Stuffing Choices

 Even though it's a side stuffing is important to the Thanksgiving dinner. The question is what kind will you make? Will it be a quick stove top one or will it be a family recipe scratch one? If that's the case then what to put into it.

SInce I am a big  -all right - huge Lidl fan I went with their cornbread stuffing. All their products are super tasty so I was excited to buy this. Also it;s an easy stove top one that just requires half a stick of butter or margarine and a half cup of water. I want an easy everything this holiday, I don];t have the time to fret over ingredients.

Everything is premixed and preseasoned exactly.It'll be an easy cook on top of the stove while the Tofurky takes up the the oven.

If I had chosen to make the homemade version, I;'d probably use the family recipes that came from my grandfather's family in Swabia, Southern Germany. This is  really a  savory  bread pudding, redolent with celery and sage. egg and some milk is mixed with white bread (although sometimes we used stale Italiian and French bread) it has a crispy crust from being in the oven and it was perfect for absorbing gravy. Other people put sausage or add rice .  There is also a wild mushroom stuffing in which the mushrooms are mixed into a  traditional bread one.Stuffing can  be baked as one big pudding or into ramekins. Again this is up to you and the amount of people you'll be serving.

Home chefs can go the easy route with a stovetop stuffing or the more laborious one with a scratch  one. It's up to what they can handle. Either one is perfect for Thanksgiving,

Your Favorite November Flavor

 This is a month of tasty food and drink. What is your November flavor of the month. Is it the mild earthiness of a turkey leg? A savory sage dressing.?Or  the quiet spiciness of mulled wine? Is a warm cup of pumpkin spice latte Or the warm spice if pumpkin pie?

I'm partial to all the flavors that make up a good stuffing. What's yours\ Let us know.

Coming Together Sharing Food

 Eating with other people is good for your health. That's what Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy is recommending. e knows that sharing food is the cure for loneliness and isolation. It is the antidote America needs to combat the overwhelming  feelings of being alone.

Regular contributor Julia Moskin wrote about the surgeon general in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. SO many people are alone these days.It;'s hard enough to live , harder still to try to eat when they're feeling desolation. Last year Dr. Murthy released a much heralded study on loneliness that identified loneliness as a growing public health epidemic.It can increase the risk of premature death almost s much as obesity and smoking. The study identified "six pillars" of change which the government  can use to combat the problem. There's all sorts of recommendations, whether it'sa shared scone, a family visit to a taco truck, a neighborhood cookout or a Freindsgiving where friends are welcome to come and cook at a Thanksgiving dinner. He showed up at cookbook author Joan Nathan's house with a pot of ras Malai, a cardomon scented dessert of milk and sugar topped with pistachios. He is used to and enjoy socializing over meals. His parents threw informal dinner parties when he was tiny after they left Karnataka  in Southwest India and settled in Miami.

Potlucks are the easiest parties to throw. People can come as they are and make  easy to cook dishes that cna be easily reheated.For the party with Dr. Murthy it was a little more complicated.Ms. Nathan had to cooridinate all sorts of dishes because the surgeon general is a vegetarian, Another invited chef wanted to bring a pork shoulder while another famous chef, Alice Waters opted to get her childhood favorite fresh greens from a local market to create a salad. Some dishes were interesting. Chef and activist Matthew Railford who is also a sixth generation farmer in Georgia brought a suitcase of boiled peanuts.Kevin Tien, chef and owner of Washington D.C.'s Moon Rabbit carried in trays of banh ho choi gio chay, sheets of rice noodles to be wrapped around vegetables and hebs. He also did what most potluck guests do, going into the host's kitchens and immediately looking for serving platters.Others brought in simpler dishes. The chef and owner of Centralina Amy Brandwine  brought a kambucha squash soup while  Chef Andres borught his mothers;vegetable stew and various other foods. Tiffany William, the president of Martha's Table.s brought c hicken wings. A potluck can be anything you want it to be. As long as there;s good company and good food.

No one should have to eat alone. Follow. Dr. Murthy's advice and arrange a pot luck with friends and family.It's a good wau to connect, with food and community.

