A King's Feast: My 2014 Christmas Dinner

I’ll cut right to the chase. My Christmas dinner is seen here (shown above). Clockwise from left to right, peppered green beans, cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and crown roast of pork. All the items were home made by my Mom. This isn’t meant to be some tease or “porn” to grab your attention. I figured in what way I can share and maybe plant some seeds for a later date. This dinner was TREMENDOUS!!! Mom went a little off the norm in creating this dinner. I figured I’ll share what I can and what I decided to ask her on what she did. I’ll share what I can and what I can’t give completely, I will revisit down the road. I won't give you step for step. This is about showing some of the modifications made for this meal. Some different techniques, some different preparations, and totally thinking outside the box. To make a great feast, you don't always need 10 items or more. A few well executed items get the job done, as you will see here. 

Let’s start with the crown roast of pork (shown below). Mom went a bit off the script. Instead of using leaving the pork as a crown, she split the roasts into halves. She then used a rack and cooked as normal. She cooked it at 375 degrees (about 190 Celsius) for about 2-2 ½ hours or until an internal temperature of about 135-140 degree Fahrenheit(55-60 degrees Celsius), as it will continue cooking while it rests. Use the seasons of your choice but she used salt, pepper, some thyme, rosemary and sage (enough to cover for the latter 3 ingredients. That was it. How nice of a dinner does that look like? Now maybe next year, time will allow me to make macaroni and cheese as well as some dinner rolls.

The peppered green beans sounds more difficult that it really is. It’s not that hard at all. She placed them in a pan w/ some oil (grape seed I do believe), sautéed until tender (about 5-10 minutes). While cooking, she added the pepper in spurts, not in one mass. That way, the pepper would still not only taste right, but won’t be overpowering either. This was a VERY pleasant surprise and hope to try this down the road. No, not hope to. I WILL do this. I’m not sure if I’ll do this for a holiday, dinner, lunch or whatever. It will happen. WOW that dish was fantastic!!! Don't let the name of this fool you. This isn't as hard as it looks. I did something similar a while back. Mom just made it better. If you're using frozen green beans, follow the instructions and then add most of the pepper before the end. This will inspire an incredible dish down the road. Now how I'll pull it off remains to be scene. Only time will answer that question. For now, enjoy the finished product. 

I touched upon the cornbread dressing already in a different post. I just did it yesterday (previous blog post). As I mentioned before, just take your normal stuffing recipe and use cornbread in its place. PLEASE REMEMBER TWO THINGS!!! Cornbread tends to need more liquid so make sure you have enough stock available for your use. On average, you’re looking at least 32 ounces for a 9” X 12” pan. You may need more so make sure you have enough  stock on hand. I suggest using a baking or glass pan in lieu of a cast iron pot. Cast iron might be a trick for some and the cornbread could form a bit more of a crust that may be optimal. Apart from the liquid content and the actual cornbread itself, don’t change any of your preferred seasonings.  

Now as for the next two items, the sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce (not pictured), I wish I could share more but I didn’t ask my questions. Here is what I can give you. In the case of both the sweet potatoes and cranberries, my mother used Splenda. That’s the one thing she’s changed. We have some diabetics in our family and through some trial and error, she knocked this out of the park. She took about 16 ounces of fresh cranberries and cooked as normal. I think she used just about ¼ - 1/2 a tablespoon instead of a full cup of sugar. She used about ½-3/4 tablespoons for splenda for the sweet potatoes. She’s played with the ratios over the last couple of years and found the ration she liked. I’ll confirm and share more in a later post. One of my problems with eating sweet potatoes is that they can get too sweet. Notice there are no marshmallows or anything of the like on them? As time has gone on, I generally don't want that stuff on them. It makes the MUCH TOO SWEET for my liking. For each is their own but I prefer sweet potatoes as they are. Add very little if anything to them since they are naturally sweet.

And once again (below), the finished product for Christmas dinner. I ran out of battery so I didn't show my empty plate. Still, very good and will revisit some of these items down the road. I thought it was good good not to share again. Thanks, Mom!! You always make a wonderful meal for the various holidays. I've learned much from you and I will make this up to you and Dad in 2015. At the very least, I'll do some of the sides and the meats. Notice how I said MEATS?! I guess turkey alone may not be enough. I enjoyed the ham we had at my cousin's home. This meal would make King Henry the 8th envious. 

