Good Things by David

Dry indoor conditions can wreak havoc on our wooden cutting boards this time of year, so it's a good idea to keep them in prime condition.  Let's revisit this earlier post on how I care for the cutting boards in my kitchen.       ............................................................. A good, solid cutting board is one of those kitchen tools that every cook should have.  As one who spends a lot of time in the kitchen cooking up meals for my family, I rely heavily on my cutting boards to get me through many culinary tasks.  Although my boards experience a lot of cutting, dicing, slicing, chopping & mincing on a daily basis, I treat them gently by maintaining them well.  Any type of cutting board is an investment for the home cook, and it's one that shouldn't go to waste because of neglect. Wood is my preferred surface for cutting boards, but there are other types available to the home chef, such as polypropylene (these I highly recommen...

In the interest of sitting down to partake of a wonderfully cooked dinner on Thanksgiving, I think it's well worth the effort to take a moment to set a nice table.  Having a festive table setting for our guests is a part of the ritual of entertaining on this joyous holiday and it is one that I thoroughly enjoy putting together.  As I've said before, one can set the tone of the dinner based on what we place on the table.  It's up to the host to determine whether an informal or formal table is appropriate for one's household and guests.  To make the holiday table special, in my opinion, your decorations should reflect your personal tastes.   My Thanksgiving Table Setting It's fun setting a different table year after year by combining several patterns of china, glassware and silverware, but it's also nice to pay homage to tradition by using a certain beloved china set each year and perhaps some heirloom silver that's been handed down.  However y...

A superb addition to any holiday table for family and friends, my Pumpkin Pound Cake can also be enjoyed all season long when pumpkins are plentiful and scrumptious.  This cake has all of the flavors we crave during the fall & winter, along with the fragrance of spice that seems to comfort most of us this time of year.  The hallmarks of any good pound cake can be found in this tasty recipe, such as the familiar tight crumb which tells one that the batter was mixed with room temperature ingredients.  A rich, golden exterior which comes from using light brown sugar and a long baking time in the oven, combined with the creamy essence from using a high-quality unsalted butter are all things we look for in a delicious pound cake.  Add pumpkin puree and you get something even more special. Pumpkin puree, which can be canned or homemade, not only flavors the bundt cake with all of its goodness, it also makes for an incredibly moist and tender cake.  Finely...

Imagine having a beautiful spice cake in the shape of a majestic turkey sitting proudly on a cake stand for your Thanksgiving dessert table.  An exclusive design for the Martha by Mail catalog, this heavy cast aluminum Turkey Cake Mold makes it possible to bake such a spectacular cake.  Now a collector's item with only a handful of them going up for auction each year, the American made two-part mold is meant to be used for many years to come.  Perfect for any Thanksgiving feast and a sweet alternative to the ubiquitous pumpkin pie, the cake can be enjoyed as many of us sit down to partake of the bounty this holiday.  It's nice offering your guests a variety of choices for dessert on this festive day, so why not entice everyone with a sweet turkey? Decorating any cake with buttercream is always a pleasure for bakers, especially if a variety of piping tips and colors are used to create whimsical designs.  For the adorable Turkey Cake, one can pipe different-...

We all want to entertain with ease this Thanksgiving so that we can actually enjoy the company of our family and friends.  In order to accomplish this and avoid any mishaps or a day full of stress, having a to-do list mapped out a week in advance is a must for every host.  The easiest part is making up the guest list and trying to figure out who will actually show up.  The most challenging aspect for anyone hosting this dinner is the menu itself, with the numerous side dishes and the perfectly roasted, plump turkey as the main attraction.  Perhaps the most fun thing to do, at least for me, is the table setting and the decorations that go into making this day memorable.  Now is the time to take out the best of the best and all of the season's finery to impress our guests, but whether one sets the table it in a modest way or in an over-the-top lavish way, it's best to establish a tone and mood based on who we're inviting.  No guest s...

Smooth, tasty, hearty and thoroughly nutritious are just some of the ways to extol the virtues of a delicious, homemade Acorn Squash Soup.  One shouldn't pass up the opportunity to whip up a batch of this seasonal soup since it is so simple to make with just a handful of ingredients.  I've shown you how to perfectly roast these winter squashes in order to coax the full flavor from them, and it is these which serve as the foundation for a most savory fall dish.  My preferred way to prepare this type of soup, which is not dissimilar to Butternut Squash , is by enhancing it with a few traditional ingredients and giving it just a hint of spice for a bit of depth.  I never want any one ingredient to overwhelm or dominate the flavor of the acorn squash, because it is too good to play a secondary role.  You can experiment with your favorite type of fresh herbs when making the soup, but be judicious about the amount you add so that you create a perfect balance...