braised turkey breast, sourdough stuffing & citrus gravy

November 10, 2011 | heather parlato

this recipe, with many other delicious treats for thanksgiving, appears in the parlato design studio seasonal eats recipe guide! pick up your copy today in the parlato design studio store, and follow the thanksgiving2011 tag for more recipes as they become available. enjoy & thanks for being awesome!

i’ll just come out and say it: i’ve never been a fan of preparing a whole turkey. as much as i am a fan of using the whole animal, and the benefits of getting to make turkey stock once the meat is eaten off the bone, i don’t like wrestling with a carcass the size of a small child or tying up the oven for hours, wondering if it will come out just right. what i do like is this manageable alternative of braising, which takes only 2 hours, can be done in the oven or on the stove, and allows the chance to flavor the meat with the braising liquid, turning out a really tender and delicious turkey breast.

start by sourcing a naturally-raised, free-range turkey breast [whole foods or your local, independent butcher is a good place to start]. the one i’m using is 3.5 pounds.

unlike chicken breasts, turkey breasts are sold together. cut away the netting and unfold it, and you’ll see you have a symmetrical set.

place the turkey skin-side down on a work surface and rub the insides down with olive oil. now is a good time to stuff the center with fruit, aromatic herbs, or flavorful items [like prosciutto or salami slices]. i have chosen orange slices and some of the cherry relish i’ve prepared. the idea here is that you’ll fold the breasts back up, tie them up to keep them in place [and to create the final shape for the breasts, since they will firm up when cooked], and infuse some of the meat with flavor. what you’ll end up doing is folding the right side over the left to tie it up, so if you have items that will move a lot [like oranges] put them on the left side. you can put everything on one side if you’re afraid it will move too much.

tying up your turkey breast is a little challenging. i find starting with it on one side is easiest, tie butcher’s twine around the top and start tying it up. the video above is a very straightforward way to do it. if you prefer written instructions, these work well too. you may find this gets a little messy. mine was messy too, but it won’t affect the final result. say the serenity prayer and accept your messy stuffed turkey breast.

add some oil to a dutch oven and place the tied turkey breast on its side to brown for a minute or two. flip to the top-side down, and finish up with the other side so your last browning side is the back. once the turkey breast is back-side down, add the mirepoix, cover and sweat a few minutes.

once all the browning and sweating is done, add the white wine, vegetable or chicken stock and orange juice. the liquids should not entirely cover the meat, but rather come up somewhere more than halfway up the sides. i decided to top mine with orange zest so the orange oil could steam out and into the meat. turn up the heat to get the liquids to boil, and then turn down to medium-low and cover to braise about 2 hours. alternately, you can finish in the oven at 350º for about 2 hours. make sure to check liquid levels periodically and add water if they’re boiling away.

braised turkey breast

1 3.5-lb turkey breast
mirepoix: 1 onion, 3 med. carrots, 1 heart celery, all chopped to medium dice
2 cups white wine
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
juice and zest of 2 oranges
optional stuffing: 2 oranges, sliced & 3 tbsp cherry relish

cut netting from turkey breast and place the open breasts on a work surface, skin-side down. rub the inside of each with olive oil and line each with any fruit or herbs you’d like to infuse into the turkey [i chose orange slices and cherry relish]. fold one side over the other and tie up as a roast with kitchen string.

in a dutch oven, brown the sides and top of the turkey breast. finally, place the back side down and add the mirepoix, cover and sweat the vegetables 3 minutes. add the wine, stock, orange juice & zest,
and bring to a boil. turn down to low, cover and simmer 2 hours, or place a 350º oven for 2 hours.

vegan options

don’t bother with trying to replicate turkey on a vegan diet. ditch tradition [you’re probably not into it anyway] and take the opportunity to make your all-time favorite entrée to celebrate with your friends & family.

variations

obviously, there are hundreds of whole-turkey recipes online, but if you’re looking for a different option for a turkey breast, try evan kleiman’s suggestions for roasting a turkey breast.

it’s a myth that you need actual turkey drippings to make gravy. i used some reduced braising liquid and a little butter, and it’s delicious!

citrus gravy

2 cups turkey braising liquid
1⁄3 cup flour
1 tb butter

place 2 cups of the turkey braising liquid in a saucepan, or simmer to reduce the turkey braising liquid down to 2 cups. add the butter and whisk to incorporate. while whisking, add flour in 1 tbsp increments and whisk to incorporate. continue whisking as gravy thickens to desired consistency.

