From the Editor

Our favorite cooking season of the year is here! Over the next two months our kitchen will be filled with the sweet and spicy aroma of Fall. We love everything about Thanksgiving and can't wait to share it all with you in our most popular classes of the year:  Thanksgiving Cooking Classes.

We are also proud to offer for the 2nd year in a row, the Simple Gourmet Thanksgiving To-Go Dinner. These dinners include an Organic Sun Valley Turkey, Classic Caramelized Shallot Gravy and any four sides or appetizers. It's the perfect way to ensure a delicious meal and still leave room to include some of those favorite family recipes that are required at your holiday table. The first 20 orders we receive will get a meat thermometer (our vote for the most valuable holiday kitchen tool) from Cookin Stuff!!  You can see all teh details of our complete Thanksgiving dinner on our website.

We are also thrilled to partner with Grow, The Produce Shop in Manhattan Beach this Thanksgiving.  They will be carrying an assortment of Simple Gourmet  Thanksgiving Sides and Appetizers.  You must place your order in advance by calling Grow at 310-545-2904.  You will be able to pick up your order on Tuesday or Wednesday November 24 and 25.  If you buy a couple of Simple Gourmet Sides from Grow you will receive a $10 gift certificate (of $25 or more) form Cookin'Stuff.  Some things you may need to buy: remote digital meat thermometer, fat seperator, serving platters, ceramic pie dish......

With all the entertaining that is going to be going on over the next two months we are excited to share our Simple Gourmet Parties To Go.   If you are having a party and don't feel like cooking, SG To Go is the way to go!  we will deliver your complete menu with presentation and heating instructions!! 

 So if you think we have lots of fun things happening in November...wait until you see the December newsletter.

We wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Everyone has their favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal. For some it's the family's secret stuffing recipe, for some it's the gravy that gets poured over all the other dishes. One of our favorite things on the plate is that little burst of crimson cranberry sauce, offering a sweet and tangy punch in the middle of a rich and buttery meal. We love cranberries and all the wonderful uses for them in drinks, desserts and condiments. Since they are only featured a couple months out of the year, you have to make the most of them while you can! Here’s how:

-    Freeze any extra fresh cranberries. They stay good in the freezer for months!
-    Here's a quick recipe for the easiest cranberry relish ever: Cut 3 tangerines into quarters (leave the skins on and pick out the seeds). Combine in a food processor with 1 12-oz bag of cranberries, 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pulse until very well chopped. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour and up to 2 days. Voila! A tangy, sweet treat for the holiday table.
-    Muddle cranberries with lime, mint and sugar. Top with rum and soda water for a holiday-themed mojito.

Every year we come up with a new cranberry sauce recipe. This year we are excited about our Balsamic-Honey Cranberry and Pear Relish. Come to our Pefecting Thanksgiving Class on November 17th to learn how to make it for yourself. Check out our blog of past Simple Gourmet cranberry sauce recipes that we still love.
 

There's a lot that goes into making the perfect Thanksgiving dinner, but maybe nothing as important as cooking the turkey. While turkey is actually no more difficult to cook than a whole chicken, it does present a few challenges because of its size. The biggest question is: how do you keep the meat moist and flavorful?

Here’s our Turkey 101 Guidelines for making a delicious bird for the holidays.

1. Get fresh! Frozen birds tend to dry out quicker during cooking. Organic, Free-Range and Kosher turkey are all good choices, but the most important things is to get fresh.
2. If you do get frozen, be sure to put it in your fridge 4 days before Thanksgiving. It needs a LONG time to defrost before you can cook it.
3. When buying a turkey, plan on 1 pound per person – this leaves ample leftovers.
4. Don't cook a bird over 18 pounds – it takes too long!! Buy a 14-16 lb turkey and an additional turkey breast. The breast will cook in about 2 hours and can be roasted the day before. Reheat, slice, top with hot gravy and you’ll have an instant extra platter of white meat!
5. The ONLY way to tell for sure if your turkey is done is to use a meat thermometer. Don't trust the red "pop-up" buttons! Remove your turkey from the oven when the white meat is at 165 degrees and the dark meat is at 170 degrees.
6. ALWAYS let your turkey rest, tented with foil for 30 minutes before carving. This gives you those last few minutes to finish everything else and ensure your turkey will be moist when you carve it.

Join us for our Perfecting Thanksgiving Classics, Thanksgiving Desserts and Latin Thanksgiving Wine Pairing classes for more tips and tricks. Or order the Simple Gourmet Thanksgiving To-Go Dinner for an easy and delicious holiday meal.
 

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NOVEMBER COOKING CLASSES

 Latin Thanksgiving Wine Pairing - Bring a date or just a friend for our popular Friday Nights with Friends series. Infuse your holiday favorite dishes with some Latin flair and discover the perfect wine to serve at Thanksgiving.

Perfecting Thanksgiving Classics - It's time for our favorite class of the year. We will demystify turkey roasting (and carving!), demonstrate how to make the perfect gravy and give you fool-proof recipes to add to this year's Thanksgiving celebration.

Thanksgiving Desserts - In this hands-on baking workshop, we've got four spectacular and simple desserts that are perfect for your holiday celebration dinners.

JUST FOR KIDS: Check out Two-Day Mini Cooking Camps for Thanksgiving and the Holidays for ages 7-14.

Sign up now!

DECEMBER CLASSES

 Fantastic Holiday Appetizers - Get ready for the holiday season with simply spectacular appetizers that will wow your guests. And we're bringing punch bowls back in style with our Pomegranate-Elderflower Champagne Punch.

Gifts from the Kitchen - We've added another date for this popular class. Save on holiday gift-giving and come to our kitchen to make tasty and elegant edible gifts. You'll leave with four beautifully packaged gifts that look anything but homemade.

GINGERBREAD HOUSE DECORATING - In these fun workshops, you'll build a classic holiday centerpieces from pre-assembled houses, frosting and lost of candy. The Kids Workshops are for all ages. (Childred under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.) This year's Adult Workshop promises to be a fun evening out. Bring a bottle of wine and enjoy appetizers while you decorate your house.

Sign up now!

 

THANKSGIVING DINNERS TO-GO

We've got you covered this Thanksgiving with the Simple Gourmet Thanksgiving To-Go Dinner.

Each dinner comes with an Organic Sun Valley Turkey, plenty of Classic Caramelized Shallot Turkey Gravy and your choice of four sides or appetizers to round out your holiday meal. Check out our full menu. Full menu and order form is on our website or call us at 310-318-6484 to place your order today. Orders must be placed by November 18th at 5:00 PM.  The first 20 dinner orders will come with a meat thermometer, compliments from Cookin' Stuff.