THIN CRUST PIZZA DOUGH

This is a very easy recipe and it's a good dough for pizza -- tender and thin. It makes 4 8" pizzas, and you can freeze any or all of them before or after baking.

Thin Crust Pizza Dough
INGREDIENTS:
1 small package active dry or fresh yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup warm water, 105 to 115 degrees, divided use
3 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS: Dissolve the yeast and honey in 1/4 cup warm water. (I used a Pyrex measuring cup for this, but you could also use a small bowl if you prefer.) The water should feel comfortably warm on your wrist. Don't use your fingers or hand to gauge the temp of the water.

Combine the flour and salt in the work bowl of an 11-cup or larger food processor (or use the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook). Add the oil, the yeast mixture and the remaining 3/4 cup of water and pulse till dough forms and is well worked, about 5 minutes. (For electric mixer with dough hook, mix on low speed until the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and clusters around the dough hook, about 5 minutes.) Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand 2 or 3 minutes longer. (I didn't need to do this, because the dough was worked well enough by the food processor; you will have to judge what your dough needs. You will know by the way it feels. If it's soft, smooth and elastic, it's worked enough.) Cover the dough with a clean, damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot for about 30 minutes. (I put the dough in a lightly oiled glass bowl, turned it over so both sides would be greased, and covered it with a clean kitchen towel that I dampened. I placed it in my microwave -- without turning it on of course -- and set the timer for 30 minutes.)

Divide the dough into 4 balls, about 6 oz. each. Work each ball by pulling down the sides and tucking under the bottom of the ball. Repeat 4 or 5 times. Then, on a smooth, unfloured surface, roll the ball under the palm of your hand until the top of the dough is smooth and firm, about 1 minute. Cover the dough with a damp towel (the same one) and let rest 15 - 20 minutes. At this point, the balls can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated up to 2 days (or frozen, if you prefer). Yield: 4 8" pizzas

FOOD & WINE'S VANILLA BEAN CHEESECAKE WITH WALNUT CRUST, adapted

I've been saving this recipe from the January 2002 issue of Food & Wine. If you're unfamiliar with this mag, they have a column at the end entitled, "Last Bite," wherein they feature a recipe, usually with a full-page photo. Their photo and this recipe so intrigued me that I cut it out and stashed it and periodically drooled over it. Well, I finally made it, with some modifications. Their recipe makes a 10-inch cheesecake. I halved the recipe and made an 8" cheesecake (recipe below is the halved, adapted version.) They use almond extract with the vanilla; I used lemon extract. Their crust of walnuts, sugar and melted butter didn't turn me on; I changed it to a walnut cookie crust which turned out to be a good move. I added some salt because their recipe had none; also added 2 Tbsp. cornstarch to firm the cheesecake up a bit and I upped the heavy cream a little. The star in this recipe is the vanilla -- please don't forget that. In order to protect the integrity of the vanilla, I opted to serve the cheesecake as is; no drizzle or grated chocolate over the cake; and I recommend your doing the same. This is a cheesecake to be savored slowly so the full flavor of the vanilla bean caresses your mouth. The walnuts are a great complement to the vanilla. Truly, this dessert is in a class by itself. Only the best vanilla should be used when making this recipe.

Did you know that Cook's Illustrated recently tested vanillas and found that the best baking results were obtained when using vanilla beans? This recipe uses a mix of beans and vanilla extract. I had some Madagascar vanilla beans, and I opted to use Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon pure vanilla bean paste instead of the vanilla extract (purchase at Williams Sonoma, 4 oz. about $11.00). This product is actually a replacement for vanilla beans in any recipe, because it contains vanilla bean seeds. So by using both the vanilla bean and Nielsen-Massey's vanilla bean paste, this cheesecake had a distinct but delicate vanilla flavor.

If you don't have an 8" springform pan, trot over to Wal-Mart and buy the Wilton pack of 3 springform pans (8", 9" and 10") for around $10.00. Do yourself a favor and make this cheesecake soon.

