First of all, is it called stuffing or dressing?  And do most people actually prefer it cooked in the bird?

Growing up, I’ve always known it as stuffing and traditionally it was made outside the bird and by one of my aunts- and more often than not- it was heavy on the celery. For awhile, I thought stuffing was just okay, not great but good. Then, I tried oyster stuffing and realized I really hadn’t been eating what I now consider stuffing. I’m talking about rich, fatty, flavorful stuffing that could be eaten as a main course by itself.  Call me crazy, but I simply love a good oyster stuffing.

Traditionally what kind of stuffing, or “dressing” do you eat? I’m curious to find out what the norm is?

Other kinds of stuffing I absolutely adore:
Shiitake Mushroom Stuffing- Recipe Girl
Southern Cornbread Dressing by Deep South Dish
Gluten Free Thanksgiving stuffing by Off the Wheaten Path

Not Stuffed Yet? Quick Links to More Stuffing!

Above Photo by Maggie Hoffman

Possibly Related Posts:

• More Than You Want to Know About Cranberry Sauce
• The Most Disgusting Thanksgiving Dishes
• Friday Fun Links
• What Celebrity Chefs Are Making for Thanksgiving
• Beer for Thanksgiving

Categories:	American • Cooking tips • Holiday	3 Comments
Tags:	dressing • Holiday • side dish • Stuffing • Thanksgiving

It’s funny how our tastebuds change as we age.  Not too long ago, eggplant was on my shortlist of foods I didn’t like, now it seems I can’t get enough of it. One day I looked at the plate of baba ganoush my friend had ordered and it just clicked, “I’m going to like eggplant now!” The same thing happened with onions, black licorice, and avocados. One minute I hated it, the next I suddenly can’t get enough of it. There’s no gray area either, I don’t ease these new ‘likes’ into my diet, I go whole hog. The first time I ate raw onions I didn’t just squirrel them into a salad, no, I made an onion sandwich! Crazy, I know.

Now that eggplant is on my radar I find that I’m consistently searching for new, unique ways to prepare and satiate my addiction. I recently discovered this delicious Moorish dish, Badenjan – a creamy smokey dip with deep notes of saffron balanced by fresh mint – and in two weeks I’ve made it twice. Both times I’ve prepared it as a condiment of sorts to our main dish. The first time, to accompany aromatic lamb meatballs (filled with garlic, onions and mint), the second time an addition to a Moroccan-style grilled chicken.  The perfect addition to both meals. I’m telling you, this is some serious eggplant goodness.

Click below for the recipe:

Possibly Related Posts:

• The Great Stuffing Debate!
• Wine from Scratch: Wine in the Kitchen
• Kabocha and Ginger Squash Soup
• Tonight Chef and Mixologist Kathy Casey at Nightschool
• Vegetarian Thanksgiving Tips

Categories:	Cooking tips • North African • Vegetarian • Veggies	Leave a Comment
Tags:	appetizer • condiment • dip • eggplant • moorish • north afri • side dish

Oh, what to do with all that zucchini! It’s piled high in farmers markets, your neighbor’s trying to pawn some off on you, but you’ve got a glut in your own garden. You stuff them, bake them, grill them, add them to soups…the same old things you usually do with your over-abundance of this prolific grower.

Here’s a new twist – goat cheese stuffed grilled zucchini rolls, inspired by Ellie Krieger, healthy chef/dietitian on the Food Network. Goat cheese blended with fresh lemon juice and zest, wrapped with fresh basil leaves in a grilled zucchini bundle makes for the perfect appetizer or light meal.

Click below for the full recipe:

Possibly Related Posts:

• Kabocha and Ginger Squash Soup
• Vegetarian Thanksgiving Tips
• Raw Tacos
• Winter Squash is Delicious, Healthy, and in Season
• Is Your Beer or Wine Vegetarian?

Categories:	Vegetarian • Veggies	4 Comments
Tags:	appetizer • goat cheese • main • side dish • zucchini

Today is the second day in our Week of Julia (Child, that is!).

There is something special about fresh garden peas. Maybe it’s their shape, their natural sweetness or their delicate appearance in a dish of melted butter. Peas are high on my list of favorite foods. If there is one thing I am guilty of, it’s stealing peas right out my mother’s garden or any garden that I just happen to wander in to. I can’t help it. So when the season is right to cook with garden peas, I’m already looking for the butter. Julia Child’s recipe for buttered peas is a simple, “let the peas shine” for themselves recipe. She actually had three recipes for peas, depending on the size and the season from when the peas were gathered or purchased. This recipe is for the ripe garden and farmer market peas, should there be any left from walking from the garden into the house, or the farmer’s market to the car. Enjoy!

