Spork or Foon?

Butternut Squash Rigatoni with Prawns

I want to apologize to Macduff of Lonely Sidecar for being late on the Cafe Volcano cookies.  I will be posting them, but not until this weekend.  I have 600 more cookies to go this week for my catering gig for Theory, so they have taken all of my cookie energy until the weekend.

I first posted about this butternut squash dish last September and I still love it as much today as I did then.  The squash is creamy and rich, tricking the mind into believing that this healthy dish is filled with cream and fat and artery-clogging goodneess.  Perfectly cooked prawns are the perfect protein for the dish, with sweet basil adding a deliciously fresh flavoral contrast and the dish is finished with sharp, freshly grated parmesan cheese.   Best of all, this dish only takes about 15 minutes to make.  Unless, of course, you are me and can't find a good butternut squash to save your life (anyone who lives in Manhattan knows how poor the produce sections are at the supermarkets, but bad butternut squash? Really? Does that exist?)  Three attempts and $20 later (produce is also extremely expensive), I finally achieved the perfect color and consistency for the sauce.  And it was well worth it.

Butternut Squash Rigatoni with Prawns

Recipe Adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
1 pound butternut squash, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1 cup vegetable stock
1 pound rigatoni
1 pound prawns, peeled and deveined
3/4 to 1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions
Warm 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butternut squash, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Saute until the squash is golden and tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the squash is very soft, another 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the squash mixture to a blender or food processor and puree.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, warm the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the prawns with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Add the prawns to the pan and cook until just pink, about 3 minutes.

In a large pot over low heat combine the cooked pasta, pureed squash mixture, and 3/4 cup milk. Stir to combine. Add the remaining 1/4 cup milk if the sauce needs to be moistened. Add the cooked prawns, basil, and cheese. Stir until warm and serve.

Minty Chocolate Crackle Cookies

 

I love chocolate crackle cookies.  These festive cookies, with their craggly white tops and paths of chocolate peeking through, are the ultimate Christmas cookie to me.

I decided that I wanted to change it up a bit, though, and add some mint to the mix. I've been loving chocolate and peppermint this season (but do NOT love the new Peppermint Mocha flavor of coffee at Dunkin' Donuts.  Gross.), so I decided to experiment a little with these.  And I am glad I did, because the peppermint really adds another delicious dimension to one of my favorite cookies in the land.  These are like winter in a cookie to me - minus the whole freezing my butt off as I walk to the subway while cursing the slushy snow and hoping a cab doesn't drive through a puddle and spray me with grey gook part.

Minted Chocolate Crackle Cookies adapted from Martha Stewart

Makes about 4 dozen

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Dutch cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/3 cups light-brown sugar, firmly packed

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup milk

1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Chop bittersweet chocolate into small bits, and melt over medium heat in a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and light-brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add melted chocolate and peppermint extract. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined. Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.

On a clean countertop, roll each portion of dough into a log approximately 16 inches long and 1 inch in diameter, using confectioners’ sugar to prevent sticking. Wrap logs in plastic wrap, and transfer to a baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes. Cut each log into 1-inch pieces, and toss in confectioners’ sugar, a few at a time. Using your hands, roll the pieces into a ball shape. If any of the cocoa-colored dough is visible, roll dough in confectioners’ sugar again to coat completely. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake until cookies have flattened and the sugar splits, 12 to15 minutes (I actually had to bake mine for 20 minutes, so check accordingly).

Transfer from oven to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Candy Cane Cookies

I just finished baking 600 cookies. Started at 7 am this morning. It is now almost midnight. 

I hate cookies.

OK. No I don't. But for this month, the month of December, the month of COOKIES, I. Hate. Cookies. 

You know what cookies are super cute, but will drive you nuts when you have to bake 600 cookies? These cookies above.  Sure, the recipe is relatively easy.  A sugar cookie dough, split in two, with one half dyed red with food coloring.  Then you roll and twist. 

