Hanukkah Recap



Yesterday was our family's fourth annual Hanukkah celebration, a tradition I instituted when my husband and I got engaged.

Usually, the celebration takes place on a Sunday night, but I like Sunday nights to myself and thought I'd do an elegant holiday lunch this year. We live about an hour from the rest of the family, so I figured it would be easier on them too to have it earlier in the day.

I was very happy with this year's lunch menu, though it's not exactly traditional.  We have a couple of different kinds of eating habits (aka some people are easygoing and some are pains in the asses!) so I served two main course options.

We started, of course, with matzo ball soup. No picture, but here's last year's post with the recipe. Delicious and make ahead.

For my non-meat eaters, we had Ina Garten's Roasted Salmon Nicoise salad:

I loved this. It's a mix of room temperature salmon, served with blanched green beans, spring mix, roasted red peppers, steamed fingerlings, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, and olives, all topped with a tangy Dijon vinaigrette. The salmon, eggs, and green beans can be done a day ahead, the potatoes need a quick boil before serving, and then you can assemble it in the morning and refrigerate until serving time. Easy, healthy, delicious, and customizable- key for my crew.

Find the recipe here.

Our other main course was a roast beef tenderloin, an expensive option, but well worth it for ease of prep and crowd pleasing factor (and the sandwiches with leftovers!). All I did was salt and pepper the living hell out of it, and roast it for about 30 minutes at 425. I took mine out when it was 130 degrees and let it rest about a half hour before serving. You may want yours done a little more rare, so give it a shorter rest time or take it out at 125.

I served this with a horseradish mayo. No real recipe there either, I used about half a cup of mayo, a few tablespoons of sour cream, a tablespoon of Dijon, and a teaspoon horseradish.

We had latkes, pictured above. These I always cater, they are too much work and too smelly to cook at home.  Wegman's charges me $25 bucks for 40 or so latkes and applesauce. I'd say that's worth it!

My sister in law made a nice mixed greens salad, and we also had Food52's ridiculously good spinach gratin, and roasted asparagus. A loaf of challah made an appearance too.

 

And, as always, we had piles of gifts and a cramped apartment:

Happy Hanukkah!

Entertaining Essentials

Inexpensive Charger Plates, $1.00

Charger plates instantly dress up dinner, and I love being able to buy multiple colors to go with different table settings. These were only $1 at Amazing Savings, so I stocked up on red, gold, and silver.  I’ve also seen them at the Christmas Tree Shop, if there’s no Amazing Savings in your neck of the woods.

Pottery Barn Caterer’s Box Collection, $15-$60 for 12

This dinnerware collection is perfect for entertaining.  White porcelain plates, bowls, and mugs, as well as glass drinkware, are sold in sets of 12 and inexpensively priced from $15-$60 for the dozen.  You can also pick up napkins, flatware, and table linens to match as well.  They’re perfect to keep on hand so you don’t have to resort to paper plates when entertaining.

The brand 10 Strawberry Street also sells similar plain white bulk entertaining dinnerware, at a slightly lower price point. You can find them often on One Kings Lane, and sometimes in Walmart.

World Market Galvanized Party Tub, $17 

When I host parties, the boys always bring truckloads of beer, and we run out of room in the fridge very quickly. Now, I fill this large tub with ice and leave it out, giving guests easy access to the booze without compromising the fridge space I need.

Walmart Inexpensive Serving Utensils, $2 

You can never have too many serving forks and spoons, and I really like these plain silver ones from, believe it or not, Walmart. They’re sold open stock, so you can buy as few or as many as you need. They look attractive and elegant, they hold up well, and you can’t go wrong at only $2 each.  

Table Runners

I like to use a plain ivory tablecloth and accessorize with a colorful runner. My favorite is Luxury Linen Loft’s Burlap Runner, which I picked up on Etsy for $10. It adds a great rustic element to a fall table. I also love the runners on World Market, my favorite being the Kavita runner in the picture above- so colorful!

