Me and My Baggage

A Clutter Too Deep for Mere Bins and Shelves

Giving Thanks and Getting Stuffed

Thanksgiving was as good as ever this year. For some reason the food tasted better than ever. For the last few years we have tried to run either the Turkey Trot or the "P" Trot (our family's own marathon) on Thanksgiving morning. The person who instigated our family to start this in the first place has been MIA for 2 of the three years. With the weather turning VERY cold this year, every single one of them backed out on me. I will get them next year though. I just need to find a bullhorn to get them all out of bed.

My contribution to the feast was by request of my MIL. I made Paula Deen's Southern Cornbread Stuffing. It is a great recipe, but I like to add cooked sausage and a little extra of the seasonings. It was delicious I must admit.


Southern Cornbread Stuffing Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Cornbread, recipe follows
7 slices oven-dried white bread
1 sleeve saltine crackers
8 tablespoons butter
2 cups celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
7 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sage (optional)
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (optional)
5 eggs, beatenPreheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, dried white bread slices, and saltines; set aside.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the vegetable mixture over cornbread mixture. Add the stock, mix well, taste, and add salt, pepper to taste, sage, and poultry seasoning. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Reserve 2 heaping tablespoons of this mixture for the giblet gravy. Pour mixture into a greased pan and bake until dressing is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Serve with turkey as a side dish.Cornbread:
1 cup self-rising cornmeal
1/2 cup self-rising flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oilPreheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into a greased shallow baking dish. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
To serve, cut into desired squares and serve with butter.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Channeling Miss Martha....

Years ago when I lived (temporarily) in a town that had a K-Mart, I grabbed up all kinds of wonderful Martha Stewart Christmas apparati. Now that my fair burb has kicked Miss Martha right out, I treat each and every ornament with the utmost TLC; gingerly packing and unpacking each year.

They have held up so well and I encourage those that can acquire her loot to do so. Of course now that my tree is growing I have had to increase number of items dressing her up. I am big into crosses. Big Lots actually had a great deal on the tin crosses last year at $1.00/each. I scooped all that were on the rack.

I think of all the ways that Martha has enhanced my and my family's life. I know you all want to poo poo her, but seriously. She has turned a domestically challenged Southern girl into a decorating, sometimes efficient, resourceful little haus frau. So for that you go guuuuuuurl.

She's Gone

This is what I came home to last night and woke up to this morning. My first born is going on a school camping trip. This is the child who tells me when I have food in my teeth, that shares her Chanel (fake) sunglasses with me, that is never too old to sit and watch a movie with me. It was so hard to see her go.

Consumption

So this is how my evening began. Well to be quite honest it began with a drink. At any rate, I had the great fortune to dine at the newly opened Fearing's Restaurant. For those of you familiar with Dean Fearing and what he has done for Dallas and their respective pallets, you know what a big deal this is.

We came in through the valet entrance which led us through the bar. It was very cozy and had a mix of what looked like guests of the hotel as well as a handful of the above 50 set. This will all change at exit.

As the hostess walked us to our table in Dean's kitchen, the winding hall gave glimpses to the rooms preceding. They were somewhat more refined of an area with a more luxurious feel. When we arrived at Dean's Kitchen it was humming away although not full at our 8:15pm arrival. The waitstaff was okay, but did not approach the caliber of The Mansion.

On with the food. Having studied the menu beforehand I knew what I would order without a doubt. Shrimp Taco, followed by the Lamb. While my dining partners perused the menu we were greeted by none other than that Lucchese-clad chef himself. It was a great touch indeed to have him stop by. All smiles for sure. When it was time to make decisions, other diners at my table made choices such as the bbq oysters, grilled buffalo, cod, and my husband tried his hand at the surf-n-turf Dean style.

My shrimp taco was something I can't even begin to describe. So many wonderful flavors united together to just whet the appetite, but not overwhelm with lingering heat or a standout ingredient. Following was my entree. Wood-Grilled Coriander Lamb Chops on “Sweet and Sour” Eggplant with Crispy Red Onion. What that ended up being are 2 of the finest lamb chops I have ever eaten along with some various veggies and a pile of HUGE overly battered onion rings. My husband's dish, Pan-Roasted “Spiced” Filet and Chicken-Fried Maine Lobster on Queso Fresco Potatoes and Chico Spinach Enchilada, had high expectations. I am somewhat split on my opinion here. I am not sure why you would take such a revered ingredient such as a lobster tail, pile on batter and fry it. I get it, he's Texan. However, I always thought the beauty of lobster is that it didn't need anything on it to be exquisite. I must admit, however, that the filet was perfectly done. It had a good amount of cumin and a bit of sweet that seemed to have been reduced down in the pan. I loved it. Our dessert was a trio of apple fritters, butterscotch custard and a bit of homemade ice cream. Everyone seemed to enjoy it.

All in all it was a great evening. We were less about the food quality and more about immersing ourselves in the experience. So bottom line, if you want to impress your guests, it's perfect. If you are looking for refined cuisine and service, Le Cirque is probably a better bet.

As a side note.... I had mentioned that the bar demographics would change upon exit and they did. It went from a pensioned environment to scads of 20ish singles who all looked very hungry. I think they came to the right place.