Made By Michelle

Thanksgiving 2008 was a memorable holiday. Johnny and I were recently engaged, and not only was it the first time our families were spending a holiday together, but it was my first time hosting—and preparing—the meal. I was mostly excited at the prospect, though, having never cooked a turkey before, I did have more than one nightmare about my bird shrinking down to a dry, inedible mess.

Deciding on a stuffing recipe also occupied quite a bit of space in my brain. Stuffing is by far my favorite Thanksgiving side (although corn pudding comes in a close second) and meals can be ruined over a subpar stab. After much planning and tinkering, I finally felt confident about my recipe.  When I debuted it at our holiday dinner, to my delight, everyone raved about how good it was. Everyone that is, except my future husband. “You should have just bought Stove Top,” he told me later that night. “You can’t mess with perfection.” Really? Stove Top is instant! And the seasoning comes in a packet! Isn’t the best stuffing, as is the case with so many things, made from scratch?

I filed his assessment away in the back of my mind and when Thanksgiving rolled around the following year, I again made my own sausage stuffing. The next night, while I was heating up leftovers, Johnny snuck out to the store. He came home with a canister of Stove Top. This was a losing battle.

As Thanksgiving 2010 approaches, I’ve begun thinking about my menu once more.

“I’m going to ask Liz for her stuffing recipe,” I told Johnny a couple of weeks ago. Liz is my cousin’s wife and she makes a terrific stuffing brimming with apples and sausage.

“But you’re going to make Stove Top too, right?” came his reply. I didn’t respond.

A couple of nights ago I was flipping through the November issue of Food and Wine, looking for inspiration, when I came across a recipe that was based on the flavor of Stove Top. Perhaps this would satisfy my need for fresh, unprocessed ingredients and his for the taste of his beloved pre-packaged bird dressing.

“I found a recipe that’s based on Stove Top!” I happily proclaimed.

“But you’re still going to make actual Stove Top, right?” came the response.

I was beginning to be worn down. So I compromised: I would demo the Food and Wine recipe and Johnny would taste test it. If he didn’t deem it good enough, I would make him a bowl of Stove Top to eat with his turkey on Thanksgiving.

After a trip to Whole Foods, I set to work this afternoon. Overall I was pleased with the way the recipe was written. I cut it in a half, but I found the finished product a bit too dry. So when I went to reheat the stuffing for dinner, I added another two cups of chicken stock to moisten it, which worked really well. I also used bulk turkey sausage that was seasoned with garlic and herbs from Whole Foods. It added a delicious, healthier, flavor.

I thought the taste was very reminiscent of Stove Top, but I wasn’t the one who needed convincing. When Johnny got home, I grilled up some ginger teriyaki chicken, made a salad, and reheated the stuffing. It was time for the taste test. He took a bite. Then another. Then one more…

“It’s pretty good,” he finally pronounced. “Definitely the best you’ve made. If you want to make this stuffing for Thanksgiving, I’m fine with that.”

I smiled, resplendent in the sweet swell of victory.

“But Stove Top’s still better.”

Sausage and Bread Stuffing

1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish

2 pounds good-quality white sandwich bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (20 cups)

4 inner celery ribs, finely diced (1 1/2 cups)

2 large carrots, finely diced (1 cup)

1 sweet onion, finely diced (2 1/2 cups)

1 pound loose pork or turkey breakfast sausage

2 tablespoons chopped sage

2 tablespoons chopped thyme

3 cups chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350° and butter a large baking dish. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast for 25 minutes, stirring, until lightly browned and crisp.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, melt the 1 stick of butter. Pour half of the butter into a small bowl and reserve. Add the celery, carrots and onion to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and just beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Scrape the vegetables into a large bowl. Add the sausage to the skillet in lumps and cook over moderately high heat, breaking it up with a spoon, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Return the vegetables to the skillet, add the sage and thyme and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of the stock and cook, scraping up any bits stuck to the pan, until nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Scrape the sausage mixture into the large bowl and add the toasted bread cubes. Add the remaining 2 cups of stock and stir until the bread is evenly moistened. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Spread the stuffing in the baking dish and brush with the reserved melted butter.

Bake the stuffing in the center of the oven for about 1 hour, until it is heated through and the top is browned and crisp. Let the stuffing stand for 10 minutes before serving.

The stuffing can be made ahead of time and refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before baking.

I met Liz Wade my first semester of my freshman year at NYU. It was Prose Composition, a class all freshman in our program were required to take, and Liz and I ended up in the same section. I don’t remember how we started talking, but Liz became my first official friend at NYU, a friendship I am a grateful has continued to this day. Days, weeks, even months can go by without us seeing or talking to one another, but when we inevitably do get together, we always pick up right where we left off. My mother always told me this was a sign of true friendship.  I wholeheartedly agree.

