Wild Rice Stuffing with Pearl Onions, Dried Cherries and Apricots

I would love nothing more than to show you a beautifully styled photo of this great side dish for Thanksgiving.  BUT, I am in Philadelphia helping my daughter and son-in-law move into a new house and I won't be making this until Thanksgiving day.  I did want to share this with you because it is a really good dish and so different from potatoes, bread stuffing, sweet potato casserole and all the other usual Thanksgiving side dishes.  

The recipe is one I've used for years from Bon Appetit 1998.  It is now on Epicurious and you can view it here.  The recipe calls for a combination of wild and white rice but I've been very happy with this gourmet blend from Lundberg.  The rice is cooked in broth with thyme.

While the rice cooks, blanched and peeled pearl onions are sautéd in butter.  

Just before removing the rice from the heat, chopped dried apricots, dried cherries and raisins are to the mixture and simmered for 3 minutes.  The rice is then removed from the heat and butter and the onions are added along with toasted pecans.

The rice stuffing can be cooked inside the turkey or in a baking dish.  

My lactose intolerant friend will be able to eat this dish as butter does not bother her.  

I love this dish as a Thanksgiving leftover too.  AND it is equally delicious with pork, especially as a stuffing with Crown Roast of Pork.  

Let me know if you give it a try.  

Thanksgiving Food: Appetizer

My computer is back after having the trackpad replaced.  It is great to be connected and back to Spiral Style.  The one result of the computer issues is that my photos were deleted with the trash.  Ouch!!  I'm hoping to restore the photos that I've backed up with my external harddrive with some help from the good people at the Apple store, One-on-One staff.

Meanwhile, this is Thanksgiving week and the focus is thankfulness, family and food...then black Friday.  I'm going to concentrate on food and today I'd like to share an appetizer idea.
I saw this recipe in the NY Times this past week.  The recipe is from Jean-Georges Vongerichten for Squash on Toast.

Squash on Toast

Call these toasts or crostini or bruschetta, the idea is that toasted bread is the vehicle for some lovely roasted squash and caramelized onions topping a layer of ricotta.  The addition of cider vinegar and maple syrup to the onion mixture evokes autumnal flavors.

Thin slices of squash are oven roasted with red pepper flakes while sliced onions are sauteed stove top.  When the onions are are sufficiently caramelized, the syrup and vinegar are added to achieve a "jammy" consistency. 

The squash and onions are then simply mashed together with a fork.

Toast some baguette slices.  The suggested method is in a pan with olive oil.  You could simply toast the bread or grill it without the addition of oil.

Spread some really good fresh ricotta on the toast and then top with the squash mixture.  If you are ambitious, make your own ricotta using the instructions here.   

I used thyme leaves as a garnish rather than the suggested mint.  

I LOVED this recipe.  The texture of the squash and onions are complimented by the smooth ricotta and crunchy bread and the flavors evoke autumn.  These toasts are a great appetizer but would be equally at home as an accompaniment to a soup or salad.  

I highly recommend this recipe.  It is worth the effort.  

Sick Computer

I've got a sick computer.  No posts until I get it fixed.  :(  

Monday Musings

Welcome back from what I hope was a deliciously relaxing weekend.

I'm back from the Bahamas and I must say that the sun and 70 degree temperatures in Michigan on Sunday made me feel if I was still on vacation.  Upon entering the US at the Miami airport I was greeted by one of the first harbingers of the holiday season...the festive Starbucks cup.  The next nod to the holidays was seeing Christmas decorations lit in my neighborhood!!!  So, I decided to hang up the fake, lighted, garland on my deck while it was warm rather than in freezing my fingers off and doing it in the snow later on.  No, it is not plugged in nor adorned with bows as of yet.

Mossimo fur scarf $19.99

I took a quick trip to Target Sunday afternoon for milk and toothpaste and came home with this!  This little fur scarf has a loop to pull the opposite end of the scarf through to make a great neck warmer.  Sure, it is fake but it feels real soft, and warm.  

A cute way to enhance a coat or sweater for just $20!

So what is on your "to do" list this week?  I'm planning to order my Christmas party invitations and plan the menu for the party.  I'll be trying some new recipes that I'll share with you too.

Have a great week, no matter what you do.

Take Time

Take time...that's what I did this past week and it was wonderful.  I'm rested and relaxed and ready to get back to normal life and work.

Source: centsationalgirl.com via Deborah on Pinterest

The holidays are fast approaching and life will get even more crazy.  Take some time to breathe and relax.  Maybe make out a plan to accomplish your tasks early so you can really enjoy the meaning of the holidays and enjoy family, friends and yourself.  Have a a wonderful weekend. See you on Monday.

Abaco Inn, Bahamas

This view of the Sea of Abaco makes the Abaco Inn a very special place to have a drink and view the sunset.

Tonight marked the reopening of the Abaco Inn under new management.  

I've been watching the progress of the remodeling of the Inn and its surrounding buildings.

A large group of Elbow Cay residents attended the opening of the bar on Wednesday evening.  Yes, it was very windy!

The motto of the Abaco Inn is: "Tan your toes in the Abacos"

Thursday, the restaurant opens for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Friday is the grand opening with a live band.  Daphne, the bartender, has promised to share with me (and of course I'll share with you) the recipe for key lime martinis.

Until then, enjoy your day!

Spoon Sized

Presentation is everything and I'm always looking for an imaginative way to serve food for a party.  Bite sized portions on spoons are one way to do just that.

image

Purchasing dozens of Chinese porcelain spoons can be costly.  

Source: myrecipes.com via Deborah on Pinterest

Individual bites on bamboo spoons is a fresh take on the Chinese-style soup spoons.

A package of 25 spoons is $8.99

The spoons are disposable or wash and use again.