NEW YORK, Nov. 22, 2008
Thanksgiving Feast With Texas Twist...
...And On A Shoestring, From Fort Worth Chef Jon Bonnell, A Leader In Lone Star State Cuisine
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Jon Bonnell, executive chef and owner of Bonnell's Fine Texas Cuisine, tells how best to prepare and roast a holiday bird for a Thanksgiving feast to remember. (CBS)
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In The Spotlight Chef on a Shoestring Check out recipes and tips from many chefs who accepted our "Chef on a Shoestring" challenge!
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News Tools Recipes Galore Searching for a new dish? Get cooking with recipes presented on "The Early Show"!
You can prepare it - and it doesn't have to cost you an arm and a turkey leg!
Leading Texas chef Jon Bonnell accepted the Early Show Saturday Edition "Chef on a Shoestring" challenge to try to cook a three-course Thanksgiving dinner for eight on a slim budget - though we doubled our usual outlay, giving Bonnell $80 to work with for this holiday spread.
Bonnell is executive chef and owner of Bonnell's Fine Texas Cuisine in Fort Worth. When it opened in 2001, Bonnell's was hailed as the start of a new chapter in the book of fine Texas cuisine.
It's become a premiere dining destination in Fort Worth and across the Lone Star State, and Bonnell has made a name for himself as one of the premier chefs there.
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FOOD FACTS
Butternut squash is a type of winter squash. It has a sweet, nutty taste similar to pumpkin. It has yellow skin and orange, fleshy pulp. When ripe, it turns increasingly deep orange, and becomes sweeter and richer.
Star Anise contains licorice-like components. It's sweet and very aromatic. Star anise is obtained from the star-shaped fruit of a native evergreen tree of southwest China. The star-shaped fruits are harvested just before ripening.
Pepitas are the edible pumpkin seeds. With their white hull removed, they're a medium-dark green and have a deliciously delicate flavor, which is even better when the seeds are roasted and salted. Pepitas are sold salted, roasted and raw, and with or without hulls.
Creole implies one of refined cultural background with an appreciation for an elegant lifestyle. Today, Creole cookery reflects the full-flavored combination of the best of French, Spanish, and African cuisines.
Andouille is a spicy, heavily smoked sausage made from pork chitterlings and tripe. French in origin, andouille is a specialty of cajun cooking. It makes a spicy addition to any dish that would use smoked sausage.
TAKE-HOME TIPS
RECIPES
Butternut Squash Soup with Chili-Spiced Pecans and Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients:
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large butternut squash (roughly 3 pounds)
1 star anise
5 1/2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 cup heavy cream
2 oranges, juice only
1 ounce butter
1 ounce olive oil
Salt and white pepper to taste
Method:
Cut the squash in half lengthwise, then scrape out any seeds or strings from the cavity. Peel the squash completely and cut into large dice.
In a large soup pot, lightly sweat the onions and garlic in butter and olive oil until the onions become soft. Season lightly with salt and white pepper, then add in the squash.
Sauté for one minute, then add in the all remaining ingredients and simmer lightly with a cover for 25-30 minutes or until the squash becomes tender.
Remove the star anise, then puree the soup with a stick blender and strain (straining is optional). Check the soup for seasonings, then garnish with chili-spiced pecans and pumpkin seeds.
Optional: garnishes can also include a drizzle of sour cream and/or pumpkin seed oil
For more recipes, go to Page 2.
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More From Chef On A Shoestring
Add a Comment See all 15 Comments
- Why in the world does everything have to contain a political slam or comment? This is cooking folks!
Anyone who cooks knows that people use various ethnic cuisines to create recipes. Of course Creole is Cajun/French ... it''s the newscasters that misinform! Julia Child would never make such a mistake.
And besides, haven''t we had enough politics to let this creep into cooking for the holidays? ENOUGH! - Reply to this comment
- Hmmm, a normal picture of a Turkey without Sarah Palin''s friends decapitating it while she''s talking. LOL
- Reply to this comment
- Ok I don''t do a lot of homemade cooking. Can I use a cheesecake mix and the pumpkin pie mix instead of having to get all of the ingredents? Thanks
- Reply to this comment
- "I''''ll try to make it a point to check in (if I remember)."
