THE FRUGAL GOURMET NOW THAT Thanksgiving js upon us, | thought you might like to know a little history about the holiday bird. The turkey originated in North and Central America. Cortez and his armies found the Aztecs with domesticated turkeys when they entered the Valley of Mexico in 1519, . Like so many other American prorlucts, the bird was taken by the explorers back to Europe, and by the early 1600s turkey was popular all over the continent. The following menu, which features turkey, includes many favorite recipes from past Thanksgivings. Have a wonderful holiday! ; TOMATO SALAD (Serves 6 to 8) 5 large tomatoes 2 white onions, either Vidalia (Georgia) or Walle Walla (Washington state) Bermudas are good 1 cup Vinaigrette Dressing (recipe below) Salt and pepper to taste Parsiey, chopped, for garnish Slice the tomatoes and onions thin. Layer in a bowl and add the dressing and the salt and pepper. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving. Top with the parsley garnish. VINAIGRETTE DRESSING (Makes 14% cups dressing) ~ V2 teaspoon oregano ¥2 teaspoon rosemary Y% teaspoon Colman’s dry English mastard ¥2 teaspoon sugar Y2 teaspoon salt Dressings round out inquisitive —Gook GARDINER % teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 cup olive oil Y% cup white-wine vinegar 2 tabiespoons water 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed I teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Place the dry ingredients in your food blender or medium- sized food processor. Using the metal blade, grind for a few moments. Add the liquids and whip to an emulsion, or until it is thick. Store in refrigerator for at least 1% hours before using. CORN BREAD (Serves 6) A New England lady once told me she does not remember a din- ner in her childhood without corn bread. J think it’s a perfect addi- tion to a Thanksgiving meal. % cup flour 1% cups cornmeal 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs, beaten 1% cups milk Vs cup salad oil Place all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix up with an electric mixer. Add the liquids and mix until smooth, Place in a greased 8’’x 12" pan and bake in a hot oven (400°F) for about 30 minutes. This same recipe can be used for cornmeal rauffins or for corn sticks, baked in a heavy black iron mold. ROAST TURKEY WITH SHERRY BUTTER You can use either a frozen or a fresh turkey in this recipe, and the injection of butter and sherry will promise you a moist and lovely feast. 9- to 12-pound turkey Salt and pepper to taste 1 stick butter or 2 cup olive or satad oil 2 cup dry cocktail sherry Clean the bird and remove the giblets. Save the giblets and neck for soup stock. Remove the wing tips, or first section of the wing, and add to the soup stock. Salt and pepper the bird inside and out, and stuff if you wish. After stuffing, secure the open- ing with string or thread, or sim- ply close the opening by folding the skin over it and securing the legs. Instructions are generally in- cluded with the bird. Tie the wings to the body, and the legs together. IN OUR family, the most requested stuffing for turkey is torn breadcrumbs, lots of sauteed onions, cel- ery chopped ever-so-finely and fresh sage. It’s a part of our Thanksgiving dinner that we alter only after careful consideration, We sometimes substitute a chestnut stuffing -- a delightful addition that comes from in-laws. And a rice-based stuffing. And we've used cranberries inside the bird instead of on the side, Friends use dried fruit and chopped pecans in theirs. Others rave over crumbled cornbread, sausage and apples. Whether you're tradition-bound or you change stuffing recipes with every turkey, dressings do round out both the turkey and the occasion. And underneath the ac- Meit the butter and allow to cool for a few minutes (or use oil). Stir in the dry sherry. Using an injecting needle or plastic flavor injector (available in most gourmet shops}, inject the butter and sherry mixture into each of the legs, the thighs and finally the breast. Just put a bit in two or three places in each of the mentioned parts. Rub the bird with a bit more butter or oil and roast in your usual manner. I bake the bird at 325°F, un- covered, about 15 minutes a pound. If you are stuffing the bird, add } hour for the dressing. A 9- to 12-pound turkey will take between 3% and 4 hours. A meat thermometer placed in the thigh should register 180°F. Baste the bird with its own juices two or three times during the roasting. SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE WITH CRANBERRIES (Serves 8) This is simply a fancy way of serving sweet potatoes. 