Dining room delivered

The only thing as important as good food is a great place to share it with your guests.  We've been in our house for about a year and a half and we're slowly starting to make it home.  That includes accumulating the furniture we need to make sure we can entertain.  The most important addition to make this possible was a large, modern dining room table from West Elm and accompanying chairs.  The picture below was taken on the eve of our inaugural dinner party, where a half dozen of our friends gathered around our new dining table to enjoy Thanksgiving leftovers, wine and laughter.

We still have a lot of work to do in the dining room including painting and replacing the outdated chandelier with something more modern, but for now the dining room table and chairs will allow us to entertain the way we like even if the room isn't completed finished.

Secrets to a successful Thanksgiving

I've had a dozen or more friends, many food-focused people like me, comment on how stressful it can be to host your first (or your fifteenth) Thanksgiving dinner. Here are my tips, based on seven years of delivering what I hope have been delicious Thanksgiving meals, to make it as minimally stressful as possible.

Plan ahead:
I plan my Thanksgiving meal at least two weeks in advance, sometimes as early as a month before.  I start stocking up on the staples (chicken stock, etc.) that can take up a little pantry space but won't go bad lest I be left standing in Whole Foods wondering where all my ingredients have disappeared to and whether they might return before I'm totally out of luck.

Stagger the work:
There are many Thanksgiving "to do" items that can be accomplished long before Thanksgiving day arrives.  Pie crust can be made two days ahead and refrigerated and pies can be made the night before. Making bread stuffing? Bread can be be broken up and left to dry up to three days ahead of time. This goes hand in hand with good planning and will leave you with far less to do on the actual day.

Share with your guests:
When your guests say, "What can I bring?", don't be afraid to give them something significant to add to the celebratory meal.  It's easy to give away the dinner rolls or a few bottles of wine, but there's no reason not to assign something more substantial like a salad or other side dish.  I'd stay away from the staples here though, as you never know when someone's plans might change unexpectedly and leave you without the mashed potatoes (which in my house might be cause for riot). And yes, for those of you who know me, you realize this particular piece of advice is a "do as I say, not as I do" commentary since I'm clearly the queen of kitchen control freaks and refuse to assign anything more substantial than flowers for the table to a guest.

Stick to what you know:
Thanksgiving is not the time to experiment.  My rule of thumb is no more than one brand new dish and never a staple.  For example, this year I made all the normal fixings - turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, etc.  And I also tried out a new roasted Brussel sprout with pomegranate molasses recipe.  Survey says? Ok. Not the best, not the worst.  But that's fine, because I stuck to what I knew and also made green beans tossed with olive oil and garlic, a nice alternative to the bitterness that even the best Brussel sprouts can bring.

Don't forget the wine: 
Wine is as much a part of your Thanksgiving meal as the turkey.  Know your guests tastes and decide ahead of time whether you want to serve red, white or both. I love to start my Thanksgiving day out with a bottle of bubbly for guests to sip while B and I finish with dinner preparations.  And of course, have plenty of beer, liquor and non-alcoholic beverages on hand for the non-wine drinkers in the group.

Think long-term (for the food):
The best part of Thanksgiving, by far, is the leftovers.  Consider this when you're planning your meal.  If you want to make sure you have left over turkey to go around, plan two pounds per person instead of one. Also consider the need for leftovers in your preparation. For example, I brine my turkey to make sure that it's really juicy so that not only is it excellent the first time it hits the table but stands up to reheating without turning to dust.  Extra mashed potatoes make great potato croquettes the next day, so don't skimp on those either.

Give up on perfect and be happy with pretty damn good:
Every host stresses about making their Thanksgiving day a perfect celebration.  There is no such thing. Your pie crust won't be as good as last year's or your idiot cousin will get drunk and offend your friends.  One way or another, something won't go according to plan. So instead of spending a lot of time fretting about what might go wrong, resolve that something probably will and be willing to roll with it.  This will allow you to enjoy the rest of the day that much more and will keep your blood pressure nice and low. And if all else fails, crack into the Champagne before your guests arrive.  Just make sure you can still whip the potatoes.

Spicy chili with beans

I am not a chili purist. I believe that if it looks like chili when it's done and it tastes good, well then, mission accomplished. Therefore, the recipe I am about to share has beans it. But I'm still calling it chili and I am unapologetic about it. It's a great cold weather comfort food that's easy(er) on the waistline without forgoing all the flavor I've come to expect from chili. This recipe makes enough for six people and can be enjoyed over several days. In fact, it seems to get better with age (within reason).

Ingredients
1 1/4 lbs ground beef
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can of tomato sauce
2 (14 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, San Marzano preferred
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
4 oz beer, stout preferred
1/8 cup of Worcestershire sauce
1 (16 ounce) can of red kidney beans
Shredded cheddar cheese (for garnish)
Sour cream (for garnish)

To prepare:

Brown the beef in a large, heavy bottomed pan along with the jalapeno, garlic, and the chopped onion. If the water released by the beef fails to evaporate during the browning process drain it off before continuing.

