Tag: Food Wishes

Giving Thanks

Michele and I had a very lovely Thanksgiving holiday with the family in Davis, CA. The food and company were wonderful, and as if that wasn’t enough, I also enjoyed a flood of viewers posting pictures of their successful Food Wishes’ recipes on Twitter and Instagram. I want to thank everyone who mentioned us this holiday, and I couldn’t be happier or more proud of all the beautiful food you created and shared. And while we’re on the subject, here are a few highlights from our meal. Enjoy!

Our handsome, free-range turkey was from Branigan’s Turkey Farm in Woodland, California, and it was amazing! I did the old, herb-butter under the skin trick, and it was one of the juiciest, most flavorful turkeys in recent memory.

I love to start the Thanksgiving meal with a small salad. This is a great way to get everyone to the table for toasts, grace, etc., and not have to worry about all the food getting cold. While the turkey rests, enjoy a nice pear, persimmon salad with goat cheese, pomegranate, and candied walnuts.

What’s Thanksgiving, but an elaborate excuse to eat lots of buttery mashed potatoes? These were fortified with cream cheese as family tradition dictates.

These incredibly tasty sweet potatoes were simply roasted with maple butter and topped with salty, crunchy, toasted pistachios. They were perfect.

I decided to eschew the usual green bean casserole for this new addition to the holiday side repertoire. The beans were tossed with copious amounts of roasted garlic, and then warmed in the oven after a crumbling of Point Reyes blue cheese. No one missed the casserole!

We finished with the pumpkin pie you saw posted a while back, and by the looks of my Twitter feed, so did many of you. I hope you had a great holiday, and enjoy the rest of the weekend. Special thanks to Peggy & Al, Nina & Tom, and Jennifer and Leanne for providing us with such an enjoyable Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for a new video tomorrow!

In Memoriam: William D’Arduini

My uncle Billy passed away a few days ago. He’d been having
health issues over the last few years, but the news still came as a sudden, and
very sad shock. He was one of my earliest inspirations for becoming a chef, and
as many of you know, we filmed several recipes together over the years from his
kitchen in Manchester, NY.

After I left the California Culinary Academy to start Food Wishes, I gave him one
of my chef coats, and whenever I’d visit, he’d be wearing that coat, busily
cooking away, looking every bit the part. He was a barber and hairstylist by
trade, but Uncle Billy could have been a world-class chef. His passion for food,
and for life, was boundless. Running up the stairs from his second, basement
kitchen, carrying a giant pan of food, smiling broadly, talking loudly, wearing
that old, white chef coat, is how I will always remember him.

I can think of no better tribute than to re-post the videos
he was involved in below. In the “Homemades” video, you can actually hear Uncle
Bill helping me with the narration. Of course, in true Food Wishes style, we
only see his hands, but by watching the stylish way he handles the food, it’s
very easy to see that he had a special touch.

Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to my Aunt Angela
and the rest of the family. I can’t begin to imagine how difficult this is for
them, but hopefully they can take some comfort in knowing just how much pleasure Uncle Billy brought to those around him. Not only did he feed the
party, but he was usually the life of it too. He will be dearly missed.

Rest in peace, Uncle Billy. We loved you, and will continue
to love and remember you through all the amazing dishes you so generously
shared. I know one thing, the food in heaven just got a lot better. Enjoy.

Homemades – Making Pasta with Uncle Bill (read original post here)

Chicken D’Arduini (read original post here)

Arancini – Italian Rice Balls (read original post here)

Back from the Desert,Thirsty for Food Wishes

I’m back from Arizona after a very relaxing week of golfing,
watching baseball, and enjoying gorgeous weather that can best be described as the
exact opposite of San Francisco. Hot and dry with just enough breeze to
carry the smell of grilling hot dogs to my well-lotioned nose. It was great
fun, but I’m ready to get back to business.

I’d like to extend a sincere thank you to Anna, who by all
accounts did a masterful job of moderating the blog. I know you guys aren’t
used to prompt, polite, and thoughtful replies to your questions, but I thought you
handled it very well. Stay tuned for a brand new video Monday!