Courtesy Google Images

Can it be time for Thanksgiving already? Whether it’s a holiday meal with friends and family, food culminating with a turkey dinner is a colossal undertaking. Try some of my shortcuts to make this day a little easier.

Anything I can do to simplify the day works for me. Since the meal is traditional and the menu is the same every year,  I put my grocery list on an excel spreadsheet.

About mid November, I print a checklist from my computer. Throughout the holidays, I scribble notes to update the  list, so I’m ready for the following  year.

I’ve attached my grocery  list (for easy printing) that includes ingredients for  (1) a sliced fresh fruit platter, freshly squeezed orange juice; (2) brunch casserole, (3) turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas, stuffing, desserts; and (4) nuts and bolts snacks** (addictive and fun activity for kids). So, everything for the entire day’s food is on my list. No fuss.

On Thanksgiving morning, I have a fresh fruit platter, fresh orange juice and my favorite Williams Sonoma croissants. The kitchen smells like a French bakery.

For brunch, I serve the overnight breakfast casserole. Dinner is traditional turkey with all the trimmings. Best of all, everything for breakfast, brunch, the gravy and prep for the stuffing, is finished the day before.

Hopefully, this will inspire you to get organized and enjoy your celebration without the normal stress of holiday overload.  Edit to include your own favorites in the checklist. Enjoy!

NOTE

 *Remember to order the Williams and Sonoma croissants  the week before, and pull from the freezer the night before to rise. You won’t believe the size of the croissants by morning that are ready to bake in the oven.

** Nuts and Bolts snack recipe is on the blog.

-The Gourmet Review

Courtesy The Gourmet Review

We all need a fun, easy new cocktail recipe in our repertoire. Next time you entertain friends, try the Chartreuse Swizzle from the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai  restaurant, ‘ULU. This cocktail is refreshing and sure to be a conversation piece.  Head Bartender of ‘ULU, Doug Shulman, prepares this drink for guests sitting at the bar overlooking the restaurant’s oceanside view.

SERVES: 1

INGREDIENTS

1 ounce Green Chartreuse

.5 ounce John Taylor’s Velvet Falernum*

2 ounces fresh pineapple juice

.5 ounces fresh lime juice

DIRECTIONS

Add all ingredients to highball glass with crushed ice.

Swizzle until well chilled.

Add more ice and repeat until glass is well frosted on the outside.

PRESENTATION

Use a highball glass and garnish with  fresh pineapple leaf.

* Doug swears the secret to this drink is the John Taylor’s Velvet Falernum, which quite frankly was an unfamiliar liquor to me. In a pinch, you can substitute orgeat, but better to see if your favorite liquor store stocks the John Taylor.

– The Gourmet Review

Courtesy The Gourmet Review

This Cannellini Recipe was inspired by a trip to Tuscany last year with Executive Sous Chef Nick Mastracusa. This is simple, healthy and quick to prepare.

Every Thursday evening is Tuscany Night on the beach at The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. Chef Nick gives a nod to Tuscany, Italy with his Tuscan inspired menu. Ingredients are fresh from the market that morning and are featured grilled on a beach barbecue steps away from the Beach Tree Restaurant.  My favorite side dish was this bowl of white cannellini beans topped with freshly grated Pecorino cheese and fresh herbs.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound dried cannellini beans (Four Seasons uses C & F small whites)*

Chicken stock  ( homemade or I use 3 boxes of Swanson’s 32 ounce chicken broth low sodium)

Grated pecorino cheese

Juice from one Fresh lemon

Fresh thyme, parsley and rosemary (equal parts to finish off the beans just before serving).

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak the beans in water overnight in a large bowl filled with water.

Next day, strain the beans from soaking water.

Put beans in a large pot and cover generously with 64 ounces (2 boxes of Swanson’s)chicken stock.

Bring to boil and then turn heat down to simmer.

Cook until soft, but not mushy, about an hour. Add last 32 ounces of chicken broth when soft.

Add grated pecorino at the end to thicken.

Add fresh lemon juice to taste.

PRESENTATION

To serve, ladle beans into bowl.

Pour  slight drizzle of olive oil over beans.

Finish by sprinkling with Pecorino cheese and fresh herbs.

*I have tried this with navy beans when I couldn’t find in store, as well as large cannellini beans from Whole Foods. Neither worked well. If you can’t find the C & F small whites, you can order on Amazon. I order extras, so I always have them, since this has become such a popular dish in our house.

– The Gourmet Review

View from ‘ULU Sushi Lounge

My idea of paradise is arriving at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. Whether it’s the stunning sunset or the soft ocean breeze, nothing quite beats the warm reception every guest receives on the Big Island of Hawaii.  Service is impeccable and the kind hospitality of staff is warm and welcoming.

