ITT: We are counting down the minutes until a long weekend.

TheNewChupe

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Oct 7, 2003
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120

Chestnut Stuffing

6 cups torn bite-size pieces of day-old homemade-style white bread
2 onions, chopped
4 ribs of celery, chopped
3 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves or 1 tablespoon dried, crumbled
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried, crumbled
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried, crumbled
1 tablespoon minced fresh savory leaves or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 pound fresh chestnuts, shelled and peeled chopped coarsely, or 3/4 pound vacuum-packed whole chestnuts, chopped coarsely (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a shallow baking pan arrange the bread pieces in one layer, bake them in the oven, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden, and 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 pieces, tossing the mixture well, stir in the parsley and salt and pepper to taste, and let the stuffing cool completely. This stuffing may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. (To prevent bacterial growth do not stuff the turkey cavities in advance.)

TO SHELL AND PEEL CHESTNUTS
With a sharp knife cut an X on the round side of each chestnut. Spread the chestnuts in one layer in a jelly-roll pan, add 1/4 cup water, and bake the chestnuts in a preheated 450 degree F oven for 10 minutes, or until the shells open. Remove the chestnuts, a handful at a time, and shell and peel them while they are still hot.
 
Something I agree with Mario Batali: Day old bread crumbs or "bite sized pieces" makes for day old taste. Why not use fresh bread? Don't tell me it is is for the absorbtion qualities because they are marginally better...

Looks good BTW
 
I work, but then again I don't "really" celebrate thanksgiving. I do however spend the thursday watching football and eat until I can't walk... which I think resembles what you people do...
 
Sometimes older is better. As you probably know, mindspell, a lot of Indian foods taste much better if you use leftovers or day-old ingredients. A proper vindaloo, for example, improves with a day's sitting after it's cooked, so the leftovers from dinner are generally better than dinner. I also really like biriyanis which generally use day-old ingredients, and while I don't see the point of using day-old rice unless you already have it laying round, day-old tandoori lamb or chicken seems to taste better and more authentic. The fact that day-old Indian foods reheat very easily and indiscernably from fresh Indian--no crispy fried shells to get ruined or anything--makes Indian leftovers a real treat.

I don't really venture into stuffing-making, but I could see why older bread is not necessarily worse, and could be better.
 
Older is sometimes better especially in braised or slow cooked recipe. Almost any slow cooked, in liquid that is, recipe will taste better when re-heated the following day. A lot of Indian food is like that because they are slow cooked.

I was mentionning that only for the day old bread that I think just isn't good. Bread picks up a lot of ambient flavoring, when the crust is broken, which you don't always want in your recipe.
 
104

this one doesn't say it needs to be old bread. anyway, i made cornbread last night and am leaving it out until we make it tomorrow (gf works all weekend so we're having thanksgiving tomorrow).

Chestnut, Onion, and Cornbread Stuffing
Recipe Courtesy of Gourmet Magazine

1 1/2 loaves cornbread, recipe follows
2 medium red onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 shallots (about 1/2 pound), cut lengthwise into sixths
5 leeks (about 1 pound), white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick pieces
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 cup packed fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 stick unsalted butter
3/4 pound vacuum-packed or canned whole chestnuts
3 1/2 cups chicken broth

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cut cornbread into 1/2-inch cubes and in 2 large shallow baking pans bake in middle of oven until just dry, about 20 minutes.
In a large heavy skillet cook red onions, shallots, leeks, celery, herbs with salt and pepper to taste in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until onion mixture is golden brown, softened, about 25 minutes.
If using canned chestnuts, rinse and drain. In a saucepan simmer vacuum-packed or canned chestnuts in 2 cups broth 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, toss together bread, onions, chestnut mixture, remaining 1 1/2 cups broth and salt and pepper to taste and cool completely. Stuffing may be made up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring stuffing to room temperature before proceeding.
To cook all or part of stuffing outside poultry: In a shallow baking dish bake stuffing in preheated 325 degree oven 45 minutes (for moist stuffing, bake covered entire time; for less moist stuffing with a slightly crisp top, uncover halfway through baking time).
 
97

people should cook with alcohol more.

Bosc Pears Poached in Red Wine Caramel
Copyright 2000 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

4 ripe Bosc pears
2 cups granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 (750 ml) bottle Merlot
1 vanilla bean, split
1/2 lemon, juiced
Serving suggestions: Gorgonzola and Candied Walnuts

Peel pears, leaving stems intact, and cut a thin slice from bottom of each if necessary to enable pears to stand upright when served. Set aside.
Put sugar in a 3-quart heavy saucepan and melt over moderate heat until it begins to caramelize. Continue to cook, keeping a close eye and the sugar constantly circulating. Cook until the sugar is a deep golden caramel. Stir in the butter carefully, as the mixture may bubble up. Simmer and stir until caramel sauce has developed, about 5 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean.

Carefully arrange pears in the poaching liquid. They should be completely covered by the liquid, add water if they are not. Simmer pears, turning them occasionally, until tender, about 20 minutes.

Test by inserting a knife into the fattest part of the pear, it should come out with no resistance. Finish off with lemon juice to wake up the flavor. Gently remove the pears to a serving dish, cut side down. Pour the wine syrup over the pears. Serve with Gorgonzola and candied walnuts.