Clockwise from top left to right, peppered green beans, cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and crown roast of pork. A feast that would make a king jealous!!

This is the first post of the year. I hope this is the first of many more to come. I have learned and got so many inspirations from different sources. If you're a Twitter user, there are SEVERAL food chats you may want to be a part of. There is a great deal of friendship and exchange of ideas each week, often sponsored by different brands. You also meet people from all over the world. You'll be amazed to see a food lover in India participating at 2:AM their time. From time to time, there are even some giveaways. The weekly schedule is listed below and are about 60 minutes unless listed otherwise (all times listed are CST and the correct hashtag listing the chat's name and the hosts connected with them). Maybe our paths will cross at one of these chats. I don't think you'll be sorry you came.

- Sunday's at 6:PM, #SundaySupper (various hosts)

- Monday's at 3:PM #FNIchat (hosted primarily by @FoodiesNiteIn, @CookingwCaitlin)

- Monday's at 7:PM #Foodiechats (hosted by many including @Foodiechats @FoodiechatsCHI, @steveGOgreen, @AngelaWoodley and a few others).

- Tuesday's at 3:PM #PantryChat (hosted by @CompletePantry). 

- Wednesday's at 7:PM: #FoodTravelChat (I've missed this one a few too many times but still a great session if you can make it).

- Thursday's at 2:PM: #Fdbloggers (this one is globally hosted from the UK, 7-9PM GMT, @fdbloggers is the main host from what I've seen). 

Until then, thanks for reading and happy eating!!! May your plate be full only to be emptied because of great meals. I hope 2015 will be filled with many posts to share with you all!! I hope and believe you will enjoy them. One of the main subjects will be macaroni and cheese in their various forms. I am finishing part 1 of many. This was TRULY an adventure of sorts. Once I make the post, you'll see what I mean. I will show not only how versatile it is but how I adapted on the fly and went outside the box. The next post will be a perfect example of that.

Dressingus Maximus: Southern Cornbread Dressing

So if you follow me or participate in different Twitter food chats, the discussion of side dishes often came up. Of course holidays have some specialties and some more specific than others. One of which was the "debate" between "dressing" and "stuffing" side dishes. What made this interesting is that we had many people from other parts of the world- Canada, United Kingdom, and India among many other places. If you a member of any of these chats I mentioned, you probably noticed how I mentioned cornbread dressing is the way to go. It was funny how some didn't know the difference or even tried to argue there was a difference between stuffing and dressing.

Well, is there a difference? Yes and no. The differences are just as the names imply. Stuffing is what is actually stuffed inside a bird. Dressing is the same thing (in concept) but served on as a side dish (in a casserole dish or large foil pan, depending on who is making it). From a recent #fdbloggers chat, Hannah Webster (Twitter handle @Hannahwebs, from the UK) and I had this exchange, which inspired this post (in part anyway). It went like this:

1. Hannah Webster ‏@hannahwebs  Nov 20

   Q2 What festive food could you not have Christmas without? #fdbloggers

   0 replies1 retweet0 favorites
   
2. John Duncan ‏@emptyplateadv  Nov 20

   @hannahwebs A2. I know it sounds a bit lame but for me, cornbread dressing & mac & cheese or au gratin potatoes are mine. #fdbloggers

   0 replies0 retweets2 favorites
   
3. Hannah Webster ‏@hannahwebs  Nov 20

   @emptyplateadv I've never cornbread dressing or au gratin potatoes so I can't comment! #fdbloggers

   0 replies0 retweets0 favorites
   

John Duncan‏@emptyplateadv

@hannahwebs Cornbread dressing/stuffing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdI_OqpkCxI … (1); http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEsg_93a9K4 … (2)

‏@hannahwebs  

@emptyplateadv oooh I'm not sure about that! haha.

At least she had a sense of humor. Here's another brief exchange from the #Foodiechats exchange with the host. The version I shared is similar to the one my Mom makes.

1. #Foodiechats ‏@FoodiechatsCHI  Nov 17

   Q2 #Foodiechats via @NinjaKitchen What is the best way to prep stuffing ahead of time?

