The Cookstr Weekly: What To Do With Thanksgiving Leftovers

Featured Recipe: Smoked Haddock and Herb Fishcakes  by Victoria Blashford-Snell and Brigitte Hafner   Get the Recipe

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Cookstr! We’re so thankful to have you, our readers and members, to share recipes with every week. Whatever you’ve planned for the holiday, we hope it’s delicious. Once the last bite of pie is savored and the last sip of coffee swallowed, I’m eager every year to turn to the leftovers from the Thanksgiving meal, transforming them with a little creativity and culinary alchemy into breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for the week to come. While it’s hard to overstate the appeal of a good cold leftovers sandwich and a turkey stock from scratch, go beyond your go-tos this year with congee, chowder and more. Oh, and toss an extra pie slice in the blender with some ice cream for a seasonal milkshake, best enjoyed the next day while watching movies under a warm blanket. Happy post-Thanksgiving. Warmest regards, Kara Rota Editorial Director Cookstr   Chinese Rice Soup (Congee) by James Peterson “Since the soup contains only rice and water, its real function is as a soothing backdrop for sometimes fiery condiments. I use congee as a medium for slices or strips of leftover roast meats, thinly sliced raw meats, and leftover or fresh vegetables.”

The Cookstr Weekly: Healthier Starters & Sides for Thanksgiving

Featured Recipe: Sweet Potato Hummus by Nicole Axworthy and Lisa Pitman   Get the Recipe

Many of us are quite unwilling to accept any changes to our beloved Thanksgiving dishes.  It might be that you find it inconceivable to imagine your Thanksgiving dinner unless there are fried onions atop the green bean casserole – or sausage and chestnuts in the sourdough stuffing. But there are other places in the meal that might be ripe for a bit of culinary innovation, or at least an opportunity to get some vegetables on the plate without much done to them involving butter.   A colorful fall salad full of seasonal produce or a whole-grain-studded side dish may fit the bill, and even become one of your new favorite traditions – as either a replacement for or just in addition to those creamy, garlicky, buttery mashed potatoes (never parsnips, thank you, nor cauliflower), which happen to be my unbudgingly favorite part of the Thanksgiving spread.  Warmest regards, Kara Rota Editorial Director Cookstr   Kale Waldorf Salad by Douglas McNish     “This version of the classic American salad replaces iceberg lettuce with heart-healthy kale and the mayonnaise with a delicious oil-free blended dressing. The key is to cut the kale very finely to allow it to soften properly.“

The Cookstr Weekly: Thanksgiving Desserts

Featured Recipe:  Sticky Pecan Squares  by Maxine Effenson Chuck and Beth Gurney   Get the Recipe When planning my Thanksgiving menu, I always begin with dessert. Those desserts, in fact, often become the most memorable parts of meals past: I still recall a pumpkin cheesecake, a pie topped with leaf-shaped sugar cookies, the cake that fell apart coming out of the oven only to be reborn as a crowd-pleasing trifle. Perhaps it’s because I grew up with Thanksgivings that ended predictably with pumpkin and apple pie and vanilla ice cream, but I like to finish the meal on a slightly surprising note. Adding an unexpected twist will just make your guests happier that they saved room for dessert. Warmest regards, Kara Rota Editorial Director Cookstr Lone Star Chocolate Pecan Pie by Beth Allen “In my home state of Texas, pecan orchards are plentiful. The long thin paper-shell pecans make some of the best pies. This pecan filling is flavored with chocolate and has a layer of melted tiny chocolate chips on the bottom.”

The Cookstr Weekly: Simply Nigella

Here at Cookstr, we’re huge fans of Nigella Lawson, whether she is putting forth gorgeously impressive holiday meals or whipping up something easy for a weeknight. In her new book Simply Nigella, out now from our sister company Flatiron Books, she taps into the rhythms of our cooking lives with recipes that are uncomplicated and relaxed yet always satisfying. From quick and calm weeknight dinners to stress-free ideas when feeding a crowd to the instant joy of bowlfood for cozy nights on the sofa, here is food guaranteed to make everyone feel good.