Thanksgiving Pie Fest

 Pie is always a definite on the Thanksgiving menu. It's a dessert that brings back sweet memories and favorite tastes Nothing beats a homemade slice , with a flaky crust and a delicious filling.

New contributor Vaughn Vreeland who is also supervising video producer for NYT Cooking also wrote this piece about pies in today's New York Times Food section.These are not traditional recipes like pumpkin or pecan. The Times asked Mr. Vreeland to come up with some new recipes that are bound to be instant classics.They can still have the flavor of the holiday like Mr. Vreeland's Cranberry Citrus Meringue Pie.This is a yummy blend of citrus curd featuring lemon and orange juices with a homemade cranberry sauce. It;s topped with a meringue.There is a pumpkin pie but the recipe is shaken up with the addition of  toasted sesame oil and tahini. The finished  products has a top of swirled pumpkin and tahini , creating a pretty marbled effect.Many home bakers make the classic banana pudding for the holiday. Now imagine that in a flaky crust. Mr. Vreeland has a buttery vanilla wafer crumb, similar to a cheese cake crust. It';s filled with a homemade banana pudding.The whipped cream topping has been redone with creme fraiche added to give it a refreshing tang.

Everyone love a good "candy" pie.Tha'ts usually pecan but Mr Vreeland offers a coconut caramel tart. The crust is a yummy chocolate cookie kind of crust.The filling is like a coconut pudding with four large eggs to give it body.The coconut is first toasted in a 350 degree Farenheit oven for six to seven minutes. to turn it golden brown.The caramel topping os a homemade one made with either coconut milk or heavy cream.There's also four tablespoons  of melted butter added to give it smoothness and richness.Chess pie is a popular custard pie in the Midwest. A new twist is added with a third of a cup of maple syrup is added. The topping is whipping cream mixed with espresso.Yes there's an apple pie but again this has a twist.A cup of pomengranate juice is added along with three quarters of teaspoon of cardamon. As for the pie dough , its;a laminated dough.It's made with apple sider molded into squares and then it can be frozen until you're ready to use it.There will be floury bits but that's OK.

Happiness is a slice of homemade pie. TRy these recipes and enjoy pure joy. They're different and a twist on the traditional.

Seven Years Without The Chef

 It has been seven years since we lost the Master Chef of this household. My Mom would have loved our newest obsession -Lidl. It not only would have appealed to her German side but she would have fallen in love with the food and marveled at the prices,

French food and my Mom went hand in hand.Thanks to her mom, my Nonna being Piedmontese there has always been a love of the cuisine that birthed the French diet.I know she would have loved these.

These were four mini vegetable gratin from Duc du Couer,one of the Lidl brands. She would have gone mad for this. They were mini gratins ,full of delicious vegetables, from squash to carrots. ANother plus she would have liked is that they can easily be baked in theair fryer.

I think the air fryer would have been my Mom's best friend. She would have loved its' convenience and the way it thoroughly roasts and bakes in a matter of minutes.I can see her using it for these and also making a lush salad to go with it.

These were baked/roasted for twenty minutes and had a nice crunchy exterior and a soft eggy middle. My Mom may have added a sliced of hand to this , highlighting the gratin's flavor. She would have also bought Lidl's escargot along with foods that represented her Swabian German heritage.I know she would have bought Lidl's stollen and sttollen bites because it's a tricky loaf to bake. Their sliced Black Forest ham would have been the base of many of our lunches and I know she would have loved their gnocchi and pasta too. The price of Lidl's soda  would have amazed her as would its' taste. 

My Mom would have been just as crazy for Lidl as her kids now are. She would have loved the weekly trips to the store , buying all sorts of good food from all over the world.. A good chef appreciates good food.

Treating Our Veterans

 NO matter how this country turns out , we'll always have veterans to thank for our freedom. On this special day we should not only remember them but honor them. In fact this shouldn't be just for one day but for the entire year.

