Many relationships are forged and strengthen over meals or social events. Emotions evoked and lasting impressions are made when people come together at the table to share a meal. As a daughter of an hotelier our family moved often from country to country, always leaving behind friends and a community that had taken us in. It was never easy and yet I watched my parents form new friendships and build a social environment in each new city with ease.
We’ve entered the holiday season! With Diwali just past we are heading towards Thanksgiving, Chanukah/Hanukkah and Christmas so I can imagine there is a lot of scampering going on all around the globe and the kitchens in many households are already filled with aromas of sweet baking, sugar and spice – all so very nice!
It looks it’s going to be another snow-less Christmas this year again. Last Christmas was mild, the temperatures hardly falling below 0 degrees Celsius. This year we had a spot of snow. It made my heart flutter a bit, but that fluttering disappeared soon enough when the next morning I had to slip and slide to get to my car, and scratch it free of the thick ice. I love all the Christmas spirit but I can often do without the cold and snow that comes with it.
The Christmas verve is in full swing here in Weimar. To add to the spirit it has been snowing for the past 2 days covering Weimar in a blanket of soft, powder-white, pureness, making the city look postcard perfect. The annual Christmas market in the center of town has been spreading joys of spiced glühwein, roasted chestnuts, sticky cotton candy, fresh stollen or warm quark doughnuts, making it irresistible to walk through the cobbled streets without stopping and sampling a cupful here, a portion there or a morsel around the corner.
Well I am back home in Germany, experiencing crass opposites. From bright sunshine to cloudy grey, from the warmth of 25 degrees to a freezing –5 degrees, from pure relaxation to a whirlwind of chores and routines, from a houseful of family and the buzz of commotion to a serene and fairly empty home, from indulging in exquisite dishes from every part of the world to simple and comforting home cooked meals, from high heel sandals to high boots and from light cotton to thick flannels.
Quite some time back Tom's professor told us about a simple and spiritual recluse he found on a vacation in a monastery. He spent a week leading a monastic life in total silence. I was fairly intrigued and contemplated the idea shortly, then filed it at the back of my head and forgot about it. But then I began hearing about similar vacations some friends and acquaintances had taken or were planning on taking and it took me into a deeper train of thought.
It’s been a busy week for me. Even though Soeren was away the whole week I had a few photo and writing assignments to complete and used up the “free” time to finish these off. At work things are busy too. As the new semester has started there are a couple of workshops and seminars I am planning for the new PHD students. After the long summer break it’s good to get things cranking again.
It’s the time of year when my CSA box has begun to bring cauliflower, cabbage and co. to my doorstep each week. I admit I am the type of person who gets excited at the site of the milky white flower like vegetable or the sturdy variety of cabbage. I am well aware that my delight is not often shared by many people and me squealing with joy at the sight of cauliflower does raise an eyebrow or two.
As I went over to the Daring Kitchen, earlier this month, to check out what the challenge would be, I came away doing cartwheels and very excited. See I love puff pastry and homemade puff pastry rocks even more! But the challenge did not end there – no there was more.
After a spectacular weekend filled with friends, barbecues, hikes, wild blueberries and a lot of Michael Jackson, we've started the week on a positive note. The past few weeks were overshadowed with a lot of chaos and stress - to move or not to move - was the question of the month.
Treading water has never really been my thing. I honestly dislike putting in so much effort, but not really going anywhere. It's where we are now - treading water and not going anywhere. Waiting! Waiting to see if the ultimatum presented by Tom shakes his bosses awake. They asked for time to confer and find a solution. And we comply - putting everything on hold. But deep inside we know the decision we want to take. Even though we are torn between an opportunity of a lifetime and taking a risk, we really just want to finally settle down and "come home". We are using this experience to reassess our thoughts and priorities.
In my fantasy world I live in a beautiful house on the beach. I love the ocean air - always have - and while I have lived in many places where the ocean was within sight of our place, it was not directly on the beach. In my fantasy I wake up in the morning to be greeted by the warm sun streaming through the large windows and swaying lush green palm trees dancing in the gentle warm breeze.
The ocean is not blue it is turquoise and emerald and the sands are pure virgin white. On the weekends we have picnics and barbecues on the beach with the children building huge sand castles and the adults laughing enjoying the carefree atmosphere.
Starting the year with a comforting bowl of homemade creamy black lentils. While last year the Bollywood Cooking series focused on many popular street food and restaurant dishes, this year my concentration for the series will be good, down-to-earth, homey food. The type of food I grew up on. My mum is and my grandmother was exceptional in the kitchen. The dishes cooked in their kitchens were beyond scrumptious - they were the solid foundation that gave us footing and reminded us of our roots.
