holidays as a chefs wife.

We American's love Thanksgiving. 

Thank God.

Truly, we all have much to be thankful for, even those with less than years past.

And every year it seems like I am so thankful for a simple thing. 

I get to pick what I am inspired or feel like making 

but the whole meal still gets made. 

I can see the eye roll, but honestly.

But before you think its all wonderful & easy around here, 

remember he also makes a mess in the kitchen that makes me wish I had a drain the middle of the room & a hose to clean up. 

YOU'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH A MESS.

And other than Cheeseball

{a different post}

no matter what I make & how great it is

he always is the star that steals the show.

And I'm cool with that because I'm his favorite.

BUT

back to holidays as a chefs wife:

Our menu this year includes a few mandatory 

a few past years favorites...

Turkey of course. 

Brine it. 

Have you never done that? Please do. Here's why.

written by that favorite chef of mine.

Then

Mashed Potatoes. Duh.

I love all kinds-red, yukon, russet, baked, sour cream, cream cheese, cheddar. But for Thanksgiving, simplicity is best.

make fancy ones for pot roast or meatloaf.

Gravy, and no, I've never needed to make the perfect gravy. 

But I do consider myself a connoisseur of it. 

Now after this it varies year to year

inspiration from cookbooks, magazines guests or cravings all have a factor in what we make next. 

I love love Brussels Sprouts. 

YES. I said that, just barely cooked with sauteed bacon & onions they are amazing. 

 Here you can see them in the line up. 

Both with bacon & without for those vegetarian thanksgiving eaters.

Another year I made this Leek & Goat Cheese Tart

Oh so yummy & delish.

 Cranberry Sauce. And I am a bit persnickety about this one. Because I like it so much, but just this way.

No onion shallot or garlic.

No jello or relish style here. 

But made from scratch & oh so easy.

Its a must have at the table.

Every couple years I get inspired to bake. 

I love baking, no doubt! But during all the craziness of oven space during days of prep, it lends not to provoke me to do it.

Plus I make a lousy pie crust (just being honest).

Pumpkin Pie is a must. 

 Tried it again few years back & even made a decorative crust with little pumpkin cutter.

 Abbie loved this mom & girl time 

can you tell...

 Turned out pretty good. Pretty at least.

 Another year I made individual Apple Galette. I love this idea because it is suppose to be "hap-hazard"

no perfect crust here. 

And I made apple because its my brother Kyle's favorite pie.

This year

I'll be making:

Cheeseball 

Cranberry Sauce

& I am thinking about making up a Pumpkin Tiramisu Trifle 

and the rest will be made, all the fixings.

Just not by me. :)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

wingin' it.

sometimes the biggest perk is knowing how to wing it. 

And by that I mean, 

don't have any idea what I'm going to feed the family and 4:30 has come & gone....

open the fridge & knowing by looking thru you can make something out of whatever I find. 

this is a bit of a learned skill. 

and it doesn't always play out.

So, the other day as the night came quicker than my routine of chores, I needed a quick meal for 7. 

I usually always have the "trinity"

its a food term for our regular pantry items that are really the base of everything. 

carrots

onions 

celery

Had some ground beef thawed

I usually have ground turkey but a family friend of ours bought a whole half cow

and their freezer didn't hold it all

{lucky us}

and I got 2 shelves full of grass fed beef.

 and sometimes your husband works on a Sunday 

but brings you home this..:-}

that's my pile of papers to update my calendar in the back
hence the wine-ha!

So I made soup with the veggies

added broth

seasoned it

added a can of cannelini beans

made a meat ball mixture with the beef 

and just before ladling it out

added 2 handfuls of baby spinach

it disappears in seconds

& 

makes it delish!!

+

1 more veggie in my kiddos 

 handful of spinach

 seconds later

Served it with a sprinkle of parm

done. 

and I made up dinner. 

breakfast. mine. his.

I rarely eat breakfast. 

that is, unless you count coffee as breakfast :)

but when I do make something it is usually around 10 a.m.

not sure why.

