Rookie Cookery

Turkey Panzanella Recipe (Thanksgiving Leftovers ahoy)

Some of you may remember I have written about panzanella before. Panzanella is an Italian style salad featuring leftover bread and fresh tomatoes. It is the epitome of a late-summer salad that typically makes use of chopped, fresh tomatoes tossed with home made croutons. So why do I mention it now, in November when the weather is cold?

Today is the day after Thanksgiving, and after the heavy meal we enjoyed last night, I am craving a healthy lunch that features vegetables. So I grabbed a can of chopped tomatoes and pretended it was summer. If you are looking for a great way to use leftover turkey, look no further.

To make this salad, cut some left over crusty french bread into cubes, and toast them in a hot pan on the stove top in some olive oil and minced garlic. Toss them into a large bowl with some green lettuce ripped into bite size pieces.

Now add whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand. I chopped and added some green onions, leftover cooked green beans, sliced celery, and some chunks of diced canned tomatoes (without the juice). I also added some pieces of hard salamie and peperoni.  Finally, chop and add pieces of left over turkey breast meat. Over all this, drizzle a little fresh vinaigrette.  You will hardly know you are eating Thanksgiving leftovers for lunch.

PS:  My friend Elise at Simply Recipes tells you how to make your own croutons here.

 

Thanksgiving Cabinet of Wonders

As promised in my last post, here is my Thanksgiving theme Cabinet of Wonders! TA DAH!!!!

This was actually last year's Cabinet. This year I changed a few things and kept some things the same.  Here's a shelf by shelf run-down:

The top shelf sets the tone-- I am thankful for my family most of all.

The Second shelf features my collection of Thanksgiving salt and pepper shakers, a couple of "Hummel" figurines from my Grandmother, and a vintage copy of "Good Meals and How To Prepare Them" that my sister in law gave me a few years ago. The little egg coddler is there to add some autumnal flair.

Shelf three:  A tobacco holder that was my Grandfather's, on top of which sits another heirloom salt and pepper shaker from my other Grandma. (OK I'm sentimental, it's clear!) The tiny lidded pot says "Sweeter than Sugar" and held Grandpa's tiny saccharine sugar substitute pills. (He was diabetic). The pretty little bowl and ladle is another heirloom I like to use for jams on special occasions. The double spouted Native American ceramic on the right is a wedding vessel, a gift from my best friend and her husband. Finally, the Flower Fairies of Autumn book nestles in the back. I love those books!

I didn't take a picture of the last shelf last year-- it held some favorite blue glassware.

And now, take a GANDER (har!) at the 2010 Thanksgiving Cabinet of Wonders, starting with the long view:

The top shelf is pretty much a re-run, with a slight change in the Scrabble words.

Second shelf has the Fairie book and turkey S&P shakers, plus a cup and saucer in a favorite vintage pattern by Jewel Tea. I can't find the other turkey S&P shakers and so I might have given them away to de-clutter. (I do that periodically).

Third shelf this year features the Hummel gang again, and an old ceramic rolling pin from England  I bought because I liked the golden flowers on it. The metal spoon and napkin rings come from my husband Jim's side of the family.

Here's a close-up on the napkin rings, showing wonderful details like beading, and an autumn leaf.

Finally, the fourth shelf displays a little cook book I treasure from my childhood: "Fun To Cook Book". I think that had to be my very first cook book.  I think that little tome will have to get its own post some day soon.  The ceramic rolling pin is another vintage piece that my husband Jim inherited. It is now a valuable collectable, printed with vintage advertising for the Columbus Flour brand.  The antique (Victorian era) serving utensils from Jim's Grandmother feature graceful cut-work designs. I love them, and I DO use them!

That's it! That's my Cabinet of Wonders, Thanksgiving Edition, 2009 and 2010!

Do you have a display cabinet in your kitchen? What do you put in there? Let me know in the comments. Pretty soon I'll be changing my Cabinet over to Christmas. Wanna see?

Today was a busy day-- I baked two pies (sugarless apple and regular pumpkin), made the cranberry-persimmon sauce, and the Parker House rolls are shaped and rising on the baking pans for later baking tonight. I strained the turkey stock I made yesterday in the crock pot, and will use it to make gravy tomorrow.

Time to curl up with a book and a glass of wine, I think. Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

My Cabinet of Wonders

I inherited this glass fronted cabinet from my Grandmother many years ago. I like its tall, narrow profile and paned glass, clearly intended to hold decorative items rather than doing the heavy lifting of general dishware storage.  I like the Asian style, gently curving wood on the top, and the two shallow drawers on the bottom to hold random odds and ends. There is a light on the top, rarely used. And I especially love the very subtle, cream-on-beige floral wallpaper on the back panel, which looks to be from the Arts and Crafts era and never distracts from the current display.

For a decade or more, I filled the glass shelves with pretty dishes, cups and saucers, and the display was somewhat static.

Then, a couple of years ago, I decided to change it up for the holidays, starting with Halloween. I crammed it with my spookiest paraphenalia for the weeks of October. That was FUN. After that, I decided to change the displays for every holiday, then for every season, then more or less every month, with something fun or interesting to look at.

I call it my Cabinet of Wonders!

I'm sorry I have been holding out on you, dear readers, and I haven't shown you my little art gallery.  That's about to change. Up next will be my Thanksgiving Cabinet of Wonders. Curious?

 

Andrea's Almanac

Some of you may have noticed my little experiment-- I created another blog called "Andrea's Almanac" in which I intended to share posts about my interests beyond food. After a couple of Halloween themed posts (see below), I decided to transfer those posts to this blog and simply expand my subjects beyond food here on Rookie Cookery every once in a while.  I hope you enjoy those posts as much as I enjoy writing them.

Halloween Portrait Gallery

Here at the Winchester Mystery Home, on Halloween, we hang portraits of ancient relatives on the wall to greet our guests. Something seems a bit odd, though, when I pass them by.... It is as if they change. I have to stop and look again. Did I really see that?

I think my eyes are playing trick on me. What do you think? Trick or Treat?

Oh, and: Boo.