Thanksgiving "Pop" Corn Pudding (2)

This post was orginally published on November 21, 2011, in honor of this blog's very first Thanksgiving. Things were tough, and I wasn't sure this idea of a new blog would fly or end up a real turkey. I give thanks that it did.

Thanksgiving, can't get more American than that. Not even our neighbors to the North can get it right, celebrating a month too early. About 7 or 8 years ago I discovered this little recipe for corn pudding and it has been a holiday staple ever since. It is simple (frozen corn, milk, eggs) and tasty, and can even be made the day before and just reheated prior to eating to ease the burden of the day. I always host/cook dinner at my house, ever since my mother relinquished her duties 15 years ago. I must also say, turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing are flat out my favorite meal and always the best thing my mother made when I was growing up. The woman knows how to make gravy, let me just say that. She is also famous, or infamous depending on your position, when it comes to her stuffing. It basically consists of  herbed bread cubes (dried), bulk pork sausage, celery, onions, chicken broth and the pan juices from boiling the neck of the bird. Over the years, I have tried to recreate how she does it all, with pretty good success, especially since none of her "recipes" are written down or have any exact measurements. It's more like 'add the broth until it's moist'. But the corn pudding is my addition to my mother's Thanksgiving dinner. Try it, you'll like it.


On a day devised merely to give thanks, I suggest a cornucopia of the finest Thanksgiving episodes TV has to offer. First, you've got to watch the Peanuts in "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving". It remains unclear to me why all of the children have been left alone to fend for themselves on the hoilday, but Snoopy rises to the occasion and is a master chef when it comes to his popcorn and toast dinner. Then, if you haven't already, watch the "WKRP in Cincinnati" turkeys can't fly episode - empty your bladder first, just a word of warning. Then, you can move on to "The Brady Bunch" and the Un-underground Movie episode depiction of the first Thanksgiving, "The Bob Newhart Show" when Emily goes out of town and Bob, Howard and Jerry get drunk and order chinese food. A hilarious TV moment when Bob slurs the order and says Moo-Goo-Goo and wonders if he's ordering chinese baby food. Another good one is the "Cheers" Thanksgiving at Carla's that ends up in a food fight (there are times when that could actually happen here). And finally, the "Friends" episode where everything completely goes awry and Joey ends up with a turkey on his head. Forget the football, give thanks to classic TV.

The Recipe:

30 oz. frozen corn, thawed
3 cups milk (2 + 1)
4 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Puree half of the corn and two cups of the milk in a blender until almost smooth. In a large bowl, whisk eggs with the sugar, flour, nutmeg, and salt. Then whisk in the pureed corn mixture, along with remaining corn and cup of milk. Pour into a 9x13 or other shallow 4qt baking dish. Bake 40-45 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and very loosely set.  Serves 10.

Note: I often cut the recipe in half for smaller crowds or when serving other vegetables. It can also be made and baked up to two days in advance. Cool completely, cover and refrigerate. Reheat in a 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Kukla, Fran and Orecchiette

Before everything was a battle, war or cut throat in the TV kitchen, Food Network actually ran cooking shows. You know, where cooks made meals from scratch (in more than 30 minutes, mind you). In this golden age (10+years ago), I saw Giada De Laurentis (before she was a celebrity chef) make orecchiette with toasted breadcrumbs. It was still the dark ages, because I remember jotting down the recipe as I watched, being as there was no foodtv.com. Intrigued, I tried it and we liked it. It's one if those recipes where timing is everything and you wish you had more hands. You have work quickly while toasting the bread crumbs, being careful not to burn them, and adding the orecchiette just at the right moment while mixing in the chopped prosciutto and Parmesan. Worth the effort every time.

