Archive for the ‘picture post’ Category

So here I am. After all these years of dreaming and pining and living vicariously through friends, I’m finally taking a vacation exclusively in NYC. I’ve only been here 7 hours and already have had one of the best burgers (if not THE best) in my life and that’s just the beginning of this great food adventure. I plan to visit some fantastic museums and sites while I’m here of course, but let’s be honest, the food will be my focus. Walking, and lots (and lots) of eating.

This is also my first Thanksgiving I won’t be cooking since …well… I can’t even remember. Maybe 2003? Knowing I won’t be lifting a finger to cook tomorrow is bizarre and totally amazing. I’ll be spending the morning seeing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade (in the flesh!!) and then having Thanksgiving dinner in Chinatown.

Feel free to follow along on my Flickr album!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday spent with those they love.

Louisiana Gulf Trip 2010

We all have dreams. Big or small, short term or long.. but they’re there.  Many of my current dreams reside on a list of places I long to eat before I die. And although they span the world, from Napa to New York to Paris to the Costa Brava… one of them is also right here in my hometown of Kansas City: a little restaurant called “bluestem.”

bluestem has become a nationally recognized restaurant esteemed for its progressive American cuisine, superb desserts, meticulous plating, and overall impressive food. Tons of amazing reviews, James Beard awards and the like, it’s reputation is pretty damn perfect. And every sample menu I’ve ever read and picture I’ve ever seen has had me salivating with hope. But timing and budget never worked in my favor in the ability to finally dine there.

Thankfully this past Tuesday, through the amazing generosity of one of my closest friends, I was finally able to go. And it was everything I thought it would be.

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As I type this, I keep hearing “The Final Countdown” by Europe in my head, which thanks to Arrested Development, plays mentally whenever something epic is happening in my life.

Thanksgiving is like the Superbowl of any home cook. We lay it all on the line. We  usually cook for more than we’re used to. A wider array of palates. Kids are involved. Adults are involved. You have to write timelines. Utilize every inch of kitchen space. Work together.  It’s like a marathon of cooking and I go at it headfirst.

This Thanksgiving was the same, yet different. The past few years I’ve been responsible for the turkey and a few sides, collaborating and cooking with my mom. But this time around my sister DeAnna and I (the cooks of the family) took the reins, cooking for our family, plus her in-laws, at her house. We divvied up dishes and responsibilities, and I took on the stuffing because frankly, I could just have that for Thanksgiving and be happy.

I’ve had this recipe saved for over 2 years, just waiting for the chance to make it. I love and adore my mom’s stuffing, but it’s very traditional and I’ve been dying to make something a little different. I knew this could be it – just a slight twist on the classic flavors with a few interesting additions. You’ve got bread and celery and stock, but you’ve also got leeks (my addition), bacon, and cashews. When I saw this on Smitten Kitchen I loved it for it’s onion-receptacle (which I ended up nixing for its fussiness), but really wanted to pursue it for its flavor profiles. And thankfully, I did. The cashews add such an awesome salty, layered flavor and texture, and seriously, leeks and bacon have never been bad before, and they’re definitely not bad here.

I also included the recipe for pink fluff, a Jones family tradition we have both on Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s like white trash Bavarian Strawberry Cream with Jell-O and Cool Whip instead of gelatin and cream – a recipe from my mom’s step-dad we all indulge in every year.

So Happy Thanksgiving to all, enjoy the (enormous) amount of photos below and the holiday!