Monetizing Thanksgiving

Holiday commerce seems to oozing into to every nook and cranny of our lives--to include encroaching on a holiday.  As if Black Friday were not enough, we have to co-op 6 p.m. - midnight on Thanksgiving.  Sacrilege!

I appreciated seeing the ads from Marshall's, Homegoods, and TJ Maxx bowing out.  I also across a an essay from last year from Ann Brennoff called What Black Thursday Protesters are Doing Wrong.  Her article has two major points--both poorly argued.

Her first point is that those of us who would express disdain for stores opening for Thanksgiving shopping are making the flawed assumption that everyone would rather be eating with their families rather than earning money.  If the assumption fails on the part of those supporting privileging the holiday as a shop free holiday (assuming that people would rather not be working), then it also fails on the part of those doing the finger wagging (assuming that people are grateful to be away from dysfunctional families).

There's just one problem: Who made them the boss of us? How do these people actually know that the guy who is working the register at Target doesn't appreciate the money? How can they be so certain that the gal gift-wrapping your packages at Macy's even has a family she wants to spend Thanksgiving with? Not everyone does, you know. Some people dread the holiday and are more than happy to spend it earning some money.

That some people dread the holidays and would rather work is likely a small portion of the retail population conscripted to work--and using that argument as an anchor for an essay is weak.

But who are you -- Black Thursday protesters -- to tell us that you know what's best for us? I don't recall electing you, and yet you want to impose your values on me.

Perhaps the Black Friday protesters are those that are affected by a family member that has to work on Thanksgiving. Perhaps it is the meal's cook. It's a holiday so daycare is not open.  Perhaps the person is working because they were threatened with losing his/her job if they didn't show up--not because they appreciated the pittance of traveling to work for 4 hours of pay.


"Protesting" is not about foisting one's values on others. Rather, it is about giving voice to one's opinions about what we consider objectionable actions.  And, yes, objectionable actions are things that abrade against our values--which is why women's suffrage, racism, police brutality, child labor and a host of other issues emerge into the public conscience.


Her second point, which I believe is important (but poorly argued) has to do with not making a selective argument while ignoring the larger issue:
Thanksgiving happiness doesn't just come in one shape. Shop or don't shop, that's your choice. But don't make Thanksgiving a holiday about labor rights when you ignore it the other 364 days a year.. . . Social activism? Folks, it's a 365-day-a-year commitment, although you'll probably want to take off on Thanksgiving.
Here's where I think that Brenoff has a mixed up argument.  The objection is about monetizing the space between Thanksgiving and Christmas and changing it to 'including' Thanksgiving. It feels that we have pimped out our last outpost of non-commercialized space.  If enough of us treasure the holiday enough to NOT SHOP, then we can absolutely let our opinion be known.  But if the collective we is so titillated by the too-good-to-pass-up door buster sales, then that simply reinforces another set of values that the shopping public has embraced.

I'm opting out.



Kitchen Quick Thoughts: Handy Things in Your Kitchen

Here's a few things to consider for your kitchen outside of the 'mandatory' things. These are quick thoughts--not meant to be comprehensive, or even fully thought out.

  1. Silicone Mitts  --  I finally broke down and bought some.  They don't get wet; don't compress and reduce the insulation when you are carrying heavy pieces and have to hold them longer because your instructions on "move that" aren't carried out with the alacrity you expected, and you are left holding the pan.  Your hands are worth it.
  2. Flour sack cloths:  You can get these by the dozen at Sam's.  Keep a dedicated couple for straining food stuffs that require fine straining.  It's a fine stand in for cheescloth; and coupled with a conical sieve you can do wonders.  (I made some homemade marscapone cream cheese for less effort and cost than finding/buying it at the store..  They make great cleaning rags too, but don't mix them up.  I put some border stitching on my cleaning one so nary the two should meet (and they shouldn't).  
  3. Glass cutting board:  Not to cut on, but set it over your unused stove burners or on the counter beside the stove to provide for additional space.
  4. Painter's Tape and Sharpies:  great for labeling containers for your advance ingredient prep.  Sharpies on their own allow you to mark plastic bags.  You think that you'll remember...but after a certain age, you just will NOT remember what is in that Ziploc bag.
  5. Plastic Page sleeves and binder clips:  The sleeves  are great for slipping in your recipes--to keep them spill free.  A binder clip allows you to hang it easily (utensil stand etc) putting your recipes in easy reading reach without taking up valuable horizontal space.
  6. Cooking string:  If you cook alot and don't use string, this will up your game for keeping a roasting hen from relaxing in the oven to making stuffed roasts.  There are dispensers, or simply put it in an old creamer bowl so that it does not wrangle with other stuff in your junk drawer.
  7. Wooden utensils: They are stiff and work hard. Just don't put them in the dishwasher.  Here are some lovely examples at http://www.woodspoon.com/
  8. Mineral Oil (food grade) and Paraffin Wax (food grade):   Show your cutting boards some love--and all of the other wooden items in your kitchen.  Melt 1 part wax to 5 parts mineral oil.  (I did mine in the microwave).  Pour it in a Mason jar.  Use a dedicate terry cloth to oil your boards and put in a ziploc back afterwards. A great gift idea. (Also, your hands will love it too!).
  9. A cup hook by your sink to hang a kitchen towel:  This will keep a towel handy, and decrease your use of paper products. 
  10. A mat in front of your sink area:  this will soak up the spills and splashes from your sink (particularly when working with oversized pans.).