   0 replies6 retweets2 favorites
   

John Duncan‏@emptyplateadv

@FoodiechatsCHI @NinjaKitchen A2b. Like my Mom makes hers (minus stove top;chicken stock,no cream of..) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcXTWvNRFng … #Foodiechats (3)

OK. While I touched upon the difference between stuffing and dressing, there are differences between HOW each is made. Some call for some form of bread (e.g., white, baguette, sour dough, TOAST which seems odd to me, etc). For me, most of my family on both sides have Southern roots. My parents and various extended family lived (and many still do) throughout central and southern Illinois. Those before them can be traced to Indiana and Tennessee. For those with those roots, cornbread is the bread of choice. 100% cornbread, not a mix with another. This style of dressing is MUCH more dense and filling. Depending on how it's made, it can be a meal onto itself.

I had an interesting discussion with my friends from my health club. What's more ironic is that we had this discussion in the club's sauna of all places. So when asking about what we (my family) would be having, the stuffing-dressing discussion came up. She is from Poland (but her husband is American) and she had never had cornbread dressing. After explaining there was no difference between stuffing and dressing, there are different types. She had the typical dried breads. She had never thought about cornbread dressing until I had mentioned we have that exclusively as a side. Another member basically confirmed what I had said about cornbread dressing. I provided 3 different recipes to make this (properly cited) as a reference.

So right about now, you're probably expecting an step by step recipe for how to do this. I already posted references that are similar to my Mom's dressing. My friend, Jola (from my health club) asked me if she had to do anything different from what she already did. I said there were 2 key differences. The first is the cornbread itself. The first thing you do is bake one pan of cornbread as if you were making a cake or a side dish. Some say cover and some say not for a day after baking. After a day or so, begin to break the whole cornbread cake into smaller pieces and then follow your regular recipe for stuffing. Some don't believe in letting the cornbread sit for a day. That's a debate for another day. For the sake of this exercise, let it rest a day. Whatever seasoning you use in your stuffing will work with this as well (as you'll later read). The second key differences is that cornbread tends to absorb more liquid. So the one thing you'll need to be aware of is that you may need more stock for this. Break the pieces of bread and add stock as you normally have. You may have different texture, but consistency should be similar (somewhere between mashed potatoes and a casserole). Expect to use between 24 to 36 oz of liquid (stock or your choice is best). If you use a 9" X 12" pan to cook the cornbread dressing, cooks at the normal temperature you uses for about 45-60 minutes.

The above is the payoff. You want to talk about tasting better the following days ahead (if there is any left), put this on the list. Now this is how I enjoy my family dressing each holiday season. My goal is to learn my Mom's cornbread dressing. I had two dinners for Thanksgiving. I also at with my extended family as well. My Aunt's cornbread dressing is a bit heavier on celery than my Mom's is but still very good. Due to the liquid content of this, you really don't need gravy but if you wish to have it, go for it. Add your choice of flavor to the gravy, such as oyster, pepper, sage or whatever you choose to have. Below is the cornbread dressing I had for Christmas dinner. Trust me that this recipe doesn't get old at all. I will share some of the highlights of my Christmas dinner a a couple of days or so. As for my friend Jola and her husband, they became believers as well. Once you try it, you'll believe it as well. If you try this, feel free to share how it turned out and what, if anything, you did differently. 

Works Cited:
1. Down Home with the Neely's: Neely's Cornbread Stuffing, taken from the Food Network via YouTube, uploaded on October 26, 2010.

2. Kimberly In The Kitchen (YouTube channel), "Southern Cornbread Dressing" recipe, YouTube Original Channel, uploaded on October 25, 2012.

3. "How to Make the Best Cornbread Dressing Ever", TeeTee Online original YouTube video, uploaded on November 12, 2010.

The Independence Day Weekend Feasts

OK. Pretty short & sweet. This is the fruit of my family's labor for our Independence Day feast. I also did the Ribfest locally here. I posted this to show that I'm:
                                        a. still alive.
                                        b. still interested in writing here.
                                        c. sharing something I feel some may enjoy.

