At the end of last year, Courant rock critic Eric Danton gave me a copy of his 2009 Listen Dammit compilation. On it was perhaps one of the most entertaining songs I’ve ever heard: Das Racist’s “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell,” an ode to the fast-food chains that share store facades.
I missed the first airing of Food Network’s “Worst Cooks In America,” so I caught a rerun last night. I’m not normally a fan of chef-competition shows, surprising as that might seem. I don’t watch “Top Chef” or “Chopped” or “Food Network Star.” But I figured this one might be worth a laugh. And it was – some of the contestants’ dishes were so abysmal that I fancied myself a regular Julia Child in comparison.
Like most of you, I’ll be eating and opening presents more than I’ll be blogging this week, so I wanted to wish you all a very happy holiday.
We started a lively discussion about fruitcake on the Fun With Carbs Facebook page. (Become a fan if you haven’t already!) A divisive topic for sure. The word ‘nutmeats’ was used. And when I posted the same question on Twitter, I immediately received a notification that ‘Fruit Cake’ was now following me.
But perhaps the best Christmas-classic video I’ve seen this season (except for Charlie Brown Christmas, of course) was the above clip from Pee-Wee’s Playhouse Christmas special. (Originally noticed on Eat Me Daily.) This one’s for my 80s friends…
Merry Christmas! What will you be eating and drinking this holiday?
If I had my way, I’d try out new restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner every single day. But budgetary, dietary and geographical restrictions prevent me from channeling my inner Guy Fieri. With that in mind, I’ll be having guest bloggers share their far-flung dining experiences here from time to time.
My former colleague Sandy Csizmar, a web producer at the Hartford Courant, received a delicious surprise this weekend when her husband, John, took her on an impromptu road trip to Sonic Drive-In in upstate New York. As New Englanders are pretty obsessed with Sonic, Sandy was stoked to finally try it out. She was nice enough to share her experience with us all…
After two full turkey dinners, I don’t even want to look at the pile of leftovers in my fridge. But each meal was delicious.
At my parents’ house Thursday, we had cheese and crackers and amazing shrimp cocktail before heading into the main event of turkey; stuffing made with sausage, apples, onion and celery; sweet squash with brown sugar and butter; luxurious homemade mashed potatoes; my grandfather’s decadent Morton’s Steakhouse creamed spinach recipe and flaky rolls. Oh, and Ocean Spray cranberry log, as we call it, sliced up into manageable pieces. Dessert was our choice of Junior’s caramel apple cheesecake, a Milky Way mousse cake, pumpkin pie and gourmet cupcakes created by my aunt’s friend, a baker in Worcester.
Dinner at the in-laws was decidedly more healthy, but the turkey was perfect. My mother-in-law said she stuffed the turkey’s cavity with fresh oranges and bell peppers. While I couldn’t taste those flavors in the meat, I wonder if it added to its moistness. The white meat was fabulous. Wine selections: Beaujolais for the Griffin meal, Hobnob Pinot Noir at the Zielonkas.
Your turn: what did you eat on Thanksgiving? Did any dish particularly stand out to you? Any turkey techniques you want to share?
The Author
Leeanne Griffin is a freelance writer and food enthusiast.