Anika's Favorite Honey Roasted Ham

The dish I picked for my Cultural Thanksgiving project was honey roasted ham. I love this dish . It's a great balance of sweet and savory. I loved it even more when I went to Thanksgiving with my friend from childhood for 15 years , Cadelyn and her family.

They always play games left right center you gamble money with and they always make such good food so many variety of homemade dishes but this is my favorite so far, its her uncles that make it every year and it's always the best it brings such a warm feeling in my chest, Cadylen an her family makes the food taste even better when im hanging out with them its something that I wait all year for.

1 spiral cut ham (cooked)

2 cups pineapple juice

1 cup honey(raw preferably)

Then Base 

Bake in the oven at 325. 10 mins per lb (mine was 9lbs so i baked it for 1hour an 30 mins)

Base every 25 mins

Glaze: left over juices from ham 

¼ cup honey

¾ cup brown sugar

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp salt

Garlic powder

Paprika

(optional) Then poor half of the glaze on the ham and then broil for color

Put the rest of the gaze when out of the oven

Madeline's Pumpkin Pie Cookies

 

Pumpkin Pie cookies 

Ingredients for the pumpkin pie cookies: 

•  2 cups of all-purpose flour

•  ½ teaspoons of baking powder

•  ½ teaspoons of fine slat

• ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• ¾ cup granulated sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Pecan crumble:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 3 tablespoons roughly chopped pecans

• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons rolled oats

• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Pumpkin Pie filling:

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

• 1/4 cup pure pumpkin puree

• 3 ounces cream cheese

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

I chose this recipe because it's something I would always make with my cousins growing up for thanksgiving. We would always just be standing around in the kitchen while the adults would be making the food during thanksgiving. Since we would always be bored waiting around we decided to search the web for some easy recipes we could make. We came across pumpkin pie cookies and we all loved how good they sounded. This is a really meaningful recipe to me because it reminds me of all the special moments I got to have with my cousins. We would always laugh and make a huge disaster while making these. Making some little cookies that should be a one person job and like 10 of us would be trying to make them just lead to a mess. But we had so much fun making these cookies as well as listening and blasting music while we cleaned up our mess. Although our cookies always turned out looking ugly, burned or even with someone's hair in it we all still had lots of fun and made good memories. Nowadays for thanksgiving I don't really end up with my cousins because some of them are old and have their own families now so it is hard to see them. Most of my family moved away and everyone is all across the country or even in a different country so it is really hard to be able to see them. I am just glad I got to have those fun moments with them growing up. Whenever I think of these cookies it just brings me back to those memories and how in the moment I never knew that those times were limited and we can’t ever go back. But it also makes me feel grateful for all those times.

Elsie's Family Mole

 

My family's traditional dish mole everyone in my family loves mole my mom is usually the one to make it and its special to me because i remember when i was little i would always love to help my mom make it cause it was fun but i dont think i helped very much i just like the fact that i was pouring and stirring things together anyways but i remember loving the days shell make it cause that means all the family would come together and just talk and making fun of the fact on how my mom is the only one that knows how to make mole perfect and how everyone else just sits and waits for her to make it . And all though i dont like mole i still  get  excited when she makes it because first cause of family that means all my family is gonna come over and the second reason is my mom  knew i didnt like mole so she would just take me to IN -N -OUT cause im weird like my mom says everyone thinks im odd for not liking it but anyways this dish maybe a common mexican dish to make but to me it was a good day 

1. Prepare the Dried Chiles

• Clean and seed: Remove the stems and as many seeds as possible from a variety of dried chiles (e.g., ancho, guajillo, pasilla). Rinsing helps remove any remaining dust or seeds.

• Toast: In a dry skillet or over a comal, lightly toast the chiles over medium heat until they are fragrant and slightly pliable, typically for a few minutes. Be careful not to burn them, as this will make the mole bitter.

• Rehydrate: Place the toasted chiles in a pot and cover them with boiling water or broth. Let them soak for 10-30 minutes until softened, then drain, reserving the liquid for later use. 

2. Prepare and Toast Other Ingredients

• Char vegetables and aromatics: Onions, garlic, tomatoes, and/or tomatillos are often charred in a dry pan until softened and blackened in spots. This adds a deep, smoky flavor.

• Toast nuts and seeds: Almonds, peanuts, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds are fried or toasted in oil until golden brown and aromatic. This step is also often used for spices like cinnamon sticks, cloves, and anise seeds.

• Fry thickeners: Bread pieces, tortillas, or animal crackers are often fried to act as thickeners for the sauce.

• Sauté dried fruit: Raisins or prunes may be sautéed until they puff up and caramelize, adding sweetness. 

3. Blend the Components

• Blend in batches: Combine the various prepared ingredients (chiles, vegetables, nuts, spices, thickeners, fruit) with some of the reserved chile-soaking liquid or chicken/vegetable stock in a blender.

• Achieve smoothness: Blend each batch until the mixture is as smooth as possible.

• Strain (optional but recommended): For a silky consistency, push the blended mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl or pot. This removes any unblended bits of chile skin, nuts, or spices. 

4. Cook the Sauce

• Fry the purée: Heat some lard or oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Carefully add the strained mole purée (it will spit and sputter) and cook, stirring constantly, until it changes color and thickens to a glossy consistency, about 5-10 minutes.

• Simmer: Stir in additional broth and the dark chocolate (bittersweet or semi-sweet). Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for at least 30 minutes to an hour, allowing the flavors to meld and deepen.

• Season: Taste the mole and adjust seasoning with salt, sugar, or more spices as needed to balance the sweet, salty, and spicy notes. 

