Jello Shots for Thanksgiving

We saw these recipes on Saveur.com, one of our favorite websites for inspiration, motivation and up to date, "must know" developments in the food world, and thought "WOW", brilliant concept! So we're passing them on to you in hopes that your Thanksgiving might be oh so much better with a little jiggle.

Michelle Palm, from the blog Jelly Shot Test Kitchen (rough gig!) has developed three wiggly cocktails that are just sophisticated enough to counter-balance the giggle factor. They're also perfectly seasonal and totally in synch with all the other flavors of the holiday meal: The Pear Sour has an aromatic balance of lemon, pear liqueur, and gin, with a dash of Angostura bitters; the Bourbon Smash is a mix of fresh raspberries and mint, with just a touch of bourbon, and Apple Pie delivers as promised with apple juice, Apfelkorn, and Tuaca, a creamsicle-flavored liqueur.




Pear Sour

1/4 cup frozen lemonade
concentrate, thawed
and strained to remove
solids
1/4 cup water
3 envelopes Knox gelatin
1/2 cup Lillet blonde
1/2 cup gin
1/2 cup pear liqueur (we use Belle
de Brillet)
3 dashes Angostura bitters
2 tsp. agave nectar or simple syrup,
if desired
Fresh pear, for garnish (optional)

Recommended pan: molds or 1-lb. loaf pan (approximately 8" x 4")

1. Pour lemonade concentrate and water into a small saucepan and sprinkle with the gelatin. Allow the gelatin to soak for a minute or two. Heat over very low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Mixture will initially be very thick. Remove from heat.

2. Stir in the Lillet, gin, pear liqueur, and bitters. Taste; add the agave nectar/simple syrup if desired.

3. Pour mixture into pan or molds and refrigerate until fully set, several hours or overnight.

4. To serve, cut into desired shapes or unmold. Garnish with slivers of fresh pear, if you like.

MAKES ABOUT 15 JELLY SHOTS




Bourbon Smash

1 6-oz. package fresh
raspberries, plus
additional for garnish
(optional)
3 large sprigs fresh mint
(about 25 mint leaves)
2/3 cup bourbon
2/3 cup cranberry juice cocktail
1/3 cup limeade concentrate, thawed
and strained to remove solids
1/3 cup water
3 envelopes Knox gelatin
2 tsp. agave nectar or simple syrup,
if desired

Recommended pan: molds or 1-lb. loaf pan (approximately 8" x 4")
Implements: cocktail muddler, bowls, fine mesh strainer

1. Muddle raspberries and mint leaves in small bowl. Stir in bourbon and set aside.

2. Pour cranberry juice, limeade concentrate, and water into a small saucepan and sprinkle with the gelatin. Allow the gelatin to soak for a minute or two. Heat over very low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Strain the raspberry–bourbon mixture, making sure to press out all the liquid (you should have about a cup of liquid). Stir into the gelatin mixture. Taste; add the agave nectar/simple syrup if desired.

4. Pour mixture into pan or molds and refrigerate until fully set, several hours or overnight.

5. To serve, cut into desired shapes or unmold. Garnish with slivers of fresh raspberry and mint, if you like.

MAKES ABOUT 15 JELLY SHOTS




Apple Pie Jelly Shot

1 cup unsweetened apple
juice
3 envelopes Knox gelatin
3/4 cup Tuaca liqueur
1/4 cup Berentzen
Apfel Korn liqueur
(or apple schnapps)

Recommended pan: molds or 1-lb. loaf pan (approximately 8" x 4")

1. Pour apple juice into a small saucepan and sprinkle with the gelatin. Allow the gelatin to soak for a minute or two. Heat over very low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Mixture will initially be very thick. Remove from heat.

2. Stir in the Tuaca and Apfel Korn.

3. Pour mixture into pan or molds and refrigerate until fully set, several hours or overnight.

4. To serve, cut into desired shapes or unmold.

MAKES ABOUT 15 JELLY SHOTS


All photos by Michelle Palm

Stuffin' Time

One of the cornerstones of "poverty cuisine" is the stack of recipes using left over bread. There's stuffing, bread pudding, french toast, croutons, stratas, pasta with bread crumbs, soups and on and on. Sadly with today's low carb sensibilities, it's hard enough to find a fresh crumb, let alone any stale bread. Of all of these carbohydrate motherloads, stuffing is the hands down winner this time of year. And with Thanksgiving approaching, we've already begun to think about sourcing out our stash of bread.

Please take the time to cut up your own bread cubes and dry them out. It's maybe a little more expensive than buying the pre-packaged bread cubes, but it's so worth the little bit of time and money invested to make it yourself. Plus there's all the possibility for variations that Pepperidge Farm will deny you!

With the wide variety of breads available it's worthwhile to think outside of the box. For example one combination we love is sliced sourdough and 7 grain. We mix about 65% sourdough with 35% 7 grain and love the combination of tang and earthiness. Rye bread is another interesting possibility, I remember one event where we made a rye, mushroom and sauerkraut stuffing to serve along roast pork for an Austrian dinner. There's a delicious rosemary bread in our market that could really make a killer stuffing too. Pretty much any great bread will add the character you want. The only bread I'd stay away from is pumpernickel, but even that, used judiciously, well, might be interesting. especially if tempered by a big bunch of white bread or maybe challah. We'd advise to always include a generous portion of a simple white or whole wheat bread in the mix to prevent the stuffing from becoming more leaden that necessary.

Cornbread is another favorite stuffing and is also much enhanced by prepping the cornbread cubes yourself. Even more so if you can bake the corn bread yourself! If your recipe is on the sweet side, consider halving the sugar. It usually makes a tastier stuffing.

So you've got your bread, what next? If you're not using sliced bread, slice it about 1/2" -3/4" thick. Leave the crust on, it adds texture. Stack the slices and cut into cubes, again 1/2" - 3/4" big. Scatter them on sheet pans and let them dry out for at least 3 days, until tough and completely dry. They might never become as hard as store bought, but you want to make sure they are dried out. If there's not enough counter space you can dry them out in a large bowl or pot, but you'll need to toss them several times a day. It might take an extra day to dry them out, depending on volume.

So your bread cubes are ready, what's next? Just follow your family recipe, or your instincts, your inspiration, or some combination therein. The basic procedure is to saute vegetables (onions, celery, garlic, carrots, etc) in a very generous amount of oil, butter or chicken fat. Add herbs and other seasonings. Add to the bread cubes and combine well. If you are using sausage, ham, or other meats/shellfish, cook it briefly and add to the bread cubes as well, mixing completely. Moisten the stuffing now with a generous amount of stock (veg or poultry usually) and mix. Keep adding stock until the cubes are saturated but not falling apart. Place in a well buttered casserole and bake until cooked through and crispy on top. Alternately use it to stuff inside your bird, remembering to leave a little room for the stuffing to expand.

And just in case your imagination is failing you.... here are some flavor combinations we've had success with:

Sourdough, 7 Grain, Sausage, Mushroom, Carrot and Celery
Cornbread, Leeks, Pecans and Dried Cranberries
Herb Bread, Olives, Red Onions, Swiss Chard and Raisins
Challah, Wild Rice, Apples, Red Peppers, and Walnuts
Raisin Bread, Baguette, Prosciutto, Celery Root, Parsnip, Onion, Herbs
Corn Bread, Chorizo, Red and Yellow Peppers, Onions
Foccacia, Rye, Pancetta, Leeks, Fennel, Porcini, Chestnuts