Alton Brown Does Bacon in a Waffle Iron!

Behold by clicking. Genius.

Jacques Pepin

When I was young I had a teddie bear named "Jacques" after Jacques Pepin. Love him. Love his cookbooks. Love his autobiography. Love his scrappy attitude. Try to emulate the cheery workman-like execution of his craft. Came upon this in the Washington Post with delight today:

For Pepin, Impromtu Comes Easy

I vow to try every single recipe, only I might use butternut squash rather than acorn because those ridges on the acorn squash scare me.

Flanken-Style Shortribs with Mushrooms
Baked apples
Sweet and Sour Glazed Squash
Slaw with Mustard Garlic Dressing
Sauteed Cabbage and Kielbasa
Crisp Pear Tart
Crispy Chicken Thighs with Mushroom Sauce

POM Wonderful Chicken Salad

I have it on good authority--two good food authorities, who just happen to be married--that this salad isn't just POM wonderful, it's plain wonderful. The recipe came to me via a request from Dr. Aveda Soccer Mom, who saw one of the two original food authorities eating it. This will be on my short list.

PS If you click on the recipe, it should open up in a larger window.

Question from reader. What do brining and enchiladas have in common?

I had a question today from a reader. A good question.

"If you brine a turkey, won't the drippings be too salty for your gravy?"

Yes, they will be, sadly, especially if you wet brine the bird, which, by the way, is to die for with Williams Sonoma turkey brine spice blend. Failing that, don't go to the trouble. Dry salt it in your fridge for a few days ahead of time.

But back to the gravy. Here's the solution. This weekend, pick up a big roaster or two small fryers at the grocery story. Roast them with a little sage, garlic, onion, and lemon. Save the drippings, deglaze the pan, and if you are so inclined, make your gravy now and freeze it. Otherwise throw the drippings, including deglazed loveliness, into the freezer.

Use the leftover chicken for anything, but consider using it for this from Pioneer Woman:

White chicken enchiladas (you just don't have to go to the trouble of poaching the chicken)

THEN, when you're all done with the chicken meat and have only those carcasses (which takes me back to the end of anatomy class) left, throw them into a slow cooker, cover with water, salt generously, add onion, celery, carrot, parsley stems or whatever else you have around, and let it cook for a few hours. Strain that and you have homemade stock, drippings for gravy, chicken enchiladas for at least two meals, chicken salad, and anything else you want to do with chicken, and you don't need to steamed your hairdo away over a hot pan of gravy on Thanksgiving.

Martha Stewart's White Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake

This is so good--I have pretty high standards--that you're going to want to start starving yourself now if you're going to make it for Thanksgiving. It is life-altering. I saved the recipe for a long time, then about two years ago convinced my aunt, a very accomplished baker, to make it. Then I hid the leftovers so she couldn't take it with her. You want to knock the socks of your guests? Make this. If you are having guests who prefer Kroger's pumpkin pie, that's fine. It's a perfectly fine pumpkin pie. Don't let them near this. They are entitled to what they love but you are entitled to this incredible cake.

How bad can it be? After all, sweet potatoes are a super food.

Marth Stewart's White Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake post and picture via marthastewart.com

Moroccan-spiced spaghetti squash. Or maybe....

I like spaghetti squash. I have tended to be a purist about it, roasting with olive oil, then serving with butter, salt, and pepper. Little parmesan. My husband thinks it is boring and tastes like nothing, but I'm not so quick to dismiss, particularly since there's butter involved.

I came across this recently in Smitten Kitchen. Might give it a try with that squash that's been sitting on my counter now for about a month.

Moroccan-spiced spaghetti squash

But hmmm....I cut this out of Food & Wine last month. Maybe I should try this one instead:

Spaghetti Squash Salad with Pine Nuts and Tarragon

Except that while I was searching for the recipe I came upon this, also from Food & Wine. It has feta and almond. Those two things alone make me like it:

Warm spaghetti squash salad

What am I to do?

Pork Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce

Really, any meatballs with any sauce, and these have not one but two sauces.

I'm a sucker for a meatball. Somebody took the time to lovingly mix and form tiny little balls with their hands for little old me? Yes, please, with seconds.

Akhtar Nawab's Pork Meatballs with Yogurt Dressing via The Wednesday Chef