Perfect Popcorn

Ingredients
3 Tbsp canola, peanut or grapeseed oil (high smoke point oil)
1/3 cup of high quality popcorn kernels
1 3-quart covered saucepan
2 Tbsp or more (to taste) of butter
Salt to taste

Preparation
1. Heat the oil in a 3-quart saucepan on medium high heat.

2. Put 3 or 4 popcorn kernels into the oil and cover the pan.

3. When the kernels pop, add the rest of the 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels in an even layer. Cover, remove from heat and count 30 seconds. (Count out loud; it's fun to do with kids.) This method first heats the oil to the right temperature, then waiting 30 seconds brings all of the other kernels to a near-popping temperature so that when they are put back on the heat, they all pop at about the same time.

4. Return the pan to the heat. The popcorn should begin popping soon, and all at once. Once the popping starts in earnest, gently shake the pan by moving it back and forth over the burner. Try to keep the lid slightly ajar to let the steam from the popcorn release (the popcorn will be drier and crisper). Once the popping slows to several seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and dump the popcorn immediately into a wide bowl.

With this technique, nearly all of the kernels pop (I counted 4 unpopped kernels in my last batch), and nothing burns.

5. If you are adding butter, you can easily melt it by placing the butter in the now empty, but hot pan.

6. Salt to taste.

Makes 2 quarts, a nice amount for two people, or for one hungry one.

Additional tips:
If you add salt to the oil in the pan before popping, when the popcorn pops, the salt will be well distributed throughout the popcorn.

Fun toppings for the popcorn - Spanish smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, cayenne powder, chili pepper, curry powder, cumin, grated Parmesan cheese.

Baked Penne with Meatballs

Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
6 oz of button or cremini mushrooms, sliced thinly
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1 tsp white sugar
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Steps
Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and saute until tender; add the garlic and cook for 60 seconds, stirring frequently. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for at least 2 hours.

Meatballs:
1 lb lean ground beef (I used 93/7)
7 button mushrooms, diced finely
1/4 sweet yellow onion, diced finely
1/4 Italian style breadcrumbs
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 egg
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp fennel seed, crushed
Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp olive oil (for cooking)

Combine all ingredients (except for olive oil) together gently. Form into small meatballs and set aside. Once the meatballs are prepared. Heat a skillet over medium heat with 1 tsp olive oil. Cook the meatballs until golden brown on all sides. Remove from skillet and place in the mushroom sauce.

Penne pasta, prepared per instructions
1 cup of mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tbsp fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the pasta per instructions and drain. Pour the pasta into the sauce with the meatballs. Add the cheese - reserving a bit for the top and basil, then mix VERY gently. Top with remaining cheese and bake for 30 minutes.

www.fortheloveofcooking.com

Big Fat Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil or corn oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree

Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces room temperature cream cheese, regular or low fat
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Steps:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until light and smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the oil, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. Using 1/4 cup of batter (can use a small ice cream scoop or measuring cup) place small mounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.

Bake for about 15 - 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cookie comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter until soft and creamy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla until the frosting is soft and creamy.

Makes about 18 cookies.

C. Copeland and www.joyofbaking.com

Peppermint Bark Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup of butter
3/4 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup of white granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
Pinch of salt
cup of peppermint bark, broken into little chip size pieces

Steps
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Cream the butter and sugars together for about two minutes at medium speed or until well incorporated and light in color.

3. Add the egg and the vanilla extract until well incorporated, about a minute. Be sure to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl halfway through.

4. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Add to the butter mixture slowly, and beating at medium speed, stopping once all of it is incorporated (do not overmix).

5. Fold in the peppermint bark chips.

6. Take small spoonfuls of the dough and roll into one inch sized balls and place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for -12 minutes. Let cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

www.simplyrecipes.com

Maple Cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup of dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon of maple syrup (Grade B)
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup of chopped walnuts

Steps
1. Cream the butter and sugar together at medium speed for three minutes or until light and fluffy.

