Pumpkin Cheese Cake

A perfect dessert~fall or winter

Crust

1 1/2 cups ground graham cracker crumbs

1 1/2 cups toasted pecans (about 6 oz)

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup unsalted

Filling

4 8 oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature

1 2/3 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

4 TBSP whipping cream

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground allspice

4 large eggs

Topping

1 TBSP purchased caramel sauce

1 cup sour cream

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

For Crust: Grind the graham cracker crumbs, pecans and sugar in processor. Add melted butter and blend until combined. Press crust mixture onto bottoms and sides of 9 inch spring form pan with 2 3/4 inch edges.

Cheese Cake Crust

For Filling: Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light. Transfer 3/4 cup mixture to a small bowl and cover and refrigerate to use for topping later. Add pumpkin, 4 TBSP whipping cream, cinnamon, and allspice to mixer bowl. Beat until well combined. Add eggs 1 at a time until just combined. Pour filling into pan.

Batter poured into pan prior to baking

Bake until cheesecake puffs, top browns and center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 15 mins. Transfer cheese cake to rack and cool 10 minutes. Run small knife around cake pan sides to loosen cake. Cool. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Baked Cheese Cake Cooling avec Fall Decor

Bring remaining cream cheese mixture to room temperature. Combine with sour cream. Press down edges of cheese cake to smooth. Pour mixture over cake and spread evenly. Spoon caramel in straight, thin lines across mixture. Using tip of knife, without using pressure, gently draw a  line across the cake, perpendicular to caramel sauce. Drag the knife toward you then a line away from you and repeat until caramel design has been created.

Delish!

Absinthe at Alison Two

They know how to party at Alison Two!!

Come out tonight and meet up with old friends!

Enjoy 50% off Bar Menu items from 5PM – 6:30PM

Special Pre-Thanksgiving Drink Special will be available

This is a Turkey-Free Zone!!!

Voted Best Bar Menu by The Best of Food.com

It’s Going to be a Good Time Tonight at MaGerk’s!

Happy Hour 5PM- 7PM $1.50 Yuengling, Coors & Bud Light drafts, $5 Martinis, $4 house wines, $5 Crushes

8PM – 10PM $2 Bud and Bud Light Specials

10PM The Bare Knuckle Boxers take the Stage

MaGerk’s Voted Best Cheese Steaks in the area by The Best of Food.com

OK, so this is not one of the most beautiful pictures of my Molasses Glazed Turkey, but damn it, it is  person. The skin turns burgundy and is not as dark as it appears here.  I just can’t seem to find the wonderful pictures I seek! Things are never where they they need to be, when I need them….story of my life!

Bottom line: This Turkey is so easy to make, yet absolutely delicious and beautiful!

Turkey with Molasses Glaze

Fresh Turkey – plan 1-2 pounds per person if you want leftovers

Molasses

Butter

Fresh Thyme

Fresh Sage

Salt and Pepper to season

(Make sure you check out the earlier post on brining.)

It depends on your oven, but plan your cooking time on 15 minutes per pound at 325 degrees. In order to determine what time to put your turkey in the oven, plan what time you want to sit down to eat. A turkey should stand without being carved at least 15- 30 minutes but no longer than 2 hours maximum. If you use a convection oven the turkey will cook  10-12 minutes per pound.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Remove turkey from brining solution and place in the sink. Rinse well for several minutes under cold water, turning turkey to ensure water is drained from every cavity. Have clean towels on counter next to sink and dry turkey well. Transfer to roasting pan. At the top opening of the breast pull the skin slightly away from the meat. Slice two pats of butter from a stick. With your fingers take one pat of butter and slide it down under the skin over the breast meat. Massage it into the meat until it is dispersed across the breast. Repeat on the other side. On both sides also slide under a few springs of fresh thyme and sage. Stuff turkey, (stuffing recipe to follow) first the rear cavity, by pulling the skin flap up to expose opening. When full use a toothpick to hold secure. Repeat for front cavity.

Brush the entire Turkey with molasses. Coat well and there will be no need to baste during roasting. An hour to an hour and a half into roasting, skin will be a deep copper tone. Cover turkey entirely with foil so skin does not over brown and continue to roast until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Let stand at least 15 minutes before carving.

Classic French Chestnut Stuffing

8 cups torn pieces of rustic style bread, such as Italian or French, torn away from crust and left to sit out in a bowl for a day covered loosely with a towel so it can harden (On a busy year I have purchased bag bread cubes and the world did not come to an end!)

2 onions, chopped

4 celery stalks, chopped

3 TBLS minced fresh sage

2 TBLS minced fresh thyme

1 TBLS minced fresh rosemary

1 TBLS minced fresh savory

1 stick butter

2 jars (1 Lb) French chestnuts (Williams Sonoma catalog or Chestnut Hill Cheese Shop have them in my area)

½ cup finely chopped finely chopped parsley

Stuffs 24-28lb turkey with extra for baking dish for vegetarian guests

** At Thanksgiving the grocery stores carry a fresh “stuffing herb pack” that includes all of the above fresh herbs. It will save you a lot of money,time and waste. **

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place bread pieces on baking sheets or shallow baking pans and toast slightly in oven for 10-15 minutes until just slightly brown. Transfer them to a large bowl. In a large skillet cook the onions, celery, sage, thyme, rosemary, and savory in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring until the vegetables are softened, add the chestnuts, and cook the mixture stirring, for 1 minute.  Add the vegetable mixture to the bread, tossing well, stir in the parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Let cool completely.

*I make this first thing in the morning or even a day in advance, cover and refrigerate. Stuffing must be cool prior to stuffing bird. For excess stuffing, or if you wish to bake stuffing only, butter the bottom and sides of casserole dish and I add a little chicken stock (for vegetarian stuffing, use vegetable stock) just to moisten bread mixture slightly. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 325 -350 degrees.