 

Warmest regards,

Kara Rota

Editorial Director

Cookstr

Breakfast Banana Bread with Cardamom and Cacao Nibs “I positively will everyone in the house not to eat the bananas so that they overripen and I have an excuse to make this. I love all the variants of banana bread I have ever made – much more than I do bananas – but this one is on another level. The smoky bitterness that emanates from both the cardamom and cacao nibs offers a subtle foil to the natural and rich sweetness of the bananas. As this is for breakfast, it isn’t terribly sweet, so feel free to up the sugar to 2 1/4 cups if you have a sweet tooth and want to indulge it. It is also excellent (and tastes sweeter) when toasted and spread with unsalted butter.”

The Cookstr Weekly: Ten Twists on Chili for Fall

Featured Recipe: Spicy Chicken Chili with Cashews   Get the Recipe

Chili is a go-to this time of year, hearty and warming for rainy, snowy, and windy days alike. And because it’s so convenient to make a big batch and eat it for lunches and dinners, I love chili for these weeks when I’m getting used to having less daylight and the nights feel too short for cooking projects. There might be as many types of chili as there are chili-makers, and debates over authenticity abound. Whether you like beef or chicken, beans or no beans, or even spaghetti (we’re looking at you, Cincinnati), we’ve got chili to keep you cozy this season.  Warmest regards, Kara Rota Editorial Director Cookstr Our Best Chili by the Moosewood Collective “February is frigid in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. To counter the cold weather blues and blahs, Ithaca holds a Chili Fest. Local restaurants, caterers, and carry-outs showcase their favorite chilis, and happy consumers taste their way through the numerous chili stalls, imbibe local microbrews, and try to stay astride the mechanical bull. Sated, the people then vote for the “best” chili in a set of categories. We don’t mind mentioning that Moosewood has won first place three times in the vegetarian category.”

The Cookstr Weekly: Halloween Treats (and Tricks)

Featured Recipe: Crispy Peanut Butter Candy  by Roxanne Wyss and Kathy Moore   Get the Recipe

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, but it’s lacking the sustained and extensive food traditions of other fall festivities – beyond, of course, the boatloads of adorable miniature candy bars. Start your own tradition this year by making a batch of an easy candy recipe (the Crispy Peanut Butter Candy one above is made in a slow cooker) or incorporating seasonal favorites like pumpkin and apple into sweet and savory dishes alike. And don’t forget the toasted pumpkin seeds – that’s a tradition worth keeping!  Warmest regards, Kara Rota Editorial Director Cookstr Milk Chocolate Malted Brownies with Chocolate Ganache by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito “Apologies are in order. We gilded the lily. It was inevitable. We took a sublime brownie-a brownie that is impeccable and delicious in its own right-cut it into bite-size squares, and drenched it in chocolate. For those of you keeping score at home, the base of this brownie is actually a variation of our classic brownie layered with milk chocolate and malt powder (it contrasts beautifully with the dark chocolate shell). Then, we committed the ultimate sacrilege. We went a little cutesy in décor. We blame Halloween. A Baked chocolate-glazed brownie is pure heaven, but a Baked chocolate-glazed brownie with a hand-piped pumpkin on top is heaven on a roller coaster.”

The Cookstr Weekly: The Laws of Cooking

Featured Recipe: Cornish Hen Meets Frisée aux Lardons by Justin Warner   Get the Recipe

Why do some dishes almost always inspire rapturous pleasure, while others are pretty much guaranteed to be disappointing? The answer may lie in flavor theory, a set of laws that govern what makes food combinations tasty. That’s why I’m so excited to share these recipes from Justin Warner’s The Laws of Cooking…and How to Break Them, a new cookbook out this week from our sister company, Flatiron Books. Justin considers classic and beloved combinations like peanut butter and jelly; or coffee, cream, and sugar, to inspire intriguing and inventive recipes you’ll love to try at home. Warmest regards, Kara Rota Editorial Director Cookstr Dry-Aged Rib Eye au Poivre “Dry-aged meat is one of the best favors you could ever do for yourself. It can be a little hard to find, but a lot of specialty butchers now offer it for sale, frozen, online. Eat this before you die. Dry aging beef is costly business, because the beef has to be kept very cold and dry for days upon days. It also has to be done with the best cuts of meat, because the marbling (fat/meat ratio) has to be high. It tastes better than money. The process removes moisture from the meat, which amps up the beefy favor. Think about the amount of water in a cup of coffee versus an espresso, and you’ll understand what I’m saying.”