"Don’t stress over Holiday meals!“
„Plan ahead!“
How often have you heard these wise comments from people or websites that offer you good advice? If I had a penny for every time I heard this I would be sitting in Barbados sipping on Mojitos all day long!
The fact is many of us do begin to stress as the Holidays near. Every year I am “taken by surprise” that Thanksgiving or Christmas is just around the corner. Go take a look at your calendar – 2 weeks till Thanksgiving, 6 weeks till Christmas!
Oh I am sorry I did not mean to create mass panic!
One of the main aspects of the Holidays are the meals, which become the center of everyone’s attention. It’s after all where everyone gathers around one table to enjoy a leisurely few hours of discussion and getting re-connected again. It’s where over turkey, gravy, vegetables and dessert people eat more than they tend to, because everything tastes so much better. Food is the star on such occasions. We’ve all realized that over the years. That explains why we fret over a menu, trying to plan a meticulous meal that will suit everyone’s likings and tastes.
And that is exactly where the stress and the panic begins.
In this respect I am really glad to have had opportunity to train as a hotel management trainee in a big luxury class hotel. Everyday I was confronted with a new challenging task – be it the planning of an Arab wedding of a thousand guests, a Fashion show or an exclusive dinner party – it always revolved on the topic of food.
I still use several things I learned back then in my current job. Here I am in charge of planning several events and once again – food is the main topic. Over the years I have refined my talent for planning a menu and organizing an event. It works for me at home and the same idea has worked on larger scaled events too. Therefore, I wanted to share these ideas with you. I am hoping that the pointers I propose will be something you can integrate into your menu planning for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas. However, these ideas are not only limited to Thanksgiving or Christmas but can be used to plan several types of events.
Focus On One Course or One Dish
That was it! I can actually stop my post right here because this is the main “wisdom” I wanted to share with you for this article. This is my “magic wand” for each event I have planned, am planning and will plan in the future!
Depending on the type of dinner you are having, direct your focus to one course or one dish. If you are having a more informal buffet-style, pick one main dish to feature. If your event is a more formal sit-down style dinner then focus on one course.
I normally divide a piece of paper in four sections:
Generally we all have a rough idea of one or two things we would like to make. It might be that turkey roulade you saw at WFLH or that dessert you saw in your favorite magazine, my point here is to decide which course is getting your attention.
Once you have decided on the course or the dish, you will notice the rest just comes together quite easily. This is not a wise-ass comment from me but something you are already doing instinctively but might not have noticed it.
Example: You have a dessert you really want to make. So you place this as your first item in the dessert section. This is now your main focus. Now you simply select a few other dishes or courses on the basis of flavor combination. You place two ideas for a main course on the Entrée section, then you go back to the dessert to check how these dishes will complement your dessert.
Are you looking for contrasts in flavors and textures? Do you want a harmony of similar herbs/spices all throughout your meal? You will soon realize that by answering a few simple questions your decision will quickly fall on one of the selected entrée dishes. Once you have that you work in the same way to tackle the next section in your menu.
Main Course
For me it is normally the entrée that often gets the main focus. So, on my sheet of paper I will limit myself to writing down a maximum of two possibilities in the entrée section. Not more. Even for a buffet, where having two main dishes is not uncommon, it is advisable to limit yourself only to the two ideas.
If I am having a larger gathering I might want to make sure that the choice I made is feasible. What I mean here is: if I am having a sit-down dinner for 15 guests, what makes more sense?
In this case I would go for option number two. While the roast beef is in the oven I can give my attention to other items.
Now that you have decided what your main course will be you will instinctively start filling out the gaps in the other sections.
Sides
Let’s take this turkey roulade for example: being a poultry dish having a slightly “sweeter” and delicate side is perfectly OK. For a roast beef on the other hand you might decide on something more robust. So you see you have already narrowed down this section.
Once again the rule is write down only a few ideas in this section. Too many ideas will only overwhelm you. I normally serve an absolute max. of three to four sides at my sit-down dinners, including the potato/rice/pasta side.
Look for sides that can be prepared ahead of time. It really will make your life easier. My side in this post of roasted thyme Jerusalem artichoke, kohlrabi and butternut squash was all cut on the previous evening. I even tossed the veggies in oil and thyme, then placed each individual vegetable in separate Ziploc bags and stored them in the fridge, saving the time it takes to cut the vegetables on the day of the dinner.