 Sur La Table Napkins, $5.99 for 4

Sur La Table’s sale rack is one of the best places to find gorgeous table linens deeply discounted, which is how I scored the pretty ones above.

Pottery Barn Classic Glass Drink Dispenser, $59-$79

I tried very hard to find an inexpensive glass drinking dispenser, but all the ones I bought leaked. I finally bit the bullet and got this item from Pottery Barn, and I love it. Sixty bucks well spent- no leaking, easy to clean, and I was able to have it monogrammed to match my PB decanter. Awesome.

Disposable Condiment Bowls, $2.99 for 20 

Another great find from Amazing Savings. I like to use these for my mise en place during a dinner party- I’ll pre-chop my herbs or lemon zest and put them in these bowls in the fridge.  They take up less space than a bowl, and just before serving, I can sprinkle the garnish over my dish and toss them when done, saving dishwasher space as well.  They double as little ramekins too for dipping sauces, olives, or nuts. 

Lazy Girl's Guide to a Great Brunch

Recently, some friends in town invited a few people over for brunch, and it was a great way to spend a Saturday morning.  I loved lazily showing up in comfy clothes, munching on delicious food, and spending time with friends yet still having lots of time left in the day for other things.  

It got me thinking that I should really do brunch with friends at home more- it’s a nice change of pace from typical boozy brunches out. Though I also love those, I get tired of the same places and the no-reservations wait.  Opening your home to friends is a great way to switch it up, and all you really need to do is put out a bagel spread to make people happy.  And that’s no effort, so it will make you happy too.

Below, my recipe for a no-fail, stress-free brunch:

The Must-Haves:
Bagels and Lox Spread: 
 

Run out in the morning to pick up bagels, and set out a few flavored cream cheeses, lox, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers. (See this post for tips on arranging).

You can also add whitefish or tuna salad, though I usually skip those. 

Something Sweet:

Some people like sweet breakfast, and some like savory, so you should always provide options in both categories. I pick up muffins wherever I get my bagels, and ask a guest to bring fruit.  My mother-in-law always provides her “berry bowl,” a yummy and color-coordinated mix of raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. 



Drinks:
Coffee, tea, water, and mimosas, of course. 

Not Necessary but Nice:
Something Hot:

I always do my go-to frittata, which I posted about last week.  But you could make scrambled or baked eggs (like my Shakshuka recipe). Baked French toast or cinnamon buns are nice too, but definitely not a lazy way out. 

Or hey, take it really easy and just heat up the bagels. You can slice them in half, put the halves back together, and put in the oven for a few minutes. They’ll steam inside and have that still-warm-from-the-bagel-shop taste.  The point is to enjoy your company, not spend hours getting ready. 

What are your tips for an easy but fun brunch?

The Best Breakfast Dish

Frittats are my favorite thing to serve for a group brunch.  I’m never satisfied with a weekend breakfast that doesn’t include eggs, but they’re not exactly easy to prepare for a group. I mean, what would Ina say if you stood there and made individual omelets?  A frittata makes things simple, allows for endless combinations of fillings, and is great at room temperature, so you can make it in advance.

I toss all my ingredients in a pie dish and just bake it, skipping the stovetop step- so this is a good recipe if you don’t own an oven-safe pan.  I like the nine inch white pie dish from Wilton, which is under $10.

My favorite frittata is the potato, bacon, and feta frittata from the Smitten Kitchen cookbook. I roast the potatoes the night before so I can assemble everything quickly in the morning. Sometimes, I also add fresh arugula.

 

Potato, Bacon, Feta Frittata, from Smitten Kitchen by Deb Perelman
Serves 6 as part of a brunch buffet, 4 if serving alone
 

5 large Yukon Gold potatoes

2/3 cup crumbled feta

8 large eggs

2 scallions, sliced

5 strips bacon , crumbled (I actually use the precooked kind that you can just microwave)

2 tbsp milk or cream

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400.
 

