First of all, if you are using a frozen turkey, you need to have it defrosted the day before cooking. It should sit in the brine overnight for best results. The brine gives it a nice, dark color. If you elect to smoke your turkey, as in the illustration, you can get a nice, mahogany color to bring to the table.

Technically, the turkey is not smoked, as that usually involves a long cooking time at low heat. For those who try this on the grill, you will get a nice smoked flavor to the turkey. For that matter, you could use the smoke method indoors, but it sure would really smell up the place. See the full recipe

Grandma Virginia’s dressing – if you don’t have a good dressing for your Thanksgiving turkey, I strongly recommend this one. I like mine a bit on the moist side, and I usually add more liquid.

Now, for dessert, pumpkin pie is a favorite. Besides just offering recipes, we have a Study in Pumpkin Pie, which begins with a startling announcement.

We start off in this examination of pumpkin pie with a hard truth. Most U.S. pumpkin pie is a lie.

I brought it all to a good boil and then shut off the heat. The residual heat managed to cook the beans more than enough by the time the chicken was done. Look at the brown on those birds. The breasts were marinated for about a day in Italian dressing.The cast iron grill in the cooking box gave them a nice browning. Then, the top down cooking kept the chicken nice and moist. We were pleasantly surprised at how evenly they cooked and how moist they were.

Castano Stew

2 lb.’s diced pork
1 lg onion chopped
1 tbls olive oil
1 lg garlic clove
1 serrano pepper
1 lg red bell pepper
2 tbs comino (yes, two tablespoons)
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tbs chili powder
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes (or the equivalent fresh if you like dicing tomatoes)
28 oz water
4 med diced, sweet potatoes
2 chunky sliced carrots
16 oz can pinto
15 oz can black
1 lb frozen corn
Once you’ve got the peppers roasted, you have another decision to make, based mostly on the equipment available. If there’s a food processor or blender handy, pop them into that and puree them. You can slice them fine. You can use a mortor and pestle. You can take them outside and pound them with a brick on the sidewalk (just kidding).

Now, the pork. I first made this using the big, thick “country” style pork ribs. I have used pork roast. Price determines my choice more than anything else. If there are bones, take them out. Also, if there are bones, guestimate their weight when you buy the meat. I trim as much fat as possible.
Put the oil into your stew pan. Heat the onions and garlic slowly until they are clear.
Dump in the meat and brown it. When the meat starts to brown, I usually throw all the dry seasonings in at that point. The meat is coated and the spices get a bit of browning as well. Be careful. We’re not going for blackened pork here.
Now, you can throw in the can of tomatoes. Fill up the can with water and pour that into the pot. Bring it to a boil.
Add the potatoes and carrots. Let them cook for about 15 minutes.
Now, add your cans of beans, juice and all. You can cook up the beans, if you wish. I do not know why you would want to do that. However, you are welcome to it. If you’ve got some leftover, home-cooked beans, I’d certainly use those.
Once the potatoes and carrots are almost done, add the frozen corn. Well, you can add it whenever you want. Waiting might keep the kernels from getting tough.
Serve it up in bowls with tortillas or cornbread.

This is a recipe from Manual for Army Cooks – 1896. It tells a soldier how to go about making a one-person serving of chili. It doesn’t say, but I assume the flour that is called for is for dredging the meat prior to browning it. From the looks of it, it could be cooked in the old aluminum Boy Scouts mess kit I grew up with.

Interesting that it calls for rice. All the modern-day fussy spats over “pure” chili usually involve beans.

It doesn’t say if dried red chili pods were standard Army issue. By the way, if you go to squeezing cooked chilies with your hands, best be wearing some sort of gloves or you may live to regret it. It doesn’t take much contact to turn your hands into deadly weapons against soft tissue – eyes, mouth, nose and other things.

Dang, what time is it? That late? Nuts! I don’t have time to tell you one of Grandpa Cecil’s stories. I’ll post it soon though. That story just made me think of another.