Courtesy The Gourmet Review

I see that the past few months have been busy at the hotel. More dining opportunities are available for guests, from Tuscan night on the beach to Saturday night Farm to Table dining events.

We love the new look of ULU, with it’s romantic, oceanside setting. Doug, head bartender at ULU’s Sushi Lounge, has been busy creating new signature cocktails, such as the one pictured above featuring fresh blackberries – the perfect libation to enjoy with pupus (appetizers) while watching the sunset.

Courtesy The Gourmet Review

Everything about the new restaurant cuisine has been updated by Executive Chef James Babian and Executive Sous Chef Nick Mastracusa. New name, new decor and fun new dishes to enjoy. Not a detail has been forgotten and that includes the breads. Shelves of fresh breads are baked daily on premises and served warm  in a brown paper bag at your table!

Courtesy The Gourmet Review

In the excitement of arriving and seeing the restaurant and menu changes, I  had to take a few quick photos of food with my phone. They don’t do the restaurant or the cuisine justice, but I couldn’t resist.  Now its time to settle in and get into the Hawaiian spirit. Mahalo.

– The Gourmet Review

Courtesy The Gourmet Review

This Salmon, Dungeness Crab and Shrimp with Shrimp Sauce in Parchment Paper recipe is fabulous and unlike anything you have ever eaten. It’s a bit of work, but you can put the extra packets in the freezer and pull them out at a later time.

My mother made this recipe when I was growing up. She never cooked with an actual recipe, but rather by the “seat of her pants,” as she used to say. Since I had no recipe to follow, I tried to recreate over the summer and came as close as I could to reproducing this yummy entree. I love to serve this with warm Parker House rolls to savor every last bit of sauce!

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

6 salmon fillets *

2 cups baby shrimp  ( I like the shelled, cooked shrimp from the east coast or your favorite seafood vendor, not the tiny baby frozen shrimp found in the freezer section of grocery stores).

2 cups shelled fresh crab meat (I prefer Dungeness)

3 cups white wine (or just throw in the whole bottle of wine  if  a little more liquid is needed to cover the salmon)

3 cups water

l large onion sliced

Juice from one fresh lemon

2 cans Campbell’s Cream of Shrimp** soup ( use the empty cans to measure)

2 cans poaching broth (Mix 1 can Campbell’s Cream of Shrimp soup to 1 soup can of poaching broth)

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

In a roasting pan, bring sliced onions, lemon juice, wine and water to a simmer (slightly bubbling).

Add salmon to water until salmon fillets start to turn color. If a portion of the salmon fillet is above the water, gently turn filets  so salmon is cooked all the way through. Or just add the rest of the bottle of wine to cover the salmon. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Check with fork. When the salmon changes color and appears to solidify, it is time to remove. Remember to not overcook (the salmon will finish cooking in the parchment packets when baked).

Remove fillets, so the salmon is not overdone  and place on cookie tray. When cooled, peel skin off  and place in the refrigerator until ready to assemble in parchment packets.

Let the poaching liquid cool.

Combine poaching broth with Cream of Shrimp soup for sauce. Ratio is one can soup to one can poaching broth. You will need a total of two cups Cream of Shrimp soup and 2 cups poaching broth. Mix and set aside to pour over salmon, crab and shrimp in parchment paper.

ASSEMBLE

Cut parchment paper large enough to allow for salmon filet, 1/3 cup fresh crab, 1/3 cup baby shrimp for each packet and cover with sauce.

Pick up all sides of parchment paper and pull together, so you have a completely enclosed parchment packet. Tie with cooking twine. It’s easier if you have someone to help, especially after pouring sauce!

Place the parchment packets on a cookie sheet and keep in refrigerator until time to cook. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

NOTES

*Ask your seafood vendor to debone and cut salmon into individual filets using 3 ounce portions for light eaters and 5 ounce portions for larger appetites. If you don’t live where fresh seafood is readily available, try calling family owned University Seafood and they can ship any fresh seafood to you with one day delivery.

**I was unable to find Campbell’s Cream of Shrimp soup at my grocery store. Instead, I had to order from Net Grocer.com on the internet. Try to use the this soup and not substitute in this recipe.

I like to double this recipe and put the finished packets in the freezer, ready for entertaining.

– The Gourmet Review

Courtesy The Gourmet Review

Isn’t The Angry Blueberry the perfect name for a catering company? Jessica Jager shared a family recipe for some yummy, yet healthy muffins. Brian, Jessica’s husband, grew up loving his grandmother’s bran muffins, which were served at The Granny Smith Restaurant (without the fruit) many decades ago. Thank you for sharing!

Try tripling the recipe – perhaps making a dozen each with fresh blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Throw several dozen in the freezer and in the morning, while squeezing fresh orange juice, wrap the muffin in a paper towel and throw in the microwave for 60 seconds. It’s as simple as that. Enjoy this easy, healthy, on the go breakfast!

