It is here! The week of Thanksgiving, where you stock your fridge and pantry and start making food. I just made this Brandied Cranberry Sauce, brimming with notes of orange (recipe follows). It keeps for days in the fridge.

If you haven’t figured out your whole menu, or are looking for last minute inspiration or simply some table-top adjustments, perhaps browsing my list of recipes will prove useful (click on dish to find recipe, or in some cases recipes follow).

It does seem Thanksgiving always sneaks up on me. I am busy, busy, then BOOM my son’s birthday which, as you may have guessed, eclipses any holiday that may follow. But in the midst of full and busy lives, there is something nice about having everyone bring their usual, comforting and ‘it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without it’ food. This year, I am bringing the usual:

Orange Rolls
Brussel Sprouts
Green Bean Casserole

And the new:

Pear Fennel Soup
Brandied Cranberry Sauce (recipe follows)
Red Pepper Jelly & Goat Cheese Appetizer
Velvet Pear Cocktail
Orange Ginger Rum Cocktail (recipe follows)

And thank goodness my sister is bringing:

Pecan Crusted Sweet Potatoes

Recipes:

Brandied Cranberry Sauce
1 bag of fresh cranberries (12 oz)
1/3 cup brandy
2 full T orange marmalade
1 1/4 cup sugar
Optional add-ins: 1 T orange zest, 1 T Grand Marnier

Mix to combine, place in 8 inch square pan. Bake in 350 oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Can make up to week in advance, and store in fridge (truth be told, I made a batch and froze it in advance).

Orange Ginger Rum
1 small glugg ginger simple syrup (recipe follows)
1 medium glugg fresh orange juice (squeezed or otherwise)
1 small glugg triple sec
1 large glugg light rum
1 medium glugg soda

(I tried to measure, really. But try the gluggs and see what you come up with; perhaps you will measure and send me the recipe?). I use CRUZAN light rum. Pour all ingredients into one glass. Fill second glass with ice, pour contents of first glass into ice-filled second glass. Voila!

Ginger Simple Syrup
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 1/2 inch of ginger, peeled and sliced thin

Place water and sugar over medium heat, stir a few times. In about 5 minutes the sugar should be melted. You never want a boil, but hints of a simmer are fine. As soon as the sugar is melted, plop in all the ginger. Let simmer (or just under a simmer, you don’t want to overcook the sugar, it shouldn’t be amber in color). Off heat and let ginger steep for another 10-15 minutes. Strain out ginger and use syrup!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! May it be brimming with food, friends, family, and reasons to toast over and again.

Well, I couldn’t just leave that drink dangling in London. It was good then, but why not remake it and enjoy it here? I couldn’t just NOT make it. You and I both know better.

“I will have the one with pear, I forget what it is called.”

Because many of the cocktails while delicious, seemed to highlight the flavor of cherry. And well, cherry reminds me of cough syrup. There were many great cocktails to choose from, but this one intrigued me. I figured it might be a bit sweet, but I have provided a remedy for that: cough syrup aside.

And I figured I will aim to be better prepared for Thanksgiving this year; it always seems to sneak up on me. Which, incidentally, isn’t a bad thing. That is the beauty of having an annual standing menu, not much needs to happen or change with regard to planning and prepping. Just repeat last year, with some adjustments or improvements. Many dishes stay the same, providing lingering tastes from Thanksgivings past—and context for reminiscing and gratitude.

Food doesn’t need the fuss; food at this time of year trumpets comfort and familiarity and offers tribute to this same special meal that repeats itself generously each year.

But I do love to change what comes before the meal: perhaps with a new handful of appetizers and a fall-tasting cocktail. Something special to put a smile on the face of your loved ones, as if you are handing them a little box all wrapped with a bow. Here, try this, I will say. And this year, it will be this Velvet Pear Cocktail.

Velvet because that is the mouth feel of this drink. Pear because it feels like you are drinking a pear… probably because you actually are. Without further adieu:

Velvet Pear
1/2 pear
1 T plain yogurt
1 tsp honey
2 medium size ice cubes
1-2 ounces Pear Liquor
optional: 1 T brandy (to take the edge off the sweetness, if desired)

Peel half a pear, place with yogurt, honey and ice into blender. Puree until smooth. Add Pear Liquor (and brandy if desired) and give the blender one last little pulse. Pour into martini glasses (or fancy holiday shooters, see photo) and serve. With a smile and long-awaited hug. Makes 1.

I cannot tell you, or emphasize enough, the sheer number of bakeries and patisseries in London.

