I don't eat rolls very often, but I love this recipe from my grandma. She used to make butter horn rolls for holiday meals and I could never get enough of them. My mom has since carried on the tradition of making the rolls, although this year, I've taken over the baking duties.Because of my dairy allergy, I substitute soy milk for the milk in the recipe (but I leave the butter in because I haven't found anything that tastes good). I also added an egg wash to get a more even brown color on the rolls.

1 envelope of active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup of scalded milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs, beaten
4 cups flour

Fries are one of those things that almost always taste better at a restaurant than they do at home. I'm sure the industrial fryer is part of the reason, but the real secret is that the restaurants who make great fries cook those potato slices twice. Yes it takes a little longer, but the results are outstanding. The procedure is similar to what we used making kettle chips at home. I've managed to make great fries this way twice, without any assistance from Robin, so I'm pretty sure anyone can do it.

French Fry Ingredients
2 large Russet potatoes
24oz Canola, peanut, or California rice oil
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
Cast iron dutch oven
Thermometer

Procedure
1) Heat oil in cast iron pan, with thermometer in oil to make sure temperature reaches 305 degrees.

2) As oil heats, clean your potatoes and cut them into long strips of approximately the same size. Place sliced potatoes in a bowl of water to keep them from turning brown.

3) Remove potato slices from water and pat dry on paper towels, place enough slices in oil to have one layer covering the surface of the oil.

4) Allow slices to blanch, cooking until they turn from a shiny color to a more matte appearance. This is typically about the time the temperature starts rising in the oil again. Remove from oil with tongs and place in a pan lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.

5) After blanching all potato slices, increase the temperature of the oil to between 350-375 degrees.

6) Repeat process of layering potato slices in the oil, this time cooking them until they turn a golden color. Cook longer for fries that are more crisp.

7) Remove from oil and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil, season with your favorite salt while still hot. Garnish your fries with herbs, garlic, or any other flavor that suits your palate.

Brining a turkey before cooking is an excellent way to increase the bird's ability to retain moisture throughout the roasting process. It results in an extremely moist turkey with excellent flavor. At the most basic level, you can brine your turkey simply by combining the salt, sugar, and peppercorns listed in the ingredients below. Using the additional seasons helps enhance the flavor of the bird. You may want to err on the side of a shorter brining time if you're concerned with having your turkey be too salty.

Brine Ingredients:
2 c kosher salt
1 c raw sugar
1 c honey
2-3 bay leaves
2 Tbl peppercorns
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp celery seeds
3 cloves garlic
1 lemon
2-3 sprigs thyme
2-3 sprigs sage
10-14 lb turkey
1 brining bag

Roasting Pan Ingredients:

2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 lemon, sliced
4 cloves garlic
3-4 sprigs thyme
3-4 sprigs sage
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Not having gravy for the mashed potatoes and stuffing at your Thanksgiving and Christmas feast is like having your uncle show up with his nudist girlfriend - incredibly awkward to explain to the kids. Gravy is one of those holiday treats meant to be enjoyed. I've had many variations I enjoy tremendously, this one is best prepared while drinking as much wine as you add to the pan (or maybe a little more).

Roasting pan of turkey drippings
4 Tbl butter
3 Tbl flour
1 c white wine
1 qt chicken stock, homemade or low sodium store bought
2 Tbl chopped parsley, thyme, and sage
Salt and pepper

Mashed potatoes are my personal holiday kryptonite. It could be because my grandma started me on mashing potatoes before I could see over the stove, or maybe it's just because they are nearly perfect. I could miss most of the rest of the meal and simply fill up on a heaping plate of smashed Yukon gold with turkey gravy pouring over the sides of a mashed potato wall. This is an excellent variation on that theme, taking true sweet potatoes, combining them with some Yukon gold spuds, and adding a little parsnip for flavor. I wouldn't trade plain old mashed potatoes for anything, but these are a worthy rival.

