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All My Thanksgiving-ish Recipes, In One Handy Post

Thanksgiving centerpiece by The Bouqs

Thanksgiving has always been sort of a crapshoot holiday for us - some years we were with Kendrick's family, some years with mine, some years with friends (and if you're wondering whether looking at those posts I just linked to made me cry, the answer is: yes. obviously). Since our split it's become even more up-in-the-air with regards to what we're going to do each year, and with whom, but we've decided that this Thanksgiving will be another in a long line of outliers (which makes them...not really outliers, but whatevs): All four of us are going up to my parents' place, where we'll eat our mashed potatoes alongside an assortment of their displaced friends.

 

ENTREES

Surprisingly Speedy Chicken-Ginger Broth (For Ramen Soup)

During quarantine, I got really into making my own ramen. I made it in the biggest possible pain-in-the-butt way that I could, because honestly: What else did I have to do? Might as well spend two days making soup!

Except I don't always want to spend two days making soup. Sometimes - like last night - I want truly excellent ramen, except I want it now.

Enter: This absolutely spectacular (ifIdosaysomyself) broth, which blends in hints of lemongrass and ginger to make it a perfect, ever-so-slightly-spicy base for noodles. It's about two hours start to finish (much faster than most stock recipes), because of a little secret: While it tastes 100% homemade, it actually involves a little cheating (ssh).

ENTREES

Before Summer Ends

'Tis almost the day when the grill gets covered up for the cold months, and all that lovely fresh corn disappears from the shelves (or becomes terrifying and inedible, as evidenced by the fact that the corn I bought at Trader Joe's yesterday had actual, living CATERPILLARS in it, and if you think I screamed like Ghostface himself was hanging out inside that husk, you would be correct).

So here are ten recipes that I think you should make lickety-split, before you encounter any surprise beasties of your own in the fresh produce section.

 

Eat

Simply Steamed Artichokes With Lemon Butter

Noritake China dishes

I used to make artichokes all the time. Like literally: There was a time period, circa 2010ish, during which I made them for myself and Kendrick every. single. night. I had only recently discovered them, and became fully obsessed once I realized that their true identity is a butter-delivery system that you can feel virtuous about, because vegetables.

Fun little fact: The artichoke is actually the bud of a thistle flower.

Recipes

Alisa’s Best Friend’s Mom’s Neighbor’s Friend’s “Top Secret” Dip (Oops)

Oh my god I LOVE THIS STORY. I'm in San Jose right now, plopped down at Alisa's dining room table, and I was all "ugh what should I write about today that involves NO FEELINGS WHATSOEVER."

"Food!" Alisa said. "You haven't written about food in forever!"

...This is true. So - and this is how I know Alisa is a true friend for the ages - she and I immediately set about figuring out what kind of brilliant recipe we could make right here and now, using ingredients that she already had. We dragged out her (perfectly organized, laminated, ughhhh) recipe binder, and started flipping through...and then we arrived at the Shasta Dip.


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