Culinary Experimentation

Let’s talk about turkey. For those that don’t remember, I bought a fancy roasting pan three years ago. I did loads of research, read lots of reviews, and selected a solid option. I used one of those $2 disposable foil pans from the Walmart prior to my purchase, so I was very excited to have a Bonafide roasting pan. But then…the pan failed its main purpose. For three years in a row, the back of my Thanksgiving turkey was not cooked. Even when I overcooked the breast in an effort to get the entire bird up to temperature, the back stubbornly remained a vehicle for salmonella. I tried everything I could think of to solve the problem-cooking the turkey on a lower rack, adjusting temperature, tenting the turkey to slow the cooking of the breast, doing the first part of the roasting with the back side up instead of down, etc. And nothing seemed to help. As you might expect, there was some frustration that increased exponentially with each year. So, this year I bought the $3 pan (inflation happens), and was ready to redneck my disposable roasting pan with rolls of tinfoil in place of the rack from my swanky and useless roasting pan, which was too big to fit the foil pan.

But this morning, I was watching a video about how to truss a turkey (since I only do it once a year, I always have to review the procedure prior to turkey time) and saw an alternate and intriguing turkey roasting method that used just a standard shallow baking sheet with a cooling rack used as a roasting rack. And an idea began to take root. The standard half sheet baking pan used in the video I watched is the most commonly used sheet pan in my kitchen. I have half a dozen cooling racks that fit inside the previously mentioned pans, but I also have a super fancy roasting rack that came with my super useless roasting pan. And the fancy rack fits perfectly inside the basic sheet pan. And just like that, my plans changed. The hardware for roasting this year’s turkey changed to one of my 26-year-old work horse baking sheets and my fancy rack. I was hopeful and honestly, a little bit excited.

The results of my change in hardware were absolutely stellar. Not only was the entire turkey cooked, but the breast was still nice and moist when the back was fully cooked. And since the rack lifted the turkey above the edges of the pan, hot air circulated around the entire turkey which meant even the bottom was beautifully crispy. As an added bonus, the turkey roasted faster due to the increased air flow.

So, let’s count those pros:

1. The entire bird was cooked.

2. The breast was still moist when the back was done.

3. The entire turkey was crisp. Yum. More crispy skin for everyone.

4. The roasting time was shorter.

5. I didn’t have to spend any extra money or time to have the appropriate hardware. Yes, $3 isn’t much, but it’s more than spending nothing.

And the cons:

1……

I’m never going back. It was a complete success. I did put a little water in the bottom of the pan right at the beginning of the roasting time so the butter and herbs that dripped wouldn’t scorch, but once the fat of the turkey started to render, that problem was solved. And I am a happy, happy camper today. Chock full of turkey and nearly drunk on success.

Now, let’s talk a bit about the other highlights of the day.

Daniel and Tawni were here for Thanksgiving this year. Now that they are married, we are in the season of alternating holidays with them, so it was nice to have them here. As I mentioned yesterday, Tawni got to experience pie day at my mom’s house which even in this year’s scaled back version was mighty impressive to a two-pies-only person. She got to sample our assortment of favorite pies, and the cranberry orange custard is the clear winner. She loved that one just as much as we do and fully supports Daniel and Nathan in their plans to make more cranberry orange custard pies in the very near future.

Tawni was fascinated by my turkey ministrations, commenting that her mom’s prep is much simpler. But let me reiterate that I enjoy cooking. So doing a delightful butter and herb rub, stuffing the turkey with aromatics, and trussing the bird to allow a more even bake is just part of my routine. She has been educated on our whole “skin the turkey” routine and while, like most people, she just didn’t understand the draw, she is also one of those try-anything-once kind of people. So, she grabbed a fork and watched as my other children jockeyed for position, and then followed their lead as they dug in. And due to the previously mentioned butter and herb rub and the fabulous new old roasting pan, the skin was delightfully crisp and flavorful. And now she completely understands our compulsive need to eat that skin while it is crisp and hot. And I suspect in future she will gladly participate in the good-natured fight for the best bits that always happens.

