How things taste may not be as important as you thought.
Holiday foods represent memories more than perfect cooking. That’s the lesson learned from the readers who responded to a request for a Thanksgiving recipe swap.
They make us remember a person — an aunt or a mother — and what they contributed to the family in the form of a dish.
Enough of you shared your favorite recipes and memories that a half will run this week and the rest next week.
Three of this week’s recipes were from magazines or newspapers. It’s nice to know all that clipping did not go to waste.
Bernice “Berny” DiRobbio of North Kingstown shared her Aunt Eunice’s recipe for Cranberry Nut Bread.
“When I was young, my Aunt Eunice Agnew tried a cranberry recipe from a magazine. It was such a hit that Thanksgiving, we asked for it each year. When I got married the recipe came to me. I used it as our sharing bread each year. I gave each household two breads for them to gift to someone of their choice.
“I now have grandchildren and great grandchildren who still look for their Cranberry Nut Bread to gift out every November. I don’t think my aunt ever imagined trying a new bread from a magazine would become a family tradition.”
Just as lovely is the note from Noreen Shawcross of Wakefield that accompanied a recipe for a great side dish. It includes the hopes of a new bride to host family and friends in her home.
“The recipe has been a newspaper clipping in my file box for 50 years. I think It was either in the Providence Journal or the Hartford Courant.
“I was about to get married and envisioned having dinner parties (once I learned how to cook) and of course, being Irish, potatoes were a must.
“Since then, I’ve made it countless times. It’s a great side dish for Thanksgiving for families who do not like mashed potatoes.”
Susan Bucci of Cranston also shared a potato recipe, one her mom made every year.
“If I didn’t make them my family would boycott the holiday! My Mom, Louise Uciferro, passed away in 2001 and even my niece who never met her knows the family food connection. That’s what food does, it’s a connection through traditions and memories that can extend sometimes through generations. A few years back my sister and I made a family recipe book for our kids. This was the first recipe we included!
“These are creamy, foolproof and best of all, always a hit with your guests.”
David Spremulli of East Providence shared a dessert, Pumpkin Ricotta Cheesecake. He found the recipe in a magazine and said it was published by Supreme Dairy, the cheese company.
Jane Sweeney of Warwick sent along her recipe for Spinach Balls. It’s for an appetizer, which is always in demand for Thanksgiving. She called it “basic but a hit.”
Warwick’s Colette Recupero shared a whole meal of recipes.
“Corn Souffle with Bourbon-Molasses Butter, Butternut soup and Orange Bourbon Turkey are always a hit at our house.”
“The turkey recipe works with a full size bird, or hotel style breast, as well as a chicken.”
Happy cooking.
CRANBERRY NUT BREAD
2 cups flour, sifted
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Scant 1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
Approximately 1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup cranberries, cut in half
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Prepare standard bread loaf pan by greasing and flouring.
Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a measuring cup, combine the following in order: a little less than 1/2 cup of orange juice, the melted butter and enough milk to bring liquid measure to 3/4 cup.
Beat the egg. Add beaten egg and the liquid in the measuring cup, to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix well.
Mix Cranberries and walnuts into dough.
Place in prepared loaf pan and bake in pre-heated oven for one hour.
Shared by Bernice “Berny” DiRobbio
IRISH POTATOES LITCHFIELD
6 medium to large potatoe
Salt and pepper
Onion powder
Garlic powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 stick of butter
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Boil potatoes in their skins. Cool.
Peel potatoes and shred on a grater. (I use the shredder attachment on my Cuisinart and they come out fine.)
Butter a 2-quart or larger glass Pyrex dish.
Put in shredded potatoes in three layers, sprinkling each lightly with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.
Pour milk over potatoes, dot with small pieces of butter.
Cover with grated cheese.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour.
Note: It is easy to do a day or two ahead and foolproof.
Shared by Noreen Shawcross
MOM’S HOLIDAY MASHED POTATO CASSEROLE
5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
1 stick margarine or butter, at room temperature
8-ounces cream cheese, softened
8-ounces sour cream
½ cup grated Romano cheese
1 tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Pats of butter for topping (optional)
Peel and cut potatoes into cubes. Boil in salted water until tender. Remove from heat and drain and then mash using a potato ricer or hand masher.
