Cramming for Turkey Timefeatured
So, you left it to the last minute as usual, huh? No worries. I have pretty much been reading nothing but Thanksgiving recipes for the past three weeks and in the spirit of giving, would like to share my favorite findings with you! So here you go. Your Turkey Day Crib Sheet (just like those you used to slip inside your TI-89 for those chemistry quizzes).
Adapted from Heidi Swanson’s 101 Cookbooks recipe, these Double Baked Coconut Sweet Potatoes are a wonderful twist on a classic. I’m a sucker for anything with coconut milk in it, so I knew I would love this. In this recipe, it adds a lovely, mellow, sweet creaminess. My adaptations to Heidi’s recipe: I doubled the amount of coconut milk (I use Chaokoh brand, which is unsweetened) … I told you, I love the stuff … cut down the amount of grated ginger to 1 teaspoon, used honey instead of maple syrup, and didn’t have macadamia nuts on hand, so I substituted with pecans. It came out so good, I’m glad I bought a whole case of sweet potatoes from Costco 🙂
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Yats: New Orleans Po Boysfeatured
When I first visited New Orleans as a young and adventurous 21-year-old, I had the luxury of staying at my friend Zachary’s house in the burbs (with 9 other young and adventurous 21-year-olds), under the incredibly generous hospitality of his mom, Miss Dawn. Miss Dawn kept us well-fed, full of hearty, delicious, filling sustenance that would…er…provide the proper base, if you will, for a night of revelry. Two of my favorite meals from our time there was the epic crawfish boil she set up our first night in, and the constant supply of po’ boy makings she kept on hand for 1 pm breakfasts…5 pm snacks…4 am nightcaps. Piles of roast beef, fresh French bread, and plenty of mayo. Mmmm, thanks, Miss Dawn!
As soon as I saw Yats‘ menu, I was brought right back to sultry nights of sucking crawfish out of the shell and feasting on the ubiquitous po’ boy.
In case you’re wondering about this order window with the sign “Yats” pointing to it, well, that’s it. Yats is actually, brilliantly, located inside Jack’s Club, an homage to the divey, friendly bars of New Orleans, and naturally, makes good use of its well-loved, deep fryer.
Cue…specimen A: NOLA Fries. Thick, golden, wedges of starchy goodness, dusted in a snowfall of parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. These huge steak fries were crispy on the outside, nice and soft on the inside.
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Hawaiian Lehua Honey & Sweet Creamfeatured
Happy Friday! To kick off your weekend: sweet gloriousness, a love story, and some r.e.s.p.e.c.t. to the bees please.
I recently discovered the luxurious decadence that is Haagen-Dazs’ Hawaiian Lehua Honey & Sweet Cream, part of their gourmet elite Reserve Series. It’s a brilliant marketing ploy. That “Reserve” stamp urged me into stockpiling multiple pints of this AH-mazing ice cream once I tasted it, full of fear that it may be my only chance of savoring this truly special flavor whenever I wanted (or at least for the next few months).
Buttery, sweet cream swirled with satiny ribbons of honey beyond your wildest imagination of what honey could taste or feel like on your tongue. The texture of the Lehua honey is unreal – more like honey cream. The flavor…makes you think bees have it made, eating this stuff all day. Delicate, sweet but not cloyingly sweet, possessing of a gentle floral aroma and warm butterscotch notes.
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The Chicken or the Egg?featured
Take 1: Balsamic Glazed Chicken served with Spinach Cheese Polenta
Take 2: Eggs Sunny Side Up, over Spinach Cheese Polenta, drizzled with Balsamic Glaze
In my house, the Chicken came first, Thursday night for dinner…but the Egg followed not long after for a delicious Saturday brunch!
I am all about making my life as easy as possible, and it truly gives me great joy when I can create a satisfying “take 2” meal using leftovers. This great chicken recipe uses a no-fuss marinade that becomes a gorgeous, thick syrup when it’s reduced. The acidity and saltiness from the balsamic and soy sauce is balanced by the caramel sweetness from the honey and brown sugar, and the garlic and rosemary in the background add a subtle aroma that rounds it all out.
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