2. Add the vanilla extract and egg and mix until well incorporated. Add the maple syrup and mix until well incorporated.

3. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just incorporated. Fold in the walnuts. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for thirty minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 350F. Drop spoonfuls of the cookie, about 1 inch balls, onto cookies sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 3 dozen.

www.simplyrecipes.com

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients
Chicken and Vegetables:
1 large roasting chicken (5 to 6 lbs), cut into 2 legs, 2 thighs, and 2 breast pieces, each with skin removed; back, neck, and wings hacked with a cleaver into 1 to 2 inch pieces to make stock
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, cut into large chunks
2 bay leaves
Salt
3 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 boiling onions (smaller than regular onions, larger than pearl onions), peeled and halved
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, or chicken fat from the cooked chicken
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 Tbsp dry sherry or vermouth (optional)
1 Tbsp of heavy cream (optional)
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Ground black or white pepper

Dumplings:
2 cups cake flour (can sub all-purpose flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup minced fresh herb leaves such as parsley, chives, and tarragon (optional)

Steps
1. Make the stock.
Heat olive oil in a deep (at least 4-inch high) large skillet or 6-qt Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add hacked up chicken pieces - the back, neck, and wings - and onion chunks (not the boiling onions). Sauté until onions soften and chicken pieces lose their raw color, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and continue to cook for about 20 minutes. (While chicken stock pieces are cooking, bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a kettle.) Increase heat to to medium-high, add the 6 cups of hot water to the chicken pieces.

2. Poach the chicken in the stock.
Add skinless chicken parts (legs, thighs, breasts), 2 bay leaves, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt to the stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat; continue to simmer, partially covered, until broth is flavorful and chicken parts are just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken parts from the pan and set aside. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones in 2-inch chunks or strips. Place a strainer over a large bowl and pour the broth through it, straining out the solids from the broth. Discard the solids. Skim and reserve the chicken fat from broth (a fat separator works great for this task) and set aside 5 cups of broth, reserving extra for another use.

3. Make the dumpling batter.
While chicken is cooking, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add (optional) chopped fresh herbs. Add melted butter and milk to the dry ingredients. Gently mix with a spoon until mixture just comes together. (Note: do not overmix! or your dumplings will turn out too dense.) Set aside.

4. Make the stew base, assemble the stew.
Heat reserved chicken fat (or butter) in the pan you had used to make the stock over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour and thyme; cook, whisking constantly, until flour turns golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, gradually add sherry or vermouth, then slowly add the reserved 5 cups of chicken stock; simmer until mixture thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the vegetables, simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in chicken and optional cream; return to a strong simmer. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

5. Add the dumplings.
Drop dumpling batter into the simmering stew by heaping teaspoonfuls, over the surface of the stew. Cover and simmer until dumplings are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Once you have covered the pan, do not uncover while the dumplings are cooking! In order for them to be light and fluffy, they must steam, not boil. Uncovering the pan releases the steam. If after 15 minutes they are still not cooked through (use a toothpick or skewer to test) cover pan again, and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Gently stir in peas and parsley. Ladle portions of meat, sauce, vegetables, and dumplings into soup plates and serve immediately.

Serves 6 to 8.

www.simplyrecipes.com

Spicy Turkey Soup with Yogurt, Chickpeas and Mint

Ingredients
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raw basmati rice (rinsed if package directs you to rinse)
4 cups turkey stock (or chicken stock)
2-3 cups cooked leftover turkey meat, dark or light, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup full-fat plain yogurt
1 large egg yolk
2 Tbsp flour
1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons sweet paprika (can also use smoked paprika for a smokey added touch)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
3 Tbsp finely chopped mint
Lemon wedges, for serving

