RadioGastronomy The table as the gravitational center of our lives.
Thanksgiving
Not-Too-Sweet Pecan Pie Bars
“Waiter, there is too much pepper on my paprikash. But I would be proud to partake of your pecan pie.” -Comedian Billy Crystal starring as Harry Burns in the classic New York City love story When Harry Met Sally
Buttermilk Scones with Apple, Cheddar, & Thyme
“Anyone who has declared someone else to be an idiot, a bad apple, is annoyed when it turns out in the end that he isn’t.” -Friedrich Nietzsche, German existentialist, nihilist, and polymath
Sage & Buttermilk Biscuits
“Whole worlds have been tamed by men who ate biscuits.” -The truly incomparable Jeff Bridges as the aging, troubled, fading country music star Bad Blake in 2009′s Oscar darling Crazy Heart
Stilton, Walnut, & Thyme Crackers
“Sometimes I think that boy’s cheese done slid right off his cracker!” -Melinda Mickens, shape-shifting deadbeat birth mother of Sam Merlotte, in HBO’s campy, sexy vampire drama True Blood
Autumn Harvest Salad with Bitter Lettuces and Broken Pomegranate Vinaigrette
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” -Albert Camus, 20th century French Algerian writer, revolutionary, absurdist, and Nobel Prize for Literature recipient
Baked Mac & Cheese with Herbed Panko Topping & Fresh Tomato
“He puts some MacAttack Mac & Cheese in the microwave and dons headphones and takes out a video game so he won’t be bored during the forty seconds it takes his lunch to cook.” -George Saunders, awesome American writer/satirist, from his 2006 short story collection In Persuasion Nation
Brown Butter Maple Apple Walnut Muffins
“Adam was but human – this explains it all. He did not want the apple for the apple’s sake, he wanted it only because it was forbidden. The mistake was in not forbidding the serpent; then he would have eaten the serpent.” -Mark Twain, American writer and totally awesome dude that has written and said a whole bunch of totally awesome stuff
Ginger-Spiced Parsnip and Pear Soup with Chive Cream
“Nobody loves me, nobody cares. Nobody picks me peaches and pears.” -Shel Silverstein, American writer, poet, and composer
Grandma Rose’s Date & Nut Pudding
“After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relatives.” -Oscar Wilde, late 19th century Irish playwright, poet, and author
French Apple Tart
“In Hollywood, the women are all peaches. It makes one long for an apple occasionally.” -W. Somerset Maugham, English writer and author of one of my favorite books, The Razor’s Edge
Dad’s Roasted Garlic & Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes
“The next time I have meat and mashed potatoes, I think I’ll put a very large blob of potatoes on my plate with just a little piece of meat. And if someone asks me why I didn’t get more meat, I’ll just say ‘Oh, you mean this?’ and pull out a big piece of meat from inside the blob of potatoes, where I’ve hidden it. Good magic trick, huh?” -Jack Handey, American author and humorist