It is my Thanksgiving, and I’ll keep my Stove Top if I want to!

I was having a discussion with my crazy cafeteria cook mother last night about who is doing what for Thanksgiving. I offered to make the stuffing ahead of time and bring it over, especially because it is pretty easy. Two packages of Stove Top, a few add ins, and done. Having this as one of the key items on my Thanksgiving table may not fit in with my overall cooking style. I do generally prefer as homemade as I can get. I have even drifted away from using jarred pasta sauces even in weeknight meals such as baked ziti. BUT there is something very pleasing about keeping that dish as is. No tweaks, nothing fancy, and it is perfect.


Source

I have consumed homemade stuffing, and it was fine. Nothing was wrong with it, but it just didn’t have that THING I was looking for. I have zero interest in finding a new recipe, especially because most read like this to me:

3 cups Challa bread – homemade by an old Jewish grandmother – cut into chunks and sun dried under cheese cloth on a perfect 60 degree day
2 organic eggs (from your own hens is best)
1 onion, 1 stalk of celery, 2 carrots (again, home grown, or purchased from an organic farmer that only uses imported water buffalo shat as fertilizer)
½ cup cherries (picked yourself and dried yourself)
½ pound pork sausage (from freshly slaughtered pigs, please)
½ teaspoon thyme, and ½ teaspoon sage – soaked in ¼ cup warmed holy water blessed by the Pope

And people do all this for something that is going to be shoved up a birds ass and then baked for 4 hours? Yeah, I’ll pass.

What classic and not at all fancy family recipe is in the “do not mess with” zone for you?

Zuppa del Giorno: Butternut Squash

One of my cool weather favorites is butternut squash soup. Paired with a simple salad, it makes an excellent and easy meal.



Baby picture of the squash. Source


3 lbs of butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into half inch pieces
6 cups of chicken broth or stock
1 large onion, diced
1 cup of half and half
1-3 tsp of fresh rosemary
cayenne pepper to taste – I usually add 1 tsp, please keep in mind that the flavor profiles and texture of this dish allows the cayenne to really stand out
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in your favorite soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until translucent and soft. Don’t let the onions brown too much. Add the squash and rosemary, and cook for an additional five minutes. Add the chicken broth, cayenne, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Partially cover the pot and simmer the squash until it is soft. Puree the soup using an immersion or regular blender (small batches, please, as hot soup spraying out of a blender will hurt).

Once the soup is pureed, return to heat and add the cream, and any additional salt and pepper if necessary.

This soup is excellent topped with candied pecans.

1 cup of pecans, cut in half
1 tablespoon of butter
½ to 1 teaspoon of cumin
2 tablespoons of brown sugar

Melt the butter in a non-stick pan and add the pecans. Toast briefly, then add the cumin and brown sugar. Cook until the sugar melts and it coats the pecans. Turn the pecans out of the pan onto a sheet of wax paper and cool. Take care to not overcook this, as the sugar and nuts can burn easily.

How about dem apples?

Since yesterday was so lovely, my husband I and decided to take a ride out to Brown's Orchard and pick up some apples. (Browns's Orchard)

I was THRILLED to find that they now have the Honeycrisp variety, which is by far my favorite.



Sweet, slightly tart, and most importantly excellent for eating raw. I admit I have never been a huge fan of cooked apples, so being the taste of the apple uncooked is most important to me. Also, they are very firm. One of the worst experiences in the culinary world is picking up a beautiful apple, only to bite into it and it is soft and mealy.

What kind of apples do you like?