Steps
This recipe I adapted to use with leftover Thanksgiving turkey and freshly made turkey stock. You can also make this starting with raw turkey, with 2 pounds of bone-in, skin-on turkey thighs or legs (thighs are easier to work with). Place the turkey parts in a pot with half an onion, a chopped carrot, and a sprig of parsley. Cover with cold water by an inch. Bring to a simmer and cook until the turkey is cooked through, about 45 minutes to an hour. Remove turkey to a plate and let cool. Pour pot contents through a strainer into a bowl to capture the stock. Once the turkey meat has cooled, remove and discard the skins and bones. Cut the meat into 1-inch pieces. Now you should have enough stock and turkey meat for this recipe.
Method

1. Bring water, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and rice to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

2. In a medium saucepan, add the turkey stock and bring to a simmer, remove from heat. (If you are like us, and make your own homemade turkey stock and store it in glass jars, you can remove the lid from the jar and heat the stock in the microwave. You are just trying to warm up the stock in this step.)

3. Whisk together the yogurt, egg yolk, and flour in a large pot. Slowly add the heated stock, whisking after each small addition to incorporate. Heat to a simmer. Add the chickpeas, cooked turkey, and cooked rice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Melt the butter on medium heat in a small skillet. Stir in the garlic, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Cook for a couple minutes, until fragrant, then remove from heat.

Serve soup with a small amount of paprika butter sauce swirled on the surface. Sprinkle with chopped mint. Serve with lemon wedges. Squeeze lemon juice from the wedges onto the soup before eating.

Serves 4-6.

www.simplyrecipes.com
Recipe adapted from a Joyce Goldstein recipe for Turkish Yogurt Soup with Chicken, Chickpeas, and Mint.

May Kaidee Pad Thai

Ingredients
1 tablespoon peanut oil
carrot, onion, tomato
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 egg
pre-soaked glass noodles
1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar

Toppings:
bean sprouts
chopped spring onion
roasted peanuts
chili flakes
lime juice

Steps
Fry and small handful of shredded carrot and onion and chopped tomatos in oil. Add one large spoonful of cooked tofu, garlic and raw egg. When the egg is cooked on the underside, break it up and add a portion of noodles.

Mix well together to combine the flavors and season with soy sauces and sugar. Add toppings and serve. Serves 1.

Joanna McGowan
May Kaidee Cooking School - Bangkok, Thailand

Tom Yam Soup

Ingredients
2 kaffir lime leaves
galangal
fresh lemongrass
shredded carrot
onion
tomato
tofu
dark soy sauce
light soy sauce
mixed veggies (cabbage, etc)
sugar
spring onion
coriander leaf
lime juice
Tom Yam chili paste
coconut milk

Steps
In the wok, boil a soup bowl of water per serving. Add two crushed kaffir lime leaves, two bruised slices of galangal and two inches of bruised lemongrass for flavoring. Add one tablespoon of shredded carrot and onion and chopped tomato, then add one tablespoon of prepared tofu and one handful of mixed vegetables. When boiling, add one dessert spoonful each of dark and light soy sauces and one teaspoonful of sugar. Turn off the heat when the vegetables are tender and before the water is all gone. To finish, add one tablespoon of mixed, chopped spring onion and coriander leaves, one teaspoon of lime juice, one teaspoon of Tom Yam chili paste and one dessert spoon of coconut milk.

Variation
For Tom Kah soup, reduce the water and add more coconut milk.

Joanna McGowan, July 2008
May Kaidee Cooking Class - Bangkok, Thailand

Thai Peanut Sauce

Use as a dip for Thai fresh rolls or as a base for another Thai dish.

Ingredients
1 plum tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 teaspoon red chili paste
4-6 tablespoons coconut milk
1 tablespoon roasted ground peanuts
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon lemon
2 teaspoon soy sauce

Steps
Fry one chopped tomato in a tablespoon of hot oil until it begins to breakdown. Turn down the heat a little, add red chili paste and fry until paste is fragrant. Add coconut milk and ground peanuts. Watch the consistency and add a little more coconut milk or water, if necessary. The sauce should be rich and glossy. Serves 1.

Joanna McGowan, July 2008
May Kaidee Cooking School - Bangkok, Thailand