Thanksgiving – Remember the 3 D’s of Dinner!

On Thursday morn, I had the opportunity to spend a few minutes of TV time with Dave and Amanda on the WIBW Morning Show. With Turkey Day fast approaching, we discussed how much anxiety this can bring to Thanksgiving hostesses. Here's what I recommended to WIBW viewers:

The 3 D's of Thanksgiving Dinner
DON'T compare. Never compare your dinner to Grandma's or Mom's Thanksgiving dinner. They are most likely seasoned cooks and veteran hostesses who have hosted many holiday dinners. Remember that they have had years to refine their Thanksgiving preparations and presentations; when they first started out, they probably felt a little apprehensive and nervous, too. Have faith – you can do it!

DELEGATE! If you have volunteered to cook the turkey, feel free to assign ALL the Thanksgiving side dishes to your guests, including desserts. They are anxious to bring something to your dinner and are honored that you ask them to do so. If you have opened your home to host Thanksgiving and you are willing to be in charge of cooking the turkey, that's enough.

DO be a gracious hostess. As much as we might like to believe it is, the FOOD is not the most important element of Thanksgiving dinner – it's your GUESTS. As a gracious hostess, your job is to ensure that they have a good time while in your home. Even if you serve your guests frozen dinners on TV trays because you burned up the turkey, all is ok as long as they had enjoyable time as your guest. You have just created a very special holiday memory for them that they will never forget!

Watch for me on WIBW (and right here!) throughout this Thanksgiving season as I offer help and tips for making Thanksgiving dinner a positive experience in your kitchen!
Now You're Cookin',
Chef Alli

Love At First Knife

Most good cooks know there are two must-haves for the kitchen: a good knife and a good saute pan; all the rest is fluff. When I make this statement in my cooking classes, I often see questioning looks on the faces of my students, most likely because a wide array of the latest and greatest culinary gadgets lies before me on the counter. And though I do use (and love) many of these tools, not a single one of them would be grabbed up in case of kitchen fire - I would be too busy seeking out my favorite knife and saute pan before running out the door.

And though I can truly appreciate a good saute pan, nothing separates me from my chef's knife. This "love of my life" has come to the rescue on many an onion, carrot and garlic clove, and these days I really need that. I am finding myself spending more and more time cooking at home, trying to stay ahead of the appetites of my two youngest sons, ages 12 and 14. It seems they eat constantly! Since I feel it's my duty as Chef-Mom to keep them well fed, I keep my chef's knife constantly chopping and slicing on their behalf, trying my best to keep their bellies full.

My family and friends all know that if you invite me into your kitchen to help you cook, I WILL be examining your inventory of kitchen tools, including a check of the knives in your utensil drawer or butcher block. I don't do this to belittle my friends and family like one may think - I just want to know how hard I'm going to have to work while I'm there. A dull knife is likely to ensure me of a trip to the E.R. for a few stitches and I want to know my odds going in. I also like to anticipate how much Ben Gay and ibuprofen I'm going to need the next day for my sore shoulders and arms – another treat a dull knife doles out.

Recently, I visited my sister-in-law and noticed she was slicing vegetables with a knife that looked like it had weathered countless tree branches and lots of baling twine. (This is why my knives are not accessible to my sons around our farm or I would have the same problem.) A good inch of the tip of her knife was broken off and I could visibly see how dull it was by the pressure she was exerting as she pressed through each vegetable onto her cutting board. (And yes, I was surprised she was using a cutting board – I didn't realize she even had one. But thankfully she wasn't cutting onions or I literally would have been crying in my beer from 20 feet!) Keep in mind this is not unusual in her kitchen as she spends ZERO on culinary tools, always assuring me that would be a total waste of her hard-earned money. Though she never says it, I know she feels the same about my wardrobe, so that makes us even: I wouldn't be caught dead with her knife in my hand and she wouldn't be caught dead wearing my clothes!