The portion of our day not spent eating turkey and way too much pie was whiled away playing games and talking to Matthew. Kevin and I talked to him for a good long chunk last night, so today he focused his time on his siblings. Daniel, who loves jazz music just as much as Matthew does, played him a little snip of a jazz arrangement of the Harry Potter theme and Matthew was absolutely drunk on the music. Limiting his listening to only what is in Gospel Library has been harder than he expected. Music is how he expresses his joy and what he listens to corresponds to his mood and is often what he turns to when he needs a little emotional lift, so listening to his normal music has been one of the things he misses a lot. Daniel knows Matthew well and knew that just a little jazz would be a balm to his soul. 

Now, I need to make some further comments on the meringue. It was light, fluffy, voluminous, and delightful. It was not sticky, even though I made the pie yesterday. I have learned a couple of tips that solve that problem and the tips are the same for the egg-free version. The only fly in the ointment was the fact that the lemon filling got watery, so watery that the crust got soggy and collapsed. That has never happened with the Matthew friendly version, so I think next time I will try the allergen free filling with the egg-based meringue. But even a bit watery, the pie was delicious and the meringue was completely satisfying. And tall. So beautifully tall!

I am filled with gratitude today for all the blessings I have. I have an amazing family and spending the day with them was a joy. We all missed Matthew, but he is in the exact right place for now and will eventually make his way back home. Tawni has been such a wonderful addition to our family, and she makes Daniel incredibly happy. Malia is becoming a wonderful young woman who adds laughter to our home. Nathan comes home and plays our piano which gathers dust when he is away. Kevin does all the cleaning after I use every dish in my kitchen to create the lovely kitchen chemistry that becomes our holiday meal. And the covenants we make means that this joy can be eternal. My heart is full. I am truly blessed.

The Real Meringue

I’ve spent the past two decades learning how to bake without eggs and milk, which are in all reality the basic building blocks of so many confections. But out of need, I experimented and failed and tried again and over the years, I’ve gotten pretty good at creating a variety of allergen free versions of cakes, cookies, pies, candies, etc. Most people never even know that the goodies that show up at ward events or bake sales are sans milk and eggs. And I’ve never begrudged the need to make such accommodations in my cooking. It was just one of my missions in life to ensure that Matthew never felt the sting of his allergies in his own home and to provide him with the childhood joys of enjoying a warm chocolate chip cookie, savoring a sticky sweet cinnamon roll, and blowing out the candles on a decadent birthday cake. 

Having said that, with Matthew away from home for a season, I’m happily taking advantage of the opportunity to use more traditional ingredients in some of my baking. I used real eggs in Malia’s birthday cake, made fudge with real butter, and am already thinking about what kind of cheesecake to make for my birthday. But the one I’m super excited about today is meringue made with real eggs. The bean juice works, which still kind of blows my mind, and talking about “bean juice pie” is always a fabulous conversation starter, but I have actually been a little bit giddy about being able to use real eggs so that I can get some of the stability and volume that is such a struggle with bean juice. I know some folks are making magnificent meringues with aquafaba from chickpeas, but since Matthew is allergic to those, I’ve been using the liquid from navy or great northern beans, and it just isn’t as stable. But it works. And the lemon meringue pie is one of Matthew’s favorites, so I’m happy to bean it up and I feel like I’m learning new things every time I try it. 

So, it was a bit of a heady feeling to separate the eggs, turn on the Bosch, and watch the volume increase. I know that probably sounds stupid, but I enjoy baking. It is like therapy for me. Seriously, I was feeling anxious last week so I made bread. And it definitely helped my mood. And it is much cheaper than the hourly rate of most therapists. And as an extra bonus, it leaves a much better taste in your mouth. 😜 So yes, I’m not ashamed to say that today’s meringue filled me with glee. Piling it up high on top of the lemon filling made me smile. Creating the traditional peaks that held their shape in a most marvelous manner resulted in a ridiculous grin. And taking the final results out of the oven perfectly browned and still just as voluminous nearly made me laugh. I can hardly wait to taste my creation!

