You have to love the color of cranberries. They add vibrancy to any table, holiday or otherwise. And the tangy flavor is perfect with the heavier meals we eat in the fall and winter. I wanted a crisp that was purely cranberry yet not too tart. I didn’t want apple or pear or anything else with it…just pure cranberry flavor bursting open in every bite.

I put a layer of streusel on the bottom as well as on the top for added texture and sweetness. I really like the result.

This is a great, comfort food type dessert but would also work well on the Thanksgiving dessert buffet. It is just different enough to be awesome but familiar enough to  make you feel cozy.

Read More – Cranberry Crisp

O.k. I bet you are wondering why I would call this Pumpkin Pie Noir aren’t you? It isn’t just the color here. I intentionally caramelized everything so that the filling was dark and sticky and very intense pumpkin.
Now, usually when I am making a pumpkin pie I stick with the Libby’s recipe. I know, I know…in a rut..but there is just not that much that can be improved there for a traditional pumpkin pie. This time, though, I wanted something that was sultry, and smooth, and sophisticated…sort of like the Libby’s recipe wrapped up in black leather, you know?

You have …read more

Iron Chef is one of my favorite shows. I don’t have cable so I watch it on my computer a lot. Which is also good because it means that I get to watch as many episodes as I like!
A new release today states that Bobby Flay and Mario Batali would be joined by Emeril Lagasse and White House Executive Chef, Cristeta Comerford to take part in a competition. The challenge was issued by First Lady, Michelle Obama; Use the White House kitchen garden to produce a meal for America.

The battle will premiere January 3, 2010 at 8 pm EST.
The chefs …read more

Twitter is a great invention as far as I am concerned. I love chatting with y’all there and especially late in the evening the banter can get going pretty strong. One night last week it was going back and forth and Kelly from Evil Shenanigans said something about me making whiskey sours and inviting her over…I don’t drink very often…counted in terms of maybe once or twice a year if that and so I thought that was funny. I said I needed to make a whiskey sour bundt cake and all of a sudden half a dozen people were inviting …read more

I know. I am late.  Last week’s chaos turned into this week’s devastation and my household is recovering from an emotional hurricane that hit on top of an emotional tornado. However, one can only wallow in the slough of despond so long before moving out and getting on with life – or at least getting on with  work.
So…I don’t know if you realize this but we are in to November and that means that Thanksgiving is almost here for those of us in the US. I thought that from now until Thanksgiving I would concentrate on those things that you …read more

I am in a very difficult time in my life right now, with a lot of decisions looming. For the first time in very nearly 50 years I feel like an adult. I am not sure I like the feeling. For the first time in my life I feel quite alone… and in some ways it feels much like I suspect a new born feels at birth.
Space, cold, light, frightened, curious…wanting to be held…craving sustenance and affirmation and encouragement that this big, new world will be o.k.

I feel odd facing these challenges at this age, going into the Holidays, and …read more

I am so sorry. There are a number of posts that I promised and didn’t get posted. The week slipped away from me. I am in the midst of a very difficult situation which more or less exploded very late Sunday night. It has been difficult for me to concentrate on work. I will try to get the posts up that didn’t get posted early in the week. O.k. I hate whining and excuses so that is that end of that.
Recently I was sent a little book called, Notes on Cooking. I could make this review really short and just say …read more

You know, my rule of thumb is that seasonal ingredients go together. Some ingredients span seasons but most of them are spring-summer/fall-winter oriented. So I don’t usually try to mix watermelon with cranberries. You know what I mean?
Bourbon is, to me, a winter ingredient. I say ingredient because I don’t drink hardly at all..and rarely hard liquor. Strawberries are spring and summer…the two should not mix….except…

Except this worked. I was amazed. The flavors just all blended into a mass of incredible. This went way beyond

My mom used to make cauliflower that was served in hot milk with melting butter and plenty of pepper – and I loved it. I have always loved vegetables of all kinds, although it took me a few years to accept cooked carrots. Cauliflower is one of my favorites because it is so versatile.

Roasting brings out the sweetness of almost any vegetable because it caramelizes the natural sugars in it. The flavors aren’t diluted by water (even steaming involves water and evaporation of flavor) and the texture is tender but not mushy.

Leela of She Simmers and  Mel of Bouchon for Two  are hosting a very cool food fight. This month is is the battle of the beets. Entries are due November 6 with winners being announced on November 9th.  I love beets so this was a no brainer for me. I decided to to a Roasted Beet and Ginger Risotto with Fontina. Yum!

You have to love the color! I deep fried some of the whole beet leaves to garnish with. They get glossy, bright green, and have a wonderful, delicate crunch.