The real "Downton Abbey"

Yesterday I was going through some old family photo's for an idea that I have. I came across these, my other had given them to me about 20 years ago, she had marked the family members so that I would know who they all were. A couple of the photos go back to 1820. These are the one's taken of my grandmother, Mahala, when she was in Service. Daughter of Lucy Fox, my Great, Grandmother that was the cook at Osborne House for Queen Victoria. Mahala went into service before World War 1, she was in service to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, in what I am guessing was Chatsworth. I think that we think of Service in a different way now. But at the time there were no careers for women, barely any jobs. Service would have been one of the few jobs available to women, it would have been safe, secure, and hopefully interesting.. Mahala Rear right I had forgotten about the cricket team photo, but after the latest Downton Abbey series, clearly women had a cricket team from the estate too...

Turkey Lasagna

In our house we eat a lot of chicken and turkey. Over the years I have learnt to adapt some of my heartier recipes that ask for beef, lamb or pork to turkey. Which doesn’t mean I prefer the turkey! Believe me when I say that Turkey shepherds pie is just not the most tantalizing meal, and not one worth repeating. Turkey Ragu works well though... I think it is because of the turkey meats ability to take absorb the ragu flavors. Turkey the placebo of meats... I prefer the ground turkey breast to the mix of thigh and breast, texturally it is better. 2 onions, chopped 2 sticks celery chopped into 1/4- 1/2 inch pieces 2 sides of red pepper chopped into similar size to celery 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped 1 thai chili finely chopped - optional, I add the chili for the flavor and immune boost Herbs - of your choice, I like to change the herbs each time.. I 28oz can of chopped tomatoes 1/4 cup of tomato paste Ground turkey, preferably breast. 1 1/4 lb 1 tub ricotta No cook lasagna - 1 box 1 cup grated mozzarella Now to start layering in your lasagna dish. I like to use a marinara sauce for the bottom of the dish. I like Raos, but use your own favorite. Layer the lasagna sheets, alternation with the sauce. 2 or 3 times. On the top layer, spread the ricotta evenly, topped with the final lasagna sheets. Gently pour the Bechamel over and generously sprinkle the grated mozzarella on top. Bake in 350 oven for 45 minutes or until golden on top.

Pheasant in a Pot with Pearl Barley Risotto

Pheasant in a Pot When visiting England at this time of year, I am very often asked be either my cousin Sue of friend Mandy “Would you like Pheasant for dinner, I have a couple of brace in the freezer?” Something I never hear in the States. I mostly say yes, because Pheasant for me is such a treat, I don’t make it very often, so few Americans like game. Something that continues to surprise me. I had a pheasant in my own freezer and for a couple of weeks I had been thinking about how to cook it. I enjoy it roast, but find it gets dry, and that the drumstick and part of the breast can sometimes be quite inedible. I kept thinking of ways to keep it moist. My mum used to make Pheasant Normandy when we lived at The Clarendon, Chale back in the 70’s. Quite delicious but I wanted something less rich.

In my mind I kept coming back to something simpler. For some reason my mind turned to poachers, country people generally in an earlier time, for who Pheasant was less a luxury item and more pure easy sustenance. Would we in fact have been more likely to catch and eat a pheasant, than a chicken, that would continue to give us eggs? I love the heartiness of Chicken in a pot, some version of which you can find all over Europe. I had a feeling that the earthy gaminess of pheasant would work very well with the nutty flavors of Fall root vegetables.

In a Le Creuset or other Dutch oven, I sliced 2 onions, 5 cloves of garlic, 2 sticks of celery, 1 small thai pepper as the base with 1/2 cup of water, with a finely chopped tomato, seasoned with salt, pepper and fresh thyme. I sat the pheasant with a big bunch of thyme in it’s cavity. Around the pheasant I placed thick slices of Celeriac, parsnip, turnip and carrot - 4 midsized. I decided not to have the sweetness of squash or sweet potato. I added a half cup of dry white wine. Put the lid on and slow baked at 325 for close to two hours.

In the meantime I made a Pearl Barley Risotto. Finely chopped 1/2 cup of shallot, sauteed in butter until clear, added 1 cup of pearl barley stirring it to coat the barley, added a half cup of white wine and 2 cups of chicken stock and a mushroom stock cube for flavor, bought it all to the boil and slowly simmered until the liquid was gone, then slowly added the remaining 2 cups of chicken stock, stirring, not constantly like rice, but fairly often. I thought about turning the risotto into a real mushroom risotto, but wanted something plainer.

If I say so myself, it was perfect for the day after a blizzard...

Feb 9th 9am - bit of snow

Feb 9 1am Blizzard

Back garden

127th Street 1am

Our car

Well, look who came to visit today