From My Table to Yours—Happy Holidays!

 Dear Readers,

Thanks to all of you who have followed my blog and website throughout this past year. Your comments and feedback have been invaluable, and I hope to stay in touch in the new year with more recipes, reports from Paris and London, and tips on hot new restaurants, great kitchen tools, and the latest cookbooks.

And, speaking of cookbooks, my newest one, Sunday Brunch (from Chronicle) will make its debut this spring, and I’ll also be giving classes in New England at Different Drummer’s Kitchen in Northampton, Massachusetts, so stay tuned here or check my Facebook page and Twitter feed.

I wish you all delicious holidays and a healthy and glorious 2012.  Betty

5 Great Gifts Under $50 For The Food Lovers On Your List!

Many of you told me how much you liked my 2010 list of gifts for foodies so here are my favorites for 2011!

Emile Henri Artisan Ruffled Pie Dish

I love the rustic look of this unique pie plate, and would definitely use it to create pies and tarts with deep, wavy sides.   $44


Wms Sonoma Peppermint Bark

This peppermint bark is one of my favorite gifts to send friends and family. It comes in an attractive tin, and oh, did I mention that this chocolate-coated bark is addictive.   $26.95 for a 1-pound box


Essential Pepin by Jacques Pepin

Chef, teacher, cookbook author extraordinaire, Jacques Pepin is known as the master of great technique. His latest book boasts more than 700 recipes, including his all-time favorites. It's a must for a serious foodie's library.  $40.00

Two tea towels from Different Drummer's Kitchen

The Different Drummer's Kitchen, with stores in Northampton and Lenox, Massachusetts, and in Albany, New York, sells these adorable and very well made kitchen towels. One has a band of sheep (including a black one amongst the white) and another a row of cows. They're from Elias Classics.  $15.95 each

J.K. Adams Artisan Bread Plank

I own one of these beautifully made bread planks, crafted by the J.K. Adams Company located in Vermont, and use it almost daily. I slice baguettes on it, arrange cheeses on it, and use it as an extra chopping board. The Different Drummer's Kitchen in Northampton sells them if you live in western Massachusetts.  $44








 

A Sweet Gift from the Kitchen

If you love to prepare treats from your kitchen as holiday gifts, you’ll want to try the following recipe for chocolate-coated toffee with almonds and walnuts. Last year around this time, my talented assistant, Diana, brought me a small carton filled with a cache of these addictive morsels.

I asked if she’d share her recipe, and was stunned to discover how easy this toffee was to prepare. “Three easy steps,” she smiled and explained.

A Great New Dish for Holiday Brunches

Hash, that old breakfast standby of sautéed corned beef and potatoes, is having a come back, but in the newest versions, corned beef is not always de rigeur. Sautéed apples and smoked sausage or a sweet potato, red onion, and bacon mélange are typical examples of today’s inventive selections. Recently, I created the recipe featured here for Smoked Salmon, Fennel, and Potato Hash— a colorful, fresh, and delicious alternative to traditional corned beef versions, and a perfect addition to holiday brunches.

This one pairs flaked hot-smoked salmon with sautéed bits of fennel, chopped onions, and diced potatoes. Crushed fennel seeds and chopped lacy fennel fronds add a mild anise flavor. You can use this delectable hash as a side to serve with scrambled eggs, or for a little more visual drama, simply slid a poached or fried egg on top of each serving.

The Thanksgiving Menu: A Last-Minute Trimming

Photo by Susie Cushner

Yesterday at a book signing for my new book, Sunday Roasts, I offered samples of Golden Cider-Roasted Turkey mounded on baguette slices, topped with spoonfuls of glistening Cranberry and Dried Cherry Chutney. 

Those who stopped by all commented on the moistness of the turkey, but what really caught their eye and their palate was the deep crimson chutney. One woman told me that she had not been pleased with her cranberry sauce the previous year, and was eager to try this chutney.

I’ve included this special condiment more than once in my Thanksgiving classes, and each time it turned out to be one of the most popular dishes on the menu. Everyone loves the balance of flavors—the sweetness of the cherries countered by the tartness of the cranberries.

If you’re still looking for a great complement to your bird, give this chutney a try. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare and can be made several days ahead. Store it in the fridge, and at serving time mound it in a bowl. Then watch your family and friends reach for seconds!

Turkey Tips--Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

Golden Cider-Roasted Turkey from Sunday Roasts

If you’re beginning to worry about roasting your holiday bird until it's a rich golden brown with tender, moist flesh beneath, check out the interview I just did for The Daily Meal. There are plenty of tips and suggestions for helping you to turn out a bird that’s picture perfect!

The interview, including the recipe for the turkey pictured here, should be on The Daily Meal's s home page for the next week or more. The photo at left is by Susie Cushner.

Emergency Red Beans and Rice!

I live in western Massachusetts, and so far this year we’ve had a day of tornados in the spring, a slight earthquake and a major hurricane in the summer, and just a few days ago a totally unexpected, out of nowhere, fall snow storm!  The latter, a true Nor’easter, did so much damage that almost everyone in our little college town ended up for the better part of a week without power or heat, and in some cases without phone and water.

At my house we had no electricity or heat, but my trusty Viking gas stove top worked, making it possible for me to cook during the black out. The first dish I made was “quick” red beans and rice. Instead of following tradition and using dried beans, which are soaked, and then simmered slowly with ham hocks for several hours, I used canned ones, rinsing them off first to remove their salty taste.