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The Yummiest Food Magazine Recipes of November 2016

November 14, 2016

If you’re the type that could spend hours flipping through food magazines, perhaps the same ones over and over, agonizing over which few recipes are worthy of your next weeknight dinner or weekend dessert, then you know that November is serious business for these colorful periodicals: Thanksgiving. With the exception of Friends-giving or last year, I’m not normally responsible for the entire meal (and I certainly won’t be this year at 25 weeks pregnant), so I get to pick a couple really elaborate recipes to contribute to the feast.

Yummy food magazine recipes to make in November

Photo: John Kernick via foodandwine.com

In all honesty, I find the internet way too overwhelming for recipe selection, especially at such a food-centric holiday as Thanksgiving. Sometimes I’ll reference my Pinterest boards for old favorites or seasonal ideas when planning weekly dinners, but for guests and holidays, my go-to sources are cookbooks and food magazines. I bounce between publications. I used to be a Bon Appetit subscriber, but I’ve found they try too hard to be trendy for my taste, which never wavers far from classic, one-dish comfort food. Food & Wine hasn’t gone similarly astray, and even though I skip a lot of the pages, they always have those few, must-make recipes, like a creamy appetizer dip or chocolatey dessert (see above). [Read more…]

Weekend Eats: Out and About

June 13, 2016

It’s time for something new! I love to cook–that’s not news, and it’s the reason NCK exists. Often, though, the recipes you see on the blog are the product of testing and a well manicured photo shoot, which is definitely not what my day-to-day cooking looks like. Most blog recipes start with an experiment, or, hey, even dinner desperation, and I want a place to reflect that and show you guys what I eat in real life. Weekend Eats, a new series on NCK, will be an informal roundup of what and where I ate over the weekend, who I was with, and a few thoughts and pictures. When I entertain, it will include those dinner (or brunch) menus that I craft so carefully in order to have a worry-free party where everyone eats well.

The photography promises to be less staged, a welcome break from carefully placed utensils and herb leaves. The series will help expose the evolution of all those “polished” recipes you see on the ‘gram and the blog and Pinterest and will keep the blog going even when life and work keep me too busy to crank out three gorgeous recipes a week. Finally, I hope it starts a conversation with y’all about your weekend cooking and gives you inspiration in the kitchen for when Friday rolls around!

Coffee cake with all the crumbs

The Recipes

  • Crumb topping-for-days coffee cake
  • No-chop thyme vinaigrette (the dressing only; I make a third or half of the recipe)
  • “Everything” marinade: great for flank steak, and I imagine also good on portobellos or tofu. I start with a base of canola oil, add red wine vinegar, smashed garlic cloves, fresh oregano or parsley leaves, black pepper and/or peppercorns, soy sauce or tamari, garlic salt, and lime juice. Marinade for one to two hours. Brush off excess marinade before grilling or broiling.
  • Gluten free mac and cheese

[Read more…]

‘Twas the Week Before Christmas

December 23, 2015

And all through the house, three kinds of cookies Tessa was stirring, while Steve slept on the couch.

Baking cookies for date night at home

Like my rhymes? I thought it was cute, while not entirely true. Last Friday, a week before Christmas, Steve and I celebrated our newlywedness with Christmas date night at home. He was a baking champion most of the night, until that part of the night when…he wasn’t. Love you honey.

Since we’re just a few days away from Christmas, I thought it would be a good time for a fun post about our holiday date night in. Perhaps you’ll find it entertaining or use it as a template to give date night at home a try. You don’t have to wait until next Christmas to do so. New Year’s? Valentine’s Day? Random Friday night? All good excuses to party with your sweetie. Or a special friend. Or your sister or mom. Take your pick my fellow homebodies.

