The Thanksgiving Issue The Sweeter Side

 Dessert is as big a part of the Thanksgiving meal as the main and side courses,It ends the meal but also bring the beginning of sweet delights. What's great is that there are so many recipes that can be made. Home bakers can have a field day.

This was evident in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. The whole issue was devoted to all sorts of savory and sweet recipes. Yesterday was chock full of so many tasty main and side variations of Thanksgiving classic recipes. There was not enough room to feature all the pie and cake recipes that chefs had contributed.Of course there are pies but there are some interesting  Sue Li has amassed a variety of different ones that will make Thanksgiving Day unique. There is a Delicata Squash pie , a creamy filling made of different spices such as cinnamon , nutmeg and cloves. Thin slices of the squash are cooked in a sugar syrup and then placed on top of it, Cranberry crd seems to be popular this year and there is a galette filled with it. A honey cream tops it.Another recipe out of the six offered is the unusual banana in a phyllo dough crust.This is a really rich filling made with sour and fresh cream along with two medium ripe bananas.For a real jolt of flavor try making the chocolate espresso pie.These are two layers of coffee and cocoa flavored pudding topped off with luscious creamThere's also an apple cream pie and one m.ade with green tea powder in a cheesecake pie.

Tirami su may seem like an unlikely Thanksgiving Day dessert but combined with Thanksgiving flavors. it works.There are three versions of it.New contributor and cookbook author Carolina Gelen gives three different spins.Its actually the perfect ending to a heavy meal. There are layers of soft cream and soaked lady fingers that don;t have the heaviness of pie.Another bonus is that it can feed a crowd and als be made in advanced, perfect for preparing a big feast.These tiramisu don't require espresso, The cranberry one needs cranberry juice to soak it along with the customary marscapone cheese and lady fingers. The cranberries for the filling are cooked down with lemon juice , sugar and vanilla. The  caramel apple one has tart Granny Smooth apples along with butter , sugar and heavy cream to create the caramel. The liquid is apple cider and heavy cream.Pecans top t for some crunch. There is pumpkin and it's combined with dates. The last is used for the soak and the filling is pumpkin date butter made with pumpkin puree and a pumpkin spice mix.

Happiness is a good dessert.A Thanksgiving dessert is extra special.Make these desserts to add to the feast for an outstanding meal

Happiness Is Breyer's Ice Cream

One of the best American ice cream's is Breyer's  Any Yank will tell you why he or she loves it..It's smooth and light , creamy and flavorful. Breyer's either be the perfect dessert or the most satisfying snack. Best of all it can be used in making many treats, ideal for the warm days ahead of us.

Breyer's is one of America's oldest food manufacturers starting right after the Civil War in 1866. William A Breyer started by hand cranking his creamy concoctions. It was made in the Philadelphia style, which had already been popular for a century. The Philly way eschews eggs, producing a lighter product and taste. It's more of a thick kind of ice milk as opposed to the eggy French style of ice cream.Breyer created different flavors right away, adding fruits, nuts and extracts, which are still being used today.He opened the first ice cream shop in 1882 and four more quickly followed. The rich mixture of whole cream and cane sugar. It was cranked in one store and delivered by a horse drawn carriage to the other three. By 1896 Breyer and his family set up the first ice cream factory as more and more people clamored for the icy treat. The Twentieth Century brought more sales to the company that topped millions, and was sold to grocery stores in New York City, Staten Island, Jersey City , Newark and even south to Washington D.C. The family sold it as early as 1926 to National Dairy Products Corporation. It has been bought and sold several times, from Kraft to Good Humor and finally to Unilever who make the ice cream in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. They now produce gluten and even sugar-free ice creams  for those with celiac disease.

Breyer's is one of my favorite ice creams, simply because of the light mouthfeel and taste. It's not a heavy , custardy feeling , like some other brands. It's good on it's own but that lightness helps to make sodas and sundaes airier too. One of my favorites is their coffee flavor. This is perfect in chocolate flavored soda (yes, there is one - and Stop & Shop makes it )along with making an excellent mochaccino sundae. This consists of two  plump scoops , drenched in chocolate syrup and covered in Reddi-Whip. Their fudge ripple is to die for, with the vanilla ice cream marbled with thick fudgy veins. My new favorite is the new Breyer's Blast that has chopped up Samoas,from the Girl scout cookie collection.Samoas on their own are more like candy, with their coating of chocolate, caramel and toasted coconut. This marriage has created a yummy, chewy but light coconut flavored ice cream, that I would love to put into a summery ice cream pie.Another must try are their Gelato Indulgences.My to try list has their lush chocolate caramel, that dripping with the last and decorated with decadent chocolate curls along with Tiramisu Gelato, that's made with marscapone cheese,espresso syrup and lady finger bits.

There's a reason why Breyer's is America's favorite ice cream. It is delicious and light, perfect for dessert or as a cool treat on a hot day. Try this classic , It's sure to be your classic ice cream go to after one spoonful

Buffet Bonanza

In the last twenty years a phenomenon  has happened with American dining - the birth of the all you can eat buffet. These are all over the US right now, competing with fast food and slow food. Are they all that they promised? Yes and even more.

