You've Got To Taste This

Thanksgiving is mere days away, which means Christmas is right around the corner. When did that happen? At MyRecipes.com, we've been thinking about holiday food for weeks and weeks, and finally it's time to actually enjoy some with family and friends.

Now I love turkey and green bean casserole as much as the next person, but let's be honest. When you think holidays, you think sweets. And when you think sweets, the prettier they look, the sweeter they somehow taste.

Through a very official selection process known as "I pick the ones I'd most want to eat," I'm giving you the 10 prettiest holiday cookies on our site -- according to Carrie. To find over 1,000 more delicious cookie recipes, visit our cookie page.

And in no particular order, they are...

                            

   Peppermint         Chocolate-Dipped         Vanilla Bean               Rudolph's        Peppermint-Topped
     Pinwheel         Hazelnut Shortbread      Sugar Cookies        Christmas Sugar          Brownies
       Cookies                        Hearts                                                                Cookies     

                         

  Gingerbread              Peppermint                  Amaretto                 Cookie Trees             Gingerbread
        People               Molasses Cookies       Butter Cookies                                                      Pinwheels
 

Comment with a vote for your favorite! Or, tell me about one that didn't make my list! Happy baking!

                 
                                                                         

                                                    

When I spent a few months in Greece, my friends and I discovered one of the most surprisingly delicious new foods the country had to offer: giant beans. Yep, giant beans (a.k.a. beans as big as your thumb). They're so filling that they are the meal, yet they look so simple that they leave you wondering: what is their secret?

In technical bean terms, they're called gigantes (pronounced "YE-gone-tays"), and in fancy Greek writing, they're γιγαντες. But in any language, they're downright divine. You could order them in almost any restaurant in Greece, but back in the U.S., they're nearly impossible to find (so far, my only luck has been one neighborhood deli in New York City).

So naturally, I was ecstatic when I discovered this Cooking Light recipe for Baked Gigantes in Tomato Sauce, and I practically fainted when I learned I that Nabeel's Mediterranean market here in Birmingham imports dried gigantes.

I decided to try out the recipe a few weeks ago, and it was a huge success! The ingredients are basic vegetables and seasoning, and it doesn't require any fancy kitchen gadgets. It is somewhat time-consuming, but it's really easy -- and completely worth it. I made several friends try a bite or two, and their responses have been a unanimous "YUM!" I've even convinced fellow intern Georgia to try her hand at the recipe later this week!

Ok come on, I can tell you're skeptical, but trust me, you'll love them. 

Click here to try the recipe now.

 




 

Versatility is the word of the day when it comes to choosing a wine for Thanksgiving. A wine needs to pair with the multitude of flavors on the table: the acidic cranberries, the herb-infused stuffing, the rich gravy, the buttery potatoes--not to mention the salty snacks upon arrival. But it also needs to please a wide variety of palates.

Riesling is one of the best white wine choices (we like Dr Loosen, Langwerth Von Simmern, and Zind-Humbrecht from Germany and Navarro Vineyards and Chateau Ste Michelle from the U.S.; Lindemans and Banrock Station from Australia are also favorites), but not everyone is a fan so be sure to have other white wine options on hand: Pinot Gris (very food friendly; try King Estate, A to Z, or Huia) and Viognier (we like Stag's Leap Winery, Peay Vineyards, and Qupé) are food-and-Aunt Sally friendly. I also like to serve bubbly - Champagne or sparkling wine. Bubbly literally pairs with any food (except dessert), so it's the ultimate holiday wine choice. French Champagne is an easy choice but try California sparkling wines (Schramsberg, Iron Horse, and Domaine Chandon are a few favorites), a Spanish Cava, or an Italian Prosecco.

If you're sticking with red, and keeping it all-American, try a Zinfandel. You can't miss with the three R's: Rosenblum, Ridge, and Ravenswood. Pinot Noir from California's Sonoma County is also a sure bet (Etude, Siduri, and La Crema are some tasty picks). A Côtes-du-Rhône would also ease the way for more turkey if you're feeling French (Guigal is a reliable producer available in most states), as would a Valpolicella Classico from Italy (Masi is one of our favorites).

Keep in mind that the heavier the wine, the more likely your guests will doze off in their chair (or on your couch). Skip the Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay; you won't do the wine -- or the food -- a favor by pouring these big boys. And if you want to pour something with the dessert, make sure it's a dessert wine; the number one rule for pairing wine and desserts is that the wine must be as sweet as or sweeter than the dessert (otherwise the wine will taste thin). Port, Sauternes, Moscato d'Asti, and Vin Santo are some fabulous dessert wine choices.