Food & Wine's Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Walnut Crust, Adapted

INGREDIENTS:
CRUST: 3/4 cup toasted walnuts
4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup brown sugar (I used 1/4 c. brown sugar + 1 tsp. Stevia Plus)
2/3 cup whole-wheat flour (the nutty flavor of the flour complements the walnuts)

SOUR CREAM TOPPING: 1 cup sour cream (I used lite and had no trouble with it setting)
2 Tbsp. white sugar (I used 1-1/2 tsp. Stevia Plus)
1 tsp. good quality vanilla (I used Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste)

FILLING: 16 oz. cream cheese (I used full-fat; it's what I had on hand, but Neufchatel is fine.)
1/2 cup sugar (I used 1/4 cup sugar + 1/2 Tbsp. Stevia Plus)
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract, good quality (I used Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste)
1/4 tsp. lemon extract
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/8 tsp. sea salt
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350F. Position oven rack in center. Have filling and topping ingredients at room temperature. Place walnuts in a pie plate or other ovenproof dish and bake for about 8-10 minutes, or till lightly toasted and giving off an aroma. Set aside to cool.

Lightly grease bottom and about 1" up sides of 8" springform pan, using butter. In work bowl of 11-cup or larger food processor, combine first 3 crust ingredients and pulse till well combined and nuts are crumbs, scraping bottom and sides as needed. Add the flour and pulse till combined and mixture resembles coarse sand. Press crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about 1" up sides. Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until set and lightly browned around edges. Remove to wire rack to cool slightly while preparing filling.

Reduce oven heat to 300F. (Note: I missed this step and actually started to bake the cheesecake at 350F. It baked at that temp for 15 minutes, then I reduced to 275F for 40 minutes, added the sour cream topping and baked at 5 minutes. There was no harm done, showing how flexible cheesecakes really are and not to be feared. Just remember to check the cake about 10 minutes before expected done time; shake the pan gently to see if the center is set yet. It should jiggle slightly to allow for continued baking upon removal from oven.)

Prepare the sour cream topping by combining the topping ingredients in a small bowl and mixing by hand with a whisk or spoon. Set aside.

Wipe work bowl and blades with damp paper towel. Combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla bean seeds and pulse till well combined and smooth, about 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time, pulsing just till each is combined. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl as needed. Add the cream, flavorings, salt and cornstarch and pulse till combined, maybe another minute. Pour batter over crust and place pan in oven on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or till lightly golden and slightly jiggly in center. (Note: my cheesecake never got lightly golden, so look more for the slightly jiggly center as your guide.) Remove the cheesecake from the oven; immediately pour the sour cream topping over the cheesecake and smooth the surface. Return the cheesecake to the oven and bake for 5 minutes longer, or till the topping is set and no longer glossy on top. Transfer to a rack and let cool to room temperature before refrigerating for 3 hours. Cover the cheesecake loosely with plastic wrap or with tinfoil over top of pan and allow to ripen overnight. Run a knife or spatula around the edges of the cheesecake to loosen the sides -- you can do this while it cools. This cheesecake yields about 8 servings.

JUDY'S TURKEY BURGERS

I suppose some of you will think that a recipe for turkey burgers is boring. For me, it's not because we don't have them that often, and I look forward to them. The leftovers are great cold, right out of the fridge, as a snack. I purchased two packages of ground turkey (one, 99% fat free breast and one 93% lean) to make chili, giving me 2.6 lbs. I decided to make turkey burgers with part of the meat. Following is the recipe.

Judy's Turkey Burgers
INGREDIENTS: 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, or Smart Balance buttery spread + 1/4
cup for frying
1 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1.3 lb. pkg. ground turkey (breast or 93% lean, or mixture)
2/3 cup whole wheat or white fine bread crumbs + extra bread crumbs
for coating patties
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (or chipotle chile pepper)
1 egg white
1/3 cup milk or lite sour cream (approx.)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 Tbsp. tomato paste or ketchup

DIRECTIONS: In medium heavy fry pan, saute the onion in the oil till transparent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so, till the garlic is soft. Set aside to cool thoroughly. In large bowl, combine all ingredients, including the cooled onion/garlic mixture. Mix thoroughly. Form into 5-6 patties. Sprinkle extra breadcrumbs on wax paper or paper plate and coat each pattie with crumbs. Refrigerate till cooking time.
When ready to cook patties, heat a large heavy fry pan over medium-high heat and add about 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil. When oil is hot, add patties and reduce heat to medium. Cook on each side about 4-5 minutes, or till turkey is cooked through and patties are nicely browned. If they are cooking too fast, reduce heat to avoid burning them. When you flip to the second side, you can also cover the pan and reduce heat to low. (Our Thai friend/neighbor made us some delicious collards to go with the turkey burgers -- see photo above; and I cooked some sweet potatoes with onions and garlic as another side.)

