If there’s one reason to love California, let it be the abundance of produce grown inside state borders. We came back from farmer’s market today loaded down with summer goods: Maui onions, broccoli, asparagus, celery, tomatoes, rhubarb, seeds, dried fruit, tarragon, parsley, garlic chives, green beans, strawberries, and an (unbelievably) early crop of delicious cherries. The selection is simply amazing. And contrary to cries of food elitism from editorial writers who can’t be arsed to shop at something other than a national megamarket, our farmers markets offer an abundance of pesticide free goods at cheap or competitive prices. Of course, you can buy three punnets of a special, tasty, organic variety of strawberries for $16; but you can also buy three punnets of a more regular, pesticide free variety for $5 at the stall next door. Elitism (or lack thereof) is purely left to the shopper’s discretion. So in addition to superb selection, freshness, and eco-friendly products, shopping at your local farmer’s market supports our local economy without sinking your wallet!

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The curious may wish to view my comparison of sauerbraten recipes, which I used extensively to develop a recipe of my own.

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Conceptually, my idea for this menu was to introduce an international element while also reminding us of the comfort and flavors of holiday fare. I can’t speak much for the cohesiveness or overall "progression" of dishes here. The acidity peaks at the sauerbraten, and I flirt with varying levels or elements or sweetness in every menu item. But, Tyler and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

Appetizer: Yellow Dal Puree
Spiced with fresh ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric, garam masala, and a hint of cayenne. Served with wilted spinach and fresh chopped tomato.

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For the last several days, I’ve snubbed Christmas menu preparations for earthier delights: shopping, reading, listening, and posting in my less kosher blog Caput Lupinum (closed to the public). But alas, the time for dalliance is at an end. Christmas is just two weeks away, and if I’m going to execute a Devious, Masterful Plan, The Plan must be given form!

Christmas and New Years are perhaps my favorite "food holidays" because there are less stringent expectations concerning what ought to be served. Thanksgiving is a straight-jacket for the creative menu. Iconic dishes, like roast turkey, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, etc, limit how far one can deviate and experiment. Serve something aside from the usual staples and you’re likely to hear uproar. But is there a classic winter menu? Well, for one, nobody can agree on the main; is it ham, beef wellington, a rib roast, or deep fried Jewish latkes? This year in foodie publication, I’ve seen all of the above and more, including lamb, duck, cornish hens, and, yes, roast turkey. The confusion is a blessing, if you ask me. My husband has only one request of the Christmas menu: cookies, and lots of them. We’ll revisit that subject later.

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With just several days left before Thanksgiving, the preparations intensified. Tuesday was our busiest day, with last minute grocery stops at Freshia, Whole Foods, the European Deluxe Sausage Kitchen in Beverly Hills, Ralphs, and Albertsons. I assembled an arsenal. By Wednesday night, my kitchen was stocked with cream of mushroom soup, cider vinaigrette, candied pecans, pumpkin ice cream cake, roasted chestnuts, pomegranate cranberry relish, a brown sauce for the oeufs, blanched green beans, turkey brine, and a fabulous crab bisque. Why, you ask? Why would I go through all the effort to prepare such a feast? I call it the artist’s mania. Maybe my food isn’t what you would call art (I don’t), but the same kind of passion applies; and what I love best is this: after the fur is finished flying, my husband and I can share our delight (and our criticisms) on the subject of a well thought out, carefully prepared meal.

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Week 2 is already finished, and my plans are on schedule. Among other culinary trips (see the new beef stroganoff and updates to cranberry orange bread), this week’s accomplishments include smoked ham-vegetable stock, peanut butter milk chocolate bark, candied orange zest, dark chocolate bark with said zest, potato rosemary rolls with roasted garlic, brown roux, and a test run on roasted chestnuts.

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Sweat was flowing down my back, and I was still catching my breath after running on the treadmill. My husband, returning to the gym room with the weekly grocery ads, turned to me and grumbled, "There’s no special on turkeys this year." "Huh?" was my articulate response. I looked and indeed, there was barely a nary a mention of the holiday bird. I shrugged and said, "So?" He eyed me somewhat blandly and said, "Thanksgiving is next week." I gaped at him. I stuttered. I vehemently denied. And then I realized I was speaking with the family’s resident encyclopedia of doom, and I thought, ‘He must be right.’

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In a previous article, I delivered a fairly thorough overview of stocks and outlined a recipe for fish stock. I dislike repeating myself, but for the sake of clarity, let’s start with what we know (or should know). There are three basic types of stock: white, brown, and fumet. Fish stock belongs to the first category, and is thus fairly simple to make; there’s some chopping and a fairly short simmer time, but no extra work is involved. Brown stock, the subject of today’s article, requires a little more preparation and a lot more time. I won’t pretend to be an expert in this arena. I’m still working out the kinks in this recipe, and there are a few practical matters to address in the future. But if you’re looking for an inroads into the topic, read on.

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The first week of November is here, and recent tradition dictates the preparation of a Thanksgiving menu. I’ve done this early planning for several years now, mainly because I enjoy leisurely browsing books, magazines, and recipes online while brainstorming for a special menu; also, I hate, hate, hate being rushed into a huge holiday meal without scheduling everything beforehand. (Here I bow to my OCD habits.) What’s there to schedule, you ask? Well if I need three kinds of stock, a scenario which is not at all far-fetched, I’m not going to prepare the stocks all at once or even in the same week. First, that’s kind of a big grocery expense stacked into an already big holiday order. Second, cooking should be spread out and executed without rushing. Obviously if you’re a sous chef in a restaurant, that doesn’t apply and clearly you’re asking for punishment and stress. But at home, cooking should be a process savored and time should allow for attention to detail.

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No kitchen can truly be great without homemade stock. Stock is the fonds de cuisine, or "the foundation of cooking," and is a major component of rich stews and many excellent sauces. (And as for sauces—well, no aspiring chef or gourmet cook can truly claim fame in the culinary arena without demonstrating command of sauces.) Furthermore, a properly prepared stock made from scratch will always outperform prepackaged stock from the supermarket or stock made from powders; the two cannot even compare. If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and upgrade your kitchen with a little homemade stock. Prepare stock the night before and refrigerate or make in advance and freeze for up-to several months.

There are at least a dozen, if not several dozen, variations of stock, depending on the ingredients and the methods employed. However, we can usually break down a traditional stock into three basic components:

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