Well, hello there, old friend. This is Homemade Jellied Cranberry Sauce, and I don’t care that Thanksgiving was last week — you need to make it. So get out that extra bag of cranberries and get cooking. It’s super good.

When I was a child, my grandmother would make cranberry sauce from scratch, starting with the familiar bag of cranberries and ending with a chunky, slightly sour, deep red sauce. Did I love it? Crave it? Pine for it? Um. No. I hated it. I dreaded it even. All I really wanted was that thick, jellied cranberry sauce in a can that made a distinct plock noise as it loosened and landed on a plate. And that jellied sauce? It needed to be sliced. Always sliced.

Then I grew up and made about 10,000 versions of whole bean cranberry sauce. Okay, maybe not 10,000 … but a lot. Still, even after experimenting and developing a whole berry cranberry sauce that I like, I pined a little for the canned jellied version. But I resisted … It just wouldn’t fit onto my homemade Thanksgiving table.

But then my baby brother came clean about preferring the jellied version too and I decided to figure out if there was a way to make it myself. Enter Vegan Yum-Yum’s recipe for Jellied Cranberry Sauce. It’s just as easy as making whole berry sauce, but it’s that jellied version we love. Cue the trumpets and confetti … this one is a total winner. Read the rest of this entry…

This is the story of a vinaigrette. A delicious, sweet-tangy vinaigrette that I adore.

Last year, I went to an event at Craftbar where I discovered my new favorite salad dressing: Shallot Vinaigrette. It was one of those edible moments where the fork glided into my mouth and I was instantly won over. Forkful after forkful, I couldn’t get enough. I loved it so much that I begged Maris, who was working at the event, to get my the recipe (sadly, they didn’t fork it over).

A few weeks ago, I was leafing through old editions of Everyday Food, looking for recipes, inspiration — something. And it was there that I found it. A recipe for Shallot Vinaigrette, tucked neatly between advertisements for coffee and maraschino cherries. I probably leafed right past it back in 2006 when the magazine arrived.

Honestly, there was no way of knowing if this dressing would be anything like the Craftbar one. Even looking at the ingredients, it was hard to tell if the result would be something I’d enjoy. The list included a substantial amount of mustard, which usually makes me skim past recipes. But I decided to go for it anyway. Who knows … it could be incredible, right?

I really paid little attention to the recipe directions, and just mixed everything together at once, exchanging Marjoram for oregano (since the grocery store was out of the latter). Of course, I sampled before pouring into a dressing container too … but the real verdict came when I dressed my salad with it. So, was it bliss? Um, yes. This Shallot Vinaigrette was fabulous. Everyone who tried it raved — a good sign, for sure.

Read the rest of this entry…

Our Thanksgiving celebration is being postponed this year, until the weekend. While I prefer celebrating on the actual day, this year we just had to move the feast. So, have I planned my Thanksgiving spread yet? Not exactly.

I have a great idea of what we’ll be serving. But I haven’t put pen to paper yet. So, if you are a last-minute planner, you aren’t alone.

Still, with Thanksgiving day just days away, I am now thinking about appetizers. Here are a few fantastic ideas to make your appetizer spread grand.

• Mozzarella Crescent Rolls
• Freeform Puff Pastry Tart
• Basil White Bean Dip
• Sundried Tomato Basil Hummus
• Turkey Pepperoni and Cheese Puff Pastry

Looking for more ideas? Check out my post on Tablespoon.com about planning a Thanksgiving appetizer spread.

Last week, someone posed a question on Twitter about what really makes Thanksgiving for you. It came from some food related source, which escapes me, but it struck me: it’s not about the turkey or the pies or anything else. It’s really about family. Thanksgiving is all about family.

My family doesn’t have a set menu each year. I am big on changing things up, and as someone who makes a career from writing about food, we often are adding new dishes to the menu and replacing old ones. But what traditions we do have revolve around everyone being there, together, enjoying.

Nonetheless, the food is important since it’s meant to be a special meal — a step outside the ordinary. So, I wanted to offer up some suggestions for delicious side dishes for Thanksgiving to change up your menu this year.

