Thanksgiving Day Menu

I've been busy lately traveling back and forth from Texas for the sole purpose of eating the Mexican food I've so dearly missed. In my spare time, I've also been attending medical school interviews. I haven't cooked anything special lately, but I have been planning my Thanksgiving menu! My friend John graciously offered to cook a goose for the occasion, so my responsibility is to cover the sides and some dessert.

My sous chef, Kirstan, and I will be preparing the following dishes:

Sauerkraut with apples
Spicy sweet potatoes with a crunchy pecan topping
Mashed potatoes with copious amounts of cream and butter
Brussels Sprout with bacon and dates
"Traditional" American Green bean casserole
Olive oil corn bread
Pecan Pie with Texas Pecans from the Knights of Columbus of Georgetown, Texas

I'll post pictures after Thursday, but in the mean time go plan your own Thanksgiving dinner and think about what you're thankful for besides delicious food.

Mark Bittman's Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

I'm a recent convert to the Brussels sprouts following. My mother never cooked Brussels Sprouts, so I never ate them until I left home, or more specifically until last year when Mark Bittman posted this recipe on The Minimalist. After eating these splendid tiny cabbages in many variations, I have decided that Brussels Sprouts + Bacon+ dried fruit=the best way to eat Brussels Sprouts.

So to inaugurate the beginning of Brussels sprouts season I prepared the recipe that turned me onto them in the first place.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Dates (adapted from Mark Bittman's Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Figs)

1 pound Brussels sprouts ( I used 2 pints, this comes out to about 40 sprouts)
6 slices of thick cut bacon, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
a large handful of dates,which is about 1/2 cup, quartered (you can also use raisins or figs)
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar,
salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup water or white wine

1. Fry the bacon until just crispy in the pan you plan to cook the sprouts.
2. While the bacon fries, you can shred the Brussels sprouts in your food processor with the slicing attachment. Or if like me, you've lost this attachment, slice the Brussels sprouts to get the shredded effect. Then quarter the dates.
3. Remove the bacon from the pan, and add the Brussels Sprouts, dates, 1/4 cup water, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes until the sprouts are tender.
4. While the sprouts are cooking, toast the pine nuts for a few minutes over low heat in a small pan to release some oils and add a bit of crunch.
5. Turn up the heat to medium high, add the bacon and pine nuts and balsamic vinegar in with the sprouts, stir, and cook the mixture until all the liquid evaporates.

I ate my Brussels sprouts with a thick steak and roasted potatoes which turned out to be a delicious Sunday night dinner!

Mark Bittman's Ricotta Gnocchi

I must apologize for being so lax about the food blog. I realize it is not enough to cook, but that I actually have to write about what I'm cooking as well. I've made some pretty successful dishes lately, my favorite was these ricotta gnocchi with a lamb ragú sauce. I'll never be able to describe how to make dishes as well as Mark Bittman, so I suggest watching the video and following his recipe to make these babies.

This gnocchi was made easily in 20 minutes; all you have to do is mix together the ingredients for the dough and drop them in boiling water. If you love cheese, you'll love this meal. My boyfriend Sam, generously offered up ground lamb straight from (former) lambs from beautiful Honesdale, PA, so the lamb ragú tasted intensely of lamb and was pretty amazing. I thought lamb ragú would go great with these ricotta because I have salivated in the past over Giada's lamb ragú with ricotta and mint. I highly reccomend making this gnocchi no matter what sauce you put on top.