6 sweet potatoes, medium (1 like Wedne: EE usually super- the darker potatoes, misnamed ‘‘yams’’ in markets) ¥2 teaspoon seit 2 tablespoons butter 1 egg, beaten ¥Y2 cup raisins . 3 tablespoons grated orange rind % cup whipping cream or half- and-half Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg 2 cups fresh cranberries, ground 1 cup miniature marshmallows Boil the potatoes with the skins on until tender. Peel, and run the vegetables through a potato ricer into an electric mixing bowl. Add the reniaining ingredients, except the marshinallows, and whip until light. Place in a baking dish and top with the mar- shmallows. Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes or until the marshmallows brown and the dish is hot. QUICK APPLE TART {Serves 6) Vs cup butter % cup powdered sugar 1 cgg 14 teaspoon sali re N NEWS photo Paul McGrath BY THE early 1600s the domesticated turkey of the Americas was popular all over Europe - and it would eventually make its way back across the Atlantic! 1% cups flour 2 tablespoons butter for sauteing apples 2 (about % pound) Granny Smith apples, pared and sliced thin % cup sugarit % teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespcons orange or ginger marmalade, melted Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and salt. Gradually stir in the flour until! a soft dough is formed.' Cover tightly and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Then roll dough on a lightly floured surface to a 10- inch circle. Place in a 9-inch glass quiche pan or round tart pan. Heat 4 medium frying pan and add the 2 tablespoons butter. Saute the apples in the butter for about 5 minutes. Add the “4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Toss. Avrange the apple slices in the pastry shell and bake at 375°F for 15 or 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden. Brush the apples with the marmalade and return to the oven for about 2 minutes. Remove and cool a bit before serving. both turkey and the occasion tual process of stuffing lies some logic. Aside from the plethora of fla- vors designed to enhance the meat, dressings help keep moisture in the bird. They also fill the empty ca: ty so the bird holds its shape. Seasonings are meant (o enhance, not overpower, the meat. And stock made from simmered giblets makes a faversome broth lo maisten and bind the dressing together, Bacteria are often abundant in poultry and since micro-organisms thrive in both warmth and moisture, stuffing gives them a perfect breeding ground. It’s best to prepare the dressing and stuff the bird just before put- ting it in the oven, Don't be tempted to stuff it ahead of time. Stuffing expands when heated so pack it loosely. Otherwise, heat has ditculty reaching the centre. You’li med roughly % cup (175 smb) of staffing per pound (.454 kg) of turkey. There are several simple in- dicators that tell when a turkey is done. The juices run clear, with no hint of pink, when the thigh is pricked. And the drumstick moves freely when wiggled in its socket. But the most accurate means of judging doneness, and assuring safety, is to use a thermometer to test the stuffing. It should register 165°F (74°C), sufficiently hot to kill foou-poisoning micro- organisms. When the stuffing has reached this temperature, the thigh will likely be 180° 10 185°F (82° to 85°C) — the temperature recom- mended for poultry. Take into account that the turkey will continue to cook for 20 to 30 minutes after it’s remov- ed from the oven, rising in temperature 5° to 10°F (3° to 5°C). During this time the juices will settle so the meat is easier to carve. Readers ask why they’re advised to remove stuffing from the bird after carving. If refrigerated with the stuffing inside, ic can be sev- eral hours before cold penetrates to the centre of the turkey. The stuffing, which inevitably contains turkey juices, is left sit- ting smack in the ‘danger zone,”’ or temperature range 40° to 149°F (4° to 60°C), at which bacteri.. multiply most readily. So right after serving, scoop the dressing from the bird to a bow! and refrigerate. While turkey is always turkey, varying the stuffing gives it char- acter, Maybe that’s how ‘‘dress- ing’ the turkey came about. rr nen