And so we set the thermometer and waited by the oven. Sure enough, the temperature started to rise, and the number ticked up at an amazing pace. Turns out, the average roasting time for a 21 lb. turkey is 5 hours. We could hardly believe it, but our turkey was fully cooked in a mere 1.5 hours. As LocalHarvest explains:

Heritage Turkeys are also much more leaner and smaller than sedentary commercial birds. This means that fast cooking at high temperatures is a better method than slow roasting.

The result was a beautiful, moist, delicious bird with crisp golden skin. The best way I can describe the flavor of a heritage turkey is that it tastes…more like turkey. So basically, a little goes a long way in satisfying the taste buds. No gravy needed. The turkey was great by itself. So if you’ve ever considered trying a heritage turkey, I say, go for it. For me, there’s no going back.

Before

After

Our Thanksgiving feast ended on a high note with five fine homemade desserts (as is the annual tradition, they are made completely from scratch). Our selection included a cherry pie and apple, pear, apricot and kiwi/berry tarts. Though I admit I had nothing to do with the dessert preparation, I include these images which bring back happy memories of the time spent with my family and us sharing a fantastic meals together.

Kiwi and Berry Tart

Pear Tart

Happy Holidays to you and yours! Gobble, gobble.

From the moment we landed, we could see why Vancouver is often called one of the most “livable” cities in the world. The people are friendly, the landscape is beautiful and nature surrounds you. We enjoyed walking the city in the bright sun (and, of course, pouring rain). And along our treks, we found some outstanding places to eat, drink and be merry.

Right outside of Gastown (one of our favorite neighborhoods in the city) was Medina Cafe, a warm, elegant, little spot serving a mean cup of chai and out of this world waffles (they’re prominently displayed in front window and it’s hard to resist their appeal as you walk by). You can order your waffles with a variety of sides, and we got each ours with a side of maple syrup and a thick scoop of plain yogurt. We found ourselves there every day and we tried some of their lunch fare, which was as delicious and well-prepared as their waffles. It’s the perfect place to start out your day.

Medina Cafe Waffle

One of the standout dinners we had was just next store, at Chambar, the nighttime Belgian restaurant counterpart to Medina, which certainly embodies the same charm and good taste in design.

Though we ventured all around the city, we often found ourselves spending a lot of time in and around Gastown, trying out the highly acclaimed Boneta for dinner, and afternoon drinks at So.Cial, a french restaurant where we discovered that a “Bloody Mary” is called a “Ceasar” in these parts.

View from the bar at So.Cial

We also tried  lunch Salty Tongue Cafe, which was a great little spot serving comfort fare like and soup and sandwich combos. With a central 40 ft. communal table, exposed brick and large pop-art paintings on the wall, it’s bright, fun and comfortable and the food was light and tasty as well.

Soup & Sandwich at the Salty Tongue Cafe

One great place we tried that we had read about beforehand was Bin 941, which turned out was right around the corner from your hotel. We especially loved their kalamata olive hummus (thick and served like a cake) that comes with fresh hot Navajo bread, a must-have if you ever visit!

My sister planned a great itinerary for the weekend fit for 3 generations of interests. On our way to the Poconos, we stopped in Milford, PA to visit Old Lumberyard Antiques (established in 1999), which turned out the be quite a treasure trove.

Old Lumberyard Antiques

Chairs for sale

Raggedy Ann and Andy

Mondale/Ferraro

After a few hours shopping, we headed down the street for lunch at the WaterWheel Cafe, which was dripping with old-fashioned charm (it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places). A great place for families and kids, it offers s self-guided tour of the restored mill, where you can watch the wheel in action. We each ordered sandwiches for lunch, but were surprised to see that the menu also included a few Vietnamese offerings, such as Cha Giò, crispy shrimp spring rolls.

The Waterwheel Cafe…

…and cookies!

After we finished lunch, we made our way to our lodging, The Settlers Inn, an Arts & Crafts style bed and breakfast located in Hawley, PA, in the Pocono Mountains. My sister was lucky enough to book the last room available that weekend. We had a spacious room that could easily accommodate a family of four, with two pullout sofas and a walk-in closet. The charm was certainly in the details–from the bedding to the small wooden desk by the window and the crackers and local cheese that greeted us upon entering. There’s also a lush garden and large yard in the back, which make it a great venue for special events as well. In fact, while we were there we saw an intimate wedding ceremony take place with no more an twenty guests.

