Boston Globe -- Food stories

Thanks for the sense memories

Devra First, Globe Staff — 2009-11-24T18:22:11Z

It’s Thanksgiving, time to reflect on the things for which we are grateful: family and friends, good fortune, and - of course - good food. Here are some of the dishes I was most thankful for in 2009. (All things must pass, even the delicious: Call before you head out if your heart is set on a certain selection.)

Corn bread stuffing with leeks, bacon, cranberries, and pecans

2009-11-24T18:11:21Z

Serves 14 Everyone will find something to love in this chunky fruit, nut, and vegetable stuffing that’s baked in a pan, so the top gets crisp while the bottom stays moist. If you prefer a moister stuffing, keep it covered with foil for the entire baking time. This time of year, many markets sell corn bread, if you don’t want ...

Sweet potato and pancetta hash

2009-11-24T18:10:50Z

Serves 6 To make the dish more colorful, use both white and orange sweet potatoes. They’re cut into cubes and roasted first until they soften, then cooked in the fat from rendering pancetta. The sweet, meaty taste is a great combination.

Roasted delicata squash

2009-11-24T18:09:28Z

Serves 8 Striped delicata squash is the favorite of many cooks. Cut it up and roast it until it caramelizes at the edges; even the skins are tender. Make these in advance and reheat in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes.

Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon and maple syrup

2009-11-24T18:08:11Z

Serves 4 A little sweetness brings out the best in roasted Brussels sprouts. Cook them with bacon and maple syrup until the sprouts are tender and the bacon has rendered its fat and turns crisp and golden. It’s true, everything’s better with bacon.

Matchstick potatoes

2009-11-24T18:07:14Z

Serves 6 If you have a mandoline, your work is a breeze. Cut the potatoes crosswise into thin rounds, then stack the rounds and cut sticks. You can’t fit more than two potatoes on a sheet. Make these in advance and then tip the matchsticks from both sheets into a deep baking dish; reheat in a 400-degree oven for 20 ...

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2009-11-24T18:07:14Z

Ginger-roasted carrots with herb vinaigrette

2009-11-24T18:06:41Z

Serves 10 Roasted carrots are a colorful side dish; here they’re accompanied by a bright parsley vinaigrette. The recipe comes from chefs Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier, co-owners of Summer Winter in Burlington and Arrows and MC Perkins Cove in Ogunquit, Maine, who use carrots dug from their own gardens.

Add a little flair to the sideboard

2009-11-24T18:06:08Z

If you’re making something for the Thanksgiving table, chances are you know what it is. Perhaps you’ve settled on the main ingredient and you’re wondering about whether to prepare it the same way you always have or add a little flair. We’re all for flair. Add cranberries, bacon, and sauteed mushrooms to cubes of corn bread for a crusty topped ...

Enough pies for the feast - and some for breakfast

Andrea Pyenson, Globe Correspondent — 2009-11-24T18:05:34Z

CAMBRIDGE - It isn’t the turkey and sides that leave most people groaning from overindulgence. The Thanksgiving feast would be manageable, if it weren’t for the pies. The Carpenter-Winch family may have found a way around this. They don’t eat less pie than the rest of the country. In fact, they may eat more. But in this household, Thanksgiving pie ...

Chocolate cream pie

2009-11-24T18:05:00Z

Makes one 9-inch pie When she was a teenager, Cindy Carpenter’s mother taught her how to make this pie from “The Fannie Farmer Cookbook.’’ It is always the first pie to go at Thanksgiving, whatever other kinds the family makes. The pastry makes more than you need; roll out the scraps, cut them into shapes, and sprinkle them with cinnamon-sugar ...

Tips for deep-frying a turkey

2009-11-24T18:04:19Z

STEP BY STEP 1 > Dry the turkey thoroughly, inside and out. Excess moisture could cause the oil to splatter.

The ultimate speedy bird

Devra First, Globe Staff — 2009-11-24T18:03:43Z

o an online search for the words “deep-fried turkey’’ and it will not be long until you stumble across a video of someone creating a giant flame ball that burns down his or her house and possibly half the town. That, friends, is why I recently decided to attempt this feat. Danger makes me hungry. And so does turkey. Enough ...

