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Thanksgiving is the one time of year I pull out all the sterling silver flatware, serving pieces and candlesticks, polish it up and use it. I love the rich luster of well used and well loved sterling silver. It catches the light and is especially striking when used with beautiful linens. Sterling silver requires elbow […]
Once you’ve decided that you’re going to have a party, chosen the menu and guest list, it’s time to design the tabletop. The table design and setting is just as important as the food because it adds another element to the event and the overall experience. I always start with one thing as my main […]
Jazzing up brussels sprouts seems to be the current food craze which I don’t subscribe to. Just before Thanksgiving, I had dinner at one of the hippest new restaurants in Los Angeles (don’t ask for the name) and we ordered brussels sprouts to accompany our shared ribeye steak. They arrived sauteed with truffle oil with […]
Because I tested the ham recipe before Thanksgiving, I had lots of leftover ham. I thought it was the perfect time to think about how to use leftovers. Ham muffins, ham biscuits, maybe even ham baked in a pasta timballo, so many options. Suddenly I remembered a summer vacation many, many years ago when I […]
My mom only made these once a year at Thanksgiving. We had baked Russet potatoes and other potatoes throughout the year, but these were strictly for Thanksgiving. As much as I love these and could eat them all year, it’s nice to have something you only make once a year for a special holiday. They […]
These brownies should be marked “For Adults Only”. They are deep, rich, dark chocolate with an intense hit of espresso. There is espresso powder in the brownie and in the ganache frosting. You don’t usually think about a chocolate dessert at Thanksgiving but this is the perfect last bite to follow those traditional Thanksgiving flavors […]
We all know Thanksgiving is fairly labor intensive. Anything you can do ahead is a plus. It never occurred to me that it was possible to make mashed potatoes ahead until I read Melissa Clark’s recipe for Mashed Potato Casserole. I admit I had doubts, so I tried it out a few weeks before Thanksgiving. […]
One of the first cookbooks that I ever bought, that I still have, was Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I was living at home, still in school, and my mother did all the cooking. I don’t remember what possessed me to buy the book but I do remember my first recipe was […]
