My favorite Thanksgiving recipes

It’s been a very, very long time since I shared with you a proper Thanksgiving menu.  Ok, so maybe I’ve never given you a proper Thanksgiving list of delicious dishes.  That’s because I’m usually not the one in charge of hosting the feast because Adrian and I join our US family Tom and Louise for a great party every year.  In return, I’m responsible for some of the appetizers, side dishes and desserts.  And I have lots to choose from.  

 

Since we moved to Pittsburgh almost six years ago, I’ve only hosted Thanksgiving once.  And it was a small party comprised of three people, Adrian, our good friend Claude and me – three international friends celebrating Thanksgiving (a holiday non-existent in our countries) in Pittsburgh.  But it was so worth it!  

I did not commit to making a whole bird and opted instead for this seriously tasty Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast from Barefoot Contessa.  It was a hit that I replicated over and over again for regular dinners that I wanted to tweak into something special.  So, if you’re not cooking for a small army, this recipe will definitely do the trick and satisfy your guests.  In fact, I went with two boneless and skinless turkey breasts tied up (I had the butcher truss the turkey breasts with kitchen twine) and smeared with a heady paste.  As you’ll see, it’s the same spectacular rub that I use for this other outrageously delicious Herb-Roasted Pork Loin recipe.  Don’t you just love versatility?  And by the way, you should give this pork loin dish a whirl for Christmas.  You won’t be disappointed!

Now, without further ado, here are some of my go-to recipes for the upcoming Thanksgiving feast:

Beverages 

Besides the store-bought wine and beer, this homemade Hot Mulled Wine is a great festive addition to the Thanksgiving menu and all throughout winter.  For something more celebratory, this bubbly Prosecco with Berry Ice Cubes is the way to go, while for a non-alcoholic option, this fizzy Ginger Tea Lemonade is a crowd-pleaser.

Appetizers 

In terms of appetizers, I like to go with something light, to still leave room for the main course, yet fancy.  This elegant Vegetarian Bruschetta is a nice sweet and savory combination, while the Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates with Prosciutto and Sweet and Spicy Roasted Nuts are guaranteed to vanish in the blink of an eye.   

Sides

Since I’m not cooking the big bird (or the stuffing), I love to add to the sides spread.  In the past, my contribution to the Thanksgiving table featured this flavorful Baked Cauliflower with Pork and Béchamel Sauce that always got me rave reviews.  I also love these rich Mashed Potatoes with Cheddar Cheese and Mixed Herbs or these flavor-packed Baked Potatoes with Garlic and Fresh Herbs, which are similar to a potato gratin without the cream and heaviness. 

Although this Cucumber Salad is without a doubt a summer recipe, it’s a refreshing addition to the Thanksgiving meal.  Good thing cucumbers are available year round. 

When it comes to vegetables, I usually opt for this smooth Creamed Corn and my grandma’s Sweet Green Peas.  

And I can never omit my favorite Cranberry-Orange Sauce.  

If you want to give a twist to your traditional dinner rolls, try these airy Popovers; they’re a brilliant alternative.   

Desserts

When it comes to desserts, I feel that the possibilities are endless.  Although pumpkin pie is probably supposed to be front and center, I sometimes like a tasteful change-up and this Pumpkin Tiramisu is an epic choice.  

Additionally, who said that sweet potatoes are only supposed to be a meek side dish?  This amazing Maple Sweet Potato Cake proves how sweet potatoes can be a sublime ingredient in desserts as well. 

Years ago, I saw Giada bake this extra-special Spiced Apple-Walnut Cake for a casual family Thanksgiving dinner.  If you’re an apple lover, this glorious Apple Sharlotka might become a regular on your holiday table.  

And if you feel particularly adventurous and up for a chocolatey challenge, this stunning Chocolate Cake with Walnut Brittle is a showstopper.  

For something more tamed yet equally luxurious, try this silky Chocolate Tart.  Put some twists on your desserts this Thanksgiving; it pays off to be different!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone and Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

Pumpkin Tiramisu

I was born in Arad, a fairly large city for Romanian standards located on the Hungarian border in the western part of Transylvania.  As I mentioned before in this blog, the German, Austrian and Hungarian influences are strikingly visible everywhere in my city from the grand architecture to the rich and flavorful food.  But recently, a thick tide of Italian interests, businesses and investors added a new dimension to the food scene of my humble hometown with Italian restaurants springing up like mushrooms after rain.  In no time, Romanians happily embraced the new cuisine with many local owners striving to keep it as authentic as possible with just the right amount of Romanian touch.  My parents were no exception and for several years, they owned the most popular Italian restaurant in town, Il Padrino. 