PECAN PUMPKIN BUTTER CHEESECAKE

I hope you made that wonderful spiced pecan pumpkin butter (see previous blog--filed under fruit sauces and butters). If you did, then you can make this cheesecake which is unbelievably good. You can't substitute pumpkin puree for the pumpkin butter unless you make other changes to the recipe -- you would have to increase the sugar and the spices. (I added chocolate and peanut butter to this cheesecake, which you don't have to do, but think about it, because it really adds some interesting flavors. I'm giving you the recipe without those ingredients, but if you want to add them, try adding about 1/4 - 1/3 cup peanut butter and about 2 Tbsp. cocoa.)
And, although the cheesecake is wonderful as is, a drizzle of chocolate sundae sauce followed by a drizzle of caramel sundae sauce would really top it off nicely. I'm watching my sugar, so I didn't add the drizzles. You'll notice that I used whole-wheat flour for the crust. We have to add those whole grains wherever we can, right? The crust is wonderful on this cake, and no one will know it's whole-wheat flour unless you tell them.

Pecan Pumpkin Butter Cheesecake
INGREDIENTS:
CRUST: 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup toasted pecans
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp. sea salt

FILLING: 24 oz. cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese (3 8-oz. pkgs.)
3/4 cup white sugar (or sugar substitute)
1 cup spiced pecan pumpkin butter
3 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. flour

DIRECTIONS: CRUST: Preheat oven to 350F. Set out a cookie sheet lined with tinfoil and an 8" springform pan lined with parchment paper that has been cut to fit the bottom. Have all ingredients at room temperature before starting.

In work bowl of 11-cup food processor, combine butter, brown sugar, and pecans. Pulse for a minute or two, or till well combined and pecans are ground. Scrape down sides and bottom as necessary. Add flour and salt and pulse just till combined. Set aside 1 cup of dough for topping. Press remaining into bottom of springform pan, and about 1 inch up sides. Bake 12-14 minutes, or till golden, slightly puffy and set. Transfer to wire rack to cool slightly while filling is prepared.

FILLING: Using same work bowl (not necessary to clean it), combine the cream cheese, pumpkin butter (and peanut butter and cocoa if adding) and sugar and pulse about 2 minutes or till well combined, scraping sides and bottom as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, pulsing just till combined after each one. Add cream, cinnamon, vanilla and flour and pulse till combined. Pour over crust, sprinkle with reserved topping, and place in oven. Immediately reduce heat to 325F and bake 55-70 minutes, or till center is almost set. Turn oven off, leave door halfway open, and let cheesecake sit in half-opened oven for about 20-30 minutes, or till center is about set. Transfer to cooling rack to finish cooling (at least 2 hours), then place in fridge, covered, to ripen overnight. (You can run a knife or spatula around the edges of the cheesecake to loosen the sides while it's cooling.)

If desired, drizzle each cheesecake slice with some chocolate sundae sauce and/or some caramel sundae sauce. Yield: about 8 servings.

DADDY'S GERMAN FILLING

Holidays make me a little sad. The reason for this is that we're not near our children. One son lives on the west coast, and the other lives in western North Carolina. Brothers and sisters are scattered throughout the country as well. So for most holidays, we are alone. I've tried to buffer that by inviting other "orphans" in our community to eat with us. But there aren't too many of them -- most neighbors travel to be with their children/grandchildren; others have their children/gradnchildren visiting them. This year, we anticipated sharing Christmas dinner with 7 others, but 5 of them canceled out for various reasons, leaving just 4 of us for Christmas. Four is better than 2. Two days before Christmas, our son in western North Carolina said he would come. His wife is from Hubert, and she had dinner with her family while he dined with us. Since they had to drive 4-1/2 hours one way and had to return home the same day, it didn't leave them much wiggle room. (They breed, raise and train dogs and had to get back for them.) We had a wonderful time with our friends and our son and I only got sad when our west coast son called because I wanted him to also be with us.

Guy decided he wanted to make my father's filling, which conjured up more memories for me. I grew up with this filling and am so glad that one day I sat with my father and wrote down the recipe ingredients. My father delighted in making this authentic German recipe, every Thanksgiving and every Christmas, year after year, and boasted that no one could duplicate it, because no one else had the patience to chop the vegetables fine enough. He would painstakenly peel whole mushrooms. And he chopped for hours till everything was almost a paste. As we threw the pre-washed, sliced mushrooms into the Cuisinart, followed by the other ingredients that needed chopping, I wondered what my father would think of this new way to make his filling. If he had been here to taste it, I know he would have given his approval. Shortcuts or not, it tasted just like Dad's. Everyone had seconds. To explain what it's like, I call it a sausage meatloaf. It slices like a meatloaf. It tastes divine. Thanks, Dad -- your recipe lives on.