this recipe makes about 2 cups of gravy. if you plan to double it, use the desired amount of turkey braising liquid to start [you may add stock, water or wine to increase], and add 1 tablespoon butter for every 2 cups liquid. when whisking in flour, take more time between additions, as the gravy will thicken more slowly, and likely won’t need double the amount of flour.

vegan options

i’m finding so many interesting options for vegan gravy, i thought i’d share some tasty ideas:
vegan gravy using mushrooms
awesome mushroom gravy
cashew gravy
miso gravy
tasty onion gravy

i love stuffing, but when i thought about making my own recipe, i thought about how i could make it more tasty with interesting bread, and not entirely and all-out carb-fest by adding some nuts and seeds. i chose whole grain sourdough, and worked in mushrooms and a mix of pepitas, pine nuts and sliced almonds. make it with some of your turkey braising liquid, or keep it vegan with vegetable stock.

sourdough stuffing

2 tb olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large stalks celery, sliced
2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
2 cups turkey braising liquid or vegetable stock
1⁄2 cup white wine
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp sage
1⁄2 lb sourdough loaf, cubed & toasted
1⁄3 cup each of toasted pepitas, pine nuts & sliced almonds

preheat oven to 350º. sauté onion on medium-high heat in 2 tbs olive oil, 3 minutes, add celery and mushrooms, saute 2 minutes. add wine, simmer and reduce, 5 min. turn off heat, add the turkey braising liquid or stock, thyme, sage, salt and pepper to taste.

add toasted sourdough cubes to a 9 x 12” baking dish and pour vegetable mix over. toss to coat and soak sourdough through. sprinkle nuts over the top. bake 40 minutes at 350º until heated through.

creative inspiration

November 9, 2011 | heather parlato

Baroque.me: J.S. Bach – Cello Suite No. 1 – Prelude from Alexander Chen on Vimeo.

sculpture

ugmonk woodcut ampersand, image: ugmonk.com

i really wish i could buy every large, sculptural ampersand i see. this premium woodcut & from ugmonk is pretty sweet.

typography

averia font type sample, image: fastcodesign.com

so, i don’t know if this would happen to you, but it happened to dan sayers when he averaged the shapes of 725 fonts on his computer. i think it’s refreshingly friendly with a little throwback to faces like cooper old style. read up on it and get a download link on fastcodesign.com

poster

look at that, i tricked you with all these categories since everything i’m posting today is about type. this lovely ampersand is made up of all different styles of tiny ampersands in a lovely shade of blue! check out underconsideration.com for a closer look.

food

if you weren’t able to snag a free copy, the parlato design studio seasonal eats recipe guide is $5 per copy in the store!

cauliflower yam purée

November 8, 2011May 18, 2015 | heather parlato

i was a bit torn about which root vegetables to work with for the seasonal eats guide. i love sweet potatoes and white potatoes, but i also love all the late-harvest squash, and having that plethora of carbs on the table seemed like overkill. what it came down to was, i wanted to incorporate as much as i could, but maybe not all in their own dishes. i sent the sweet potatoes to hang out with the pumpkin in a savory pie, which will be up next week, and then settled in to figure out an alternative to mashed potatoes that used some variation of cauliflower purée. when i realized i could use white yams, i thought this dish would be a vitamin and fiber rich cruciferous alternative to mashed white potatoes.

cauliflower yam purée

1 head cauliflower, cut into medium florets
1 white yam, cut in half lengthwise
4 oz feta cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1⁄3 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste

roast yam cut-side-down on an oiled baking sheet at 300º for 30 minutes. scrape the flesh from the skin and set aside. using a steamer pot, steam cauliflower 15 minutes. reserve steaming liquid when finished.

place the cauliflower florets and yam in a food processor or blender with .5 cup cooking liquid, feta, olive oil and white wine vinegar. process until smooth, adding cooking liquid as needed (this will take a some scraping and mixing between blends). transfer to a mixing bowl.

whisk in the dijon, parmesan cheese, and salt & pepper to taste. transfer to a serving bowl and dust with finishing salt and ground pepper.

variations

make it vegan
substitute the feta for 1/4 cup vegenaise and 1/2 cup soy milk
omit the parmesan, adjust salt to taste

alternate ingredients
substitute some of the yam or cauliflower, or simply add to them [cube and steam until soft]:
– celeriac / celery root
– white potatoes
– turnips
– parsnips
substitute feta cheese for goat cheese
substitute parmesan for any hard, salty cheese
– asiago
– romano
– hard jack cheese [an early american homestead version of parmesan]

request your FREE seasonal eats guide TODAY!