Recipes from Plenty cookbook for date night at home
[Read more…]

How to Plan and Cook a Meatless Thanksgiving Menu

November 30, 2015

In 2015, I made the jump from alternative Thanksgiving meat to (nearly) meatless Thanksgiving menu. My one concession was the crab cakes, but braised turkey legs almost got involved. To start, I planned on a couple big, semi-hippie vegetarian mains, one of which was a big fall kale salad. I thought it would be courteous to offer our small crowd of guests some turkey to add to their salad, so they didn’t blame me for a totally unorthodox Thanksgiving. Then, as I browsed recipes and wandered down the rabbit hole of the internet, I stumbled upon some images of glorious, very much alive, fully grown turkeys. In conversation, I generally provide every reason in the book for eating mostly meatless as a way of life, downplaying the ethical reasons as much as possible. Part of me doesn’t quite know how to explain it to unsympathetic ears, or I’m worried that I’ll get criticized and won’t have a logical, or even convincing, response.

How to plan and execute and meatless Thanksgiving (or any holiday) menu

But, in a moment of conviction, I decided to own my grievances with the majority of meat production. In this case, the raising of turkeys in captivity for tradition’s sake, when most Americans, myself included, couldn’t even tell you why turkey is the official bird of Thanksgiving dinner.
[Read more…]

Portable Picnic Menus

September 1, 2015

Labor Day is fast approaching, so although it seems untimely to present you with picnic recipes at the onset of fall, hopefully you plan on savoring the last of summer’s sticky heat with a picnic. Or, maybe you’re lucky enough to have perfect mild (high 60’s/low 70’s is ideal for me) and not swampy weather. Either way, I’ve put together a few picnic menus you can use as a one-stop shop for your Labor Day (or any day) picnic planning. Each main course plus the listed side(s) should be plenty filling, even more so if friends and family are joining in the fun and bringing more dips, sides, or appetizers.

Portable picnic menus with out-of-the-box salad recipes

All the components or finished dishes will do well wrapped or stored in air tight plastic bags or containers, placed in a cooler with ice or ice packs. I’ve also been fascinated lately by Molly’s couple posts which showcase a handy two-sided hot and cold food thermos. I didn’t include any hot items here, but I’m sure you could come up with something to fit the bill (like cauliflower Swiss soup or maple bacon polenta, which I would do sans bacon and plus cheese).

Make sure you don’t forget drinks, either! [Read more…]

Winter Walnut Pesto Pasta and a Valentine’s Dinner at Home Menu

February 6, 2015

Valentine’s Day at home is not a copout. Nights out can certainly be special. I have to cover my bases, after all, because I’ve been extended an invitation to a hot date on Valentine’s Day which I had no part in planning. Surprises simultaneously kill and excite me, so I’m anxiously counting down the days. The past two Valentine’s Days, though, we’ve spent at home, and I think they turned out more memorable than a night out in a restaurant where the staff wants to turn our table as quickly as possible and offers a high markup pre fixe menu—my nightmare.

Winter walnut pesto pasta...comes together in 20 minutes for Valentine's dinner at home!

On the first V-Day we celebrated together, Steve took control of the kitchen and made dinner for me–bacon-wrapped filet (of beef), I believe. Wow, have our diets changed! No matter the food, though, it was my ultimate special evening to have a break from cooking, and I got to sit at the dining room table sipping my wine and talking to Steve while he ran around the kitchen in a major change of roles. There’s a big smile on my face right now just recollecting it.

Winter walnut pesto pasta...comes together in 20 minutes for Valentine's dinner at home!

If you want to spend Valentine’s Day at home this year with your sweetheart (or friends, pets, children, etc.), but aren’t sure quite where to start, I’ve got you covered. [Read more…]

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...my food philosophy in a nutshell. I'm Tessa, the comfort food lover, Minnesotan at heart, and home chef behind Natural Comfort Kitchen. Find out more about me, NCK, and my love for healthy, delicious food here.

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I'm Tessa, blogger and chef behind Natural Comfort Kitchen. Find out more about me, NCK, and my love for healthy, delicious food here.

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