Page 26 November 2014 INGREDIENTS • Brine • 1 gallon of water • 1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar • 35 cloves fresh garlic, smashed • 3 ounce of thyme sprigs • 1/4 cup red pepper flakes • 1 1/4 cup freshly cracked black peppercorns • 1 1/4 cup kosher salt • 1 1/4 cup crushed juniper berries • 3 cups hickory chips • 1 (750 millileters) bottle of malbec • 20-25-pound all natural turkey PASTRAMI TURKEY PREPARATION • In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar, garlic, thyme, spices and berries. Heat until sugar and salt are dissolved. Cool. • In a separate saucepan toast off hickory chips and add the remaining 600 ml. of malbec that you didn’t drink into the pan. Bring to a simmer remove from the heat and cool. Once cool, strain into other part of the brine and pour over turkey. Place in refrigerator for three days. From executive chef Josh Bracher, Second Story Liquor Bar Photo courtesy of Debby Wolvos, DW Photography INGREDIENTS • 1 cup juniper berries • 1 cup black peppercorns • 1 cup dark brown sugar • 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes RUB PREPARATION • In a spice grinder or coffee grinder pulse all of the ingredients. • Cover the bird with the rub. • Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. INGREDIENTS • 1 pound butter • 8 ounces smoked bacon • 10 cups chicken stock TO COOK PREPARATION • Heat oven to 300 F. • In a pan, place bird breast side up. Stuff the turkey with bacon and cubed butter. Then pour chicken stock into pan. • Cook until the turkey breast hits 155 degrees. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Reserve pan drippings. INGREDIENTS • 2 tablespoons oil • 6 cloves garlic, smashed • 2 tablespoons tomato paste • 1 Tablespoon chili powder • 1 tablespoon paprika • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves • 1 tablespoon five spice • 4 ripe tomatoes • 2 cups water • 1 cup cider vinegar • 1/4 cup dark molasses • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar • 1 tablespoon kosher salt • 2 tablespoon soy sauce • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce • 1/4 cup whole grain mustard • 1 teaspoon black pepper • 1 bay leaf • turkey pan drippings FALL SPICE BARBECUE PREPARATION • In a medium saucepan heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, paprika, red pepper, allspice, cloves and five spice and cook, stirring, until paste is dark brick red, about 3 minutes. • Add the tomatoes, water, vinegar, molasses, brown sugar, salt, soy sauce, Worcestershire, mustard, black pepper and bay leaf. • Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the flavors come together, about 45 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf before using and add in the turkey drippings. LOCAL CHEFS Arcadia area chefs share their favorite Thanksgiving recipes, stories and tips. From Steve Freidkin, chef and owner of Texaz Grill PECAN MUFFINS TRADITION My family used to get together every year for Thanksgiving at my mom’s house in Dallas. Most of my siblings (there are five of us) would travel from all over the country. One year I was opening a restaurant in Phoenix and couldn’t be there. I rented a turkey costume, took a picture and had a life-sized blow up made. It sat in for me at the Thanksgiving dinner table. My siblings said it was the best time they’d ever had with me. INGREDIENTS • 1 cup dark brown sugar • 1 cup pecans, pieces • 1/3 cup butter, melted • 1/2 cup flour • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder • 2 eggs, beaten • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract PREPARATION • Combine all ingredients and mix. • Fill 12 baking cups in a muffin tin until they are half full. • Bake for 25 minutes. • Serve warm. talk turkey

Page 27 November 2014 INGREDIENTS • country bread • your favorite mayonnaise • leftover roasted turkey breast • leftover mashed potatoes • leftover stuffing • creamy gravy • vine-ripe tomatoes • sea salt • Salanova lettuce • leftover cranberries THE DAY-AFTER-THANKSGIVING SANDWICH PREPARATION • Slice and toast your favorite crusty country bread. • Generously spread mayonnaise on one piece of toast. • In a sauté pan, heat turkey with a touch of turkey of chicken jus. • Shred or slice the turkey and place on toast. • Heat left over mashed potatoes and spread on top of turkey. • Heat stuffing and stick into mashed potatoes to prevent it from rolling off the sandwich. • Heat and drizzle gravy over stuffing. • Top stuffing with tomatoes and season with sea salt. • Layer with lettuce. • Spread the cranberry jam onto the second piece of bread. • Top sandwich with the second slice. Enjoy! From Justin Beckett, chef and owner of Beckett’s Table and Southern Rail THANKSGIVING COOKING TIPS • Always let the bird rest at room temperature after it is done cooking. • I am a fan of deboning the whole bird, tying it up and roasting it in 1 to 1 1/2 hours. This is a much more predictable and easy way to prepare the turkey. • Always plan for plenty of leftovers as the “day-after- Thanksgiving sandwich” is the best part of the meal. • I like to ask the family and friends that are coming over if they have a request for a dish or dishes. Sometimes I even ask how their family made it or what their tradition is so that I can make them feel right at home. Thanksgiving is about being together and a lot of nostalgia around cooking and eating and family. • If you are cooking for a big group, don’t be afraid to assign tasks (whether it is cooking, cleaning, picking up ice, etc.) to the guests ahead of time. This way the expectations are set and all the work gets done. • On that note, know your strengths. If you aren’t strong at something (say baking pies – hint, hint) outsource it to friends, family or your favorite restaurant. From executive chef AJ Rajda of Sunfare home delivery CHEF TURKEY TIPS One thing I have done recently when cooking my turkey is I take herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley and marjoram) and mix them with butter. Then rub it under the skin. Season with sea salt and black pepper and place it in the freezer for 30 minutes. This is just enough to firm up the butter mixture. Place the turkey in a 500-degree oven for 20-30 minutes. Then I cover it and cook for the remaining time at a lower temperature, like 325 F. It has a nice flavor, crispy crust and very moist. FUN FACT One other fact I learned long ago is when the Pilgrims and Indians had their first Thanksgiving, turkey was not the main attraction. They used eel as the centerpiece, according to historians. I can see why Americans didn’t like that – who wants a slimy eel at Thanksgiving?