Thanksgiving Feasting

Ahhhh! I've missed blogging so! I've been busy with school: three classes and a thesis to write (I graduate next semester) on top of two jobs, I barely found time to cook let alone blog about it. At any rate the semester  is over (straight A's) and since my day job is at a university I'm on break til 2014 so here I am. In all the madness that is/was my life I did get a chance to try a few new recipes for Thanksgiving.

My sister came to town and we decided on a non-traditional meal of ribs, mac & cheese, brussell sprouts, loaded potato salad, and spinach salad. As well as peach cobbler and pound cake for dessert. I tried a new rub for my ribs and winged it on the brussell sprouts. The rib rub was taken from Bobby Flay on the Food Network website, here. It's a dry rub but I find that mustard makes the meat extra juicy and quite tender. Next time I'm going to leave out the cumin. The mac & cheese I make pretty much every Thanksgiving, but I don't think I've ever shared the recipe.

Ribs

Ingredients
1 rack of pork ribs
1-2 Tb of mustard
Rib Rub (recipe to follow)

Prep
1. Slather the ribs in mustard (I like whole grain, but spicy brown would be great too)
2. Pack on the rub (as little or as much as you like)
3. Rest the rack for at least an hour
4. Bake (unless you live in a climate conducive to grilling outside in November or you don't mind braving the cold for grilled meats) for 90-120 minutes at 350 degrees.

Rub

Ingredients
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon granulated onion
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper

Prep
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Store in an airtight container.

Mac & Cheese

Ingredients
1 Box of elbow macaroni (I use Barilla because it has the ridges)
4-6 Cups of shredded cheese, sharp and mild cheddar, separated (The sharp cheddar is for mixing in and the mild is for on top. I've used colby jack or the Kraft triple cheddar mixture as well, but there is no substitute for the sharp)
1 Can Cream of Chicken soup ( I use Campbell's)
1 Can of milk (fill the soup can after removing the soup)
2 Tb of butter (not margarine or you can leave it out altogether)
Salt and pepper to taste

Prep
1. In a large pot, salt and bring 2-3 quarts of water to boil.
2. Empty entire box of macaroni into the pot and stir so the noodles do not stick.
3. In a smaller pot bring the can of soup and milk to a low simmer, whisking until smooth.
4. When the pasta is al dente, drain and place in a large bowl. Add the butter.
5. Pour a quarter of the soup over the noodles and add a cup of sharp cheese (here you can use up to 4 cups). Stir. Repeat until the soup and cheese are a ooey gooey mixture.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Pour into a 9x13 glass, baking pan and top with the remaining 2 cups of mild cheddar.
8. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and golden brown on top, about 35 minutes.

In Worcester

Woosta Pizzeria

I ordered a chicken bacon ranch white pizza from a take out place down the street from my sister's apartment. When I ordered the girl mentioned it was a good choice, so my expectations were high; it did not disappoint either. The thin crust was spread with a creamy ranch sauce and topped with tomato, onion, bacon, and chicken. Good stuff!

Club Maxine's - Sunday Brunch

Ended up here for brunch this past Sunday. I think I found them on Yelp or Urbanspoon. It was a great spread with the usual omelette station with all the fixin's and carving station with turkey, ham and roast beef. There was pasta and Caesar salads, salmon, tilapia and chilled shrimp, bacon, sausage, eggs Benedict, bbq chicken, potatoes, and beef with gravy. Not to mention muffins, french toast sticks, pancakes filled with spiced apples, and Belgian waffles. I was really looking forward to a Belgian waffle because they had fresh berries and whipped cream, but the batter was way too thick (too much flour I'm sure) making the waffle dry and dense; disappointing to both of us (my sister and I). At first glance the pancakes looked like pigs in a blanket, so I decided to pass. Then I realized it was apple inside. They were cooked perfectly fluffy and delicious; definitely a highlight of the meal. Overall good food and good value because the $21 buffet also includes a mimosa or bloody mary. The buffet runs from 10-2pm so I would recommend making a reservation and going early.

Wings Over Worcester

For a "wing" joint, this place had amazing ribs. I chose the golden bbq sauce (mustard base) which was perfectly painted on each bone of the St. Louis style dry rub ribs; they weren't slathered or over sauced. The platter also included boneless wings which were, lets face it, chicken tenders. They were huge and served by the pound. Most places boneless wings are a third of the size of one from Wings Over. With plenty of dry rubs and sauces to chose from, I got garlic parm. Hands down best I've had and I actually plan on replicating the dry rub/batter at home. Check the website they may have one in your city! Unfortunately there isn't one in Baltimore but the next time in Worcester I will be ordering. By the way, delivery is free!