Food For Thought	Last Updated   November 15, 2009
Welcome to Food For Thought cooking and recipes - online since 1991! There are 5 new recipes, plus new cooking hints & tips, posted to this page each week.
Honey Fig Mozzarella	Beverage or Appetizer   November 15, 2009
---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06 Title: Honey Fig Mozzarella Categories: Appetizers Yield: 6 Servings 6 Sheets Phyllo Dough 6 oz Smoked Mozzarella, cut into - 6 equal pieces Vegetable Oil, for frying 8 oz Dried Figs, quartered 3/4 c Honey 3 ts Black Sesame Seeds Honey, for drizzling In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat to 350F degrees. Place 1 sheet of phyllo on a dry work surface. Place one slice of cheese about 5 inches from the top of the narrow end of the sheet. Fold the top of the narrow end over the cheese, leaving 1 inch between the fold and the cheese. Next fold over 1 of the long sides then the other, again leaving 1-inch between the folds and the cheese. Then fold the cheese over, again leaving 1-inch between the fold and the cheese. Continue folding to make a package about 3 1/2 by 4-inches. Continue with the remaining pieces of cheese and phyllo. Fry the phyllo and cheese packages, 2 or 3 at a time, in the oil until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Meanwhile, heat the figs and honey in a small saucepan over low heat until the honey is warm. Set aside until the cheese packages have finished frying. To serve, place 1 cheese package on a plate. Spoon some figs and drizzle some honey over the top of each cheese package. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds and serve immediately. -----
Tip 1	Cooking Tip   November 15, 2009
Turkey can be thawed in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave. Whole turkey takes about 24 hours per five pounds to thaw in the refrigerator. In cold water, changed every 30 minutes, turkey takes about 30 minutes per pound to thaw. When using a microwave to thaw a turkey, follow the manufacturer's instructions for the size turkey that will fit in your oven, the minutes per pound and the power level to use. Never defrost turkey on the counter.
Pomegranate Arugula Salad	Soup, Salad or Bread   November 15, 2009
---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06 Title: Pomegranate Arugula Salad Categories: Salads Yield: 4 Servings 1/4 c Pomegranate Molasses 1/2 Lemon, juiced 2 tb Honey 2 tb Red Wine Vinegar 3/4 c Olive Oil Salt, to taste Black Pepper, to taste 6 c Lightly Packed Arugula 1 Pomegranate, seeds only 1/4 c Parmigiano-Reggiano Shavings 1/4 c Toasted Walnuts 1 Shallot, sliced To make vinaigrette, combine molasses, lemon juice, honey and vinegar in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while you whisk to emulsify. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Toss salad ingredients together and dress with the vinaigrette. -----
Tip 2	Cooking Tip   November 15, 2009
Once thawed, keep turkey refrigerated at 40F degrees or below until it is ready to be cooked. Turkey thawed in the microwave should be cooked immediately.
Rum Glazed Turkey	Main Dish   November 15, 2009
---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06 Title: Rum Glazed Turkey Categories: Main Dish, Poultry Yield: 8 Servings 22 lb Fresh Turkey, giblets removed, - rinsed well and patted dry 1 c Butter, softened & divided 2 c Brown Sugar, divided 1/2 ts Ground Cinnamon 1/4 ts Freshly Ground Nutmeg 1/2 c Dark Rum Salt, to taste Black Pepper, to taste Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Rub the cavity opening with salt and pepper. With your fingers, carefully separate as much of the turkey's skin from the breast, as you can, trying not to puncture any holes in the skin as you go. In a small mixing bowl stir together 8 tablespoons of the softened butter with 1 cup of the brown sugar. Smear about half of the softened butter and sugar mixture over the breast under the skin. Rub the remaining butter and sugar mixture all over the turkey. Roast the turkey about 3 to 3 1/2 hours, basting often during the last hour of cooking with the buttered rum glaze, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the turkey leg registers 155F degrees; it will continue cooking for another 20 minutes or so out of the oven. If the turkey skin starts to get too dark, tent it with foil while it roasts. While turkey is cooking, in a small saucepan combine remaining 8 tablespoons of the butter with 1 cup of the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, freshly ground nutmeg, dark rum and a little salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then lower and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened and syrup-like, stirring often. Transfer the turkey to a carving board to rest and loosely tent with foil and allow to cool. Brush the outside of the turkey with syrup mixture to get a glazed look. -----
Tip 3	Cooking Tip   November 15, 2009
Giblets are the turkey's gizzard, heart and liver. The giblets and neck, when cooked until tender, are often added to gravy or stuffing.
Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes	Side Dish   November 15, 2009
---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06 Title: Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes Categories: Side Dish, Vegetables Yield: 4 Servings 2 lb Yukon Gold Potatoes, - washed and quartered 4 tb Butter 3/4 c Heavy Cream 4 oz Blue Cheese, crumbled Salt, to taste Black Pepper, to taste Place potatoes in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Add salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium and cook until fork tender. Drain well. Add back to the pot that they were cooked in. Meanwhile, heat butter and cream until hot. Add the crumbled blue cheese and stir together. Add sauce to potatoes and mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. -----
Tip 4	Cooking Tip   November 15, 2009
Stuffing should be prepared and stuffed into the turkey immediately before it's placed in the oven for cooking. If preparing the stuffing ahead-of-time, wet and dry ingredients should be refrigerated separately and combined right before stuffing the turkey.
Caramel Apple Cheesecake	Dessert   November 15, 2009
---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06 Title: Caramel Apple Cheesecake Categories: Desserts Yield: 6 Servings 21 oz Can Apple Pie Filling 9 in Graham Cracker Crust 16 oz Cream Cheese, room temp 1/2 c Sugar 1/4 ts Vanilla Extract 2 Eggs 1/4 c Caramel Topping 12 Pecan Halves 2 tb Chopped Pecans Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Reserve 3/4 cup of the apple filling; set aside. Spoon the remaining filling into the crust. Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add the eggs and mix well. Pour this over the pie filling. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the center of the cake is set. Cool to room temperature. Mix the reserved pie filling and caramel topping in a small saucepan and heat for about 1 minute, or until spreadable. Spoon the apple-caramel mixture over the top of the cheesecake and spread evenly. Decorate the edge of the cake with pecan halves and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. -----
Tip 5	Cooking Tip   November 15, 2009
Stuff the turkey loosely, about 3/4 cup stuffing per pound of turkey. Use a two-step test for turkey doneness: First, insert a meat thermometer into the deepest portion of the thigh, not touching bone, and allow it to come to temperature for an accurate reading. Second, once the thigh has reached 180F degrees, move the thermometer to the center of the stuffing. Once the stuffing has reached 160F to 165F degrees , the turkey should be removed from the oven.
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