Peel potatoes and slice very thinly on a mandolin. Arrange in a single layer (fine if a few overlap) on a baking sheet, and coat with olive oil, and a generous amount of salt and pepper.  Roast for 30 mins, until crispy around edges.  You can do this step the night before, or boil the slices for 7 minutes if you are pressed for time.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, and a little more salt and pepper.

Spray a 9 inch pie dish evenly with nonstick spray, and arrange the potatoes in the bottom.  Top with the bacon, then feta, then scallions, and pour egg mixture over. 

Cover dish with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Then, remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until puffed and set in center. Sometimes, I will also carefully broil it for just a minute or so to give it a nice golden look. Be careful- don't overdo that!

**If you want to make this (or any frittata) for a larger group, up to 12 as part of a brunch buffet, use 12 eggs and plan to bake it for 55 minutes at 375.  You’ll need a bigger pie dish- I use a 12" from Emile Henry.  

Sunday Dinner: Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Roast

A large part of cooking success depends upon choosing a good recipe.  People will often complain a recipe came out badly, and then I’ll find out they typed something into Google and used any old recipe that came up.

If I’m trying a new recipe, I prefer to use bloggers I trust (Stacey Snacks always, and Smitten Kitchen) or Ina Garten. I trust Ina enough to make her recipes without test driving them first.

I also trust highly reviewed recipes from well-regarded sites, such as Epicurious or the Food Network. I usually find that for the most part, a large number of reviews can be trusted.  Three five-star reviews are not very compelling, but 300 4 and a half star reviews are usually a good indicator of a quality recipe. There’s enough people who tried it and reviewed to account for mistakes, different tastes, etc. 

One other thing to keep in mind is the site’s audience- AllRecipes tends to attract more “middle America” tastes and home cooks (think chicken marinated in Italian dressing), whereas something like Food and Wine's website will bring in cooks and recipes that are a little more gourmet (think chicken banh mis with homemade kimchi).  Use sources that fall where you do in the homestyle to gourmet spectrum.

This past Sunday dinner was an example of a recipe well chosen.  My family was over and I wanted to make a pork roast, so I selected an old recipe of Giada’s de Laurentiis’ with 228 great reviews. 

The recipe called for a boneless pork loin, wrapped in pancetta (I used prosciutto), and then roasted in a mix of chicken stock and wine for an hour. It was quite delicious, and definitely an elegant and easy main course. 

I made a few changes to alter it to my family’s taste, so the recipe below is my version, with the link to the original provided as always.

Prosciutto wrapped Pork Roast, adapted from Giada de Laurentiis
Serves 6
3.5-4 lb boneless pork loin roast, tied
¼ lb prosciutto or pancetta
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, very finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 ½ tsp garlic salt
Generous amount salt and pepper
1 ½ cups white wine
1 ½ cups chicken stock

Place your pork roast in a roasting pan or large baking dish. Drizzle over with oil, then rub generously all over with salt, pepper, rosemary, and garlic salt. Drape prosciutto or pancetta over the roast. Let sit for at least one hour, or overnight.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400 degrees.  

Add ½ cup of wine and ½ cup of stock to the pan with the pork. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour, adding an additional ½ cup each wine and stock every 20 minutes. Cook for an hour, or longer until desired temperature. Giada advises 145, my parents prefer their pork done to 160, so that’s what I did. It took about 1 hr and 10 minutes. 

I served this with roasted potatoes. Recipe, if you can call it that, is below.

Roasted Potatoes
1 ½ lbs baby red potatoes
Generous amount olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 400. While oven preheats, line a large aluminum baking sheet with foil and quarter the red potatoes (or cut into sixths if bigger).  

Place potatoes on baking sheet and drizzle with lots of olive oil (I probably use three tablespoons or so), and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Roast for about an hour, until browned and crispy, turning once or twice during baking.

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve alongside roast.

Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus with Homemade Mayo

There are certain friends you can do anything with. That’s how it is with me and Jenn- she can always text me with some random suggestion and I’m always up for it, and vice versa. We’ve taken cake decorating classes together, done crafts, and both find it helpful to plot out stores to visit in malls before we actually go shopping. 

