What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than with Chef Fabio’s cooking tips and recipes? No matter what you are making, enjoy good food and the company of family and friends.
Stuffing and roast chicken, courtesy of Chef Fabio!
Cooking
What’s cooking on Thanksgiving Eve?
Photograph from recipe
As I’m writing this, my wife and I are finishing up applesauce and baking butternut squash for butternut squash risotto for Thanksgiving. Risotto is one of my favorite thing to make, given that the recipe is so versatile with add-in ingredients. I especially enjoyed my mother-in-law’s response upon tasting it- “How can we make our rice taste like this?” I will often make it with portabellas (with some modifications), but this version with butternut squash is another of my favorites. I love the flavor of butternut squash, as it can savory or slightly sweet, depending on how it’s made. I have made this recipe previously, to excellent results. It doesn’t call for other herbs or spices other than salt and pepper, but it can easily be adjusted. I use a little cinnamon and nutmeg to add a little spice to the recipe. Butternut squash risotto is a nice alternative to cheesy potatoes (though I love cheesy potatoes, as well!) and adds in an extra vegetable with the starch. Happy Thanksgiving!
The Twinkie Undead
Twinkies photo from article
Not talking about Twinkie zombies…rather, a way to make your own (via Yahoo Shine) in the face of the news that Hostess is closing. RIP Twinkies… or will they?
Grilled Cheese… with a Brick?!
Chef Fabio provides his take on grilled cheese on Chow Ciao! An abundance of excellent local cheese is something I am thankful for, living in Wisconsin. It’s one of those foods that’s a personal favorite, with all the different flavors and varieties. Fabio offers a cheese primer… I’d also add that reduced fat cheese, while still good in some recipes (to keep flavor and cut a few calories), won’t produce the necessary melting one might hope for.
And don’t miss it- cooking with a brick! And I’m not talking about brick cheese… but you could make a cheese sandwich with a brick and brick cheese…
Wordle of the blog…
Here is a nifty little Wordle image using the text from my blog. Wordle isn’t new, but if you haven’t checked it out yet, why wait? I was even able to customize it to have earthy tones to fit with my theme!
Shhh… it’s a secret… steak…
Come along with Chef Fabio for a trip to the aging room and a peek at a top secret steak sauce recipe– but don’t tell anyone!!!
Don’t fear the squash!
Fall is a time for squash. I have to admit; as a kid, we never ate much squash. Now, I have seen how good they can be! Wondering what to do with that garden’s bounty of squash? Worry no more. Just recently, I made a butternut squash risotto, which was quite filling and flavorful. I’ve also used butternut squash to make some tasty from-the-oven french fries. Chef Fabio has an additional delicious option, with a little squash 101 to start: Butternut Squash Ravioli!
(Spaghetti squash is another of my personal favorites!)
Separating Eggs Tip
Have you struggled to separate the egg white from the egg yolk? This handy tip provides another way to do it, without using an eggshell. (Don’t worry, you won’t need to know the language to see how it works.)
“Who gives a bean?” Pasta e Fagioli!
There’s no doubt about it, we’re creeping closer to fall. As Fabio points out, it’s a great time for soup- in this case, Pasta e Fagioli. Chef Fabio gives a little bean education to help pick the perfect bean. I like the addition of the fennel. I personally love the flavor it adds as the star in a risotto. Give the recipe a try!
Vegetarian Ground Beef
Let me start by saying that I am not a vegetarian (but my wife and I don’t have meat included in our meals every day). It’s not so much that we don’t enjoy steak/burgers/chicken/shrimp/insert other food here, but rather part expense/part health. Meat can be expensive, and we are trying to eat as healthy as we can. We both come from families that have had meat as part of meals more often, and that’s ok. We don’t have anything against it (and I love home cooking).
As a part of trying to eat healthier, we have tried some vegetarian products, one of which is Lightlife Gimme Lean ground beef. It’s in the refrigerated case in the vegetables/fruits section of our local food market. I’ve now had it a few times in a few different dishes, and it doesn’t disappoint or make me long for a non-vegetarian substitute in its place (a key component for someone like me).
There’s this perception that trying to eat vegetarian (even if it’s only so often) leaves someone with few, bland food choices, or you only eat vegetables themselves, or it will leave you hungry somehow. This product is a perfect example of how that is not true. I’ve made this into tacos with black beans- tasty with some unflavored Greek yogurt and salsa. (Seriously, try some unflavored Greek yogurt in place of sour cream.) I couldn’t tell any major difference using Gimme Lean with lasagne. Most recently, we made cabbage soup with this-a tomato base with red wine and kidney beans. It’s simple to include this in multi-component meals. I’m not sure that I would use it by itself and it crumbled a bit in the soup, but it’s a quick-cooking, easy substitute for meat, if you’re looking for something to try as an introductory meatless product. Enjoy!
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