Rolling and twisting stinks when you've been baking and decorating for 7 hours already.  Then you roll and twist.  150 cookies. The red dough is hard to handle.  I had to chill this dough every five minutes.  I wanted to just eat the dough and call it a day. 

I made these cookies when I didn't know how to cook a few years back with a Sandra Lee recipe where you used pre-made sugar cookie dough.  They tasted like crap. I can finally admit that.  

But these were delicious.  A big pain to make, but super cute and delicious and a great addition to any holiday feast.

Now, I must sleep. Please... no more cookies. For at least 5 days.

Candy Cane Cookies

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red food coloring

Stir together 1 cup sugar, the butter, milk, vanilla, peppermint extract and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Divide dough in half. Stir food color into 1 half. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

For each candy cane, shape 1 rounded teaspoon dough from each half into 4-inch rope by rolling back and forth on floured surface. Place 1 red and white rope side by side; press together lightly and twist. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; curve top of cookie down to form handle of cane. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until set and very light brown. Cool completely.

TWD: The Ugliest Sables in All the Land

Sables.  Why must they torment me so?

They are little medallions of pure cookie bliss.  When made correctly, they appear to be oh-so-beautiful and dainty.

So, why, oh why, after chilling in the freezer for 2 days, do they come out looking like this?

I know that many a-food blogger will comment on a less-than picture perfect dish and say "Well, it's not winning any beauty contests."  But mine go above and beyond not winning beauty contests.

You know the treasured community chest card in Monopoly that reads: "You just won second place a beauty pageant! Collect $20"? When you pull this card, you first joke around and talk about how pretty you are (you don't do that? Is it just me?) and then curse the person who beat you out. Then you wonder what kind of cheap-ass beauty pageant only awards $20?

Well, if there was a card that says, "You just got hit with the ugly stick!  You owe the hospital $200.", these cookies would be sure to pull that card.

Sure, I could have prettied it up with sprinkles and decorations, but I have been doing this and frankly was not in the mood. Yes, I burned the edges. And please, if you leave a comment saying "They look good to me!", I'll know that you are just being nice and you don't really mean it. But I appreciate the kind words. Thank you.

But they do taste good. Minus the ugly looks, they are perfectly buttery, with a slightly sandy texture that is a pleasure to eat.  I was sure to work with an even hand and not to overwork the delicate dough.  I rolled my logs using a Chopin piano pieces book, hoping that his grace would rub off on my cookies. But alas, I was left with strange shaped, burned cookies.  Deliciously, oddly shaped, burned cookies.

Check out Barbara of Bungalow Barbara for the recipe and check out the rest of TWD for some 1st place winners in the beauty pageants. I'd award them $100. Because I'm nice like that. And I'm the banker. 

Late TWD: Rosy Poached Pear and Pistachio Tart

 

A friend of mine has started a fun group called Top Chef: Ludlow.  A group of friends get together and act as chefs and judges, eat food, and have good times.  Unfortunately (or fortunately), there is no fighting, hooking up (to my knowledge) incessant cursing, or faux-hawks.  So I don't think Bravo is banging down our doors for a TV deal.  

Each month has a theme. First, it was appetizers in October. Root Vegetables in November. And Red and Green in December. Red and Green? I was stumped. Then, I saw that the Rosy Poached Pear tart was chosen by Lauren of I'll Eat You. 

Bingo. 

Unfortunately, I was not able to make it on the date chosen. But I was determined to compete. I was going to make this tart and submit it, hoping that flavor would prevail over absteneeism.

I buckled down, knowing that each component needed the utmost love and attention.

I first made the pistachio pastry cream. I felt excited as I watched the ivory colored milk turn a pale green cream and didn't wait for it to cool as I took my first taste.  