It seems that every town now has some kind of buffet. They used to be few and far between.I remember going to one twenty years ago for a bridal shower. It was amazing to see , with the variety of meats and sides.I had only ever experienced this in Atlantic City , where there was an all you can eat buffet in every hotel/casino. This probably was taken from Las Vegas where the concept is used to keep gamblers in the casino.Now it's one of the top industries for Chinese immigrants.providing employment for many young Asians..The buffets are taking over from the concept if a sit down restaurant where there is a set menu, usually  featuring Cantonese or sometimes Szechuan dishes or a combination of both.The buffets do offer such classic dishes as fried rice, lo mein and shrimp in lobster sauce but they also appeal to trends such as a sushi station along with other ethnic dishes such as ravioli and kielbasa.I know two local ones that also feature a weekend brunch menu that highlight bacon and sausages, along with pancakes and egg foo yung  (oh, well, they do try). Another non-Chinese idea is dessert. The Chinese usually just have fruit, namely oranges yet most buffets have a whole pastry  tray featuring Italian specialties like panna cotta and tiramisu. There are also neat little squares of vanilla, chocolate and carrot cakes as well as ice cream too. Fruit is there , thankfully, as a respite from all those calories..

Are these buffets good for a country known for overeating and obesity? Actually yes. Unlike most restaurants and fast food joints , people have more healthy choices. Any diner can make a plate of lean meats and veggies with melon or strawberries for dessert. It's just staying away from the sauced dishes and fried foods like chicken, cod, French fries and onion rings. Throw in a good portion of  plain white rice to fill up, This will fill you so you don't go back for seconds , thirds or even fourths. Another smart idea is portion control. Yes , you can have those fish sticks, just don;t pile your plate with them as some careless diners are wont to do. The same for those "fun" sides like crab filled mushrooms, and fried plantains. The idea also applies to dessert too. As tasty as your buffet's chocolate cake is, don't go hog wild and get three pieces. Share it table side.All buffets also offer bottomless drinks. Again choose wisely. Buffet foods tends to be salty which brings on massive thirst. Before you know it you;ve finished off your first glass and want more. Soda and sweet tea is loaded with sugar and calories. Stick with lemon water and unsweetened ice tea.Some buffets do offer club soda  and this is a great choice of having a fizzy drink without all the guilt.

Buffets are now a fixture in America. They're not going away any time soon People love them too much . After all, they are fun to visit and to indulge those foodie passions and crushes.

Good Home Cooked Italian Food

These chilly days mean staying at home and cooking a good meal.Nothing beats these more than homemade Italian food.For those home chefs looking fpr recipes, look no further than a brand new cookbook from Good Housekeeping.It's a great collection of some really good Italian dishes. This cookbook was, compiled by the food editors of the magazine(published by Hearst).This is even a great gift for beginner chefs, because of the simplicity of some of the dishes.That's not to say they're unsophisticated.There is a wonderfully complex risotto Milanese along with a ricotta gnocchi with fresh herbs and butter.Since it's also Good Hpusekeeping, there are many family friendly recipes too, including pecorino chicken fingers along with a crispy spaghetti casserole .One of the sections that I like the most, is the introduction to ingredients.There are explanations and definitions about everything from what olives oils to use as well as a comprehensive guide to Italian cheeses, spices and pastas.This is invaluable to any home chef and handy when stocking both your kitchen and spice rack. The cookbook is divided into different sections from pastas and pizzas to the various kind of meat and fish dishes.There's a great section on desserts too.Some are traditional such as home made pizza dough along with linguine with red clam sauce.There are twists everyone will love such as the unusual pizza toppings like cheese and salad or asparagus bacon pizzettes( mini pizzas) along with zucchini and ham ribbons and balsamic roasted pork with a berry salad ,redolent with strawberries and blackberries.For those lovers who adore hard core trattoria fare there are recipes for Bolognese sauce along with a Northern style lasagna that relies heavy on béchamel sauce.Polenta also figures heavily and it's paired with everything from eggs to sausage to even Brussels sprouts.Desserts could come straight out of a trattoria too,with the crowd favorite tiramisu along with the cool sophisticated granitas. This is the season for hearty homemade meals.Whip up a sausage rich pasta or healthy veggie and meat dish ,followed by a traditional dessert.Good Housekeeping's Family Italian Cookbook can help with creating that perfect meal.

Cookie Party Interactive Baking

Cupcakes at the mall? Yes, these fun treats are even showing up next to department stores thanks to the latest pop up stand Cookie Party. Despite the name, the micro bakery serves some cool cakes along with other treats. Best of all they can even plan a party for your kids. Not many regular bakeries can do that but Cookie Party can.

Cookie Party is , like other bakeries, a family owned business, started in 2007 by Judy Pennetti and her two children , Dana and Anthony, who also help in the baking and managing. She cashed in on the concept of "mother's little helper" to create an interactive bakery at their East Hanover location . Here kids  bake and decorate their own creations along with having cake and pizza . Parents are not that far away,  relaxing in a separate room, enjoying  a big screen TV and Cookie Party treats.There's also a micro bakery in the Garden State Plaza as well as one at the ultimate kid's paradise, Times Square's Toys R Us.

The cupcakes I had were good - and kid perfect. The brownie nut  was just that but in cupcake form with a creamy, fudgy frosting.The sprinkle kind  was not only cute but also tasty. It was a simple vanilla with a fluffy butter cream topping. On my next trip I am definitely going to try their red velvet along with the tiramisu. There's cookies,of course, including the butter S spritzes which is the bakery' signature treat. Brightly colored butter cookies  and pecan cups are also featured as well as the Cookie Party's version of a Reese's peanut butter cup. This last is more like a ping pong ball sized  truffle . Cookie Party also makes regular cakes and cheese cakes too.

Cookie Party represents a new kind of interactive bakery. However it still makes thesame treats we've loved as kids as well as some spins on classics. It's not only fun but also unique.