Photo by Denise Daclan

Ahhh fall. It's in the air. It's about time for colorful leaves, football rivalries, and warm soups and ciders. And after browsing my Facebook newsfeed the other day, I realized it's also time for something else: the season of high school dances. Oh, high school.

Remember the stress? Must find the perfect date. Must make sure his tie matches my dress. Definitely must not be caught in the same dress as someone else -- the horror! Must decide: corsages and boutonnieres or no? And whose parents are least embarrassing and could drive us...I don't get my driver's license until next month. :/

Wow, I'm a little stressed just reminiscing.

Yet among all the chaos, my high school friends and I did manage to make one thing easier on ourselves: the pre-dance dinner plans. 

One year, we discovered that instead of blowing an entire month's worth of our minimum-wage salary on one meal before a big dance, we'd eat in.

One friend had a brother-in-law who loved to cook, and another friend had a dining room table big enough for our party. It was as easy as that. Before boogieing the night away, we gathered ourselves at one house and enjoyed a delicious dinner of steak, potatoes, green veggies, and cheesecake.

The total bill? Just the price of groceries (which I think came to somewhere around $7 a person).

So, the next time little Susie or Bobby has a big school dance coming up, consider casually throwing this idea out there. At first, they may not think it's the hippest idea to have Mom and Pop cater dinner, but when they think about their wallets, they might just think again.

For restaurant-style dinner on a budget, try these delicious recipes from All You that each provide the price per serving.

The Main Dish:

• Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak ($2.02 per serving)
• Chicken with Lemon and Capers ($2.30 per serving)
• Maple-glazed Salmon Fillets ($2.41 per serving)

Easy Sides:

• Garlic-Shallot Mashed Potatoes ($1.27 per serving)
• Broccoli Gratin ($1.08 per serving)
• Roasted Carrots ($0.59 per serving)
• Quick Risotto ($0.77 per serving)
• Roasted Autumn Vegetables ($0.70 per serving)

Delicious Desserts: (or just pick up a pie or cheesecake at your local bakery)

• Baked Apples a la Mode ($2.20 per serving)
• Applesauce-Spice Cake ($0.27 per serving)
• Chocolate Cream Pie ($0.87 per serving)

Have fun!

Whether you’re celebrating a momentous wedding anniversary, a cornerstone birthday, or just in need of a really sophisticated bottle of red to impress your guests here are three beautiful California wines that will make a great addition to your collection. After sampling around 50 different bottles of wine during my Wine Country visit I picked three of my favorites. I know you will fall in love with their vintage finesse that pairs well with any occasion.

Silver Oak Cellars, 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

The complex flavor of this elegant wine selection lends aromatic hints of black plum, soy sauce and rose petals completed by a smooth finish. Silver Oak Cellars blends prior to barreling in American oak barrels to achieve the rich flavors of fruit before the oak element harmonizes the wine’s character. If stored properly this wine can be enjoyed up to 15 years.

Cook with: Cabernet-Braised Short Ribs with Dried Apricots

Cakebread Cellars, 2006 Pinot Noir Carneros, Napa Valley

I always tell loyal white wine drinkers who want to expand their palates and drink more reds to start off with a Pinot Noir. Pinots are great transitions because they are seductive wines with ripe tannins and graceful fruity flavors. Cakebread Cellars is a distinguished winery that constructs many quality selections. The Pinot Noir Carneros hosts a silky, medium bodied taste with aromas of black cherry, raspberry, and lavender. To develop additional complexity, store this wine for 3-5 years longer.

Cook with: Pinot Noir Risotto With Rosemary Chicken

Duckhorn Vineyards, 2006 Napa Valley Merlot

The Duckhorn Vineyards Merlots are white house worthy and have been featured at many presidential luncheons and dinner parties. Notes from the winemaker: “This Merlot offers a rich texture, ripe tannins and seamlessly integrated French oak. On the palate, polished flavors of red cherry and raspberry are accented by an enticing layer of graham cracker piecrust.” I look forward to a perfect, chilly fall evening when I can curl up next to a cozy fire pit with a few close friends and open this standout vintage selection. 

Cook with: Rosemary-Merlot Flank Steak

 Enrolling in culinary school at a community college, I never thought I'd learn skills as obscure as ice carving, nor did I think I'd get to wield a chainsaw as part of class. But here we are.

This semester, I'm enrolled in Intro to Garde Manger. Garde manger literally means "keeper of the food," but it refers to the production of foods to be served cold—things like salads, cold soups and sauces, hors d'oeuvres, and pates and terrines.

Because many of these foods are served at buffets and other fancy events, garde manger chefs are also tasked with planning menus and decor, which is why fruit and ice carving are often taught in this class.

