Author: A. J. Forget

French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup

Ahh, French onion soup, that glorious bowl of caramelized onions in a rich, sherry and thyme-laced broth. It is a time-consuming dish to prepare, but worth every minute spent stirring those onions as they slowly brown and sweeten. Optionally topped with a slice of bread 

Ayana’s Roasted Poblano Hot Sauce

Ayana’s Roasted Poblano Hot Sauce

Ayana loves hot sauce. The first time I went over to her house, when we first met, I was astounded by the collection of hot sauce bottles in her fridge. There must have been fifteen of them. By way of explanation, she introduced me to 

Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Pumpkin Creme Brulee

If you are looking for a Thanksgiving dessert that will absolutely knock the family’s socks off, this pumpkin creme brulee is the dish. Falling neatly in the middle between rustic family feast and haute cuisine, this dish is both familiar and elegant, featuring all your favorite flavors and textures of both creme brulee and pumpkin pie, and is certain to delight any and all of your Thanksgiving guests. Continue reading Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Stovetop Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

Stovetop Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

I was told once that the American food that most fascinates foreigners is the Thanksgiving feast. The immutable menu of roast turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie has become an image that those in other countries long to experience. I was surprised 

Forget Family Mashed Potatoes

Forget Family Mashed Potatoes

These are the mashed potatoes that were served at all family gatherings when I was growing up, and I’m pretty sure they are the best out there. I know that I have a certain amount of bias, seeing as these are the taters of my 

Stovetop Roast Turkey

Stovetop Roast Turkey

For those of us living in tiny homes, vans, buses, and the like, Thanksgiving can be a difficult holiday to celebrate. It is a lot of cooking to be done in that tiny little kitchen. We made it doubly hard on ourselves by opting not to put an oven in our build. This glaring omission for a dedicated cook like myself necessitates a certain amount of creativity when it comes to cooking dishes like bread, pies, and, of course, the thanksgiving turkey. But being the dedicated (stubborn?) person that I am, I have spent months exploring the art of stove top baking and roasting, and I am happy to share that it is quite possible to make a whole Thanksgiving feast in your tiny kitchen. Continue reading Stovetop Roast Turkey

Grandma’s Impossible Pie

Grandma’s Impossible Pie

This here is Grandma’s Impossible Pie.⁠ ⁠ We used to eat it every year at Christmas, and I have recently learned why: the “impossible” part of the name refers to how it must be impossible for such an easy pie to be so dang good,⁠ 

Mom’s Lemon Chicken

Mom’s Lemon Chicken

For me, this recipe is my childhood. Growing up this dish was, at least in my mind, Mom’s specialty. It was one of those special dinners that we didn’t have every week, but every time we did eat it, I wondered why we couldn’t have 

Dad’s Steak Bearnaise

Dad’s Steak Bearnaise

Steak Bearnaise is without a doubt one of the best dishes out there. What on earth is more luxurious than a fine piece of grilled beef drizzled with a hot butter sauce? Flavored with tarragon, shallots, and white wine vinegar, bearnaise sauce somehow adds both creamy decadence and a pleasant acidity to cut through the fat of the beef and butter. Continue reading Dad’s Steak Bearnaise

Furutsu Sando

Furutsu Sando

Furutsu sando is a subtle dessert that celebrates seasonal fruits, tastes delicious, and looks beautiful–sounds like Japanese patisserie. Something like a strawberry shortcake, furutsu sando is a sandwich made with whipped cream, whatever fruits are ripe at the time, and, traditionally, Japanese milk bread. It