Leftovers Tips; Blood Food; Artisanal Cheese; Wines on the 101; Culinary Catastrophes

Laura Avery gets a couple of ideas from Chef Michael McCarty of Michael's Restaurant in Santa Monica, as he loads up his cart with market finds. He says that a great leftovers lunch would be a Turkey Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich, using all the best ingredients, including Little Gem lettuce and Niman Ranch Bacon. He chases the sandwich with a Bloody Bull cocktail.

Laura also speaks with Dennis of Maggie's Farm about their salad mixes and herbs. Pictured above is a bunch of the fresh bay they are offering. They also have lovely pepperberry wreaths for the holidays.

Evan mentions Mark Bittman's pot roast with cranberries. Here's the recipe.

Pot Roast with Cranberries 4 to 6 servings

• 1 Tablespoon butter or extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2- to 3-lb piece of chuck or brisket
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup sherry vinegar or good wine vinegar
• 12 ozs fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 orange
• Cayenne

1. Put the butter in a casserole or skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Put the sugar on a plate and dredge the meat in it until all the surfaces are coated. Reserve the remaining sugar. When the butter foam subsides, brown the meat on all sides -- this will take approximately 15 minutes -- seasoning it with salt and pepper as it browns.
2. When the meat is nicely browned, add the vinegar and cook for a minute, stirring. Add the cranberries and remaining sugar and stir. Strip the zest from the orange (you can do it in broad strips, with a small knife or vegetable peeler) and add it to the skillet. Juice the orange and add the juice also, along with a pinch of cayenne. Turn the heat to low and cover; the mixture should bubble but not furiously.
3. Cook, turning the meat and stirring about every 30 minutes, for 2 hours or longer, or until the meat is tender. When the meat is done, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Turn off the heat and let the roast rest for a few minutes, then carve and serve, with the serve.

Dusting the meat with some of the sugar makes the browning process go much more rapidly, and leaves behind a caramelized residue that is deglazed by the vinegar when you add it.

Most pot roasts depend for their flavor on the juices exuded by the meat itself; that's why tough, slow-cooking cuts like brisket or chuck are usually preferable. But since the meat's contribution here is minimized by the powerful cranberry-based combination, a fast-cooking cut like tenderloin works well, reducing the cooking time to just over an hour. * Substitute a 2 to 3 pound piece of tenderloin (filet mignon) for the chuck and reduce cooking to about 1 hour, or until internal temp is 125- to 130- (medium-rare); you can cook it longer than that if you like.

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Sara Moulton says before doing anything else, make sure those platters of turkey and other leftovers make it into the fridge before they sit on the counter too long.

Green Posole with Chicken

• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup bottled green salsa or 1 recipe Mexican Tomatillo Salsa
• 4 cups canned chicken broth or Chicken Stock
• 1 rotisserie chicken, skin and bones discarded and meat shredded
• Two 15-oz cans white hominy, rinsed and drained
• Kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper

Accompaniments: finely chopped onion, chopped avocado, sliced radishes, chopped cucumbers, shredded napa cabbage, and tortilla chips

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over high heat until hot. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the salsa and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Add the chicken and hominy and simmer until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. To serve, ladle into bowls and let everyone garnish their own portion.

Peanut Sauce

• 1/2 cup smooth unsalted peanut butter
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 scallions (white and light green parts), coarsely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tsps finely grated fresh ginger (use a Microplane)
• Hot Pepper Sauce

Combine the peanut butter, hoisin sauce, scallions, lime juice, 1/4 cup water, the soy sauce, ginger, and hot sauce to taste in a food processor and puree until smooth. Add additional water, if necessary, to thin the sauce to a pourable consistency.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Turkey Club Salad

• Six 1/2 inch-thick slices country bread
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper
• 8 ozs bacon (8 to 9 slices)
• 3/4 cup Quick Herb Sauce
• 8 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 1 lb cooked turkey, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise

Preheat the oven to 400-. Trim off and discard the bread crusts. Cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes; toss them with the oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and arrange them on a baking pan. Arrange the bacon on a rack on a baking pan. Put the bacon and croutons on separate shelves in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Switch shelves; bake the croutons 4-5 minutes longer, or until crisp and browned on the edges, and the bacon until crisp, about 10 minutes longer. Set both aside to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, prepare the Quick Herb Sauce (below) in a large bowl and add the lettuce, turkey, and tomatoes. When the bacon and croutons have cooled, crumble the bacon and add it to the salad along with the croutons. Toss until combined.