Il Padrino, a very suitable name for the two story restaurant, was a place that screamed Italian flair from the dark green linens and deep brown wooden chairs to the intrinsic movie-based artwork displayed all over the white walls, and the faithful, real Italian patrons that would mob to the restaurant every time they came to town.  The locale had an extensive menu that incorporated homemade pasta dishes, thin crust wood oven pizza, mouthwatering meat plates and antipasti, fresh salads, and delicious Romanian offerings interjected through the menu to satisfy the demanding local palette.  But what would please any palette, Romanian and Italian alike, would be the ever-present tiramisu.  This iconic coffee-flavored Italian dessert would always do the trick.    

Leafing through this month’s Food & Wine issue, I came across a very intriguing tiramisu recipe that brilliantly incorporates the season’s most valued ingredient.  Curiosity won out and I had to try it.  So glad I did!  The Pumpkin Tiramisu is everything a classic tiramisu should be plus the added bonus of the pumpkin.  The layers of coffee-soaked ladyfingers and smooth pumpkin-spiced mousse topped with sweet whipped cream, a dust of cocoa powder, shaved chocolate and peppery candied ginger meld in a beautiful carnival of autumn flavors.  Although this Pumpkin Tiramisu is intended to be a fancy trifle dessert, if you’re like me and don’t own a proper trifle dish and don’t entertain the thought of buying one, I can fully attest that the end result looks beautiful and is just as wonderfully tasty in a plain cake pan.  I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving!      

      

Pumpkin Tiramisu

Adapted from Food & Wine (November 2014)

Makes:  12 servings

Ingredients:

·         1 15-oz. can pumpkin puree

·         ½ cup light brown sugar

·         ¾ teaspoon ground ginger

·         ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

·         Pinch of ground nutmeg

·         ¾ cup granulated sugar

·         1 ½ cups mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

·         2 ½ cups heavy cream

·         2 cups brewed coffee, cooled

·         2 7-oz. packages dry ladyfingers

·         Cocoa powder, chocolate shavings and candied ginger, for garnish

Instructions:

In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree with the brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and ½ cup of the granulated sugar.  Add the mascarpone cheese and 1 ½ cups of the heavy cream.  Using an electric mixer, beat the pumpkin mixture at medium speed until soft peaks form; do not overbeat.  

In a medium bowl, whisk the brewed coffee with 2 Tablespoons of the granulated sugar until it’s dissolved.  Dip both sides of the ladyfingers in the coffee and arrange them flat, one by one, in a single layer in the bottom of a 14 by 10-inch baking pan.  Spread half of the pumpkin mousse on top.  Layer the remaining ladyfingers over the pumpkin mousse.  Spread the remaining pumpkin mousse on top.  Cover and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight. 

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1 cup of cream with the remaining 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar until soft peaks form.  Spread the whipped cream over the tiramisu, dust with cocoa powder, garnish with shaved chocolate and candied ginger and serve.

Note:  If you have a trifle dish and intend to use it, this is how you adjust the recipe.  Follow the instructions up to dissolving the 2 Tablespoons of sugar in the brewed coffee.  Then, dip both sides of 6 ladyfingers in the coffee and arrange them in a single layer in a 4-quart trifle dish.  Spread 1 cup of the pumpkin mousse on top.  Repeat the layering 5 more times, ending with a layer of the pumpkin mousse.  Cover and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight.  Once you’ve prepared the whipped cream, dollop the whipped cream over the tiramisu, dust with cocoa powder and garnish with shaved chocolate and candied ginger and serve.  I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving!      

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

Apple Sharlotka

With all the culinary influences that Romania has been blessed with, you would surely think that we would be well acquainted with the popular Russian Apple Sharlotka cake.  Well, not so much, or at least my family isn’t.  Granted, my grandmother has her own arsenal of apple pies and apple tortes to keep our greedy tummies satisfied.  So, until stumbling across this recipe for Apple Sharlotka in the November issue of Food & Wine, I had never heard of this kind of sweet delight.  But I can’t tell you how happy I am to have finally discovered it. 

The Apple Sharlotka is a traditional Russian apple cake-torte-pie-all-in-one kind of dessert.  In fact, I personally find it to be vaguely similar to the Vanilla Pudding Apple Torte that my grandmother spoils us with especially during the apple season; just as few if not fewer ingredients and no need for the glossy vanilla pudding draped all over the cake.  The top is delectably flaky, crusty and thoroughly dusted with powdered sugar, while beneath it the cake is light and fluffy, not too sweet and spiced with just the right amount of cinnamon, nutmeg and almond extract to create a heady, appetizing spectacle of flavors.  And at the bottom, you are greeted by a healthy layer of tart juicy and soft apples.  It’ll be hard devouring only one slice and most likely, you’ll end up making this treat again and again. 

