We At Tiny New York Kitchen Wish You And Your Family A Very Healthy & Happy New Year!
Taking care of someone who’s very ill and doing a bit of Tiny New York Kitchen Work. These Cherry & Brown Sugar Cookies are going to the Bridgeport Rescue Mission. Listening to Handel’s Messiah and thinking about all that I have to be grateful for. 
Last Sunday Wilton, Connecticut’s, Cannon Grange, had their annual fair. I love this little fair because it truly is something from out of the past. The fair is held inside the grange where people compete against one another for things like “best homegrown tomatoes” and “best homemade pickles.” Outside are various local venders as well as a children’s’ watermelon eating contest. On a whim I decided to enter my Root Beer Brownies and won first prize. Next year I may enter my rhubarb jam or my double decker carrot cake. These are some of the simple things in life that make me happy.
If you have many occasions to use a rolling pin then you really should have different sizes and different shapes of rolling pins on hand. Sometimes a very long, thick, and heavy one will be best. For other dough you will want a smaller, lighter one. The French style, which is extra long, narrow, and tapered at both ends, is especially good for rolling dough into a round shape, as for a pie crust, while the straight-sided rolling pin is better for an oblong shape.
If you’re unfortunate enough to be without any rolling pin at all, other things will do a decent job. Try a straight-sided bottle, tall jar, or a drinking glass.
"Work With What You Got!"
© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen
Tips For Baking A Better Cookie
After making thousands and thousands of cookies over the years one learns a few important tricks on how to make a better cookie. Here are some tips from the Tiny New York Kitchen’s kitchen.
Making Dough:
Bring butter to room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour before you start (unless otherwise directed). If you’re short on time, cut the butter into pieces and microwave in 5-second intervals, just until butter is soft, but not melted.
To measure flour, spoon it into your measuring cup, then level it with a knife. If you pack flour into the cup, your cookies could turn out dry and heavy.
Check the expiration dates on your baking powder and baking soda, or test the freshness by dropping a pinch into vinegar: If the baking soda or powder foams and bubbles, it’s still good.
Use pure extracts. The imitation stuff just isn’t the same.
Baking Cookies:
Buy an inexpensive oven thermometer and adjust your oven setting accordingly.
If you’re baking more than one tray of cookies at a time, switch the positions of the pans from top to bottom halfway through baking and give each pan a 180-degree turn.
Cool and quickly wash your baking sheets between batches. If you drop dough onto a hot baking sheet, the butter will start melting instantly and the cookies could lose their structure.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Let cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets (just until they’re firm enough to move), and then remove them to a rack to cool completely (unless otherwise directed). If you leave the cookies on the pan, they could end up too crisp.
"Work With What You Got!”
© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen
Thanksgiving is nearly here. If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner don’t panic. Here are some important tips that will help you get organized and ensure that your meal goes smoothly and tastes delicious. What’s important is enjoying being with family and friends.
- Plan your menu according to the number of guests you’ll have.
- Order your turkey! Just how big should your turkey be? It’s recommended to have at least 1 1/4 pounds per person. If you round up a bit from that number, you’ll be able to enjoy leftovers.
- Finish your food shopping, and pick up your turkey two days before Thanksgiving. I hope that you’re turkey is a fresh one at this point. How long does a frozen turkey take to defrost? You’ll need to allow ample time to defrost your turkey in the REFRIGERATOR. Turkeys less than 12 pounds will take as long as two days to defrost. A turkey more than 20 pounds can take up to five days to defrost.
- Prepping is important. Make pie crust and store in the refrigerator. Finish any baking (cornbread, muffins, pies). Peel and cut potatoes, and store in water in fridge. Make fresh cranberry sauce. Cut carrots, celery, onions, and mushrooms for stuffing. Sauté and store in fridge. Place white wine in fridge to get nice and chilled.
- The day before Thanksgiving prep green beans, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, or any other vegetables, and store in a Ziploc bag in the fridge. Set the table and label serving dishes.
- Thanksgiving Day prepare stuffing and other side dishes. Prepare turkey for roasting and place in oven at determined time. If you choose to stuff the turkey, do it right before you put it in the oven. Take stuffing out of the turkey immediately after cooking. While turkey is roasting, make mashed potatoes.
- How do you know when your turkey is done? Use a meat thermometer inserted into the meatiest part of the turkey. Wait for the reading to reach at least 165 degrees. If you’ve stuffed the bird, make sure that also reaches the same temperature for food safety purposes.
- Those glorious leftovers! If you refrigerate the turkey within two hours of serving, your leftovers will last three to four days.
- Try to relax and wait for your guests to arrive.
- Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
"Work With What You Got!"
Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen
Homemade is alright with me. Homemade is the way it should be.
A Few Words About Bacon
Bacon is salted, dried, cured or smoked meat from the back or sides of a pig. The term is derived from the Germanic bache/backe “back meat,” though at first the word referred to any part of a pig. Flitch (or slab bacon) designates a whole chunk of bacon before it is cut into slices. Burned bacon can be dangerous because burning it will produce carcinogens.