My class was lucky enough to have as a guest instructor master ice sculptor Nick Hartmann (if you need an ice carving in or near Birmingham, give him a call!), whose patience and knowledge were very helpful.

The ice-carving process is deceptively simple—you enlarge your pattern onto a 20- by 40-inch piece of paper, trace it onto the ice with a Dremel tool, and then go crazy with chainsaws, angle grinders, and an assortment of chisels to finalize your design.

I sketched out a Grecian urn-looking thing whose only real difficult element was some thin, U-shaped handles on the sides. The easiest way to do this, Nick told me, is to cut the handles out of pieces of scrap ice and fuse them on later. I made 4 handles, just to be safe. The ones in the photo below are the final two handles. Big surprise.

Okay, it looks a little janky, but not bad for a first try, right? Well, about 3 seconds after this photo was taken, as we were loading my sculpture onto a dolly to carry it back into the freezer, one of the handles fell off and shattered into a million pieces. I don't think I have much of a career in ice sculpture ahead of me, but it's an item to check off the ol' bucket list.

Barbecue. Barbeque. BBQ. Bar-B-Q. Bar-B-Que. We may not be able to agree on its spelling, but really, who doesn't love a good pulled pork sandwich? I've always considered myself a big barbecue fan, but since moving to Alabama, I've learned that there's a lot more to this Southern cooking style than this Kentucky girl even realized. 

Here's what has surprised me most so far:

1. The existence of "white barbecue sauce." I've lived my entire life in the geographic south, but never, had I ever, heard of "white" barbecue sauce until moving to Birmingham. If you've never heard of it either, don't worry; we're not alone. White barbecue sauce is a Northern Alabama specialty. It's mayonnaise-based and usually served with chicken. The sauce is tangy and creamy -- and definitely worth a try.

Here's a recipe for the standard White Barbecue Sauce, and to work it into your next meal, try:

• Grilled Herb Chicken Drumettes with White Barbecue Sauce
• Alabama Pulled Pork Sandwiches with White Barbecue Sauce, or
• Grilled Chicken with White Barbecue Sauce.

2. Pulled pork isn't just for sandwiches. Last weekend, a friend visited me in Birmingham, and I decided to take her to Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q for a taste of one of the area's favorite barbecue restaurants. Never having eaten slow-smoked pork on top of a salad before, I decided to try it by ordering the Pig in the Garden Salad. The verdict: delicious. Who would have thought?

3. Barbecue is serious business in Birmingham. As soon as I moved here, it didn't take long to discover that barbecue is practically its own food group in this town. Ask someone for a lunch or dinner recommendation, and half of their suggestions will be barbecue joints. Just look around, and you'll find barbecue establishments everywhere. Southernbbqtrail.com says that over 500 barbecue restaurants have opened in Birmingham since 1920, and maxshores.com claims that there are more barbecue restaurants per capita in Birmingham, AL than in most other cities. Wow. Pretty impressive, B'ham.

If you're already a barbecue lover, then good for you. Keep it up. If you're not, or if you're looking to expand your collection of barbecue knowledge and experience, then plan a little trip to Alabama. This state certainly has plenty to teach you about barbecue, barbeque, BBQ, Bar-B-Q, and Bar-B-Que.

HELP!!

While visiting with family last week I had the most delicious corn-and-bean salad I've ever tasted. After just one bite, I was hooked. I couldn't help but cut my way back into line again for seconds (and thirds, maybe?). The following day, I was even caught sneaking spoonfuls of the leftovers...more than once. Oops. 

Now, as head-over-heels as I was about this tasty side dish, I can't believe I left without getting the recipe! What was I thinking??

I've been searching online all week for it, but I just can't seem to find an exact replica of the recipe.

Here's what I'm pretty sure I was tasting:

-canned black beans
-canned corn kernels
-canned kidney beans
-diced scallions
-(maybe) some diced onions
-and some delicious dressing/marinade that slightly resembled Italian dressing

And here are the imposters I've come across so far:

-Cooking Light's All-Purpose Southwestern Corn and Black Bean Salad. Mmm this recipe includes lime juice and honey in the dressing, and it offers great suggestions for turning it into a main-dish salad or a dip!

-RealSimple's Three Bean Salad. This one actually looks pretty similar, and I like the addition of chickpeas!

-All You's Corn and Black Bean Salad. This recipe's really close too! I could just switch the roasted red peppers out for kidney beans. Maybe their cider vinegar is the secret ingredient I'm missing!

-Southern Living's Black Bean Salad. This picture looks almost identical! Just hold the jalapeños and tomatoes, and add in the kidney beans. I like the fresh corn!