Other than the luscious lemon meringue, our pie menu is small this year. We have two pumpkin pies (plus a tiny one for Kevin’s parents), a cherry pie (which is Malia’s favorite), and a cranberry orange custard (which is Nathan’s favorite pie of all time). So, six pies in total, five for my own little crew. Tawni is flabbergasted by the whole pie thing. The thought of a full pie per person just blows her mind. She says they usually have about two pies and that feeds the entire extended family. However, my mom’s thirty-two pies still make my half dozen appear extremely moderate. And Tawni did get to experience pie day at my mom’s house, which is pie making on an entirely different level. 😂

With today’s baking done, I can turn my mind to the next culinary adventure-attempting to get my entire turkey cooked. And regardless of the outcome of that endeavor, I’m looking forward to the post-turkey pie eating!

Choral Pros and Cons

Pro: Every year, sixteen choir students from each middle school in our district are invited to participate in a district honor choir. Auditions are held by each choir teacher who then selects which students will be a part of the choir. Malia auditioned this year and was one of the students selected to represent her school.

Con: Learning music on her own, especially those with lyrics not in English, is a fairly new thing for Malia and she was super stressed out the night before the first of their two big rehearsals because she didn’t have it all learned.

Pro: Learning music along with other choir members is usually easier as the director will spend time helping each section to perfect their part, there are more people singing the same part, and hearing all the harmonies together can make it simpler to find your own part.

Con: The guest conductor this year doted on the sopranos and tenors, yelled at the basses, and pretty much ignored the altos. Malia was pretty peeved when she got home.

Pro: Despite the less than attentive conductor, Malia did, in fact, get things mostly figured out by the end of their second rehearsal.

Con: She was a bit nervous walking all alone into the choir room the night of the concert. Not knowing anyone there was a bit stressful for her. However, she was fine once some friends from her own school showed up.

Pro: The kids did a fantastic job! The four numbers they performed were well rehearsed and it was a very enjoyable concert. 

Con: On their final number, there was a good amount of standard choir swaying that is frequently seen as appropriate riser choreography. Malia was on the very edge of the alto section. There were so many kids that Malia was standing on a box rather than the actual risers and the movement inadvertently sent her closer and closer to the edge which made her very nervous!

Pro: Although she could feel that her toes were hanging off the edge, he didn’t actually fall off the box. 😂

Con: The adrenaline-fueled performance high after the concert meant that Malia forgot to actually eat dinner and had a meal comprised of sugar cookies and doughnuts. 

Pro: Despite all her nerves and her dislike for this particular director, she still came away with a fantastic performance high! (Even if it did make for an extraordinarily unhealthy dinner. 😜) Singing with a big choir like that is such a fun thing and I’m glad Malia had the opportunity to do so.

It’s a Small World

When Matthew received his mission call to Arkansas, we were bombarded with people telling us they had ties to the area-parents living there, extended family in the area, stationed there in a past military posting, etc. For some reason, the parts of Arkansas and Missouri in which he would be serving seem to be teeming with folks who have ties right here. And now that he has been transferred to Bentonville, he has had his first small world encounter. 

You might remember that during his senior year, Matthew met a girl who has similar allergies to his. It was a big moment for him, meeting someone who really gets what his life is like, and we started referring to her as his allergy buddy. Her actual name is Megan, and she has an aunt who lives in Bentonville. In fact, her aunt lives in one of the wards that Matthew is currently serving in, and he met her on his first Sunday in Bentonville. Megan’s aunt was quick to invite them to have dinner in their home, and this evening I got a message from her, with a picture of Matthew and his companion at their dinner appointment.

I know this doesn’t happen to every family who sends out a missionary, but we have been blessed to receive messages from members that all of my sons have worked with during their full-time missionary service. It is always a blessing for me, to know that there are folks watching out for my kids and a reminder as well, that we are a worldwide church and that people all over are doing the best they can to live the gospel, just like me. 

Running Gag

noun: a joke/gag that is repeated many times in slightly different ways

I don’t know if this is a normal thing for most families, but around here we have a proclivity for running gags. We will have a totally random topic or word or song pop up in our conversations and then for some reason we just keep working it in…over, and over, and over. Ask Nathan about pants. That one’s been rolling around for almost ten years now. Anyway, revisiting the gags usually ends up being funny or at least making Malia roll her eyes so hard that she can see her brain. Earlier this year, the DARE song was the gag. Drugs and that catchy tune from our kids’ 5th grade participation in the DARE program just came up far more frequently than was probably good for us. But it was funny. And so, it kept happening. After a while we aged out of that gag, and something else took its place. 

