Watership Down Kitchen

Not all additions to a holiday table should be decadent or difficult to make; this recipe is easy peasey (don’t you love my puns?). The tough part is caramelizing the onions, which takes patience. But oh man, what heat and time does to onions! The sugars get caramelized and that simple allium is elevated to the highest stratosphere of taste. Combine that with sweet, simple peas and you have got yourself a holiday hit that adds a much needed pop of green to the table. Ingredients: 32 ounce bag of frozen peas 6 large sweet onions, sliced pole to pole 2 tablespoon oil Splash bourbon 1 tablespoon maple syrup 2 tablespoons butter Salt and freshly cracked black pepper Method: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the sliced onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent. Lower the heat, and continue to cook the onions until they are golden brown and greatly reduced in volume, about 30 minutes...

Brussel sprouts are so in fashion these days. Can I be a hipster for a moment and say that I liked them before it was cool? When I was young, I remember my doctor being shocked when I told him they were my favorite vegetable. My mother did boil them, which today is quite frowned upon, but she then added butter, honey and walnuts to the pot and mixed them all about. Heaven.  I still make that Brussel sprout preparation to this day. For Thanksgiving, however, I want to up the flavors. Roasting Brussel sprouts really brings out their best flavor, and they pair so nicely with smoky, crispy bacon and tangy, sweet balsamic glaze. Bring it to your holiday gathering and be amazed when children and adults devour them! Ingredients: 1 1/2 pound Brussel sprouts, sliced lengthwise 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon salt Freshly cracked black pepper Pinch red pepper flakes 6 slices of crisp bacon, crumbled 1/3 cup toast and chopped hazelnuts 2 to 3 tablespoons of balsami...

Growing up, my favorite part of Thanksgiving was the brown and serve rolls that my mom picked up at the grocery store. (What a philistine I was- homemade everything else, but I loved the processed white bread…) Today, I like to make homemade rolls because, as ashamed as I am to admit it, I still love a good buttery roll more than just about anything else on the Thanksgiving table. My love of carbs and butter wins every time, it seems. Parker House rolls are light, buttery and are excellent to sop up gravy. If you are like me, however, these buttery rolls are best topped with a generous helping of even more butter.  Ingredients: 3 cups of all-purpose flour 2 ½ teaspoons yeast 3 tablespoons sugar 1 ¼ teaspoons salt ¼ cup potato flour 3 tablespoons butter 1 cup whole milk 1 large egg 4 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing on the rolls Method: In a bread maker set to the dough function or standing mixer, combine all ingredients save for the bu...

I always make a ton of pulled pork. I have immense amounts of leftovers, despite eating pulled pork sandwiches like it’s my job. I freeze half of the leftovers, for future Mary who is sure to crave pulled pork and will be happy to satiate her desires merely by thawing a reserve of the BBQ coated, smoked, shredded meat. However, I still have a bunch in the fridge and I wanted to do something different than put it in a bun. I decided to try combining two of my favorite comfort foods: pulled pork and mac and cheese. Mac and cheese; buttery, cheesy, creamy, breadcrumby- my favorite stand by for cold weather nights. Would it combine well with smoky, luscious pulled pork? Oh yes, my friends, oh yes. Please, trust me that you want to make this tonight. Bundle up, watch a good movie, and plant yourself in front of a generous bowl of this. Enjoy! Ingredients: 2 cups prepared pulled pork  2 pounds short cut pasta (elbow, shells, etc) 3 cups of whole milk 5 tablespoons ...

I love every meat that comes from a pig (I can feel my vegetarian and vegan friends recoiling in horror at this statement). I am sorry. But I must give the pig the credit he deserves- he is delicious! Bacon, pancetta, spare ribs, pork tenderloin, pork chops, ham, sausages, pork belly, pork rinds and finally, pork shoulder (also referred to as pork or Boston butt- cuts of meat have a very confusing nomenclature) are all delicious, and all so different! While smoky, sweet bacon is a classic favorite, pulled pork might be my favorite cut of pork.  My spice mix is full of flavor: earthy heat (cumin, coriander), smoky heat (paprika, chipotle) and straight heat (cayenne, mustard powder) cut with sweetness (brown sugar) and the usual savory foundation (garlic, pepper, onion). Make sure to use plenty of salt; 8 pounds is a ton of meat and it needs to be adequately seasoned. Pulled pork is the ultimate slow-cooked food. Slather the cut of meat with a dry rub and let it...

This is my kind of recipe; wild rice casserole topped with stuffing! What is not to love about that? I may be preempting Thanksgiving a little bit with this poultry and stuffing bonanza, but what can I say? Stuffing is the carb my soul craves this time of the year. Wild rice is such a fun change of pace from my normal favorite, sweet, floral, comforting Jasmine rice. Wild rice is nutty, dark, and beautifully long-grained. Add to that chicken, butter and stuffing and you have made a comfort food casserole King! The smell of this baking in the oven will put you in the holiday mood, even if you make this nowhere near Thanksgiving! Prepare a big pan this weekend, freeze the remainder, and rest easy knowing you have some delicious leftovers waiting for you on those cold, dark, depressing weeknights endemic to autumn and winter. I promise with one bite of this meal those nights will transform into a cozy, “intsagrammable” memory. Enjoy! Ingredients: 1 sweet onion, diced ...

Casserole baby! I am in a casserole making mood. And a pumpkin-flavored everything mood. If that makes me basic, then so be it. Is there anything better than making a few casseroles on the weekend, smelling the heavenly aromas of chicken sage and cheese wafting in your house, and eating like a king all week? Or better still, splitting this recipe into 2 8 by 8 pans, keeping one for yourself and giving another to a loved one to share home-cooked comfort food? This recipe is a bevy of my favorite things; sage, cheese, bacon, pasta, caramelized onions and PUMPKIN. This recipe screams sweater weather, fall foliage and crisp blue skies. Give it a go- I promise you’ll be scraping your bowl. Enjoy! Ingredients: Pumpkin Sauce: 1 tablespoon butter 1 sweet onion, sliced into half moons ¼ cup white wine 2 cloves garlic 18 ounces of pumpkin puree 1 cup of chicken stock, low salt 1 cup whole milk ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon honey 1/8 teaspoo...