Show 47, November 9, 2013: Sam Sifton, National Editor of The New York Times

Sam SiftonJournalist Sam Sifton is the former restaurant critic for The New York Times and currently serves as their National Editor. He actually wrote the book on Thanksgiving last year. It’s entitled Thanksgiving – How To Cook It Well and it’s an excellent resource that any home cook would want to have.

Sam shares highlights from Chapter 2 of the book which is defining the perfect bird and explaining how to best cook it.

Sam’s basic philosophy regarding the preparation of the Thanksgiving meal is “keep it simple and excellent.” He also believes in planning for lots of leftovers. “Go big!”

Show 47, November 9, 2013: Sam Sifton, National Editor of The New York Times Continued…

Sam SiftonFood journalist Sam Sifton is back with us providing more helpful Thanksgiving education. He offers his two favorite side dish recipes. Those are Three-Pepper Sausage Cornbread Dressing and Roasted Cauliflower with Anchovy Bread Crumbs.

These recipes are posted on the “SoCal Restaurant Show” Web site within the Recipes link.

Three-Pepper Sausage Cornbread Dressing

Thanksgiving How to Cook it Well by Sam Sifton from Randon Houseby Sam Sifton

Here is a recipe I adapted from the cooking of Kurt Gardner, a New York theater man of great culinary passions who has been contributing the dish to our home for years, usually in proportions large enough to feed boroughs. Rare is the month where there is not a frozen bag of this stuff in our freezer, ready to be deployed.

2 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil
11⁄2 pounds andouille sausage, or fresh chorizo or hot Italian sausage
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, cleaned and diced
2 red or orange bell peppers, cored, seeded, and diced
2 poblano or Anaheim peppers, seeded and diced
2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, cleaned and roughly chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups chicken stock (if using store- bought, use low sodium variety)
1 pan cornbread, cut into cubes (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Heat olive oil in large fl at- bottomed sauté pan over medium- high heat. Add sausage and sauté until browned, approximately 10 minutes. Remove to a large bowl and set aside.

3. Add onion to the pan and reduce heat to medium, then sauté until onion begins to turn clear and soften, approximately 5 minutes. Add celery and peppers and continue cooking until peppers begin to soften, approximately 10 minutes.

4. Pour vegetable mixture into bowl with sausage, add chopped cilantro, salt and pepper to taste, and toss to mix.

5. Return pan to heat and deglaze with a splash of chicken stock, then scrape contents into bowl with sausage and vegetable mixture.

6. Pour mixture into a large roasting pan and add cubed cornbread, mixing by hand. Add chicken stock to moisten, cover with aluminum foil, and place in oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until it is soft and the flavors well incorporated. If you desire a crunchy top, remove foil for fi nal 10 minutes of cooking.

(Dressing can be made ahead of time and reheated when needed. If dry upon reheating, add additional chicken stock.)

Excerpted from Thanksgiving: How to Cook it Well by Sam Sifton. Copyright ©2012 by Sam Sifton. Excerpted by permission of Random House, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Roasted Cauliflower with Anchovy Bread Crumbs

Thanksgiving How to Cook it Well by Sam Sifton from Randon Houseby Sam Sifton

It is important to note that this dish does not have an anchovy flavor. Indeed, there is no reason ever to tell anyone who eats this dish that there are anchovies in it. The taste is merely salty and rich— and reflects beautifully off the sweet, creamy taste of the cauliflower beneath its slightly crunchy bread crumb topping.

2 heads cauliflower
8 to 10 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
Zest of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the anchovy bread crumbs
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 anchovy fillets, rinsed and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 shallot, peeled and diced
1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Break cauliflower into florets and toss in a bowl with sage, lemon zest, sugar, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and spread out on a large baking sheet. Place in oven and cook until tender and golden, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan set over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add the anchovies, garlic, shallot, and bread crumbs. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until golden.

