I'll have a brand new video recipe up tomorrow for a tasty, holiday version of cocktail meatballs that I think you're going to love – if only for the best slow-motion cranberry jelly scene ever filmed. After I post that, I'm taking the rest of the weekend off for a very special event.
This weekend is the 2nd Annual Foodbuzz Blogger Festival, and I could not be more excited! Not only do I get to eat and drink (two of my four favorite things to do), and see lots of my fellow food blogger buddies, but I was also asked to participate as a panelist for one of the Saturday breakout sessions called, "Star of the Show: Video Blogging." Basically, I'm going to give away all of my trade secrets for free.
Of course, there will be lots of fun updates and live reports via my Twitter feed, so stay tuned!
It's right about this time when whoever is organizing the Thanksgiving meal finds out, or assigns, who's bringing what to the dinner. May I suggest a little proactivity (I can't believe that's not a word) on your part to volunteer to bring the cranberry sauce.
Fresh, homemade cranberry sauce is like the easiest recipe ever, and as long as you "sell it" properly, your true motives (maximum love for minimum effort) will be our secret. By "sell it" I mean tell them all about your secret tangerine/cherry-spiked version, and how involved it is to make. Of course, since it is a top-secret recipe, you'll not be able to give details, but you're sure they'll be blown away.
I posted this video last night on YouTube, and several of the viewers made a great suggestion for the spices. I usually just fish them out with a spoon once cold, but if you wrap them in a small piece of cheesecloth, you'll be able to pull them out without what can be an extensive search.
I didn't and usually don't, but you can certainly add a pinch of salt and black pepper to this, or any number of other aromatics. This tangerine cherry cranberry sauce is also really nice served warm as a savory sauce to all kinds of game, like venison, duck, goose, etc. I hope you give it a try. Enjoy!
1 (12-oz) bag fresh cranberries 1 cup small dried cherries (larger ones can be chopped a bit) 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon finely grated tangerine or orange zest 1 cup tangerine or orange, plus water as needed 1 whole star anise 3 cloves 1 cinnamon stick View the complete recipe
I'm going to be filming a bunch of holiday-themed videos for a special feature on YouTube, and I'd love to know what kinds of things you'd like to see! I've done some fairly standard turkey, gravy, and stuffing video recipes, as well as a bunch of side dishes that work nicely around the holidays, like glazed sweet potatoes, but maybe you'd like to see something a little more exotic? Please leave a comment and let me know. Thanks!
This delicious pumpkin flan is the result of an experiment in replacing the recipe's usual cream and half and half with low-fat milk. While part of me may have been secretly hoping it wouldn’t come out that good (so I could go back to using cream), I was really happy with the results.
As a self-described expert in human nature, especially as it relates to butterfat, I do have one suggestion; keep that whole low-fat thing to yourself. This great holiday dessert idea should be able to stand on its own merits, without a disclaimer regarding the reduced calories.
Having said that, if someone's not thrilled with this leaner version, well, then we reserve the right to bust out the old, "hey, what the hell did you expect, I used low-fat milk instead of cream!?"
One note on the recipe quantity: If you use 5 to 6 ounce ramekins like I did, you'll have enough pumpkin flan mixture for about eight. I only did six for the video, so I didn't want anyone to be confused.
You can refrigerate the mixture and bake these in batches, but of course they will take longer in the oven, since the custard will be cold going in. Also, a cup of sugar will just barely make enough caramel for 8 ramekins, so in the ingredients below I've increased the sugar a bit to make sure you have enough.
This pumpkin flan recipe would be great any time of year, but really shines around the holidays. I'm not saying forgo the usual array of pumpkin pies, but this may be a great alternative for those that want something a little lighter and crust-free. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 8 Individual Pumpkin Flan: 1 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons water 5 large eggs 1/3 cup sugar 1 can pumpkin puree 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla (or a split bean) 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon salt pinch of allspice pinch of mace 1 3/4 cups low-fat milk (for richer version sub 1 cup cream plus 3/4 cup half and half) pumpkin seeds to garnish, optional
I'll have a brand new video recipe up tomorrow for a tasty, holiday version of cocktail meatballs that I think you're going to love – if only for the best slow-motion cranberry jelly scene ever filmed. After I post that, I'm taking the rest of the weekend off for a very special event.