Tick Tock!

I'm on my 3rd sinus infection in as many months...a record for me.  I went to Patient First.  I'm the TG cook, and I can't let this get ahead of me.  The doctor said that the pollen, mold and pollution counts are very high this year causing more problems  (and my regular doctor noted similar escalation in patients affected). 

Afterwards I went to BJ's to get a jump on TG shopping.  I think that I've got 99% of what I need.  I was a little peaked after my hunting and gathering.  I didn't do any of the EPA cleanup needed (though I've been chipping away at it). Probably just as well as my tendinitis in might right arm has come back.  The doctor gave me a cortisone shot, and I've had no problems until this week.  Falling apart!

One of the suckey things about Thanksgiving is that you still have to feed your family in the 2-3 days ahead of time while you are schlepping and prepping.  I wished we could just eat cereal or sandwhiches!

We were given a deer hindquarter and a tenderloin.  The hindquarter was so small and lean, I simply fed it to the dogs.  I whacked the bone parts with my Chinese meat cleaver.  Dexter wouldn't touch it which surprised me.  I knew that Daisey wouldn't.  I could cont on Greedy #1 (Angel) and Greedy #2 (Ella) to enjoy it.  They did.  With gusto.

The tenderloin I cooked in my new DeBuyer pan. I soaked it about an hour in a solution of weak vinegar which helps draw the bloodout.   I rinse, pat dry and then season with salt/pepper.  I then put a small amount of oil in the pan and get it shimmering hot.  I put the tenderloin in whole and sear all over.  It is medium rare. I served with a red wine sauce (red wine, butter, red fruit jelly/preserves and some thyme). 

I have found that make very thin slices to within about 1 inch of the other side, and then cutting a serving section through provides a lovely presentation (imagine a book--the cut sections are the pages and the long end the spine).  I then spoon the sauces over it so that it gets into the slices.  It really is lovely. 

I made lamb shanks this evening.  I got 2 for just under $17.  I've never made lamb shanks.    I pulled out the DeBuyer pan again and shimmered some oil, patted dry, salt and pepper.  I then seared the heck out of them before putting them in sweated onions, celery and carrots all roughly chopped with some rosemary and thyme.  I put them in the oven on very low temperature.  I made a pan sauce with a roux starter and then spooned in some of the braising liquid.  I cooked red potatoes in the microwave and smashed them in a soup bowl.  I spooned the vegetables from the braising liquid over, sliced the meat off the bone (it fell off), and then spooned some of the pan sauce over.  I made homemade biscuits (using White Lily flour, which makes the best biscuits).

I would have never guessed that the meat was lamb.  I love lamb; I know that many think it 'gamey'.  But this I could not recognize as lamb.  Really, really good. 

The pleasures of good food--and the pleasure of cooking it with good equipment. 

Dolma

About two weekends ago I made some dolma (meat stuffed cabbage).  I see from my blog that about a year ago I made some, and I was "Meh!" for the recipe. Gosh, I don't even remember making it.  It was that unimpressive!  But.....I did some recipe scouring (a/k/a recipe immersion where I consider all options and do my Frankenstein recipes...grabbing a bit of this, and that from various recipes).