Return to the same pan you cooked them in and add the rest of the ingredients. The same pan is not necessary but the heat will make the cheeses and butter soften easily. Use a spatula to mix all the ingredients together.
Place potato mixture into a buttered casserole and bake. Susan uses an 8-inch by 10-inch casserole dish. She adds a couple of pats of butter on top before cooking for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
Susan makes this the day before and refrigerates it overnight before baking. On the holiday, she brings the potatoes to room temperature. Then she bakes them at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
Shared by Susan Bucci
RICOTTA MAPLE PUMPKIN PIE
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
5 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
15-ounces cooked or canned pumpkin
2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/2 tablespoon melted butter
Dash lemon juice
Pie crust, single 10-inch shell
Sift sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Beat eggs slightly in large bowl with high speed mixer. Add milk, maple syrup, pumpkin, ricotta, melted butter, lemon juice and sifted ingredients to beaten eggs. Beat this mixture at medium speed until well blended and smooth, about 5 minutes.
Pour mixture into uncooked 10-inch pie crust.
Bake in 450 oven for 15 mins. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 50 minutes.
Serves 10.
Shared by David Spremulli from Supreme Dairy
SPINACH BALLS
2 10-ounce boxes frozen chopped spinach, drained
2 eggs
2 cups Pepperidge Farm stuffing
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Mix all ingredients together and roll into 2 inch balls. Place on a plate in the freezer for an hour.
Store in a plastic bag in the freezer until ready to bake.
When ready to bake place on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven. Cook for around 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Shared by Jane Sweeney
CORN SOUFFLE WITH MOLASSES BOURBON BUTTER
Preheat oven to 350
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
1 can (15 ¼-ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (14.75 ounces) cream-style corn
1 box, 8.5 ounces Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
Melt butter in microwave. Add cream cheese to butter and microwave until soft. Stir until well blended.
Add both corns, muffin mix and eggs; mix well.
Pour into greased 13-inch by 9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake 40 minutes or until golden brown.
MOLASSES-BOURBON BUTTER
2 ½ tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons molasses
½ teaspoon bourbon
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
Combine ingredients in small bowl and blend with a mixer on medium speed. Serve with corn soufflé.
Shared by Colette Recupero
ORANGE-BOURBON TURKEY
1 whole turkey (or turkey breast)
2 cups fresh orange juice (see notes)
1 cup water
3/4 cup bourbon, divided use
1/3 cup molasses
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
4 oranges, peeled (see notes)
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons flour
Orange slices, optional
Flat leaf parsley springs
Remove giblets and neck from turkey, discard. Rinse turkey thoroughly and pat dry.
Combine orange juice, water, 1/2 cup bourbon (or a little more) and molasses in a large brining bag. Add turkey and marinate in fridge 4-24 hours, turning occasionally. Put bag in roasting pan in case of leakage.
Remove bird from bag and reserve marinade.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt into body cavity. Stuff cavity with oranges. Place turkey on broiler pan coated with cooking spray or on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake turkey (time will vary depending on the weight of the bird). Check the wrapper or watch for the thermometer to pop up.) Cover turkey loosely with foil if it gets too brown.
Remove turkey from oven. Cover and let stand at least 10 minutes before carving. Discard oranges.
While the turkey is standing, pour the reserved marinade into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Skim foam from the mixture with a slotted spoon and discard. Reduce heat to medium; cook until reduce to 3 1/2 cups. Combine 1/4 cup bourbon and flour in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add to marinade; bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Serve sauce with turkey.
Garnish bird with orange slices and parsley sprigs.
Note; We cut 6 oranges in half, squeeze out juice for marinade, put the oranges in the marinade, and then use them (peel and all) to stuff the bird.
Shared by Colette Recupero
BUTTERNUT SQUASH, CARROT AND GINGER SOUP
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 pounds butternut squash, cut in chunks
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 piece ginger, about 3-inches long, peeled and cut into chunks
3/4 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste depending on saltiness of stock)
1 teaspoon pepper
Garnish, fresh chives or parsley
Heat butter in large Dutch oven and saute onions until they are golden, about 5 minutes.
Add stock, squash, carrots, and ginger. bring to boil, then reduce heat, cover pot and simmer for about 45 minutes.
Process soup in batches in a blender, never more than 1/2 full when processing hot liquids.
Add cream, brown sugar, nutmeg, salt and pepper. mix well.
Shared by Colette Recupero