The Settlers Inn

The Potting Shed store and garden behind the Inn

Craftsman-inspired room

Our room’s periodicals, including “This Week in the Poconos”

The Settlers Inn also offers an award-winning farm-to-table restaurant. We ate dinner there that evening, and a pianist performed for the diners in the main dining room. With a sleeping baby in tow, we opted to dine on the back patio which was more quiet and offered a breath of cool fresh air. The staff was friendly and the food was very good. We had the rack of lamb and the sea scallop entrees, but the dish that knocked our socks off was the Blooming Grove Brook Trout with a lemon garlic sauce.

Rack of lamb with summer bean cassoulet, mint gelée, braised fennel and sun gold tomatoes

After a restful evening, we awoke to find that the weather finally picked up after the rain from Hurricane Danny and we spent a gorgeous sunny Sunday enjoying the antique shops and park in Hawley.

Grand ol’ flag at the gazebo across the street from The Settlers Inn

As we left the Poconos, we walked down to the rocky beach at Lake Wallenpaupack, a must-see if you’re in the area. We spied a few other families playing, relaxing and fishing along the shore, enjoying their weekend getaways as well.

Every time we go we always seem to stop by Azu, a Mediterranean restaurant that serves tapas. We had a few bites there, and enjoyed their beet salad.

We also spotted a welcomed new addition to the neighborhood. Knead is a cozy, bright bakery with a nice, enclosed outdoor seating area. Apparently, Knead used to sell its baked goods at the Ojai farmer’s market, but since has opened a permanent location earlier this year. We ordered a delicious slice of a cheesy galette and paired with a light wine grape soda, it was a phenomenal snack.

After a nice walk through the neighborhood, we always spend a few hours in Libbey Park, which is dog-friendly and also features tennis courts and a theater too. It’s a perfect place to take a nap under a tree after filling your stomachs with good food.

Finally, we headed to Bart’s Books, the “world’s greatest outdoor bookstore.” You may be starting to worry at this point, asking the same thing I did, which was, “Doesn’t the outdoors absolutely destroy the books?” Luckily, amidst the shaded outdoor stalls, there are several enclosed areas with temperature controls that protect the art books and special editions. And again, dog lovers, this place lets you bring your pooch in with you, so no need to tie her up outside in the hot sun. It’s a pleasure walking around the grounds and certainly on a rainy day, this would be an ideal place to come and snuggle up with a favorite read.

See you next year, Ojai!

It’s summer, and you’ve spent the afternoon out in the sun. And of course, now you’re a little thristy. Recently, we found ourselves in this very position and rediscovered the refreshing, satisfying bubbly drink of good ol’ root beer. Truth be told, when I was younger, I was not  huge fan of root beer, as the taste was a little too strong for my young palette. But this summer, we picked up some root beer at Whole Foods, and we’ve been hooked since. The rich flavor and carbonation, matches well with the heat and pairs well with a lot of foods. This past weekend we discovered a new brand which we quite liked for several reasons.

Maine Root caught my eye in the store because the box told me that it is gluten free, caffeine free and is made with simple ingredients: carbonated pure water, organic fair trade certified cane juice and spices. Yes, that’s it. And on a warm LA day, it also hit the spot. It’s not too sweet, and I also appreciate the fact that it is free trade.

Maine Root tastes good (while doing good at the same time), and I’d buy it again.

Their vinaigrette coleslaw is nice and light, that tastes more like a crunchy sauerkraut. We also like their bowls–today we shared the Japanese vegetable curry bowl and sasai donburi macro bowl:

Servings are pretty substantial too, so it’s a great value while being satisfying and delicious!

Seed
1604 Pacific Ave.
Venice, CA 90291
Map
Phone: (310) 396-1604

We had found other versions of the pan made of aluminum, but we love cooking with cast iron, since constant use encourages a natural non-stick coating and the material holds and distributes heat extremely well.

Truth be told, we’re not very good about doing exact measurements as we cook. But in short, we tried to make a healthier version of this treat by swapping the white flour out with buckwheat and whole wheat flours. To make enough for enough two people, here’s what we use and do:

2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
~3/4 c. buckwheat flour
~3/4 c. buckwheat flour
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. of freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. butter

1. Beat eggs. Add vanilla extract and mix.
2. Add buckwheat and whole wheat flour and mix (approximately 3/4 cup each, you may need to add more or less and mix until consistency resembles a thick paste).
3. Add buttermilk and wisk until the batter is smooth and pourable.
4. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and baking soda and mix until all ingredients are combined.
5. Heat aebleskiver pan on low/med heat and brush butter into each well.
6. Pour the batter in the wells, filling 3/4 of the way, starting on the outside and filling the middle one last (since that one gets the most heat on the range).
7. Cook until the outer shell of the aebleskiver is brown and firm and, using some toothpicks or skewers, rotate 45 degrees. In 30 seconds, rotate the ball all the way around so the cooked, brown half is now on top.
8. After a few minutes, the aebleskivers should be browned all the way around. Remove and serve with maple syrup.