SERVES: 24 muffins

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup Canola or vegetable  oil

2 eggs beaten

2 cups buttermlk

2 cups bran

1 cup bran buds (found in cereal aisle)

1 cup boiling water

2 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 – 3/4* cup (or 1 – 3 pints with any stems removed) fresh berries (my favorites are blueberries, but you can substitute raspberries and blackberries)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 550 degrees. Then turn oven down to 350 degrees.

Mix bran buds and boiling water. Allow to cool.

Once cool, combine all ingredients in order given.

Gently fold  fresh fruit into mixture so as not to break the fruit

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

NOTE

* I love to use lots and lots of blueberries. Sometimes it’s hard to find the muffin, but this to me is the best way to enjoy these wonderful muffins. I always DOUBLE the recipe and freeze leftovers in ziplock bags. With my freezer supply of muffins, it’s easy to pull one out of the freezer in the morning. Wrap in a paper towel and put in microwave for 60 seconds. Easy as can be!

I asked Jessica how The Angry Blueberry got it’s name. She told me that one day she was preparing a snack of fresh strawberries and blueberries for her family. One blueberry seemed to hop out of the dish, to which she replied, “Oh, that one must be angry.” Jessica’s husband then told her that when she opened her catering company, the name should be The Angry Blueberry. And so it was! 

Courtesy Four Seasons Resort Hualalai

Ready for some sunshine and extraordinary cuisine? Don’t think twice. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Kaupulehu, the first and only Forbes Five-Star resort on Hawaii Island, announces RSA – Regional, Seasonal, Artisanal, an epicurean celebration of sustainable cuisine and the grand opening of the Resort’s new oceanfront fish and seafood restaurant ‘ULU Ocean Grill + Sushi Lounge.

Courtesy The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai

The series of culinary events, to be held at the Resort November 14-17, 2012, includes a variety of cooking classes, culinary experiences and spectacular dinners hosted by Executive Chef James Babian. ‘ULU presents a dining experience that is a direct reflection of Chef Babian’s credo of “regional, seasonal, artisanal.” Resort-wide, 75 percent of the food served is from Hawaii Island, made possible by the strong relationships and cooperation Chef has with more than 160 farmers and fishermen on the Island.

“As one of our three annual signature epicurean events, RSA gives our guests the opportunity to experience exciting culinary events with great food and wine, but also the opportunity to interact with our chefs, great winemakers and special friends,” says Robert Whitfield, regional vice president and general manager of Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. “RSA is particularly special this year as it marks the grand opening of ‘ULU Ocean Grill + Sushi Lounge.”

The line-up of events (schedule subject to change) is as follows:

Wednesday, November 14

• 3rd Annual Farmers Symposium & Lunch – Executive Chef James Babian hosts local farmers and fishermen from Hawaii Island to discuss, share and network about ideas, challenges, advancements and opportunities in continuing efforts to make Hawaii Island cuisine more sustainable.

Along with Executive Chef James Babian, you’ll also meet Director of Food and Beverage Sebastian Hinsch, Executive Sous Chef Nick Mastracusa, Beach Tree Sous Chef Angela Kenyon and Manager of Beach Tree Restaurant, Chuck Wilson. These are an accomplished and passionate group of culinary enthusiasts!

Thursday, November 15

• NELHA Tour & Beachside Picnic – Executive Chef James Babian and Executive Sous Chef Nick Mastrascusa host a trip to NELHA seafood farms. Guests will enjoy a private tour of the various seafood farms and enjoy a beachside picnic lunch.

• Farm to Table Reception & Dinner – Guests will be treated to a spectacular evening of dining on 100 percent sustainable Hawaii Island-raised seafood from NELHA, along with wine pairings. The evening begins with hors d’oeuvres and wine alongside the beach, before the seating on the oceanfront lanai of ‘ULU. Chef James Babian presents his entirely locally-sourced four-course menu alongside local farmers and fishermen.

Friday, November 16

• Wine Tasting & Craft Cocktail Making – Guests will join Master Sommelier Chuck Furuya and Master Mixologist Chandra Lucariello of Southern Wine & Spirits for an interactive tasting of some of ‘ULU’s boutique wines, and making of ‘ULU’s signature craft cocktails.

   

• Winemaker Dinner – Guests will be treated to a spectacular evening of dining and wine pairings from Weingut Selbach Oster and Talley Vineyards at ‘ULU. The evening begins with hors d’ouevres and wine alongside the beach, before the seating on the oceanfront lanai. Winemakers Johannes Selbach and Brian Talley co- host the evening, which features five wines alongside Chef James Babian’s locally-sourced five-course menu.

Saturday, November 17

• Cooking Class – Guests will join ‘ULU’s Chef de Cuisine for a cooking class, recreating one of ‘ULU’s signature dishes.