Pumpkin bread

2009-11-24T18:00:58Z

Makes 2 loaves Butter (for the pans) All-purpose flour (for the pans) 1 cup spelt flour 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger Pinch each ground cloves and ground allspice 4 eggs 1 3/4 cups sugar 1 cup canola oil ...

In praise of pumpkins’ promise of abundance

Jane Dornbusch, Globe Correspondent — 2009-11-24T18:00:20Z

BELMONT - If you want to prepare something from your own pumpkins for your holiday table, you have to be thinking pumpkins in April. That’s when Kathy Martin plants seeds for Baby Pams, giant Big Rocks, and green-skinned Jarrahdales.

Red Lentil is a savory haven for vegans

Sheryl Julian, Globe Staff — 2009-11-24T17:37:51Z

When their food arrives, diners here sit and stare at their plates, which are colorful, architectural, and beautiful. Nirvana delight ($13), grilled tofu marinated in tandoori spices, comes as two thick triangles leaning on a pedestal of quinoa salad with lush spinach, beet relish, and a cucumber-yogurt sauce. The aromatic, tender bean curd and its crisp edges are slightly spicy, ...

Bye bye, birdie

Sam Allis, Globe Staff — 2009-11-24T01:24:39Z

Today, I rise to address a subject that has tortured me for years: the tyranny of turkey.

Let’s not talk turkey

June Wulff, Globe Staff — 2009-11-24T00:59:47Z

If you’d like to avoid the tryptophan stupor, try the Thanksgiving Vegan Dinner at UpStairs on the Square , where your feast includes chef Steve Brand’s roasted pumpkin soup with maple sugar swirl, fried sage, and toasted pumpkin seeds; baked butternut squash with traditional pecan, apple, raisin chestnut stuffing; apple bourbon cranberry relish; and chocolate fudge cookies with pumpkin mousse. ...

Why does eating quickly seem to lead to weight gain?

Bina Venkataraman — 2009-11-23T01:48:37Z

Q. Why does eating quickly seem to lead to weight gain, and what can you do to help yourself slow down?

For a taste of early Thanksgiving, try Indian pudding on the table

Ellen Albanese, Globe Correspondent — 2009-11-22T02:27:01Z

It’s too late to book your Thanksgiving dinner at Plimoth Plantation, but you can add a taste of the first feast to your holiday table with the museum’s Indian pudding.

Consumer group is sour on Ocean Spray labeling

Johnny Diaz, Globe Staff — 2009-11-20T03:36:11Z

A consumer advocacy group isn’t so sweet on the labeling of a new dried fruit cranberry product from Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc.

Martinis with history

Luke O'Neil, Globe Correspondent — 2009-11-19T17:45:38Z

The idea of digging into the cocktail archives has become de rigueur in recent years. For Gargoyles owner James Conforti and bartender Paul Christie, that was the plan from the get-go when they opened in 1996. Back then, martini and cocktail culture wasn’t as prevalent as it is today. One of the easiest ways to get that concept on the ...

Martinis with history

Luke O'Neil, Globe Correspondent — 2009-11-19T17:45:38Z

Straight outta Coolio

2009-11-18T03:47:13Z

You know him as Coolio, the artist behind such mid-’90s hits as “Fantastic Voyage’’ and “Gangsta’s Paradise.’’ But recently he’s reinvented himself as the Ghetto Gourmet, with an online cooking show and now a new cookbook, “Cookin’ With Coolio,’’ full of recipes with names such as Chicken Lettuce Blunts and Cold Shrimpin’. We spoke with him about romance in the ...

Fresh and never refrigerated

Peggy Hernandez, Globe Correspondent — 2009-11-17T18:50:18Z

LONDON - It is Sunday afternoon in Notting Hill, well past brunch, yet a line has formed outside Ottolenghi, a deli-patisserie. My teenager, eager to visit the nearby Portobello Road flea market, wants to give the shop a pass until her eyes fix on the window display.

