Christmas Tamale Stuffing

By Andrew Hunter
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

When I was little I thought stuffing was gross because it was, you know, the guts. My big brother Tony convinced me by whispering, “Yep, Mom really does serve us guts, but don’t tell her I told you!”

Then one Thanksgiving, when Tony was at his girlfriend’s house, I had a revelation … and the truth was miraculously delicious. Since then I’ve made all sorts of stuffings with oysters and figs, roasted shallots and pancetta, sausage, leeks, fennel and roasted peppers, but never with gizzards.

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A Simple Holiday Party Dip

By Marilyn Hunter
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

The holiday season is here and social calendars are quickly filling up. Between decorating, gift shopping and card writing, it can be an overwhelming time. Last weekend, I needed an appetizer in a hurry to bring to a luncheon and made this delicious green olive dip.

When I need a fast and simple appetizer, it’s impossible to go wrong with this recipe. With only three ingredients, it’s a snap to prepare and requires no cooking. The red and green colors of the pimento-stuffed olives make it the perfect choice for a holiday table. I serve it as a dip with vegetables or as a spread for crackers, sliced baguette or crostini. The boys, of course, prefer to eat it with chips but love to use it in place of mayonnaise on their sandwiches, too.

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Thanksgiving Greens

By Marilyn Hunter
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

Thanksgiving in our house means both the North and South are represented. Applewood-Smoked Bacon & Greens is one dish that often replaces green beans or Brussels sprouts on our table because it pleases both sides.

We love applewood-smoked bacon because the pork is cured over glowing embers of applewood to produce a slightly sweeter flavor. It’s not as strong as oak or hickory. The bacon, sautéed onions and garlic in this side dish also lend a depth of flavor to the Swiss chard. And it’s a very easy dish to make while the turkey is resting.

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You Say Sweet Potato…

By Andrew Hunter
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

...I say yam! There’s so much confusion about which one is which, I’m not sure anyone truly knows the difference anymore, or that the difference much matters. Part of the confusion is that both tubers come in different shapes, sizes and colors, and often look very similar in their diversity.

So whether I’m right or wrong, the tuber I call a yam is misshaped and gnarly with a dark red skin. I always pick the ones that are about the size of my fist because I think they’re sweeter and less fibrous than their bigger kin.

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Mummy Pizzas

By Marilyn Hunter
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

By traditional standards, our urban neighborhood isn’t the best for trick or treating. In other words, there are only a few houses on each block that hand out candy. But somehow the kids always come back with enough loot to last a month.

I always worry about too much candy and not enough nourishment, so this year I’ve decided to make pizza with a scary twist. These pizzas are quick and easy to make even if there’s a crowd of kids to feed. If you can’t bake enough pizzas in one batch for everyone, start each child with a few wedges to keep them busy while the next batch is in the oven.

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