When I was thinking about this subject, I realized I should have been taking notes. In a year, it’s easy to forget the truly great meals you’ve had, and more specifically what those dishes were. I can barely remember what I ate last weekend, although nothing about it was particularly memorable. Most of our life-changing, eye-opening meals are spent with certain special people, or in a special place for a special reason. I had very few great meals that weren’t wrapped up with some other event or special someone. As I write this, I also realize that not all the best meals of this year had the best food. I’ll share a few of these, and hopefully jog your memory of some great time you’ve had spent over food. Don’t forget to write them down, 2009 will be full of some more great times and new food to taste.

* Ladies Poker Night. I had some lovely ladies over from the store I was working at. It was one of those amazing nights where gossip and bickering was put aside for some serious booze and card playing. The different personalities laughed and chatted and we shared classic Trader Joe’s frozen appetizers and a Domino’s Pizza, which I was charged twice for; I never did get my money back. The hangover was also memorable.

* The Rock Pool. One of Sydney’s greatest restaurants, with super fresh seafood and a special Pacific flavor. A friend and I were visiting one of our closest friends who was attending school there. She hadn’t eaten a really good meal the whole time she had been in Sydney, it’s surprisingly expensive. We did the works – Prosecco, appetizers, mains, dessert. I remember boisterous laughter and closing the place down and having the waiters giving us the eye to leave. There was also incredible squid ink pasta and homemade caramels. I also realized how much I missed the three of us getting together and had to travel half way around the world to recreate it.

* Dottie’s True Blue Café, San Francisco. My husband started working for a company in San Francisco and we traveled out there together a couple times. Nothing makes a city feel more like home than when you find “your” place. We rarely go anywhere twice but Dottie’s is special. It’s an amazing breakfast eatery in a shady part of San Fran, which ends up being right behind the hotel we always stay at. They open at 7:30am (late for breakfast in NYC) and we like to be there by 7:10am to get in line and be at one of the first tables. The owner is always behind the grill and he hasn’t advertised for 13 years, no website, no color ads, and there’s a line every morning. One breakfast stands out – black bean cakes with fried eggs, salsa and sour cream. Everything is homemade, and you should always order from the specials board at the back.

* Moto, Brooklyn. It was harder to remember a great meal close to home. My senses are always heightened on a trip or vacation, and eating here in NYC is usually rushed, or I have some much on my mind I don’t pay attention as closely. This place has been mentioned as being “the last bohemian place left in Williamsburg”. It’s off the beaten track, and is really on the border between South Willamsburg and Bushwick, which is close to where we live. It’s walkable from our apartment and we didn’t even see it for over a year. It’s in an old check-cashing store, and there’s not even a sign outside telling you what it is. You have to know. When you step inside, it’s dark, and feels like a Tim Burton movie, but in a great way. You can hear the J train go by overhead but you forget where you are and what decade you’re apart of. The menu is simple, but delicious. The mac&cheese is ordered at almost every table. We’re planning a brunch trip there soon. A great way to end the year.

Early November was a landmark week for America and with the largest American holiday fast approaching, I felt unusually patriotic and nostalgic for some classic American meals. I didn’t feel adventurous to explore anything exotic, I wanted comfort and guaranteed results. These are dishes I’ll be serving my friends and family while creating great memories around the table.

