Yes, you read that correctly. I ate Flopsy. Or possibly Mopsy. Or maybe it was Cottontail. I wasn’t acquainted with the rabbit before it arrived in my freezer. If the thought of eating rabbit disturbs you, then now would be a good time to move on. Or you could read the recipe and substitute a small chicken. It would definitely work. If you’re vegetarian, you might even be able to work out a version based on a really meaty kind of mushroom, such as Portobello.

Me? I’m sticking with the original and thanking my lucky stars that Mr. Twistie was out of town this week so I could have my rabbit in peace. Mr. Twistie is not down with Cottontail consumption. That meant all the more for me, and can I just say YUM!  Really, even if you don’t do rabbit, do consider adapting it for something you do eat, because this recipe is Heaven on a plate in a big way.

Where did I find this marvel? In Gourmet Today, edited by Ruth Reichl of the late, lamented Gourmet magazine. This is a brilliant combination cook book and  home hernia kit. The weight is put to good use, too. Not only are there literally hundreds of great recipes, but dozens and dozens of useful kitchen tips as well. Trust me, this one is well worth the price of admission.

And now, without further ado, on to the recipe.

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As some of you may recall, I resolved recently to take better care of myself in the coming year, and to get back in touch with my own creativity. A few days later, I heard about an idea that appealed strongly to me. Instead of making huge, unrealistic resolutions, people are encouraged to resolve to do one thing each week. What that thing might be is up to the person making the resolution. It could be to read at least one book a week, run five miles a week, or to spend a certain amount of time each week improving your score on your favorite video game.

My choice? To try at least one new recipe a week. You see, I have a huge number of cookbooks, but when it comes time to make dinner, more often than not I make something up on the spot. It’s fun, but I don’t learn new techniques, and I don’t make use of this incredible library I’ve amassed.

And to keep me honest, I’ve decided to share my new recipe with you all each week. I’ll let you know how it turned out and anything that didn’t work for me in the recipe. Sometimes the recipe will be a carnivore’s delight, other times a vegan dream. I’ll cover main dishes, sides, appetizers, and desserts.

This week, I picked an easy start, but one I would never have thought of on my own. It’s tasty, easy, and surprisingly quick. It comes from the Food & Wine Annual for 2006, and I’m glad I decided to try it out.

Want more? Follow the bouncing cut and read on.

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Have I mentioned how much I love my friendly neighborhood independent grocery store? Because I do. I really, really do.

‘But Twistie,’ you exclaim! ‘Wherefore this sudden outburst of possibly inappropriate affection for a mere grocery store?’

And I can but reply that this affection is in no way inappropriate. In fact, it is particularly appropriate affection. In particular my affection is for the charming gentleman who tends the fruits and vegetables. I have always enjoyed seeing him because he’s easy on the eyes, has a delightful smile, and always seems happy to see me. I also enjoy seeing him because he always points out the best, freshest goodies to arrive.

After today, though, I will have another reason to like seeing him. You see, there were some persimmons just reaching past their prime. They are now sitting on my kitchen counter, courtesy of the courteous gentleman who tends the fruits and vegetables. He handed them to me in a bag with the legend ‘no charge’ on it and told me to have fun.

So now I need to figure out what to do with all those lovely persimmons. Do I bake them into a cake? Cookies? A pie? Bread? Do I steam them into a pudding?

By the end of the day I’ll have not only figured it out, but created something delicious. After all, I found this site that includes recipes like curried persimmon soup and persimmon rice pudding and persimmon marmalade.

So, if you got a windfall of very, very ripe persimmons, what would you do with them?

So I got some sleep and there’s no sign I’ve actually ordered a horse, which is more than a small relief.  I thought I’d give the mosaic theme a break today and treat you to a few bits o’ choreographed brill from this week’s list courtesy of Judy Garland and Rufus Wainwright.

Reading: Wise Blood by Flannery O’Conn0r. There’s no Gothic like Southern Gothic and there’s no guilt like Catholic Guilt. Besides, “no man with a good car needs to be justified”.

Watching: Summer Stock — my favorite Let’s Put on a Show musical, courtesy of Judy Garland and Gene Kelly

Hearing: Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall -in a continuing theme of Saint Judy.  He lived the dream. Bastard.

Smelling: Bvlgari Black. A weird fragrance I usually save for summer, but a fine example showing not all brilliant perfumes are expensive.  You can pick up Black for under 30 bucks online or at Ross/TJ Maxx etc. The notes in Black include black rubber and tar. Before you turn up your nose, read this review from Bois de Jasmin and then go out and try it. Originally a men’s fragrance it’s being marketed to women, too which makes me think it’s gearing up for a relaunch and corresponding price hike. If you like it, get some now.

