If we can cook it, you can cook it!

Category: Holiday Food

THIS IS THE WORLD’S BEST LASAGNA

THIS IS THE WORLD’S BEST LASAGNA

THIS IS THE WORLD’S BEST LASAGNA. A symbol of Italian cuisine, this layering of an intensely flavored meaty Bolognese sauce with a silky-rich bechamel sauce, and a restrained sprinkling of cheese has made it our best lasagna recipe for years. It bears very little resemblance…

These Lemon-Almond Meringue Tarts made their Baker a Star

These Lemon-Almond Meringue Tarts made their Baker a Star

Their almond-flavored crust, lemon curd, and marshmallow meringue make a star turn every time you bake them. Matt Lewis was an adman who fell in love with baking. And he fell hard. With his partner Renato Poliafito, he turned their hobby into a bakery called…

Buttermilk Waffles and Blueberries Perfect for Shrove Tuesday

Buttermilk Waffles and Blueberries Perfect for Shrove Tuesday

Pull out the waffle iron tomorrow night and make Buttermilk Waffles! Come to think of it, I can’t think of a time when I don’t want to pull out the waffle iron…but sense and Andrew put the kibosh on that idea.  So waffles are a…

Cranberry Crumb Cake with Almonds and Oats from Saveur Magazine

Cranberry Crumb Cake with Almonds and Oats from Saveur Magazine

Fresh Cranberries–or virtually any fruit you choose–make this Crumb Cake perfect for Holiday Baking. We have a lot of affection for Saveur Magazine. It was, after all, the first publication my food writing appeared in.  It’s also our kind of food magazine where there’s a…

S’mores Bars with Marshmallow Meringue from Cheryl and Griffith Day of Back in the Day Bakery, Savannah, GA.

S’mores Bars with Marshmallow Meringue from Cheryl and Griffith Day of Back in the Day Bakery, Savannah, GA.

The allure of a childhood favorite is undeniable.  Here two bakers from Georgia have captured the essence of one of life’s great pleasures—the S’more.  While the treat may be best remembered as campfire cooking at is best, here’s a recipe that brings it indoors and…

How to make Cheese a part of every Holiday Celebration

How to make Cheese a part of every Holiday Celebration

There are times when all the work  I put into Chewing The Fat truly pays off.  And certainly this holiday season got off to a great start with the arrival of a sensational group of cheeses from Marin French Cheese, the French-owned California Cheese Company…

A New Discovery for Thanksgiving

A New Discovery for Thanksgiving

Just in time for Thanksgiving, Seasoning so beloved, Overseas they try to make their own! Quite honestly, I’d never heard of Bell’s Seasoning. It’s a 150-year old recipe that’s been the backbone of many a New England Thanksgiving ever since it was invented by one…

If you bake nothing else this season, bake these: Apple Pie Bars

If you bake nothing else this season, bake these: Apple Pie Bars

  As you may imagine, Andrew goes all out every Holiday season with baked goods that are not only extraordinarily good, they cover all kinds of desserts. For Thanksgiving just past, he made Apple Pie Bars, two pies, Blueberry and Chocolate Cream, and a Ginger…

Ina Garten’s Lobster Pot Pie and, just for laughs, one woman’s take on it.

Ina Garten’s Lobster Pot Pie and, just for laughs, one woman’s take on it.

                  This is one of Ina Garten’s most beloved recipes.  It dates all the way back to 1999 when it appeared in Ina’s first cookbook “The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook” (Clarkson Potter 1999).  Since I can’t think of  a better time for luxury foods like…

Shrimp Scampi, an amazingly fast Italian American Classic and the story of the Feast of the 7 Fishes.

Shrimp Scampi, an amazingly fast Italian American Classic and the story of the Feast of the 7 Fishes.

Scampi  I first wrote this post a year ago. But I thought I would repeat it again this year because it’s a wonderful explanation of an Italian tradition that many Italian Americans will uphold again this Christmas Season. And the recipe follows my mantra for…

Raspberry Pistachio Cheesecake from John Barricelli of the SoNo Baking Company

Raspberry Pistachio Cheesecake from John Barricelli of the SoNo Baking Company

            Just before Thanksgiving, Andrew heard from a friend from his college days requesting a dessert recipe using raspberries.  Well it took all of two minutes to remember a spectacular cheesecake he made earlier in the season.  But why it has…

Rustic French Pate

           I discovered this wonderfully different paté almost by accident as you will read in this story. But in casting about for our 12 days of Christmas recipes, I realized it’s just the kind of dish that has Holiday written all…