Buttermilk Biscuits

Unlike sour cream biscuits, the buttermilk biscuits I make "only" call for butter. No shortening. The result is an intensely nutty flavor; however the biscuits don't rise as much without shortening because of the natural water content in butter. It's a worthwhile tradeoff.

I absolutely love buttermilk biscuits. We don't have them in France, so my first experience with them was in the US. It was quite a revelation. Biscuits are great with gravy, but I find them so flavorful that I often make a batch and eat them as is.

Cornbread Dressing

The trick to making good cornbread stuffing is to cut the cornbread into bite-sized cubes and then to sear them a bit before adding them to the vegetables and stock. The reason for this is that cornbread is much more crumbly than croutons, and will fall apart if not treated beforehand.

I made my cornbread dressing with commonly used winter and root vegetables, such as carrots, turnips, celery and button mushrooms to keep it very simple and not overpower the homemade cornbread itself. Cornbread is after all the star of the show. You can also repeat the flavors from the cornbread in the stuffing itself.  Roasted jalapeño, bits of corn and cheddar cheese would work, though I would use shredded cheese in that case.

How to Make Super Moist Cornbread

In France, almost all breads are wheat flour-based, so my first experience with cornbread was a real treat. I love the sweetness of the corn. The texture, when prepared properly, is fluffy and light, but all too often I've had cornbread that was overly dry and crumbly.

After much experimentation, I've created an ultra moist cornbread recipe that is also easy to make. As proof, the cornbread you seen in the pictures was made by my 13-year-old sister-in-law, Sunny. I gave her the recipe last night and this morning she cooked it from scratch on her own.

For flavor, I added both pickled and roasted jalapeños and parmesan cheese. I think these ingredients are the best complements to the natural sweetness of the corn. You could also add finely chopped nuts or chopped dried cranberries if you wanted a more sweet / tart flavor.

If you're feeling a bit apprehensive about preparing homemade cornbread this year, just remember, if a 13 -year-old can do it, so can you.

Pecan Stuffing with Rosemary, Fennel and Fresh Water Chestnuts

Here's a stuffing recipe that really packs a crunch. Pecans and water chestnuts provide flavor as well as a nice texture contrast. I added a fennel bulb for a mild licorice flavor, mushroom salt and a small amount of jalapeño for a bit of heat.

For a fancier stuffing, you can add some crumbled blue cheese to the croutons. I finished the pecan stuffing with a little parmesan for a salty (but not overpowering) note.

This recipe is far more savory than the cranberry apple stuffing I made last week. The differences between the two versions really demonstrate the versatility of stuffing. Whatever your preference, there's a stuffing that you and your family will love.

Vegetarian Gravy for Thanksgiving

I personally love homemade turkey gravy with all the caramelized bits and drippings of the roasted turkey, so I was a bit skeptical when Lulu asked me to try his vegetarian miso gravy recipe. I couldn't believe that it would have the complexity of flavors that are present in traditional giblet gravy, but to my surprise, it was absolutely delicious. 

Miso is fermented soy bean paste, and it imparts a strong, earthy flavor to the gravy. For additional flavor I added fried onions and chili flakes. Butter and a touch of heavy cream created a rich texture.

Even if you don't have a gaggle of vegetarians in your house as I do, it's worth trying out this recipe.