Pumpkin pie

2009-11-17T18:25:54Z

Makes one 9-inch pie or enough to serve 8 This spice-filled, smooth, rich pumpkin pie comes from restaurateur Lydia Shire of Locke-Ober and Scampo in Boston, and Blue Sky in York Beach, Maine. She makes it for her own table.

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2009-11-17T18:25:54Z

Dirty smash

2009-11-17T18:24:27Z

Serves 8 Butter (for the dish) 6 large Yukon Gold or Yellow Fin potatoes, scrubbed 1 russet potato, scrubbed Salt and pepper, to taste 1 cup low-fat milk 3 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 1. Butter a deep 10-inch baking dish.

Turkey basics: Cheap to chic

Jane Dornbusch, Globe Correspondent — 2009-11-17T18:24:01Z

Turkey used to be one of those uncomplicated things, like phones and televisions. When Thanksgiving rolled around, you went to the store and bought a turkey. Now you’ve got natural, heritage, local, organic, you name it.

Sausage and French bread stuffing

2009-11-17T18:23:35Z

Serves 8 Hi-Rise Bread Co. owner Rene Becker uses a combination of his own crusty bread along with challah and something he calls corn bread, which is made from a yeast dough. The coarser the bread, says the Cambridge bakery owner, the lighter the stuffing. He doesn’t like sourdough bread for this and advises toasting the bread very lightly, so ...

Caramelized onions

2009-11-17T18:23:10Z

Serves 8 4 large Spanish onions Olive oil (for sprinkling) Salt and pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme 1. Set the oven at 400 degrees. Have on hand a 12-inch baking dish.

Talking turkey

2009-11-17T18:22:11Z

This menu comes to about $86. That gives you a little flexibility to add another dish or increase the proportions of something you like. Pantry items such as maple syrup or cinnamon are not part of the final tally. Next week look for Devra First’s account of deep-frying a turkey, some last-minute sides, and a chocolate cream pie. To find ...

Spicy cranberry-orange sauce

2009-11-17T18:21:18Z

Serves 8 2 packages (12 ounces each) fresh cranberries Grated rind and juice of 1 large Navel orange 1 cup dark brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated sugar, or to taste 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1 piece (2 inches) fresh ginger, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste 1/4 teaspoon salt 1. In a saucepan, combine the cranberries, ...

Roast turkey with fresh herbs and pan gravy

2009-11-17T18:20:37Z

Let the turkey sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting. You need a meat thermometer and a pan large enough to hold the bird with room around it. A rack is nice, but not necessary. If you don’t have one, set the bird on a bed of carrots and onions. See the accompanying chart for turkey roasting times. ...

Turkey roasting times

2009-11-17T18:20:06Z

Turkey roasting times A bird is cooked when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh and the stuffing registers 165 degrees. In general, allow 10 minutes a pound for unstuffed birds, 12 minutes per pound for stuffed ones. Times are approximate.

A $100 Thanksgiving menu for eight

Sheryl Julian, Globe Staff — 2009-11-17T18:18:51Z

This Thanksgiving, we offer a modest proposal. Rather than groaning over too much work and too much food (you’ll do enough groaning over your uncle’s corny humor), why not truly enjoy the biggest food holiday of the year?

Sweet potato pie

2009-11-17T18:15:25Z

Makes one 9-inch pie Coconut and pineapple flavorings are at specialty shops, or use coconut milk instead of coconut flavoring, pineapple juice for the pineapple flavoring. Pastry and baking instructions are on Page 24 in the pumpkin pie recipe.

Making pies with care

Christine Liu, Globe Correspondent — 2009-11-17T18:14:52Z

Cue Thanksgiving dinner. A tableful of friends and family eating turkey, cranberry sauce, and all the trimmings. Finally, a glorious pie - apple, pecan, pumpkin, or sweet potato - is set on the table. It’s handmade and pitch perfect and you’re absolutely thrilled to take no credit.

