A few weeks ago we went to Antico in Atlanta. First few bites were amazing, but by the second piece it was disappointingly soggy. I don't know if they use fresh mozzerella not, but excess moisture can really ruin a good pizza. Veggies can do the same thing.

There was the hot cocoa. Gifts of chocolate are put in stockings. Does that count?

I usually make a Dutch chocolate crackle cookie which is really good. Past two years I stopped making all the cookies from around the world because I didn't have the time, after doing Thanksgiving and because there's so many of them, too many are left over. I used to have neighbors and friends over for dessert with a big crowd to finish most of them but this year it was an all family affair.

It's called moderating the sugar. :p

Wow, BEP, looks like it could have come out of a magazine. Impressive.

I've never tried to cook a meal with that many different dishes/courses.

Believe me, it was insane. I barely spoke to anyone it was so intense. Don't know why because I make this meal EVERY Christmas. I think because it was so many more people. The SO helped but I had to be a Nazi with the resident student laying around in her room trashing the place. The entree is the easier part though. I do the baking earlier and store though, including the pears. Made the bisque base earlier. That helps. That came out really well with people wanting seconds and thirds. Popovers have to be done when meat is cooking near the end.

Plus I had to make the Sicilian egg strada for breakfast and cranberry, walnut sour cream muffins for breakfast.

I call it Christmas stress.

Thank you.


Well, I am an art director. (graphic design) I have styled many photos for ads and brochures and been paid to do it. So I know how to set up the shot. This has errors in it but that's fine for home. I am very into aesthetics though. It's my livelihood.

Jesus, amazing looking dishes. I'd eat every one of them. Really spectacular looking as well in presentation.

I'd love to be invited next year!

I loooooooove Antico's.

He has chops?

You have to behave first. :p

Thanks for the tip for when I'm in Atlanta again.

I made a pretty tasty marinated pork tenderloin tonight.

I tried my hand at the potato galette with duck fat per the suggestion of FMB! I looked at several recipes including ones from Julia Child, Cooks Illustrated and Bon Appetit.

I ended up doing it mostly on the stove top in a CIS and finished it under the broiler. It probably cooked faster than I had planned because the bottom potatoes were burnt and the middle ones were maybe a little over steamed. I rinsed the starch off the potato slices as recommended by two of the recipes but did not add cornstarch back to the dish as recommended by Cooks Illustrated. That was a mistake because the layers slid apart as I dumped it. I think the starch may have held it together. Also could have done with a little less fat, although with the corn starch added it might have worked.

There was some really good flavor there, but it didn't work as a galette, and the bottom layers were too blackened, so no pics.

Mrs. Lewdog has been trying to do that for years. What can I say, I'm a born rebel.

How long do you normally spend cooking a meal during a normal weekday night? I'm assuming not everything is super extravagant unless you're home a lot?

Is it normally soggy to where you can't pick it up?

Oh no, not at all. I can spend from 20 minutes to an afternoon making a meal.
Other than the prime rib, my favorite meal is a simple hamburger.

I got a slow cooker for Christmas to help me save time preparing. But honestly it's really more for him because he'll wind up eating Lean Cuisine when I have to travel for work—or beans and toast. He just will not cook.

This way he can toss some healthy veggies with meat into a pot and have something decent for little work. I need to keep him healthy and alive. :p

I'll show my first slow cooker meal that I made a few days after Christmas next.

SR turned me on to them. Best pizza I've ever had.