We were at The Olde Spaghetti Factory in Nashville over the Christmas Holidays. I had this dish and it's just incredible.  It's so simple, but it's one of the best pasta dishes I've ever eaten.  The recipe is readilly available on the internet, so simple to make, and absolutely DIVINE!

~ jan

Spaghetti with Browned Butter and Mizithra Cheese


1 lb. spaghetti or your pasta of choice
1 cup browned butter
1 cup mizithra cheese

Brown butter by bringing butter to a boil in a saucepan, stirring constantly and watching so that it doesn't foam over the edge of the pan.  Once the foam starts to subside, continue boiling until it turns an amber color - 1 or 2 minutes should be long enough.  There will be sediment at the bottom of the pan, don't disturb the sediment, you don't want this in your finished browned butter.  Let the butter cool for a couple of minutes in the pan and strain, leaving sediment residue in the pan.

At this point it can be refrigerated to use later.

To make the dish, boil the pasta, divide into four serving bowls, top each serving with 1/4 cup of the cheese and spoon over 1/4 cup hot browned butter.

You can purchase mizithra cheese at The Olde Spaghetti Factory, or at local cheese shops.  If you don't have either in your town, you can purchase the cheese online.

The Olde Spaghetti Factory is now offering a new version of this dish with bacon, garlic and mushrooms.  But I'm a purist, I love this original recipe.

If you’re knee deep in holiday baking and looking for something really special, this recipe for Cranberry Bliss Bars tastes just like Starbucks.

Lindsay’s favorite has now become a family tradition.  If you make them, cut them into squares and then each square into a diamond, makes them soooooo special.

~ jan

Here’s the recipe>>>

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup cranberry juice

1/4 cup minced dried cranberries

1 tablespoon minced shallot

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons olive oil

Salt

Cracked pepper

1 pear

1 apple

1 lemon, cut in half

1 endive, sliced crosswise

5 cups mixed salad greens

1/4 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

1. Combine the rice vinegar, cranberry juice, cranberries, shallot, sugar, rosemary, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Let the dressing stand for the flavors to meld.

2. Meanwhile, cut the pear into quarters then core and slice. Place the slices in a shallow dish filled with water and the juice of half a lemon; the liquid should cover the fruit. Cut the apple into quarters, core and slice. Place the slices in a shallow dish with water and the juice of the remaining lemon half to cover.

3. Just before serving, drain the pears and apples. Toss together in a large bowl with the endive and salad greens. Arrange the salad on a platter and sprinkle with the toasted walnuts. Serve the dressing alongside.

Each serving: 250 calories; 1,143 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 46 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 5.99 grams fiber.


Serves 4


Source:  LA Food Times

Lisa, over at Mommy's Kitchen shared her recipe for her holiday favorite,  Eggnog Quick Bread.

Doesn't it look divine?  Here's the link>>>

Apple Crisp Cocktail
Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee

Prep Time:3 minInactive Prep Time:--Cook Time:--
Level:
Easy
Serves:
1 serving
Ingredients
1 part brandy
2 parts apple cider, chilled
2 parts Champagne
1 apple, sliced into thin slices, for garnish
Directions
In a champagne flute, combine the brandy and cider and stir. Top with Champagne. Garnish with a couple of slices of apple.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Martini
Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee

Prep Time:10 minInactive Prep Time:1 hr 0 minCook Time:5 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
8 servings
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3 cups vanilla vodka (recommended: Smirnoff's)
Cranberry-flavored seltzer, chilled
8 maple leaf hard candies for garnish, optional
Directions
In a small pot over medium heat, mix together the sugar and pumpkin pie spice with 1 cup water. Bring it to a boil, remove from the heat, and allow to cool for 1 hour. The syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

To a pitcher, add the vodka and half the simple syrup. Stir until blended. Add the cranberry seltzer and pour into chilled martini glasses. Add more sugar syrup, to taste, if necessary. Garnish with maple candies, if desired.

Williams-Sonoma always has the best ideas. Click here for their recipes, videos, menu’s and tips for your traditional holiday meal.

Yes, dear hearts, it’s a Cherpumple, it’s the dessert version of a turdurken (chicken stuffed into a duck, stuffed into a turkey) which we tried, at Ryan’s insisence, a few Thanksgivings ago.  I was not a fan.

The Cherpumple consists of a cherry, pumpkin and apple pie, all stacked on top of each other, baked into a three layer cake batter and frosted.  Sounds just horrid, doesn’t it, but it’s for real.  Here’s the video…

 

Don’t you just love this set of piecrust cutters for Thanksgiving.  My mother always used a leaf from the yard and cut her own leaves for the top of pumpkin pies.  It’s such a nice memory.  These are just a bit more refined…

If you’re interested – here’s the link>>>

Soaking the shredded potatoes in cold water keeps them from turning gray before cooking. It also rinses off some of the starch. Drain and pat them dry, so they won't stick to the cast-iron skillet.