Back to Basics

Posted by Stephanie Meyer on Nov 30, 2008 at 6:12pm

Well, the party is over and as much fun as it was, I’m relieved to get back to Normal Eating. A little bit of rich goes a long way, baby. But mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, wine, cheeses, butter, AND whipped cream? Way too far, gah, eating like that just leaves me feeling exhausted. It’s fun…

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by Stephanie Meyer on Nov 28, 2008 at 8:43am

Happy Belated Thanksgiving! I hope you had some fun cooking and/or eating, hanging with family and friends, feeling grateful for a good life. We sure did our best on this end, on many (!) fronts, and had a great time. We’ve actually been celebrating for days, ever since I started meal prep on Monday (despite…

The Final Countdown

Posted by Stephanie Meyer on Nov 24, 2008 at 11:26am

The Thanksgiving countdown is offically on! I was the first customer at Whole Foods this morning, literally waiting for the doors to open, what a dork. Luckily, it’s pretty hard to stand out as a nerd at Whole Foods, so I whipped out my list, pushed up my glasses, shoved my frizzy hair back, and…

Pickling, Crackling, Bubbling

Posted by Stephanie Meyer on Nov 22, 2008 at 2:55pm

OK, Thanksgiving ’08 food prep is officially in process. I decided I had a hankering for pickled vegetables after the yummy Szechuan pickled veggies I enjoyed at The Tea House last week. This version won’t be spicy – just crisp and a bit salty/sweet. Nice to nibble, I think, as an appetizer with a few…

Ooooh Mommy!

Posted by Stephanie Meyer on Nov 20, 2008 at 4:28pm

I have a love-hate relationship with my refrigerator. It’s a big ‘un (love), but despite the space, it’s ridiculously full (hate). As my mother-in-law Dot once noted, you need a map to find your way around the thing. Despite the congestion, it’s frustratingly possible to open it and find…not much to eat. Unless you’re craving…

The Musical Fruit

Posted by Stephanie Meyer on Nov 19, 2008 at 12:12pm

I made quick spicy black beans on Monday, but today I slow-simmered a pot of the Creole Southern version, spicy/smoky with cayenne pepper and andouille sausage. I committed heresy and substituted pintos for red (kidney) beans (I don’t like kidney beans, love pintos). If you soak the beans overnight – whichever bean you choose – it…

Brine, Baby, Brine

Posted by Stephanie Meyer on Nov 17, 2008 at 8:03am

Thanksgiving next week – are you getting ready? I’m not cooking yet, just thinking, thinking… To brine or not to brine, that is the question. Downside – you can’t stuff the turkey (although I prefer it unstuffed, so works for me). Upside – crisp skin, moist flesh, great flavor. I say brine. The recipe for…

Time for a Facelift…

Posted by Stephanie Meyer on Nov 16, 2008 at 3:11pm

…for my blog, thank you very much. Hey, welcome to the moderate epicurean’s new blog platform. It’s taken hours to set this bad boy up, but it’s starting to come together. I was ready for a fresher look and after extensive messing around on both WordPress and OnSugar to see which platform I liked better,…

Commanderie de Bord…oh!

Posted by Stephanie Meyer on Nov 15, 2008 at 9:56am

Ah, good morning. I’m up and at ’em, perhaps a bit on the late side, but in surprisingly good form considering the wickedly not (!) moderate 16 wines I tasted last night. Santé! Yes, as Debbie and Stuart Williams’ guest at the November meeting of the Commanderie de Bordeaux, I was on my best behavior…

Food Styling 101: Salads

Posted by Stephanie Meyer on Nov 14, 2008 at 5:42pm

I’m taking a food styling course, attempting to improve the quality and creativity of my food photos, as well as learn a bit more about a field I think would be terrific to work in. Maybe even get paid, ooh, there’s a novel concept. I’m only in the second week; our assignment was to put…