Starbucks is the United States as Patisseries are to London. There were so many coffee and tea shops, brimming with pastries. Skip the muffins, forget the cookies, set aside the quick breads, subtract the pies. These shops were filled with croissants, scones, pastries, eclairs, fruit tarts, chocolate tarts, meringues, mousses and sugary concoctions. Pudding filled pastries, almond endowed layers of goodness, chocolate inserted everywhere. I was in HEAVEN. And always, cappuccinos or tea to accompany your sweet treats.

Each morning, we would step outside our hotel and visit a patisserie called PAUL’S. If you can sneak routine into a non-routine trip, our morning visit to PAUL’S before popping on the tube was it. And what a lovely way to start the day (especially knowing I was about to walk and walk and walk that pastry off). Many mornings I enjoyed an almond croissant (I am an absolute sucker for marzipan/almond paste), or an almond tart. Once, while on a walk from Highgate Cemetery to Hampstead Heath [park] I fell upon a cafe for lunch: and appropriately finished it with a chocolate eclair. I enjoyed every… large… bite.

The trip was an absolute treat, start to finish.

One of the largest, longest and favorite walks on my trip to London took me from the Tower of London (first stop of the morning), over Tower Bridge (lots going on!), to discover Butler’s Wharf, peek in at the new City Hall (globe like), to London Bridge, past Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, and finally over the Hungerford Bridge by twilight (think walking across the Thames, lights coming on, London Eye in full view).

Besides taking in glorious views and historic monuments, I discovered Butler’s Wharf (south bank of Tower Bridge), full of little shops, fabulous dining and a few architect/real estate offices and residences thrown in. It was a lively mixture of office space combined with boutique shops (handbags, scarves, stationary, etc.) and a pile of great eateries (see photo). Not to mention a close-up and continual view of one of London’s most impressive bridges. Quaint is right.

On that same walk I waltzed the south bank of the River Thames, taking in views of the new City Hall building, the Galleria (more shops and tea) and Shakespeare’s Globe (famous theater, but unfortunately out of season in Nov). And then I came upon perhaps my favorite find: the south bank of London Bridge which has a market tucked right under it. It was farmers market, mixed with an organic wine shop (impressive tasting menu and wine flights), a coffee tasting bar, amazing little shops, really nice restaurants and bars. Taste wine, buy organic produce, watch the butchers at work, hear the buzz, watch purveyors, eat a croissant. And then if that wasn’t enough, I fell upon Vinopolis. Essentially a wine tasting, spirit tasting tour and experience. You can taste and learn about whiskey, wine, dine in a restaurant, visit the wine shop, visit their Blue Bar, etc.

Sigh. What fun it walk and find, to savor and taste… In no particular order, of course.

I already miss the tube. And the pastries. And wearing big wool coats and fancy shoes and fine scarves. Oh, and by all means I miss that accent. I love a good accent.

I am sorry for my silence for a few days; I had good intentions of blogging while gallivanting about. But I was regularly sidetracked by tasty almond croissants (in or take away?) and tea (white or black?). Or the many little shops to find, the people to watch and yet another bit of history laid richly before me. I was on vacation after all, and had self-permission to indulge in daily pastries while pretending to be an expert underground traveler and take-away tea drinker.

In the States I order a daily “double short latte with a raw sugar to go”; but while in England I was all about the “Breakfast tea, white, take away.” Forget the ‘take out’ or ‘to go’, it is ‘take away’ for all of us on-the-go-types. And it isn’t about cream or sugar in your coffee, it is do you want milk in your tea or do you prefer it black?

So when I wasn’t window shopping and drinking another hot tea on a typical London foggy day (no rain, phew!), what was I doing? Walking. Putting serious mileage on my feet. I love getting to know cities on foot, against the grain, with only the expectation of discovery on my mind. And always there is much to see, to learn, to find and ultimately, to talk about.

One great off-beat find included Byron’s—near our hotel—a great spot for a quick “Proper Hamburger.” I asked: what makes them proper? Simple, uncomplicated, high-quality hamburgers [made with grass-fed beef]. So it was confirmed that our trend in America is not ours alone: back to basics, local, unadulterated food is pressing its goodness around the globe. I saw shops for organic food, pure food, natural and simple, fresh food. And many of the flavors I experienced this week were very clean and healthful—not heavy and greasy or sauced to death; though I promise you I snagged fish, chips and a cider at a pub while watching football (Arsenal v. Manchester United if you must know).

More tidbits of tasting and touring my way through London—coming soon.