November 7, 2011 | heather parlato

LAST DAY TO REQUEST A FREE COPY!!!!

1. go to the contact form.
2. enter your contact information, mailing address and write “i’d like a free seasonal eats guide!”
3. watch your mailbox for its arrival.

the parlato design studio seasonal eats recipe guide has 9 delicious, seasonal, local, healthy recipes for thanksgiving, all with online breakdowns, suggested alternates and vegan options. so far we’ve covered the apple cherry galette and the apple, celery, lemony yogurt slaw. more to come as we countdown to thanksgiving.

request your free copy today!

apple, celery & lemony yogurt slaw

November 3, 2011 | heather parlato

this recipe, with many other delicious treats for thanksgiving, appears in the parlato design studio seasonal eats recipe guide! request a free copy before november 7 [details here], and follow the thanksgiving2011 tag for more recipes as they become available. enjoy & thanks for being awesome!

apple, celery & lemony yogurt slaw

i decided to include a fresh, crunchy salad in my thanksgiving menu, because so much of thanksgiving food is carb-laden comfort food, i thought it would be nice to contrast that with some raw greens and fruit. this salad is really easy to prepare if you have an adjustable mandoline with a julienne attachment [it’s not necessary, but it cuts the prep time down a lot]. replacing any mayonnaise with yogurt, we’re getting a leaner fat and protein, and natural probiotics. beyond being tangy and refreshing, a little of this salad goes a long way!

apple, celery & lemony yogurt slaw

half a head of napa cabbage
4 medium apples, mixed
2 large stalks celery
1 cup plain greek yogurt
juice and minced zest of 2 lemons
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp crushed
mustard seeds
1 tb apple cider vinegar

slice cabbage crosswise thinly [about 1⁄8” thick] and place in a large mixing bowl. julienne the apples into matchsticks with a knife or a julienne mandoline and place in the bowl. slice celery stalks thinly crosswise with a knife or mandoline and place in the bowl.

in a small mixing bowl, add the yogurt, minced lemon zest, mustard and mustard seeds, mix to incorporate. whisk in the vinegar and lemon juice to incorporate quickly to prevent curdling. salt and pepper to taste.

pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat. transfer to a serving bowl to serve.

variations

make it vegan
substitute the dairy yogurt for vegenaise, cultured soy, or coconut vegan yogurt
skip the yogurt and make…
– lemon viniagrette
– lemon maple vinaigrette

alternate ingredients
– increase the color contrast with some red cabbage
– increase the tangy factor with some radicchio
– spice it up with some julienned radishes
– increase the probiotics with some saurkraut
– go all out on color and fiber with vitamin-rich root veggies like julienned carrots and beets

apple cherry galette

November 1, 2011 | heather parlato

i really wanted this to work out as a 3-flour galette, but as it happens, there just isn’t enough gluten to hold everything together without driving a person mad when it’s a third almond flour. that doesn’t mean it drove me mad, perse, but i couldn’t put it in my recipe guide this way in good faith. hence, the photo above shows 1/2-cup each of white flour, wheat flour and almond meal flour, but unless you like a super-challenge, i’m recommending 3/4-cup each of white flour and wheat flour instead. we’ll be cutting that up with 1 stick of butter and 1 tablespoon sugar.

a really wise master pie baker who did an entire demonstration at machine project explained that the best way to create the perfect pie crust is to cut the butter into little squares, and then cut it into the flour on a work surface. this is also a really good way to get zen, because it takes awhile. if you never had a heyday cutting up particulates in your cocaine before doing lines, now is your much larger, g-rated chance, because it’s a lot like that. cut from one side to the other, through the clumps of butter, scrape it all back up and cut it back the other way. this will integrate some of the butter into the flour while retaining the smaller clumps that will eventually melt into a flaky crust while baking. as the clumps get smaller, sprinkle small amounts of ice water over the top and cut it in, until you have moist, small clumps that come together in your hands. but hey—if you have a food processor and want to cut the butter in that way, by all means go ahead!

this is pretty much what you’re going for, no matter what flour you’re using. slightly moist but not too wet. if you were to gather this up into a ball in your hands, it should push together and retain its shape. once you get to this point, ball up your dough without handling it too much and melting the butter, and put it in a bowl to chill in the fridge, at least 1.5 hours.

granny smith, fuji and red delicious apples

this same wise pie baker suggested using a selection of apples, to vary the flavor and texture, and i’ve really liked this idea. i chose a granny smith, a fuji, and a red delicious, which are popular at the farmer’s market and self-pick orchards alike. core out your apples, trim away any rough parts, and then slice them to 1/8-inch thick slices. place the slices in a mixing bowl with the dried cherries, the lemon juice and zest, honey or sugar, and cinnamon, and toss to coat. set it aside to marinate.