My husband and I hosted some friends on election night to watch the elections results. We celebrated with a tri-color pasta, cheese and tomato bake, which feeds 6 easily and donkey cookies supplied by my favorite person and baker, Adrienne [Pip]. There was much chatting and commentary, and champagne drinking. At 11pm it became a remarkable night shared with great friends and great food. Something that is so important to our family, and my family growing up was the dinner table and especially now, I appreciate that time so much. When my husband and I visit my parents in Atlanta, the best time is still around the table with wine and lots of lively conversation. We don’t have a large family, so I think dinner at the table feels even more important. I was reading an article on the New York Times website which said, “The importance of the family meal has been shown mainly in studies from the University of Minnesota, Harvard and Rutgers that have looked at family eating habits of nearly 40,000 middle-school students and teenagers. The research has shown that those who regularly have meals with their parents eat more fruits, vegetables and calcium-rich foods, ingest more vitamins and nutrients, and consume less junk food. Some of the research has shown that kids who regularly sit down to a family meal are at lower risk for behaviors like smoking and drug and alcohol use.” Neither my husband nor I had trouble with substance abuse, though we did have two very different ideas about how to eat when we got married. He had to choose most of his meals growing up because of parents working late, and how well do you think a 16-year old growing boy is going to choose the right food? Needless to say, there were lots of TV dinners, and fast food stops. While my family was certainly not above quick easy dinner stops we did have as many sit down-TV-off, dinners as possible. I think this drastically changed and shaped my view of why we eat together. It still influences how I cook today – I always prefer to serve as many people as possible around a table. My husband and I still eat dinner while watching Dancing With the Stars, uh, I mean while watching the History Channel…. But nothing satisfies me more than connecting with our favorite people around a great meal. I found this quote on Grist.org and it really sums up our philosophy, “cooking is a vital, spiritual act that should be performed with a certain reverence. After all, we are providing sustenance to the ones we love — can anything be more important?”

Below, you’ll find the recipes we made this week to celebrate our country, our friends, and the awesome changes taking place.

Tyler Florence’s Ultimate Sloppy Joe’s and Butternut Squash Chips

Crispy Hot Wings with Butternut Squash Slaw

Four-Cheese Baked Bow Ties

GRANDMA BOLDI’S sugar cookies:

2 sticks butter
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla *see note from Adrienne
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 375F

2. Mix flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg. In separate bowl, cream butter and sugar, until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs.

3. Combine flour mixture with butter mixture in three stages with electric mixer

4. Roll out and cut into donkeys (or other preferred shape). Bake at 375 for 5-8 minutes

Note from Adrienne:

I use vanilla sugar instead of vanilla, almost exclusively in baking.  One packet works for, I think, 1-3 teaspoons of vanilla.  It is said to give richer flavor than extract because there is no alcohol to burn off during baking….. could be true… who knows.  Either way, its good to feel like you have a secret ingredient when you bake.

Like so many people in America now, I have a love and deep interest in Africa. I had the privilege of going to Uganda last year and had my first taste of African cooking. The hotel we stayed at in Kampala didn’t offer true African cuisine, but when we traveled up North to Kitgum I was introduced to how a lot of rural Africa eats, well at least in Central Africa. After I returned I went to a South African restaurant in Brooklyn and found it not similar at all and eventually went looking for some cookbooks and inspiration to start my own African cooking. What surprised me in this search was a complete lack of resources and well-written African cookbooks. One I found that I really like is The Africa Cookbook by Jessica B. Harris. The only other African cookbook I found in large bookstores was Marcus Samuelsson’s Discovery of a Continent, which was sold at Starbucks for a while. I found it very hard to follow, and more of a travel log and personal journal than a serious cookbook. I also enlisted the help of my friend who also loves to cook and is South African. She had a few recipes and a book about Nelson Mandela with some recipes, but most of her serious cooking was in Afrikaans. As I continue to search for African cuisine outside of Africa, I became curious why there was such a lack of resources and interest in African food. Bookstores are lined with shelves of Italian, French, American, Organic, Spanish, cooking - I could go on and on. When I went looking for African cookbooks I usually found Moroccan and Marcus Samuelsson’s book, which I already owned.  I do recognize that African cooking is not extravagant for the most part nor particularly complex on the palate. It is however earthy, natural, simple, and usually full of protein and nutrients. When I was in Uganda I had no meat – it was not an option outside of the walls of the hotel, and usually wasn’t safe. I deeply enjoyed and savored the vegetarian dishes that were made for me at every meal by Josephine who was studying catering and hospitality. So far, I’ve made a Senegalese Peanut Butter Stew (Mafé), and South African Chicken Sosaties, which I added a great curry couscous for a side. What this quest has left me asking whether there will be a revolution and/or interest in African cooking like there is in French. Who will be the Julia Child to bring African cuisine to the Western palate?

Here’s the link to the South African Chicken Sosaties I made earlier.