It would be nice if you did.
Bye. - Reply to this comment
- You mean like "Texas" bread?:)
Posted by erasmus81 at 04:43 PM : Nov 22, 2008
Texas TOAST!!!
Damned Canadians. . .
Posted by tuckerndfw at 05:12 PM : Nov 22, 2008
Oops......hahahahahaha - Reply to this comment
- Posted by tuckerndfw at 04:59 PM : Nov 22, 2008
"On my mother''''s side, somebody did a family tree that linked us to William McKinley but it was through cousins rather than parents, grandparents"
The name was familiar, but I had to look it up.:) A President! That''s nice.
"On my daddy''''s side, the family legend is that some horse thief from Tennessee fled to avoid the hangman and ended up in Texas. That''''s probably true."
And this is who you and your brothers take after?:)
"The other legend is one of my daddy''''s grandmas was a Cherokee. Which I believe due to our physical appearance."
Yes, I remember you telling me.
"Many "original" (European) Texans came to Texas to avoid the law or to avoid the Civil War and they really didn''''t want to leave a trail."
And so what was so "special" about Texas? I don''t mean to say that there isn''t anything special about Texas. I was just wondering why everybody headed there. I know one thing that is special about Texas.:)
"Supposedly, we are mostly Dutch-Irish, but who knows?"
You are Irish too? Isn''t that nice.
"We have our own thieves & liars to account for without importing them from CT & WY."
Hahaha.
I have to go out for awhile, but I hope to talk to you again, soon.
If for any reason I don''t, I hope to talk to you on your birthday.:) - Reply to this comment
- "It seems we appeared here by magic. ."
Maybe it was magic.:) - Reply to this comment
- Posted by tuckerndfw at 04:24 PM : Nov 22, 2008
"I can''''t trace my family beyond about four generations. It seems we appeared here by magic. ."
Really? That''s kind of weird. Mind you, what do I know?
I can trace my family back to good old IRELAND.:) And OK, I will admit it, Scotland too. The Irish ones came over here and landed in North Dakota. From there they came to Canada. And the Scottish ones I think came to Canada and then some went to California.
" We fry EVERYTHING including tomatoes, squash, okra, potatoes, whatever."
Yeah, like I had never heard of fried green tomatoes, before that movie came out. We do fry potatoes and zucchini. (sp?)
"I just love the way people attach "Texas" or "Texan" to stuff as if that makes it better even though it has no relation whatsoever..."
You mean like "Texas" bread?:) - Reply to this comment
As a native, fifth (at least) generation Texan, I find stories such as this one to be really stupid.
Creole means Cajun or French-Canadian (aka "Louisiana").
Calling Creole food Texan is about as stupid as it gets.
Texans fry everything and slop ketchup or barbecue sauce (or hot sauce) all over it. That''''s a genuine Texas recipe. Fry until brown, slop ketchup all over it and you have a "heart of Texas" meal.
Posted by tuckerndfw at 03:43 PM : Nov 22, 2008
Fifth generation Texan? That''s nice.:)
You have lived other places too, though, right?
Fry and slop ketchup? Now you''re talkin''! It sounds like what we do here.
I of course have cut back on the fried. Or at least I don''t use fat for frying. I use a good old T-Fal fry pan.:)- Reply to this comment
- Y''''all want cheap turkey?
Go to Kentucky Fried Chicken and order their family combo.
Posted by tuckerndfw at 02:35 PM : Nov 22, 2008
And just how is it you know about Kentucky Fried Chicken? I thought you didn''t eat anything that ate rocks?
See, I remember stuff.:) - Reply to this comment
- Try S O S good nugh for texans
(vets know what this is.) - Reply to this comment
- I know this is going to come as something of a shock to y''all but after the last 8 years I''ve had just about enough of Texas.
- Reply to this comment
- PRYA DAVID LOOKS LIKE OBAMAS WIFE IS IT? I DONT KNOW WHO JUST TOLD ME THAT
- Reply to this comment
- what size springform pan for the pumpkin cheesecake?
- Reply to this comment
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