Loving me some stuffing!!!!

Feel free to share your favorite Thanksgiving recipe with us!

Picture from Squidoo

If you host Thanksgiving, to brine your turkey or not brine your turkey is a topic of discussion every Thanksgiving. If you do not host Thanksgiving on a regular basis you may not be familiar with the technique and if you have never cooked a turkey before, and/or are not that interested in cooking, the idea of another step in the process may seem completely overwhelming.

So, what is brining?

In simplest terms, it is a salt bath for your bird that tenderizes the meat. Herbs and spices may be added to treat the brine as a marinate of sorts as well.

Why brine?

There are so many reasons that brining makes sense, but aside from all of the reasons that you will read in every other food article, I’d like to offer an additional perspective in addition to the obvious. Quickly the technical reasons:

When you brine a turkey it pulls all of the extra blood out of the turkey and tenderizes the meat. At the same time it pulls the skin tightly against the meat, sealing in the juices. Once you taste a brined turkey you will know the difference forever! And, the answer is NO, it is not salty!!

Another perspective:

Call it ego, if you must. I am fine with that.  A turkey, whether fresh or frozen, that has been brined is so tender, juicy and delicious that your guests are going to flip out!  There is no comparison. Because most people do not brine their birds, sad but true, most people have, therefore, never experienced the deliciousness that can be tender, juicy turkey. In fact, when you mention turkey, a lot of people think dry, or at the very least don’t get very excited. Brining really requires very little extra effort and the praise you will receive is SO worth the effort! If you are cooking a frozen turkey, I recommend brining twice as much!

Second unusual reason to brine your turkey:

Do you have school age children? Include them in the process! Children love to be involved in the kitchen and this is such a great way to include them. Sounds crazy? Trust me! Even parents that cook with their children do not let them handle two things, eggs and raw poultry, right? The Thanksgiving turkey is so exciting to children, but they are usually not allowed anywhere near it. Brining a turkey requires a lot of water and a lot of ice. Children can be involved pouring water, dumping ice and scooping sugar and salt while looking at the big bird and never actually touching it! It is the biggest hit of the season at our house, crazy, but true!

How:

Start this process on Wednesday night. This is a basic brine recipe. There are many ways to add to it, thyme, sage, apples and fruits, etc.

Brine Turkey overnight

1 larger cooler

Large plastic Turkey bag or for 26-30 Lb bird use a 4 gallon Ziplock bag

1 box kosher salt

1 cup sugar

5 lb bag of ice

Water

Unwrap Turkey from packaging. Remove gizzards and wrapped organs from internal cavities and discard or save for other use. Rinse Turkey well in sink with cold water. Place turkey into plastic bag and then into cooler. Begin to fill bag with water until water just covers the turkey. Pour the entire box of kosher salt and sugar into the bag. Continue pouring water into the bag until it overflows the bag and flows into the cooler. Stir mixture in bag with large spoon. Dump in the bag of ice. Fill the rest of the cooler with water leaving a few inches empty at the top. Close the lid and let sit overnight.

Make sure to rinse the turkey thoroughly before cooking. The recipe for my molasses glazed turkey will follow!

Thanksgiving  in Philadelphia

 Terra – Family Style Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner $30 per person Menu

Lacroix - All day brunch with Thanksgiving additions to buffet 11AM – 7PM $75pp Reserve

Bridget Foy’s – Roast Turkey with sausage and fennel stuffing, green and yellow wax beans, cranberry compote and sweet potatoes $26 pp and Ala Carte Menu

Bistro St. Tropez – Thanksgiving Buffet w/ additions such as crab legs and pork short ribs $35 adult/$15 child Reserve

Moshulu  Serving their regular menu as well as a Thanksgiving Dinner for $35pp Reserve

London Grill- Thanksgiving Buffet $35 adult/$20 child Menu

Supper - 3 Course Thanksgiving Dinner Menu 2 seatings 2PM and 5Pm $50 adults/$25 child  Reserve

 Thanksgiving in the Burbs

Joseph Ambler Inn – Thanksgiving Buffet $39 adult/$12.95 child Reserve

Coleman – 3 Course Thanksgiving menu starting at $32 Seatings  2PM to 7PM Reserve

William Penn Inn -  Special Thanksgiving Ala Carte Menu or Buffet Menu $37 adult/$12 child

StoneRose – The bar will be open for after dinner party!

Thanksgiving in New Jersey

Catelli Voorhees- 5 course Thanksgiving Feast (soup, salad, entree, family-style sides, desserts) $39.95 adult/$19.95 child Reserve

La Campagne- 5 course menu roast turkey, salmon and prime rib starting at $45 Reserve

Thanksgiving is a foodie holiday!

Sure, you’d expect a picture of a turkey for our first official Thanksgiving blog post ever, but that would be trite! That, and there are so many to come, we didn’t want to wear out our welcome with turkey overload. Instead, we begin our Thanksgiving Blog Series with “the setting,” as we “set the stage” for what is in store for the next 2 weeks!

Whether you love turkey or hate turkey, are vegetarian or vegan; what  foodie doesn’t love Thanksgiving? (If you are out there, please stand up and be counted!) Food brings people together like nothing else in the world. What greater assembly of harvest comfort foods is there anywhere than on Thanksgiving day? From the amazing harvest delights including pies and desserts, to the warm, earthy decor, to the football and the beers, wines and holiday spirits; there is no more amazing holiday.

With that point in mind, we are bursting at the seams to discuss, plan, share tips, ideas and recipes as the holiday rapidly approaches. Also we are currently gathering menus from the area’s best dining destinations for those of you that would prefer to eat out. So stay with us for the next few weeks as we explore the deliciousness that is Thanksgiving!