The Cookstr Weekly: Chicken Soup

Featured Recipe: Not Exactly Aunt Lil’s Matzo Ball Soup by Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray

 

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As we settle into fall, it’s time for sweaters, scarves, soup – and yes, the occasional cold-weather sniffles. At the first sign of a sore throat (or just of leftovers from a great roast chicken), I pull out the biggest pot I own and get to work on a big batch of chicken soup. Chicken soup is a cross-cultural phenomenon. There are times I crave fluffy matzo balls and times when only udon will do. Sometimes I want a soothing, saline broth, but depending on the diagnosis (a cold, a flu, or just the seasonal blues), a kick of spice might be called for. What’s your go-to chicken soup recipe, when a remedy is required? Warmest regards, Kara Rota Editorial Director Cookstr Gingery Chicken and Wild Rice Soup by Judith Finlayson “The addition of a flavorful whole grain, leeks and a hint of ginger is a particularly delicious spin on classic chicken and rice soup. I like to make the stock a day ahead so it can be refrigerated, which makes easy work of skimming off the fat. This makes a great light dinner accompanied by whole-grain rolls and a tossed salad.”

The Cookstr Weekly: Squash Season

Featured Recipe: Acorn Squash with Porcini Mushroom Filling by Jennifer Katzinger   Get the Recipe   Acorn! Butternut! Kabocha! Delicata! Spaghetti! Just those words speak to me of golden-orange insides, buttery-caramelized mouthfuls, and the hearty satisfaction of a mostly plant-based meal that still manages to be comforting. Not everyone adores winter squash. But if you like it as much as I do, you’ll agree that it serves equally well at the center of the dinner table as it does as a side dish. Paired with beans, whole grains, and proteins, squash deserves its annual time in the spotlight.  Warmest regards, Kara Rota Editorial Director Cookstr Chickpea, Roasted Squash, and Farro Soup by Julie Peacock “The bursts of orange butternut squash contrast beautifully with the earthy shades of the chickpeas and farro, livened up with a tableside drizzle of chili oil. Using dried chickpeas here is key, because the base of the soup is their cooking liquid. If you’re new to farro, it’s a nutty, chewy, low-gluten ancient grain and can be found in most supermarkets near the grains or bulk/dried goods.“

The Cookstr Weekly: Apples Sweet and Savory

Featured Recipe: Lemon-Roasted Chicken with Caramelized Onions & Apples by Amy Pennington   Get the Recipe    Nothing tastes as much like Autumn to me as the crunch of a fresh, juicy apple – not even the ubiquitous pumpkin-and-espresso combination. But you might not want to eat more than an apple a day out of hand, and it would be a mistake to relegate the versatile fruit to pies. Paired with the earthy and savory flavors in ingredients like squash, brussels sprouts, chicken, and pork, apples make a welcome addition in soups, salads, and main courses, as well as desserts. And of course, don’t forget the apple and cheese combo that’s beloved for everyone from after-school snackers to Midwest pie enthusiasts. Warmest regards, Kara Rota Editorial Director Cookstr Sautéed Brussels Sprouts & Apples by Amy Pennington  “This recipe is super simple to make and highlights the flavors of each ingredient. Pairing bitter Brussels sprouts with sweet fall apples creates a nice contrast. The secret to this dish is allowing the Brussels sprouts to brown, coaxing out their sweetness. Apple bits are tossed in during the last few minutes of cooking-just enough time to cook the fruit through without it breaking down. All in all, you are aiming for a perfectly al dente dish here, where natural flavors reign. The addition of toasted pine nuts warms it up and adds heartiness.”