Fork and The Cork

Something that I love about being a foodie/home cook/kitchen warrior , is talking food and entertaining with others equally as obsessed. There is no better holiday to go totally overboard with this as Thanksgiving , a day devoted solely to the meal we look forward to all year long. The Martha Stewart Sirius channel has, for the three days leading up to thanksgiving day, a Thanksgiving hotline . Famous chefs join each show, and answer all kinds of questions from all kinds of home cooks.  Example:  Rhonda from Virginia : "How long do I microwave my stuffing for?" Really, come on people . The guest chef very kindly advised her, that " Chef Mike" ( aka the microwave ) may not be the best vehicle for "cooking" stuffing. This got me thinking about my own experiences, and what advice Martha might have for me. Here is how it could play out: Me : I can't find the little bag of giblets inside the Turkey.  I've been looking for a half hour.   Martha

Here's the deal, If you are intersted in making a " crescent roll " for Thanksgiving that is predictably good , quick , and expected , I suggest that you find the dough boy in the refridgerated section. If you are more interested in making your sister jealous , getting your mother-in-law's approval (well, that's never a given, but this could certainly help), and creating a bit of a " frenzy " (if they are focused on your spectacular rolls , they may not be so focused on your wine consumption ), then here is the answer: Potato Crescent Rolls , from scratch. It's not as easy as it sounds, and I have no problem admitting this. Here is my thought process on why I tried this particular recipe: " I think I'll make something very Thanksgiving relevant, and try a new technique !" I've made my fair share of cinnamon rolls, but this was my first real attempt at non-bread machine yeast bread . And, bonus!, I get to use the kneadi

"Wine is mentioned in the bible more than 400 times, Lemonade, not once."  -- refridgerator magnet So we've covered quite a bit of ground with the " fork ", I think it's time we focus on the " cork ". Now, some of you may be wondering: what could a girl with the delusion of being a modern day flannel wearing June Cleaver, and a self proclaimed food nutjob/kitchen goddess with an obsession of 80's television sitcoms possibly know about wine ? Surprisingly, quite a bit . Besides my own affinity for, and self education of wine ( aka Wine For Dummies ), I have poured wine in a boutique tasting room (I even shared some with the guests), and learned quite a bit about the winemaking process, different varietals, and food and wine pairings. Johnny Carson once said: "Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often."