One afternoon where we were both off from work, she decided we needed to try making mayo from scratch. Not something I had ever considered before, and definitely not a phone call I’d get from everyone, but sure, why not? 

We used the food processor and after wasting 2 cups of oil, gave up. But Jenn got it right later on, and raved about how good it was. 

Months later, I decided to finally try it out on my own. It was so simple- 1 egg yolk, 1 cup of oil, salt, and a whisk-induced arm workout.  The mayo was delicious, with a lighter texture than the bottled stuff and a more delicate flavor from the olive oil.

I took the liberty of flavoring my mayo with lemon, parsley, and capers, and I used it as a topping for roasted potatoes and asparagus. It was sooo good. This is perfect dinner party fare, or would make a delicious side for a spring holiday meal. 

Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus with Homemade Caper Mayo

Serves 4-6 as a side dish

2 lbs fingerling potatoes (I used a mixed color variety bag)

1 bundle fresh asparagus

Olive oil

Flaky sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 and line an aluminum sheet pan with foil. 

Slice potatoes in half or in quarters if very large. Drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste.  Place on sheet pan and roast for 35 minutes.

While potatoes cook, prepare asparagus. Snap them at the ends to remove the woody part of the stems, and then cut the spears into 2 inch lengths.

At 35 minutes, add asparagus to pan with potatoes and roast another 10 minutes. 

Place on serving platter and dollop with mayo, recipe follows. 

For the mayo, basic recipe from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters:

1 egg yolk

1/2 tsp water

1 cup mild olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice 
Pinch of salt

Caper Parsley Flavoring:
1 tbsp capers

¼ cup flat leaf parsley leaves

½ tsp grated garlic (you can use more, I just don’t love an intense garlic flavor)

Additional lemon juice to taste

Flaky sea salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together egg yolk and water in a small bowl. Add the oil in tiny drips, whisking constantly. You have to add it very, very slowly in order to create the emulsion. It is annoying, but go drop by drop at first.  After a minute or two, you will see everything start to thicken up and an emulsion form. Once that happens, you can add the oil a little faster, in a slow stream.  Keep whisking constantly; the process will take about 5 minutes. (Not actually that long, but it feels long!)

Once your mayo’s done, you can add the flavors. Chop together your parsley and capers. Add to mayo along with garlic. Taste, and add salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice as desired. Can be made ahead. Flavors will intensify as it sits; mayo will last about a week in fridge.

Experiment with this- try adding different herbs, spices, etc. You can create chipotle mayos, smoky mayos, arugula mayos- have fun!

Roast Beef

I spent the majority of my childhood as a non-meat eater. I wouldn’t touch any type of pork, beef, or chicken, and the fish varieties I ate were pretty limited. I took a corn muffin for lunch every day, and lived on pasta with butter and cheese or my mom’s tomato sauce nightly for years (clearly, she is a saint for putting up with this!) It’s kind of amazing I wasn’t sickly, though I can assure you I looked completely malnourished. 

I began to eat more variety in high school, and by the time I got to college I was eating fish, chicken, and sausage- everything but red meat. And by the time college was over, I was in love with meatballs, short ribs, and beef stew.  In fact, just the other night, I snacked on octopus and braised goat at a restaurant in NYC.  I am a recovered picky eater, and much better off for it.

My only remaining holdout is steak. I really want to like it, but I just can’t get into it. 

The downside of my longtime meat aversion is that there’s so many recipes and techniques I haven’t gotten around to trying, let alone perfecting.   I’m still trying to duplicate my grandmother’s pot roast, I’ve never had meatloaf, and until this weekend, I also never had roast beef. 

I did a bit of research on cooking roast beef, in terms of time, temperature, and cut, and opted to start with an eye-round roast. It’s from the back leg of the cow, and is a pretty lean cut, which means it’s not the tenderest. The trick is in temperature- you don’t want to let it go past 135 (medium rare) after resting.

