In Which I Make Grand Plans for Christmas Dinner (Plus a Recipe for Oven Crispy Potatoes!)

Hey there. What's going on? I'm just sitting here in my kitchen, drinking some coffee and listening to Ina Garten's show in the background. I should probably be out buying Christmas presents, or writing out Christmas cards or helping my husband shovel the driveway but I'm not. My bathrobe is too comfy and it's too warm inside to venture out into the cold, even though outside looks like a glittery white winter wonderland after last night's snowstorm. After I drink my next cup of coffee then I will start writing out my shopping list for the big Christmas Day dinner that we'll be hosting for our family. My goal is to serve a formal sit-down meal of least five courses for twelve people for under $100 - two appetizers, a salad, an entree with three sides and a spectacular dessert. $100 seems like a reasonable amount for a dozen people, doesn't it? I mentioned the $100 goal to a few people and their reactions were really interesting. A couple of people thought $100 wasn't nearly enough and one person thought $100 was overly generous. I seem to be the only person who thinks $100 is just right. So I'll guess we'll need to wait and see how it all works out on Friday. After Christmas, I'll post the shopping list along with all the recipes I used. And, of course, pictures!

Anyhoo, let's talk about potatoes now. In my opinion, potato chips are the highest and best use of the humble potato. Do you dare to disagree? I didn't think so. Well, maybe you can rightfully claim a tie with french fries. I will allow that. I came up with this recipe for Oven Crispy Potatoes because I wanted to blend the thin, crispyness of a potato chip with that slightly creamy inside of a perfectly executed french fry. Obviously, I didn't *actually* invent this recipe all by myself. It's a simple way of roasting sliced potatoes that has been done a bazillion times before by a bazillion different people but this is how I do it. This recipe is really more of a technique than anything else. Once you've mastered the roasting part, which is super easy, you can season the potato slices any which way you'd like. My personal favorite is dill, with thyme a close second.

OVEN CRISPY POTATOES

3 large russet potatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons very good quality olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried green herbs of your choice: dill, thyme, sage, parsley, rosemary, or any combination of those
1/4 teaspoon finely ground white or black pepper
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Peel the potatoes. Slice 1/4" thick using a mandoline. If you don't have a mandoline then use a very sharp knife and a steady hand. You should have long oval slices.

Toss the potato slices in a large bowl with the olive oil, dried herbs and the pepper.

Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Use two baking sheets if you can't fit all of them on one sheet.

Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes or until deeply golden brown on the edges but still a little soft in the middle. If you're using two baking sheets then switch their positions in the oven halfway through the cooking time to ensure even cooking.

Remove from oven. Use a spatula to transfer the slices to a serving dish. Sprinkle with the salt and serve right away while piping hot.

Serves 4.

10 Great Foodie Gifts Under $50

Only nineteen more shopping days until Christmas! Have you started shopping yet? A couple of my Facebook friends recently posted status updates about already being done with their gift shopping. Those people amaze me. I used to wait until the last minute to buy gifts, which meant I was always battling for the last parking spot at the mall, pushing my way through crowded stores and, invariably, becoming exasperated when I failed to find the perfect gift for that special someone at the 11th hour on Christmas Eve. But all that changed a few years ago when I discovered the joys of online shopping. No long lines, no crowded parking lots, no Christmas carol muzak. What's not to love?

Here are 10 great but still affordable gift suggestions for everyone on your holiday gift list, from some of my favorite online stores.

1. Anthropologie: I love everything about this store. The clothes are to die for and the homegoods are absolutely charming. The Stockholm Floral Apron will delight the foodie fashionista. $28

2. Williams Sonoma: Sweetheart foodies looking for any reason to pucker up will appreciate the romance of the Copper Ribbon Kissing Ball, a fun take on traditional mistletoe. $49.95

3. Stonewall Kitchen: For the sweet tooth foodie, give the Chocolate Dessert Topping gift set that includes three scrumptious flavors - Raspberry Liqueur Hot Fudge, Bittersweet Chocolate and Chocolate Peppermint. $20.95

4. Crate and Barrel: Wine lovers will really like the Vinturi Red Wine Aerator. $39.95

5. Harry & David: Too often, our older neighbors spend a lot of time alone so let's try to remember them this holiday season. Surprise your elderly neighbor with the White Bird Teapot and brew up a couple cups of tea to sip over an hour or two of conversation. I bet they'll be so pleased to spend some time with you. $16.95

6. Batter Up Kids Cooking Shop: Get your youngest foodie in the kitchen and see what they whip up with the Kids' Fun and Healthy Cookbook. $17.99

7. Penzeys Spices: Health conscious foodies can tour the culinary globe from the comfort of their kitchens with the eight no sodium seasonings included in the International Salt Free 8 Jar Gift Box. $38.59

8. Wine Country Gift Baskets: Give the Windwhistle Grove Vintners Selection Gift Basket to your favorite foodie couple that loves to entertain friends at home. This gift basket is filled with everything they need to have a few friends over for wine and tasty snacks. $49.95

