Best Turkey Ever!

Wish I could take credit for this, but it comes from Alton Brown of the Food Network. The brine really makes the turkey come out moist. Highly recommended. Our 20 lb. bird cooked a little quicker than we anticipated, but we just set the oven down to warm while everything else finished up. Our guests also said is was the best roasted turkey that they ever had.

Alton's Recipe

Italian Wedding Chicken Soup

I'm not one who likes to follow recipes. My right brain constantly tells me to create, create, create! Sunday is my big cooking day since I'm usually sitting at home watching football. So, I decided to take on one of my favorite dishes that I have never made before...Italian Wedding Soup.

There are many different variations of this dish, but my favorite came from a restaurant in Syracuse, NY called Delmonico's. It wasn't just your standard meatball, green, and broth. It was essentially chicken soup and wedding soup combined. I decided this was the direction I wanted to go in...so I did.

Here is my version of Italian Wedding Soup.

Ingredients:

Soup:
-Water
-Chicken parts (breast, thigh)
-3 carrots, chopped
-3 celery sticks, chopped
-1 medium onion, chopped
-1 bay leaf
-Kosher salt and pepper to taste
-2 handfuls of baby spinach,

Meatball:
-1 lb ground meat (beef, veal, pork etc...)
-1 egg
-1 tablespoon of Greek seasoning
-1/4 cup of bread crumbs
-1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-Clove of garlic, minced
-1/2 tsp salt/pepper to taste

Garnish:
-Grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

For the Soup:
1. Fill a stockpot about 3/4 full with water
2. Put the chicken parts, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaf, salt and pepper in the pot.
3. Bring to boil, then simmer until the chicken is done and vegetables are soft.
-SUGGESTION: Make Meatballs when the soup is nearing completion...Recipe below
4. Take chicken out...shred, and put a good amount back in the pot.
5. Place the spinach and meatballs in the pot, and let the soup heat up before serving.
6. Dish out the Soup into bowls, while placing grated cheese on top of each serving.
7. Enjoy!

For the Meatballs:
1. Combine the ground meat, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, minced garlic and salt and pepper in mixing bowl.
2. Mix well with a fork and form into tiny meat balls with your hands...roughly the size of a large marble.
3. Place meatballs on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 18 minutes at 350F, or until brown.

So, there you have it. And you certainly can use your own broth and meatball recipe, just don't be afraid to really liven it up!

Balsamic Onion Marmalade

This recipe actually comes from the cookbook 'WichCraft by Tom Colicchio. He is best known for being the head judge on "Top Chef." These onions are super-flavorful and super-easy to make. They are great for sandwiches, appetizers, pizza, nachos, etc...

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of Vegetable Oil
4 medium onions or about 8 cups, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup of sugar
2/3 cup of balsamic vinagar

Steps:
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat
2. Add the onions, salt, and pepper...stirring occasionally until onions are soft...about 20 mins
3. Add the sugar and reduce heat to medium-low...stir frequently for about 10 minutes. The onions will start to appear dry.
4. Add the vinegar and reduce the heat to low. Continue cooking for about an hour, stirring occasionally. The onions will be done when all liquid is absorbed.
5. Serve warm, cold, or at room temp.