Loving: Cows N’ Things Everyone wants to help those adorable little poor children and that’s great and all, but what about the old folks? I won’t teeter up on my soap box about the way Western culture treats its elderly, because I could go on for.ev.er about it and if you want to be tediously lectured there are plenty of other places to go for that. BUT Cows n’ Things is a great charity.  You can buy chicks, a beehive, a donkey ambulance OR cataract surgery (for about 20 USD!!!) for an eldery person in developing nations throughout the world.

Hating: The concept of “being good” or “being bad” at the holidays, especially when it comes to food. It’s ridiculous to see grown damn woman smile like their mischievous toddlers whispering loudly they’re “being bad” and having another sausage ball. Listen, if you need to justify to a room of people what you’re eating AND put a moral judgment on it, your problems are a lot deeper than Bisquick-based party snacks.

Wanting: chocolate-dipped spiced apricots. Partially submerge plump dried apricots in dark chocolate and let set. Drizzle pre-dipped bits with bitter sweet or white chocolate and dust with pumpkin pie spice/warm aromatic spice of your choice. Let chill. Dead easy, makes a million and are super delicious.

Buying: Ovation Finalist Pro Field Boots with extra-wide calves (check the size chart, you may have to go with men’s extra-wides)

When I was a child, Thanksgiving was a magical time for food. There were certain dishes Mom made then and only then. Steamed puddings, cranberry sorbet, roast turkey…so delicious.

If there was one dish, though, that summed up what I was waiting for all year long, it was Patrician Potatoes. I waited breathlessly for that one. Potatoes were always a favorite of mine, but these were special. Mashed potatoes? Technically. And yet, they were so very much more. They were mashed potatoes liberally laced with sour cream and cottage cheese with rivulets of butter and crunchy toasted almonds on top. They were pure sex to me before I had any clue what sex was.

Imagine my delight when, upon looking in an old cookbook I hadn’t opened in years, Mom’s Patrician Potatoes recipe literally fell into my lap! Perhaps I’ll make it for Thanksgiving this year.

If you’d like to give it a go, here’s how:

Mom Twistie’s Patrician Potatoes

1 1/2 pounds potatoes

3 Cups cream style (by which I assume she meant ‘small curd’) cottage cheese

3/4 Cup commercial sour cream (yes, she specified that)

1 1/2 Tblsp grated onion (feel free to add more; people were scared of onions in the fifties)

Pepper to taste

2 1/2 tsp salt (again, feel free to adjust)

1/4 Cup melted butter

1/2 Cup chopped, toasted almonds

Peel potatoes and cook in boiling water. Drain and mash thoroughly. Blend in cottage cheese, sour cream, onion, salt, and pepper. Spoon mixture into a buttered 2 Quart baking dish. Drizzle butter over the top. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake in 350f oven for 30 minutes. Let rest a few minutes before serving. If desired, place under the broiler for a few minutes to brown lightly.

May be combined ahead and refrigerated until baking time.

You’ll thank me later.

With all the work that goes into putting on a Thanksgiving feast, wouldn’t it be helpful to have one easy source of recipes complete with dozens of tips and tricks to make things go smoother?

Yes. Yes it would.

The good news is that just such a book exists.

How to Cook a Turkey:and All the Other Trimmings is a compendium of recipes, general advice, disaster-averting tips, and even ideas about what to do with leftovers compiled by the editors and contributors of Fine Cooking Magazine. Whether you’re a first-time Thanksgiving chef or a seasoned veteran of holiday meal providing, there’s useful information for you between these covers.

Yes. the emphasis is on a traditional meal based around a turkey, but there are also instructions for roasting a duck or goose, delicious sides that would fill any vegetarian well, (a few are even suitable without adaptation to a vegan diet! Fennel and Escarole Stuffing with Pine Nuts, I’m looking at you), and the desserts range from a traditional pumpkin pie to orange layer cake to tiramisu.

This book has a place of honor on my personal cookbook shelf. Oh, and I made the tiramisu for a friend who grew up in Naples. Everybody told me not to because he’d be incredibly picky about it. He sniffed at me when I said it was alcohol-free…and yet he wound up eating three large helpings and couldn’t stop talking about how good it was. He still asks hopefully when I’m going to make another.

That’s the sort of reaction I’ve gotten from pretty much every dish I’ve made from this book: people go nuts and can’t stop eating. Oh, and the best thing about that? They’re easy to make, too. Think of it: you can put it minimal effort and get maximum praise in return.

Here’s one of the easiest recipes in the book. It’ll take you about five minutes to make, but my Thanksgiving table would be sorely lacking if I left it off the menu.

Cranberry Orange Relish with Ginger:

1 12oz. package of fresh cranberries, picked over and rinsed

1 small navel orange, including the peel, cut into 8 wedges

A generous 1/2 Cup roughly chopped crystallized ginger

1 Tblsp granulated sugar

1/4 tsp kosher salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until coarsely ground, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield: 3 Cups

Trust me, this one is well worth the $13.57 Amazon.com is asking.