• ‘ULU Grand Opening Party – Guests will explore the tastes and flavours of ‘ULU at this grand opening party, in which multiple action stations showcase signature dishes, while craft cocktails are shaken or stirred and boutique wines are poured. Guests will select from the a la carte menu while enjoying complimentary tastings through the evening.

NOTE

Courtesy Four Seasons Resort Hualalai

Courtesy Martha Stewart

Every year, the “Blue Baker” and I decorate cupcakes for Halloween. It’s been a tradition watching my granddaughter become more accomplished in her pastry decorative skills. I have a drawer full of pastry tubes, tips, sprinkles and tubes of food coloring in my kitchen that I can no longer close, because we’ve crammed so much stuff into it.

The black, scary spider cupcake design pictured above, from Martha Stewart, remains a mainstay during our Halloween ritual. Here, ordinary chocolate cupcakes are transformed into scary spiders, complete with black licorice spider legs, red hots for eyes and cup up marshmellows for fangs.

Courtesy The Gourmet Review

Now that she is 12, the “Blue Baker” gets her own inspiration from books, magazines, the internet and  on Instagram this year. And so our annual ritual began this week.  After baking three dozen cupcakes of all sizes, my “Blue Baker” decided that we would make our favorite  frosting. You will remember my childhood favorite “Mint Frosting from Arthur’s Bakery. As usual, my baker always likes to put her own “spin” on the recipe. Instead of green mint flavoring, she decided that orange coloring was more in line with Halloween.

Courtesy The Gourmet Review

We wanted to get straight to the decorating, so we used Betty Crocker cake mix and  made the frosting from scratch. It was perfect. This gave us time to quickly get the cupcakes in the oven and focus our efforts  on our frosting  and decorations. We put a dozen cupcakes in the freezer, just so we could pull out  for another day without any fuss and mess. The above photo is this year’s version of a pumpkin patch!

Courtesy The Gourmet Review

So, pull your favorite designs and go to work. Halloween is right around the corner!

– The Gourmet Review and the “Blue Baker”

Courtesy The Gourmet Review

This Hint of Mint Frosting recipe is absolutely delicious and spreads easily on any cake or cupcakes. It’s my “Blue Baker’s” variation of the frosting used on my childhood favorite cake recipe.

True to form, my granddaughter likes to “tweek” recipes, so she switched the green to orange food coloring this week to match our Halloween theme.

The frosting works with any food coloring, depending on the occasion, but regardless of the color, we love keeping the mint flavoring for a unique taste.

SERVES: 2 dozen cupcakes or one two layer cake

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups (318 grams) Crisco shortening

1  32 oz bag (907 grams) confectioner’s powdered sugar

1/2 (9 grams)  teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (136 grams) evaporated condensed milk or sweetened condensed milk

2  1/2 teaspoons vanilla (10 grams)

2 teaspoons peppermint extract  (7 grams)

1/4 teaspoon green food coloring (2 grams)

Up to 2 tablespoons (44 grams) water (adjust depending on consistency)

INSTRUCTIONS

Add shortening to food processor and mix about l minute.

Gradually add confectioner’s powdered sugar, salt, condensed evaporated milk and vanilla.

Turn processor on high until mixture looks whipped.

Slowly add water, scraping bowl, until mixture is a smooth consistency.

Add peppermint extract and green food coloring.

NOTE

This frosting keeps well in the refrigerator. We like to save extra cupcakes in the freezer and keep for  a fun, easy to put together dessert, that requires no fuss. The cupcakes taste fresh when thawed and are easy to frost with the leftover saved frosting.

– The Gourmet Review and The Blue Baker

Courtesy The Gourmet Review

Leave it to the Four Season’s Resort Hualalai to come up with a twist on the traditional tequila cocktail.  If you are a tequila connoisseur, then you will love pairing David Ravandi’s 1 2 3 line of certified organic tequilas with cucumber, fresh juices and just a slice of jalapeno for that extra kick. This cocktail, named the “Paniolo” by Doug Shulman, one of Four Season’s creative bartenders, uses Dos (2) Reposado. Try it!

SERVES: 1

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 ounces (you can substitute silver tequila)

2 slices cucumber

1 jalapeno sliver

.5 oz lime juice

2 oz mango juice

.5 oz agave nectar

DIRECTIONS

In a mixing glass, muddle cucumber and jalapeno with lime juice and agave nectar.

Add tequila and mango juice to glass with ice.

Shake and pour into a chili rimmed glass (1/2 of glass).

Garnish with sliced cucumber per photo and slice of jalapeño.

NOTE

Enjoy some of Doug’s other popular cocktails recipes, such as his Mañana tequila cocktail or the Hualalai Collins cocktail.

– The Gourmet Review