Before I go any further, I must give thanks to those who fight and serve our country. Thanks to our military people as well as our first responders as well. I thought it would be the right thing to do is to start and end with something to give thanks for. I understand what sacrifices have been made for me to be free. It's not free. It comes at a price, often times the life and limbs of someone willing to fight for it. I took this poem which says it all (1).

"The 4th of July

It's time for the "Barbecue" And the "Fireworks" galore! And the "Beer" and the "Friends" And the "Burgers" for sure! But most important And I really must say Is that "America" got Its "Independence" today! Yes in "1776" The famous politician Senator "John Hancock" Had signed the petition That stated that our country Was "free" from all others! And that we would "only be governed" By our "American brothers"! So while we are celebrating This "great day of fun" Let us always remember What our forefathers had done!"  - Billy Nardozzi

Washington & Armistead (2)

Since I'm on the subject of freedom, this picture has been distorted over the years. Most people know who the man on the left is. That's obviously George Washington. What about the man on the right? Who is he? Is he Washington's "servant" or someone of the like? Not exactly. The man on the right is James Armistead (Lafeyette). He was a slave who served in the Continental Army, led by Maruis de Laffayette (French Military Officer). Armistead fed bad intelligence to to Lord (General) Cornwallis and General Benedict Arnold, who Armistead informed them that he was a runaway slave. Many consider him our firs Double Agent. His intelligence information that he gave to other US Spies was crucial in the Battle of Yorktown. Lord Cornwallis would eventually surrender. 

                                         Ok. So here's my dinner for Independence Day. From where the fork is stuck (going clockwise). Mac & cheese. My cousin made this. He did use a medium sharp cheddar and I thought it was very good. The prep is probably not much different that what you might do yourselves. He wasn't pleased with the outcome and then again, the cook is often the most critical of what they made. Mom made some baked beans. I REALLY was hoping to make them but time didn't allow me to. You can see the potato salad, which my cousin brought with him. Although store bought, it got the job done. My parents did the chicken and ribs (next to the potato salad). My Mom gave my Dad an electric smoker so they did the chicken on that. The ribs were done on the Weber kettle grill. He tends to play with spices a bit (as do I). So I know he used Kosher salt, black pepper, some cayenne (more for some color) I can say for sure. Remember to pull the membrane off the back of the ribs. He normally does 4-5 racks/session at about 3-4 hours for each session. You can see the spaghetti tucked in their as well. There was no meat but with all the meat we had on hand, it's wasn't needed. Finally, you can see the grilled hot dog. We have a flat surface which we cook certain items on. I think I'll need to do a tools post soon. It may provide some further insight on how I, along with my family, use our grills.   

  

So I visited the local Ribfest a couple of days later (as I usually do). I go to them really more for some inspiration more than the eating (although the latter never hurts). So this is the winner of the Best Ribs (overall and Kid's selection). Over the years, I've really enjoyed their food. The sauce you see here is legit. VERY spicy. A chilehead's dream.  The burn is immediate. I think I go some side pieces this time arounf

Now this caught my attention. Notice the mac & cheese? This is the first year the vendors (some of them anyway) sold that. This version was a touch smokey but good. I think the cheese was a mild cheddar but wasn't sure. The shake up was non-alcoholic but very good, made from oranges and lime. I'll need to make this one day. This could make a great mix with a tea. 

I figured since I mentioned the importance of freedom and what this holiday means. I figured this song would be a good way to drive that point home. This version was done just after the 9-11 attacks. I've heard a few versions of this song but this was pretty moving. It was on October 28. 2001. Game 2 of the MLB World Series, which featured Arizona Diamondbacks playing host to the New York Yankees. The song, the soldiers draping the outfield with a giant American flag & the closing Air Force flyover was quite moving. At a time when people felt low, see quickly a song can lift the spirit. Ray Charles really let his heart flow. Although he sang the song many times over the years, how appropriate was him to be there in that moment. God Bless America!!!

Works cited:
1. Taken from http://www.theholidayspot.com/july4/poems.htm

2. Taken from:  http://academicmuseum.lafayette.edu/special/specialexhibits/slaveryexhibit/onlineexhibit/james.htm

3. Taken from http://www.metrolyrics.com/america-the-beautiful-lyrics-ray-charles.html

Mother's Day Lobster: Revisited

Mother's Day. What a nice day. A chance to let Mom have a day that is specially for her. This is pretty similar to what I did before but there were subtle changes this time around. I really enjoy making dinner for my parents (when I can). Here's the journey of a road I've traveled once before.

