Whether you make it from scratch, from a can or you buy it from a store, no Thanksgiving dinner is complete without a pumpkin pie.
This one, from Flickr user maggiejane, is a little bit store bought, a little bit from a can and a little bit homemade. On her blog, Pithy and Cleaver, she writes that while she uses a premade frozen pie crust, the filling is canned pumpkin mixed with eggs, sugar, molasses and spices like cinnamon, ginger and clove.
Sounds to us like a little bit of work for a whole lot of Thanksgiving flavor.
Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.
Red-lentil soup inspired my love of the brothy dish, both for its natural flavor and for its unparalleled comforting qualities -- in fact, so much so that my house has become known among friends as the "Soup Kitchen," and friends will randomly text while in the neighborhood to ask what's cooking.
I discovered red-lentil soup rather late in life, during my college years, at Sultan's Market, a small but fiercely beloved Mediterranean spot in Chicago's Wicker Park. Braving the bristly winter weather with a bowl of the soup to-go made my walk home doable, whatever obstacles the weather was throwing my way (and these usually included numbingly harsh winds).
And coming home to a spicy bowl of this stuff warmed was inevitably a body- and soul-warming experience. Although I'm fond of preserving the natural flavor of the red lentil by cooking it up in a soup with sparing ingredients (namely broth, garlic, onion and a touch of cumin), you can't go wrong with hardly any variety of the ultimate soothing concoction. Blogger Whitney in Chicago makes hers with red pepper flakes and chipotle, ups the heartiness factor with the addition of rice, and artfully tops it all off with slivered almond and zesty Feta. You should try her recipe -- I wholeheartedly back her in dubbing it a surefire "cure for darkness."
Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.
There are few dishes more American than macaroni and cheese. Forget that we credit the Italians for pasta and the French for "the good cheese" -- it's here in the United States where we bring the two together together in glorious, comforting harmony.
Rumor has it that Thomas Jefferson introduced the dish to the United States. And though a boxed version was made wildly popular by Kraft over many decades, home and professional chefs have taken back the comfort food, and now make gourmet versions like this one from blogger Ezra Pound Cake.
This take on classic macaroni and cheese, adapted from a recipe in "The Gift of Southern Cooking," is made with grated onion, sour cream, half-and-half, heavy cream, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, eggs and cayenne pepper, as well as noodles and cheddar cheese. Fattening and flavorful -- just the way American comfort food should be.
Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.
Although cranberries usually reign supreme around Thanksgiving, the ruby pomegranate seems to be stealing some of the classic berry's thunder this season -- and understandably so, with its unique tart, fruity edge.
Flickr user Norwichnuts created this vegan Pomegranate Ice Kreme by simply combining two juiced pomegranates, two cups creamer, one cup powdered sugar and an added layer of pomegranate jelly and freezing it in an ice-cream maker. The "kreme" appears remarkably luscious and creamy, despite its vegan preparation. Topping the simple dessert with glazed pecans adds a salty complexity, as well as interesting texture and crunch.
Do you enjoy pomegranate? Have you been integrating it into your holiday cooking? Divulge how you've been using the fruit this season in the comments.
Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.
Thanksgiving is about turkey, stuffing and sweet potatoes (or yams, depending on who you ask). But it's also about finding an affordable wine to go along with such a feast -- especially if the host is calculating a pound of turkey and a bottle of wine per person (as any good Turkey Day host or hostess should).
This beautiful bottle of 2005 Sauvignon Blanc, captured by Flickr user stevesteve8383, would certainly do the trick ... though we might have to do a little taste test just to make sure.
These vibrant trays from Zankou Chicken has Beck singing their praises and the Los Angeles Times contending that there's "no better chicken anywhere."
As the fast food industry continues to expand, catering to more health-conscious foodies, Southern California chain Zankou Chicken is redefining the concept with its fresh Mediterranean cuisine. Renowned for its roasted chicken and pita bread baked on the premises, the chain also offers hummus, shawerma, falafel and a variety of kebabs, using 100 percent fresh products -- no cans, freezers, microwaves or preservatives -- and only the "finest ingredients."
But it's the secret Lebanese garlic sauce that's got Southern Californians hooked, a zesty combination of garlic, olive oil, lemon and potato, for texture, that has customers dipping in just about any item on the menu -- and proving that fast food may rise above the typical greasy-spoon burger joints of the past.
Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.
No, you're not looking at an enchanted forest on a planet made of Play-Doh, you're looking at broccoli. Sort of. It's Romanesco, a fractal vegetable from the broccoli family. It's sometimes called Romanesco broccoli and perhaps better known as the Broccoflower, as it's often mistaken for a broccoli-cauliflower hybrid (which, as we understand, does exist and looks a lot like Romanesco).
We have to admit though, we're not too concerned with its classification -- what we really want to know is how it tastes sautéed with butter and sea salt.
Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.
Though most of us enjoy refined, flavorful brunches, many of us aren't willing to commit more effort into the morning endeavor beyond pouring milk into a bowl of cereal or toasting and buttering some bread.