3. In a large bowl, toss together cauliflower and bread crumbs and serve on a warmed platter.

Excerpted from Thanksgiving: How to Cook it Well by Sam Sifton. Copyright ©2012 by Sam Sifton. Excerpted by permission of Random House, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

November 9: Thanksgiving Holiday Special

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Sam Sifton, National Editor of The New York Times Part One
Segment Three: Sam Sifton, National Editor of The New York Times Part Two
Segment Four: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt Part One
Segment Five: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt Part Two
Segment Six: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt & Chef Jet Tila
Segment Seven: William Lewis, Sommelier and Partner, The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar Part One
Segment Eight: William Lewis, Sommelier and Partner, The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar Part Two

Dreading the thought of the big, high-anxiety Thanksgiving holiday meal preparation? Don’t despair…It’s our calming Thanksgiving special and we’ll put you at ease with practical advice from the cooking pros. We have you covered.

Chef Jet and Producer Andy preview the Thanksgiving special.

Sam SiftonJournalist Sam Sifton is the former restaurant critic for The New York Times and currently serves as their National Editor. He actually wrote the book on Thanksgiving last year. It’s entitled Thanksgiving – How To Cook It Well and it’s an excellent resource that any home cook would want to have.

Sam shares highlights from Chapter 2 of the book which is defining the perfect bird and explaining how to best cook it.

Sam Sifton is back with us providing more helpful Thanksgiving education. He offers his two favorite side dish recipes. Those are Three-Pepper Sausage Cornbread Dressing, and Roasted Cauliflower with Anchovy Bread Crumbs.

Elizabeth WhittChef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt is no stranger to the show. When Chef Jet has a culinary quandary he goes right to Chef Elizabeth. She is a Le Cordon Bleu, Paris trained chef with expertise in both hot foods and pastry.

In this segment Elizabeth talks about pumpkin. Should it be fresh or can it be canned? Also, the step-by-step instructions for preparing and baking the perfect, classic pumpkin pie.

Elizabeth has an “Appetizers and Hors D’oeuvres” class coming up on December 5th from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.

Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt continues with genuinely useful Thanksgiving cooking help.

She explains what dishes can be successfully prepared ahead to save time (and limited oven & burner space) on the big day.

Chef Elizabeth also shares her easy recipe for her favorite Thanksgiving side dish for her own Thanksgiving table.

It’s your turn…

Jet and Chef Elizabeth Whitt offer their Thanksgiving advice in responding to listeners’ questions. It’s everything from how do you know when a persimmon is ripe to what are the most creative ideas for using the abundant leftovers.

Also everything you want to know about cooking deep-fried turkey and the path to preparing the perfect stuffing.

Sir William Lewis of the Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar in TustinWilliam Lewis is the award-winning sommelier and partner in The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar located in The District in Tustin. For the second year in a row they were awarded The Golden Foodie for Best Wine List in Orange County in 2013. They were also just recognized with OpenTable’s 2013 Diner’s Choice Award for Notable Wine List.

Whether your preference for your Thanksgiving table is a pairing of a fine white, sparkling, or red wine William has the selection of the perfect match for each that will both impress and not break the bank.

William Lewis, the popular sommelier and partner of The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar located in The District in Tustin returns to complete his inspired Thanksgiving wine pairings.

He also talks about digestives for the finale of your Thanksgiving meal. It might be brandy, cognac, Calvados or even the Italian Fernet-Branca.

Look for the debut of The Winery Restaurant’s elegant new eagerly anticipated location on Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Beach in February of 2014!

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Sam Sifton, National Editor of The New York Times Part One
Segment Three: Sam Sifton, National Editor of The New York Times Part Two
Segment Four: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt Part One
Segment Five: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt Part Two
Segment Six: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt & Chef Jet Tila
Segment Seven: William Lewis, Sommelier and Partner, The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar Part One
Segment Eight: William Lewis, Sommelier and Partner, The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar Part Two