I call the the "Bend Test" for asparagus. Now before I go any further, this particular spear is one that founds its way into the dishwater. So needless to say, that piece was the sacrificial lamb. If you're wondering where you should cut the asparagus, I have your solution. As a rule, I generally cut 2" to 3" from the bottom and one I'd call safe (those end pieces won't cook since they're too hard). The "Bend Test" is what it implies. Take the spear, holding it from the bottom, and try to bend it (I bend against the counter top). Wherever it snaps, that's where you can cut it and give you a guide on where to cut the rest.  This has worked for me and serves as a reference point. 

As usual, asparagus. I chopped about 2" off on the average. I got a little ambitious today. My Dad and I were grilling steaks (filet mignon, which are seen below). I began cooking these as I normally do, in some boiling water but only did it for about 6 minutes (versus the normal 10 minutes). Then I kept it simple, adding salt, pepper and grape seed oil. After doing that, I took them outside to the grill and finished them there, cooking them for about 3 minutes. The result was good. 

These are the steaks Dad and I did on the grill. I put the bigger pieces on direct heat for about  8-10 minutes per side. The smaller piece was done not quite as direct (just off the coals) for fear of overcooking it. I prefer my steaks medium rare but can live with medium. My Dad marinated them overnight. So before grilling, I placed the meat at room temperature for about 30 minutes. I patted the marinate the meat dry with a paper towel once the meat reached room temperature. I've noticed that since I do that, my steaks have turned out much better. They seem to cook more evenly. 

Now above are the grilled asparagus I finished on the grill. Cooked fork tender and didn't overcook them. I was VERY happy with how they turned out.  Now you notice the sausage? That's andouille sausage I bought locally. Now even though I live in the Chicago area, the place I got them from is legit. They were just as good as some of the mail order sausage I've bought. My folks, who ate fresh andouille in New Orleans, they liked it very much as well. I figured since I had the grill out, I would cook them. I'm deciding on what dish I'll make with it and probably decide over the next couple of days.

Here is the lobster. On the left is the uncooked, thawed version. Since I'm allergic, Dad did this part. The place he gets them from arrive in the morning and chances are, sold out by the end of the day (between retail and restaurant customers). If you click the picture, you'll notice that the meat is absolutely flawless. the raw version has no spots, blemishes or discoloring. The reputable sellers do not tamper with them at all (e.g., solutions, phosphates, etc). This is a cold water lobster tail. As I understand, cold water lobsters tend to be much sweeter in taste. Unlike warm water lobster, they also don't have a "fishy" taste. They're also more expensive but you do get what you pay for. On the right is the finished version. The result of cooking at 375 degrees F (or 190 degrees C) for about 30 minutes. My Dad kept it simple as it relates to seasoning, using only salt, pepper and accent. 

After some hard work, the finished product! My Mom's special Mother's Day dinner is complete. Here is the lobster, all 1.6 lbs of it (served with mashed potatoes and asparagus). Dad & I had steak off the grill (see below). I added sour cream on my potatoes. I got two pieces of meat (which I ate one later), Dad ate one and decided to give the last piece of steak to my Uncle (his brother; my grandmother and he live in the same town). 

My Dad knocked it out of the part with the lobster. He normally goes to one of the best places to get the top seafood. He'll buy these 2 to 3 times each year and this is one of those times. She prefers staying in and having what she wants instead of going out someplace and possibly having the meal messed up. That's before adding the melee of the crowds, and overlapped or completely wrong reservations. I still have my Mom as well as both grandmothers (ages 92 and 96 respectively). My parents insisted that I learn how to cook and I did at a young age. I'm glad they did because I'm amazed how many PEOPLE (MALE and FEMALE) that can't do it. I understand and appreciate having them in my life because many I know aren't so lucky. What a lucky man I am. Saying thank you to my Mom wouldn't scratch the surface. 

Taken from http://logos.co/1024/royalty-free-lobster-chef-logo-by-seamartini-graphics-4628.jpg