Reviewing the Issue: Fine Cooking Magazine, October/November 2010

It's always tough to finish a magazine, especially a great one. It's like going home from a fantastic vacation. You so much look forward to getting home, but you know you're going to miss where you've been. That's a pretty good analogy considering that this issue was all about Thanksgiving. As much as I'm looking forward to the next magazine, I'm already missing this one.

From the very beginning I liked this issue. It has a menu planner complete with ideas of what to serve for a variety of Thanksgiving meals; including classic, elegant, buffet-style and even for the kids' table. Of course, they didn't forget the wine offerings either. I'll probably come back to it over the course of the next month for a dinner party or two and use the turkey breast. I'm sure people aren't sick of turkey.....yet.

I was a little disappointed that the only recipe provided for the "Marketplace" vegetable was the Twice-Baked Potatoes With Horseradish. Of course, once we actually had that one recipe, we were well appeased (kinda). It was fantastic. (Still, more would have been great....we love horseradish).
The "Make It Tonight" portion of the magazine brought forth a wealth of meals for our family, many loved, some liked, one that made us go "nuh-uh," and unfortunately, a few we didn't have a chance to do. Under the heading of those we loved was the Five-Spice-Glazed Salmon with Sesame Green Beans. The salmon was amazing; the beans pretty typical. The Acorn Squash with Rosemary and Brown Sugar was on the very good list. The rosemary was just a bit too strong an herb for it.  I also made the Black Bean Soup with Sherry, which was also very good, though I used sour cream instead of queso fresco as a garnish. Since it was optional anyhow, I don't think it was a departure from the recipe. Besides, I did try the queso fresco and it kept sinking to the bottom. Not too helpful for a photo op.

One of the best of the quick meals was the Turkey and Corn Quesadillas with Guacamole. I made these with chicken and before Thanksgiving since I knew we'd be gone for the holiday but if we had leftovers, this would be on tonight's menu for sure! Or maybe tomorrow. I was lying about people not being sick of turkey yet.

The ones on the "didn't get to" list were the Seared Lamb Shoulder Chops with Mustard-Dill Pan Sauce,  Slow Cooker Pulled-Pork Sandwiches and Quick Chicken Parmesan, all of which I wish I had tried. Maybe some day I will. It's not like I'll be throwing the magazine away. Do we ever?
There is a wonderful section in the magazine called "Fall for Vegetables," which introduced me to Sweet Potato Pie.Pumpkin pie still rules in my book, but this one was incredible and my southern friends who tried it said it was spot on (quite a compliment). There were many other recipes that I would have liked to have tried in this section, but Hubby's reaction to brussels sprouts made including those impossible and I just couldn't wrap my mind around a cauliflower souffle (sformato) enough to give it a try.
Since I knew I'd be heading north for Thanksgiving, I didn't make the Fresh Herb and Salt-Rubbed Roasted Turkey in the magazine, but opted for the smaller version, Roasted Turkey Breast, Porchetta Style instead. This section, "Fowl Play," also had recipes that used the drumsticks and turkey thighs, which I thought was a very cool idea. Since I had leftovers from the turkey breast, I also had the chance to make the Turkey Bolognese and Turkey Noodle Casserole, going backwards to the leftover recipes from that fresh herb roasted turkey.

I was very impressed with the amount of recipes provided for turkey, not just for the main day, but unique ways to recreate the bird in the days after without feeling like they were leftovers.

Pastry Chef Fany Gerson gave us a wonderful step-by-step spread on how to make Pan de Muerto, a bread that is made around the Day of the Dead celebrations. In addition to finding this wonderful recipe, I appreciated the article of explanation and the step-by-step pictures that helped me make this semi-correctly.

Being the beef eater that I am, "Cooking by the Calendar" caught my attention. I quickly did the Seared Rib-Eye Cutlets with Romesco Sauce and Wilted Spinach with Olives (steak wonderful; spinach gross) and the Grilled Flat-Iron Steak with Charred Tomato Butter and Grilled Succotash (big yum). I really wanted to make the Moroccan-Spiced Roasted Hanger Steak with Carrots and Warm Lentil Salad and might just get back to this issue some day to do it.
For me, the absolute highlight of each Fine Cooking magazine is the Classic/Classic Update challenge. I love making both and then comparing the recipes. This time it was the Classic Tarte Tatin from Dorie Greenspan vs. French Pastry Master Francois Payard's Upside-Down Apple-Cheddar Tarts with Frisee and Toasted Walnuts. We came, we made, we ate, we voted; the classic won.

My biggest regret will be that I didn't make the Brown Butter Pumpkin Layer Cake, which you can see on the cover of the magazine up top. I really meant to do it and take it up to Chicago with us but just ran out of time. The last section of the magazine is called "The Great Pumpkin" and I didn't make a single dish from it. I should have. The Scallops with Pumpkin and Herbed Orzo looks amazing.

Two things that I really enjoy about the magazine are at the end. The first is the "Test Kitchen," which shows practical tips, advice and procedures for some of the dishes in the issue. Boning a Turkey Breast was helpful to me, as will the instruction on how to trim a hanger steak when I get back to that recipe someday. The nutrition page, near the back, gives me everything I do (and don't) want to know about the dishes I make from the magazine, which makes me think that I wasn't all that bad off in not eating the Brown Butter Pumpkin Layer Cake. Apparently browning butter does not remove the fat content.