preheat the oven to 350º. when the dough is sufficiently chilled, and flour a work surface and roll it out to about 1/4-inch thick and a 12-inch circle. this is where my experimental dough had trouble holding together, so if you want to ease some of your pain, put down a piece of parchment, flour that, and roll your dough out over it. if necessary, you can flip it on to a plate and peel off the parchment without breaking the dough. once you have it to the right size and thickness, transfer it to a baking sheet and spoon the apple mixture into a mound in the center, leaving about 3-inches of empty dough all around. work from one side around to the other, folding the extra dough over the center mound, crimping edges as you go. if the dough breaks anywhere, just pinch it shut, or pull off a piece and patch it if necessary. once you’ve finished this part, it’s time to bake: 45 minutes at 350º or until golden brown.

apple cherry galette

1 stick butter
3⁄4 cup white flour
3⁄4 cup wheat flour
1 tb raw sugar
3 apples, mixed variety, sliced to 1⁄8” thick
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tb honey or raw sugar
1⁄2 tsp cinnamon
1⁄3 cup dried cherries

place sliced apples in a mixing bowl. sprinkle with lemon juice & zest, honey, cinnamon, and cherries, and toss to coat. set aside to marinate. process butter, flour and sugar in a food processor or cut butter into flour with a dough scraper, until it reaches a crumbly consistency. sprinkle ice water over mixture 1 tsp at a time and process in pulses until the dough resembles moist chunks that just come together in your hands. push into a ball and chill 1.5 hours.

preheat oven to 350º. roll dough out to a 12” circle on a floured work surface. transfer to a baking sheet and spoon the apple mixture into a mound in the center, leaving about 3” around on all sides. fold the sides up and around the apples, crimping and pinching the corners as you go. bake at 350º for 45 min.

variations

make it vegan:
substitute 1/2 cup of any of the following for the butter:
– earth balance vegan spread
– non-dairy margarine
– vegetable shortening

use only raw sugar rather than honey.

alternate fillings:
use a mix of apples with these, or substitute the apples for:
– pears
– persimmons

substitute the cherries for:
– pomegranate seeds
– currants
– boysenberries
– mullberries
– dried figs

add vanilla extract, your favorite additional spices, or a splash of brandy to your sliced apple mixture.

the parlato design seasonal eats recipe guide for thanksgiving is here!

October 31, 2011 | heather parlato

it’s a bird! it’s a plate! it’s green beans & gravy! its … the parlato design seasonal eats recipe guide, to infuse local, seasonal & healthy flavor into your thanksgiving meal this year!

some of you know, and some of you don’t, but i love cooking and experimenting in the kitchen. i also love writing, and decided to combine these two activities into something called seasonal eats for LAist for the past year.

as a way of saying thanks for reading, thanks for being awesome clients, or just thanks for being you, my way of giving back this year is to give you 9 local, seasonal, healthy recipes that are easy, fun and don’t require a million ingredients in a quickie accordion-folio format you can reference in the kitchen, hang on the refrigerator, or tuck into your recipe box. and if you’re looking for pictures, more complete instructions, vegan adaptations or flavor alternatives, i’ll be blogging about each of these recipes in the weeks leading up to thanksgiving under the tag thanksgiving2011.

i’ll be offering a FREE copy to anyone who sends me a personal request through my contact page through november 7, 2011 [that’s a note from the contact form that i recieve by 11:59pm, monday, november 7, 2011]. you’ll get yours hot off the press & in the mail as soon as i get them. aside from anything else you might want to write, make sure to say you’re requesting the recipe guide, and send your mailing address! after november 7, 2011, they’ll be available for purchase for $5/each in the store.

a pretty sweet deal for people who subscribe to the blog or follow links early & often, i say! so go write me a note and request yours today!

