A food experiment.

Moore ideas · Moore Ideas Not More Ideas!

A food experiment.

TinaLord68 · The Smiling T.L. Fan

Now that made me very hungry

my dad smokes alot of stuff

shellyinphx · Long Lost DiMera Daughter

well I hope that it turns out for you...Sounds yummy. I have never had it but am a huge Emeril fan.

KaeEll · Original Soap Dish Diva

You must let us know how your Tasso turns out. After all that trouble, those kids had better love it! Do you have to grind it or just chop it up finely?

Moore ideas · Moore Ideas Not More Ideas!

Apparently, I have to smoke it until it reaches an internal temperature of about 150 degrees. At that point, it's "cooked".

Then, because I have three pounds of the stuff, I'll cut it into large chunks, and freeze it. The portion that I plan to use on Christmas will just be diced (not ground), and quickly sauteed in butter to sprinkle on top of the grits.

YUM!

I checked the fridge this morning, and I see that it's "doing its thing". The salt is pulling a lot of the water out of the tenderloin as it cures. In the meantime, hopefully, the pork is absorbing the spices.

When we tasted the tasso in Asheville, the meat was so tender that it was almost like butter. Then, there was that little unexpected kick! Okay, I haven't had any breakfast yet, so I'M hungry now too...

KaeEll · Original Soap Dish Diva

Moore, how will you smoke it? Oven or bbq? This all sounds like a heap of work. Are you cooking dinner that day as well? Whatcha having? My tribe wanted turkey this year, so I'm stuck getting up bright and early to get the darn thing stuffed and into the oven by 7.

Moore ideas · Moore Ideas Not More Ideas!

As far as smoking the tasso, I have some options. My PREFERENCE would be to smoke the darned stuff in our fireplace because that's where I could create the most smoke!!! Unfortunately, I'm afraid that it would be too hot, and I'd end up cooking the meat instead. Not what I want to do...

We have a gas grill, so I could smoke it there, but I think that I'll use our actual smoker. (Obviously, if it doesn't warm up by Friday, I'm going to freeze my fanny off doing this; it's a real labor of love!) Mind you, I've only used the smoker a couple of times before, and I'm no expert at it. Also, I don't know if the termostat works properly! But, I think that I'll give that a try. If it doesn't seem to work the way that I want it too, then I'll switch to the grill.

I don't know what I'm making for Christmas Eve dinner yet, but I might make my salmon. My preference for Christmas Day is tenderloin, but it hasn't gone on sale yet at our neighborhood grocery store. I suppose that I could search others (haven't had time) because frankly I don't want to spend $100.00 for the whole tenderloin. When it's on sale, I can usually get it for much less.

For Christmas morning, I would do the grits with tasso, something sweet (maybe cheese blintzes with strawberry jam, and sour cream), and some fruit. Don't know yet; it's a work in progress!

I'm going to do some additional baking in the next day or two. I'm making honey walnut bread (just a quick batter bread), rum cake, bourbon balls, and my mother's fingerprint cookies that are rolled in chopped walnuts, and filled with apricot jam.

GOOD HEAVENS! My husband just called to tell me that the Executive Office Building, next door to The White House, is on fire. He's watching the flames and smoke from his office across the street...

(stupid typo)

-- Edited by Moore ideas at 10:58, 2007-12-19

KaeEll · Original Soap Dish Diva

Moore, my husband (newshound nut) has been watching the fire story on the news channel here for the last half hour! Eisenhower Building, non? How awful!

Breakfast sounds like the meal of the day with all the trimmings! Do you have the main Christmas celebration meal on the 24th?

Up here, it's always been the tradition to gather at my parents' home for Christmas eve rather early so that some of us can catch an evening service, then home to bed early. This year, we're still going to be there, but my husband and I will be doing all the work as mom and dad are completely beyond hosting. I picked up a couple of frozen tortieres from my favourite little French bistro, will make a big fluffly salad and for dessert, chocolate truffles. Then the gang will assemble here around 4 on the 25th for the turkey.