For some reason, cannibalism has been an on again/off again joke topic throughout this year. I think Malia started it with a random comment in the group chat my kids have established with their cousins on Kevin’s side of the family. But as I’m not actually in that group chat, I’m not certain. Nevertheless, cannibalism is a topic that has popped into our joke/random comment repertoire fairly frequently of late. And that led me to select this year’s Halloween dinner: man-burgers. And while this evening’s repast did not have the visual impact of some I’ve created in previous years, it did hit that running gag. And it was tasty. And simple to prepare. And honestly, I needed that this week.

As for costuming this year, Malia and two of her bestest friends planned a group costume. Malia was Eeyore with her friends dressed up as Winnie the Pooh and Tigger. Malia sent me a text from school this morning telling me that one of her teachers had the exact same costume as she did. At least she was amused and not utterly humiliated. Because as a middle schooler, it could go either way. This evening, she is off at a friend’s house for a Halloween party, still in costume, of course. 

Nathan hasn’t really dressed up for Halloween for years, but this year he decided that he wanted to join the festivities. He dressed up as Steve from Blues Clues, a kids’ t.v. show that was popular when he was part of the preschool demographic. He was super excited about it and watched an entire episode of Blues Clues to get into character. And then he made a short Blues Clues inspired video for us rather than just sending a picture. With Blue and his handy dandy notebook in hand, he headed off to work and school with some of his notes for one of his jobs written in his notebook. With a giant crayon, of course. 😂 And he turned heads all day. Everyone in his generation is familiar with Blues Clues and even as he was walking back to his apartment this afternoon, he could see heads turn in recognition as the cars drove by. 

Halloween has become a much slower holiday in our entire neighborhood, not just our house. Families have grown up, just like ours, and it seems like there are fewer and fewer kids knocking on the door every year. We still make sure to keep some candy on hand for those that come, but we make sure to buy stuff we like so that it will actually get eaten eventually when the doorbell only rings a dozen times.

As usual, I already have ideas of fun foods I want to create next year. But as for next week, we begin making pies!

Muppet Killer

Having Halloween fall on a Friday is always fun. Because not only is there no school tomorrow and no need to drag sugar coma inflicted children out of bed in order to get them to school (although we really don’t need to do that anymore, which is nice), but it is pancake day! And having time for Halloween pancakes on actual Halloween is great! So, I had a pancake plan, a plan that involved lychee and blueberry eyeballs casually dropped on top of some lime green pancakes all draped with a bloody lychee syrup. It was a good plan, a tasty one, but there was a very unfortunate, and completely unexpected, outcome. When I assembled my first pancake stack, it looked exactly like Kermit the frog. Except bloody. 🤦

Killing Kermit was not exactly on my to-do list for today, but sometimes our days don’t go as expected. 🤣

Boo-tifully Simple

In my fun food endeavors, sometimes things can get pretty complicated. Making normal foods look super cute can often mean extra time in prepping, preparing, and presenting. On the other hand, sometimes simple efforts can have very positive results. Today’s Halloween themed dessert falls into the latter category. A package of frozen puff pastry, a can of cherry pie filling, and a cookie cutter were the main components of today’s creation. Add in a simple powdered sugar glaze and a purchased tube of black piping gel and a sweet little treat was born. And honestly, who doesn’t like a nice cherry turnover?

Are You My Mummy?

Like pancakes, sugar cookies are a blank canvas with an infinite number of possibilities. I don’t utilize them as often as I do pancakes, but sometimes I just crave a good sugar cookie. Add a simple Halloween themed twist, and dessert is served. An added bonus? When arms or legs break off due to super soft dough or ineptitude (yes, sometimes I just muck things up) or someone ends up with only one eye (I was rushing because I was really supposed to be cooking dinner rather than decorating sugar cookies), there is no need to worry. Sometimes mummies just lose parts. It’s all part of the deal. So those little baking mishaps add a charming Halloweeny twist. And whether whole or maimed, they taste good.