Hello there!
Coming off my Thanksgiving (or as the Cubans say San Givin') high I feel inspired to share my love of food. I didn't plan on starting this blog today so please forgive the limited amount of photos in this post. Next time I'll be ready!
Backstory
Over the past 18 months I have changed my outlook on food, particularly the ingredients I use. My Dad had a health scare and I became his accountabuddy. We went vegan together and that was a horrifying experience but not for the reasons that you may think. The amount of soy I ate while going vegan messed with my hormone levels and left me overly emotional and exhausted. Once I was able to figure out what the source of my problem was and detox all was well again, mostly. It opened my eyes to the additives and preservatives put into our foods particularly replacement foods in the vegan world... I could go on about that but will leave it for another post. Mainly I knew I couldn't cut out this kind of food completely because eating out would become a nightmare and sometimes a girl just needs a cupcake or a chocolate bar to bring balance into her life. Now my food life has become all about balance. Creating a good tasting and well sourced meal has become my main cooking goal. I try to buy the healthiest and freshest option available, which surprisingly sometimes doesn't mean the organic or vegan version. That meant cooking everything mostly from scratch (within reason of course) and finding the freshest ingredients available. Creating a menu that was satisfying but not so filling that it brought on the itis afterwards.
Thanksgiving was celebrated in two parts this year. Part one (San Givin') with my dad and part two on the actual day with my mom.
Since Dad and I celebrated on a Monday before he headed out of town I decided to cater the meal to our likes and skip the turkey since it's not my favorite fowl.
San Givin' Feast
Boneless leg of lamb marinated in rosemary oil seasoned with grey sea salt, pepper, turmeric and oregano, cooked in a slow cooker with Scandinavian Cider, garlic and dried rosemary
Buttermilk and honey cornbread baked in a cast iron skillet with pork belly drippings
Steamed Brussels sprouts tossed with pan fried pork belly in a Scandinavian Cider reduction
Mac and Five Cheeses (white cheddar, goat cheese, provolone, gruyere and fontina)
Sauteed mushrooms and shallots in a Scandinavian Cider reduction over wilted spinach
Maple Bourbon Chocolate Pumpkin Pie
Gascon Malbec
Mom and I split the kitchen duties and created a more traditional fare since we were both a little under the weather and postponed our travel plans.
Thanksgiving Feast
Turkey thighs marinated in a brine with juniper berries, rosemary, peppercorns, orange peel and garlic roasted in rosemary oil
Cranberry and Tangerine chutney with red pearl onions and bacon
Cornbread Stuffing with mushrooms, celery and red onions
Carrots with a honey, butter and fennel seed glaze
Braised leeks, fennel and Brussels sprouts with a butter and Pinot Grigio sauce
Parker House Rolls
Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie
Miraval Rosé
Everything came out just like I wanted tasty, satisfying but not heavy like in past years. We also forwent the sweet potato, corn and green bean dishes we tend to make. My only complaint would be I couldn't find parsnips anywhere! Sprout's, Kroger and Publix were all visted before I called it quits and settled for the carrots already in my fridge. I love parsnips and was dreaming up a dish with roasted chestnuts and a honey butter glaze. The carrots were sweet, tender and delicious but my brain still wants parsnips!
A few components were key in both meals.
Rosemary oil
On Halloween I made my version of Food Wishes Pig in a Pumpkin (I'll post about that soon). While out shopping for that meal I bought fresh and fragrant rosemary. It was a good sized bunch so I added the left overs to a bottle of olive oil and one week later I had rosemary flavored oil. When I made cornbread for Dad's meal I made an extra one to be used in Mom's stuffing. She cubed the bread, tossed in in rosemary oil and baked until crisp. It was an inspired decision and way better than anything you'll find in a box! We often infuse our olive oil with garlic and chili peppers, this was a nice and welcomed change for fall.
Maple Syrup aged in Bourbon Barrels
Words can't describe how much I love this stuff. Expensive but worth the splurge for special occasions. Not only is this a great addition to pies (and a fabulous sugar substitute) it's incredible served warm over chia seeds and flax seed buttermilk pancakes.
Butter
There are two kinds of people in this world: the kind that will lick butter off the knife and the kind who find that gross. My mother and I love butter like nothing else and it's a race to grab the butter knife first after we've finished using it to lick it clean. A good quality butter makes all the difference in the world and we prefer Amish or European style. Sam's didn't have Kerrygold (WTH?) but they had Finlandia instead and we were happy. It's delicious, a perfect blend of sweet and creamy meets salty.
Cookie Nip
I'm most proud of the pumpkin pie I made for Dad. My intention was to make a maple bourbon pumpkin pie but I felt it was too sweet because I added Cookie Nip, a vanilla substitute, to round out the flavors. As a result I added a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of cocoa powder to balance it out and really enjoyed the earthiness the addition of chocolate brought to the pie. The Cookie Nip was also used in the Pecan Pie and worked brilliantly. I discovered this delightful product at the Ultimate Sugar Show here in Georgia earlier this month and knew it would be a part of my holiday baking. It's basically chemicals but tastes amazing. I don't bake as often as my tummy would like so I figured it was safe to buy the small bottle and so far so good!
I enjoyed making and eating both meals. However my favorite part of eating is the experience. Sharing it with someone else and spending time together as you work your way through the different dishes and share what memories they bring up. I love that part most of all.
Hope that everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving and is enjoying the start of the Christmas season. Let the Holiday cooking begin!