It was chalky!  I should have known that I'd come across such a problem with a recipe that consisted 3 TABLESPOONS of cornstarch.  I hoped that my dish would not meet the same fate from the Top Chef Ludlow judges and prayed the the combination of the poached pears and syrup would mask the "I-just-ate-a-stick-of-chalk-from-the-teachers-chalkboard (do they even have those anymore?)" feeling

I poached my pears in shiraz flavored sugar, lemon and orange.   I had one too many sips of the post-poaching liquid (which would seriously make the best sangria ever) and had to force myself to stop because I wanted to make the honey-wine sauce that accompanied the tart and also because there is something slightly disturbing about drinking poaching liquid at 10 am on a Saturday morning. I stopped myself, added the honey, and waited for it to reach the perfect, syrupy consistency.

Dorie's sweet tart is also something I can make with ease after making it so many times, so thankfully, that was one component I could not mess up. Except for the fact that I accidentally baked it three days early and decided to freeze it post-baking.

How do you accidentally bake something? I have no idea. 

I caramelized my sugar, added the pistachios to coat, and chopped up those deliciously addictive little bites of textural pleasure. 

Finally, it came time to assemble the tart. I was nervous for so many reasons, but mainly I was nervous because we all know that a tart with pastry cream shouldn't be assembled too far in advance. Three, four hours, tops. Me? Six whole hours, baby.  I defy the rules.

I struggled to get my pears in that perfect concentric circle that is featured in the book and cursed food-stylists everywhere for giving me unrealistic expectations. I did not want my first showing to be a disaster. I rearranged and rearranged again. I threw out (read: ate) all of the mistakes.  Then, I sprinkled on the pistachios.  Nothing masks a mess like something sprinkled or drizzled on a dessert.

Then, Jack walks over to the kitchen.  "Awesome.  That's for me?"

"No.  I'm submitting this for the Top Chef Ludlow event."

"Well, that's rude." He said incredulously. "It's got all of my favorite components. My tart that I love so much. Pistachios. Pears. And it smells so good. I don't get any?"

I shook my head, feeling slightly guilty.

"Not a bite?"

"No. I'm sorry, love. And I'm not making it again, because it takes forever."

"That's really rude of you."

I hoped that the snub to my boyfriend would all work out in the end.

I receive this text from my friend at 8:38 pm: "We haven't judged yet, but everyone loved your tart. The crust was perfect. Not soggy at all."

I breathed a sigh of relief and waited with anticipation.  Could I catch up in points?

9:10 pm: "You won!  We're drinking your prize right now!"

Holla! Thanks Dorie and Thanks to for choosing this prize winning tart!  Click here for the recipe.

 

Peppermint Bark

When you have baked 1200 cookies (and counting) in the past two weeks, sometimes, you just don't want to bake anything else.  But I'm still in the mood for some Christmasy stuff. I wanted something easy, yet delicious, to make to ring in the Christmas season.  What's tasty and no-bake?  Peppermint Bark. Aw, yeah.

You'd think the process is easy, no? Melt some dark chocolate in a double boiler, spread the melted chocolate in a jelly roll pan and let set.  Repeat with white chocolate, sprinkle with peppermint. Done and done, right?

Wrong.

For those of you who have ever tried to melt white chocolate, you'll know that it is not a fun process.  You stand over the double boiler, stirring occasionally, jumping at the first sight of smeared chocolate.  Slowly but surely, the chopped chocolate becomes a smooth and spreadable ivory ocean, and you pat yourself on the back for a job well done.  You turn around to quickly grab your jelly roll pan and turn back to the oven to grab the chocolate. You grab your spatula and begin to coax the chocolate out of the bowl and into the jelly roll pan.

But what's this? Your once smooth chocolate has turned into a clumpy, chalky mess!  You turned your back too long and now it is ruined! Ruined, I say!  So much for no-bake, no-stress!

The moral of the story is, don't turn your back on white chocolate. It knows the hate it receives from people who say it is "not chocolate". White chocolate is not stupid.  It will get it's revenge.  Don't hate the player. Hate the game. 

Peppermint Bark Recipe

12 oz. good quality dark chocolate, chopped finely

12 oz. good quality white chocolate, chopped finely

2 teaspoons peppermint extract, divided

Crushed Peppermint Candies

Line a 9 x 13 inch cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Position a heatproof bowl above a pot of simmering water.  Place the dark chocolate in the bowl and stir occasionally until melted. Once the chocolate is almost completely melted, add 1 teaspoon peppermint extract and stir to combine. 