The vegetables were then placed in the oven for 25-30 minutes with the turkey roulade. Perfect!
Starters or Appetizers
One question you really need to consider here is how are you planning to serve your appetizer? Do you want to make several types of small nibbles and serve them informally so that your guests can still their initial hunger? Or do you prefer to have a starter as a formal course of your meal?
Once again this depends entirely on the atmosphere you are aiming for. My Thanksgiving/Christmas dinners are usually more on the formal side. It’s important for me as a hostess to use each course to sit down and:
During the whole year I generally host informal gatherings, so Thanksgiving/Christmas is a time where we all love dressing up and enjoy the atmosphere in an elegant surrounding.
My starter course is often a part of the sit-down dinner and keeping with the time of year, I normally serve a soup. I use seasonal ingredients like squash/pumpkin, root vegetables or mushrooms for my soup. Furthermore, I find that a warm soup is a wonderful and satisfying way to kick off a dinner.
Go back to the main focus of your meal, then decide what would suit your menu best. If your meal is heavier and richer as a whole, you might want to aim for a lighter salad, maybe even a combination of a “hot-cold” salad.
For such formal sit-down dinners where I have one dish for the starter course, I always make sure it is vegetarian. The reason is simple: I have a lot of friends who are vegetarians!
Considering Each Food Issue
Uncle Sam does not eat mushrooms, Aunt Jane is gluten intolerant, Cousin Meghan is a vegetarian – does this sound familiar? As hosts or hostesses we need to consider each guest’s “food issue”. For those planning a menu it’s not an easy task to come up with an innovative menu, which takes each family member’s specific needs into account as well.
My trick is easy. It’s something I have picked up over the years, by observing my vegetarian friends. I do not fret about creating an extra vegetarian entrée for them!
I make certain that my starter/appetizers are entirely vegetarian, the sides I select are primarily vegetarian and together they are versatile and creative enough to satisfy a vegetarian appetite.
In the same way analyze your guest list and try to incorporate their food issues within your menu - without any “extras”.
My friends actually told me they feel so comfortable with this because it’s all so subtle. They do not feel “different” because they have a specific dietary restriction.
I normally like making a tart, pot pie or gratin. In smaller portions they make great sides, but for my vegetarian guests in larger portions a great main.
Desserts
For me the queen of the meal and just like any queen she needs to be sophisticated and elegant.
For some reason I like selecting the dessert at the end. “Keeping the best till the last” or like the "cherry on the cake", selecting a dessert for my menu is always my favorite part. And if I am honest, it is also the part of the menu that often gets me sidetracked. There are so many delicious things to make and I often wish I could serve them all in one dinner.
Once I have re-focused, I go through the same steps as above - checking against the rest of my menu and the flavor combinations.
Having said that however, you can be more flexible and even playful with the selection of your dessert. There are not many rules here - just keeping in mind the body of your entire meal. By this I mean if your meal was very rich and heavy – serving a lighter and fluffy dessert instead of a heavy layer cake will bring more points.
Many of you are probably already planning your menus in this fashion without even knowing it. For you, I am hoping that reading this article will help you to reinforce the method more consciously.
For those of you who were stressing and not getting the whole menu planning thing quite right, I hope that the suggestions here will help you to refine your talents further.
Fact is you do not need to be a rocket scientist to plan a party, dinner or buffet. You just need a piece of paper, a pen and a focus on ONE dish or course!
With this post I am kicking off a series of posts all revolving around the Thanksgiving dinner I will be preparing. As I mentioned I normally start off with the main course. Therefore, the featured recipes here are for the stuffed Turkey roulade and one of my selected vegetable sides. Next week I will focus on the starter and dessert and share the recipes for both with you.
I would also like to put together a list of different menu ideas for you using recipes from What’s For Lunch, Honey? So look out for that next week too.
Now I hope you are hungry!
This is a fantastic alternative to a whole Turkey. To be honest, I actually prefer a succulent turkey breast to a whole turkey. A turkey roulade is a manageable dish to prepare, it's uncomplicated with regards to cooking time as it does not take hours to make and best of all you can prepare the roulade ahead of time, simply cooking it a good hour before you are ready to eat. Roasting the turkey breast at high heat seals the juices, guaranteeing a tender and succulent cut of meat. The lovely thing about this turkey roulade is that by stuffing it with cranberries I can easily omit the cranberry sauce and concentrate on another side dish. I use the pan juices, refining it with Marsala wine and cider to give a beautiful gravy.