Coming off my Thanksgiving (or as the Cubans say San Givin') high I feel inspired to share my love of food. I didn't plan on starting this blog today so please forgive the limited amount of photos in this post. Next time I'll be ready!
Backstory
Over the past 18 months I have changed my outlook on food, particularly the ingredients I use. My Dad had a health scare and I became his accountabuddy. We went vegan together and that was a horrifying experience but not for the reasons that you may think. The amount of soy I ate while going vegan messed with my hormone levels and left me overly emotional and exhausted. Once I was able to figure out what the source of my problem was and detox all was well again, mostly. It opened my eyes to the additives and preservatives put into our foods particularly replacement foods in the vegan world... I could go on about that but will leave it for another post. Mainly I knew I couldn't cut out this kind of food completely because eating out would become a nightmare and sometimes a girl just needs a cupcake or a chocolate bar to bring balance into her life. Now my food life has become all about balance. Creating a good tasting and well sourced meal has become my main cooking goal. I try to buy the healthiest and freshest option available, which surprisingly sometimes doesn't mean the organic or vegan version. That meant cooking everything mostly from scratch (within reason of course) and finding the freshest ingredients available. Creating a menu that was satisfying but not so filling that it brought on the itis afterwards.
Thanksgiving was celebrated in two parts this year. Part one (San Givin') with my dad and part two on the actual day with my mom.
Since Dad and I celebrated on a Monday before he headed out of town I decided to cater the meal to our likes and skip the turkey since it's not my favorite fowl.
San Givin' Feast
Boneless leg of lamb marinated in rosemary oil seasoned with grey sea salt, pepper, turmeric and oregano, cooked in a slow cooker with Scandinavian Cider, garlic and dried rosemary
Buttermilk and honey cornbread baked in a cast iron skillet with pork belly drippings
Steamed Brussels sprouts tossed with pan fried pork belly in a Scandinavian Cider reduction
Mac and Five Cheeses (white cheddar, goat cheese, provolone, gruyere and fontina)
Sauteed mushrooms and shallots in a Scandinavian Cider reduction over wilted spinach
Maple Bourbon Chocolate Pumpkin Pie
Gascon Malbec
Mom and I split the kitchen duties and created a more traditional fare since we were both a little under the weather and postponed our travel plans.
Thanksgiving Feast
Turkey thighs marinated in a brine with juniper berries, rosemary, peppercorns, orange peel and garlic roasted in rosemary oil
Cranberry and Tangerine chutney with red pearl onions and bacon
Cornbread Stuffing with mushrooms, celery and red onions
Carrots with a honey, butter and fennel seed glaze
Braised leeks, fennel and Brussels sprouts with a butter and Pinot Grigio sauce
Parker House Rolls
Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie
Miraval Rosé
Everything came out just like I wanted tasty, satisfying but not heavy like in past years. We also forwent the sweet potato, corn and green bean dishes we tend to make. My only complaint would be I couldn't find parsnips anywhere! Sprout's, Kroger and Publix were all visted before I called it quits and settled for the carrots already in my fridge. I love parsnips and was dreaming up a dish with roasted chestnuts and a honey butter glaze. The carrots were sweet, tender and delicious but my brain still wants parsnips!
A few components were key in both meals.
Rosemary oil
On Halloween I made my version of Food Wishes Pig in a Pumpkin (I'll post about that soon). While out shopping for that meal I bought fresh and fragrant rosemary. It was a good sized bunch so I added the left overs to a bottle of olive oil and one week later I had rosemary flavored oil. When I made cornbread for Dad's meal I made an extra one to be used in Mom's stuffing. She cubed the bread, tossed in in rosemary oil and baked until crisp. It was an inspired decision and way better than anything you'll find in a box! We often infuse our olive oil with garlic and chili peppers, this was a nice and welcomed change for fall.
Maple Syrup aged in Bourbon Barrels
Words can't describe how much I love this stuff. Expensive but worth the splurge for special occasions. Not only is this a great addition to pies (and a fabulous sugar substitute) it's incredible served warm over chia seeds and flax seed buttermilk pancakes.
Butter
There are two kinds of people in this world: the kind that will lick butter off the knife and the kind who find that gross. My mother and I love butter like nothing else and it's a race to grab the butter knife first after we've finished using it to lick it clean. A good quality butter makes all the difference in the world and we prefer Amish or European style. Sam's didn't have Kerrygold (WTH?) but they had Finlandia instead and we were happy. It's delicious, a perfect blend of sweet and creamy meets salty.
Cookie Nip
I'm most proud of the pumpkin pie I made for Dad. My intention was to make a maple bourbon pumpkin pie but I felt it was too sweet because I added Cookie Nip, a vanilla substitute, to round out the flavors. As a result I added a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of cocoa powder to balance it out and really enjoyed the earthiness the addition of chocolate brought to the pie. The Cookie Nip was also used in the Pecan Pie and worked brilliantly. I discovered this delightful product at the Ultimate Sugar Show here in Georgia earlier this month and knew it would be a part of my holiday baking. It's basically chemicals but tastes amazing. I don't bake as often as my tummy would like so I figured it was safe to buy the small bottle and so far so good!
I enjoyed making and eating both meals. However my favorite part of eating is the experience. Sharing it with someone else and spending time together as you work your way through the different dishes and share what memories they bring up. I love that part most of all.
Hope that everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving and is enjoying the start of the Christmas season. Let the Holiday cooking begin!
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