Beside the fact that this cake is ridiculously easy to whip up, it’s very likely that you already have all the ingredients in your pantry and you don’t have to hastily scramble to the supermarket to fill up the basket.  On top of that, the sharlotka goes perfectly with tea or coffee, and makes for a quick and glorious breakfast or afternoon guilt-free snack.  I know that we’re in the midst of pumpkin frenzy and I should probably switch my attention to this autumn staple fairly soon, but right now I just prefer to indulge in the apple season and this apple sharlotka a tad longer.  Happy Halloween everyone!  

Apple Sharlotka

Adapted from Food & Wine (November 2014)

Makes: one 9-inch tart

Ingredients:

·         4 Granny Smith or any firm, tart apples; I used Honey Crisp apples – peeled, cored, quartered and thinly sliced

·         1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice, from half a lemon

·         1 cup sugar

·         ¾ cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

·         ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

·         Pinch of kosher salt

·         3 large eggs, at room temperature

·         ½ teaspoon pure almond extract (or pure vanilla extract)

·         Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350º F.  Grease the bottom and side of an 8 or 9-inch springform pan.

In a large bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice and 2 Tablespoons of the sugar and let stand for 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the flour with the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the almond extract and the remaining ¾ cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar at medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow and a ribbon forms when the beaters are lifted, about 8 to 10 minutes.  In two batches, gently fold in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  

Spread the apples in the prepared pan in an even layer, then pour the batter evenly over them.  Let stand for 5 minutes to allow the batter to sink in a little.

Bake the sharlotka for about 55 to 60 minutes, until it is golden and crisp on top and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  Transfer to a rack and let rest for 15 minutes.  Unmold and transfer to a serving platter.  Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve warm.  

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

Viennese Iced Coffee

I started 2013 with a restaurant review.  And I almost went the same route this year but eventually decided against it and instead opted for a cold, frothy drink.  Oddly enough, I keep craving icy treats in cold weather when that should normally happen in scorching temperatures.  But what could be better than coffee and ice cream paired together in one wicked frozen drink?  

 

On a cold, snowy afternoon, we were watching this brilliant yet deeply sad French drama ("Three Colors: Blue" – a must-see especially if you’re a fan of French cinema or foreign films in general) with our friends Gretchen and Joel.  At one point in the movie, the main character goes into a coffee shop and orders “her usual” – coffee and ice cream.  In a nutshell, it was a small cup of coffee that the woman ever so slowly pours over the side of ice cream; but that was all I needed – I was instantly thirsty for Viennese Iced Coffee!  The very next day, in arctic temperatures, I went and bought a huge container of ice cream (yes, I’m one of those peculiar people who don’t have any ice cream in the freezer because I could devour it by the ladle) and whipped up Viennese Iced Coffee, a really tasty frozen coffee beverage very popular in Viennese coffee shops that I haven’t sipped in an extremely long time!

I may or may not have mentioned that I’m a voracious coffee drinker!  In the morning, I usually go for a double espresso if I’m in the vicinity of a Starbucks or the dark and intensely smoky French Roast coffee when I’m at home.  Needless to say, I love coffee in desserts.  This particular Viennese Iced Coffee recipe has the best of both worlds.  It’s a dessert type of drink with very strong coffee and ice cream, which adds a delightful sweetness and vanilla-infused creaminess.  Not to mention that this cold drink is the perfect afternoon sweet treat that will give you the right amount of caffeine to power through the rest of your day.  And if you’re in the mood for happy hour, adding a splash of Amaretto or Irish Cream would work wonders.  Cheers!   

Viennese Iced Coffee

Adapted slightly from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof by Ina Garten 

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

·         6 (1-ounce) shots of espresso or 6 ounces strong coffee, regular or decaf

·         3 Tablespoons sugar

·         1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

·         ¼ cup hot water

·         2 cups ice

·         4 scoops vanilla or coffee ice cream

·         Unsweetened cocoa powder or bittersweet chocolate shavings

·         Straws, for serving

Instructions:

Combine the coffee, sugar, vanilla extract, and hot water in a blender and stir until the sugar dissolves.  Put the ice in the blender and process on high until the mixture is almost completely smooth.  Divide the mixture between 4 glasses.  

Scoop one ball of ice cream into each glass.  Using a small sifter, sprinkle each drink lightly with cocoa powder or decorate with a few chocolate shavings.  Serve with a straw and a teaspoon.   

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)