Before Howdy Doody,  The Captain (Kangaroo, not the one with Tennille) and Bunny Rabbit,  and Kermit the Frog, we had the dynamic trio of Kukla (a "human") Fran (a human) and Ollie (a one toothed dragon). Two puppets and a lady with perfect timing, the brain child of Burr Tillstrom (who had his hands busy with both Kukla and Ollie). They made their debut on local Chicago TV in October 1947 and were quickly picked up by NBC for a 10 year run. More popular with adults than kids, the show endeared itself by making a personal connection with the audience, often ad libbing entire episodes. After their cancellation in 1957, so beloved by the viewing public, they continued to have holiday specials and make TV appearances, including as panelists on Match Game '79 (sans Fran, who by that time had moved on). Take a look and see how happy are three:

The Recipe:

1 pound dried orecchiette ("little ears" in Italian)
3/4 cup olive oil
2/3 cup Italian-style dried bread crumbs
1/4 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste (if aren't by the sea, any salt will do)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup finely chopped prosciutto
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a pot of salted water to boil (I find it's easiest to use a pot with a pasta/colander insert). Add thew pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm (like with children or dogs), about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat oil over a medium-high flame. Add the bread crumbs and 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper. Stirring constantly, cook until golden brown (but not burnt, which is a fine line) about 2 minutes. I usually wait until 3 minutes before the pasta is done to start this part, but that's just me.

Working quickly, drain the pasta and stir it into the toasted (but not drunken) bread crumb mixture in the saute pan. Remove from heat and stir in the prosciutto and Parmesan cheese. Serves 4.

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A Few of My Favorite Wings

Chicken wings, the Kobe beef of poultry, at least where price is concerned ( all because of supply and demand, apparently). And this week the Julia child politely demanded that I make them, as she has been denied devouring meat on the bone while having braces. But before I get to my recipe source and results, let me digress and tell you about wings that make my salavary glands ting. The Chinese wings from the now defunct Yat Wah restaurant in Lansing, MI and the Asian wings that come with the pu-pu platter at Chopsticks in Hamilton, Bermuda are both similar and savory with a hint of ginger and soy and spice and everything nice. Our exploits in Bermuda are well known (see Dark and Stormy Bar Trek) and I look forward to our visits every five years, if only for the wings. Now back to reality, this recipe comes from Gourmet and the chicken is oven roasted and then tossed with a buttery balsamic reduction. Normally, I use regular balsamic, but upon discovery of some cherry balsamic in the pantry, I threw caution to the wind and tossed my wings in it. A slightly sweeter result.

Cheers in an airport. A womanizer, a harmless dim wit, a woman waitressing with dreams and aspirations, a nasty cross terminal rival - yep WINGS was NBCs 1990 answer to NBCs Cheers. Tim Daly, Steven Weber, Tony Shaloub and Thomas Haden Church - now  all household names, but back then a bunch of nobody newcomers. The really took off and soared for seven years entertaining us with the Joe and Helen will they or won't they? Can Sandpiper Air ever really beat Aeormass? Will Lowell ever get a brain? Will Antonio ever achieve the American dream? And so on and so forth, all in a little Nantucket airport pre-9/11 and TSA interference into the daily lives of a bunch of misfits.Thank you for choosing my blog. Enjoy your day in my kitschen, or wherever your final destination may be.

The Recipe:

4 lb chicken wingettes (basically, halve the wings at the joint, with a sharp knife)
2 tblsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
 2 tsps sugar
1 tblsp butter

Special Equipment: step stool to remove the smoke detector

Put racks in upper and lower thirds of oven (or, if have double ovens as I do, use em both). Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with foil. Put pans in oven (s) and preheat to 500 degrees. Pat wings dry, then toss with oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and divide between the preheated pans, spreading wings in one layer. Roast, without turning, until golden and tender, about 35-40 minutes. While wings roast, simmer vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in a 1 qt heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally until reduced to about 1/3 cup, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted. Remove roasted wings from oven and let them stand one minute (to make them easier to remove from foil) then transfer to a large, clean bowl. Pour balsamic mixture over wings and toss to coat well. Let stand 5 minutes, then toss again. 


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