Monthly archive November, 2008

Holiday Mashed Potatoes

Whether you’re looking for a good make-ahead holiday side or you have a deep-seated fear of mashing taters, this is the recipe for you: Blue Willow Inn’s Holiday Mashed Potatoes. Because, and I can’t stress this enough, there’s no room for error with mashed potatoes. They’re your fallback food, the one side everybody loves. The...

Marshmallow-Making Mojo, Activate!

You have time to get really good at making Peppermint Marshmallows. Or chocolate. Or pumpkin spice. If you’ve got a candy thermometer, a mixer and a high tolerance for being covered in powdered sugar, you’ve got the makings of a badass marshmallow-makin’ mutha. Making marshmallows isn’t much more complicated than making mac-and-cheese from the blue...

3 Life Lessons Learned From Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint

I’ve never been a missionary. When I was baptized, the thunder clapped outside, and I laughed so hard when I came up, I probably need a do-over. But when I saw that Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint hadn’t been named “Best Barbecue” in the Nashville Scene’s annual “Best Of” issue, I knew it was time to spread...

Cranberry, Pistachio and Coconut Rice Pudding

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Barbecue Pork Roast

I first made this Barbecue Pork Roast last summer, while we were packing for the Eternal Move of ’08. I opened the freezer, expecting an icy plastic tundra of popsicles and edamame, but underneath the boxes and bags, there it was: an eight-pound pork loin. Something to eat that was neither fast food nor peanut...

Spiced Chocolate Bread Pudding

This Spiced Chocolate Bread Pudding brings the right amounts of sweet and heat. My sweet side loves the mixture of chocolates, heavy cream and that sprinkling of raw sugar on top. But my Inner Spice Girl (Posh, definitely) is all about the cinnamon sticks and dried hot chiles. Oh, and that splash of bourbon. I’m...

Lemon-Scented Potatoes

Kids put ketchup on everything: French fries, scrambled eggs, hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken fingers. I always wondered why until I read Malcolm Gladwell’s article, “The Ketchup Conundrum.” Basically, ketchup (specifically, Heinz) hits all of our fundamental tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami. It pushes our “primal buttons.” So, when a child is faced with...

Greek Potato, Spinach and Feta Omelet

Since Jeff and I tied the knot last New Year’s Eve, there have been several “OMG, I’m Married” moments. Seeing the new name on my driver’s license. Merging bank accounts. Bleaching every household surface when he got sick last summer. Being asked where his other red sock is. And knowing. But I have never felt...

Couscous with Roasted Veggies and Feta

It’s been years since I was a vegetarian, but I still plan plenty of meatless meals. I get the worst cravings for this stuff: Couscous with Roasted Veggies and Feta. You don’t eat it thinking, This would be so much better if it only had some bacon/sausage/prime beef. It’s a vegetarian trifecta. First, there’s the...

(A highly oversimplified) Drinking Chocolate 101

Tonight, I was walking into the house, saw my reflection, screamed like a banshee and walked directly into the sliding glass. I thought my reflection was someone standing INSIDE my house. And I walked TOWARD it. Screaming. Now, I know what it feels like to be a horror movie bimbo. My head hurts. So, it’s...

Pear Crumb Cake with Candied Ginger Streusel

Last autumn, Jeff took me out for brunch at Café Margot, and I fell in love with their pear crumb cake. So sweet and buttery. The quiche was good, but what I really wanted was another bite of that cake. So, when I got home, I started looking for a recipe and found … nothing....

Loaded Baked Potatoes

Last weekend, we helped my parents move furniture. Large furniture made of wood. Why? Because of the promise of Mom’s homemade chili with all the fixings: cheddar cheese, sour cream and – be still my heart – Fritos. She sent us home with a container of chili. I don’t know about you, but after two...