I was thrown for a loop a few weeks ago when my Grandma (hi Oma!) announced that we would be having Turducken for our Christmas Eve dinner. This time it wasn’t her thick German accent that was throwing me off – “Yeah, TUR-DUCK-EN” she enunciated and quickly explained: a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken. I instantly had two thoughts running simultaneously: either my family is crazy or we had just created the mother of all culinary inventions.
I later found out that Turducken wasn’t our family’s invention at all, but rather a very popular holiday feast in the southern states. Tante Evelyn (my aunt ~ did I mention we’re German?) had seen Turducken featured on the Food Network and thought it would be a fun addition to the dinner table this year.
All three birds are boned except for the drumsticks on the turkey and literally stuffed into one another then surrounded by a Cajun pork stuffing. I know, I had a hard time wrapping my brain around it, too.
Tante Evelyn ordered the pork-ish, gamey poultry from CajunGrocer.com who shipped us the deboned and stuffed bird(s) packed with dry ice straight from Louisiana. We unpacked and cooked similar to a traditional turkey: covered and baked at 350 degrees for four hours, then uncovered and continued to bake for an additional hour. The house smelled amazing all day.
Cutting the bird was one of the most fun “packages” we opened that night – everyone gathered around my Dad in the kitchen as he sliced and identified the different layers as they were exposed. The surprise factor for me was how evenly and perfectly moist every part of the bird turned out. I was a little nervous about the chicken and duck meat drying out in the oven for five hours, but somehow the combination of everything worked really well together.
When you eat the bird you can taste the different flavors, and the spicy pork sausage stuffing not only held everything together logistically, but also complemented the flavors and added a nice spice.
My final analysis: Turducken is an experience that tastes as good as it is fun to say 🙂
Deboning three birds is more than intimidating to me, but here’s a recipe for the brave, sans pork stuffing: Turducken Recipe, courtesy of Paula Dean.
Ella Dining Room
Our office celebrated the holiday season last week with an amazing lunch at Ella Dining Room. Being an office of foodies and the like, I was looking forward to an afternoon to enjoy the company of our office away from our busy desks, and experience one of Sacramento’s top restaurants.
The restaurant itself was alive with a full lunch crowd. And the décor (which I usually evaluate as much as the food) was fun and modern, yet inviting and comfortable. Our resident party planner (aka Kim Bedwell) must have called weeks ahead, because FH got the two large tables next to the open kitchen, where we could see the wood fire flames and some food preparation – definitely the best seats in the house.
Because we had a large group we were given an abbreviated menu; even with a short list, the choices were not easy to make. We started with the Fried Giant Rock Shrimp with Chili Aioli and Wood Oven Meatballs, Roasted Tomato Sauce and Sheep’s Milk Ricotta.
The next course was a choice between salad or soup (I choice the soup special, which as great) but in my view the highlight of the meal was the entrée. We had a choice between a Wild Mushroom Ravioli dish or a Seared Sea Bass with Dungeness Snow Crab (I don’t have the exact menu names, since much of our selections aren’t on their regular menu).
By foodie code, I must give special recognition to the Seared Sea Bass with crab- it was amazing. The sea bass cooked just right and the crab was just buttery enough to melt in your mouth, but still flavorful. Below is a picture of the ravioli, which also got rave reviews.
Our dessert options included: Warm Bittersweet Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Cake with Toasted Coconut Ice Cream OR Meyer Lemon Tartlet, Sweet Crème Fraiche and Blackberry Sorbet – both pictured below. I selected the chocolate option (usually do) and my favorite was undoubtedly the coconut ice cream.
I just glanced at the full menu, and am already looking forward to my next trip to Ella. Cheers and happy holiday eating!
Check out other blogger reviews of Ella Dining Room:
Edible Sacramento
MetroBlogging Sacramento
Tastes of Life
Midtown Guru
September is California Wine Month!
I heart September. Growing up on a vineyard in Sonoma Valley, September has always been a special time of year. It’s the month when my family gets to see the fruits of our labor, literally. I went home for harvest last week (we sell to a large sparkling wine label, and so we harvest our grapes when the sugar content is much lower than still wine grapes). It’s always a kick for me to see my backyard being taken over by the crew of pickers with all their tractors and equipment at 5 a.m. The crush is on!
