When we got together and threw this year’s outdoor California Thanksgiving bash for The Kitchn I knew I wanted to have a centerpiece that was easy, colorful, and very California. This led me, naturally, into the easiest centerpiece I’ve ever created for a Thanksgiving table, and probably my favorite as well.
You too can do this; I swear it will only take you five minutes.
When it comes to cranberry sauce, I am a cranberry-plus girl. Cranberries plus dried cherries; cranberries plus booze; and in this particular case, cranberries plus figs. It’s not that cranberries aren’t good on their own (they are!); it’s just that they play so well with so many other things.
This is a rich, jammy cranberry sauce with dried figs and plenty of spices — the perfect complement to our California-inspired Thanksgiving menu this year.
If you show up at my father’s house with a bagful of fresh brussels sprouts to be cooked, he will howl and complain like a 3-year old confronted with liver and onions. Such then, is the sweet satisfaction of seeing this dyed-in-the-wool brussels sprouts avoider pick these roasted emerald jewels out of the pan and munch on them like candy.
4 / 5 Stars | 11 Reviews
by jennzy910
“Green beans are seasoned with honey, orange zest, garlic, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar in this side dish recipe.”
At our October Maker Talk, Kelsey Nixon shared with us who her wish-upon-a-star dinner date would be. Hint: she is another food personality who may or may not wear shoes. And you probably want to eat dinner with her too.
I first discovered the peculiar subcategory of chopped raw vegetables called “health salads” some 14 years ago when a friend introduced me to the many wonders of the prepared foods aisle at Zabar’s. Even then, I found the idea of one type of salad being labeled “healthy” while my other favorite in the same refrigerator case, the Mediterranean Pepper Salad with Feta and Olives was, I don’t know, something akin to a heart attack on a cracker, somewhat eye-rolling but I now realize that it was the coleslaw-like salad’s mayo-free dressing that designated it such a lofty nutritional status.
Regardless, ever stubborn, I did not eat it because it lacked much-maligned mayo, because it was chock full of folate-rich cabbage or because it was branded wholesome, but because I liked it. Crunchy, bright, as good on day 2 as it is on day 7, it was the perfect light meal or side to a sandwich and even though I lived nowhere near the store and found shopping at Zabar’s, even on the slowest day, to be a shopping-cart-rammed-into-the-back-of-my-heels level of annoying (though, really, I should know better than to pause between locals and their smoked fish counter), I was a loyal customer for life so long as they could keep providing me my lightly pickled cabbage fix.
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It’s getting colder, and the busy holiday season approaches, which means there is no better time to bust out your slow cooker. Warm, nourishing, and above all easy meals are close at hand — it’s as simple as starting one in the slow cooker before you go to work.
Here are 15 hearty meals that will cook while you’re away. From vegan pumpkin curry, to chicken burrito bowls, to slow cooked brisket with onions, make a little kitchen magic happen in your home for dinner, thanks to the slow cooker.
Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away, which means it’s time for us to bring you this year’s menu from all of us at The Kitchn. When planning this year’s Thanksgiving Gathering, however, we decided to try something a little different and host this party outdoors — California-style!
A warm and sunny Thanksgiving may seem out-of-step for those of us who expect wintry mix on Thanksgiving Day, but it’s not unexpected for many folks in California, Florida, Texas, and throughout the South. And for the rest of us, we think this menu offers a fresh take on Thanksgiving with all the trimmings you expect — rustic sourdough stuffing, fig and cranberry sauce, pecan pie bars — but also just a few more vegetables and a fresher harvest sensibility.
Read on for the menu and a little more about this year’s party; we’re sharing all the details this week!