5. Serve

• The finished mole sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

• Serve it hot over cooked chicken, turkey, or use it for tamales and enchiladas. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Corey's Mashed Potatoes

Of all the delicacies present on our withered fold-out table, the one that intrigues me most is our mashed potatoes. They are soft, fluffy, and most notably teeming with flavor. Perhaps I’m overinflating my mother’s cooking skills, but nonetheless mashed potatoes are still my favorite. Throughout the years, trial and error has led to some interesting potato-related anecdotes. For instance, many moons ago  we were on a road trip when my mother decided to make gravy to compliment our mashed potatoes. Only the gravy was more of a thick floury sludge and the mashed potatoes were chunks of raw potato slathered with olive oil. We managed to grin and bear it and keep down the meal. Therefore I will kindly spare you and share a recipe that holds a candle to no other; courtesy of the internet.

Prep Time: 15-20 min.

Cook Time: 25-30

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into even 1.5-inch chunks

• 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened

• ½ cup sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt, at room temperature

• ¾ cup whole milk or heavy cream (warmed slightly)

• 1 tsp himalayan salt, plus more for the cooking water

• ½ tsp black pepper, or to taste

• Optional: 2 cloves minced garlic (can be boiled with potatoes), chopped chives or parsley for garnish

Instructions: 

• Boil Potatoes: Place 3 lbs peeled and cubed potatoes in a large pot. Cover with cold salted water and boil until fork-tender (approx. 15-20 mins).

• Drain & Dry: Drain thoroughly. Return to the hot pot over low heat for 1 minute, shaking to dry out excess moisture.

• Mash: Remove from heat. Mash potatoes until mostly smooth using a ricer or masher.

• Combine & Season: Add ½ cup softened butter, ½ cup sour cream, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper. Gradually mix in ¾ cup warm milk/cream until creamy.

• Serve: Taste, adjust seasoning, garnish with chives (optional), and serve immediately.

Annalisa's Grandma's Pozole

 

• 7 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth

• 2 cups water

• 4 chicken breast halves on the bone, with skin

• 1 pound tomatillos, husked and halved

• 1 small onion, quartered, plus more for serving

• 2 poblano chiles, cored, seeded, and quartered

• 2 jalapeños, seeded and quartered

• 4 large garlic cloves, smashed

• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

• 1 tablespoon oregano leaves

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 3 (15-ounce) cans of hominy, drained

• Iceberg lettuce, finely shredded, for serving

• Radish, sliced, for serving

• Onion, chopped, for serving

• Avocado, diced, for serving

• Tortilla chips, for serving

• Lime wedges, for serving

My grandma used to make this for me and my family when I was younger and then she showed my mom the recipe and after my grandma moved out of state it led to me always miss my grandmas pozole and my mom was always to scared to try making it because she didn't want to disappoint me but I told her I wasn't gonna make her feel bad in any way.  One day I was at school and I got called into the office and they told me I was going home.  But then they said something that made me cry. They said my grandma was here to pick me up and at first I didn't believe them but then I went outside and saw my grandma waiting for me. When we were on the way home I almost completely forgot about her pozole and didn't even think about it. Then I walked in the house and smelt a smell that was nostalgic to me. It was my grandma's pozole and I was so excited.  I ate so good that day and sadly haven't had it in a while. It's really good and I always recommend it to people.

Cadelyn's Christmas Cookies

 

A recipe that is special to me are cookies. Cookies have been the treat that my family and I bake for what seems like every holiday and special occasion. One of my favorite traditions during Christmas time is inviting close friends and family over to hang ornaments on the tree and bake cookies. We usually bake both chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies. We use fun Christmas themed cookie cutters to make the sugar cookies Christmas themed. That made it so fun for my sister and I when we were young. The feeling I get when the house is filled with the smell of freshly baked cookies is unmatched. It brings me nostalgic memories every year and so much comfort.

• Butter. I use salted butter, but unsalted butter would also be great. I just recommend tasting the dough to ensure that it’s salted to your liking.

• Eggs. 

• White Sugar.  You can use granulated white sugar or organic cane sugar.

• Brown sugar. I use light brown sugar in this recipe for the best results.

• Flour

• Sea Salt. I exclusively bake and cook with pure, fine sea salt. Sea salt is different from table salt (that is iodized), so if you use salt other than sea salt I recommend testing the recipe first with 1/2 tsp and then adjusting to your taste.

• Chocolate Chips

Steps:

• Mix the dough

• Roll the dough

• Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 15 minutes

Briana's Family Chilaquiles

Ingredients: 

1. Tortilla chips 

2. Green salsa 

3. Sour Cream 

4. Cheese

5. A egg 

Steps 

Make or buy tortilla chips then make green salsa spice or none spice.you will also want to grave a pot and put salsa then dip the chips in the salsa while all is boiling you want to be preparing the chips and salsa you want to be making a egge when all is done you want to grave a plate an put the chips with the salsa in it already and then you want to put cream and then cheese last you can put the egg and then you have your  chilaquiles.

Background 

chilaquiles con salsa verde y huevo has always been my favorite food for a sunday morning my mom ever since i could remember she has made this dish it is always such a crazy day we all like to rush to help my mom with something because we just all really like them a do anything to eat them as fast as possible so some of us help with shredding the cheese some help with the peeling the green tomatoes taking the tail of the chile and while doing this we also like to hear music and just talk about memories when we are done with all of that we come to the end and sit done and fix the table and sit down and have a nice meal all together and it feels so peaceful and nice.