Winging Thanksgiving wines

2009-11-17T18:12:41Z

It seems there are as many theories about what wines pair best with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner as there are recipes for cranberry sauce. OK, maybe not that many - but a lot in any case. You needn’t fear that we’re going to subject you to a lengthy enumeration of said theories; on the contrary, we’re going to shortcut the ...

Pickled beets

2009-11-17T18:11:41Z

Makes 2 quarts Pickled beets are often too sweet (think Harvard beets, which are cloying) or too sour (19th-century New England cooking school teacher Fannie Farmer preserved hers with nothing more than distilled vinegar). The key to pickling beets is the right balance. Boil the brine in a stainless steel or ceramic-lined pot; avoid aluminum as it will cause off ...

Top seeds

2009-11-17T18:11:11Z

Veggie Zingers ($3.59 for 8 ounces), mixed slivered almonds, roasted flax seeds, raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds), and raw sunflower seeds, are supposed to add a little something to vegetables. You can also use them to top sauteed or baked fish, tuna salad with veggies and lettuce, and baked potato with yogurt or sour cream. They’re versatile and healthy - and ...

Bolly in a box

2009-11-17T18:10:41Z

It’s hard to get fresh-tasting vegetables out of anything but the produce aisle, but with Tasty Bite’s all-natural, boil-in-the-bag Indian dishes, you can get them from a box. That might be from the simplicity of the food, 40 percent of which the company grows in the hills of Pune, India, near Mumbai: The Bombay potatoes are just potatoes, chickpeas, and ...

‘Good’ applesauce

2009-11-17T18:10:20Z

When Charles Waite Maclin planted six apple trees on his property in Cushing, Maine, hoping for a bountiful harvest, someone must have heard his prayers. Not only were the trees fruitful, they also helped the Episcopal priest and psychotherapist launch Pastor Chuck Orchards. The business, recently named Food Producer of the Year by the Maine Grocers Association, sells organic applesauce ...

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2009-11-17T18:10:20Z

Roasted broccoli with pine nuts and raisins recipe

2009-11-17T17:53:24Z

Roasted broccoli with pine nuts and raisins Serves 8

Recipe for sweet potato salad with pecans and maple

2009-11-17T17:52:43Z

Sweet potato salad with pecans and maple Serves 4

Pureed maple squash recipe

2009-11-17T17:52:08Z

Pureed maple squash Serves 8

They grow on the family tree

2009-11-03T18:13:27Z

Swaths of crimson berries dot the countryside in Southeastern Massachusetts. Cranberry season is underway and on a bog in Wareham, Keith Mann, 41, a fourth-generation grower (pictured above) and his crew of five are dry picking organic cranberries on roughly four acres. Dry picked berries are sold exclusively as fresh fruit; (most berries are harvested after flooding the bog, which ...

Plonkapalooza: Best of tasting

2009-10-27T19:40:38Z

WHITES Domaine du Haut Perron Touraine 2008

Plonkapalooza: Each expert's top five whites and reds

2009-10-27T19:40:32Z

Michael Meagher is beverage manager at BOKX 109 restaurant at the Hotel Indigo in Newton and chairman of the Boston Sommelier Society.

Someone’s got to do it

Stephen Meuse, Globe Correspondent — 2009-10-27T19:40:24Z

There are 50 of them, four of us, and the task seems a bit daunting. Over the next two hours, we will taste 25 white wines and 25 reds (identities unknown), compare impressions, and take notes. What we hope to find are a handful of wines that deserve to be called the best at $12 and under - the Grand ...

The 50 nominees for Plonkapalooza

2009-10-27T19:40:16Z

50 Wines at the Tasting Prices vary from one place to another, but discounts of 10 to 20 percent are applied when you buy wine by the case. These wines are available at the retailers listed beside them, but they’re also at other shops. Check with your local spot; it may take a few days for them to receive the ...

Rice salad

Sheryl Julian, Globe Staff — 2009-06-03T03:48:06Z

Serves 6 The cooking method here is similar to pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and simmer the rice for exactly 10 minutes. The rice doesn't absorb the water; the extra liquid helps the grains stay separate for this salad. A squeezed lemon half (including the rind) in the water helps keep the grains white.