Case Study: Mohawk Bend Brand & Identity Development

October 11, 2011May 27, 2015 | heather parlato

mohawk bend brand & identity

As the saying goes, I love it when a plan comes together. When I first talked to Tony Yanow about his newest venture, Mohawk Bend, it was nearly a year ago, midway through the Ramona Theater’s renovation process. While we’d be working from scratch design-wise, Tony had a very clear idea of who he was serving and what the attitude and voice of Mohawk Bend would be, which made the preliminary research and brand brief development really easy. He also had an interior design team working with the raw materials of the space and adding beautiful custom furniture in light wood and warm, orange tones. From the outset, we knew the setting of where the identity would live and how we could make it stand out appropriately within that environment.

mohawk bend logo

logo development

Mohawk Bend has a few different areas of focus, but it’s first and foremost a celebration of craft beer from all over California. The most exciting and innovative of these is the hops-forward west coast IPA, and in that vein, the hop flower became a main feature of the logo.

mohawk bend icon system

mohawk bend business cards

building an identity

Beyond beer, though, their plans included California-sourced spirits, a bottle-free selection of California wine, local / organic food that spans the vegan-omnivore spectrum, and a low-waste operation in the kitchen. Tony really wanted an icon system that could represent each of these aspects and work interchangeably with the main identity, play out on the web site, and associate with core staff’s areas of expertise. We developed a color palette and selection of icons that swap out with the hop flower in the logo for specialized uses, and become indicators for each area of the web site. For future signage and events, they’ll have the versatility of growing this icon system with new developments.

mohawk bend web site home page

keeping it simple & highly useful online

Creating the web site was a fun exercise in brainstorming all the things we hate about restaurant web sites and putting them at the top of the list of what not to do. No flash, No pdf menus, No hard-to-find location information. Tony was always very clear about the voice of Mohawk Bend, that it’s craft first in a simple and honest way. We were still excited to talk about all the great things Mohawk Bend does, however, so we built all of it into the about section, so the information is there without being an obstacle on the home page. Instead, a styled twitter widget announces daily specials and events, with clear postings of hours, location, directions and a list of menus: get the info you need and come on over!

mohawk bend web site interactive beer list

the interactive beer list

One particularly fun feature is the interactive beer list. During our preliminary talks on functionality of the site, Tony said “What I’d really like to have is a beer list you can sort by any category—brewery, style, alcohol volume…” And so we thought about it, and worked out a solution that integrates directly with WordPress, allowing all the searching & sorting a curious beerophile would want. Click any column header to sort by that column, or use the search field to isolate beers containing your search terms. We also translated everything to a nice mobile site, so anyone can find just what they’re looking for [even search the beer list] on the go.

mohawk bend menus

beyond design: a workflow that works

Behind the scenes was the real challenge: developing a workflow system that would allow daily menu updates in print and online to be done easily and quickly by employees. A system that still uses nice typefaces and formatting in print, but doesn’t require any coding online—and all simple enough to execute well without a design education. Once we settled on a menu format, we built in-house layout templates using paragraph styles that would transfer heading tags and basic bold and italic formatting to WordPress. The WordPress interface is extremely user-friendly, with a visual editor, so everyone has taken to it quickly. To keep the carbon footprint low, the menus are printed on Neenah Environment 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper.

mohawk bend extended identity

and they’re off…!

As I’ve watched this roll out in action and seen the Mohawk Bend staff make it their own, I’m proud of the system we created together. They’ve been able to switch around the menu formats easily using feedback from customers, and we’ve been able to build more of the identity into ads, stickers, signage and support collateral. Best of all, they are all super-nice people to work with, so we’re always happy to walk down, have a beer, find out how everything is going, and help them work out their next adventure. Bottoms-up to Mohawk Bend!

creative inspiration

October 5, 2011 | heather parlato

branding

i love this 2-color, natural paper, downright stampy look for yes taco, profiled recently on art of the menu.

typography

theo inglis, the new york postcard project — theo inglis / the new york postcard project, image: designworklife.com

i’ve said this before, but it bears repeating, especially since people keep doing it: i love maps, and i love typography, and i REALLY love it when designers make typographic maps. thanks to designworklife.com for profiling theo inglis’ new york postcard project.

food

you may not recognize these right away if you don’t already have a tree growing in your yard, but feijoas are a delicious late summer guava that can add a lovely balance of sweetness and tartness to your life. check out seasonal eats: feijoas are falling from the trees!

if you’re not reading this right now today, maybe you didn’t know it’s raining. only today. very soon it will be back to sunny weather. but if you want to have some rainy day funtimes, pick one of these soups to warm your kitchen tonight: 10 simple soups for the start of the fall season

braised turkey breast

vegan options

variations

citrus gravy

vegan options

sourdough stuffing

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sculpture

typography

poster

food

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cauliflower yam purée

variations

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LAST DAY TO REQUEST A FREE COPY!!!!

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apple, celery & lemony yogurt slaw

variations

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apple cherry galette

variations

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logo development

building an identity

keeping it simple & highly useful online

the interactive beer list

beyond design: a workflow that works

and they’re off…!

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branding

typography

food

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