3 medium sweet potatoes, yellow
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes
2 parsnips
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbl parsley, chopped
1/4 c chicken stock
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Stuffing is one of those things no holiday feast should be without. It's a perfect savory accompaniment for turkey and cranberry sauce. I call this Robin's foolproof stuffing because it's easy to make and I have yet to meet anyone who doesn't like it. And of course, it's Robin's because she's the brains of the food operation at our house. Drying the bread can be done ahead of time so that you're not trying to do everything at the last minute. If you don't eat pork, you can round out the turkey theme with a turkey breakfast sausage instead of pork.

Ingredients

1 loaf sliced bread of choice, buttermilk white is good
1/2 lb turkey or pork breakfast sausage, bulk
Giblets reserved from turkey
4 Tbl butter
1 onion, small diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 core of celery, with leaves, small slice
1/4 c white wine
3 c chicken stock, maybe more to moisten
3-4 sprigs sage, leaves chopped
2-3 sprigs thyme
1/2 tsp celery seed
Salt and pepper

It's hard to compete with the simplicity of canned cranberries during a busy holiday meal preparation, but you won't impress any of your guests with can shaped slices (they are certainly a guilty pleasure). This recipe provides a subtly Indian spin on the required cranberries at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. It keeps well so you could make it up several days ahead of any feast, which also allows the habenero flavor to sink in just enough to tingle the tongue.

2 pints fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup red wine
1 cup water
2 Tbl red wine vinegar
½ c sugar
1 habenero pepper, split
2 whole pods star anise
2 cinnamon stick
1 shallot, minced
1 Tbl allspice, whole
½ tsp black pepper

Growing up, green bean casserole consisted entirely of canned goods. Canned green beans, canned cream of mushroom soup, and canned Durkee French fried onions were the primary ingredients. I still have a fondness for that version of this holiday favorite, but rich flavors of making it yourself from fresh ingredients give a whole new dimension to this old favorite. Since I don't eat dairy, we left the heavy cream out of the version we made at our house, but it's admittedly better tasting if you leave it in.

Green Bean Casserole Ingredients

1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
1/3 lb porcini mushrooms, or favorite variety, sliced
4 shallots, 1 minced, 3 sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2-3 sprigs thyme
2 Tbl butter
1 Tbl flour
2 c veal stock, or beef stock (low sodium if not homemade)
1/4 c port, ruby or tawny
1/4 c heavy cream
Salt and pepper
1 Tbl parsley, chopped

Crispy Shallots for Topping

1/2 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp onion powder
2 c canola or high heat oil

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we are most certainly spoiled by the huge variety of local, hand crafted, lip smacking micro brewed beers. But order one up at your favorite watering hole, and it will probably arrive in the same old boring pint glass.

"I want to drink my beer out of a giant glass boot!" You scream, while shaking your fists up at the starry night sky. But there really is no reason to scream. You can enjoy a brew in a boot at Die BierStube; a German-style bar tucked into Seattle's Roosevelt neighborhood.

Boot boozing is more of an organized occasion than a leisurely after work drink. In order to order one, there must be at least three thirsty people in your party. Once your two liter arrives, the game begins. Pass the boot around, but never ever let it touch the table. If it does, that person will be penalized. I hear the punishment is supposed to involve chugging the entire boot, but my friends and I hold the guilty person to a rousing round of Truth or Dare. Boot drinking isn't for the weak - it involves some skill. Once the beer level drops to the ankle, you have to tilt the glass just so...or end up with a face full of foam.

Beer lovers will be tickled with Die BierStube's selection. There are more than a dozen German brews on tap including one of my favorites, Franziskaner WeissBier, a wheat ale with notes of banana. If you crave the classic beer and pretzel combination, Die BierStube's are big, warm, and soft and served with squirts of grainy and spicy/sweet mustards.

So say goodbye to boring old pints of beer. But I'm warning you: once you go boot, you never go back.

Prost!

Beaujolais get such bum rap: they're lightweight, immature and spoil easily. (Hmm.. sounds more like a bad date.)

But oh, the release parties! So much fun!

Over 65 million Beaujolais nouveau bottles are distributed and poured around the world as people celebrate its release on or around the third Thursday of November. Grab a pitcher and drinking partners and join the rest. À votre santé!

