All Posts By: NANCY DeLUCIA REAL

Every year at Thanksgiving, my Italian mother (Francesca) made traditional delicious turkey stuffed and baked – Molise style. Our usual 20-pounder would feed 15 to 20 people.

While I love traditions and large family holiday gatherings, there have been times when it’s been just my husband, my son, my mother and me – four of us.

I learned how to make this Tuscan Turkey for Four in Gaiole, the Chianti area of Tuscany. It’s simmered with wine, broth over low heat. After 2 hours, the turkey is fork tender, succulent and delicious. Buon Appetito e Buon Thanksgiving!

Cooking time: 2 hours
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 green or red bell pepper, stem & seeds discarded
1 medium carrot, peeled
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
One turkey breast half with bone (about 3 to 3-1/2 pounds), cut into eighths & skin discarded
1-1/2 cups dry white wine
1-1/4 to 1-1/2 quarts chicken broth (4-1/4 to 4-1/2 cups)
Dash ground nutmeg
3 whole bay leaves

1. In a food processor, mince together the onion, garlic, bell pepper and carrots; set aside.

2. In an 8 to 10-quart saucepot heat the oil. When oil is hot, add the turkey breast pieces and brown them 1 to 2 minutes per side on medium-high heat.

3. Stir in the onion mixture. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally for 4 to 5 minutes or until onion mixture is tender. Turn over the turkey pieces once.

4. After 4 to 5 minutes, stir in the wine. Cover and cook on medium-high for 6 to 7 minutes.

5. After 6 to 7 minutes, turn over the turkey pieces once; gently stir. Continue cooking for 3 more minutes or until the onion-wine mixture has reduced by half.

6. When mixture has reduced by half, stir in 1 cup chicken broth, dash nutmeg and the bay leaves.

7. Cook, uncovered, on medium-high for 10 minutes or until broth has reduced by half. During this cook time, turn the turkey pieces over once.

8. Stir in 1/2 cup of broth and continue cooking on medium heat for 15 minutes, gently stirring occasionally.

9. Continue cooking on medium-low heat for an additional 1 to 1-1/2 hours, adding 3/4 cup to 1 cup broth every 15 minutes or each time the liquid reduces by half.

10. Serve one to two pieces of turkey per person. Accompany with Drunken Brussel Sprouts and Potato-Yam Chipotle Mash (previously published on this blog).

White wine pairing suggestion: chilled Pinot Grigio.

Text and Photograph ©2012 Nancy DeLucia Real

With our turkey holiday right around the corner, I started thinking about smaller feasts. What do you do when you’re not cooking for 15 to 20 people? You downsize a recipe, right? And, you can also tweak a traditional recipe like mashed potatoes.

Here’s a  Potato-Yam Chipotle Mash for four that’ll blow you away. Made with potatoes, one yam and spiced with chipotle chiles in adobo sauce – it’s deliciously sweet and HOT!  Of course, you can control the amount of heat you want. 

Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
Two medium Russet potatoes, about 5 inches in length (preferably organic)
1 medium yam (weighing about 1/2 pound)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil
3 to 4 tablespoons milk (2% milkfat, 1% milkfat or whole milk*)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon pureed chipotle chiles in adobo sauce**
Salt, to taste

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2-inch chunks; transfer the potato chunks to a bowl of cold water and set aside.

2. Peel the yam and cut it into 2-inch chunks; transfer the yam chunks to the bowl of potatoes and cold water.

3. Drain the potato and yam chunks and transfer them to a 4 to 6-quart saucepot. Cover with cold water. Set saucepot, covered, on a burner on high heat and bring to a boil. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt.

4. Uncover saucepot and cook the potato and yam chunks for 7 to 8 minutes or until they are fork-tender.

5. When the potato and yam chunks are cooked, drain them in a colander and transfer them to a medium glass or porcelain mixing bowl or stand mixer. Add the butter or olive oil to the poato-yam mixture.

6. If using a mixing bowl, beat the potatoes with a hand mixer. Alternatively, use medium mixing speed on a stand mixer.

7. When the potatoes are beaten, stir in the milk and 1/2 teaspoon of the mashed chipotles. Beat once more until well-blended. Taste and add more mashed chipotle, if desired. Adjust salt level, if needed.

Serve Potato-Yam Chipotle Mash with turkey on Thanksgiving Day. This recipe makes for a great side with any meat, poultry or fish filet such as salmon, halibut, sea bass, etc.

Text and Photograph ©2012 Nancy DeLucia Real

How do you prepare Brussel sprouts? Do you boil or steam them? I sauté Brussel Sprouts with a splash of Whisky or wine. As they cook, the alcohol reduction makes this simple veggie sweet – and happy! 