Other fantastic pea recipes found here:
Buttered Snow Peas by Group Recipes

Warm Buttered Pea, Potato, Herb and Prosciutto Salad by We are Never Full

Buttered Peas by CD Kitchen

Possibly Related Posts:

• Friday Fun Links
• Young Winos
• The Great Stuffing Debate!
• Wine from Scratch: Wine in the Kitchen
• The 2,000 Pound Rib Feast

Categories:	Cookbooks • Cooking tips • French • Uncategorized • Vegetarian • Veggies	2 Comments
Tags:	buttered peas • buttered peas with mint • julia child • julia child week • pea • side dish

There’s something so comforting about a quiet Sunday dinner. The aromas of a pot roast simmering in the slow cooker, something scrumptious grilling on the barbie, perhaps a pie baking in the oven – it all seems to say, “It’s been a great weekend, I’m happy to be home.”

We added these Ancho Chili and Cheddar Stuffed Potatoes to last night’s Sunday dinner. In college, I made stuffed (or twice baked) potatoes all the time, and like my lasagna, they were never the same way twice. These had a bit of a Southwestern twist with the added roasted mild Ancho chilies. A bit of cream and white cheddar made them dreamy.

I’m not much of a recipe follower when it comes to stuffed potatoes, as I tend to just throw ingredients together and taste as I go, but I did my best to put it all together for you. Adjust the flavors to suit your own palate, more cheese is never a bad thing in my book!

Click here for the full recipe:

Possibly Related Posts:

• The Great Stuffing Debate!
• Wine from Scratch: Wine in the Kitchen
• Kabocha and Ginger Squash Soup
• Tonight Chef and Mixologist Kathy Casey at Nightschool
• Double Glouchester, Cheddar’s Aristocratic Relative

Categories:	Cheese • Cooking tips • Veggies	2 Comments
Tags:	ancho chilies • Cheese • Chili Peppers • green onion • potatoes • scallions • side dish • side dishes • stuffed potatoes • twice baked potatoes • white cheddar

My mom always taught me the importance of colorful food. She never would have served potatoes with, say, cauliflower. As a result, I find myself adding or subtracting dishes from my menu based on hue alone. This Carrot Rutabaga Mash would make Mom proud.

Colorful…check.
Healthy…check.
Easy…check, check!

Simply peel and rough chop the vegetables, steam them until soft, then mash them with a fork. We drizzled ours with a touch of white truffle oil making it extra scrumptious.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Kabocha and Ginger Squash Soup
• Winter Squash is Delicious, Healthy, and in Season
• Moorish Badenjan Dip
• Eating Local in the Northwest
• How Does One Suddenly Go Vegan

Categories:	Veggies	2 Comments
Tags:	carrot • Food • foodista • mash • rutabaga • side dish

I’m not a big grappa fan. I’ve tried to like it, just as I’ve tried to like Scotch, vodka martinis and other “high octane” beverages. I simply cannot seem to acquire the taste. I was always told, “It’s an acquired taste. Someday you’ll like it.” Well, I’m 40, so I’m fairly certain it’s not going to happen, this so-called taste acquirement that all my friends seem to have obtained so easily in their middle age. Sigh.

Then, for Thanksgiving Tracy brought over a beautiful cranberry jelly. She exclaimed proudly, “It’s made with grappa!”

Uh oh.

I grabbed a spoonful and waited for the grappa assault, the kind that makes my face screw up in weird contortions. But…wait…no…could it be?? Oh yes.

Crazy good.

I took another, bigger, spoonful. The flavor of the grappa perfectly intertwined with the cranberry. Neither taste dominating the other, yet both standing out spectacularly. And I enjoyed the grappa! Immensely even!

That was over a month ago and I am still thinking of that wonderful jelly. So I grabbed our bottle of Averna grappa before Barnaby could finish it off (having acquired the taste long ago) and made a small batch. While I still cannot seem to sip a glass of this elixir without wincing, it sure tops the list when combined with cranberries.

Grappa Cranberry Jelly
Adapted from a recipe found on Epicurious.com

1 1/4 pounds fresh or frozen cranberries (4 1/2 cups)
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups cold water, divided
1 cup grappa, divided
4.5 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (2 (1/4-ounce) envelopes)

Bring cranberries, sugar, 1 1/2 cups water, and 3/4 cup grappa to a boil in a heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Simmer partially covered until most of berries have burst and mixture is thickened, approximately 15 to 20 minutes: stir occasionally.

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard then discard the solids. (You will need 2 1/2 cups liquid.) Stir together gelatin and remaining 1/4 cup water and let stand 1 minute to soften. Bring 1 cup drained cranberry liquid to a simmer in a small saucepan, then add gelatin mixture and stir until just dissolved.  Add gelatin mixture and remaining 1/4 cup grappa to remaining 1 1/2 cups cranberry liquid and stir well. Pour cranberry sauce into lightly oiled non-reactive mold. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firmly set, at least 12 hours.