Fête de Beaujolais Nouveau at Le Pichet
Thursday, November 20, 6pm 'til last call
1933 First Avenue, Seattle
I've gone the last few years and it's not to miss. Sip various Beaujolais en primeur (freshly made) by the glass, pichet or bottle. Snacks will be street-food style. Hot Club Sandwich-- Django-inspired live Gypsy jazz-- will entertain. No cover, no reservations. The renegade way.

Beaujolais Nouveau dinner at Maximilien
Thursday, November 20, 6:30pm and 8:30pm
81A Pike Street in Pike Place Market
Enjoy 3-course dinner with a sampling of Beaujolais Nouveau selections. Options of pumpkin bisque or saucisson en brioche (garlic sausage in brioche) for starters, joue de porc braisée au Beaujolais (pork cheeks braised in red wine) or bass au vin rouge (seared bass with red wine sauce) for entree, and tarte d'hiver (winter tart, chocolate tart with orange and caramel) for dessert. $35 per person. Call 206.682.7270 for reservations.

Beaujolais Nouveau dinner and author event at Crémant
Thursday, November 20, 7pm
1432 34th Avenue in Madrona
James Beard award-winning cookbook author Jennifer McLagan will sign her book, Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes. $100 per person includes the book with Beaujolais wine and dinner pairing. Chef Scott Emerick will prepare pâté, cassoulet de Toulouse, duck confit and other dishes inspired by the cookbook. Call 206.322.4600 for reservations.

Beaujolais Nouveau dinner at The Corson Building
November 19-22, seating starts at 6:30pm
5609 Corson Avenue S in Georgetown
Chef Matt Dillon will create dishes to pair with Beaujolais Nouveau, Beaujolais Blanc, Cru Beaujolais and Crémant. Dinner costs $50 per person on Wednesday and Thursday and $90 per person on Friday and Saturday. Fee does not include wine. Call 206.762.3330 for reservations.

Le Festival du Beaujolais Nouveau hosted by French-American Chamber of Commerce
Friday, November 21, 6pm-10:30pm
Lake Union Armory, 860 Terry Avenue N in South Lake Union
2008 Beaujolais Nouveau wines from Georges Duboeuf, Joseph Drouhin and Terres Dorées will take the spotlight. Buffet stations will serve oysters on a half shell, charcuterie, grilled sausages, crêpes suzette au Grand Marnier and more. The event will also feature a silent auction and live music by Hot Club Sandwich. Tickets are $55-$80. More info here.

Other noteworthy wine events (not exactly Beaujolais related):
Fête by the glass at Faire Gallery Café
Saturday, November 15, 5pm-1am
1351 E. Olive Way on Capitol Hill
Taste around 15 French wines from Bourgeois Family Selections, a small French wine importing company who work exclusively with family-owned vineyards that practice sustainable, organic and biodynamic farming. $20 covers wine tasting, light hors d'oeuvres and live jazz. Click here for tickets or call 206.652.0781.

20something, The New Vintage
Saturday, November 15, 7pm-11pm
Fremont Studios, 155 N 35th Street
Hosted by the Washington Wine Commission, this event caters to young professionals and encourages to sip/spit, mingle and patronize Washington wines. Local winemakers will be pouring $30 and under vinos, while up-and-coming chefs from Tom Douglas Restaurants, Waterfront Seafood Grill and others serve bites to pair. Participating wineries include Vin du Lac, K Vintners, Forgeron Cellars, Woodward Canyon, Guardian Cellars, Paradisos del Sol, L'École and more. See the line up here. Tickets are $50 each or $90 for two. Click to purchase.

Sips & Shoes
Sunday, November 23, 4pm-7pm
Grand Hyatt, 721 Pine Street in downtown Seattle
Tickets are $35.
About 36 wineries will be pouring juice while guests bid on shoes to benefit Ryther Child Center, a child welfare agency, at this Seattle Uncorked event. Attendees are requested to bring new or barely used footwear to donate. The Seattle Burn Foundation firefighters will be there to assist, I mean, sign their 2009 calendars. Ooh la la..