I emerged from my immersion and elected to make this recipe:

http://howtoexpo.com/recipes/stuffed-cabbage-rolls-dolma



I did a few things differently.  (1) substituted beef for pork/veal/beef mix (which I saw in another recipe and would recommend); (2) I put diced tomatoes  and V8 juice in the pot. I think that my Nanny used diced tomatoes and tomato juice, but I never have that on hand.  I figured V8 would be a fine substitute.  It was.  The seasonings were perfect, and I would not change a thing (from my adaptation).  Also, my Nanny would put this in Pyrex dish and cook in the oven.  I used the stove top method, and I would stay with that.  I also cut part of the bottom core out of the cabbage and put the whole head in salted boiling water, removing the softened leaves with a pair of tongs and laying them in a pan.

The aroma from the pot was wonderful.   I did not have yogurt, but I did have sour cream.  I will definitely make the suggested accompaniment (yoghurt/garlic).  Frankly, I don't remember these being served with such an accompaniment at our house.  But....I cannot imagine NOT eating them with such.  They really were that good.

I had leftover meat and cabbage (as the cabbage head got too small to roll).  I just chopped up the remainder cabbage and threw the meat mixture in the pot. 

Now, though I consider myself a good cook, I rarely swoon over anything that I make.  Well...I swooned over this dish...as did the men-folk.  It actually tasted as good or better has what my Nanny made.  This will be my go-to recipe (with changes that I noted).  I so appreciated Marriette publishing her video. 

Milk Fat Product Matrix Spreadsheet

From the USDA Data base, the following are the percentages of milkfat in various products.





Why, you might ask, is this important?  Well as we move into frenzied cooking season and our time and energy is limited, sometimes we need MacGyveresque powers to get through our recipe preparation.  How many times have you been short on a necessary dairy product, have to drop eveything and go to the store?  Or, how many times have you over purchased and have to throw out because you needed just a cup of whipping cream but you have a quart?

My goal is to do dairy Garanimals, and do a mix an match between just two products:  skim milk and whipping cream.  With those two dairy products in your arsenal, all of the above iterations of milk fat end products that you would need to make your recipes can be achieved.  Skim is skim, but it makes half and half, 1%, 2% and whole milk when combined in the right proportions.  And there is no way to achieve whipping cream without having the full fat product which comes in 36% and 40% varieties.  And, you must know that half and half is NOT half cream and half milk--which is why when combined as such there is an oil slick on my coffee.



Yes, I had plenty of better things to do, but my goal was to breakdown the Goldilocks and the Three Bears math to achieve the right chemistry to transform a high fat product + a low fat product to just the right end product.  And, that distinguishing characteristic the fat percentage (per above) applied to the grams per cup (244) to calculate the fat grams per cup of product--hence the table above which has both.  It's interesting (though I would say immaterial to our math) to note that the full fat products have move volume and less weight (weighing in at 238 g v. 244).  But any of us trying to get a zipper closed post holiday eating knows that fact well!


Here's a handy formula for you to use to transform different fat milks to what you want to combine to get to the milkfat % that you desire.  I'll do this in grams for now, and then apply the ratios to ounces. 244 grams is the number of grams in a cup of end product.  X is the grams amount of high fat product that we need.  We simply subtract that from 244 to get the amount of low fat product that we need.  If you have a kitchen scale (which every serious cook should have!), then you could weigh them out.  Otherwise, apply the HFgrams/244 and apply that % to 8 oz.


In general: ( HF% - LF%)(X) + (LF%)(244)= (TF%)(244)

Of course, I'm lazy and math challenged, and I created an Excel spreadsheet which you can find  here for milk products only.  I'm not interested in adding butter to milk. Here's an example:

If we want to use skim milk (0%) fat and 36% whipping cream we would do the following:

.36% - 0% + 0 = 25    (in this case we have to get all of the fat from the whipping cream)

.36X=25   or X = 25/.36  or 69.44.67 g of HF product  and 174.55g (244-69.44) LF Product.



If we want to make whole milk from these two products, our ratio for 1 cup of whole milk (8 grams of fat) would be 7.25 ounces of skim milk and .75 ounces of  (1 tbs + 1.5 tsp) of skim milk. This is not science lab and rounding is not going to cause any problems.

Anyway, with Thanksgiving coming up, and so many recipes requiring milk, half and half and whipping cream, one can greatly simplify by just stocking skim milk and whipping cream.