Thanksgiving on a shoestring

Enjoy the holiday

During this time when most of us are cutting back on our spending and trying to find ways to beat the economic slump, entertaining family and friends may be quite a challenge, especially during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Americans love to eat. Some wait all year for that one day they can "pig out" and feel okay about it. Everyone stuffs themselves with all manner of food and drink on Thanksgiving. It's been a tradition since the pilgrims sat down with the Indians for the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth in 1621.

Keeping the cost down

Even if you are out of work, on employment or temporarily living with your parents, it is still possible to create an incredible Thanksgiving dinner if you give it some thought. The secret is in the planning and in doing most of the work yourself. Rather than rushing out and buying up expensive bags of ready made dressing, cans of cranberry sauce and canned gravy, you might want to consider making these things from scratch. It is much cheaper and, in most cases costs less and tastes better.

Planning your dinner

You first have to decide whether or not you can afford to buy a turkey. That might depend on the size of your family and the amount of money you have to spend. Turkeys are more expensive than chicken or other fowl and are usually quite large, so you might consider buying a chicken instead or Cornish game hens, if you're cooking for a smaller group. Chicken goes just as well with all the thanksgiving trappings. However, if you absolutely have to have a turkey, remember that if you buy one a little bigger than what you'll need for the big day, you can have at least three meals out of it by making wonderful dishes with the left overs.

Food and Drink

After the meat, probably the easiest and least expensive dishes to include in your meal are potatoes (white or sweet), vegetables, dinner rolls, and pumpkin pie. The first two items will probably be on sale at your grocer during the season. Vegetables vary is cost from inexpensive green beans, corn, and broccoli and zucchini to more expensive mushrooms, artichokes and asparagus. A big cost saver would be to make your own dinner rolls or biscuits and pie, as well as the cranberry sauce, the dressing, and the gravy. They really are not difficult to make and you can actually have fun doing it, if you allow enough time. Figure your schedule out ahead of time and make some of your food and drink items the day before.

While the kids most likely will drink milk, and some of the adults too, for something a little more festive, you might try a cranberry punch (http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/1801/Cranberry-Punch75550.shtml) or serve a lovely white wine with your turkey. Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio all go well with turkey , as does Pouilly Fuisse (which is a little more expensive, but might be an interesting choice if you are a guest and want to bring something special to the host or hostess). And, of course after the main meal, lots of delicious strong coffee to keep everyone from falling asleep from the tryptophan in the turkey.

Making a fabulous pie

If you don't like pumpkin, apple pie goes well with this type of meal. And if you have children, they really enjoy helping in the kitchen and can be assigned various jobs to help you out. Making pie crust seems to strike terror in the hearts of many cooks. So, buying them ready made has become common place. However, they are more expensive than homemade and, in most cases don't taste as good. For those of you who are adventurous, here is a video with exact instructions. Once you have your crusts made, you can decide whether you prefer pumpkin pie or apple.

Recipes: Pie crust (video), Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie

And for something very special

Fabulous Pumpkin Cheesecake

 
Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham crumbs
5 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. sugar


Filling:
3- 8oz.pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
Whipped Cream


Instructions:

Mix crust ingredients together, just till coated and crumbly. Press onto the bottom and 2/3 up the sides of an 8" springform pan. Bake for 5 min. at 350. Set aside.

Combine cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl, mix until smooth with an electric mixer. add pumpkin eggs, and spices, beat till smooth and creamy. Pour into the crust. Bake for 60-70 min. or till the top turns a bit darker. Remove from oven and allow to come to room temperature, then refrigerate. After it has thoroughly chilled, remove the pan sides and cut. Serve with whipped cream.

Happy Thanksgiving!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider making a comment

Best hotel is in Louisville

Such a Lovely Place, Such a Lovely Place ...

There are well over 45,000 hotels in America, so when 21c Museum Hotel won Conde Nast Traveler’s “Best Hotel in the U.S.” last year (and sixth best in the world), people took notice. After all, what are the odds the very finest hotel in the country would be in Louisville — rather than one of those huge, impressive, and prestigious cities like New York City or LA? (OK, statistically they’d be less than one-in-45,000, but you know what we mean.)

Anyway, the point is, locally owned and operated 21c beat them all. Louisville was home to the best hotel in the world for a whole year. Or Was It?

Today we got some startling news. 21c wasn’t the best hotel in 2009. It was the best hotel in 2009 AND 2010 — because it won again. This back-to-back triumph is a testament to the standards 21c has set since it opened its doors. It’s also another example of how, with hard work, imagination, and teamwork, it’s possible to accomplish just about anything in Louisville.

This Just In. Seriously: This morning Businessweek just released the winner of an NCAA-style battle for a lifestyle lodging national champion. One guess for who won. Click here for the whole story.

Bragging Isn’t Wrong. It’s Fun. If you want to congratulate the folks at 21c, or just bask in and share the universal attention, you can visit 21c’s Facebook page, follow them on Twitter, or check out some videos on YouTube. Or, if you know anyone in New York City or LA . . . why, you can just forward them this hugely impressive and prestigious email.