And no baking this year either. I was going to serve a croquembouche but the owner of the French place talked me out of it so instead I ordered his Buche de Noel that is to die for - a rich chocolate ganache outside, white chocolate and raspberry cream inside. My mother always made those yummy thumb print cookies too, but alas, it's all over, so we're making new traditions this year in the food department.

Oh, and good luck on that smoking project. It had better be worthy of all that effort!! Can't wait to hear how it turns out.

TinaLord68 · The Smiling T.L. Fan

what is a tortieres?

Moore ideas · Moore Ideas Not More Ideas!

Tortieres are small tarts, either sweet or savory.

Yes, it's the Eisenhower building, but is often referred to as the EEOB or Executive Office Building. It's really quite beautiful too. I believe that they have everything under control now, but my husband, and his office companions were all gathered in front of their windows to watch the activity! I'm so glad that it wasn't anything more serious. I would hate to see that beautiful building seriously damaged...

KaeEll, your bistro selections sound delicious, and will be wonderful additions to turkey, which I love. I hadn't thought of doing a croquembouche, but I also hadn't figured out what to serve for dessert on Christmas Eve. Maybe I'll consider just doing cream puffs without actually "gluing" them together into tree form! Hmmm.....

We always had the tradition of spending Christmas Eve with my sister's family when they still lived in area area. They moved to Florida in 1989 and then, of course, both my sister and my brother-in-law have passed away. My older nephew still lives in Florida, and my younger nephew, wife, and three children live about forty minutes from here. However, we usually celebrate with them the weekend after Christmas because it's just all so CRAZY on Christmas Eve for them! So, now it's just our immediately family, and my oldest daughter's boyfriend.

On Christmas morning, everyone mercifully sleeps in these days (since they aren't five years old anymore, and awake at dawn wondering what Santa brought), and it gives our son a chance to drive over here. So, we'll have our brunch mid-morning, and our main meal later in the evening.

As far as the food experiment is concerned, I figure "nothing ventured, nothing gained". If it's a disaster, we'll still have plenty to eat! However, if the worst happens, that tasso is going to be my first New Year's challenge...!!! I'm eventually going to get it right if it kills me.

(posted before I saw the previous question)

-- Edited by Moore ideas at 11:21, 2007-12-19

KaeEll · Original Soap Dish Diva

The tortieres I got are 9" round 2 crust pies with meat and vegies inside. It's a French Canadian thing, traditional Christmas Eve fare. We usually had a ham, but there were always so many leftovers, I decided that this year we'd do something light since the next day is a feast.

Here's Ma Maison's (the little bistro we like) description of those that I bought:

Tortiere De Mon Pays - Chunks of beef and pork simmered slowly and layered between sliced Yukon gold potatoes.

Quebec - Traditional with ground pork and cubed potatoes.

Didn't order the following two:

Salmon - layers of barley risotto, Atlantic salmon, stir fried vegetables and creamed spinach.

Bison - Lean and tasty, ground Ontario naturally raised bison simmered slowly with potatoes and seasoning.

I would have loved the salmon, but neither my father nor d-i-l eat anything that ever swam and I wanted to keep the menu available to everybody. Maybe one day I'll try that Bison.

Moore ideas · Moore Ideas Not More Ideas!

KaeEll, I don't know about the bison, but the others sound absolutely delicious! Tell me what time to be there...

KaeEll · Original Soap Dish Diva

Here's the link to chef Patrick's little store just around the corner from me. I'm definitely going to pick up some of his turrines and pates for the befores on the 25th. Yum.

Ma Maison

TinaLord68 · The Smiling T.L. Fan

sounds like you guys go all out for every meal.

we're always on a budget, so it's just the basics around here

Moore ideas · Moore Ideas Not More Ideas!

Well, I explored Ma Maison, and it all looks wonderful. I didn't see that they ship, however, so I guess that I'm just going to have to drool from afar!

My former college roommate is from Toronto, but I'm not sure that she's going up thre for the holidays. DRAT!