I've always been that way...used to skip breakfast at home & eat my lunch in 3rd period. 

anyway...

when I do make breakfast this is my favorite thing, and I can whip it together quick!

Honestly can't get enough of it.

simple & divine....

greek yogurt-I love Fage'

very low fat or no fat 

super creamy

light like whipped cream 

tart 

with blueberries & cut mango

drizzle of honey to contrast the tart.

love love love this

now completely different story when my chef makes a quick breakfast

Roasted Squash with cracked wheat frittata...blistered tomatoes, spinach pesto & crumbles of aged white cheddar. 

entirely different

"whip something up"

that's life as a chef's wife. 

in a nutshell

wow these food bloggers. Food Buzz 2010-SF

these first few, really are just because I love LOVE taking photographic perspective picutes.

fantastic sky & building etched in it.

I love San Francisco.

 Food Blogger Conference. Or Festival, not sure what it is called. What a Buzzzz

 Chef Todd getting all things straightened out with Ashley the blogger that "won" demoing with him for her recipe using Fresh Express Salad. He is a lot on stage...so God Bless her!

 Across the street from Sir Francis Drake. 

Sears. 

Ever been? Famous for small pancakes. ok.

 FB posting....yes, he loves his audience, the grin tells it!

 Prep table....

Everyone. YES, everyone had at least 3 things on their laps...cell phone or computer, cameras and then some, and a note pad or "notes" on their phone to keep audiences in tune.. wow.

 Ashley & Chef Todd...notice I am not on stage, that's his department mine is behind the scene :}

 Seriously...butternut squash and onions carmelizing in olive oil for sure needs to be shared. The smell made the room crazy!

 Each and every blogger was armed and ready to get a shot of the pan-food blogger & cameras are smitten!!

 delicious Ashley! Nice recipe...

 The next venue is at Metreon and gorgeous city scape of SF. 

Lots of different venues all inside but with a City back drop, loved it.

 The ever darling & food focused Tyler Florence line.

 Far Niete. Yes, please. 

 just as the gate are opening! wow. Food Bloggers are anxious for food!!!

 delightful ice cream from Three Twins. Yum!

 Fresh Express Artisanal Sierra Crisp Herb Mix with fresh cranberry vinaigrette and toasted quinoa & smoked pecans. wonderful & different! Fantastic feed back from the guests on complexity & flavor.

 great white wines, fun labels

 amazing line up of beers. truly artistic!!

 Chef Todd wows the crowds. How fun to make something simple but wow the audience. 

 EVERY food blogger was toting a camera of many shapes & sizes. That is what sets apart food bloggers!

 Chef Todd & winner Ashley from edibleperspective blog

 Our team from Incendia Creative

 oh yes. I love me some pig!

 I loved seeing my City Boy with a Cityscape on his backdrop....but this wasn't quite it. 

 This was. I love love love this shot. This is my man. Dredged in conversation, beer in hand, in San Francisco. That's him.

 nice.

 for sure!

yes, I am.

when recipes work.

Despite the fact that our selves are bursting with hundreds of cookbooks...

I am here to tell you not all recipes are created equal. 

And as strange as it sounds 

I love a recipe that works. 

You know, you make it & its a instant winner. 

comes out just like you saw in the book & looks to die for. 

This is it. 

Ina Garten is a star in this house. I've met several celebrities but I was never as excited or swooned to meet them as I was her. I have no clue why. [insert yes, I am a lame-O]

GO

ahead & look it up in her Back to Basics cookbook

here are pictures of mine

above is the end result before being goobled up!!

below is just before this;

when it comes out of the oven and before they are dumped out. 

oh yes, I love a recipe that works!

here you go!

Barefoot Contessa Easy Sticky Buns

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces
• 1 package (17.3-ounces/ 2-sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

For the filling:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold 1 sheet ofpuff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly rollaround the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2-inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Be careful - they're hot! Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.