Recipe: Turkey Roulade with Cranberry Mushroom Stuffing & Marsala-Cider Gravy
Ingredients
Printable version of recipe here.2 1/2kg boneless turkey breast with skin, butterflied (see notes below)
500g Crimini mushrooms, finely chopped
400g dried cranberries
120g parsnip, diced
150g onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Handful of sage leaves, chopped
60g butter
20g butter, melted
Canola oil
Salt and pepper
120 ml Marsala wine
400 ml unfiltered apple cider
1 bay leaf
2-3 whole cloves
1 tablespoon cornstarchYou'll also need: kitchen twine, heavy duty foil
Method
Making the stuffing
In a large skillet heat some of the butter and sauté the onion, garlic and diced parsnip until fragrant. Add some of the sage, reserving some for later, a pinch of salt and some pepper. Stir occasionally, then add the mushrooms the remaining butter and continue to sauté until the mushrooms have softened.
Add the cranberries and sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Notes: The stuffing can be prepared a day advance and stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.
Making the Turkey
Place an oven rack in the oven and pre-heat the oven to 230 degrees C.
Once you have butterflied your turkey breast (see notes below), arrange the breast with a short side nearest to you, skin side facing down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Spread the stuffing evenly over the turkey breast, leaving about a 2 cm border on all sides. Fold the short side nearest to you over the stuffing, enclosing the stiffing securely. Now roll up the turkey breast tightly.
Place the turkey roulade seam side down, then tie crosswise, at about 2.5 cm intervals, with the kitchen twine.
Brush turkey with melted butter then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Heat some canola oil in a skillet on high heat. Place the turkey, seam side down, and brown, sealing the juices in. Brown the meat on all sides until the skin is golden and crispy.
Remove the roulade and place in roasting pan. Keep the skillet aside. Roast the turkey roulade, uncovered for about 30 minutes, turning it around about half way through.
Take roasting pan out then pour in the Marsala wine, 250 ml cider, cloves, bay leaf and the remaining sage. Cover roasting pan with heavy-duty foil and continue to roast for another 35 - 45 minutes, or until the juices run clear.
Transfer the turkey roulade to a cutting board, cover with foil and allow to stand for 15 minutes before slicing. This will give you plenty of time to prepare the gravy.
Notes: How to butterfly a turkey breast
- Place the turkey breast on a cutting board. Determine which long side is the thickest. Starting on the narrower side and holding knife parallel to the work surface, make a horizontal cut with the knife on the thickest side, about halfway down, to within 2.5 cm of the other side.
- Open up the breast as if you were opening a book. Cover the breast with plastic wrap. Pound with a rolling pin or meat mallet to an even 2 cm thickness. Remove plastic wrap.
- Spread the stuffing over the breast, leaving a 2 cm border on all sides. Roll the breast up into a cylinder.
- Secure the roulade by tying it with kitchen twine..
MAKE AHEAD TIP:
- Prepare the turkey roulade through to the stuffing. Once rolled you can wrap the roulade in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
- On the morning of your dinner, brush the turkey roulade with the melted butter and brown on high heat in the skillet. Then place in the roasting pan and cover. On the evening, pour in the liquids, spices and herb, then cover with foil and roast for the 35-45 minutes.
Making the Gravy
Using the skillet in which the turkey roulade was browned, heat to high, pour in the juices from the roasting pan, scraping the bottom of the skillet to deglaze it.
Strain the juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Skim off fat. then pour back into the skillet. Bring the juices to a boil.
Whisk together the cornstarch and remaining cider, then whisk into boiling sauce and boil until the sauce thickens.
Slice turkey roulade into thin slices and serve with marsala-cider gravy.
I love the several levels of flavors in this side. The contrasts of the earthy notes of the Jerusalem artichoke and kohlrabi against the sweet, nutty aromas of the butternut squash is purely wonderful . The vegetables are crisp and fresh, the thyme adding a wonderful fragrance. Convenience is the main key with this side as you can roast these vegetables right along with the turkey roulade.
Recipe: Roasted Thyme Jerusalem Artichoke, Kohlrabi and Butternut Squash
Ingredients
Printable version of recipe here.4 medium kohlrabi, cubed
400g Jerusalem artichokes, cubed
500g butternut squash, cubed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Handful fresh thyme, finely chopped
Salt and freshly cracked pepperMethod
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Pre-heat oven to 230 degrees C.
Put each vegetable separately in three individual bowls. Add one tablespoon olive oil in each bowl, some thyme, salt and pepper and toss the vegetables.
First transfer the kohlrabi to the preheated baking tray and roast for 15-20 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
Then spread the squash and Jerusalem artichokes over the kohlrabi and roast until vegetables are tender, approx. 20-30 minutes.