To unmold, dip mold in a large bowl of warm water (water should reach halfway up mold) for 5 seconds, then run tip of a thin knife around edge of mold. Tilt mold sideways and tap side against a counter, turning it, to evenly break seal and loosen jelly. Keeping mold tilted, put a plate over mold, then invert jelly onto a plate.

Possibly Related Posts:

• More Than You Want to Know About Cranberry Sauce
• The Most Disgusting Thanksgiving Dishes
• Friday Fun Links
• What Celebrity Chefs Are Making for Thanksgiving
• Beer for Thanksgiving

Categories:	Fruit • Holiday • Italian	Leave a Comment
Tags:	averna • cranberry jelly • cranberry sauce • foodista • grappa • side dish • Thanksgiving

Hasselback potatoes are a Swedish creation, named after the Stockholm restaurant – Restaurant Hasselbacken – that served them back in the 1700s. They are made from whole potatoes that are peeled and sliced, almost through, creating a lovely fan. The tops are dotted with butter, sprinkled with fine bread crumbs (and sometimes Parmesan), and baked, then broiled for added crispness.

When done properly they are creamy on the inside and beautifully crisp on the outside, making for a lovely presentation.

No more boring potatoes!

Hasselback Potatoes

4 medium baking potatoes, peeled
1/3 cup butter, melted and divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unseasoned fine dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425°. Slice each potato crosswise at 1/8-inch intervals, cutting to within 1/4 inch of the bottom.

Arrange potatoes, fan side up, in a buttered 10-inch pie dish. Drizzle 2 tablespoons melted butter evenly over potatoes, and sprinkle with salt.

Bake potatoes at 425° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over potatoes, drizzle with remaining melted butter, and bake 20 more minutes.

Sprinkle cheese over potatoes, baste with butter in pan, and bake 5 more minutes or until potatoes are golden.

Click here for more on Hasselback potatoes.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Kabocha and Ginger Squash Soup
• Winter Squash is Delicious, Healthy, and in Season
• Moorish Badenjan Dip
• Eating Local in the Northwest
• How Does One Suddenly Go Vegan

Categories:	Veggies	12 Comments
Tags:	Food • foodista • hasselback potatoes • potatoes • side dish

This is a beautiful tart and refreshing relish. Since you use the whole orange, including the rind, it is important to allow the relish to mellow for at least 2 days before serving, so today is the day to make it!

No Cook Cranberry Orange Relish

1, 12-ounce package cranberries
1 orange, unpeeled
1 cup sugar

Pick through the cranberries and remove any bad ones. Cut the orange into eights and remove the seeds. Place half the cranberries and half the orange in a food processor, fitted with the steel blade, and pulse until the mixture is evenly chopped, but not pureed. Transfer to a medium bowl. Repeat with the remaining cranberries and orange.  Combine all ingredients in bowl and stir in the sugar.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 days or up to 2 weeks.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Makes about 2-1/2 cups

Optional: this is also tasty with chopped pecans.

Possibly Related Posts:

• More Than You Want to Know About Cranberry Sauce
• The Most Disgusting Thanksgiving Dishes
• Friday Fun Links
• What Celebrity Chefs Are Making for Thanksgiving
• Beer for Thanksgiving

Categories:	Fruit • Holiday	1 Comment
Tags:	cranberries • Cranberry Orange Relish • Fruit • orange • relish • side dish • Thanksgiving

You like potato and I like potahto,
You like tomato and I like tomahto,
Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto,
Let’s just call the whole thing delish!

Alright, alright, I’ll keep my day job. I know I can’t sing for squat, but my taste buds sure struck a fine cord when they tasted this dish. Tender, buttery new potatoes and sweet little red tomatoes lightly salted and roasted – the perfect side to just about anything: fish, poultry, a big fat juicy steak, or just a simple tossed green salad.

Roasted Potatoes and Tomatoes

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees F,
• Rub potatoes with softened butter or olive oil (or a bit of both! Restaurants do it, so can we!),
• Toss in a bowl with salt and fresh cracked pepper to thoroughly coat,
• Place potatoes in a roasting pan or on a cookie sheet and roast for about 30 minutes or until softened, turning frequently to brown all sides,
• Add tomatoes about 15 minutes prior to pulling the entire dish out of the oven.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Kabocha and Ginger Squash Soup
• Winter Squash is Delicious, Healthy, and in Season
• Moorish Badenjan Dip
• Eating Local in the Northwest
• How Does One Suddenly Go Vegan

Categories:	Veggies	6 Comments
Tags:	Food • foodista • potatoes • roasting • side dish • tomatoes