• Apple, Sage and Walnut Stuffing – Sweet, savory and meaty — without the meat. This version of stuffing is perfect for any table — but particularly meat-free ones.
• Easy Roasted Cheddar-y Cauliflower – Yes, it’s easy. And yes, it’s fast. But this fabulous side dish is also delicious with sharp cheddar coating sweet, roasted cauliflower. Mmm.
• Orange Glazed Beets – Forget super sweet beet recipes, these tangy, saucy beets are a step out of the ordinary — and absolutely delicious.
• Glazed Carrots and Parsnips – On the other hand, if you love sweet sides, these Glazed Carrots and Parsnips deliver big time.
• Pomegranate Thyme Carrots – A little sweet, a little savory. These carrots are tender and delicious.
• Olive Brussels Sprouts with Feta, Roasted Red Peppers and Bacon – Brussels sprouts are a must for our Thanksgiving dinner, and this beautiful recipe is full of big, bright flavors. Make a huge batch.
• Savory Pumpkin Soup - Don’t confuse this with pumpkin pie. This savory pumpkin soup is addictively good, and totally savory with sage, onions and more.

Tomorrow: Fabulous Thanksgiving Appetizers

Whenever I start to talk about my kids’ eating habits, I pause to admit how blessed I am. They aren’t picky. Heck, they eat almost everything and will try anything once. I know I am lucky — and I know that other parents aren’t so lucky.

And why do I know that? Of course, I have heard the stories from others. The kids who eat only white foods or only peanut butter or whatever. But that’s not all. I was a bit of a picky eater myself when I was a kid. While I eat almost everything now, back then I was anti-veggies. Frankly, I really wasn’t particularly fond of broccoli. Or cauliflower. Or green beans, peas, lima beans, corn … you get the idea.

But my uncle Hugo? He was a wonderful cook and wanted me to learn to love my veggies. So, instead of just accepting that I probably would only take a nibble or two of any given vegetable at family dinners, he devised a plan: Lure me into eating my broccoli and cauliflower with the addition of a creamy cheese sauce.

It worked. I ate copious amounts of veggies just to have more of that fabulous sauce. And eventually, I just liked the veggies themselves too.

This recipe reminds me of the veggies Hugo used to make for my benefit. The cheddar melts all over the cauliflower, lending a wonderful, sharp but creaminess to the tender pieces. It’s delicious, and what kid can resist this much cheese? Read the rest of this entry…

Homemade pasta with pesto

If there was just one carb to darken my doorway for the rest of eternity, it would be pasta. My kids request it nightly. I like it. My husband likes it. And there are endless ways to flavor and dress it. As far as versatile ingredients go, pasta is right up there.

Typically, we eat dried pasta. Heck, if you were to open my kitchen cabinets, you would find no less than five boxes of dried pasta. Go down to my basement and there is a whole tote of pasta (I stocked up during a great sale). It’s easy, and we like it.

But lately, homemade pasta has been on my brain. When I recently went to Minneapolis, I ate a delicate, tender housemade pasta that was out of this world. Every bite was creamy, silky bliss. Ever since then, I have been toying with the idea of making pasta again. The last time I made pasta was years ago, and I didn’t feel like the results were better than my favorite dried pasta, so I swore it off. But things change — skill levels, interests, desires … so this weekend, I did it again. Read the rest of this entry…

When I went on vacation with my friend’s family as a teen, I was nervous. I wanted to be the model guest. So, I was well-behaved and had good manners, but I still felt nervous — especially when it came to ordering food. Maybe it was silly to be so concerned about, but I worried about it.

When it came to breakfast at a nice restaurant one morning, I deferred to my friend’s mom for advice on what to order. She recommended a Swiss and Asparagus Omelet — and a love affair was born.

Honestly, I only ordered the omelet because she suggested it. I liked asparagus — but not enough for that item to jump out at me. Thank goodness I listened. That was the point where asparagus suddenly got elevated in my mind. It wasn’t just another vegetable — it was an amazing one.

This version of the omelet is a little lighter than the original, made with just one egg and one slice of Swiss, but still just as delicious.

Did you ever travel with your friends’ families as a teen? What did you get nervous about?
Read the rest of this entry…

A friend of mine made this cake for me last year. It was delish.