We like serving our aebleskivers with a little bit of hard cheese on the side, like Parmigiano-Reggiano. We like the texture and how the salt brings out the sweetness of the aebleskivers and syrup.

Fun to make and delicious to eat, we’ve been making them every weekend for the past couple of months. It also seems like something kids would enjoy helping make (and eat). Enjoy!

Though we’ve been back from our trip to Budapest for over a month, we’re still raving about this wonderful city to everyone we’ve talked to. We had so many great eating and cultural experiences, that it’s been hard to write about it all, but here’s some more highlights from our trip. Budapest has so many terrific food finds, from retes, to old cafes, and of course their restaurants. I was pleasantly surprised to discover their burgeoning food scene. Many people here in the States, when asked to name a Hungarian food, might come up with goulash and when asked to describe it, many might say it was a heavy thick meaty stew. Turns out, the popular versions we found in Budapest were none of those things. Goulash was actually a light broth, flavored with paprika, diced veggies and some meat, usually beef. One of the best we had was at Bagolyvar, located right around the corner from the Museum of Fine Arts. The waitstaff was fantastic and the decor was rustic yet very elegant.

There were so many great restaurants we went to and would highly recommend, like Callas and Tigris, and another restaurant we loved (and visited twice!) was Klassz, a bistro and wine bar owned by the Budapest Wine Society. The decor was modern, bright and cozy, with floral wallpapers and colorful tiling on the floor. They don’t take reservations, but both times we went, we only had a minimum wait time before we got seated. We had their consomme which was absolutely delicious, the pike perch, and the butterfish, which were all expertly prepared.

One of our favorite cafes was Central Kavehaz. Over 100 years old, it was one of the great coffee houses of old Budapest and serves up a great coffee and pastries. It’s a huge cafe, with two floors, and so we always had our choice of seats and plenty of room to relax and take a break during our walks.

Bagolyvar
Allatkerti ut 2
Budapest 1146

Klassz
Andrassy ut 41
Budapest 1061

Central Kavehaz
Karolyi Mihaly utca 9
Budapest 1053

Feeling a little nostalgic for some NY knishes we ordered some from Yonah Schimmel, located on the lower east side. Yonah Schimmel started selling knishes almost 100 years ago from the current location in Manhattan, and since has become a NY landmark and icon. During our last trip to NY, we discovered that they delivered orders overnight by mail, so we knew that we’d have to order some when we got back to LA.

We ordered four dozen this month for a little get-together we had, and at 11 lbs per dozen, that equaled 44 pounds of potato product delivered to our door! We tried all eight varieties that they offered, which included spinach, broccoli and plain potato, but our favorites were the red cabbage, sweet potato and kasha. Slightly warmed with some yellow mustard, these knishes transports you to NY at first bite!

Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery
137 East Houston Street
Between 1st & 2nd The Lower East Side
Phone/Fax: (212) 477-2858

Retes is Magyar for strudel, and is a common snack/lunch among Hungarians that we found in several different styles all over Budapest. Typically, they come in a variety of sweet and savory fillings, and are baked in thin, flaky pastry sheets. Poppyseed was a popular flavor we found in several bakeries, but the best one we found was at a stand at the Great Market Hall, located south of our hotel, off of Vamhaz Korut by the river. One perk of visiting Budapest right now is that it’s on the Forint, the Hungarian currency (they’ll be switching to the Euro in 2010), so it’s a surprisingly affordable city to visit. After roaming through all of the cured meat and paprika stalls, we stumbled upon this retes stall on our way out.

Other varieties of retes available included cherry, cheese, apple and potato–there were about 2 dozen kinds to choose from.

English is commonly spoken in Budapest, so ordering of of their menu was a snap. And for under a dollar a piece, these snacks were a steal. They are served slightly warm and served to go. We ordered poppyseed, which was amazing–it wasn’t too sweet and was chock full of filling, and very light on the dough.

My favorite was the cabbage, which was warm and slightly vinegary, and very light.

Great Market Hall
Nagy Vasarcsarnok
Fovan ter, Budapest
Open 7am – 6pm, Mon-Fri
7am – 1pm, Sat
Closed Sundays
Map & Panoramic View