One way is by helping out any elderly veterans in your neighborhood. You can include them in your shopping trips - even make a fun day out of it by going for lunch or coffee. It not only helps them out with one chore but also occupies what could have been a long day. Another thank you could be shopping for them if the weather becomes too rainy or snowy.A home cooked meal wouldn't;t go amiss either. If you;re making a shepherd's pie then think about making a second smaller one if he or she is living alone.If it'sa couple then make a larger one. You could also try any other pie or casserole like lasagna or a baked macaroni and cheese.Any meal together would be nice too. If they have nowhere to go on Thanksgiving then put your veteran on the top of your guest list. Make sure they have a dinner to take home too.Include turkey and all the trimmings plus a slice of their favorite pie.

Some veterans have problems with shopping. benefits may be cut and there's no money. Donate to food pantries in your area. Ask your grocery stores to do the same if they can. Burger your local and favorite restaurants to offer half price days for service people. They can designate a day that veterans and their families can eat half price or buy one meal and get the second at half price.For younger veterans just coming home , give them and their spouses gift certificates not just to Restaurants but also grocery stores. These days fifty dollars  -even twenty-five dollars can be quite helpful. It can buy a few basics like eggs and milk.Thjnk a gift certificate to Wal-Mart or Lidl will go a a long way. Both not only have lower priced foods there's also clothes and hygiene basics they can buy. Giving them a gift certificate now could also mean them having a great Thanksgiving. They can splurge on a turkey or  a couple of their favorite pies. They can also save the gift certificate for Christmas or Hannukah and splurge on treats and sweets.

It's is Veteran's Day. Not only should we only those who fought but treat them with the utmost respect. They deserve it.

Getting Holiday Ready

 Thanksgiving is now less than three weeks away. Christmas and Hannukah  are a month afterwards, both being celebrated on the same day this year. It's time to think about all that cooking and baking.Are you ready?

First of all ask yourself what you want to do for Thanksgiving. Some singles may prefer to eat out but you can just get a turkey breast, a jar of gravy and instant stuffing. This and a yam are perfect for just celebrating for one. It can even apply to two people if they just want a quiet dinner in. You may want to make a salad and just buy a small pie for afterwards.As for families this is where celebrating and cooking get intensive and extensive. Do you have a sit down dinner or a buffet? Do you decide on a sit-down for Thanksgiving and then a holiday buffet a month afterwards or vice versa. ANother aspect to consider is will the dinner include vegetarians and vegans. Even though both shun meat , they're different. Vegetarians will and can eat eggs and dairy. Vegans strictly prohibit this. If you have a few vegans coming over then consider making a Tofurky along with the real thing -a turkey. Luckily Tofurky comes with it's own gravy packet and stuffing so vegans will be happy with this.Also include many vegetables on the menu too.Brussells sprouts are a tasty side with vegan butter and vegan Parmesan cheese drizzled on top. Green bean almandine, string beans with almonds is another crowd pleasing side vegetarians and vegans will love.

Of course there's always a children's table. The question is will it be at the end of the adult table or in the kitchen or enclosed porch. Designate someone to look in on them from time to time. You could also put the oldest child or children in charge. Keep in mind then there should be two of everything. The kid table needs a platter of sliced  turkey along with a gravy boat and sides. The high chair set can seat next to their parents at the main table. Another idea to consider is making it allergy free.Keep in mind there will always  guests with allergies. Have alternatives for them. Also try not to serve any nuts and offer both gluten free breads and rolls.This also applies to milk too so have either soy, almond and oat varieties out for coffee. These also come in chocolate versions so they're perfect for the kids.desserts are another topic worth thinking about right now.Of course everyone will want pies. The question is which ones.Pumpkin is always the favorite yet do you make a traditional one or have one with a twist? Do guests want  not only pumpkin but also apple or pecan? ANother question is does anyone want to bake? Say yes not just to be kind but it takes a lot of pressure off you in the kitchen.

It's never too early to think about the holidays. Its' time to really ponder your plans. Figuring out what to serve is the first step to creating a memorable Thanksgiving meal.