Chocolate pine-nut tart

Sheryl Julian, Globe Correspondent — 2009-06-03T03:48:01Z

Serves 8 The custard here makes a very thin layer, which is studded with pine nuts and squares of dark chocolate. One day recently I was just about to make this tart and remembered that one of my guests is allergic to chocolate. I quickly pulled some candied orange rind from the pantry shelf and snipped half a dozen pieces ...

BLT panzanella

Sheryl Julian, Globe Staff — 2009-06-03T03:47:40Z

Serves 6 Many Mediterranean cultures turn stale bread into salads or soups. Panzanella is the popular Italian combination of bread cubes and vegetables. Traditional recipes let the bread and vegetables sit for several hours so the bread can absorb the juices in the bowl. If you eat the salad right away, the toasted bread cubes are still crisp. Bacon and ...

Versatile labels

Stephen Meuse, Globe Correspondent — 2009-06-03T03:47:18Z

Every year we drop in at an open house held by a very hospitable couple. They do some cooking, but much of what's on offer is brought by guests, including the wine. There's always a variety of reds and whites, some good and some not that exciting. All right, most of it not that exciting.

Your BYO best

Sheryl Julian, Globe Staff — 2009-06-03T03:46:58Z

The system of eating communally began long before the recent worries over finances. It started many thousands of years ago, when the real concern was whether there was enough food to go around. If you slaughtered an animal or harvested a crop, everyone shared in the bounty.

Pulled chicken sandwiches with slaw

Sheryl Julian, Globe Staff — 2009-06-02T16:45:27Z

Serves 8 Begin with chicken thighs on the bone, add plenty of rub, and cook the thighs between slices of pancetta in a low oven for 4 hours. The meat falls off the bone and when shredded, resembles pork (the similarity is remarkable). Any hamburger-style buns will work. We like Martin's potato buns, which are especially soft, in the mini ...

Diary of a celiac

Louisa Kasdon, Globe Correspondent — 2008-04-23T04:00:00Z

I was always the one with the cast-iron stomach. I could eat everything, travel everywhere, and sample it all. I might pass on the sauteed sheep's eyeballs in Marrakech, or the mystery meat stew offered to me in a village in southwestern Mali, but that was just squeamishness. Every once in a while, I'd pick up a bug, a little ...

Gluten-free strawberry-almond cake

2008-04-23T04:00:00Z

Baking without wheat flour or many other common grains can be overwhelming and frustrating. It's quite hard to figure out how to get started. I've been baking professionally for 30 years - for the last few as a celiac. Gradually, I developed some simple recipes using acceptable ingredients and my friends tell me that they can't taste which of my ...

Gluten-free brownies

2008-04-23T04:00:00Z

Makes 24 These brownies are made with unsweetened cocoa powder, garbanzo bean flour, and chocolate morsels. Bake them in an 11-by-8-inch glass dish or a standard 9-by-13-inch pan. The glass produces a thicker brownie with a chewy crust; the metal pan a thinner brownie with softer edges. All ingredients are gluten-free.

Gluten-free dining out

2008-04-23T04:00:00Z

Most Indian restaurants are gluten-free, as are most Vietnamese places. If you're eating sushi or Chinese food, you might want to bring your own wheat-free tamari. As for the chains, Outback Steakhouse (outbacksteakhouse.com), Chili's Grill & Bar (chilis.com) Boston Market (bostonmarket .com), and Uno Chicago Grill (unos.com) are known as having GF-friendly menus. Here are some local places:

How to find gluten-free products

2008-04-23T04:00:00Z

There are many places for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance to go for information, including the national advocacy group, The Celiac Disease Foundation (celiac.org), and a local organization, Healthy Villi (healthyvilli.org).

Gluten-free sesame crackers

2008-04-23T04:00:00Z

Gluten-free sesame crackers Makes 60 small crackers or 45 large ones

Gluten-free strawberry-rhubarb crisp

2008-04-23T04:00:00Z

Strawberry-rhubarb crisp Serves 6