Tradition

 Thanksgiving is the super bowl of food holidays.   It’s also the one time of year that we pride ourselves in tradition, making recipes that have been passed down from generation, to generation.  Yet who hasn’t been at the table and offered what appeared to be green mush in a casserole dish with dehydrated burnt onions on top? Or a sickenly sweet glop of sweet mashed potatoes?  I have just two things to say, the first one is leave the can of cream of mushroom soup for a weeknight, I’m too busy to even think about cooking supper.  Thanksgiving is the day where we should take that extra step and make everything, (And I mean EVERYTHING) from scratch. You’d be hard pressed to find any can’s in my kitchen.  Also what is up with those little damn marshmallows?    What am I three?  This is a side dish, not a freaking dessert!  Sigh, year after year my family insists on these goopy, nasty dishes.  Well in the words of KISS, “WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT!”  When opportunity arrives and I get to spend the holiday at home, this is what I make instead.  No they’re not my recipes; credit goes to Bobby Flay and Emeril.  But I have fallen in love with these recipes so much that they have become tradition in my home.  Bon Appétit!

Emerilized Green Bean Casserole

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2001

Prep Time:

35 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

1 hr 10 min

Level:

Intermediate

Serves:

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed and cut lengthwise into thin strips and blanched
• 2 1/4 cups Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup, recipe follows
• 2 tablespoons Essence, plus 2 teaspoons, recipe follows
• 2 cups grated Fontina
• 4 to 5 cups vegetable oil
• 2 large yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1/16- inch thick)
• Hot pepper sauce
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish with the butter and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the green beans, Wild Mushroom Soup, 2 teaspoons of Essence, and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese, and stir well. Pour into the prepared dish, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese on top, and bake until bubbly, 35 to 30 minutes.

In a large saucepan, add enough oil to come about 3 inches up the sides, and heat to 360 degrees F.

Pat the onions dry. Drizzle hot sauce on the onions and toss. In a bowl, combine the flour and 2 tablespoons of the Essence. Add the onions and toss to coat evenly. Shake the onions to remove any excess flour and add in batches to the hot oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden brown, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Top casserole with fried onions and serve.

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup chopped yellow onions
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 11/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean, stems trimmed, and sliced
• 6 ounces oyster mushrooms, wiped clean, stems trimmed, and sliced
• 8 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, wiped clean, stems trimmed, and sliced
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup brandy
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, and cayenne and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, the mushrooms give off their liquid and start to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the brandy, bring to a boil and cook until glazed, about 2 minutes. Add the stock and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat and puree with a hand-held immersion blender, or in batches in a food processor. Add the cream, return to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and adjust seasoning, to taste.

Yield: 8 servings

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Smoked Chile Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay

Prep Time:

10 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

1 hr 15 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 heaping tablespoon chipotle pepper puree
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 1/8-inch thick  (side note from me, USE A MANDOLINE, if you don’t have one BUY ONE, it’s worth the money, trust me!)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Also add enough butter to grease the bottome of your pan, trust me or it will stick, I also like to top it with dollops of butter, I know my God cream AND butter? Relax already, it's the hollidays, just don't eat the whole damn pan and you'll be fine already!

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Whisk together cream and chipotle puree until smooth.

In a 9 by 9-inch casserole dish, arrange the potatoes in even layers. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the cream mixture and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, cream, and salt and pepper to form 10 layers.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes, remove cover and continue baking for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the cream has been absorbed and the potatoes are cooked through and the top is browned.