While other vineyards across the state are harvesting this month, our own governor has declared September as California Wine Month. In fact, we are currently working with one of our clients, California Grown , to promote not only buying California Wine, but getting out and experiencing the harvest related events and festivals this month – and there are MANY to choose from! Check out this link for a full list of events: California Wine Events. Being the loyal Sonoman that I am, I must recommend one in particular that is happening later in the month: the 110th annual Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival, September 28-30 in Sonoma’s downtown historic plaza . It’s the Valley’s second most festive weekend of the year (first is the Fourth of July, but that’s a totally different experience and I won’t even go there). I have been many-a-year, and this festival truly has something for everyone.
During the festival the downtown plaza is split in half: the west side of the park is local art & jewelry from around the Bay Area, and the east half is local wineries, each with their own tent where you can sample many varietals; many are limited labels. In the middle of the plaza is a plethora of food booths, and a small amphitheater with a packed schedule. There is so much to see and do in the park, and you can also wander the square’s perimeter and shop or visit one of the many wine country eateries. Here are a few “insider tips” that I would recommend. If you end up going (I am!) please drop a line and let me know what you thought! You can check out the Web site for a list of events, but be sure not to miss:
- Vintage Festival Parade – this parade is nothing but a small town struttin’ their stuff, including marching bands, floats, fire engines, wineries, costumes, community groups, etc. I myself have been a participant many years growing upJ. This year’s parade is planned for Sunday at noon.
- Grape Stomp – this event happens on Sunday afternoon, but is definitely one of the highlights. Ages 5 to 85 come out to compete in teams of two!
- Whiskey Thieves – I grew up with these guys and they are a great band. Friendly blues that you can dance to or just enjoy while you’re sippin’ chardonnay. They play around the Bay Area but will sound better on home turf, no doubt. Saturday on the country-blues stage.
- Eats around the plaza (if you don’t want the booth food) – My top two choices hands down are the Swiss Hotel and The Girl and the Fig.
Chef’s Table – a Bay Area Dining Experience Not to Miss
I received a comment which reminded me of a recent dining experience, and decided that I had to write a post on it. If you’re a foodie and looking for a truly unique dining experience in the Bay Area, I HIGHLY recommend visiting The Chef’s Table, in Lafayette. The concept: renowned chef couple cooks for you and seven of your closest friends, in their personal gourmet kitchen. The experience is fun, educational (for the food-hearted), and entertaining, especially if you come with a lively group of people, which of course, is how I roll.
First, Chef Howard Karp has an amazing resume. He’s taught at several culinary institutions, and has held esteemed positions such as the director of food and beverage operations for the famed Waldorf-Astoria and consultant to the famous Balducci’s Food Operations. However, what really caught my attention was that he’s cooked for FOUR U.S. presidents (including Nixon and Clinton). So of course, my expectations hit the roof before we even walked in the door. Howard runs the home kitchen with his wife, Chef Jamie Imhoff, who is a former student of his and amazing dessert chef herself.
I was accompanied by seven former colleagues, AKA: a rowdy group of self-acclaimed food and wine connoisseurs. We were greeted by Howard and Jaime as they welcomed us into their cozy home and brought us to their gourmet kitchen – with an oversized island surrounding the range: plates and stemware set for eight. The seasonal menu was set a week in advance, and guests are required to supply the wine. The wine was my duty so I “took one for the team” and went wine tasting through the Carneros appellation the weekend prior so that we would have a professionally paired bottle for each of the five courses. I know, life’s hard.
Our dinner was phenomenal. Honestly, one of the best, and definitely THE most gourmet meal I have ever tasted. The first course was baked cream of onion and apple soup with gruyere cheese and calvados, followed by roasted foie gras and port, figs and frisee. The Chefs then gave us a bit of home-made sorbet to cleanse our palate before we proceeded to the main course, which was a white fish dish with a lobster-reduction sauce (from the looks of their Web site they have since removed the dish from the menu, and I don’t remember exactly what it was, however, it was probably the weakest link in the meal so any of the current options would probably be better anyhow). Our fourth course was a refreshing artesian salad. We ended our three-hour meal with a pear tart and homemade cinnamon ice cream.
The best part of the dinner: as the Chefs are preparing these amazing dishes they are explaining the preparation and cooking process; it’s like your personal Food Network show! They discuss favorite local markets as well as answered our (many) questions from ingredients to the latest kitchen tools. Needless to say, Chef’s Table met my expectations.
One tip: Guests select their menu in advance, but I recommend not missing the onion apple soup – the couple is known for it, and for good reason. Pair it with a good “oaky” chard, and you can officially die happy.
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