These three teachers have been a part of the Poly Community for several years and it’s time to learn about what they like to cook for Thanksgiving! Starting with cranberry sauce and sweet potato casseroles and ending with a delicious pecan pie!
Mr. Nowakoski – Cranberry Sauces
Ingredients for Raw Cranberry Sauce
1 pound bag of cranberries
Zest of organic orange (has to be organic so you don’t grate chemicals)
Juice from an entire orange
1 cup of sugar
½ teaspoon of Cointreau
1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
Directions:
- Take your cranberries and wash them.
- Put them into a food processor until slightly chopped up.
- Add in the orange zest, orange juice, sugar, Cointreau, and pumpkin pie spice
- Pulse it in the food processor until it’s chopped and even, but not overly chopped that it’s like a paste.
Ingredients for Cooked Cranberry Sauce
1 pound bag of cranberries
1 cup of water (or apple cider if you have!)
Zest of an organic orange (has to be organic so you don’t grate chemicals)
Juice from an entire orange
1 cup of brown sugar
½ teaspoon of ground cloves
½ teaspoon of coriander
1 teaspoon of allspice
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of ground cardamom
Directions:
- Take your cranberries and wash them.
- Then, put them into a two-quart saucepan and add your water until the berries are submerged. Let these simmer for a few minutes until they start to boil.
- Add in the orange juice and zest, brown sugar, and all of your spices.
- Cook it slowly until the berries fall apart and it makes a jam-like consistency. An excellent way to test is if the sauce sticks to the back of the spoon. Optional: put it in the fridge when you finish
Chef’s Note:
“I like to keep it simple on Thanksgiving. It’s nice when everybody can contribute something. I was always the youngest kid of six and so it was a big thing for me to have something to make on Thanksgiving, even if it was as simple as a cranberry sauce.”
Dr. DiCarlo – Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients:
One 3lb bag of sweet potatoes
2 eggs
½ of white sugar
½ cup of milk
4 tbsp of softened butter
½ teaspoon of vanilla
½ teaspoon of salt
1 cup of chopped pecans
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Peel the skin of the potatoes and add them to a medium saucepan. Add water until they’re submerged. Boil them until they’re very soft, around 10 minutes.
- Add them to a large bowl and use a potato masher to smash them completely.
- Add the eggs and mix until combined.
- Add sugar, milk, butter, vanilla, salt, and pepper.
- Chop your pecans, but make sure they aren’t finely crushed. Pour them on top and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Chef’s Note:
“A little secret of mine is that I always do everything to taste; I’m rarely cooking by the book. The sweet potato casserole is always everybody’s favorite at the table. Everybody is always excited about it. They’re always helping themselves to more than one serving.”
Mrs. Russo – Pecan Pie
Ingredients:
½ stick butter
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup light corn syrup (dark corn syrup doesn’t work)
1 tablespoon flour
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup of pecans
unbaked pie shell
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. First, coat your baking pan with butter or cooking spray.
- Cream the butter and brown sugar.
- Beat the eggs with the salt and add to the butter and sugar.
- Add the corn syrup, flour, vanilla, and cinnamon.
- Once it’s all combined, add your mixture to your unbaked pie shell. Top with pecans and bake for about 50 minutes.
- Optional: Add extra pecans when it’s done baking for an extra crunch.
Chef’s Note:
“A glass pie dish always works better than metal. Another helpful tip is to take aluminum foil and put it around the circumference of the pie dish so that you don’t burn the edges of your pie crust. Additionally, make sure to let the pie cool. Do not serve it right away because it will still be gooey and you want it to solidify. My son and I have been making pecan pie together every year since he was born, so it was always a fun, mother-son bonding activity.”