But Wait, There's One More Thing . . .As a special treat for Friends of Lou, 21c is offering special super-sweet rates on Thursdays and Sundays. Call 502.217.6300 and mention "LOU" to have your own 21c experience.*

If you enjoyed this post, please consider making a comment

Orangy Chicken Salad

I'm trying to watch my diet. I was doing fine over the summer. But every year when Fall approaches I start putting on the pounds again. Guess my body's getting ready for the long, hard winter. Anyhow, I've been looking for good fruit and veggie dishes and this one looks like a keeper. I haven't tried it out yet, but I'll let you know how it is. It looks delicious, but sometimes looks are deceiving. If it's not good, I'll take the video off my site immediately. Fair enough? OK, here it is. Just click on the picture.

Recipe

Ingredients

5 oz. fresh baby spinach

1/2 sliced cucumber

1/2 sliced sweet onion

2 sliced Navel oranges

2 grilled chicken breasts

1/2 C.soy milk

1/4 C. toasted sesame oil

1/4 C. canola oil

3 TBL. rice vinegar

2 TBL white miso paste

2 TBL. fresh chopped ginger

1 TBL. honey

Instructions

Place fresh vegetables into a large salad bowl.

Add grilled chicken slices.

Process dressing ingredients in blender

Add to vegetables and combine.

Ladle salad onto individual plates.

Enjoy!

(serves four)

The dressing in this recipe is creamy in texture and rich in flavor, but there isn't a drop of dairy in it. Made with miso and soy milk, this dressing tastes like what you would find in a restaurant. Use it for Asian salads with chicken, shrimp, or steak; try it as a dip for crudites or as a sauce for seared salmon.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider making a comment

Unbeetable Chocolate Cake

You will not believe that beets give this delicious chocolate cake its luscious, moist texture. We made ours in a Bundt® Pan, but you can also make this cake in a tube or rectangular baking pan.

Get your family to guess the secret ingredient in this tasty chocolate cake. When they give up, tell them it’s made with beets, a naturally sweet fall root vegetable. As a bonus, it’s a great way to sneak in a nutritional boost for picky eaters in the family, since beets are a good source of vitamin C, beta carotene and folate. Plus, if you're using fresh beets to make the purée, save the beet greens; they can be washed and sautéed like spinach.

Total Time : 1 hour 10 minutes to 2 hours 40 minutes (depending on whether you use fresh-cooked beets or canned)

Prep Time : 20-95 minutes

Bake Time : 40-50 minutes

Cool Time : 10-15 minutes

Servings : Serves 10-12

Ingredients

1 stick (1/2 cup) plus 1 Tablespoon butter, softened

1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder

1 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups puréed beets (see chef's note)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Chocolate Glaze (Optional)

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 Tablespoons honey

1 Tablespoon butter

1/4 cup low-fat milk

Directions

Make sure the oven rack is positioned in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small microwavable bowl, melt 1 Tablespoon of butter in the microwave on low power. When butter is melted, stir 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder into the butter. Use a pastry brush to apply a thin coat of the butter-cocoa powder mixture to the inside of a Bundt® pan (10-cup maximum capacity) and then set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the remaining 1 stick of softened butter, the sugar and the honey. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the puréed beets and mix well. Place 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high power for about 1 minute. Stir the chocolate chips and microwave for another 30 seconds or until chips are completely melted. Allow the melted chocolate to cool slightly before adding to the mixture in the large mixing bowl (from Step 3). Add the vanilla extract. Mix well.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, the remaining 1/2 cup cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Stir to combine. Add the dry ingredients gradually to the chocolate mixture from Step 4 and mix well. The batter should be smooth and thick. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of unmelted chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt® pan and place the pan in the preheated oven on the middle rack. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.

To remove the cake from the pan, place another cooling rack on top of the cake pan and, using oven mitts, flip the cake pan upside down and gently shake or tap it until the cake comes out onto the second rack. If the cake seems stuck, turn it back over and carefully run a thin rubber or silicone spatula between the edge of the cake and the pan. Then turn it over again onto the second cooling rack.

Dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar when cool.

Variations

Instead of sprinkling the cake with confectioners’ sugar, make a chocolate glaze. To make the glaze, combine the chocolate chips, honey and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second increments at full power, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted. Let cool slightly and then gradually stir in the milk. Place the cooled cake on a serving platter and spoon the glaze over the cake. Place the cake in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or until the glaze hardens slightly.

chef's notes

Don't skip the instructions for coating the pan with the butter-cocoa mixture; it will keep the cake from sticking to the pan.

To make the 1 1/2 cups of puréed beets, use 5 fresh beets (small to medium in size) or 2 cans (14 oz. each), drained. If starting with fresh beets, trim greens, roots and stems from the beets and rinse the beets. Place beets in a pot of boiling water, cover and simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on size, until the beets are tender when pierced with a knife. Let the beets cool (or run them under cold water) until they're still warm but comfortable enough to handle. Then use a paper towel to rub away the skin. Cut the cooked beets or canned beets (drained) into small chunks and purée them in a blender or a food processor until smooth.