Enjoy these Drunken Brussel Sprouts as a side dish for your Thanksgiving turkey. You’ll get great reviews on this recipe.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6 (as a side dish)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
1 to 1-1/2 pounds fresh Brussel sprouts (15 to 18 count)
1/2 cup chopped white or brown onion
1/2 cup Whisky or dry white wine
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1. Working over a sink, trim and discard the stubs from the Brussel sprouts. Remove outer leaves, cut the sprouts in half lengthwise. As you cut the sprouts, place them in a bowl with cold water.

2. Drain the Brussel sprouts and pat them dry with paper towels; set aside in a bowl.

3. Heat the oil in a 10 to 12-inch skillet. Add the Brussel sprouts and stir fry on medium high heat for about 2 minutes.

4. Stir in the chopped onion and stir fry 2 minutes or until onion is clear.

5. Add Whisky or wine, salt and pepper to the Brussel sprouts in skillet. 

6. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until the sprouts are crunchy-tender. Cook 1 to 2 minutes longer for a softer consistency.

Serve as a side dish to poultry, meat or fish.

Text and Photograph ©2012 Nancy DeLucia Real

I’ll never forget the first time I tasted fresh pumpkin (without it being so over processed). My experience took place in a fabulous country: Mexico. As I looked inside my clay bowl, those chunks of pumpkin didn’t look that appealing.

However, Mexicans have a way of transforming boring, bland pumpkin into a treat by cooking it in  sugar syrup made with water and piloncillo (this is natural brown cane sugar). And, those exotic cinnamon sticks are added to the boil.

Yup! Just three ingredients are needed here to satisfy my big sweet tooth!

Prep time: 40 to 50 minutes
Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:
3 cups cold water
2 piloncillo cones* (Mexican natural brown cane sugar)
2 cinnamon sticks, cut in half
Dash ground cinnamon
One 2-pound fresh pumpkin

Make the sugar syrup:

1. In a 2-quart sauce pot, combine the water, piloncillo cones, cinnamon sticks and dash ground cinnamon

2. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook for about 5 to 8 minutes or until the sugar melts down. Set aside, uncovered, to cool.

3. Meanwhile, cut the pumpkin in fourths. Remove and discard the stem, seeds and fibers. Peel the pumpkin (this is optional, since it is left unpeeled when this recipe is prepared in Mexico).

4. Cut pumpkin into 3-inch chunks; transfer pumpkin chunks to a 6 to 8-quart saucepot.

5. Pour the sugar syrup over the pumpkin in sauce pot. Cover and bring to a boil.

6. Cook on medium-high heat for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until the pumpkin is fork-tender.

7. Cool and serve Mexican Pumpkin Treat warm or,  alternatively, refrigerate a day ahead and serve cold.

*Piloncillo is hardened, natural brown sugar shaped in cones. The cones measure about 5 inches and can be found in Latin American supermarkets or grocery stores.

Text and Photograph ©2012 Nancy DeLucia Real

In various cultures around the world, the Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos (Spanish) is celebrated on November 1 and November 2. It corresponds with the Roman Catholic holidays of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, respectively. In Mexico, the Day of the Dead is a national holiday. It is a day when families get together (such as the skeleton family in the above photograph – lol!).

Altars, such as this one, are built to commemorate dead family members ad friends. Serving as shrines, the altars hold skulls made of sugar and marigolds. Articles that belonged to the deceased, as well as their favorite foods, are then transported by families to grave sites where festivities follow.

Notice the glazed, textured bread – it is known as pan de muertos (literally translated as Bread of the Dead). During this holiday, large versions such as this one or mini versions of pan de muertos are found in bakeries all over Mexico.

Day of the Dead rituals go as far back as 2,500 to 3,000 years ago, to the pre-Hispanic era in Mexico. Skulls, which symbolized death and rebirth, were kept and displayed as trophies by indigenous peoples.

The above skulls are my own trophies which represent party-time – they’re filled with Tequila!

Ancient festivities and rituals, however, took place in August, the ninth month of the Aztec calendar. They were dedicated to the goddess of the dead or the modern-day Catrina.

Catrina is an upper-class skeleton woman – isn’t she sexy? There are many versions of her, as you can see.

This one is reminiscent of Twiggy – the famous 1960’s model – is she alive or is she remembered on Day of the Dead in Mexico?

Photograph credit ©Tomas Castelazo
www.tomascastelazo.com/Wikipedia Commons/License CC-BY-SA-3.0

By far, my fav Catrinas are these two!
Which are your favorite sexy skeletons?

In honor of Mexico, its art, food and culture, I’ve posted a special recipe on this website – Mexican Pumpkin Treat. Find it in Recipe index, under Desserts, Creams & Sauces; and Vegetables.
Feliz Dia de los Muertos!
Nancy:)

Text and Photographs of Skeleton Family, Altar, Skulls, Blue Catrina, Black-Haired Catrina and Mexican Pumpkin Treat ©2012 Nancy DeLucia Real