Pastry Tools

A little known fact of the Holiday Season is that it's also Pastry Season. That includes Cookie Season, by the way. I can't think of a better excuse than the holidays to bake pies, cakes and cookies.

Making good pastries is an art of precision. A few special pasty tools can go a long way in helping you find success.

Marble Pastry Board
Pastry doughs can be easily worked on a floured work surface of almost any kind. A marble board is ideal, though, because it helps keep the dough cool, making it easer to work with.

Pastry Brush
Used for sealing and glazing, the flat, paint brush, kind are much easier to use than the rounded varieties. Specialized ones are nice, but to be honest, I bought soft, 2 inch wide paint brush at my local hardware store, and it works great for me.

Pie Funnel
These can be fun, but aren't necessary. They sit in the middle of a pie, holding up the top crust and letting steam vent. If you want to spend the money on one, great, but you really don't need one. Cutting vent holes in the center of the crust, and perhaps a few others around the top, with a sharp knife will work just fine.

Cookie Cutters
There are so many varieties and shapes of cookie cutters, it would be hard to list them all, here. They range from simple round cutters, to pretty fluted ones, to hearts, alphabet letters, cartoon characters ... you get the idea.

Rolling Pin
A heavy wooden rolling pin, without handles, is the easiest to use, and will give good results if you know how to use it. The best way to roll pastry is to roll the whole pin under your palms, sliding your hands from the center to the edges to distribute the weight evenly. I have a large, marble rolling pin with handles, but it is a little heavy, and the handles aren't really necessary. Some people prefer a French rolling pin because the tapered ends allow you to turn the pin as you roll out the dough.

Pie Weights
Whenever you prebake a pie shell, it's best to weigh down the bottom to keep it from rising too much. Dried beans are a good alternative, but ceramic weights are heavier and will give you more consistent results.

Pastry Scraper
I love my pastry scraper. It really helps manipulate delicate pie doughs. It's an incredible tool that's uses go way beyond just pastry dough. I use mine to scoop up chopped herbs, vegetables, and just about everything else. It's also great to help me scrape up food residues on my counter and cutting boards, helping me keep everything clean.

Photo by Karen Barefoot

Baked Acorn Squash with Cornbread Stuffing

In keeping with our vegetarian Thanksgiving theme, let me suggest this wonderful alternative to the traditional stuffed turkey. Acorn squash is my favorite for this dish, but any good winter squash will do. This dish is simple, and tasty enough, that you may decide to make it more often, instead of saving it for just Thanksgiving.

Prepare the stuffing first, and let it come to room temperature, about 2 hours, before using it to fill the squash.

Equipment Needed
Baking Sheet
Aluminum Foil
Kitchen knife
Large Skillet

Ingredients
2 large acorn squash (about 2 pounds, each)
cooking spray, or 1 tablespoon canola oil

For the stuffing
1/4 cup butter or olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
5 cups dried cornbread cubes
1/2 cup vegetable broth, or water

Directions
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium low-heat or, if using olive oil, heat the olive oil until it starts to shimmer in the pan. Add onion, celery, seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the corn bread and toss to coat. Taste, adjusting the seasonings, as desired.

Remove from the heat and drizzle the vegetable brother over the top. Set it aside to cool while you cook the squash.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with cooking spray, or coat with canola oil.

Cut the squash in half; remove the seeds and stringy bits. Place the cut squash, cut side down, on the prepared pan. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until tender, and remove the pan from the oven.

Turn the squash over and fill the cavities with the stuffing, dividing the stuffing equally between each squash half. Return to the oven and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until topping starts to brown. Remove from oven and let cool, slightly. Cut each squash half in 2 pieces and serve.

Additional extra-virgin olive oil can drizzled over the top for an extra punch of flavor. A pinch of kosher salt or fresh ground pepper can be added, as well.

If you're not a vegan, you can use 1/4 cup of melted butter, instead of the olive oil, if you prefer.

Makes 8 servings.

Serve with mushroom and leek stroganoff, garlic and rosemary mashed potatoes, and other yummy side dishes for a great holiday meal.

Don't forget the sweet potato pie.

Photo by Greencolander. Used by permission.

Homemade Poultry Seasoning Mix

Many stuffing and poultry recipes traditionally made around Thanksgiving call for poultry seasoning. Vegetarians may shy away from it, but they don't need to. It's just an herbal blend commonly used with stews, casseroles, stuffings, and other poultry related dishes. Poultry seasoning is perfectly wonderful in vegetarian versions of such things, as well.

Sometimes, commercial herbal blends leave a little to be desired, though. Here's a way to make your own poultry seasoning. I use a spice grinder for this, but you don't have to. You could just as easily use a mortar and pestle or just a bowl and a fork.

Equipment needed
Spice Grinder (optional)
Mortar and Pestle (optional)

Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon ground clove (optional)

Directions

Put all the ingredients in a spice grinder and grind until uniform and thoroughly mixed. (Like I mentioned, before, you can also use a mortar and pestle or mixed them up some other way.)

Store in an airtight container. Use to season dressings, stuffings, and other dishes.

Garlic and Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

I think that I shall never see, a poem as lovely as creamy mashed potato. The classic boiled potato, mashed with milk, butter, and salt, is hard to beat. Still, I've always loved thinking of mashes potatoes as a blank canvas that I could paint flavors on ... er ... in.

Now that I've murdered enough metaphors, it's time to get down to Thanksgiving business. I really like this variation, not only for the garlic and rosemary, but for the extra edge given to it by adding goat milk cheese (chèvre). Chèvre can be kind of expensive, so this isn't something you'll want to make all the time. For a celebration, though, the extra flavor is worth it.

If you can't find chèvre, or it's price is beyond your pocket book, you can substitute it with cream cheese or American neufchatel cheese. Not only is this lighter on your budget, it has a lighter flavor, as well.

This recipe can easily be scaled down for an intimate evening for two, or up for a large army, otherwise known as extended family. If you're making these garlic and rosemary mashed potatoes for a large Thanksgiving get-together, the cream cheese option may be needed. You don't want to break your bank account just to feed mashed potatoes to your grumpy Aunt Matilda, even if they are delicious. She's never appreciate your cooking anyway.

Equipment Needed
Large pot or Dutch Oven
Kitchen Knife
Cutting Board
Measuring Spoons
Garlic Press

Ingredients
8 medium potatoes (about 3 pounds of russet, Yukon gold, or a combination of both)
15 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Milk, as needed
3 1/2 oz. chèvre (goat milk cheese)
2 teaspoons of chopped, fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Directions
Peel the potatoes and cut into roughly 2 or 3 inch pieces. Put the cut potatoes, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of the salt into a large Dutch oven or pot. Add enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring the pot to the boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

Drain the liquid, returning the potatoes to the pot if needed. Add the goat milk cheese, rosemary, pepper, and the remaining salt. Mash, adding milk a little at a time as needed, until creamy. Adjust seasonings as desired.

Serve as a side dish or smothered in Mushroom and Leek Strogonoff.

Makes 8 servings

Shepherd Dairy in Erda, Utah, makes an excellent chèvre cheese. It can now be found in many local supermarkets. It's my favorite goat milk cheese. Use a rolling pin to crush dried rosemary, and it won't poke you in the gums when you eat it.