Using good, sharp chef's knife is comparable to riding in a Cadillac. Once you float over the road in a Cadillac, you wouldn't possibly consider riding in that sluggish little Volkswagen any longer. And so it goes with a dull knife. There's nothing worse, at least in this chef's opinion, so I'll leave you with this bit of corny culinary humor: BE SHARP and buy a good knife – you'll find there's no going back.

Now You're Cookin',

Chef Alli

Beefy Burgers! The 3 B's of Great Grilled Burgers

BOND with Your Burger: Get to Know Your Beef

• Juicy burgers are made from 80% lean ground CHUCK. In the case of grilled burgers, fat definitely equals flavor! And because ground chuck comes from the shoulder of the beef, it's got flavor like no other. Most of the fat from ground chuck drips away as your burgers grill, causing flare ups for added charring.


• Season! Season! Season! Add salt and pepper, woozy, beef broth or wine to give added flavor to your ground chuck before building your patties.


• Gain moisture in your burgers by sneaking in finely grated onions or zucchini (or any veggie with a high water content) to your ground chuck. Your kids will never even notice!

BABY Your Burger: Be Gentle with Your Beef

• Use lots of TLC when building your patties. Don't pack your ground beef too tightly or over work it.


• 3/4 inch patties are the ideal thickness for grilling to the perfect temperature.


• Gently make in indention on the top of each burger. This keeps the burgers from "puffing" as your grill them.


• Only flip your burgers ONCE. This is often difficult for grillers to do as they seem to want to "play" with their food. Leave that burger on the grill until it's READY to flip. You'll know it's ready when it no longer sticks to the grates. Test the edge of each burger with your spatula to check.


• NEVER EVER press down on your burgers with your spatula!! Precious juices are lost forver when this technique is applied.

BUILD Your Burger: Create Flavor Layers for the Perfect Ending

• A good grilled burger deserves great "accessories" piled high to complete it. Use flavorful condiments: zesty mayos, whole grain mustards, homegrown tomato slices, caramelized onions, ripe avocado slices, strong cheeses, crispy slices of bacon, fresh spinach or arugula - the options are endless!


• Always toast your buns or bread on the grill to warm and mark them - more added flavor for your burger.

Now to the grill:

• Grill over direct heat: 450 - 500 degrees F.


• Always preheat your grill. Once preheated, use a wire brush to quickly clean the grates.


• Oil the grates.


• Grill your burgers covered: 8-10 minutes for medium doneness, 10-11 minutes for medium well doneness.


• Practice Sideways Safety! To test burgers for doneness at the center, insert an instant-read thermometer into each burger from the side - this works much better than inserting from the top! A safe internal temperature for a burger is 160 degrees F.

Chef Alli's Outside-In Beefy Brie Burgers

• 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced


• 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil


• 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar


• 1 Tbs. granulated sugar

Burgers

• 1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck


• 3 Tbs. fine dry bread crumbs


• 3 Tbs. strong beef broth


• 1 tsp. kosher salt


• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper


• 2 oz. brie cheese


• 4 hamburger buns


• 1/3 cup zesty brown mustard


• 2 cups baby arugula or spinach

In a large saute pan over medium heat, cmobine onions with evoo, vinegar, and sugar; cover pan and cook slowly until onions are softened and golden brown, approx. 20 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

Meanwhile, preheat the grill for direct cooking over high heat. In a large mixing bowl, gently combine ground chuck with bread crumbs, broth, salt and pepper; shape this mixture into four patties of equal size and thickness, making a hole in the center of each patty for the cheese. Trim the rind from the brie cheese and cut into four equal portions; nestle each piece of brie into the hold in each burger, sealing each burger tightly around the brie.

Brush grill clean with wire brush, then oil the grates. Grill patties over direct high heat, covered with lid, 8-10 minutes, to medium doneness. Flip burgers when they easily release from the grates without sticking. Toast buns during the last few minutes of cooking time. Assemble warm burgers with caramelized onions, mustard and arugula or spinach piled high. Serve at once.

Now You're Cookin',
Chef Alli