So I’ve missed posting about the most important foodie holiday - Thanksgiving. It was a long week. I started prepping on Monday and spent hours cooking every day leading up to it. Was it worth it? The turkey was phenomenal, stuffing I prefer to eat my mom’s recipe, and I have to say this was the BEST gravy I have ever had. I did give myself due credit when I tasted the gravy from the roasting pan - absolute heavenly richness. I also ventured to make my own turkey stock. We ended up having fewer people than I bought a turkey for so I carved that 20 pound sucker up and used the carcass and gizzards to make a lovely stock which I still have extra in the freezer, along with another half of turkey when the mood strikes.

I did splurge on the holiday. I bought a local turkey and special ordered Applewood bacon for the Bacon Dijon butter and stuffing. Having these key quality ingredients made all the difference - worth the couple weeks of pumpkin and veggie meals for this night. We had friend contribute some amazing potatoes and the token green bean casserole. The 6 of us feasted and then tried our hands at Wii tennis and indulged in a pumpkin cheesecake - another hit.

Gordon Ramsay's Theatre - He's making duck breast!

Another excuse for the lack of posting was a trip to the UK for a friends wedding. We did however indulge at Gordon Ramsay’s Taste of Christmas - a brilliant production where Ramsay was not bleeped as on Fox, which made it that much more authentic. We also were able to get a reservation at Fifteen London, Jamie Oliver’s brain child. A very memorable meal where the staff was attentive but not overbearing, and didn’t rush us, even though we were seated next to the busy kitchen.

My wonderful hustband at Fifteen London

Now I”m busy arranging catering type events and gearing up for another week with the family down south. There may not be a whole lot of interesting menus or recipes the next couple weeks but I promise to share my mother’s roast beef and Yorkshire pudding for Christmas as well as any new discoveries. I’m looking forward to the routine of the new year. I was very encouraged by some friends who said they missed my posting and they followed the site. Routine is looking better and better every day.

I’m also going to post some articles I have been keeping up with writing for Blackpower.com. These are a bit more wordy than just recipes but I’m quite proud and still learning the blogging ropes.

This was another dish I wanted to make before Thanksgiving. It’s light and fresh, but still looks festive with the green cucumber and red tomatoes. Cornbread is also on everyone’s mind right now as well. I’ll admit I used a cornbread mix (gasp) but I had make something for dinner in between making turkey stock, gravy base, and pumpkin cheesecake for Thursday. The cucumber was $.50, I used half the tomatoes of a package that was $1.89, and we’ve been using the Fontina since last week and this was the last of it. This would also be great on Friday after you’re stuffed and tired of the heavy food (if you are that is). There’s no cooking, and you might just have all the ingredients on hand. Here’s Giada’s recipe.

This isn’t exactly dinner, but we quite enjoyed it last night. I wanted to buy as little new groceries this week and make my leftovers from last week stretch, like cheese, and basics I have in the pantry. I bought some asparagus for $4.00 and used half of it for this dish. Last week I took another class at The Astor Center and learned how to make my own mayo so I wanted to practice that as well. And who doesn’t love a toasted baguette with a poached egg and cheese? I also roasted some garlic for another layer of flavor and made an aioli, which just means mayo with roasted garlic - fancy I know… Here’s how I made it:

Serves 2

1/2 lb apsaragus

1 head of garlic, top cut off

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 cup veg or canola oil

1/2 cup melty cheese ( I used fontina, you could cheddar, gruyére, whatever you have on hand)

2 slices leftover baguette

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Drizzle garlic with olive oil, salt and pepper. Wrap in tin foil and place in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until cloves are soft.

2. In a large bowl that won’t slip (I put my stainless mixing bowl on top of a pot so it won’t move while whisking) put in your egg yolks, dijon, lemon juice, and 2 cloves of the roasted garlic. Whisk until emulsified (everything is mixed together). In a dripping stream, while constantly whisking, dribble in your oil. This is the tricky part, this is where you know whether your mayo will come together or not. Keep whisking and adding oil until you get your desired consistency. I used about 1/2 cup of the oil because I wanted mine a bit looser and less like a spread. Add salt to taste. You’ve just made mayo without all the junk from store bought!

