Bon Appetit.

Today I received the latest issue of my Bon Appetit magazine subscription in the mail. It's the Thanksgiving special and despite having exams I'm excited that it came just in time for me to attempt my 3rd Thanksgiving meal, this coming Thursday.

It may seem unconventional to celebrate Thanksgiving in a country where many people wouldn't even know what it's all about, but I've always loved the idea of this North American holiday - and so a few years ago I decided that I'd like to make a Thanksgiving feast for my family.

Now, it hasn't always turned out the way I planned. Last year for instance I did not leave myself enough time to make all the usual accompaniments, such as cranberry sauce and stuffing - giving up after making a side of potatoes and gravy. I also had to substitute chicken (well, two whole chickens) in place of a turkey - as my mother forgot to source one for me. The other problem I find is that it is really hard to be in the kitchen for a long period of time when the weather this time of year is so warm! It makes me see the appeal of a cold, wintery North American Thanksgiving.

This year I'm determined for it all to turn out differently. At this stage I still need to buy a turkey (which sadly, may or may not happen in time) and all the other bits and pieces necessary to make a pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce and traditional stuffing. I'll be chronicling the result here on Thursday. Fingers crossed it doesn't end in disaster!!

The Best of Both Worlds

Since I love all things food and books it's only logical that I absolutely adore cookbooks - a sure combination of the best of both these worlds.

Over the years my sister (who shares my love of baking) and I have acquired quite the collection of cookbooks. On our recent trip to the USA we spent a great deal of time in Barnes and Noble, and even tipped our luggage over the weight limit in our efforts to acquire hard to source cookbooks.

On rainy days, like today, I like to review our collection and search for new recipes to try. Today I chose a book by one of my absolute favourite cooks, Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa).

While Nigella Lawson is most commonly referred to as embodying the "domestic goddess", I beg to differ and think that Ina's style of cooking and entertaining is far more admirable. Having tried countless Barefoot Contessa recipes and she has never once let me down.

Back to Basics, Ina's most recent book is by far my favourite from her collection. It offers recipes that are simple and unpretentious, yet full of great flavour. Best of all, they are easily replicated by your average home cook (like myself!) :)