If I’m being honest, half the reason I opted to roast a duck for Friendsgiving was so that I could get my hands on some duck fat. Why? Because it’s delicoius! It’s got an amazingly light, savory flavor that’s not overpoweringly rich like other fats, and silky-smooth mouth feel. You can use it to cook just…read more »
Brown Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Nothing will never take the place of mashed potatoes in my heart, but this browned butter sweet potato concoction is pretty high on my current list of favorite Thanksgiving side dishes. Just a little bit of brown butter and cinnamon to enhance the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes, and a whole lot of nutty, fragrant…read more »
Pancetta & Sage Stuffing
Duck aside, this stuffing was, for me, the highlight of our Friendsgiving meal. I will always secretly love out-of-the-box stuffing best, but this pancetta/sage version is truly killer. To start with, the base of this recipe was the most glorious loaf of white bread (from the Chinese market up the street, oddly enough). I know white bread is supposed…read more »
Whole Roast Duck
For Friendsgiving this weekend I roasted a duck. I’m all about turkey alternatives this time of year (turkey is not my jam), and duck is one of my favorites. Dark meat, crispy skin, melty fat…I love it all. I’ve been dying to roast one myself for years now, but for some reason it seemed more daunting than…read more »
Easy Candied Walnut Fudge
Remember when I made all those candied walnuts and told you I put them in a super yummy fudge? And I promised I’d share the recipe with you before the holidays? Well…here it is! You’re welcome. Although…I guess if you’re trying to watch your girlish figure, then I should probably be saying “sorry for tempting you.” ‘Cuz…read more »
{GIVEAWAY CLOSED} Gingerbread Mug Cake Revisited…and a GIVEAWAY!
This time of year, one of the most popular recipes on my blog is my Gingerbread Mug Cake. Which always makes me laugh a little, because it was such a throw-away recipe when I came up with it. At the time, my fridge was basically empty and I was low on basic baking ingredients, but Dan had…read more »
Candied Walnuts
We can all agree that caramelized sugar makes everything taste 100% better, right? Case in point – popcorn. When eaten plain, it’s like chewing on salty Styrofoam. Pour some molten sugar over it, however, and you suddenly have a bowl of crunchy, sweet crack. Bacon? Same deal. Pretty tasty in general, but swoon-inducingly delicious and addictive when…read more »
Last Minute Kitchen & Food Lover’s Holiday Gift Guide
If you guys are anything like me and Dan, you’re probably scrambling to get last minute Christmas shopping done. In fact, as I was typing that sentence, I realized that I forgot to actually order the gifts I’d picked out for two work friends and immediately stopped everything to frantically get that taken care of. Procrastination…it’s a real…read more »
Fennel, Leek & Onion Stuffing
Other than mashed potatoes (and now gravy), stuffing is the best part of Thanksgiving dinner, isn’t it? I mean, that pre-packaged stuff my parents used to get from Safeway was generally pretty mediocre, but even then I would eat several helpings because I’m a carboholic with no self control. Homemade stuffing though…that’s where it’s at. Bread tossed with various vegetables and/or…read more »
Classic Thumbprint Cookies, Revisited
It’s almost Christmas, which can only mean one thing – time to make a billion cookies. Sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, peppermint cookies, hot cocoa cookies…so many cookies to choose from, so little time to cram them into my mouth. Nom nom nom, cookie cookie cookie. In my family, the only type of cookie that matters…read more »