Roast Beef, technique from Cooking Light
Serves 4 for dinner, much more if using for sandwiches

2lb eye round roast beef
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil

Let your roast come to room temperature an hour before cooking. This will help it to cook more evenly (I do this also with roast chicken and turkey). 

Preheat your oven to 475 and line an aluminum baking sheet with foil. 

Brush the roast with olive oil and cover generously with the salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet

Roast at 475 for 20 minutes, turning after the first ten. 

After 20 minutes, turn the temperature down to 300 and let it cook for another 30-40 minutes, until the temperature reads 130. Remove from the oven, tent with foil, and let rest ten minutes until the temperature reaches 135. (If you want it rarer, take it out at 120 and rest till 130).

I combined mayo with a little bottled horseradish and served that on the side for dipping.

My husband ate a generous amount of this, but I have to admit I preferred it cold. I refrigerated it overnight and then shaved thin slices off and had them on whole wheat bread with the horseradish mayo and arugula. 

Will last 2-3 days cold in fridge.

Fennel and Orange Salad

 

I love this wintery, refreshing salad as a change of pace from typical mixed greens. It’s my take on the classic Italian combo of fennel and orange- I added arugula to make it a little more “salady. This can be prepared in advance, and dressed just before dinner, plus it’s elegant, making it perfect for a dinner party. 

 

Fennel and Orange Salad

Serves 4

4 cups arugula

2 blood oranges, peel and membrane removed, sliced horizontally

1 small bulb fennel, very thinly sliced

¼ cup kalamata olives, sliced

Olive oil

Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

 

Pile arugula on a serving platter or in a bowl.  Arrange fennel on top, then orange slices. Scatter kalamata olives on the top.  Can be refrigerated for an hour or so at this point. (Too much longer and the acid in the orange may break down the arugula). 

 

Just before serving, dress with a drizzle of olive oil, sea salt, and pepper to taste.

Shakshuka

Shakshuka. Fun to say.  Although if you tell people you’re making it for them, you might be met with some blank stares. 

 

Shakshuka is a Middle Eastern dish of eggs baked in a tomato sauce. It’s very easy to execute, fairly hands off, and makes a delicious, and slightly unusual, brunch dish.  I used a Food and Wine recipe that adds an Italian spin to the dish.

 

Shakshuka with Swiss Chard, adapted from Food and Wine

Serves 2, but doubles easily to serve 4

 

2 cups prepared tomato sauce (I always have homemade sauce in the freezer)

1 bunch Swiss chard

1 package baby bella or white button mushrooms

1/3 cup diced pieces of fresh mozzarella

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp chopped kalamata olives

2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

4 large eggs

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

 

Preheat oven to 350. 

 

Clean your mushrooms by rubbing them with a paper towel. Remove stems, and cut in quarters. 

 

Remove Swiss chard leaves from stalks, clean, and chop. Reserve stalks for another use, or mince to include in recipe (I left them out, I don’t love the stalks).

 

In a large, oven-safe skillet*, sauté mushrooms in olive oil until softened and browned, about 10 minutes. Add in Swiss chard and sauté till wilted.  Pour in your tomato sauce. 

 

Using a ladle, make four indentations in the piles of chard and sauce. Crack each of the four eggs into each indentation. 

 

Scatter mozzarella cubes and olives around eggs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and top with Parmesan. Bake for 15 minutes, until whites are set and yolks are runny. Just a heads up, baked eggs, always look really underdone, no matter how long  you bake them for.  

 

Let stand five minutes, then serve with toast. 

 

 

*If you don’ t have an oven safe skillet, you can always spray a baking dish or pie plate with nonstick spray, then pour  your sautéed vegetables and sauce into it and continue with the recipe as directed.  That’s what I did here.

Superbowl Recipe Roundup

I'm not hosting a Superbowl party this year, but wanted to share a few of my favorite tried-and-true recipes. Please note, most of these photos are not original.

So a football party isn't complete without wings. Truthfully, I usually order these, but if I have a smaller group, this baked version with a classic buffalo sauce is closest to how my mom taught me to make them.

