'Tis the season for all things pumpkin – and it is my favorite time of year. I love pumpkin. Sweet, savory, anyway it comes. I go a little overboard with pumpkin – I buy all the seasonal pumpkin flavored items on the store shelves, and cook with pumpkin like crazy. Check out these cookies, enchiladas, biscuits and tart. You’ll see what I … [Read more...] about Pumpkin Dulce de Leche Bars
Thanksgiving
Pumpkin Cream Tart
My First Thanksgiving The first Thanksgiving feast that ever I cooked was during graduate school in England. An American friend and I decided to host a holiday meal at his digs, which had a larger kitchen, for a motley crew of Americans, Canadians, South Africans and an Ecuadorian thrown in for good measure. This plan of course meant that I cooked and he, well, he ate. I … [Read more...] about Pumpkin Cream Tart
Sweet Potato Casserole with Cider, Orange and Maple
For most of my childhood, we spent Thanksgiving with my family in Arkansas. It was always a big, loud, boisterous gathering of family we didn’t see nearly enough. For many of these years, my brother and I were the oldest of the kids, so we got to sit at the grown-up table, which made us feel very special. After the meal, the men would go watch the ball game and the women … [Read more...] about Sweet Potato Casserole with Cider, Orange and Maple
Thanksgiving Popcorn
When I was a kid, my favorite holiday TV special was always A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Back in those days, there was no DVR, DVD or even tapes. When the special was on, you watched it and that was it. No second chances. Maybe my love of Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, even more than the Great Pumpkin, was a precursor to my future in the kitchen. Maybe it foreshadowed my … [Read more...] about Thanksgiving Popcorn
Classic Corn Pudding with Cheddar and Chives
Now that the countdown to Thanksgiving has begun, I surveyed some friends about their favorite Thanksgiving dishes. Most answers were sweets – rich and decadent ones at that, like coconut cake and pumpkin squares. No one answered turkey. My personal favorite is corn pudding. It may seem like an unnecessary addition to an already laden Thanksgiving table, but I … [Read more...] about Classic Corn Pudding with Cheddar and Chives