3. Bring a pot of water to boil and drop in asparagus for 2-3 minutes. Remove and immediately place in an ice bath (this is called blanching). Remove from cold water and dry on a paper towel. Bring a second pot of water to boil and add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar for poaching your eggs. Drop your eggs one or two at time into the vinegar water. I break mine into a ladle and put the ladle in the water, it helps keep the egg white from floating everywhere. Remove eggs after about 3 minutes or when the white is cooked.

4. Spread one roasted garlic clove over each piece of bread. Top with cheese and broil in the oven for about 3 minutes or until the cheese is melty. Top bread with poached egg, asparagus, and drizzle with aioli.

So obviously this is Thanksgiving week and prep will begin today! Last week, I will admit, we didn’t eat at home much which indicates the holidays are in full swing. I’m out all day and pick up a falafel sandwich on my way to somewhere else and Johnathan usually just eats pretzels for as long as possible if I’m not there to feed him. This week probably won’t be much different. Turkey prep and holiday shopping take a lot of time and hutzpah. We’re also gearing up for a week in the UK for a wedding, so there’s shoe repair and clutch searching to be done as well. That aside, I still have to think of some quick dishes for us this week. I still have cheese from last week as well as tomatoes and a good stock of canned goods. I see pizza in our near future, and the panzanella I didn’t make last week. Here’s what I’m thinking:

Monday - BLTs with Fontina

Tuesday - Panzanella with cornbread

Wednesday - homemade pizza with gruyere and pepperoni

Thursday - Thanksgiving - I”m making the bacon dijon turkey from Bon Appetit

Friday - Leftovers, and into next week. I saw Sunny Anderson make these fried stuffing balls - yes please!

I don’t generally care for cauliflower. The aversion isn’t as intense as Brussel sprouts which cannot be redeemed no matter how much bacon they’re baked with. I thought dressing cauliflower up in risotto added another veg element while still eating gooey risotto. By now, I’ve made several different risottos, all based on Jamie Oliver’s Risotto Bianco which is a basic white risotto which can then be changed all sorts of ways. This is a great vegetarian option, just sub the chicken stock for veg stock and you’re golden. The other thing I also like best about risotto is the commitment to it - you’re basically massaging you’re meal until it’s done, it’s very intimate and soothing. Anyway, here’s Jamie’s recipe. Sneak in some veggies this week!

Price Breakdown:

Cauliflower - $1.49

Celery 2 stalks - $1.99

I already had Arborio rice, Vermouth (I only use it for risotto, so it lasts a while), butter, onions, and the last of Parm from last week. I also used up the rest of a carton of chicken stock I had in the fridge. For the bread crumbs, I used anchovy paste I already had and chili pepper. Also you can use the baguette from the onion soup for these bread crumbs!

This is great for a fast lunch if you make the broth ahead of time. This recipe makes 8 servings, so I made all the broth and put the rest in the fridge. Make sure you heat up the broth before you pop it in the oven to let the cheesy goodness melt. I used a super easy classic recipe from The Joy of Cooking. I’ll write it below. This is the perfect cozy fall meal, and this tastes just as good as the $13 soup from Pastis!

Makes about 8 cups

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 medium onions, thinly sliced

Pinch of dried thyme

2 tablespoons dry sherry or cognac

3 1/2 cups (almost one carton) unsalted or low-salt beef broth, or veg broth for a veggie dish - but the beef is classic, and tastes better.

1-3 slices per person of toasted bread - I used a baguette

Gruyére for the top - however much you want!

1. Heat in a soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and butter and cook until the butter is melted. Add the onions and thyme and stir to coat. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally and making sure the onions don’t scorch. As soon as they start to brown, about 15 minutes, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, covered, stirring, until they are a rich brown, about 30-40 minutes.

2. Stir in Cognac or sherry (I have a bottle of sherry on hand for cooking). Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring constantly, until the sherry has evaporated. Stir in beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Place your ovenproof soup bowls or crocks ona baking sheet. Ladle the hot soup into the bowls and top each with your toasted bread. Sprinkle each bowl with Gruyére or Swiss. Broil in the oven until the cheese is melted and brown. Call Pasits and cancel your reservation because you just made the best French Soup at home.

Price Breakdown:

Bag of Onions - $.99

Organic Beef Broth - $2.29

Fresh Baguette - $1.49

Gruyére ( I used about 1/4 of it so far) - $4.99