Holiday Goodies

How to take pumpkin bars to the next level...add caramel frosting and bacon. This sure beats the regular cream cheese frosting we normally use with pumpkin desserts. The bacon adds a smoky, salty and crunchy complement, while the bacon drippings in the pumpkin layer add another subtle smoky taste.

I have come to love bacon in my dessert. Itgives it that sweet-savory flavor I love. The caramel frosting is a take on Italian buttercream, however, themethod is actually easier and the results are "perfection".

Overall this is a great fall dessert. It would also go nicely as part of a Thanksgiving Day holiday dessert table.

Thank goodness these need to stay in the fridge, otherwise I would be grabbing one off the counter everytime I passed by.

1.            To fall in love with someone great.

2.            To fall out of love with someone that isn't great.

3.            To read one entire book.

4.            To write one screenplay.

5.            To run 5 miles (in a row).

6.            To learn how to bake without sugar.

7.            To be nicer to my mom.

8.            To learn how to do laundry (but only if my mom does, too).

9.            To drink more coffee.

Thanksgiving is my favorite national holiday. It is not focused around the obligatory(bad) gift, it’s secular, and the abundance of flavors, color, and creativity in the food and recipes cannot be beat.

I started creating my Thanksgiving menu over 25 years ago, in a 2 bedroom duplex with a very small kitchen.  The size of my kitchen didn’t matter, nor did the fact that I only had one oven.  I was organized, made lists, prepped and did as much as I could in advance. My pumpkin soup and this cranberry sauce remain the two constants on my holiday table. Today, I may have a slightly larger kitchen, two ovens, an extra fridge, but the joy of this holiday remains the same.

Regardless, making a Thanksgiving meal requires organization, lots of prep, and time management. I do as much as I can in advance. This cranberry sauce can be made a week in advance, Pie crusts are made and frozen, soups are made 2 days prior, and all veggies are cleaned, blanched, and chopped the weekend before.

I love dining at bistros not just for the comforting French dishes, but also the appealing appetizers. Many times I've shared an appetizer of liver pâté with a friend over a bottle of wine and lots of bread. It's a very filling and not to mention budget-friendly meal. Different forms of pâté can be found throughout Europe, mainly in France, Scandinavia, and eastern Europe. In markets, pâté can be found sold in sausage-like tubes, which is commonly known as liverwurst here in the States. I grew up eating many different types of kenőmájas, as it is known in Hungarian. I couldn't imagine not eating it, especially around the holiday time. It makes a very nice appetizer with pickled vegetables and bread, crostini, or crackers.

Pâté is one of those things that most people will only enjoy at a restaurant or buy in a meat market, but never actually attempt making at home. I've enjoyed many good chicken liver pâtés, but the ones I make myself are always just as good, if not better, than the ones I purchase.