Ingredient of the Week

Think that turkey is only a Thanksgiving affair?  Well, think again!   Turkey is a definite part of American culture.   Think about idioms such as going “cold turkey” or the American folk song, “Turkey in the Straw.”  Other references include: Wild Turkey, which is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon and the film “Turkey” (about turkeys) that releases on November 1, 2013.

 
Let's Talk Turkey. 

         Wild turkey is native to the Americas and has been served up in the New World since the 1500's. Explorers introduced wild turkey to Europe in the 16th century where farm raised breeds began to emerge. It is speculated that the first Thanksgiving turkey was had in 1621, and as the saying goes, the rest was history! The latest statistic from the National Turkey Federation notes that 219 million turkeys were eaten in the U.S. in 2011 over the course of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. With holidays upon us, buy local. There are several New Jersey farms from which to purchase a turkey. Feeling like getting out in the sunshine and into the rugged outdoors? Go hunting. Wild turkey season begins April 22, 2013.

Jive Turkey? 

• Americans tend to prefer white meat, which is leaner and has fewer calories.  However, dark meat has more flavorful and is great to use in soups and stews.

• Tom turkeys gobble and hens cluck. 

• Wild turkeys can fly short distances while domesticated turkeys cannot. 

• The President began the custom of pardoning a Thanksgiving turkey, donated by the National Turkey Federation, in 1947.

References

Mizejewski, David. (2010, November 25). Turkeys Are True Animal Oddities. Retrieved March 25, 2013 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-mizejewski/turkeys-are-true-animal-o_b_788418.html 

National Turkey Federation. (2010). Turkey History and Trivia. In Turkey, The Perfect Protein. Retrieved March 25, 2013 from http://www.eatturkey.com/consumer/history/history.html.

Turkey (2013). In MovieWeb. Retrieved March 25, 2013 from http://www.movieweb.com/movie/turkeys 

Wallace, O. (n.d.). What is the History of the Turkey in America? In wiseGEEK. Retrieved March 25, 2013 from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-history-of-the-turkey-in-america.htm

What's the Dish on Turkey?

Hot Brown Sandwich

What is it?   An open-faced hot turkey sandwich consisting of thick sliced bread topped with bacon and sliced tomato, and sauced with a decadent Mornay, which is a Béchamel sauce enriched with Gruyère or Parmesan cheese. 

Paired With:  A long walk in the park.

Fun Facts:  The Hot Brown was created in Louisville, Kentucky at the Brown Hotel in 1926.  Chef Fred K. Schmidt embellished standard ham and eggs to create a rich meal traditionally eaten after the house band finished playing for the night.  This signature dish can still be had at the Brown Hotel today!

What is in a Hot Brown?
6 tablespoons of butter
6 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
3 cups of milk
1/2 cup of freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 egg, room temperature and slightly beaten
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup of whipped cream
8 slices of toasted white bread, without the crust
1 pound of thinly sliced cooked turkey breast
Grated Parmesan cheese for topping
1 (2-ounce) jar diced pimientos, drained or quartered tomatoes
8 slices of crisply fried bacon

Modern recipes use an additional amount of white cheddar or Gruyere in the sauce and spice it up with Worcestershire or Tabasco sauce.  Sandwich type breads range from Shokupan (Japanese style white bread) to Texas Toast, to Pullman sandwich bread.

References
Tradley, Linda S.   Hot Brown Sandwich-History of Hot Brown Sandwich. Retrieved March 25, 2013 from http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Sandwiches/HotBrownSandwich.htm