If you’re not doing it already then I have 3 words for you…BAKE YOUR BACON! Frying is the traditional way to cook bacon, but as we all know the high heat can make the bacon fat splatter all over the place. Baking applies lower heat, reducing splattering and shrinkage. It is also the best way to cook large amounts of bacon. Arrange the bacon slices side by side on a large, parchment paper lined, baking sheet. It’s a good idea if the baking sheet has a large rim on it. Bake in a preheated oven at 400º F for about 20 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and browned. Cooking food in the oven at this temperature is actually roasting, but there are times when the terms roasting and baking can be used interchangeably. Remove the rendered fat as it accumulates with a bulb baster, if necessary. When done it’s a good idea to transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain.
Generally bacon is about 50% fat. As it cooks, the fat becomes liquid and separates from the meat. This process is called rendering. The rendered fat can be put in a tightly covered container and stored in the fridge or freezer for sautéing or frying other foods.
Purchasing the leanest bacon can be counterproductive, as the fat gives the bacon most of its desirable flavor and crispness. Most of the extra fat melts off during cooking. The fat on bacon should be about 1/2 to 1/3 of the total weight. If you buy bacon from a butcher, you can ask for the rind to be removed and for the bacon to be sliced. A whole slab stays fresher longer. A butcher-cut slab can be stored for two weeks in the fridge or two months in the freezer. The freezing does create ice crystals which causes the bacon to splatter when fried stovetop.
Did you know that bacon can be frozen for up to 4 weeks? The curing process affects the stability of the fat, which means that bacon can turn rancid even when frozen. Although you can freeze the unopened package, it is usually better to separate the slices into conveniently sized amounts (about 4 ounces or so for breakfast). Wrap the bacon tightly in plastic wrap, then overwrap with aluminum foil. For added protection place in a ziplock bag. Long-term freezing is not recommended. Thaw thoroughly in the fridge before cooking.
Once the vacuum pack is opened, bacon will usually keep for only about a week in the fridge, although sometimes it will keep for a couple of weeks. The ends may darken and dry out and they should be sliced off and thrown away before using. To make bacon crumbles, chop the bacon first and then cook it.
Keep Calm and Eat Bacon!
Passover Menu Ideas
March 25 to April 2
There can be something wonderfully reassuring about sitting down to a dinner so traditional that you will know exactly what to expect. Each family has their own traditions and favorites. They’ve stood the test of time and families look forward to them year after year.
Seder Plate:
Hard Boiled Egg
Shank Bone
Horseradish
Haroset
Parsley Bouquet
Matzoh
Apple & Walnut Haroset
Persian Haroset
Gefilte Fish With Horseradish
Traditional Gefilte Fish With Carrots & Aspic Served With Matzoh
Traditional Chopped Liver
Pickled Herring In Onion & Sour Cream Sauce
Smoked Whitefish Salad
Herring Salad
Crudité of Fresh Raw Vegetables With Dip
Imported Cheese Board Garnished With Fresh Fruit
Chicken Soup With Matzoh Balls
Roasted Salmon
Traditional Brisket With Gravy
Filet of Beef
Roasted Whole Capon With Rosemary & Shallots
Roast Chicken
Free Range Turkey
Whole Boneless Fresh Turkey Breast
Rolled Spit Roasted Turkey Breast
Smoked Fish Platters With Olives, Capers & Lemons
Smoked Salmon Platter
Whole Boneless Large Whitefish
Matzoh Stuffing With Mushrooms & Caramelized Onions
Tzimmes of Sweet Potatoes, Carrots & Butternut Squash
Potato Pancakes With Applesauce
Potato Kugel
Spinach Kugel
Steamed Spring Vegetables With Dill
Herb Roasted Beets
Sautéed Root Vegetables (Turnips, Parsnips, Carrots, Haricots Vert & Wild Mushrooms)
Steamed Asparagus
Glazed Brussels Sprouts & Pearl Onions
Green Beans With Roasted Garlic
Lemon Meringue Cake
Chocolate Torte
Chocolate Almond Cake
Chocolate Glazed Orange Cake
Walnut Date Torte
Cheesecake
Raspberry Filled Yellow Cake
Orange & Lemon Sponge Cake
Sliced Fruit Platter
Fruit Salad
French Macaroons
Coconut Macaroons
Almond Macaroons
Meringue Clouds
Brownies
NOTE: For Baking Desserts Use Almond Flour, Kosher Potato Starch, Matzo Cake Meal or Matzo Meal As Substitutions. Check Recipes To Determine Which Are The Best Substitutions.
A Word About Baking Powder
Baking powder is a leavening agent that reacts to liquid and heat and creates carbon dioxide gas, which expands the bubbles created by the creaming process, causing the cake to rise. Baking powder loses its effectiveness after six months to a year. Be sure to check the date on the can when you buy it or mark it yourself.
