Most of the recipes I highlight at feelgood eats are born out of inspiration. Sometimes I’ll have an incredible dish while I am out and about, other times I’ll read about a recipe in a cookbook or food blog, or stumble upon a killer ingredient that has me racing to the kitchen. But this recipe was different. This spinach and artichoke dip was born out of sheer envy.

It all started innocently enough at a mid-afternoon holiday gathering with students, professors, and alums of the graduate school I attended. My contribution was this goat cheese and olive spread, a unique and tasty little dish that I was quite happy with. That is, until I saw the spinach and artichoke dip emerge out of the wholesale club jar and get positioned directly next to my contribution. It was head-to-head, spread vs. spread action, and you can guess how things turned out. For the rest of the afternoon I watched as people went for seconds, thirds, fourths of the wholesale club spread - going on and on about how good it was. It really was no contest at all. [click to continue…]

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If you are looking for a dish to wow your holiday dinner guests, then this lobster risotto is it. It’s elegant, festive, and, maybe the best part, easy to make - especially if you have a few risottos under your belt.

I’ve been on somewhat of a lobster kick lately, not because I am swimming in extra cash, but the dreary economic climate has lowered the price of lobster quite a bit (apparently lobster prices usually coincide with the vibe on Wall St.), making lobster a nice indulgence.

I’m also a bit geared up to be back living in New England, so while my friends in the Bay Area are enjoying the beginning of Dungeness crab season, I’m living it up with fresh lobster that is still in season (and might be at it’s best) in November and December. It seems that on either coast the seafood choices are prime right now. [click to continue…]

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It’s nice to have a few quick dips and spreads up your sleeve for last-minute party plans or special treats. My sister introduced me to this Mediterranean-inspired spread and it has quickly become a new favorite, perfect for spreading on crackers, serving alongside fresh vegetables, or smearing on a sandwich.

Sometimes I find creamy dips and spreads to be a bit one-dimensional, heavy on the dairy and light on other flavors. This spread is totally different, with a well-balanced combination of sweet (dried apricots, honey), savory (olives, pecans, capers), and a bit of tang (goat cheese, red wine vinegar). [click to continue…]

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a thanksgiving menu:

• Celery Root, Parsnip & Apple Puree (Amy from Eggs on Sunday)
• Fennel, Apple & Cranberry Stuffing (Tiffany from the Garden Apartment)
• Brussel Sprouts with Virginia Ham (Tiffany from the Garden Apartment)
• Roast Turkey Tips (below)
• Squash and Apple Bake (Amy from Eggs on Sunday)
• Apple and Pecan Tart (Kristin from The Kitchen Sink)
• Sweet Potato Cake with Praline Pecan Topping (Grace from A Southern Grace)

roast turkey tips:

Last year I roasted my first Thanksgiving turkey and it stressed me out. I fretted over cooking times, cooking temps, brining, and anything else that could possibly go wrong. Happily, the turkey turned out great and I did learn one big lesson from the experience:

relax.

Although it seems like something new and totally different, roasting a turkey is exactly like roasting a chicken, albeit a super-sized one that requires an extra hand to move around. The key is to source a great bird and to incorporate a couple of nuances that will ensure the bird cooks evenly. Below are my tips for a no-stress, low-fuss roasted turkey. I’ve also included web resources that should help further calm any turkey fears. As always, if you’ve got any tips or stories to share, please drop a note in the comment section!

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With Thanksgiving looming on the near horizon, I’ve been tweaking recipes for holiday sides and trying to balance family traditions with new recipes to shake things up a bit. I was a bit enamored with the potato-leek soup I posted last week, so much so that I enjoyed it for breakfast for four days straight. In an effort to confirm that leeks and potatoes are in fact best friends I baked this gratin. I am happy to report that it was delicious and that leeks and potatoes should be combined whenever possible. Now onto the contest!

thanksgiving contest:

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, I thought it would be fun to hear about your holiday stories, cooking experiences, questions, tips, and ideas. For those of you with a bit of a writer’s block (happens to me all the time) here are some jumping off points:

• Do you cook the same thing every year or do you like to try new recipes?
• Any Thanksgiving success stories or misses?
• Fun tips or ideas?
• Favorite memories?
• Do you order take-out for Thanksgiving?

All you have to do is share a note in the comment section below to enter to win a treat in the mail. Easy as that.

So what’s the prize? One of my favorite cookbooks from my library - Biba Caggiano’s Italy al Dente. A cookbook I have used for inspiration many times, it is loaded with recipes for pasta, risotto, gnocchi, and polenta - perfect for the cool winter nights ahead. I picked up this cookbook at a used bookstore in Berkeley, so it is a little loved (with a note from someone’s grandma), but I always find the best cookbooks are passed along with a bit of wear.

I’ll be picking the winner at random on Thursday, 11/20. If you get the big prize, I will notify you by email.

So please share your stories and definitely try out this gratin recipe!

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After one meal at Toro Bravo (Portland, OR) I was ready to pack my bags and book a flight to Spain. Unfortunately, with my big cross-country move looming in the near future, I won’t be brushing up on my Spanish anytime soon, but I do think that Spain may have overtaken Italy at the top of my must-visit list. In the meantime I am going to concentrate my energy on trying to re-create the dishes I shared at Toro Bravo, or as I termed it on my twitter post: tapas heaven.

I feel comfortable claiming Toro Bravo as tapas heaven because I am pretty sure I have been to tapas hell, which goes a little something like this: You hear about a new small plates restaurant and you gather a group of friends to go check it out. Usually it is a lounge-style setting, with seats that are low to the ground and some sort of techno/club music playing in the background. The cocktail list is full of mojitos and all sorts of ‘tinis.’ You order off a short menu that is uninspired and overpriced. The plates come out spontaneously or erratically (and some are forgotten). The bill is dropped, your eyes widen, and you walk out disgruntled and hungry.

Walking out of Toro Bravo this past weekend, I was anything but hungry. As a group of four we ordered about ten dishes, some small and others more substantial. [click to continue…]

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Dining out lately in San Francisco and Portland, Oregon I have spotted more and more offal dishes on restaurant menus and I hope this trend continues. Once prized by our ancestors as nutrient-dense sources of vitamins and minerals, offal has fallen out of favor in the current standard American diet (S.A.D.).

I think it’s a good idea to bring offal back into favor as it offers rich sources of vitamins A and D, essential fatty acids, and macro and trace minerals. Perhaps more difficult to quantify, but certainly no less important, is the ethical element of eating offal. In our current culture, which views animal products as a commodity, many animal parts are abused, neglected or simply thrown away. By consuming offal you are respecting an animal in a full and holistic way by leaving nothing to waste. [click to continue…]

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