9. Sur la Table: Give a tiny herb garden. Potted Culinary Herbs help make every home cooked meal taste extra special, all year round. $24.95

****REVEL & FEAST'S FAVORITE GIFT IDEA****
10. Heifer International: For the foodie who already has everything, honor them with a gift that benefits others. A Gift of Bees provides a family from an undeveloped country with the opportunity to earn income through the sale of honey, beeswax and pollen. Or, give a Gift of Geese, Ducks or Chicks. Gifts of fowl provide families with eggs to eat or sell. As the fowl grow and reproduce, their offspring can be gifted to neighboring families. These are beautiful and compassionate gifts that truly capture the spirit of Christmas. $20-$30.

Read Up & Eat Up for November 22-28, 2009

Last week's best in recipes and foodie news on the web.

RAMBLING SPOON
Gourmet may be no more but its Asian correspondent blogs on. Karen takes us to Vietnam with Here and There: Two Extraordinary Thanksgivings.

THE KITCHN
You have lots of leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Use it wisely. In Praise of the Humble Turkey Sandwich.

BAKING BITES
More ideas for turkey sandwiches. Cuz like I said, you have lots of leftover turkey.

MOTHER NATURE NETWORK
Waste not, want not. Learn 10 Ways to Curb Your Food Waste.

***PICK OF THE WEEK***
JAMIE OLIVER
The Naked Chef launches an online dating site. For real. Apparently, it's going to be the place where food lovers meet. I can't decide if this is a fantastic idea or a terrible idea. Either way, I am intrigued.

Just in Time for Thanksgiving - Sausage, Fennel & Pear Stuffing

Hi everyone! Once again, I apologize for being MIA. Sorry! I've been working in New York City for the past couple of months and, given that I live in central Connecticut, the commute has been a bit rough. Two hours one way and then two hours in the other direction. But now I'm back, just in time for the long Thanksgiving weekend! Yay!

Mmmm. Thanksgiving. Turkey, cranberry sauce, STUFFING!! Or dressing, if you'd rather call it that. Down south they tend to call it dressing and up north we tend to call it stuffing. Here's the technical distinction: stuffing is cooked inside the bird while dressing is cooked in a pan alongside the bird. I prefer my stuffing prepared outside the turkey but I still call it stuffing because whenever I call it dressing people give me confused looks and have no idea what I'm talking about. So stuffing it is and always shall be in my house. Although, I love the word dressing because it sounds like you're accessorizing your turkey. Only the most fashionable turkeys are fully dressed in the season's finest trimmings. Haha.

We usually go to my in-laws' house for our Thanksgiving feast which means I rarely get a chance to roast a whole turkey with the works because that's not a meal you can whip up quickly on an ordinary day. So I like to make just the stuffing and serve it as a whole meal with a big green salad. I know. It's a brilliant idea. This works for us because my stuffing recipe has everything you need for a meal- meat, veggies and bread. It's all in there, plus the addition of a little fruit to sweeten the deal. The building blocks of this recipe are turkey sausage, white bread and pears but feel free to switch it up if you don't have any of those things. In a pinch you can sub in pork or chicken sausage, whole wheat or spelt bread, or apples. Vegetarians, you can use soy sausage (which is surprisingly delicious so don't knock it, carnivores) or double up on the veggies and fruit. And now that I'm thinking about it, a handful of chopped pecans or chestnuts would be great too. Maybe I'll add some next time.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

SAUSAGE, FENNEL & PEAR STUFFING

1 loaf (16 ounces) crusty white bread, unsliced, cut in large but still bite-size cubes, 1" or 1 1/2"
3 tablespoons butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 fennel bulb, cored and diced small
20 ounces mild turkey sausage
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon dried savory
1/4 teaspoon dried orange peel or 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons fennel seed
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 ripe but still firm pears, cored and diced with skin left on
2 cups low sodium chicken, turkey or vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread bread cubes on a baking sheets in a single layer. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes to dry out the bread and to brown a bit. Remove from oven and pour into a very large mixing bowl.

Melt half of the butter in a large pot over medium heat.

Add onion, garlic, celery and fennel. Saute for 10 minutes, until softened.

Raise heat to medium high. Add sausage and saute while breaking up sausage in little pieces. Saute until sausage is no longer pink, about 10-15 minutes.

Add the thyme, savory, orange peel, salt, fennel and pepper. Stir completely.

Add the turkey and vegetables to the bread cubes.

Mix in the parsley and pears.

Use the remaining butter to grease a large baking pan, at least 9x13 inches.

Spread the stuffing into the pan but don't pack it down too tightly.

Pour half of the chicken broth all over the stuffing.

Cover with tin foil. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

At the 45 minute mark, take out the stuffing and stir it. Add another 1/3 cup of broth. Recover with the foil and bake for another 20 minutes. Do another check and add a little more broth if necessary. Use your good judgment. If you like wet stuffing then by all means add all of the broth. After the last check, take off the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until nicely browned on top.

Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 10.

Oven Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Zest

Here's a piece of trivia for you- asparagus spears can grow up to ten inches in twenty four hours. Ten inches! Isn't that amazing? Who knows, maybe you'll win a Trivial Pursuit game with that piece of knowledge. I'm really tempted to plant some asparagus next summer so I can witness this for myself but I don't have a green thumb so it probably won't happen. I'm really terrible with plants. My house is the place where plants come to die.

Asparagus is a really versatile vegetable that goes well with almost any entree. You can't ever go wrong with a side of steamed asparagus, seasoned with a pinch of kosher salt. I'm a big fan of steaming vegetables because it's a quick, low-fat method of cooking that retains nutrients but there's only so many days in a row that you can eat steamed veggies without getting a little bit bored. Oven roasting vegetables can break that monotony. Thicker asparagus fair especially well in the oven because they're really dense so they can stand up to the heat. The thinner asparagus that are about the diameter of a pencil also roast up well but they tend to get too crispy at the ends so you need to watch them carefully to make sure they aren't drying out too much and burning.

This is my go-to roasted asparagus recipe and you can switch it up a ton of different ways to suit your mood. Like most roasted vegetables, the addition of a little garlic or chopped fresh herbs would not be frowned upon. So root around your fridge and see what you have. If you want garlic, mix in a couple of sliced cloves before you slip the pan into the oven. If you're planning to sprinkle on some fresh herbs, do it when you add the lemon zest at the end so that the flavors stay fresh and vibrant.

Try this asparagus with some poached eggs and hot buttered toast for an easy, elegant lunch.

OVEN ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH LEMON ZEST

1 pound asparagus, which is usually one bunch
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice or balsamic vinegar
zest of one lemon
big pinch of good quality salt (I like to use Hawaiian pink salt but kosher salt is good too)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Trim the woody ends of the asparagus.

Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Sprinkle the olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar over the asparagus. Gently shake the pan back and forth so that all of the pieces are coated.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are tender, but still a bit crisp.

Place the asparagus on a serving platter.

Sprinkle the lemon zest over the top.

Serves 4.

Read Up & Eat Up for September 20-26, 2009

Last week's best in recipes and foodie news on the web.

THE RECIPE GIRL
Simple but far from basic. Rosemary, blue cheese and butternut squash risotto...mmmmm!! This recipe will please veggies and meateaters alike.

THE ARUGULA FILES
Restaurant review of Taqueria Nacional in Washingon, D.C.'s Capitol Hill, complete with mouthwatering pix. Apparently, this joint offers a chorizo taco. I am so there on my next trip to DC.

SALAD IN A JAR
Eat carrots. Stay skinny.

STIRRING THE POT
The annual autumnal obsession with maple syrup begins. Did I mention muffins AND brownies are involved?

***PICK OF THE WEEK***
WHITE ON RICE COUPLE
Feed the hungry. We have so much. Let's give back.

Pan Roasted Chicken with Sundried Tomatoes & Basil

Hi guys. Sorry that I've been MIA for a couple of weeks. Life served me up a big bowl of crazy and I've been running around like a madwoman trying to do this and that and consequently not really getting anything done that I actually want to do. You know how it is sometimes. I also haven't had reliable internet access, which obviously throws a few kinks into my blog writing schedule.

I'll tell you more about what I've been up to later. But I'm here right now and boy do I have a great recipe to share with you.

Pan roasting chicken creates that crisp, succulent skin we all love and prevents that dried-out meat we all hate. The flavoring possibilities for pan roasted chicken are limitless but this recipe is a particular favorite of mine. Sundried tomatoes combine with fresh basil, lemon, white wine and a touch of sweet butter to create a mouthwatering sauce for the chicken breasts. If you happen to have them, a small handful of chopped black olives would be a great addition right before serving.

PAN ROASTED CHICKEN WITH SUNDRIED TOMATOES & BASIL

4 boneless, skin-on chicken chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup basil, chiffonade
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
1 tablespoon cold butter

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.

Season the chicken breasts with the salt and pepper.

When the oil is heated, place the chicken pieces skin side down and brown well, about 4 minutes. Turn over and brown the other side, about two or three minutes.

Add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Saute for a minute or two until very fragrant.

Add the wine and lemon juice. Scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.

Add the sundried tomatoes.

Cover and simmer for twelve minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low if the pot reaches a full boil. You want just a gentle simmer.

When the chicken is cooked through, remove to a platter.

Turn off the heat under the pan.

Swirl in the butter until fully incorporated.

Pour the sauce over the chicken breasts. Garnish with the basil.

Serves 4.

TIP: I usually buy the sundried tomatoes that come packed in oil in a jar. If you have that kind, substitute the tomato oil for the olive oil for an extra layer of flavor. It's okay if you can only find the sundried tomatoes packed plain in plastic. They'll rehydrate when you cover the pan to finish cooking the chicken.