Last year Bryan and I hosted Thanksgiving dinner at our house. I was pretty thrilled by the prospect of getting to cook that iconic meal.  I wanted to pull out all of the stops and made most of the meal myself. This probably speaks to the my controlling nature because everyone offered to help cook or to bring things. Even my dear friend Molly, who happens to be one of the best cooks I know, offered to make a dish. I agreed, but only if she made a recipe I gave her. At the time Bryan pointed out that this was a little weird, and I guess in retrospect I understand that. Luckily, Molly is understanding and was happy to cooperate. (Thanks, Molly!) The meal was a real success and everyone had a nice time. I was exhausted, but pleased with my efforts. One of the things I enjoyed the most at that meal was a cranberry relish made with fresh cranberries, orange juice and fennel seeds.

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What a cool word, eh? Sbrisolona. It means crumbly. Cake. It is delicious. You have the Italians to thank for this one. A dense thin cake from Mantua made with a surprising number of egg yolks, almond flour and a touch of cinnamon. This cake is totally my speed. It is a really impressive dessert that actually tastes better the next day, making it perfect for the holidays and parties. read more+++

This is about as simple as it gets. Buttermilk, raspberries, and sugar. This is one of those times when it really pays to get the very best ingredients possible. For me, that meant a trip to the Green City Market to buy a quart of Blue Marble Family Farm’s Buttermilk, and a pint of organic raspberries. read more+++

Friends often ask me where I get my recipes. I have a lot of cookbooks. Some of them I use several times a month, some of them I have only used once or twice. I have a hard time getting rid of them. The books combined with the magazines I subscribe to (Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Cooks Illustrated, and Martha Stewart Living) and the blogs I read (my favorites are linked on the home page) provide me with more recipes than I could ever make. Sometimes this makes me feel anxious and panicky. I recently started a list where I can keep track of the recipes that are waiting for a turn. read more+++

I was inspired by a post over at Supper in Stereo to try these Apples Jellies, a recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks The Art of Simple Food. Like all of Alice Water’s recipes this one is simple, allows you to utilize local, seasonal ingredients and is delicious. It is a real treat to watch a few pounds of apples slowly turn into squares of candy. read more+++

I might not care very much about pumpkin—but cranberries are a different story. I love cranberries and will find as many ways as possible to eat them in the coming months. I will also fill my freezer with them before they go out of season so that I can be eating them throughout the winter and spring. This simple quick bread seemed like a good use of my first bag of fresh cranberries. read more+++

This past weekend I celebrated my birthday with a trip to Chicago’s most highly anticipated new restaurant: The Publican. Brought to us by the same folks that own Avec and Blackbird, The Publican is in the west loop on Fulton Market. read more+++

If you have looked at the recipe index, you’ll notice that this is the only recipe I have posted so far that belongs in the savory category. What can I say, I’ve got a sweet tooth. read more+++

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are one of the signature dishes from Baked in Brooklyn. They have quite a following, and this recipe replicates them very well. I brought these to work and they were a big hit, but I have to be honest—these aren’t my favorite (although that hasn’t stopped me from eating them). I think that I like pumpkin things less that I am supposed to. Maybe it’s a texture thing? For the pumpkin fans out there, I think you will really love these.

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