The Silver Screen Oasis

Dog walking has another advantage, it takes us on different trails and to different places and we found a stall set up next to a lovely country pub, full of in season vegetables at really cheap prices and looking far bigger, juicier and dirt ridden than the specimins at the supermarket. We came back off our dog walk laden down with Winter veggies. Beetroots at 10p each and they're as big as both my fists and parsnips nearly as big as my head. Oven roasted parsnips and belive you not, betroot and chocolate brownies, the beetroot taking the place of most of the butter and part of the sugar.

Has anyone a new recipe that they are foisting on trying to tempt their family and friends with this Thanksgiving?

I may be doing some other stuff, but right now I'm trying a Cinnamon Crunch for the top of one pumpkin pie (I'll leave one other one plain for the purists). It is a Bobby Flay idea that you sprinkle on top of the pumpkin mix just before popping it in the oven. Here's what is in it. Pretty simple, huh? No, it's not low cal, but what is on Turkey Day?

Cinnamon Crunch
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup light muscovado sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, cold

Yummy! I do that with apple pie all the time. Let me know how it turns out! I hope it won't be too sweet for the pumpkin, it works so well with a tart pie.

I was going to make a stuffing with black figs and prosciutto, but even my dad, who is a great experimenter himself said it didn't sound too good. I chickened out - plus I couldn't find the proper figs. Back to the traditional stuffing, maybe a little sausage added, new england style.

moirafinnie wrote:

1/2 cup light muscovado sugar

In making Cinnamon Crunch ...

I have never heard of this type of sugar until now! ... What is it?
Another item to google about.

kingme wrote:moirafinnie wrote:

1/2 cup light muscovado sugar

In making Cinnamon Crunch ...

I have never heard of this type of sugar until now! ... What is it?
Another item to google about.

Fancy sugar which comes from exotic places. I used brown sugar, though I wouldn't cook it again in my oven for quite as long as the recipe suggests. Google has tons of info on it, kingme.

JackFavell wrote:Yummy! I do that with apple pie all the time. Let me know how it turns out! I hope it won't be too sweet for the pumpkin, it works so well with a tart pie.

I was going to make a stuffing with black figs and prosciutto, but even my dad, who is a great experimenter himself said it didn't sound too good. I chickened out - plus I couldn't find the proper figs. Back to the traditional stuffing, maybe a little sausage added, new england style.

It's not very sweet, but has a nice crunch to it, Wen. Um, I don't know about your dad, but black figs and prosciutto are great--though you have to like figs and prosciutto to begin with, I suppose.

moirafinnie wrote:

kingme wrote:moirafinnie wrote:

1/2 cup light muscovado sugar

In making Cinnamon Crunch ...

I have never heard of this type of sugar until now! ... What is it?
Another item to google about.

Fancy sugar which comes from exotic places. I used brown sugar, though I wouldn't cook it again in my oven for quite as long as the recipe suggests. Google has tons of info on it, kingme.

Thanks for the update Moira!

Thanks for the vote for figs and prosciutto, Moira! I love them both.

Here's something fun from the New York Times, if you have the ingredients and the chutzpah to try some new recipes at the holidays:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012 ... l#/?id=all

JackFavell wrote:Thanks for the vote for figs and prosciutto, Moira! I love them both.

Here's something fun from the New York Times, if you have the ingredients and the chutzpah to try some new recipes at the holidays:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012 ... l#/?id=all

That Turkey-o-matic approach to the menu was fun! I want the rum drink they suggested. Of course, by the end of Thanksgiving, I would kill for an adult beverage and some peace and quiet.

I thought that one looked so delicious, Moira.

I was actually going to try a Dr. Brown's cel-ray and sherry concoction, since I had sherry on hand here. My grocery store has recently undergone a massive regrouping, no one can find anything anymore, so shopping was a mess this week...couldn't find the cel-ray anywhere. Why oh why change everything around the week before Thanksgiving? OY.

I've never had cel-ray, though I've certainly seen it in grocery stores, esp. in the NYC area. Does it really taste like celery? Is it sweet or dry sherry you're thinking of using? I usually save the dry kind for any mushrooms that are sauteed. They are such a great combo.

Oh now you are making my mouth water! I love mushrooms cooked in wine.

The recipe for the drink suggests a very dry light sherry. Cel-ray soda does taste like celery, and it's sweet, but not overly so. It's got a fresh taste to it. I read a description of it that says it's got a savory flavor, vegetal and crisp, like cucumber. That about fits.

Cel-Ray is the only Dr. Brown's soda I don't like. When I'm prepared to shell out the extra cash for Dr. Brown's, I get their root beer, cream soda, or black cherry. I love black cherry soda as a treat. And a diet cream soda is like a vanilla dessert without the guilt!

When I was a kid we had a soft drink manufacturer in the NYC-area called Hammer. I don't think you could buy that brand in stores, but had to go to them directly and purchase a whole case (sometimes neighbors would go halvsies on a case) mix-and-match. They might have delivered, too. They had very good root beer, cream, and black cherry sodas, among others, all in 24-ounce (heavy glass) bottles, the largest one could buy back then. Dr. Brown's is the next best thing.

Yum....black cherry is my favorite too. It's like dessert in a can!

Funny you should mention Black Cherry soda. The Bride and Princess got home yesterday from a visit to Philly. There was a carton waiting for me. I am having one for lunch.