Food

Or should that be "grate"?  My Food for Thought pard Nancy Leson swears she uses a box grater not a food processor to grate the spuds.  Good thing she keeps a sufficient supply of band-aids on hand. Keep reading for the recipe.

 Don't you think you're due? It had been about ten years for me and that was too long. 

Traditionalist that I am I went with Oscar Mayer, spongy white bread,  mayo, iceberg lettuce and house-brand chips. The result is pictured above. Was it good?

What is it with kale? That's what one of our producers asked this week, after hearing about the "Eat More Kale" standoff between Vermont t-shirt maker Bo Muller-Moore and the fast-food chain Chick-fil-A. (Check this story on last night's All Things Considered for more details.)

It's true that kale seems to be enjoying a certain limelight these days, and not just because Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin was willing to say publicly, "Don't mess with kale."

For many a year I was quite proud that other than appliances I owned no kitchen tools, pots, pans or gear of any kind that I paid more than $10 for.  

There was just one problem.

I was so proud of my brilliant Thanksgiving pecan pie innovation.  And then I learned the awful truth.

I love gravy. It's like liquid meat. Here's how I make it.

A cook's secrets are meant to stay in the kitchen. An off-recipe substitution, a unique addition, an improvised technique — they often come from inspiration, or just a sense of craft, that can make a home chef both proud and protective. Luckily for us, Chris Kimball of America's Test Kitchen is happy to share the secrets he's picked up in more than 30 years of cooking.

Ever since  I acquired Molly Stevens' All About Braising  in '04 my copy has become progressively more stained, tattered and torn.  In fact, some of the pages are actually falling out.    That's how good a cookbook it is.  Now the long wait is over.  Five years in the making, All About Roasting  is out at last— and just in time for Thanksgiving. 

In spirit of 11/11/11, last night I decided to pick up a bottle of Stone Brewing's latest release in their Vertical Epic series and crack it open at midnight.

Brewed with Anaheim Chilies, cinnamon sticks, and Belgian Flanders Golden Ale yeast (providing pretty intense clove and banana overtones), this beer is hard to categorize.