When Liz and I do hang out, it almost always involves food. In fact, I’ve had some of my best dining experiences with her. She’s also really good about sharing recipes she’s discovered and thinks I might like. (I made Mark Bittman’s asparagus pesto over the summer after she forwarded me the recipe). We had met for lunch or dinner around this time last year, no doubt at some hidden gem one of us had uncovered, when we started talking about what we were making for Thanksgiving. That’s when Liz told me about a recipe for corn pudding she had gotten from her boyfriend’s aunt. She debuted the pudding at a party and was astounded at how quickly it was gobbled up. It was that good. I trust Liz’s opinion so I decided to make corn pudding as a side to my Thanksgiving dinner last year and it did not disappoint. Butter and sour cream rarely do.

As I pondered my Thanksgiving menu for this year, I knew I wanted to include corn pudding. But when I took a look at the recipe, I realized I had some tinkering to do. First, it calls for creamed corn, which always grosses me out when it emerges as a gelatinous blob from its can. I decided that if Whole Foods carried an organic version, I would buy it, though I wasn’t surprised when I couldn’t find it on their shelves. Their website, however, had a recipe for creamed corn which was rather simple, so I decided to try that.

The other ingredient that gave me pause was Jiffy Muffin Mix. I try not to eat pre-made mixes (especially ones that contain hydrogenated lard in them) so I needed to figure out a substitute. Luckily, someone out there had already done this for me, and I was able to find an all-natural recipe on Chow.com for a muffin mix that would mimic the taste of Jiffy.  It was time to make the corn pudding.

The top browned a little too quickly, probably because I made it in my toaster oven, which I use for smaller items because it has a much more accurate temperature than my oven. When the “pudding” emerges it will look like cornbread. However, once you scoop it out, the inside should be moist, almost like bread pudding.

This is a fantastic side for Thanksgiving. Making the creamed corn and muffin mix from scratch does not take long at all and it makes the flavor so much better. Also, I used mainly organic ingredients, so try to do the same wherever possible. I halved the original recipe because I didn’t want a vat of this highly addictive pudding in my refrigerator all week, but if you’re making it for Turkey Day and have a big crowd, double the recipe below and bake it in a 13×9 inch pan.

First, I made the creamed corn:

As I continue my love affair with grains, I’ve been wanting to add farro to the mix. Farro is often called the “first grain” as it’s the grain that all others descended from and has been around for thousands of years. My friend Anne is a big fan of its nutty, flavorful texture and cooks often with it, but when I went to buy some at Whole Foods, I was struck by how much more expensive it was then other grains. $10 for a small bag! (Farro is more difficult to grow then its sister grains which accounts for the higher price point.) So I backburnered the farro for a bit. Then, over the summer I was at Zinc in New Haven, CT (a “must eat at” if you are ever in the neighborhood) and I had their scallops with farro risotto. It was so tasty I was tempted to lick my plate clean. Maybe this farro was worth the extra pennies. I stopped into Russo’s last week for some fresh pasta and lo and behold I spotted a bag of farro on their shelves. I bought it (for $6.49) and began thinking about what I would make with it.

Yesterday, I took stock of what I had in the house. The butternut squash sitting on my table was crying out to be paired with the farro so I googled farro and butternut squash to get some inspiration. A recipe from 101 Cookbooks popped up that piqued my interest. She roasted her squash with red onion, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt which sounded fantastic to me. I omitted the goat cheese in her recipe in favor of ricotta salata and cooked my farro in a vat of homemade chicken stock I made last week. I toasted up some walnuts, and then dressed the “salad” with a few swirls of olive oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar. I also added grilled chicken for a bit more protein.

Oh my, this salad was freakin’ fantastic! Seriously. I couldn’t believe how incredibly flavorful the farro was. The nuttiness of the squash and the sweetness of the red onion only enhanced the grain and I understand now why people say good balsamic vinegar makes all the difference. It does. I used Lucini, aged 10 years. A little goes a long way.

If you can find farro (check the pasta aisle at your grocery store or try an Italian specialty store) pick some up and make it tonight. If not, barley would also work really well since they’re of a similar consistency. Opt for the semi-pearled variety which cooks a little faster. Also, a note about cubing butternut squash: I read recently that when buying squash you should look for ones that have a long neck, as they’re easier to cut and peel. I tried this and it’s true. As for the recipe, I am posting it below, but I’ll be honest: I didn’t measure out every ingredient exactly. These are estimations, so feel free to change the ratios up a bit to your personal taste.

Farro With Butternut Squash, Red Onion, Walnuts and Ricotta Salata (adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

2 cups farro (look for the semi-pearled variety which cooks faster)

5 cups water or stock (I used about 4 cups stock, 1 cup water)

2 1/2 to 3 cups butternut squash, cubed

One medium red onion, cut into eighths

1/2 cup walnuts

1/4 cup ricotta salata

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Salt to taste

Rinse and strain the farro. In a large pot, combine the water and/or stock and farro. Bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer for 30 minutes. Taste the farro often as you want it to be a bit chewy and not too soft. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the squash and red onion on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, olive oil and a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and roast for 20 minutes or until the squash is fork tender. Then toast the walnuts until fragrant.

When the farro is done, strain in a colander and place in a large bowl. Add the squash, red onions, walnuts and ricotta salata. Dress with a swirl of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add salt to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.