Use any leftover beet purée to make a sauce for pork or chicken by simmering it with sautéed onions, vinegar and fresh herbs.

If you don't have a Bundt® pan, you can make this in a regular tube pan or as a sheet cake in a 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Prepare the pan and the recipe as directed and bake at 375 degrees F for 40 to 50 minutes.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider making a comment

The rebirth of Market Street, in Louisville, Kentucky

In downtown Louisville Kentucky, just a few blocks south of the Ohio River, is Market Street. Lined with turn of the century historic buildings, Market Street is undergoing what promises to be a rebirth comparable to any other historic city in the United States. The target area on Market for this incredible renaissance is the area east of 3rd street, all the way to Baxter.

In the 1980s, most of the buildings in this area were left vacant and in disrepair and the city was ready to tear them down. But, fortunately, Barbara Smith, a business women with uncanny vision bought up 12 of them and began renovating them. In the 1990s, she started selling them one by one to artists to be used as work spaces, galleries, and homes. Finally a couple of restaurants moved in and these, along with Joe Ley's Antiques and Muth's Candies started the movement towards a real "Gallery district".

Soon after this, a Trolley Hop was started which brought visitors into the area on one of Louisville's charming historic trolleys the first Friday of each month. The trolley hop is still a popular attraction. Visitors from all over the country love to come into Louisville over the week end just to enjoy the trolley hop. If you'r looking for a fun getaway for this summer or fall, look no further. Call us at the Aleksander House for accommodations and futher information



If you enjoyed this post, please consider making a comment

Great things to do with bread crumbs

Bread crumbs have been around our kitchens for a long long time. I remember my mom dredging just about everything in bread crumbs, after dipping it in an egg and milk or cream mixture. It always made the outside of every piece of meat crusty and delicious. Lots of Italian dishes call for breadcrumbs, like veal and eggplant Parmesan. I also remember my mom making Potatoes Au Gratin with bread crumbs all over the top. It was so good.

Recently, I found a great video which uses bread crumbs three different ways. I thought the one with Broccoli was really interesting. Chefs nowadays suggest making your own bread crumbs and, I have to admit, they are a lot better and more flavorful than the ones we used to shake out of those little boxes.

Here's an easy recipe for bread crumbs. You can add whatever else you would like to add to the flavor:

Ingredients: Italian bread (enough to make 2 cups of 1/2 in. cubes), 2 T butter, 1 T olive, 1 T minced garlic, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
Directions: Cube the bread and process it until coarse bread crumbs form. Melt butter on med. heat in skillet. Add bread crumbs and cook 7-8 minutes, until golden brown. Remove frpm pan. Add olive oil, minced garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook 3 minutes. Add bread crumbs and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat and cool. Add salt, ground pepper and your choice of herbs (oregano, thyme, basil).

Click on picture to see the video:



If you enjoyed this post, please consider making a comment

Summer outdoor cooking: Grilling corn and making iced tea

I found a great video this morning on how to grill corn so that it is cooked to perfection. I love fresh corn and it is so good when it's cooked on an open grill. With a salad and a serving of grilled Teriaki chicken, you have  an easy, healthy summer meal. Eaten outside on the deck or patio, it's even better.

Delicious grilled corn with a wonderful flavored butter 

*Note: Don't forget to make a big frosty pitcher of iced tea, the perfect drink to compliment your dinner.

Iced Tea
Ingredients
6 tea bags
1 quart boiling water
Directions
Place tea bags in a heatproof pitcher or glass measure. Add boiling water. Let steep 3 to 5 minutes; remove tea bags. Use immediately, or cool at room temperature about 2 hours. (After cooling, store in refrigerator. Don't chill quickly or tea will cloud.) Serve over ice. Sweeten as desired. Makes 5 servings.

Serve the pitcher of tea with a simple syrup (2 cups of sugar dissolved in 1 cup of water), so everyone can adjust sweetness to personal preference. If desired, add a hint of flavor by adding fresh mint leaves.

Sweet tea
Ingredients
2 quarts water
4 tea bags
1 cup sugar
 ice
lemon slices (optional)
Directions
Bring 2 quarts of cold water to a boil. Pour boiling water over 4 tea bags in a glass pitcher (the ratio of tea bags to quarts of water is 2:1). Steep for about 5 minutes. Remove bags, and let the tea cool to room temperature. Add 1 cup of sugar to the pitcher and stir until dissolved. If desired, add 4 slices of lemon. Refrigerate Add enough ice cubes to bring level back up to 2 quarts.

Citrus Iced Tea
Ingredients
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar, or to taste
3 1/2 cups strong brewed tea

Directions
Stir together lemon juice and sugar in a pitcher until the sugar dissolves. Stir in tea; chill.