When the chocolate is completely melted, remove the bowl from the heat and pour chocolate onto lined cookie sheet.  Let set for at least 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

In a separate heatproof bowl (or you can use the same one and wash it out but make sure it is completely dry), repeat process with white chocolate. Add remaining peppermint extract and mix to combine.  As soon as the chocolate has melted, remove from heat and, working quickly, spread the chocolate over the set dark chocolate.  Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies.  Place in refrigerator until firm. Break into pieces and serve, or store in a cool place.

My Interview with Top Chef Danny Gagnon

 

Last week, I had the honor of interviewing Danny Gagnon of Season 5's Top Chef for Spot On Long Island, a fantastic online magazine headed a good friend of mine.  Spot On LI Features all things Long Island including restaurants, recipes, interviews, features, music, and event listings. So when my friend asked me if I wanted to interview Danny at his new restaurant, Bar Social in Uniondale, LI (formerly Chrebet's), I jumped at the chance.  Danny was all you would expect him to be and more - gregarious, funny, so sweet, and so excited.  I was a little sad, though, because he wasn't sporting that crazy design in his beard from Top Chef.

 

Danny and I share a bit of common history. We were both born in Flushing, Queens and grew up on Long Island about 15 minutes away from each other. We actually went to rival high schools (I graduated in 1999, he graduated in 2000), and we both love pistachio pudding cake.  

During my interview, I learned some fun tidbits about the former "cheftestant" (I really hate that word):  He and Season 2 winner Ilan Hall were actually roommates at CIA and it was actually Ilan who convinced him to do Top Chef, his guilty chef pleasure is White Castle (I suggested that he check out the infamous Valentine's Day Menu) and soggy oreos in milk that he eats like a bowl of cereal, and that his last meal would be bacala salad.  A true Italian at heart. 

Danny has brought a style of cooking to Bar Social that he likes to call "Itasian" - a hybrid of Italian and Asian fusion. He wanted us to try one of his favorite dishes at the restaurant: Fried Calamari with a Sweet Thai Sauce that was beautifully adorned with micro-greens, carrots, red peppers.

 

Of course, I did what any respectable food blogger would do: Take a lot of pictures while the food got cold as my friend and Editor-in-Chief stood there impatiently (but remained very nice about it all - Thanks, Christine :) ).

I swore I wouldn't eat, as my high school reunion was just two days away.  Of course, when this plate was put in front of me, I started to chow down.  Look at it. How could I not have stuffed my face?

I hardly eat fried food. I just don't like it. I know, I know.  I'm nuts. But I ate half of this thing. And I couldn't stop. And I wanted to kill myself afterwards, but for the time being, it was oh-so-good.  The calamari was perfectly crisp and fried to perfection. The sweet soy sauce that covered the plate was addictive, with it's rich, complex flavors that paired so well with the sweet, soft red peppers and was lifted up with the light carrots, scallions, and microgreens. This was more than bar food.  This was a diet killer. 

The bar itself is absolutely gorgeous. The walls are adorned with stunning paintings from a local artist and the restaurant is broken up into two parts: an upstairs sports bar and a downstairs trendy lounge (which I did not get pictures of, but trust me, it is stunning. I even asked for the name of the interior decorator, knowing that I probably wouldn't do anything with that information, but it made me feel like I was important.   

 

Sure, there were lots of questions I really wanted to ask: Are Tom Colicchio's eyes the window to his soul? Tell me what you really think of Padma. Don't you want to pinch Gail Simmons cheeks? Did Stefan and Fabio have man crushes on each other?  I really wanted the dirt.  But I kept it professional, despite my desire for the Top Chef gossip.  

Check out my interview and the rest of Spot On Long Island here!  And I cannot stress enough, if you are on Long Island, eat at this restaurant.  The food is outstanding and they have fried twinkies on the dessert menu. Can you really say no to fried twinkies? 