Once ready, take out and toss the vegetables to combine.
MAKE AHEAD TIP:
- Prepare the vegetables a day ahead. Cut each vegetable separately and place, separately in Ziploc bags.
- You can even prepare the vegetables as far as tossing them individually in the oil, then store in Ziploc bags. Store in refrigerator.
Notes: If you are roasting the vegetables along with the turkey roulade, pre-heat the baking tray for 15 minutes while the turkey roasts, then roast vegetables on a rack below the turkey roulade.
Verdict
Two dishes perfectly harmonized with each other yet delectable on their own. The turkey offers several wonderful flavor dimensions. Earthy, sweet and rich, the meat itself is tender and succulent, together with the gravy an explosive dish. The vegetables add a great magnitude to the meal and plays off the flavors of the turkey roulade brilliantly.
I hope this little menu planner help will aid you in the future to create a perfect menu for your events with ease and no stress. Next week we'll be counting down to Thanksgiving and I'll share with you recipe ideas for a starter and dessert that would fit in with this meal. So stay tuned for that. I will also present you with several different menu ideas using dishes from WFLH to help you find your favorite menu. So don't panic that Thanksgiving is in two weeks - together we'll find you a perfect menu to dazzle your guests.
Daily Tiffin Reading Tip:
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First
„When the cat’s away, the mice will play!“
In this case:
Cat = Soeren
Mice = Tom + Me
It’s Fall break here and Soeren is away at his grandparents for the whole week. When Tom came back yesterday evening after dropping Soeren off, I was in the kitchen preparing a few nibbles for us to enjoy over a glass of white wine. We looked at each other and as if we knew what the other was thinking high-fived with huge grins on our faces.
It was 8 PM and on a normal Sunday, we would have already had our dinner, packed the school backpack and Soeren would have been in bed. On a normal Sunday.
This, however was not a normal Sunday, this was a Sunday where there was a slight giddy feeling of freedom. The freedom of breaking free from the normal shackles of routine. The freedom of breaking free from being responsible parents for a few days.
Tom turned up the radio as Katy Perry sang “I kissed a girl and liked it!” grabbed me and we danced in the kitchen like two teenagers!
Tom opened a bottle of white wine and both of us enjoyed the evening cooking together, talking (without being interrupted) and just eating and drinking for the rest of the evening without having one eye on the clock.
What do I prepare on such evenings? Something light but elegant, like this fig and pear wrap. An easy but flavorful dish, which I love serving with a variety of soft cheeses, but is also a perfect side for poultry, beef, veal, and fish dishes. It would pair up extremely well with the apple glazed duck filets, or make a fruity side to the veal with creamy mushrooms, or even play off with the flavors of the herbs de Provence in the fried fish Provencal.
For us though it was a loaf of fresh baguette, a bottle of wine, a platter of different cheeses and these exquisite wraps.
Fig, Pear and Bacon Wraps
Ingredients
Printable version of recipe here.4 small ripe pears, peeled, halved and cores removed
4 ripe figs, halved
200ml white wine
Juice of 1/2 lime
50g sugar
2 tablespoon fig mustard, substitute with any other mustard like Dijon
8 slices bacon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
Salt and fresh cracked pepperMethod
Pour the wine, lemon juice and sugar in a large pot. Place the pear halves into the liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the pears have softened. Remove from heat and allow to cool in the liquid.
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C. Keep an oven proof dish ready.
Spread each fig half with a thin layer of mustard, close with a pear half and then wrap each fruit "sandwich" with a bacon slice. Place in the ovenproof dish.
Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup, sprinkle with salt, pepper and dried rosemary.
Place in the oven and roast for approx. 15 - 20 minutes.
Serve warm.
Verdict
This was a sensational indulgence. Using pears and figs it is perfect for this time of year. If you should find yourself without the kids one evening, seduce your partner with this delicacy. I simply love dishes like this - fruity, tangy with the mustard and smoky with the bacon. The rosemary adds a delicate highlight rounding the entire dish perfectly.
The Monthly Mingle is over at Ruth's Experiments and we're looking for Sensational Sides. This is my contribution to Ruth's brilliant choice.
You might like these sides from WFLH:
 | Sautéed Red Cabbage with Pomegranate Seeds and Cinnamon |
 | Pumpkin & Feta Tart |
 | Roasted Pumpkin & Mushroom Salad |
From around the blogs:
Daily Tiffin Reading Tip:
- The Great Pumpkin by Mike
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First