Prog Chefs Unite!!!

Got a nice arosta in the oven right now, with small patatoes and a nice green salad (which is not in the oven obviously). Will keep it brief though, as I cut my right index finger typing is a bit difficult.

Edited by Angelo - November 16 2008 at 12:10

You'll know soon enough... And, from what I've heard of the South of the US, I am quite sure it wasn't exactly a walk in the park for you. As for myself, I am quite adaptable, and my life in Italy is anything but satisfactory anyway (not to mention the sorry state the country is in politics-wise).

Can't wait to cook my first Thanksgiving dinner.... Don't know if I'll make biscuits too, but I'm definitely planning something with a twist. And then there will be the holidays... Last year I cooked up a storm, and I intend to pull out all the stops this year, to celebrate our first Xmas as husband and wife.

I do have biscuit recipes aplenty, but my books are now on a ship bound for New York.... Anyway, being a rather expert baker, I could recommend using baking soda and yogurt (or buttermilk) in the biscuit batter. Such an addition usually makes for a very light texture, as in pancakes.

The lemon is a great touch. Thanks, guys.

I love rosemary and chicken. I thought for sure my rosemary plant out on the back deck wouldn't have survived the cold night last night, but that bad boy is standing up and giving the cold midwest air the finger. Tough little buggers.

I do like how a drizzle of olive oil makes the skin extra crisp.

As for the biscuits and gravy, it's pretty easy. It's also VERY rich, which is why I only make it about once every other month. I also had a half a biscuit and gravy as I'm still trying to watch my weight.

I just take a package of my favorite sausage (I like it with sage), crumble and brown it. Remove and add butter (I use about 4 tablespoons) and melt it. Add equal parts flour and stir until you get a roux that's of a peanut butter consistency (won't take long). Get a whisk and slowly add milk until you get it to the consistency you like. Make sure you whisk it often to get out any lumps. Finally, add the crumbled sausage back in and season to taste. Serve over your favorite biscuit. I use store bought because I haven't found a good homemade recipe that doesn't call for shortening, which is loaded with partially hydrogenated oils.

Baking isn't my thing, so if anyone has a good biscuit recipe, please feel free to share. I tried one from the web and they were like hockey pucks. Emily couldn't even eat them.

E

^ I really must have a go at making your biscuits and gravy some day Eric - it sounds... erm, interesting ... and totally different to anything I've ever eaten before.

Edited by Dean - November 16 2008 at 08:59

 ^ my mom used to bake squash, sounds good Raff   ... I did a mashed sweet potato with onions sauteed in olive oil one year, I'm also fond of Brussels sprouts with Thanksgiving, and creamed pearl onions with nutmeg is a favorite

^^Why thank you, Sir! 

Tonight I'm roasting a whole organic chicken stuffed with lemon, rosemary, onion and garlic (with a little salt and pepper with olive oil). I've draped the chicken with bacon, drizzled it with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roasting potatoes along with it and will serve up a salad.

E

Raff wrote: Congrats for the good news, Eric! I don't really think you'll gain back those 44 pounds (that's over 20 kilos!) after your nice feast. On my part, I'm getting ready for my first Thanksgiving on US soil.... Don't think I'll be roasting a whole turkey just for the two of us, so I've found some nice variations that use turkey meat, though not the whole bird. And I'm planning to bake a state-of-the-art pumpkin pie too!

Honestly, it's nice to have you back on the PA, Raff. Really missed you.

You could do up a whole bird (we get organic free range turkeys that aren't pumped full of hormones to the size of sanitation trucks) and use the leftovers for, say, turkey ala king or turkey tetrazzini. Cooking Light magazine always has good tips on how to rework your bird following Thanksgiving.

And thanks for the kind words. The weight is what freaked me out. I looked down and then over to the nurse and said, "Is this thing accurate?"

E


Edited by E-Dub - October 25 2008 at 13:26

I got some good news last night regarding my health. I've been regulating my blood sugar pretty well and my liver checks out fine. The gastroenterologist called my case 'remarkable' and said that I should be the poster boy for non-alcoholic related fatty liver. So, I ran by and got some beautiful t-bone steaks and some baking potatoes and fired up the grill. Celebrated with a couple of brews, too.

Oh, and the other good news is I've lost 44 lbs. so far. I hope I didn't gain it back in one evening, though.

E

The town where my father's family comes from (on the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria, in southern Italy) is the Italian capital of chili pepper, or peperoncino as we call it. I suppose they are nowhere as hot as those devilish qualities Jim and John mentioned, but they can still pack a reasonable wallop. Personally, I do like some heat in my food, but not to the point when the heat prevents me from tasting everything else, or seriously impairs my enjoyment of a dish.

That said, a well-made panful of Spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino (with garlic, oil and chilli pepper) can be heaven, and I intend making some olio santo (extra-virgin olive oil with garlic and chilli pepper) once I am in the US. Pity I can't take any foods with me... I was told that even tea is off!