Welcome to My Kitchen

Thanksgiving will soon be here. By the time this issue of The Record Times is in your hands most area cooks in charge of the Thanksgiving meal will be planning the menu and making a list of tasks to do ahead. If you are planning cornbread dressing, you can make the cornbread several days ahead. Any gelatin salads may be made up to two days ahead, as can dinner rolls. Many side dishes reheat well in a microwave, saving on precious oven time and space.

Before we get to the Thanksgiving recipes and tips, if you are planning on pfefferneuse for Christmas, you should get it made now to allow time for the flavors to develop. Jan Ziemer of Spokane Valley, formerly of Davenport shared her families recipe for the soft style pfefferneuse. Her family makes it closer to Christmas and they enjoy it for months afterwards.

Nana’s Pfefferneuse

1 cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup karo (corn) syrup

1/3 cup water

1 oz bottle liquid anise (extract)

6 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Using a stand mixer, beat butter with sugar until creamy. Beat in eggs, molasses, water and anise until smooth.

In a separate large bowl, combine flour with baking soda and spices. Then stir into creamed mixture, big spoonful’s at a time. Dough will be stiff.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Form dough into small balls (about 1/2 inch). Jan suggests using a greased melon baller to measure the dough. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake about 15 minutes until light golden, but not hard.

Note: I lined my cookie sheets with parchment paper instead of greasing the pans. I like the ease of cleanup. Also, anise extract is usually found with the other flavorings in the spice section of the grocery store. If you can’t find extract, but have anise seed, you can very finely grind 2 to 3 Tbsp of seeds in a coffee grinder to substitute.

I received several requests for the meatball recipe used at a recent spaghetti feed. Kim powers of Odessa shared the recipe she used. These meat balls are baked on a foil lined pan so cleanup is easy. The mixture is just right for making meatballs that hold their shape and do not fall apart when added to sauce and pasta.

Easy Meatballs

1 pound lean ground beef

1 large egg, beaten

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 Tbsp chopped fresh

Italian parsley (optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients, mixing until well combined and ingredients are evenly distributed.

Use a medium cookie scoop or spoon to scoop up the meat mixture. Form into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart.

Bake uncovered for 17 to 20 minutes, until no longer pink in the center. Turn the meatballs halfway through the baking time. Serve with spaghetti or marinara sauce over spaghetti noodles or other favorite pasta. Yield: about 5 servings or 25-30 meatballs.

Note: meatballs may be fried. Use 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a large skillet placed over medium high heat. Fry for 7 to 10 minutes. Turn often to prevent burning.

Thanksgiving and other holiday meals have us purchasing extra produce for seasonal dishes. Often these specialty fruits and vegetables come packaged with more than you can use at one time. A vinegar soak will help prolog the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Using a large bowl or dishpan, fill with cold water and add 1/4 cup white vinegar for each gallon of water. Then soak fruits and vegetables for 10 minutes in this solution, then drain thoroughly. It will inhibit the growth of bacteria that causes spoilage, and can make you sick. Fruits and vegetables will last longer. I soak them all, berries, carrots, apples, bananas, avocados, melons. Everything but potatoes, which should be kept dry in a cool dark place until ready to use. They will not taste like vinegar.

Also, remember to start thawing a frozen turkey in the refrigerator about 4 days before you want to roast it. Do not risk food born illness by thawing at room temperature.

Share your favorite holiday recipes with your fellow readers by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen: Welcome to My Kitchen, Attn: Laura, P.O. Box 151, Odessa, WA 99159, or email [email protected]. Keep a spray bottle with mist option on the nozzle, filled with clear water, handy to mist fresh greens throughout the holiday decorating season to keep them hydrated and pretty longer. Do be careful any lights are unplugged and branches have dried before turning the lights on again. When greenery is ready to be disposed of, they make great winter windbreaks around roses and other leafy shrubs.