Baked Buffalo Wings from Serious Eats

I can't throw a party without including my favorite spinach and artichoke dip recipe. This one comes from Cooking Light, and while they suggest low-fat alternatives for cream cheese, I use two full-fat sticks of Philly.

Spinach Artichoke Dip from Cooking Light

You can't go wrong with candied bacon, a delicious, addictive app:

Beer Candied Bacon, from Tide and Thyme

 

 

My number one, absolute favorite, go-to party recipe is this pulled pork sandwich below. It's done in the slow cooker so it's super easy, plus it can be made up to 4 days ahead, and freezes very well. Served on hamburger buns with extra BBQ sauce and maybe some cole slaw, it's perfect for the big game. 

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork, from Food and Wine

I like having a vegetarian or pasta option as well. I have friends that don't eat meat, or keep kosher, or are just plain picky, so a basic pasta salad keeps them happy. This tortellini salad from Michael Chiarello is my favorite- a note, I usually sub red onion for shallot, as I like the color. I also use tri-colored tortellini for color.

If you aren't into pasta salad, stuffed shells or baked ziti work too.

Photo by me, recipe from Michael Chiarello

I don't throw a party without a signature cocktail. If I were hosting this year, I'd be making this rum punch to finally finish off a handle of Captain that's taking up too much damn room on my bar.

Rum Punch from Cooking Light

And here's your showstopper dessert: skillet brownie cake. Pop this in the oven during the third quarter, and serve warm with ice cream. 

Gooey Chocolate Skillet Cake, from Willow Bird Baking

So there's some of my top football foods. Share yours in the comments!

Thanksgiving Timeline

Now that I've shared my menu and recipes for Thanksgiving, I'll share what really helps me host it successfully: my timeline. It's borderline obsessive, but it allows me to know exactly what needs to get done, at what time, and makes hosting a lot more relaxing.  

I list out each dish that I'm making, and then detail what where I'm cooking and preparing each item in, and what I'm serving them in. That way I don't get the cooking started and realize I've planned to use my one baking dish for two separate sides! Plus, since I only have one oven, making a detailed schedule helps to ensure I'm not overloading it.

My schedule also indicates what can be done the day ahead, morning of, etc, breaking down my party into a super manageable list of tasks.

A copy of my schedule is below, clearly it's written out for the recipes I used, but feel free to copy the formatting, etc, if you are Type A like me and think this may help!
 

How do you prep for big parties? Are you a detail nut like me or do you wing it?

Thanksgiving Sides: Cauliflower and Green Beans

Last week I shared my favorite Thanksgiving side dish, Roasted Squash and Cauliflower. We wound up having a lot of butternut squash on our Friendsgiving menu this year, so I skipped my usual dish and opted for the roasted cauliflower by itself. I dressed with a lemon parsley sauce from Bon Appetit, and it was very simple and delicious.

Picture Source

Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Parsley Vinaigrette, adapted from Bon Appetit
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
4 tbsp olive oil, plus 2 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1 cup flat leaf parsley leaves
½ tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425. Combine cauliflower with 4 tbsp oil, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until browned. 

This can be prepared at this point up to one day ahead.

For dressing, combine remaining ingredients in food processor and season with more salt and pepper. This doubles easily.

The dressing can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead.

Before serving, reheat cauliflower if necessary (20 mins at 350) and toss with dressing. Serve.  

We also served green beans with shallots, a simple recipe that always gets rave reviews.

Green Beans with Shallots, adapted from Ina Garten
1 lb haricots verts (skinny green beans)
4 shallots
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Lemon zest 

Blanch green beans in a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes. Immediately transfer to ice bath to cool. Drain and pat dry. (Can be prepared at this point up to 1 day ahead).

 

Heat butter and oil in a saute pan and sauté shallots on medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until lightly browned.  Add beans, salt, and pepper, and toss just till beans are heated through.  Serve.