Thanks to blogger the Gouda Life, we're inspired by this oh-so-simple recipe for Baked Eggs with Butter, Cream and Tarragon. Its raw version pictured tells it all: You have but to pour enough cream into a ramekin until the bottom is covered, add one tablespoon butter, one tablespoon tarragon (you may chop it if you care to take the time), two carefully cracked eggs, and salt and pepper to taste. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked through and are no longer runny -- aside from the yolk. You'll happily savor this comforting morning pick-me-up. Topping this easy dish with some grated cheese might elevate it even closer to perfection.
Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.
With the indulgent decadence of holiday feasting, these straightforward biscotti are a welcome respite from the carb-and-cream overload. Admits blogger Brown Eyed Baker, "Between leftover Halloween candy, pumpkin pie galore and Christmas cookies by the tin, it's possible that a lot of us will be in a sugar coma come January 1st." Thus, she fashioned these Parmesan Black Pepper Biscotti -- or "savory twists on an Italian favorite" -- as an escape of wintertime sugar binges.
And to those who boldly cross off carb-counting this season, time constraints are still substantial, especially with last-minute entertaining. But these refined bites make use of only pantry staples (namely flour, butter, eggs, milk and Parmesan), can be whipped up at a moment's notice and can even be kept in airtight containers for a few weeks for unannounced guests.
We recommend adding this recipe to your holiday roster so you can spend more time by the fire instead of toiling in the kitchen.
Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.
When it comes to combining fat and starch in the most delicious way possible, a pulled pork sandwich is right up there with macaroni and cheese. What is more satisfying than pork roasted low and slow, pulled, seasoned and then generously piled upon a fluffy white bun specked with toasted sesame seeds? Nothing, we say. Not even mac 'n' cheese.
And when you consider the time and effort that goes into a sandwich like this one from Flickr user rachel is coconut&lime, the pork is the clear winner -- especially because of its secret ingredient.
With most sandwiches, what you see is what you get. Not so with this pomegranate pulled pork. That's right, not only was the pork roasted with pomegranate arils (the seeds), Rachel also used pomegranate molasses, rendering the meat smoky, spicy and sweet.
It looks so good we could eat it every day. Good thing it's not that bad for you.
Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.
Stuffed anything is good this time of year -- and stuffing the cooked vegetable back in its original shell makes for an especially festive treat. The blogger behind Kitchen Illiterate put it simply: "Stuffed squash is stuffed goodness."
We second that -- especially in such a vibrant, flavorful concoction. First, the squash is roasted on its own. In the meantime, you cook the stuffing on the stove, a spicy cumin-cayenne scented rice with black beans, peppers and queso fresco. Once the squash is softened, you toss in the stuffing and throw it all back into the oven for ten minutes to allow the flavors to meld together, a roasted richness permeating the entire dish.
Now that we've learned how to peel ginger with ease, this ginger juice recipe seems less daunting, especially with its powerful health benefits. Prized for its piquant flavor, ginger is a medicinal treat in addition to being a tasty one -- to list just a few of its talents, it treats stomachaches and indigestion, reduces toxicity and aids mild lung disorders.
Kickstart your day -- and immune system -- with a shot of the stuff by passing diced and peeled pieces of the root through a juicer. If deemed too spicy for more sensitive palates, mix the juice with water, other juices or sweeteners like lemon, sugar or agave.
Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.
Enchiladas are arguably the most comforting of all Mexican entrees. Perhaps that's because they most closely resemble a casserole -- with protein, grains and vegetables all baked together and topped with delicious, flavorful red sauce and a layer of melted cheese.
Whether filled with beef, pork, chicken, fish, cheese, beans or any combination of those ingredients, enchiladas can often be complicated dishes, like these with homemade sauce and fresh cilantro from Flickr user purdyinblue. But the Mexican one-pot meal is also a great way to feed lots of people with very little effort, especially if you use a Dorito-encrusted recipe from the likes of Emeril Lagasse... or Charlie Gibson, depending on who you ask.
Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.
This edible feast is predominantly about texture -- not that the artful arrangement isn't almost too perfect to disturb by consumption. This slow-cooked salmon recipe from stickygooeycreamychewy.com is salmon at its finest, attractively plated with lush, buttery layers melting, fragmenting, crumbling at the mere touch.
Tenderly cradled atop an aromatic layer of sliced oranges and onions, fennel and tarragon, the fish is baked at a low temperature for half an hour. Unlike the bland color and taste that can result from more traditional cooking methods, this unfussy recipe manages to preserve the vibrant tones of the salmon as well as its shape, while dishing up a luscious product. Plus, with the extra time slow cooking affords you, you can prepare your side or salad -- and even enjoy a glass of wine.
Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.
Though we've never been able to choose sides on the vanilla-versus-chocolate debate, blondies as unique as these render the traditional brownie somewhat uninspired.
Frites & Fries' recipe for Butterscotch and Whiskey Bars inventively pairs the dulcet butterscotch with a not-so-subtle dash of whiskey (a quarter cup!), adding a pleasurably harsher nuttiness to what becomes a complex, sweet-savory confection. The grown-up recipe aims to please both those with a penchant for sweets and those with a weakness for whiskey -- and provides an easy, soul-warming wintery treat.
The flexible blondie serves as a vessel to showcase whatever ingredients you favor, from cranberry and white chocolate, to coconut and lime. What are your favorite blondie additions? Share your recommendations in the comments!
Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.
10 More Dirty Restaurant Tricks
5 Things You Didn't Know About Turducken
10 Catchiest Food Jingles We Love to Hate
