Food Talk

Ramble on…

Welcome to my ramblings! And trust me…they are just that! A collection of my rough (really rough!) thoughts, opinions, experiments and tips that I’ve written down over the years.

It all started a long, long time ago. (By a long time ago, I mean in 2007.) We had just moved into our house and it came with an old, but decent sized kitchen, and I threw myself into all things food and friends. My collection of notes about cooking and entertaining grew rapidly, and were scattered about and stuck in cookbooks and notebooks everywhere. As it turns out, that system really wasn’t very helpful.

I needed a more permanent place to jot things down so I would remember what I did right, and what I did wrong, or what I thought about a recipe. So I started a blog, just for my own reference, and I called it Feast and Merriment! It was one page and had no focus! As I grew into a more competent cook, the recipe bank became large enough to have their own section, and that is what you have today in the rest of the site. But the blog portion still remains an unfocused collection of my not-so-perfect and mostly incomplete ramblings. If you care to pour yourself a glass of vino and take a read, you’ll find a tip or two…or at least some entertainment!

4 tips for cooking a perfect turkey

Getting the white meat to reach 165°F and the dark meat to reach 180°F at the exact same time is a nearly impossible task for any notable chef, let alone a home cook who deals with this challenge only once a year. Here are 4 helpful tips on how to achieve a perfectly cooked turkey.

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ruben ravioli

Ruben Raviolis

I love making raviolis and I love eating Ruben sandwiches. So this Italian girl thought why not bring these two cultures together through food? Well that may have been the best idea I’ve ever had!

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Ricotta

How to make Ricotta Cheese

I recently learned that making Ricotta Cheese from scratch is incredibly easy. Seriously. You need only a few basic ingredients and common kitchen supplies. Here’s how to make it:

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daniel-boulud-and-tom-colicchio

The Gold Medal Dining Experience

I had the opportunity to enjoy a 6 course meal in an intimate setting prepared by the royalty of the culinary world, namely Chefs Tom Colicchio, Daniel Boulud, Daniel Humm, David Bouley and Florian Bellanger. This was a once in a lifetime culinary experience.

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roasted oysters in a cast iron tray

Roasted Oysters

These decedent roasted oysters are served right out of the shell and will make you feel as “Rich as Rockefeller” while eating them!

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bloody-marys-in-mason-jars

How to serve Bloody Marys to a crowd

Be the hit of the party with this tip on how to serve up individual Bloody Marys in Mason Jars. Prepare your mix in advance and portion out. When it’s time to serve, add vodka, ice, and shake. Remove lid and drink up!

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