Tuesdays with Top Chef with Teanna... er... Season 6? Duo of Mushrooms, Smoked Kale, Candied Garlic and Turnip Purée

 

Please excuse my while I try to unfry my brain.  I have to switch up TWD and Top Chef with Teanna this week, as I didn't realize how time consuming this dish would be.  So my tart will be posted tomorrow when my pastry cream is all nice and chilled.

This Top Chef recipe one was quite a doozy.

Yes. I said doozy. I can't think of any other words.

Not only was it is a doozy, but it is among my Top 5 Favorite Top Chef Recipes to date.  Ah, Kevin Gillespie, you and your pig tattoo get me every time.

I have fallen back a bit on my Top Chef blogging, so please, let me give a short description about the episode.  Natalie Portman, the vegetarian and totally adorable actress, was the guest judge.  The episode was full of laughs and very uncomfortable innuendos about pricks and mouths and honestly, I had to leave the room because I was so uncomfortable... and I was watching this alone.

The chef's were cooking at Tom Colicchio's Craft Steakhouse.  But here is the twist: Natalie is a vegetarian.

Dum, dum, duuuuuum.

Many chefs are known for their vigorous dislike of vegetarians.  Don't even get them started on vegans. Anthony Bourdain once called vegans the "Hezbollah-like splinter factions of vegetarians" and said that vegetarians are "the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, and an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food."

He is never one to mince words, is he?

But I digress. On to the dish.  This dish is composed of six components (is that redundant?) - braised mushrooms, sauteed mushrooms, roasted turnips, turnip puree, garlic syrup, a pistou, and sauteed kale. I am a bit worn out from lack of sleep these past few weeks, so I'm going to break it down for you the best I can.

I could not find hen of the woods or morels, so instead, I bought a dried pack of wild mushrooms. I know. I'm awful. But you know what, when seasoned and sauteed properly, you may probably never know the difference.  At least I couldn't.  I was pressed for time, and frankly, good produce is hard to come by in NYC so I take what I can get.  These mushrooms were delicious. I didn't follow the recipe to the letter. I just threw them in a pan with the emulsified butter and oil, tossed them with some diced celery, seasoned well and added a bit of lemon and heavy cream.  Heaven on a plate.

I was never one for liking turnips, but this is the second dish in which Kevin has proved me wrong on that point. The turnip puree was buttery, rich, and provided a wonderful textural contrast to the dish. The smells that wafted through the air while the sliced turnips were cooking butter while quartered turnips were roasting in butter was pure heaven. It could just be the butter, though.

The pistou was good, but be sure to season it well (as you should will all components of this dish.  Use your judgement.).  I could have done without it on the dish, but if you love the flavors of tarragon and parsley (which I do), it adds a nice lightness to an otherwise heavy dish.

The garlic syrup was fantastic.  I have tried a different recipe for garlic syrup before this and it is nice to see the different ways in which you can make this fabulous accoutrement which adds so much flavor to any dish.  One note: never stick your nose over a pot of boiling vinegar. You'll regret it.

The kale.  Oooooh, the kale. I could eat this component of the dish for days and days.  I am probably like most people who believe that kale can suck when it is not cooked properly.  I know you are intimidated by my mature use of language, right there.  It can be bitter and chewy and no one likes bitter and chewy. But this kale was the most amazing preparation of kale I have ever tried.  I used liquid smoke (again, right up there with dried mushrooms. I apologize) and sauteed it in water with diced onion, garlic, I then added 1/2 teaspoon sugar and salt each to season it. Pure perfection.  Again, I could not stop eating this.

Together, everything was outstanding. I can completely see why the judges not only picked this as the winner, but stated that they didn't even miss having a protein on the plate. This is a dish that would make me go veg in no time.

ToSorry, Anthony Bourdain.

Click here for the recipe.  But again, this one is time consuming. It took me about 3 hours to make... but it was well worth the effort.

 

New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

 

There are certain things I love about Christmas and certain things that can sometimes get under my skin during the season. Lets start with the bad, shall we?

