Pumpkin Seed Brittle and the beginnings of a Thanksgiving menu

photograph from My New Orleans, by John Besh

Yesterday I started prepping for our annual Thanksgiving feast.  This year we're hosting a seated dinner for twenty, and house guests begin arriving tomorrow!  My husband is always in charge of the turkey, and he always spit roasts it over an open fire - more on that later this week.  Please forgive my short and slightly scattered posts over the next few days.  I could sit and write all day, but then we'd have nothing to eat!

 I found this salad recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks, My New Orleans, by John Besh.  I purchased this several years ago at his restaurant, August, where my husband and I enjoyed one of the best meals we've ever eaten.  It is a beautiful cookbook, arranged by seasons of food, including Blackberries and Chanterelles, Gumbo and Thanksgiving.  His recipes are thoughtfully crafted and simple to follow.  The results are always delicious, and very popular with dinner guests.

I'm a sucker for anything with blue cheese (preferably a good english stilton), and the spicy/sweet nuttiness of the pumpkin seed brittle perfectly compliments the tangy blue cheese.  I especially like this recipe because one can make the brittle ahead of time, as it will easily keep in the pantry (in a plastic bag) for up to a week. 

 

not your average pizza

This is a perfect example of how important it is to have a well stocked pantry (and refrigerator).  Tonight my husband and I both arrived home at 7pm,  tired and hungry.  I had leftover stew in the refrigerator, but somehow that didn't seem appetizing.

Thankfully, I had on hand the necessary ingredients for a perfectly decadent pizza.  Twenty minutes later,  I'm sitting here at my kitchen counter, snacking on pizza and sharing the recipe with you. 

Before I go any further, however, I must give credit where credit is due.  The inspiration for this meal comes from Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, of Beekman 1802 fame, via Martha Stewart.  The Blaak Onion Jam is theirs and it is divine.  I highly recommend stocking your pantry with at least 2 or 3 of these jars as soon as possible.  You can also find the recipe for their fabulous jam here.