What Would Emily Post Do?

Bake Off: Gingery Apple Crumb Pie from Real Simple vs. Anna's Classic Apple Pie

By Anna Post

A shake up came to my mom's Thanksgiving table this year. For as long as I can remember, each year at Thanksgiving I've made a classic apple pie. The recipe came from my mom, and has served me well over the years--up until now. After much Vermont apple picking this fall, I've already made it several times, so I broke with tradition this past Thursday to give a new pie a place at the table: Gingery Apple Crumb Pie. It was a huge success! A friend made this recently after reading the recipe in November's Real Simple magazine, and it was divine. Be sure to use the crust recipe--it's easy and it really makes the whole pie come together in a way store-bought dough just doesn't. (One other tip: Freeze your ginger ahead of time if you can--it makes it much easier to grate.)

Even though Thanksgiving is over, the season for warm pies rich with cinnamon and nutmeg is upon us, and I highly recommend you give this gem a try.

Emily Post Recipes: Turkey with Truffle Sauce

By Anna Post

For my first recipe post, I'm turning as promised to the Emily Post Cookbook (1951). Since Thanksgiving is right around the corner, this recipe for Turkey with Truffle Sauce caught my eye, and I've copied it here as it first appeared in 1951 (with a few edits for the modern cook). I studied abroad in Italy during college, and at Thanksgiving my host mom, Renata, bought inch-thick slices of turkey (tacchino) breast and cooked them in a frying pan without seasoning. While it was a lovely attempt at American cuisine, it was undoubtedly the worst home-cooked meal I had in Italy. Perhaps if she had added the truffles, so popular and and so good in Italian cuisine, we would have had a masterpiece on our hands.

Turkey with Truffle Sauce

The truffles make this a more expensive dish, but is so delicious it's really worth it at the holidays. If black truffles are too expensive or unavailable, instead try adding a few drops of truffle oil or a light dash of truffle salt at a time at the same point in the recipe. Truffle salt or oil can be very strong, so start with a little and season to taste. Truffle salt or oil can also be added to meats, pastas, and eggs, among other dishes.

Time: 1 1/2 hours

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1/2 breast turkey and 1 other joint of a 15 lb. turkey

4 tbs. flour

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1 stick butter

2 medium onions, chopped

1 bunch carrots, peeled and sliced

1 1/2 cups white wine (recommend an inexpensive California sauterne)

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 tsp. glacé de viande* (if available)

4 oz. black truffles

*Or chicken demi-glace, using less as it is a more concentrated version of glacé de viande. If you omit this ingredient, you may need to season more with your stock, wine, salt, and/or pepper to taste to achieve a similar depth of flavor.  

Directions:

Remove the skin and bones from the breast and second joint. Cut both into as many pieces as there are to be portions (4-6). Heat butter over medium high heat in a large skillet (that has a close-fitting lid). Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the pieces of turkey in the seasoned flour and brown them in the skillet. Add the onions and carrots and cook until the onions are golden, stirring as needed.

Add the wine, stock and glacé de viande. Bring to a boil, lower flame or heat to just simmering, and cover tightly. Move or turn the pieces of turkey every 15 minutes or so.

After 40 minutes, chop the truffles and add them to the skillet. Stir and continue simmering for 15 minutes longer, making a total simmering time of 55 minutes to 1 hour.

Serve with simple white rice cooked in chicken broth or a Parmesan risotto and sauteed spinach or Swiss chard.

Introducing Emily Post Recipes

By Anna Post

 
People sometimes wonder what it must have been like growing up as a Post. Were manners drilled into us like trainees at boot camp? Did we eat in a hushed veil of silence? Were we banished to our rooms with a crust of bread if we disobeyed?

I'm laughing just typing this. No, no, and no are the answers. Manners were taught, yes, but no differently than in any other household that takes the time to do so. Yes, I might have had a little more exposure than most as to how to set a table for a fish course or how to use an iced tea spoon, but we had plenty of lively conversation and humor around the table, and most importantly, good food.

Emily herself loved good food, and felt it should be enjoyed. It's a tradition that has continued down from her generation to mine. The first rule of dining with the Post family? Eat while it's hot!

In fact, in 1951 Emily published The Emily Post Cookbook, written mainly by her son, Edwin Post (my great granddad). His son, Bill Post (my granddad), updated and republished it in 1968 as The Main Course Cookbook (a pun on the word Main, which is a popular Post middle name).

Starting this Sunday, I will be posting recipes from these family treasures, as well as other favorite recipes of mine to help inspire family dining. I will add (and source) other recipes because while the Post books have excellent recipes and are good samples of their time, not all of the recipes have appeal today, quite frankly (marrow--as in bone--on toast, stewed kidneys, turtle soup, to name a few).

With Thanksgiving upon us, we will start this Sunday with Turkey with Truffle Sauce. I'll be trying this one for the first time, too, though if it's anything like the others I've had from this book, it will be well worth the effort.

In this age of economy, rediscovering the art of home cooking and sharing more meals with friends and family has been my own small silver lining of this recession. I hope these recipes offer you the same inspiration!