Daddy's German Filling
INGREDIENTS: 3-4 Tbsp. butter, margarine or Smart Balance
1 medium-sized onion
1/2 green pepper
1/2 lb. mushrooms
3/4 of 1 stalk celery
Liver and Giblets of turkey or chicken
3/4 lb. plain pork sausage (My father used breakfast sausage)
2 eggs
1/2 cup -3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup - 3/4 cup plain bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste (Try 1 tsp. sea salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper)

DIRECTIONS: In food processor, chop mushrooms, onion and pepper -- each separately. (I used pulse so I could check the conditions of the veggies.) The mushrooms will chop fine enough, but the onion and pepper you may need to stop before they get too watery and then finish chopping them by hand until there are no large pieces left. In a large frying pan, slowly saute the veggies till transparent and beginning to brown in butter or margarine (I used Smart Balance). Transfer sauteed veggies to large mixing bowl. (If fry pan is large enough, you can let the veggies cool in it and then mix the filling in it.)

Chop the celery in the food processor, and finish by hand if needed, so that it is chopped very fine, almost like a paste. Transfer to mixing bowl. Chop the Giblets and Liver in the food processor. Transfer to the mixing bowl with the celery.

Add the pork sausage, eggs, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Mix with clean hands till well combined. Add enough milk to make a soft meatloaf. It should not be soupy, but it should not be firm either; it should be somewhat loose. Refrigerate overnight or bake immediately at 350F for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours (or till instant read thermometer inserted in center registers 165F).
(I baked mine in a round Pyrex dish, where I could see clearly how it was cooking. ) Serve with turkey or chicken. Serves 8-12 people, depending on appetites (Leftovers are great served cold alone or on a sandwich with turkey or chicken.)

NOTE: I do not recommend stuffing the bird with this mixture, since the stuffing, being in the center, takes longer to cook than the bird. You'll have to cook the stuffing to 165F and by that time the breast meat will be quite dry.

EMERIL'S BIG BIRD WITH GIBLET GRAVY, Adapted

My sister thinks that Emeril is not a chef. I don't know why. This recipe, alone, validates his credentials. I used his gravy recipe for the first time last year. There are other sites that call it "make ahead gravy," but I think he was the first to post it. This year I decided to follow his turkey recipe as well, and I'm glad I did. It was easy and delicious. If you want his original recipe, it's on the Food Network website. I'm posting the recipe as I've adapted it. Since I'm not into photography much, as always, when I have company, I forget to take a pic. I took the above photo the next day. The filling that's on top of the turkey is a separate recipe that I'll be posting probably tomorrow.

Emeril's Big Bird with Giblet Gravy, Adapted
INGREDIENTS: 1 (14 - 14.5 lb.) turkey, thawed
Giblets, neck and liver reserved for gravy (I used the giblets and liver for the filling, and only the neck for the gravy)
1/2 - 3/4 cup Kosher salt
1-1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 rib celery, coarsely chopped
5 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves)
1 bay leaf
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened (I used Smart Balance)\
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup apple cider (I used 1/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate + 1/4 cup water)
1 recipe Giblet Gravy, recipe follows

DIRECTIONS: Completely thaw frozen turkey for 3-4 days in refrigerator. On 4th day, remove wrapping, take out neck, giblets and liver. Remove any ice crystals that remain in cavity. Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water. Liberally salt with kosher salt, inside and out, including neck, giblets and liver. Place in pan in fridge for 1 hour. After 1 hour, fill a clean sink with very cold water and place turkey in the clean cold water. Clean out cavity and rub skin with water. Drain sink. Rinse turkey again inside and out with cold water. Drain. Pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Refrigerate, covered till ready to bake. (I did this on Christmas Eve, and loosely covered the turkey with several layers of plastic wrap and put it in the coldest part of the fridge. I also cut off the wings, since the turkey was too big for the 5 of us and no one was going to eat the wings anyway. I made a nice turkey stock with the wings which will be the basis of my dinner tonight which is turkey soup with cut up turkey meat. I also cut up all the veggies to stuff the inside of the turkey with, added the herbs and put everything in a plastic baggie on top of the turkey in the fridge. That was one less thing I had to do on Christmas Day.)

