to highlight the bounty of America’s vineyards. The NTF contacted expert chefs from noted wineries to help guide wine pairings for the approaching holiday season. Chefs from American winer ies provided their favorite turkey presentations along with recommended wines from their vineyards, which can all be found on www. EatTurkey.com. “I love the way the pleas ant but moderate gaminess of turkey brings out the fruit in both our white and red wines,” explained winery chef Kristine Schug of Schug Carneros Estate Winery in Sonoma, Calif. “Turkey is so versatile we use it for many events at the winery. When we brine turkey for a bar becue over wood chips, the added element of light smok iness makes turkey ideal for serving with Pinot Noir.” Another ageless sug gestion from Executive Chef Christopher Manning at Domaine Chandon Vineyard, Napa Valley, Calif., “Sparkling reds and roses are the perfect wines to serve with a holiday meal. Not only are they festive and food-friendly; they are very versatile and pair really well with roast turkey, veg etable side dishes and cran berries.” The NTF Web site includes Chef Manning’s Herbed Turkey and Sausage Dressing served at the vine yard’s restaurant, “etoile.” Executive Chef Fernando Divina of Tendrils at SageCliffe in the Cave B Estate Winery, Quincy, Wash., suggests a Washington State Syrah with his Muscogpe Style Roast Turkey. Chef Eric Lee of Simi Winery, Healdsburg, Calif., offers a recipe for Maple Spice Brined Turkey with Chardonnay Sauce paired with a Russian River Reserve Chardonnay. He suggests “chardon nay as a pleasing partner to the wide variety of foods served at Thanksgiving.” Other white wines such as Gewurztraminer offer a fruity, slightly spicy wine that complements smoked turkey and other bold fla vors. Riesling is another excellent pairing for meqp presentations that may con tain a bit of spice. From these noted chefs, NTF recommends offer ing both American red and white wines, sparkling or non-sparkling, to comple ment the variety of foods served on our national day of Thanksgiving. Visit EatTurkey.com to see how other chefs from vari ous wineries select wines for their Thanksgiving meal and even for all those fabulous leftovers at http://www.eat turkey.com/consumer/cookin- fo/holidayjwines.html. Jim Collins Attorney At Law Specializing In • Criminal Defense • Divorce • Bankruptcy 127 CARL VINSON PKWY. WARNER ROBINS. GA 31088 478-322-2542 [ls] CT Ri 3B 55493 156393 : :