tejon

Dobos Torte for dessert on turkey day. I didn't do a great job with pouring the caramel or in decorating, but it was delicious!

I have a really small group this year, so I'm trying something purely for fun: Dobos Torte. I have the buttercream and the cake layers made up, just waiting to assemble them. Not in any way traditional, but what could ever be wrong with chocolate?

I've been lucky enough to host my own Thanksgiving for the past few years, and had a friends and family gathering (an odd, loose group of people who all were somehow connected) before that. If I ever found myself alone on Thanksgiving day itself, I'd probably do what I helped with last year - feeding homeless people directly. It was a truly amazing experience, moreso for all of us who helped than those who received food and other essentials. Nothing like sharing the true bounty that we have with those who have a hard time putting shelter together. I feel so blessed to be making dinner for family and friends this year as I have in years past, but I pass that blessing along whenever possible. Anyone is welcome at my table, and there is always room for another to share the bounty. If you were closer, I'd extend that invitation personally

Some things I did when I worked at a group home with younger children: Set out healthy foods to munch on, but do it *very* casually. Just have them there and don't comment. This is especially sucessful right after school, when appetites are often the biggest. Sliced vegetables, sliced fruits, healthy dips like hummus, lower fat cheeses would all go well here. Present healthy foods in ways that are new, such as cutting the peel from oranges and slicing into bite sized bits (similar to what's done at many Asian style restaurants - think how much more attractive that orange suddenly is when you don't have to peel. Plan out meals that are healthy but accessable to your son (nothing that would make him wretch, but not pizzas and french fries every night, either) and have one item that he has eaten and liked in the past at each dinner. This will help him branch out, since he's likely to be hungry and will soon become bored with one selection. Make sure the foods you do choose are delicious, just less calorie laden. Limit or get rid of altogether unhealthy foods - if they aren't around, he'll snack on other things. Encourage movement in his free time. Go fly a kite together (can't help but run when flying a kite). Make a nightly walk a family affair, something you all do together (even a simple walk around the block is a start, and a really nice time to talk about the day). Weight issues are a lot easier to deal with in children than in adults. Since he's still growing, just small change in his diet and exercise levels will help him stop gaining while he grows taller - in effect causing weight loss. Plus, the eating habits he learns now will stay with him and guide his later years. Kudos to you for making changes now.

I've never found fresh pinapple difficult to eat in any way. There's nothing I love more than cubes of the fruit, followed by a long slow munch on the core

Any time I was a bit surprised that breakfast and lunch were so well balanced. I think my oldest is used to hearing me meal plan for the week (the pattern is main course, starch if needed, plus fruit or vegetable) so he assumes meals should have all of these componants. Well, I think that was less thinking of the rest of us and more remembering that they have a climber so he can run around after eating

Got breakfast and lunch plans from my oldest: breakfast: pancakes, blackberries, and bacon (shares his mom's love of bacon ) lunch: go to McDonald's! Well, the golden arches had to fall in there somewhere . But breakfast is pretty balanced, at least. And yes, he does love broccoli! He gets mad if I serve dumplings with any other vegetable, even if it's one he likes. The youngest is very much in an all white phase, though he's slowly broadening his tastes. When asked at school what he was thankful for, he said, "apples, my mommy, my daddy, and my brother"

My oldest (almost 7): steamed dumplings, sticky rice, stir-frid broccoli, with cinnamon rolls for dessert My youngest (almost 5): rice and soy sauce with panna cotta for dessert (he has an all-consuming love for panna cotta) Not exactly the answers I expected. I was sure my older son would pick pizza and salad. He got very excited about planning dinner, down to asking if he could help make the dumplings. Hopefully they won't be too dissappointed when dinner time comes around tonight

Oh, my, you're bringing back so many childhood memories of lutefisk . Used to be part of the youth group at Sons of Norway, too. Is there any fresh lefse to be had there? Such delicious stuff, especially when it's warm.

I'd love to see your personal chef kit.

I wanted to add my thanks to Oli as well. I travelled to Hungary many years ago and still remember how amazing all of the food was. I will be trying this for our Christmas meal this year.

pulled pork red cooked chicken carnitas braised pork belly You see where I'm going here...and all are incredible with pancakes.

One vote for Dutch - that thread has me drooling! I made the braised beef and it was the perfect comfort food .

Abra! Thoroughly enjoyed your last blog and looking forward to this one as it plays through the week. Oh, and the 30th anniversary dinner? My response would have been just the same as yours. Of course, I admit to being completely insane when it comes to cooking challenges, but I bet you have an incredible time

This is such a hard topic for me. I agree that adults should be able to enjoy a nice dinner in peace. What is hardest for me is the subtle (and at times not so subtle) notion that if parents do all the right things, their children will behave in a manner deemed appropriate to a non-child focused venue. My son has Asperger's Syndrome, a mild form of Autism. He is often very loud and out of control outside of our home and I can't tell you the number of evil stares I get from those around me. I've even had perfect strangers tell me I needed to spank him. I draw a very hard line at home and outside and believe me, do all the right things to ensure that he has better behavior. I've been told by professional behavioralists that my parenting is as good as can be, given his limitations. But the judgement from others who don't know me and my son is saddening. I don't take him to nicer restaurants and possibly never will, as I'm not sure he'll ever gain the ability to control himself enough that it would be fair to other diners. I remove him when we're out and he gets too loud or out of control. I work hard to make sure that his behavior doesn't affect others negatively. It's very isolating, as there aren't many places we can take him successfully. My son is not the norm in any way, but I wish others would understand that there are other children like him to appear to be just fine but lacking in parenting and discipline, when in fact there are other issues at work. I point this out so others are perhaps less quick to judge parents and their children. Even one kind look or word truly means the world when you have a child who is acting out, other issues or not.

I'm a cook. A very skilled cook, I'll honestly admit, but still a cook. I would in no way ever consider myself a chef without actually running a kitchen myself successfully. I'm quite comfortable calling myself a cook and often correct friends who want to bump me up a notch or two.

This may have to be my next sig line.

I don't have dessert at home often, but tonight was child-free dinner with the husband so chocolate and sugar were in order. Choux puffs with Amaretto pastry cream and dark chocolate ganache on top. Simple, but very good

I have two and a half. The microwave that gets used daily, the KitchenAid stand mixer that gets used at least once a week, and sometimes my Braun stick blender that gets used almost daily. The stick blender is supposed to live in the cabinet under the counter but my other half sneaks it out for smoothies and tends to leave it there.

Presentation has always been a weak spot for me. Part of it is that I see food as mainly something that tastes delicious and less as a visual work of art, and part because I have two small children and don't have a lot of time to fuss with arranging everything just so. I'm working on this and getting better at it with practice as we sit down to dinner each night. Right now most of my meals fall somewhere between the Dinner thread and the Gallery of Regretable Foods thread. Some nights I'm not sure which I should shoot for.

Chicken soup, preferably a bit more salty than usual with lots of pepper. I also love congee with lots of ginger, bok choy, and pepper. Something about the warmth with clean, clear flavors works well when I'm feeling nasty.

Oh, look - it's a pie volcano!

(clapping) That's exactly it. This is how I am able to keep my cookbook collection in just one IKEA bookshelf, because every one I have is used and loved. The ones that sat, forlorn and dust covered, went to better homes.

I thought that hand looked familiar! What kind of fillings/ingredients are typical in monjyaki? Is cheese common?

I believe that measurement varies from cook to cook, depending on the size of the posterior in question