Can a blog have a birthday? Or is it better referred to as an anniversary? Whatever the case, five years ago today, I sat down at my old laptop and wrote the very first post ever for Sarah’s Cucina Bella. Coming from a journalism background, I hemmed and hawed about publishing it without an editor to double check and and finesse it a bit … But finally, I hit publish and there it was.

I wasn’t really sure where this blogging thing would lead, but I was hoping it would open doors into food writing for me. It did, and I am forever grateful.

The cool part though? One day, someone I didn’t know left me a comment. People — beyond my friends — were reading! Writing this blog has been so much fun over the past five years, and I am excited for what the future will bring. Thank you so much for reading Sarah’s Cucina Bella.

To celebrate, I wanted to do something a little different this year.

Sarah’s Cucina Bella Birthday Giveaway!

It might be my blog’s birthday, but you are getting the present (well, one of you anyway).

One lucky reader will receive a 1-year-subscription to either Bon Appetit, Everyday Food or Cooking Light magazine (their choice).

To enter, simply leave a comment below telling me your favorite post ever on Sarah’s Cucina Bella and why.

You have from now until Friday, November 12, at 11:59 p.m. to enter. The winner will be chosen at random using a Random Number Generator application. Be sure to leave a valid email address so that I can contact you.

Disclosure: This giveaway is being paid for by me as a thank you to my readers. Just me.

Mmm ... warm Brussels sprouts for lunch.

This morning we awoke to the tsk-tsk sounds of sleet falling outside. My dogs, who adore going outside early in the morning in the spring, summer and fall, quickly went back to bed when they saw it coming down. Clearly, winter is coming (a fact that intellectually makes sense, but practically really doesn’t hit you until you see the change in weather).

And when winter comes, my days of salads and sandwiches for lunch are numbered. Frankly, I keep our house pretty chilly (to save on home heating oil), so a warm lunch is pretty much a requirement on cold days. Grilled cheese, soup, chili, reheated leftovers … they all are good for this.

Along with the chilly temperatures comes Brussels sprouts season — and I adore Brussels sprouts. So, when I started working on this recipe, I didn’t want another side dish. I wanted something craveworthy and substantial enough to serve as a lunch. This Olive Brussels Sprouts with Feta, Roasted Red Peppers and Bacon is perfect.

The dish features olive flavor in three forms: chopped kalamatas, kalamata brine and olive oil. So, it’s totally super olive-y. The creamy, salty feta and tender, sweet roasted red peppers are a lovely complement to the slightly sweet roasted Brussels sprouts. And the bacon, it finishes it off perfectly. And considering that you can make this in about 30 minutes or so – start to finish – it’s perfect for lunchtime any day.

What do you like to eat for lunch on a cold day?

Read the rest of this entry…

Easy Low-Fat Salt and Pepper Chicken, Take Two

If you are a longtime reader of Sarah’s Cucina Bella, you might remember my recipes for Easy Low-Fat Salt and Pepper Chicken Breasts. It was a long post with adorable pictures of the kids, and a bad picture of the chicken. On Tuesday, I had the chance to reshoot this recipe with the help of professionals to figure out how to take something basic like this and make it look fabulous. The photo above is the result.

When I created my (ridiculously easy) recipe for Salt and Pepper Chicken, I was clueless how to make it look tasty in a photograph. I ended up tossing one piece on a white plate and snapping a picture.

The original photo ... Would you crave that?

And did it look irresistible? Like that special, easy recipe that everyone should have in their back pocket to make when you have no time to cook dinner or when you need a lightly seasoned chicken breast for topping a salad or drizzling with an extra special sauce? Um. No. That’s the original photo at the right … See how it looked more like a bland piece of chicken? The darkness and poor lighting didn’t help anything at all. I doubt anyone gave it a second look.

As a food writer who has had to learn to shoot photographs of the dishes and recipes I create, it’s been an uphill battle. This photograph frustrated me, but I just wasn’t sure what to do about it.

Yea.

So, when my buddies (and coworkers!) at Tablespoon asked me to choose a couple potential recipes for my photography lesson with General Mills pros on my recent trip, this one topped the list. Fortunately, they agreed. Read the rest of this entry…