Anyone have any leads for me, or maybe a favorite recipe of your own that I might love just as much?

Happy almost-Labor Day! I hope you've got some exciting (or at least relaxing) plans for the long weekend ahead. Me? I'm heading out tomorrow for a weekend on Lake Cumberland, and I couldn't be more excited!

Our family's go-to lake destination is located pretty much in the middle of nowhere, so time more or less stops when I'm there. I'm lucky if I can get reception on my cell phone for longer than 30 seconds, and I let my email go unchecked for entire days. I know, I know -- crazy, right? :)

But, that's what makes the lake the perfect place to enjoy time with good friends, good weather (fingers crossed!), and of course -- good food.

When I was browsing through recipes the other day,  I came across this great Morning at the Lake breakfast menu. Mmmm. Yum.

· Bacon-and-Egg Casserole
· Pigs in a Blanket
· Quick Double-Cheese Grits
· Peach Streusel Muffins
· Fresh Fruit Salad with Orange-Ginger Syrup

And while there's no better way to start a day on the water than with a hearty lakeside breakfast, we can't forget about those other meals! Here are some of our "crew's" other staples when we're putting together our lake grocery list:

· A solid chip and dip recipe (my personal favorite is tortilla chips with a warm queso dip)
· A great margarita
· A tasty marinade for the latest fish ("Seriously! It was this big!") my dad has reeled in
· Plenty of lunch meats and sandwich ingredients for quick lunches we can bring on the boat

What are your must-haves for a weekend of fun and sun?

      Fried chicken. OK, I know that sounds a little overboard, but bear with me here.

      A few months ago I received an extremely romantic gift from my thoughtful partner, T. No, not flowers or a candlelight dinner—it was an advanced uncorrected proof of Ad Hoc at Home. (He knows me well.) I have an insatiable curiosity about food, but I’ll admit that seeing Thomas Keller’s name emblazoned across the front page left me a bit intimidated. This is the man responsible for The French Laundry, a staple on awards lists that has been named best in the country on the Restaurant Magazine list of Top 50 Restaurants of the World no fewer than five times, and best in the world twice.

     I put the galley to the side, and little by little it drifted to the bottom of a growing stack of food books and proposals. But although I’ve fancied myself a foodie over the past few years, and have been fortunate enough to even be considered a globetrotting one, I have been a dyed-in-the-wool Southern foodie since the day I was born. And in the back of my mind I remembered that Ad Hoc, Keller’s home-cooking venture in Yountville, California, is infamous for its fried chicken.

     If my grandmother taught me anything, it’s that fried chicken is an endeavor best undertaken by the very brave. Sure, it’s simple, but here’s the conundrum: Because there isn’t much to it, there are infinite ways to mess it up. Too dry, too browned, too bland, too greasy—if you’ve eaten fast-food fried chicken, you’ve probably seen it all.

     Granted, this is Thomas Keller fried chicken, so while the ingredients are familiar, there are still … well, steps. I haven’t eaten at The French Laundry or Ad Hoc (bucket list!) but I suspect that what garners these restaurants their consistent praise is the kitchens’ meticulous attention to preparation. Luckily for me, T is the king of meticulous attention.

     He read every word of the recipe carefully, and then we jotted down the list and headed to the market. We were both giddy with the prospect of our project, thrilled to be Attempting Something Difficult in the kitchen. We cut our whole chickens into pieces, then placed them in a lemon-celery-salt brine, where they’d marinate for 12 hours.

     The next day word spread, and by 5 p.m. there was a line of family and friends in the kitchen, a dog underfoot, and martinis poured. Oil shimmered in two copper pots over closely monitored flames. And then the fun began. Chicken hit the assembly line—seasoned flour, buttermilk, seasoned flour, oil—and cooked with almost alarming precision. Two minutes, 11 minutes, 16 minutes, no more, no less.

     But we saw why as the chicken emerged, perfectly deep brown for dark meat and golden brown for white. The crispy skin was drained and salted; grabby fingers were smacked. I set out plates and napkins that were universally ignored in the race to snag the first still-too-hot pieces.

     And the response? Silence. Silence marked by chewing. Eyes that widen in surprise don’t make much noise. This was unlike any fried chicken any of us had ever had (sorry, Grandma). The meat was moist and tender with a lemony tang that made us all say, “so that’s what my fried chicken was missing!” And the skin? With that golden color and incomparable flavor, it could be used as currency. That’s what’s so exciting about food, that real artists can come along and make something old truly new again.

Which, you have to admit, is more than you can say for the Sistine Chapel.

More photos of my Fried Chicken endeavors at :Foodimentary Flickr