Things That Sometimes Slightly Annoy Me About the Christmas Season:

• Crowds.
  
• Tourists.
  
• Traffic. 
  
• Annoying commercials (seriously, Gap, if I see that commercial that says "Go Christmas, Go Hanukkah, Go Kwanzaa, Go Solstice!" one more time, I'm going to put my tree through the TV).
  

This I LOVE About Christmas:

• Listening to Christmas music (starting in September).
  
• Decorating my apartment.
• Watching Christmas movies, especially Scrooged, Elf, and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. 
  
• The Christmas Spirit.  I love that everyone is so happy and giving.
  
• COOKIES.  Endless amounts of cookies. 
  

So now that Christmas season is upon us, I'm in cookie mode. And I'm focusing on the number 1 cookie of the season (in my opinion): The chocolate chip cookie.

Is it too late to jump on the New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe bandwagon? 

That would be one tasty bandwagon to be on. I can see it now (cue harps and wavy transitional lines to take you into my dream world):

Me, surrounded by the scent of buttery, toffee-flavored cookies with large, slightly melted, creamy dark chocolate disks.  The ride is bumpy, there is a chill in the air, and snow is falling, but I don't notice. Because I am biting through the crisp edges to reach the soft, chewy center of the cookie.  A hint of salt comes through, a nice surprise that startles my expectation for the flavors of the well-known cookie. The scent of butter and chocolate wafts through the air as I ride past an ocean of chocolate milk. Jaques Torres himself comes out to greet me with more chocolate confections and says something in French that I cannot understand, but it sounds like "Mmm. Cookies."  Santa Claus flies into the scene with his reindeer and tries to snatch a cookie from my wagon, but I tomahawk chop him light lightning. "Sorry, Santa. I say.  You'll have to wait for Christmas for your turn."  

And then I wonder why I only receive coal in my stocking that year.  But it was worth it for these cookies. Perfection in a cookie whose flavor develops deeper with every hour the dough is left in the fridge. Instead of conventional all-purpose flour, cake flour and bread flour add a nice lift to the weight of the cookie. Sea salt adds a nice finish to the deep toffee flavor of the cookie.  And of course, lots and lots of high quality chocolate take this cookie from "good" to "oooooohhh".

It is so worth the wait. And the weight. And the coal in your stocking.

Click here for the recipe. 

 

Thanksgiving Central

 

Oftentimes, I go onto websites such as Epicurious.com or MyRecipes.com around the holidays and am bombarded by huge, flashing letters stating (Insert Holiday Here) Central.

Who made them Thanksgiving Central?  Christmas Central?  Presidents Day Central?

It's a little presumptuous, no?

Well, I am declaring Spork or Foon this year's Thanksgiving Central.  I may not have many Thanksgiving recipes in my archive, but if you are looking to have a Thanksgiving dinner comprised of 1 side dish, some rolls, and two pies, then this is the place to be, people. 

We all know my love for the Chocolate Pumpkin Pie (photo above).

But did you see the mess that was my Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie with Chocolate Almond Bark and Toffee Sauce from last year?

 

Please hold your laughter, because beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  And I was using flash under yellow lighting with my point and shoot before I knew how to take photos.  

Or how about my butterhorn rolls.  These were pretty as a peach. They didn't taste like anything, because I forgot to put salt in the dough. But I gave Pillsbury a run for his roly-poly money right here. 

I remember being very happy with this photo last year. But then Tastespotting and Foodgawker both rejected it and rained on my Thanksgiving Day Parade.

 

And finally, the most amazing Thanksgiving side that ever existed in the history of man. This sweet potato casserole.  Words cannot express the wonder that is this casserole. I am making two this year because one is not enough.  

May I present to you the Sweet Potato Casserole with a Cinnamon Cashew Streusel. Heaven in a casserole Dish. This was finished in about 5 minutes at my house last year. 

Again, don't judge my poor photography skills from 2008.

 

So there you have it, folks!  Happy Thanksgiving and you're welcome!