How to Make Chile Oil

Last summer, I promised I was going to post all the recipes using the Habanero chiles that my husband Lulu harvested. I published the spicy butter recipe in the fall and now I'm going to share with you a simple chile-infused oil. The applications for the chile oil are varied; you can drizzle it over a pizza, flavor a sauce or vinaigrette or use it in marinades.

Like the chile butter I made earlier this year, this infused oil carries the essence of the Habanero peppers without as much of the heat. And the color is gorgeous!

Thanksgiving Cupcakes

Cupcakes are a convenient way to serve dessert when you have a large crowd to entertain, say for Thanksgiving. Instead of making traditional Thanksgiving pies, consider preparing cupcakes flavored with pumpkin and chocolate. I frosted these cupcakes with pumpkin buttercream and topped them with cute turkey-themed peel-&-press edible frosting stickers.

I received the stickers from Ticings®. If you’d like to get your hands on some of their holiday-themed decorations to spruce up your baked goods, check out www.ticings.com. We’ll also be giving away Ticings® decorations, along with more than $1,000-worth of merchandise from other companies to PhamFatale readers during our 25 Days of Giveaways in December. Be sure to check back daily to participate!

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Recipe

As I spent my childhood in France, Thanksgiving wasn't part of our traditional feasts. I’ve come to believe that Thanksgiving is synonymous with an abundance of comfort food. My personal all-time favorite comfort food is mac and cheese, so I tried adapting the dish with the flavors of the holiday season. I added diced pumpkin to the traditional layers of macaroni, white sauce and string-y, melted cheese. The pumpkin infuses a mild sweetness into the dish and really adds another dimension. It also doesn’t hurt that the colors are so reminiscent of Thanksgiving.

Mac and cheese is a great dish that is suitable all year round. You can flavor the dish with your favorite ingredients such as morel mushrooms, red pesto or any combination of cheeses. If pumpkin isn’t your thing, make your own pasta gratin creation; let your imagination run wild!

Cranberry Cream Cheese Stuffed Steak Recipe

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I’m sure many of you have turkey on the brain. For those of you who don’t really much care for turkey meat, here’s a steak recipe that still manages to capture some of the flavors of the season. Specifically, I made a cranberry-flavored cream cheese that I stuffed into the steaks. I was inspired by a chicken recipe I recently made with a filling of Granny Smith apples. The only difference is beef doesn't need to marinate overnight. Allow beef to marinate for at least 15 minutes, but no more than 30 minutes. I used my usual meat tenderizer (green papaya paste).

After stuffing the steaks with cranberry cheese filling, I sealed them with twine. I gave them a quick searing and then transferred the steaks to the oven to bring them to a perfect medium-rare. The cranberries bring a hint of tartness to the beef in addition to fitting perfectly on your (non-traditional) Thanksgiving table.

Mushroom Mozzarella Cheese Tart Recipe

My husband Lulu is addicted to anything with puff pastry dough. Because of the horrible windy weather, I decided to prepare my version of (vegetarian) chicken soup for the soul in the form of individual mushroom and mozzarella tartlets accompanied by a bowl of warm corn chowder. It’s the perfect prescription for this cold, gray day.

This savory tartlet consists of 4 layers. First, I baked the puff pastry shells separately in the oven. I cooked the first layer of soy chorizo along with tomato paste and tomato sauce (you could also add ground beef for extra flavor if you don’t need it to be vegetarian). The second is sautéed large button mushrooms in butter and the last one is thick mozzarella slices. The result is spectacular and is really enhanced pairing it with corn soup and garlic cheese bread. You won't be disappointed!