Chili

1 beesteak (round)
1 Tbs. hot drippings
1 cup boiling water
2 tbs. rice
2 large dried red chile pods
1 cup boiling water
flour, salt, onion (optional)
” Cut steak into small pieces. Put in frying pan with hot drippings, cup of hot water and rice. Cover closely and cook slowly until tender. Remove seeds and parts of veins from chile pods. Cover with second cup of boiling water and let stand until cool. Then, squeeze pods in the hand until the water is think and red . . . This recipe is designed for the use of one ration of beef. It can can be cooked in a mess kit.”

Try these revisions

1/2 pound round steak

1 tbs. oil

1 cup boiling water
2 tbs. rice
2 large dried red chile pods or 1 tbs. chili powder
1 cup boiling water
flour for dredging
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 medium onion chopped (optional)
1 clove garlic

1. Dice round steak and dredge in flour.
2. Heat oil in skillet.
3. Smash and peel the garlic, put it in the oil and remove as it begins to brown.
4. Brown the meat
5. Add the onions and cook until transparent
6. Add the rice and seasonings, stir and coat with oil
7. Add the rice and boiling water, bring to a boil and reduce heat to low simmer
8. Cover and cook slowly until rice is cooked

Or – think of how interesting it is that the army went to all this trouble to tell men how to cook one serving of chili, open up a can of your favorite brand, heat it up and reflect on history.

Download PDF of New & Old Army Chili

For the salad:
1.5 cups whole-kernel corn
1 can red beans
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Chili Dressing:
1/2 cup vinegar (your favorite)
2 tsps olive oil
2 tsps chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Texas 10-15 onion, chopped

Preparation

1. Open cans of beans, pour off liquid and rinse beans
2. In a large bowl combine salad ingredients.
3. In a small bowl whisk together dressing ingredients, toss with salad.
4. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to allow flavorings to blend.

Download recipe as PDF file.
Sunset Ridge Corn & Bean Saladwith chili dressing

The recipe below for a tortilla is from my good buddy Emi in Spain. Emi and I never have met, but we have been “seeing” each other almost daily over the internet for more than a year, maybe two. We both have weathered storms together. Thankfully, she speaks very good English, as my Español is muy bado.

Now, it appears that she and her husband may make it not only to the United States, but to Dallas – a village near the thriving metropolis of Fort Worth, Texas. What a hoot!

By the way, the first thing you Mexican food lovers will notice is that this tortilla is nothing like anything you are used to. The word has a whole different meaning in Spain. This is a delicious potato and egg omelet.

Tortilla Española de Emi

Recipe for 4 people:

• 5 eggs
• 10 medium potatoes
• 2 onions (finely chopped)
• Olive Oil
• 1 green Pepper
• 1 red Pepper

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Roast peppers in the oven or in the grill. Leave to chill a little and peel the skin and the seeds (go here for a more detailed discussion of roasting peppers).
Marinate the peeled peppers with virgin olive oil and salt. Reserve.Peel the potatoes and cut them in not very thick, irregular pieces. Add olive oil in the frying pan to medium-high fire and when the oil is hot add potatoes. Cook the potatoes over medium fire without stop. Add salt.When the potatoes are almost done, add the cut onion on the potatoes. When the mixture be golden take it off the fire, drain the oil and set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs lightly, add the potatoes and the onion and mix thoroughly. Mix it all well.Put a little oil in the frying pan and when it’s hot, pour the mixture of egg, potato and onion. Cook only to jell the omelette, for which should be little time. When it appears firm, it is time to flip.
Take a plate and place it over the pan. Flip the two over, which puts the omelette on the plate, cooked side up. Use the plate to gently slide the uncooked side of the omelette into the pan. Allow it to cook over low heat until firm.
Serve the omelette accompanied by the roasted peppers.
Important Note: it is preferable that the omelette not be over cooked. It still should be moist inside.Accompany by a good red wine.

If you are a maker of fine French omelettes, forget about that. This takes time and patience and low cook settings.

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