Posts
Brussels sprouts! This may come as a surprise to some, but really not a shocker for my family.
When you do brussels sprouts right, and by right I mean with bacon, there's not much that's better.
Last year I cooked them with proscuitto. This year, they were roasted with bacon and maple syrup.
You can find the recipe here.
Most Likely to Succeed
I tried a new green bean semi-casserole dish, supposed to be an update on the classic. I got the recipe here.
Love the concept - fresh green beans and crimini mushrooms, caramelized onions, goat cheese and more. But it just didn't come together quite as I hoped.
So I think with a few tweaks, it could be a big success next year.
Most Improved
I have no tried and true method for turkey. I pick a recipe from the big stack of Thanksgiving magazines. The criteria for my choice is 1. uncomplicated 2. tasty and 3. uncomplicated.
This year, I chose a recipe/method from Fine Cooking, that starts with cooking the bird breast side down for the first hour.
It was a huge improvement over previous years. Definitely easy, moist and very flavorful (for a turkey). And it cooked more quickly than I thought. Would do this again next year for sure.
Most Versatile
Mashed potatoes. Like a 16 year old boy, mashed potatoes can take on many personalities. That's why we assign them to my son. He whips them up in a classic style, with lots of butter, cream, salt and pepper. Thanks Jack!
Most Old School Spirit
My mother's Ritz cracker stuffing. I could make the most gourmet, fabulous stuffing ever and it would still not taste as good as this at Thanksgiving dinner.
Sounds kind of ridiculous, I know, but buttery Ritz crackers really make an awesome stuffing. Plus it's the stuffing I grew up with, so extra points for that.
Most Thanksgiving Spirit
Mmmmmaple-y, buttery, bright orange-y squash. It would scream "Thanksgiving" but the flavor is too subtle and it's certainly too classic to shout out loud.
Yum - and many thanks to my brother-in-law for bringing it.
Cutest Couple
The pumpkin and apple pies made by my husband and daughter.
Most Glamorous
The pear pie with streusel topping made by me. I added some crystallized ginger to the streusel mix, giving it a sophisticated boost. I also changed the dried cherries to dried cranberries. A big hit, and a keeper.
The recipe is also from Fine Cooking.
And one more side dish...
Look for me on mainelovesfood.com!
I's a cool new website that has LOADS of info about all the amazing food and food-related events in the great state of Maine.
My feature is called Maine Loves Food Loves...
I get to research and write about new products and places. Lucky me!