Add the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, beans, 2 tablespoons of chili powder, 1 tablespoon of cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the beer, Worcestershire sauce and another 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and chili powder. Simmer for 2 hours.

To serve top with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!

Restaurant Review: Sea Pearl

This Sunday N, B and I tried out a relatively new local spot, Sea Pearl, for brunch.  B and I have been there once - when it first opened - but the menu has changed considerably which made us excited to try it again.

When you walk in, you're greeted with lots of warm toned wood, dark and rich, in the bar and lobby area.  And it's spacious, much more so than you expect for a little-known restaurant located in this area.  The dining room itself combines sea tones with brighter accents (like orange place mats) and generally keeps to the contemporary theme the whole place has going for it.

The menu is filled with a combination of brunch standards, many with some interesting twists, and a few just straight up new and novel dishes.  Having looked at the menu before arriving, we wasted no time ordering two starters (which we claimed we weren't going to finish to leave room for our mains - hah!).  N chose the ricotta fritters while B selected the churros. Two fried items to start the brunch? Sign me up, I'm training for a half marathon, it will be fine, right?  Don't care. It was TOTALLY worth it. The churros arrived hot and crispy and sweet (and if I'm being honest, a little phallic looking).  The ricotta fritters came cloaked in slices of caramelized peach and begging to be dipped in the lavender honey that accompanied them. One word - delicious.

The churro or a good reason to love Sea Pearl

Ricotta fritters with the peach accessories

After mowing through our starters (there was one churro and one fritter remaining, both of which would be devoured before the meal was done), we sat back to wait for our mains.  Their arrival was met with more awe as we dug in.  B had chosen the foie gras benedict, a fun twist on an old standard.  While I'm not much for foie gras, it's something B always enjoys and his opinion of this dish was clear when he was the first one to clean his plate by several minutes (a title that as a former waitress who used to live by the "eat it fast while it's hot" mentality, I generally claim).

English muffin, foie gras, poached egg and hollandaise

N decided to give their upscale slant on the burger a try, ordering the Wagyu beef burger.  This large burger arrived open faced, served with caramelized onions and sharp cheddar.  While normally also served with garlic fries, this potato side isn't one of N's favorites leading her to choose a healthier option- steamed spinach.  Another win with this dish as it was well prepared, juicy and delicious.

Beautiful burger presentation

After playing obnoxious food blogger and snapping pics of everything on the table, I finally got to dig into my own Cajun-style shrimp roll served with a mixed green salad and garlic fries.  The shrimp had lots of spice but somehow still retained its fresh shellfish flavor.  The roll was buttery and soft and made a great compliment to the shrimp.  And of course there were the garlic fries, which in an absurd act of self restraint I only ate half of, but they were good enough to clean the plate!

Mmm...shrimp

Clearly, this was a meal filled with highlights. But there was one lowlight too - the service.  Up until our mains arrived the service was fine, attentive but not intrusive, what you'd expect.  Then our meals were delivered and it was as though the server's responsibility to our table was complete.  We had to actually get up and go to the bar to get our check.  Not cool.  I'm going to throw the place a bone and say that they did get slammed with what looked like two servers on the floor, but that's when you get your host or bar staff to help out with things like filling water and delivering checks.  Since the service was fine the first time B and I went, we're hoping this is a fluke and are willing to give the place another chance since the food is excellent, but it's a one more shot deal.

"Game day" chili

"Tis the season for chili. And since I'm really over the last chili recipe I used, I spent some time looking for a new one to try. In fact, this recipe, courtesy of Food Network's Melissa d'Arabian, is one of several chili recipes I intend to test drive over the next few weeks as I search for the right one to add to my fall food arsenal.

The verdict? This chili contains a whole dark beer and a teaspoon of cocoa. I chose stout to pair the chocolate undertones with the cocoa and it turned out really well. In fact, for depth of flavor/richness, this chili gets an A. However, if you're looking for a zesty chili, this is not the recipe for you. It's got great flavor, but it will not make your nose run as some of the best chilis do!

Ingredients
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound ground beef
1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
3 cups black beans
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 (14-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
Kosher salt
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated Cheddar, for garnish
Chopped scallions, for garnish

Directions

In a large saucepan or small Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until the fat renders and the bacon is cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook until the onion softens, about 5 more minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the beef and cook until no longer pink. Raise the heat to medium-high, deglaze with the beer, and allow to bubble and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beans, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, chili powder, red pepper flakes, cocoa, and salt. Stir to combine well. Simmer for 30 minutes, or more, and serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and chopped scallion, if desired.

 Chili, ready to be served and garnished