THANKSGIVING LIVE!

Blogging live as the meal gets prepared.  My job, the potatoes which I just posted about. 

Mom's was the brussel sprouts with mustard bechamel.  Love the smell of onions and shallots caramelizing in butter! 

Dad just popped the mac n cheese from the oven and his sweet potatoes are done.  Just adding the marshmallows on top to heat up later.   

The ham is in the over and the deboned turkey (a first) will go in at 3pm. 

SO that means dinner by 6pmish???  Papa cooked his pernil last night.  Abuelita is bringing the green bean casserole and mommy picked up southern pecan and three berry pie at the little pie company in the city.  Stuffing, cranberry sauce, rolls and gravy will be the last items done.  Hope it all makes it on my plate.  Zoe's job has been to entertain Layla!  Doesn't it sound like Iron Chef?  A perfect thanksgiving to me!  Pictures of the finished meal L8tr!!

thanksgiving mashed potatoes

Paula Deen's thanksgiving mashed potatoes.

Hello long time no speak it's Naomi starting a whole bunch of new recipes.This one to the right is inspired by Paula Deen. Here are all the ingredients:

• 5 lbs of potatoes
• 2 sticks of butter 
• 2 cups of half and half
• Salt and pepper to taste

First peel all of the potatoes.( I did it this time and it takes a very long time if your slow at peeling like me) Then cut then into quarters for the big ones make them the size of the medium sized ones. ( Get out the butter and melt it while your cutting the potatoes for 1 minute and 10 seconds, don't cut the bigger ones first and use a chef's knife) Then boil them until fork soft. Drain them, and put them back into the pot. Mash them again.( If you want to mash more quickly use a small metal masher) Get the butter and pour all of it in. Mash it even more.( Lots of mashing)

Then add as much half and half as you like, it depends on what

texture you like your mashed potatoes at i recommend using

almost all of it. Last but not least add salt and pepper until it

tastes right to you.

Mrs. Carolyns fruitsalad in a watermelon

ingredients

kiwi

melon

strawberry

pineapple

cantaloupe

grapes

First get your watermelon and hollow it out with a large spoon. Last but not least ( short recipe) Chop the fruits up into 8 pieces and place them into the watermelon you have cut open and hollow.

Paula Deen's Assistant Emailed Me!

Ok, so it wasn't Paula herself but it's close!  I asked her for an interview and her nice assistant Cassie Aimar emailed me that Ms. Deen is very busy but that she wished me the best of luck.  She works with her in Savannah, GA.  Maybe when I become a famous food critic I'll get to meet her!!

The cranky cook's Sunday steak

Daddy made a new recipe for steak.  It was so tasty we had seconds and thirds.  He used his new Thomas Keller cookbook Ad Hoc.  He marinated the steaks in rosemary, garlic, thyme and peppercorn infused olive oil.  Wow.  They came out soooo gooood.  We like this new cookbook.  Yay Daddy.

Papa's Pork "Pernil"

I'm going to tell you about my grandfather's pork.

It was my grandfather's birthday and on that day I tasted

the best pork ever.  I loved it.  I liked the texture of the pork and the salty skin.

It was so good I had to have seconds!   I  just loved the sauce

with the pork.  In it was red onion,vinegar,cilantro,and tomato.

The Spanish name is agrio.  Delicioso!

Check out the picture.

My favorite TV Cooking Shows

In case you need some inspiration my favorite TV cooking shows are:

Rachel Ray

Paula Deen (butter!)

Barefoot Contessa

Iron Chef

Ace of Cakes

Food Network Challenge

Bobby Flay