When ready to roast turkey, preheat oven to 400F and fit a roasting rack inside of a roasting pan. Take the turkey out of the oven and pat it dry again, inside and out, because it will have weeped more liquid. Place turkey in roasting pan breast side up on rack. Season the inside of the turkey with 1/2 tsp. of the sea salt and 1/2 tsp. of the black pepper. Transfer the contents of the plastic baggie into the turkey cavity. Secure turkey legs with twine. Rub the turkey skin with butter (or Smart Balance) and sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper (or adjust to your taste, adding more or less). Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove turkey from oven. Combine the chicken broth and apple cider or juice and baste the top of the turkey evenly with 1/3 of the liquid. Return turkey to oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350F and cook for an additional 2-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours, basting twice more during this time with the remaining chicken-apple liquid. The turkey should be a nice golden brown color, and the juices should run clear when you insert the tip of a knife at the joint of the leg and thigh. An instant read thermometer inserted into the joint of the leg and thigh, without touching a bone, should register 165F when the turkey is cooked through. (If the turkey begins to look too browned, cover the top loosely with aluminum foil until it is done. Note: I had to tent the turkey for the last 1-1/2 hours.) Remove the turkey from the roasting pan and place it directly on the cutting board, cover it with foil, tucking it in at the bottom, then with an old clean bath towel. Let it sit so that the juices settle and it finishes cooking for at least 1/2 hour. (I let mine sit for an hour, and it was perfect.) You will have plenty of pan juices and drippings to work with, and you can add them to the gravy that you should have made the day before (as I did).

GIBLET GRAVY
(Note, last year I made this as is and it was exceptional. This year, I needed the giblets and liver for the filling, but am happy to say that the end gravy was still delicious. This is a very easy and really good gravy and I love making it the day before. It's one less thing to do on Christmas Day.)
INGREDIENTS: 1 Tbsp. butter + 2 tsp. olive oil (I used 2 Tbsp. Smart Balance)
Giblets, liver and neck from 1 turkey (I used neck only)
1 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped cleery
1/3 cup peeled and chopped carrot
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
4 tsp. flour
1/4 cup dry white wine, drinking quality
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 sprig fresh thyme
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS: In a medium sized heavy pot, melt the butter and olive oil (or Smart Balance) over medium-high heat. Add giblets, liver and neck, (or just neck) and brown, stirring if needed, 4-5 minutes. Add veggies and garlic and saute an additional 5 minutes, or till veggies are soft. Stir in flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, stirring to incorporate any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth, thyme sprig and any reserved juices from the bottom of the roasting pan, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Strain, discarding all but the smooth gravy. Adjust seasoningss with salt and pepper. If making this the day before, refrigerate overnight. After turkey is cooked, add turkey pan drippings to pot with gravy, bring to boil, stir and strain again if necessary. (If you decide to add the pan juices as well as the drippings, you will need to add more flour. I saved the pan juices to mix with soup stock for added flavor.)

MY FAVORITE PIE CRUST

I wish I could remember where this recipe came from. It's at least 40 years old, and I've used it over and over because it's no-fail and not at all fussy. For the past year or so, I didn't use it because of the changes to Crisco shortening. Since they've taken out the trans-fats, the shortening acts more like oil in a pie crust and it's terribly hard to work with. It breaks apart easily, and the pie crust can't be shaped as easily as before. I've tried numerous other pie crust recipes, but none could measure up to my favorite. So I finally went back to it and adapted it. The results were better than expected. By mixing the fat, part butter, part shortening, I can now roll the crust. It still tends to break more easily than the original with shortening only, but I can live with it now. Once you try this recipe, you'll be hooked as I am on the flavor and flakiness. What's also nice is that it makes 4 crusts at one time, which can be frozen and used later.

My Favorite Pie Crust

INGREDIENTS: 4 cups all-purpose flour lightly spooned into cup (I used half White Lily
bleached and half Pillsbury unbleached.)
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. sea salt
3/4 cup cold solid vegetable shortening
1 cup cold or frozen unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. white or cider vinegar (I use cider)
1 large egg, cold

DIRECTIONS: Place flour, sugar and salt in workbowl of food processor or large mixing bowl. Add shortening and pulse till it is incorporated into flour and there are no shortening pieces visible. (By hand, cut in shortening with pastry blender or knives.) Now do the same with the butter, but only process until butter is in very small pieces, smaller than peas. In a measuring cup, combine the vinegar and egg. Add enough ice water to make 1/2 cup. Add enough of the egg mixture to the flour mixture to form a ball. Sometimes you will use it all, other times there will be some liquid unused.  (By hand, mix with fork till pastry forms a ball.) Separate dough into four equal pieces. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for several month.