Elections, Carrot-Cardamom Bread and a Thanksgiving Survey
ELECTIONS
Happy Election Day to all you U.S. voters out there! Don't forget to vote! I mailed in my ballot about a month ago, so tonight's outcome is a long time in coming for me.
CARROT-CARDAMOM BREAD
Need an elegant accompaniment to 4:00 tea? Well, here’s just the thing, Carrot Cardamom Bread. With carrots, wheat bran and eggs, this tasty treat is almost healthy for you (nevermind the ¾ cup of vegetable oil). At least it's healthier than this pretty carrot cake.
¾ cup vegetable oil (or a combo of oil and applesauce totaling 3/4 cups)
1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup grated raw carrots
1-½ cups sifted flour
½ cup wheat bran (not a brand of cereal, just bran that you’d find in a health-food store)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 325F In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sugar and oil then add the eggs. Mix vigorously, then add the grated carrots and combine. In another mixing bowl, place the flour, bran, baking soda, baking powder, cardamom, pepper and salt. Music to mix dry ingredients by: “Lost in a Supermarket” by my favorite punk band of all time, The Clash. Whisk together and then add to the wet ingredients in thirds. Grease and flour a 9”x5”x3” loaf pan , the pour in the batter. Bake for 1 hour or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy with your afternoon tea. And remember, pinkie up!
THANKSGIVING SURVEY
Ok, here's my problem. I want to make something new this Thanksgiving, having done a turkey roulade (double-butterflied turkey breast rolled over its stuffing and wrapped in pancetta) last year. Gabriel has informed me that he really doesn't like turkey because it's too dry. He'd prefer goose. He did however enjoy last year's pancetta-wrapped turkey since the pancetta kept the bird moist.
So, I'm floating among 3 options:
1) Make the same turkey dish as last year (a little boring to do the same thing).
2) Make goose for Thanksgiving (does that seem sacriligious to you?) or
3) Invent a really moist turkey dish (haven't a clue what that might be).
Any thoughts? Anyone?
posted by Susan in Italy @ 7:55 PM
13 Comments:
Invent, invent!!!! I think the pancetta wrapped turkey sounds good though. Maybe you should repeat that. I haven't tried goose before so I can't be of any help with that.
I had a roomie in college who made the turkey by putting it in one of those turkey bags, and putting champagne in the bag as well. I don't know what else he did, but it was brown and tasty and moist. Mmmmm.
Have you ever tried replacing oil in baking recipes with apple sauce? Supposed to keep it moist and yummy, and you can't tell the difference. I haven't tried it yet, though, so I'm not sure.
Some people like goose... some don't. Just remember that its not turkey. It may somewhat resemble a turkey shape, and you use the same cooking method, but its NOT TURKEY. Strong flavor.
I understand those that say they don't like turkey for its dryness, that is what I grew up with. If they actually like the flavor, but not the dryness (which comes from overcooking it), I highly highly suggest brining. You'd really have to overcook that bird to get a brined turkey to go dry.
Well since you do want to do something new this year just visit my Thanksgiving Blog. I've posted a lot useful resources and i'm sure you just might find what you're looking for. So visit soon and while you're at it don't forget to leave your thoughts!!! Have a great time!!!
i havenothing against breaking tradition, but the fact that turkey comes once a year, to me, hardly makes it boring. AND, if you make goose, you won't have any turkey bones for broth, and leftover meat for turkey broth soup with turkey meat, no turkey tacos, and certainly there will be no turkey pot pie...
i vote for turkey!
Hi Beenzzz, I think I'm going to invent.
Hi J., Hmmm... Champaigne-soaked turkey... I have actually tried applesauce as an alternative to oil and it works well if you remember to reduce the sugar since the applesauce is sweet.
Hi Cherry, Brining. Now that's an idea! How about champaigne-brined turkey? Are y'all buying it?
Hi Sean. Thanks.
Hi Tracie, Yeah, no turkey tacos and no leftovr turkey with black Oaxacan mole. Is there goose mole? Is that a thing?
Hi, Susan!
I'm going to try making the carrot- cardomom bread, it's looks much too delicious (not to mention healthy) to resist! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
About Turkey, friends of ours do it with Tandoori spices, it is such a hit with the Indian palate, but I'm OK with goose, too or even Peking Duck, like on Chinese New Year! :)
yum! carrot cardamom bread! this is something that I'd love to try. looks delicious!
good luck with the turkey dilemmas...
Oooh! Cardamom with carrot bread!!
Yum!! That's like handy Indian carrot Halwa eatable in slices! You do come up with wonderful things, Susan!!
Goose! Goose! Goose! Goose!Goose! Goose!....Why?
Because I've never cooked a goose and I'd be more than curious to see what you come up with. Plus I've already thought of a post-title, "Your goose is cooked!" {ahem}, although it has nothing to do with actually cooking one. ;-)
I'm with Gabriel - turkey is almost always too dry for my tastes. But if you are gonna go with it, I like the brining suggestion. I like Lotus's tandoori suggestion, too.
Goose sounds interesting, but it can go just the opposite way, and be a little greasy.
I think you should invent a version of turduken, like maybe a boned rabbit inside a boned duck inside a boned turkey, with a wilted greens stuffing.
Hi Lotus, Hey, tandoori turkey could be great. I DO wish I had a tandoor, though. I'd make bread in it all the time. One of these days...
Hi Jackie, Thanks!
Hi Asha, I think this is easier than carrot halwa, but sadly not as intense.
Hi Paddyscake, I'll check out Emeril's recipe.
Hi Rowena, Thanks a million for the sagra info! And I'm thinking now that cooked goose is going to have to be on the menu for hubby's birthday next month.
Hi Scott, You know, I actually thought of a turducken! Then I came to my senses. My poultry boning skills just ain't what they used to be.
hey susan! i'll leave that recipe on this post's comments so maybe someone else will grow a wild hair up their asses and try to make it.
cut a hunk of zucca (please don't ask me how much, about a 2-inch thick slice for 2 people if you want it squashy) into squares (some bigger, some smaller. this way, some will sciogliere and some will maintain a little zucca integrity).
cover the bottom of a pan (keeping in mind that youwill have to add water and pasta) with a healthy helpin of olive oil. let a couple of garlic cloves (halved) flavor the oil and become just blonde.
into the hot oil, add the cubed zucca and some salt. cover the pan and let it go for a couple of minutes.
stir it just enough to keep it from sticking and leave it alone to fry just enough to let some of if brown a little.
when you've gotten a little caramelization going (vedi tu!), add enough water to eventually cover the amount of pasta you want to cook. stir it, salt it, and let it get soft.
when the pieces are soft, add the pasta into the same pan as the zucca and if necessary, more water to cover it all by about an inch. the traditional pasta here is the pasta mista, but i love tubettini integrale. i have to eat the tubes in a secret cave where the food police can't find me, but since your guy isn't italian, you can invent as your sfizio sees fit.
cook it, stirring frequently (mi raccomando! that is, if you don't want to spend the night excavating pieces of cooked pasta from the bottom of your pan) until it's done. it should seem like a clingy, thick sauce, not a soup.
at the end, add pepperoncino if you want, fresh prezz, and a drizzle of evoo.
i hope i've been clear enough! i think you know la cucina well enough to read between the lines, but if you have any questions let me know. this dish is simple, straightforward zucca. yum
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