Quick Herb Sauce

• 1 cup packed, rinsed, and dried fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup packed, rinsed, and dried fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 2 scallions (white and light green parts), coarsely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 large garlic clove, minced (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• Kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper

Combine the basil, mayonnaise, parsley, scallions, garlic, and lemon zest in a blender and puree until very smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pressed Smoked Salmon or Turkey Ruben

• 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 2 Tablespoons chili sauce or ketchup
• 2 Tablespoons finely chopped dill pickle
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper
• 8 slices rye bread
• 4 to 6 ozs Gruyere, Italian Fontana, or Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
• 8 ozs smoked salmon or smoked turkey, thinly sliced
• One 14 1/2-oz can sauerkraut, drained, rinsed, and gently squeezed dry
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Combine the mayonnaise, chili sauce, pickle, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread one side of each slice of bread with some of the dressing. Arrange half of the cheese on four of the slices. Divide the salmon (turkey), sauerkraut, and remaining cheese among the cheese-topped slices of bread and top each with one of the remaining bread slices, dressing side down.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat; add the sandwiches and something heavy (a cast-iron skillet, flat saucepan lid, or heatproof plate and a weight, such as a food can or a full kettle) to firmly press the sandwiches down. Cook for 6 minutes a side or until golden and the cheese has melted. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve.

Turkey Pizza that changed my life (as remembered by Good Food producer Holly Tarson)

• Pita
• Turkey shredded into small pieces
• Cranberry sauce
• Monterey Jack cheese
• Scallions, (white and light green parts), coarsely chopped

Assemble pizzas, using Pita as the crust. Cover the pita with cranberry sauce. Top with turkey, Monterey Jack cheese, then scallions. Place pizzas on cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and pizzas are warmed through.

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Food blogger Eddie Lin talks about the interesting and sometimes revolting occurrence of blood in food.

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Dr. Will Clower tells us that the "Not One Ounce" campaign now has 640 members. Although the focus is not to gain any additional weight through the holidays, members have already lost a total of 274 pounds in the second week of the program.

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Max McCalman of Artisanal Premium Cheese in New York City tells us about the new wave of cheese.

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Stacie Hunt of Du Vin Wine and Spirits says that while the film Sideways did a wonderful thing for central California wines, there are some wine regions north of Santa Barbara that we should also really get to know. Driving up the 101 north of San Luis Obispo, take the turn-off for York Mountain. This area used to only have only one winery, but now there are York Mountain Winery and Shadow Canyon Cellars, which grow Rhone varietals such as Grenache, Viognier, and Sirah. Stacie says these varietals are a bit more refined due to the cool fog and ocean air in the region. She recommends the Shadow Canyon Viognier which is a "winter white" and goes for about $23. In Santa Maria you-ll find a nice ros- from Red Car Winery. Stacie says Think Pink, a good fall ros-, is a bit more powerful than summer ros-s and is a perfect pairing with roasted salmon. Think Pink goes for under $17.

Stacie encourages us to support Paso Robles who was hit very hard by the 2003 earthquake. The new Paso Robles Wine University has classes that range from viticulture to wine tasting. Tablas Creek, an all organic vineyard in Paso Robles, has some lovely choices. For starters, try their Roussane which has beautiful fruit aromas and pairs well with scallops and lobster.

Andrew Friedman had us giggling with stories from our favorite cooks and chefs and some of the culinary disasters they've encountered. From the well-meaning chef that hired a blind line-cook to Michel Richard's "dog story", Andrew is here to tell us that we're not the only ones who have kitchen regrets. His book is Don-t Try This at Home.