Sunday, November 28, 2010

28 November 2010




It is the Sunday after Thanksgiving, so tonight's Sunday Supper was all about leftovers. Since we have been eating turkey sandwiches in various formats, I tried to think of something different to do with the remaining leftovers. I made turkey pot pie last year, so I wanted to try something new. I searched a lot of leftover recipes, but nothing sounded good. Therefore, I decided to create an original dish: turkey and dressing ravioli with brown butter sage sauce! I placed some turkey, dressing and gravy in the food processor to make the ravioli filling. I used the leftover sage to make the sauce. It turned out really well! The raviolis were like a little bite of all the flavors of Thanksgiving in one bite. I think this recipe is a keeper. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday. Back to reality tomorrow...

The Menu:

- Turkey and Dressing Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage Sauce

- Salad with Cranberry Walnut Dressing and Whole Grain Croutons

- Jeff's Bourbon Pecan Pie

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Thanksgiving 2010









Many of you asked what I cooked for Thanksgiving, so I am doing a special, non-Sunday post. Thanksgiving is my favorite meal to cook all year! I love the traditional foods, and the aromas of turkey and baking seem to fill the house with love and comfort. This year was very different from past Thanksgiving celebrations, but it was great. We have always had a special gathering of dear friends for a huge feast, but due to the circumstances this year, I decided to skip a year for this event. Next year will be bigger and better than ever! So this year, we had Jeff's family over for dinner, and it was a great evening. Jeff helped a lot, and everyone brought a dish or two to share. Of course, I did the bird, my mother's cornbread dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes and salt and pepper cream biscuits. It was Jeff's mom's birthday, so I also baked a coconut cake for her. Jeff made his famous pecan pie but added some bourbon at the advice of my Facebook/college friend, Betty Crowell. It was delicious as usual! We also made a sweet potato pie from this month's Southern Living, and it turned out just like the cover photo! For the turkey, I used a young kosher turkey since they are processed with salt and do not need brining. It turned out very moist, and we combined a couple of roasting methods from Alton Brown and Martha Stewart. For the first time, I tried Martha's cheesecloth method of covering the turkey, and it worked beautifully! The bird was perfectly browned, and the skin was crispy. I will use it again next year. As always, I also cooked a separate turkey breast for leftovers! We had open faced turkey sandwiches last night, and they were divine! I will use the remaining leftovers for Sunday supper this week. While I have had "issues" with the gravy in years past, it was perfect this year! I decided to abandon the painstaking recipes and just go with my gut, and the gravy was amazing. I cooked my mom's cornbread dressing in a huge cast iron skillet, and it was also a big hit. Of course, the salt and pepper cream biscuits were in demand, and I always think of my friend, Matt Porter, when I make them. Both Matt and Jeff have labeled them "Bill's Crack Biscuits!"

So even though circumstances change, love and comfort food prevail. My dear friends and family are always close in spirit, and new traditions and extended families gather to give thanks for abundance. I hope everyone had an equally joyful Thanksgiving, and I wish you a hearty and abundant holiday season.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

21 November 2010





It has been a great weekend! My friends Bill and Sheree Ramsey were in town from Little Rock, and we hung out with their three adorable kids on Friday night. Our friends and neighbors, Pat and Nugget Gold, also joined us for a nightcap. Afterward, Jeff and I played Scrabble on his iPad and rummy. Scrabble and rummy were two of my dear grandmother's favorite games, so I made some of her legendary old fashioned popcorn to snack on during our games. I think my best Scrabble word of the night was a triple word winning "humanoid!" Last night, we went into Atlanta to hang out. Jeff had never been to the Colonnade, so we ate there for dinner. I had the fried chicken, and it was SO good! It is a great Atlanta institution, and we ate ourselves silly. Time for some exercise. Today, we began to buy the provisions for Thanksgiving. This is my favorite meal to cook all year. I bought an Empire Kosher Turkey because they do not have to be brined since they are cleaned with salt. I hope it turns out well since I pride myself on the bird. Tonight, I made a roasted chicken and asparagus risotto for dinner. It was quick, simple and very tasty. Here's to a short week and lots of thanksgiving for great friends, good food and a life of interesting experiences.

The Menu:

- Roasted Chicken, Asparagus and Parmesan Risotto

- Garlic Bread Sticks

- Eggnog Shooters