I love this recipe for entertaining because I can blanch the green beans in advance, chop up the shallot and put it in a bowl with the butter, salt, and oil. During my party I quickly sneak over to the stove, dump the bowl of butter and shallots in a pan, let it cook, and add the beans just before dinner. So easy!

Friendsgiving

For the third year in a row, my husband and I have hosted "Friendsgiving," a pre-Thanksgiving meal where we cram too many of our friends in our small apartment and stuff our face with turkey and cranberry and alcoholic cider. It gets hot and crowded, but it's always a ton of fun.

I do the bulk of the cooking, with my girlfriends supplementing side dishes (those are marked by an asterisk) and the boys bringing booze and dessert. This week, I'll share my tried-and-true recipes and my intense timeline, both of which allow me to pull this off successfully without going crazy.

Our Menu (I'll be adding more links as I post this week):

Antipasto of Brie Cheese, Olives, Crackers, Prosciutto
Butternut Squash Galette*

Lemon Rosemary Roasted Turkey & Gravy
Italian Sausage Stuffing
Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Parsley Dressing
Green Beans with Shallots
Mashed potatoes
Mashed sweet potatoes*
Cornbread*
Cranberry Sauce*
Cape Cod Chopped Salad
Baked Pasta with Kale and Butternut Squash*
Caramel Vodka Apple Cider

Dessert was buffet of apple pie, cookies, pumpkin bread, and fruit salad. The boys also randomly brought a giant bag of Airheads and Starburst, so we had a little Halloween throwback as well.

Stay tuned for the recipes, just in time for actual Thanksgiving!

I will not be sharing carving tips, I hacked that turkey up. Please share your tips with me!

Best Thanksgiving Tip: Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

I love to be able to make things ahead of time for a party, as long as it doesn’t compromise the taste or quality. Certain things just need to be done at the last minute, and for a long time, I thought mashed potatoes were one of them.

 

I really wanted to serve them at my first Thanksgiving, but couldn’t get comfortable with the idea of mashing five pounds of potatoes, carving a turkey, and plating all the side dishes at once, in front of 15 guests, in my less than 80 sq foot kitchen. So I skipped the potatoes.

 

But the following year, I was messing around on Chowhound and saw this discussion on using your slowcooker to keep mashed potatoes warm, so that you could make them in advance.  

 

The directions were simple:

 

1.      Butter the slowcooker

2.     Pour in a little bit of half and half, milk, or cream (about 1/4 cup worth)

3.      Add mashed potatoes and put slowcooker on warm.

These will stay perfect for several hours. I cooked mine at 2:30 and served them at a 5:00 pm dinner.

 

I consulted with the USDA on the safety of this, because I’m neurotic, and they assured me that as long as the mashed potatoes stay at 140 degrees (which they should, easily, in a slowcooker), they will be safe. You can check with a food thermometer if you are worried.  Actually, you probably should check with a food thermometer just in case your slowcooker runs hot- if it's too hot, it will keep cooking the potatoes, and that’s not good either.

 

This is seriously one of the best tips I’ve gotten- you will be so relieved when your mashed potatoes are done hours ahead and still taste perfect!

Fall Dinner Party

My in-laws came over for dinner this past Sunday, and I figured I’d share our simple roast chicken menu.

  

We started with some simple appetizers of hummus and crudités (not pictured). In all honesty, I can’t think of anything more boring to start a meal with, but it’s my mother-in-law’s favorite, so I went with it.

I threw together a mixed green salad, no real recipe here, just a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, and those beautiful watermelon radishes.

I also roasted a chicken (I had the butcher cut it up into 8 pieces, so much easier). It was done very simply, with olive oil, garlic, lemon, and lots of salt for a crispy skin.

On the side, I made Roasted Root Vegetables, with carrots, parsnips, and Brussels sprouts.  We also had Baked Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan, a deliciously cheesy take on plain old mashed potatoes.

 For dessert, I threw together Ina’s Blueberry Crumb Cake, another no-fail recipe of the Barefoot Contessa’s.  

Overall, it was a simple and satisfying Sunday meal!